Moore Patchwork & Quilting

Christmas Fun Giveaway

I have finally finished my new design - Christmas Fun. The pattern includes 2 small quilts which I will use as table throws.

The first one is this stitchery quilt.  I surrounded the log cabin blocks with a stitchery border worked in DMC 115.  The finished size is 22" square.  For the quilting, I ended up machine quilting in a stipple pattern over the centre blocks and the outside border only.  I had originally thought about quilting in the ditch of the seams but I decided that I wanted to feature the stitchery so the stipple quilting was more suited.

I used the same red spot fabric that I used in the block centres.  I am really pleased with this little quilt. (The border is actually a biege colour - the photo makes it look white!)

  I forgot to take a photo of the second quilt by itself but here it is with the stitchery one. (You can see the colour of the stitchery fabric better in this one.)

The finished size of the second one is 24" square - a bit bigger than the stitchery one - and instead of the stitchery I blanket stitch appliqued little Christmas trees in the border.  This one was not really intended initially, but I had some log cabin blocks left over so I decided that I would make another quilt so they wouldn't be wasted. The border fabric is a light fabric with stars on it.

I quilted this one in an all over stipple pattern again but this time I also did in the border around the trees so that they would stand out a bit more.

The pattern is available on my website.

Giveaway...

If you would like to win a copy of the Christmas Fun pattern just leave a comment between now and 10.00am Monday 16 November.

AQM...

I'm off to Melbourne on Thursday to the Australian Quilt Market (AQM) where I will get to see all the new patterns just being released.  The show isn't actually on until the weekend but I'm going to spend some extra time just wandering around the city.  I'm so excited about it. I love Melbourne.  I started to work out what knitting projects, stitching projects and books I would take.  I had intended taking a small bag but it's almost full already and I haven't even added clothes yet. Will have to work on that tomorrow!

Until next time

Lyn

More yarn

On Friday I went to visit Tangled Yarns - a lovely yarn store in paradise.

Each month the store is having a kal (knit a long) where you buy a kit to make a specified article, and if you complete it in the month you go into the draw to win a prize (more yarn).

This month the kal is a lovely shawl.  The yarn is Noro sock yarn - this is the colour I chose.  It's fun doing a kal - it gives you incentive to finish something and even though other people are making the same thing, they all look so different because of the colour choices. The shawl is a simple pattern and I think it will be ideal for me to take to Melbourne next week when I go to AQM.  (If you are interested in the kal - visit Tangled Yarns website.)

I also bought this yarn called Seduce. It's summer yarn and I plan to make a short sleeved top.  It's a Norah Gaughan pattern called Pucker.  I saw a few finished ones on Ravelry and also on Tangled Yarns blog.  It will be perfect to wear up here in paradise. I plan to start it as soon as my 'red' jumper is finished. 

Which way is it....

I've only been to the Tangled Yarns store twice before - and once Robin was driving - so I wasn't really confident about how to get there (it's cross town from here).  I put the address in my GPS and was motoring along nicely until the lovely voice said "Satellite not available".  I had a mild panic because I had no idea where to go!  To make it worse I was in the middle of some heavy traffic and couldn't really stop or turn or anything so I just kept on driving.  Fortunately the satellite returned just before I had to turn off the road or otherwise I might have ended up on the Sunshine Coast.

Until next time

Lyn

Christmas Fun and Christmas Pattern Sale

I've been sitting out on the deck today working on my Christmas Fun design.

This is the second of the little quilts - this one has a border of applique instead of stitchery. Hopefully I will finish it over the weekend.

I planned to start the blanket stitch applique on Tuesday night.  I think I have a full range of DMC threads but of all the greens, I wanted to use 3051.  But wouldn't you know it, I only had a couple of strands of that one left - plenty of every other green that didn't match my fabric.  I had to wait until Wednesday to buy some more before I could start.  Isn't that always the way?  You have every colour under the sun except the one you need!

Christmas Pattern Sale...

Because I'm feeling very Christmassy, I am having a sale of Christmas Patterns on my website until Monday 16 November.  Go to my website for details.

Until next time

Lyn

Shetland Rug

I went to knitting group today - love going to knitting group.  Anyway managed to finish and block 2 more squares of my shetland rug.

