WIP Wednesday - "Refractatorium"

These paper pieced "Refractatorium" blocks were designed by Jane from Quiltjane for her AusModBee February block. They really are an amazing block and although I have not had a lot of experience with paper piecing, thank to Lorenas help managed them without too much trouble - just need to join each of these blocks together now so that I can post these off to Jane later in the week.

There are  a total of 64 pieces in each of these blocks so I started by cutting and organising my pieces then labelling them all before starting so that I didn't get them mixed up (another great tip from Lorena). I then chain pieced each of the 8 A and B blocks so they came together quite quickly once I got started.

Each of us has slightly different fabrics to use for these blocks and I think they are all going to look stunning together. This is my first block laid out ready to sew together:

And the second:

Jane has been kind enough to have the block available on her blog too, so if you are up for the challenge then I thoroughly recommend making these.

 

Linking to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.
Kirsten.

Tuesday at The Table - Classic Orange Marmalade

This month my daughter was required to make Classic Orange Marmalade for Food Technology at school as well as doing an assignment on the marmalade making process. I am not quite sure exactly which recipe was used as there are many of them if you do a web search.

As with many of her cooking projects, we often do a trial run at home so that she knows what is involved (and so that we get to try new things too!) so some of these photos are from home, and the rest from the school kitchen.

 Chopping up the oranges...

Simmering on the stove top, whilst the liquid reduces. ..

Before adding quite a large quantity an obscene amount of sugar and the important pectin test!!!

And the finished product! She printed off the label from a fabulous site called "Jam Labelizer" where you can generate your own labels.

As for her assignment on the process - with 56/60 she topped the class!!!!

Linking to Tuesday at the Table with Debbie at A Quilter's Table.
PS . You may have noticed that many most of my TaTT posts are about my daughter's cooking pursuits as I much prefer to be sewing:)

Kirsten.

"Positively Texty"

The 4th round of the X-factor pillow swap had a theme of scrappy squares - the individual squares needed to finish between 1"and 2" and needed to be all the same size.

Basically keeping to a neutral colour theme with splashes of green and red, I chose to do a "plus" design using some of the text fabrics that I could find in my stash to make an 18" pillow which I then echo quilted along the seam lines.

There are prints from Sweetwaters "Authentic" and "Mama Said Sew" ranges, along with Timeless Treasures Perch Text, Michele D'Amore "Wordplay", Violet Crafts' Madrona Road text and Modas Circa 1934 typewriter keys.

The back is made from a larger piece of one of the newspaper type prints from Spotlight, and and I then used a black and white spot for the binding.


Linking to Fabric Tuesday at Quiltstory.
And I am also entering this pillow into the Sew-vivor contest over at Family Ever After.
Kirsten.

WIP Wednesday

One of the bees I am participating in is the AusModBee, and last week I received the fabric and block instructions for the Refactatorium block which we are making for Jane. I think the blocks are all going to be amazing with the black and white prints along with the bright coloured fabrics that she has sent for us to use. Because I am still new to the paper piecing world, I am definitely making a practice block first !

And I am also planning to use the Design Seeds palette below as a guide to make a quilt for the Pantone Emerald quilt challenge.

I was quite excited when I saw that Emerald was chosen for the Pantone colour of the year as it is one of my favourite colours!   

I already have quite a few fabrics here which may be suitable to use but I am still deciding on the final layout of what I am going to make.

Linking to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.

Kirsten.

"Type" 3 ZAL pouch.

Another Triple Zip pouch done! I think I may be slightly addicted to making these pouches as they are quite quick once you get the hang of how to do the layers!

Beacuse the typewriter keys are a "directional" print, I was able to cut the outside panel before sewing it to the top zip in one of the last steps to get the print to be the right way around.

Then I boxed the edges to make a flat bottom again a' la Hadley @ Flying Blind On a Rocket Cycle .

These really are cute fabrics and one of my children already have their eye on this pouch - I can see it being used to carry pens, pencils and other stationery items to school.

Linking to Fabric Tuesday at Quiltstory.

Kirsten.

Happy Valentines Day!

Happy Valentines Day! My daughter baked and decorated this Red Velvet cake for her boyfriend on the weekend as they wont get to see each other today but it has probably lasted him until at least today anyway. She used Maltesers, Jaffas, Raspberries, and Strawberries and cream lollies topped off by a milk chocolate heart,  all surrounded by Kit-Kats and tied up with some pretty ribbons.

Linking to Tuesday At The Table with Debbie at A Quilter's Table.
\
Kirsten.

Return to Sender....!

At the start of February, I received a very exciting email from Cindy at Fluffy Sheep Quilting to say that a parcel she had mailed to me back in October last year had been returned to her place in Ireland. 

Pic from Cindy's blog

I certainly hadn't changed addresses and we both thought that the package had been lost forever, so Cindy had even started making another item to send to me.

Earlier this week it finally arrived back here again at its original destination in Australia. I knew it was on its way but that still didn't dull any of the excitement when I opened the parcel. 

Cindy had made the most beautiful tote for the Mouthy Stitches swap using one of my favourite fabrics, Chicopee by Denyse Schmidt in a Lone Starburst design with some lovely hand stitching around the star.

I love the back too - the curvy quilting looks amazing against the grey linen. The lining is a crosshatch print from Summersville.

And she also made a cute key fob to match and enclosed the most lovely letter - I am just wishing we weren't on opposite sides of the world so that I could visit her to thank her IRL.

If only this tote could talk and tell us where it has been these past 5 months on its very long  journey across the world! 

Kirsten.

WIP Wednesday

This week I have started making some HST's for a quilt, which was inspired by the solid bee block I made for Adrianne in the AusModBee, which were in the style of Katie's HST love quilts and using a tutorial by Jeni at In Color Order. 

I am using a solid/print combo for some of these blocks and the others will be all solids. There is a lot of trimming still to do!

And I also have some more fabrics selected to make (yet) another Triple Zip Pouch - this time I am using some of the cute Julia Rothman "Type" fabrics which I recently received from Randi at Fresh Squeezed Fabrics, with some orange gingham for the lining.

Linking to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.
Kirsten.

A "Sew-In" pouch

Another little Triple Zip pouch done and dusted! 

This one is a little bit different as I followed Hadleys lead and made it into a flat bottomed pouch by cutting the main fabric and lining slightly longer so that the corners could be boxed and the pouch will be able to stand up on its own.

I have filled this one with lots of sewing notions - it is surprising how much you can fit into these pouches!

Having the 3 pockets means that I should be able to find what I need quickly as long as I can remember which pocket I put them in that is. 

And I have all my essential supplies together to take to the next Sew-in.

 

Kirsten.

Sunday Stash

A few weeks ago, I was extremely fortunate to win an incredible bundle of fabrics from a very generous giveaway on Red Pepper Quilts. The FQ bundle was supplied by Julie from My Fabric Store and they arrived here last week, all bundled up beautifully together in a pretty rainbow of colour.

This is an amazing and generous bundle of fabrics, with prints from Lotta Jansdotter, Lizzy House, Amy Butler and Heather Bailey. They are a wonderful addition to my stash as I really dont have many reds and yellows, or warmer colours in general really.

Thank you again to Julie and Rita for such a lovely bundle!
Linking to the Sunday Stash with Fiona @ Finding Fifth.
Kirsten.

WIP Wednesday.

I am very pleased to say that zippers are not that tricky after all - I don't even know why I was so reluctant to try to use them. It is not as though I ever had a bad experience with a zipper in my past unlike Ted from "There's Something About Mary" which coincidentally was on TV last week.   

So this week I have cut out some more fabrics to use to make another Triple Zip pouch. I am using all sewing themed fabrics for this one as I intend to use it to keep my sewing supplies in. The main fabric is a print from the Word Play range by Michele D'Amore, along with some Mama Said Sew text prints and a red cross-hatch type print I found on sale at Spotlight to use for the linings. 

It will also match the cover I made for my older Singer sewing machine some time ago too.

Linking to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.
Kirsten.

Just 3 for February

My Just 3 for January list was to:
1. Start on a quilt for my hubby from this fabulous Architextures fabric - quilt top sewn.

2. Make the items for my partner for the Sew Sew Modern Swap - done. I sent a quilted 241 tote bag with matching accessories.

3. Sew up this cute Phoebe elephant pattern by Melly and Me using some grey Ruby fabric: well sadly Phoebe is still in pieces, mainly because I have to get out my other sewing machine to use one of the decorative stitches before I can go any further.

I did make a HST solids bee block for Adrianne though, so I shouldn't feel too badly about poor Phoebe.

So on with my to-do list for February:

1. I have just signed up for the DS doll quilt swap again so once the partners are assigned, I would like to start on making something for my partner.

2. Finish the Feathers bee blocks for Lorena  - hoping to get at least 4 if not 5 feathers from the AMH fabrics she sent.

3. And although I have just made a couple of these pouches, I would really like to make a few more Triple Zip pouches while the process is still fresh in my mind. 

Linking to Just Three at Tracey jay Quilts.

Kirsten.