 Squares 23 and 24.  Can't believe I've actually knit 24 squares which means there's only 12 to go.  Amazing.  Seemed like no time since I started.

I'm also making progress on my red short sleeve jumper and I think it looks nice but I'm still not confident enough to show you.

Gone fishing knitting ...

On Sunday afternoon I was feeling a bit 'off' so I said to Robin that I was going knitting.  I popped down to the yarn shop and found a group of like-minded women and we sat and knit and talked and drank tea/coffee and ate pumpkin cake. I came home feeling really refreshed. What do you do to give yourself a lift?

Christmas Fun...

Yesterday I pinned my stitchery quilt up ready for quilting but was not 100% happy with the backing fabric I had used.  I left it sitting on the table over night and argued with myself as to whether or not I should change it.  One part of me (product person) said "no one will look at the back - it doesn't matter - get it finished".  The other part (process person) said "you will never be happy with it if you don't change it".  Who won?  Let's just say I unpinned it as soon as I got up this morning and it's now quilted and the binding is ready to be sewn down.

Hot...

It's a scorcher up here in paradise this afternoon.  (Not complaining still remember what 'cold' really means.) The cats have been stretched out on the polished floor all afternoon trying to get cool. I'm about to retire to the deck with an ice cold drink. What a life.

Until next time

Lyn

Yarn and Fabric

Look what I bought in the bookshop yesterday -

It's a tin of beautiful postcards.

The tin (that's in the background) caught my attention.  The colours of the cupcakes on the lid made them look good enough to eat.  Inside there are 20 blank notecards- 5 of each photo.  Aren't they great?

The lady in the shop suggested that the cards would look nice framed and hanging in the kitchen.  I love to buy cards but I don't always think about framing them but it's really cheap way of decorating.  The added bonus is that you can change them whenever you want to without breaking the bank.

Shetland Rug...

I'm still making progress.

These are blocks 21 and 22.  I didn't really enjoy knitting the one on the left for some reason.  It isn't difficult but I think I just didn't like it.  As a result it took my a few days  more than it should have.  Isn't it funny the way that happens?  I find that if I don't like what I'm doing it becomes a real chore. The other one was finished more quickly and I like the way the yarn changes to green near the top of the block.

Fabric Club...

I was excited to receive my fabric club from Threadbear Quilters today.

As usual, I was thrilled with the selection I received and was glad to see a few reds in the mix.  (I seem to be a bit low on reds and blues at the moment.)

My favourite fabrics are the ones on top - I especially like the green. It would provide a nice zing to a quilt.  I also like the blue, red and check fabrics beneath the green.

Also in the mix, is a lovely shirting fabric. These are always so handy as background fabrics.

I'm glad I joined this fabric club - the fabrics are always nice and they come in a really handy size.

Until next time

Lyn

Natalie Lymer

Just arrived in store is the new pattern by Natalie Lymer of Cinderberry Stitches.

The Paris Collection includes the lovely bag and a needlecase.  If you look closely, you can see the cute little label that Natalie has added to the needlecase.  Makes it look like a 'real' wallet doesn't it?

The pattern is available on my website.

Until next time

Lyn

PS Have finished and lodged my tax return!  Yeah!

Christmas Fun

I have finished the stitchery on the first of the small quilts for my new design, Christmas Fun.

I really enjoyed stitching the designs and especially like the way they look stitched in DMC 115.  Today I will get it ready for quilting and for the binding I'll use the lovely spotty fabric.  I've been tossing up what to do for quilting but am leaning towards simple in the ditch.  I had thought about buttons for the centre squares but am not sure about that now because I'm going to use it as a table throw. I might wait until it's finished before making a final decision.

The one underneath is the second small quilt but will do some applique in the border.  I made it a little bit bigger as well.  It's taken me longer than planned to make this design - life got in the way.  I want to make another Christmas one as well so had better get a move on.

Tax Time..

Today I plan to finish my tax return.  I started it 2 months ago but needed to find some more information so put it on the top of my filing cabinet and there it has sat gathering dust - literally (remember the dust storms? - my filing cabinet is next to a window that was open).  So today I am determined to finish it.

Until next time

Lyn

Something New

A few weeks ago I was visiting Tangled Yarns and couldn't resist buying this lovely red yarn.

It's an 8ply alpaca and is so soft!  I bought a pattern on Ravelry for a short sleeve jumper called Sage Remedy.  The original pattern is actually made in a heavier ply but I'm going to substitute it for this one.  I have never actually done anything like that before - I've substituted yarns before but always of the same ply - so I had to rely on my knitting group for some advice.  I knit my tension square in my chosen yarn and then calculated how many stitches I would need to get the required garment size.  Turns out that to make a medium sized jumper, I am knitting an extra large one!  Very confusing.  Anyway, I started knitting on the weekend and so far it looks very nice.  I've already finished the back and am now casting on for the front. (I'll show you when I feel confident that the thing will actually fit me!)

Try something new...

I've mentioned before how I really enjoy reading Quilters Home magazine.  In the latest issue the editorial challenges you to try something new (in quilting that is).  Mark says that if you were to take out all of your projects, you would probably find that they have a lot of things in common - maybe colour pallette, technique (eg applique or pieced blocks) or even size.  He then suggests that to spice things up a bit, try something new - even just once.  You never know where it will take you.

I've been thinking about this ever since I read the article and think that he's on to something. One area for me that needs a bit of a change is in the choice of blocks when making quilts.  I tend to use really simple blocks because that's what I feel confident with but from now on I'm going to try to use different blocks in my projects. That's why I chose to use the log cabin block in my new design Christmas Fun.  I know it's only simple but for me it's different.  I also think that if I start using other blocks my confidence will grow.  What about you, what 'new' thing are you going to try?

Until next time

Lyn

Leanne Beasley and Gail Pan

Lots of new patterns arrived in store yesterday. From Leanne Beasley-

 

 

Butterfly Bouquet. I love this one.  It includes the handy bag and the framed stitchery.

It looks so happy and colourful doesn't it?

I like the way she's made the bag in vertical strips.

This one is my favourite - Butterflies and Blossom - also from Leanne.  The pattern includes the three doileys. Aren't the colours beautiful?  They would look lovely on any surface and make a beautiful gift.

The other new one from Leanne is Tis the Season - an apron, tablecloth and napkins embellished with stitchery.

See it on my website.

Gail Pan....

There's a whole lot of new patterns from Gail.

This is my favourite - Roly Poly Santas. It's a small quilt and bag pattern. Gail always makes such nice stitchery projects doesn't she?  and they are always so achievable.

Other new patterns from Gail include Sweet Home Pockets Bag and Pretty Hexagon Baskets.

You can see them on my website.

This pattern from Gail I really liked when I saw it on her blog.  It's called Laila's Garden and I think Gail made it to take to Norway with her.  I just love it.

All of the new patterns are available on my website.

Until next time

Lyn

Christmas Fun

Over the last couple of days I've been making progress on my Christmas Fun design.

I'm adding a row of stitchery designs around the log cabin blocks.  I'm stitching in DMC 115 which I think is a nice 'Christmas' thread.

I had some log cabin blocks left so yesterday I had a brain wave and decided to make another similar little quilt but with applique on the border.  I madly sewed it together and now am ready to add the applique border. I think they both will look really nice. 

Product or Process...

 The other day I was looking for something to read with my morning tea and I grabbed the book Stephanie Pearl-McPhee Casts Off (The Yarn Harlot's Guide to Knitting) off the shelf. I've read this book before - a couple of years ago - when I first rediscovered knitting but now that I'm a 'real' knitter I really appreciate the book a lot more.

There's one section where she talks about whether you're a 'process' knitter or a 'product' knitter.  Basically a process knitter enjoys the knitting for the knitting's sake but a product knitter, although enoying the knitting, aims to produce something. I'm definitely a 'product' knitter.  I only buy yarn when I have something in mind and like to finish what I'm working on before starting something new.

The same applies to quilting. I always like to finish what I start.  I don't like to have too many things on the go at once and find it hard to concentrate on something new until I've finished what I'm working on.  My favourite part of a project is the end when I have something to show for my work. (In contrast, a 'process' quilter would prefer the start of a project and would have lots of projects on the go.) What are you - product or process?

Until next time

Lyn