AMB AMH Chicopee feathers quilt!

I went up to Brisbane this weekend for a school reunion and got home on Sunday in time to snap some pics of my newly finished Chicopee Feathers quilt! 

I am so very happy with how this quilt has turned out!

I don't usually piece the back of my quilts but thought a simple strip of feathers was just right for across the centre.

It is the last day of winter here in Australia and the late afternoon sun was at just the right angle to show off the quilting.

Karen's quilting is amazingly perfect - almost like a breeze blowing through the feathers.

A very big thank you and lots of hugs go out to all of the lovely ladies in the Aus Mod Bee group on flickr - without you I would never have got all of these feathers made!

This quilt will always be so very special to me and remind me of the blocks that we all made for each other.

Stats:

Size: 90 x 81"

Pattern: Feather Bed quilt by Anna Maria Horner

Fabrics: Chicopee by Denyse Schmidt, Prima solid in Light Grey. 

Backing: Daisy Mae by Denyse Schmidt.
Batting:  50% Bamboo/cotton

Binding: Chicopee Ladder Dot in Black - Denyse Schmidt 

Quilted by: Karen at Rainbow Patchwork, South Lismore NSW Australia

Linking to Fabric Tuesday at Quiltstory.

This quilt was on my FAL Q3 list so also linking up with Katy @ The Littlest Thistle. Kirsten.

Round The World Blog Hop

I was tagged by Debbie @ A Quilters Table last week to participate in the Around The World Blog Hop. Debbie and I met a few years ago when participating in the For the Love of Solids swap on flickr and have also swapped fabrics across the miles from time to time. And  it was Debbies fabulous Triple Zip pouch tutorial that finally convinced me to learn how to sew zips early last year which I have found so useful in now that I am enjoying making bags.

Firstly, a little about me:  I am a wife and mum to 3 teenagers and I live in the Northern Rivers region of NSW, Australia, not far from the beautiful Byron Bay. I also have a sweet grey kitty named Simba who often pops up in my photos:)  I started sewing again about 5 years ago when I took a quilting course at a local store and was totally hooked! Previously, I made simple clothes for the kids when they were younger, and have also done cross stitching and scrapbooking in the past.

Soft Kitty pillow for the Pantone "Radiant Orchid" challenge

1. What am I working on? 

AMB AMH Feathers quilt - My fellow members of the AusModBee group made these amazing AMH feathers blocks for me last year using Denyse Schimdt's Chicopee fabric and I finally got around to sewing them together a few weeks ago - not sure why it took me so long....Anyway, this one is back from the quilters now and ready for binding which I hope to get done in the next few days. 

Amy Butler Weekender bag: I am planning on making some QAYG panels using Chicopee fabrics and scraps from the feathers quilt (above) along with a cute printed panel from Cat & Vee for one side.

3. Why do I write/create what I do? 

I really enjoy the creative process of sewing - it may be the pattern or sometimes it is just the beautiful fabric and I just want to get in and make "something". I like modern designs and spend a bit of time browsing through Pinterest or other blogs for ideas and to get inspiration. I live in Australia, and our winters aren't too cold here so I although I love quilts, I like to make other things as well - bags are my favourite thing to sew at the moment!! Although in saying that, one thing that I would really like to make is a Gypsy Wife quilt. I really love the version by Twin Fibers and have been "collecting" a stash of Bonnie and Camille fabrics to make one - maybe next year...I also like to give handmade items to family and friends for birthdays and Christmas gifts. 

A few recent finishes:  Cargo Duffle bag, Sea Breezey mini quilt, 
Red letter day quilt, Swoony Super Tote.

4. How does my writing/creating process work?

I worked as a Medical Scientist in a hospital Pathology lab for nearly 25 years so I am a fairly methodical and organised person. I don't have a specific sewing space (just waiting until one of the teenagers move out so I can reclaim a bedroom!!) and tend to spread out on the dining room table so I try to not have too much on the go at any one time so it doesn't get too messy out there!  I use a monthly calender template on my computer where I can type in any birthday dates, deadlines for swaps/bee blocks etc and also jot down ideas for blog posts using a different text colour for each event so they are easily identifiable. I try to blog at least a couple of times a week so write up and pre-schedule posts if I know that I have a busy week ahead. I like to make lists of what I want to make and try for the most part to stick to that list, athough sometimes a new pattern or fabric will be released and I just want to use it right away. Like Debbie, I also have the list on my phone so when I am waiting to pick the kids up from work,or football training, I can browse through it and add more notes it if needed. 

 Girlfriends Wallets: Pattern by Amira @ The Little Mushroom Cap

Thank you so much to the lovely Debbie for inviting me to be a part of this blog hop. On next Monday, September 1st, please pop over and visit Adrianne from NZ @ On The Windy Side, Leanne from Canada @ She Can Quilt and Katy in Scotland @ The Littlest Thistle for their Around the World blog hop posts.  

ArchiteXtures quilt: "Lucky Squares" Pattern by Sew Crafty Jess

The purpose of the Around the World blog hop is to introduce you to bloggers that you may not know about and are happy to have found, so I am hoping you enjoyed your visit to my blog today and continue to follow along with the Around the World Blog Hop....

Kirsten.

Purple Palettes

Some pretty purples this week over at Porch Swing Quilts to brighten up the dreary weather we are having here.

A field of lavender out near Tamworth, NSW....

And my Soft Kitty pillow which was an entry for the Pantone Radiant Orchid challenge earlier this year. Linking up with Jennie over at Porch Swing quilts.
Kirsten.

WIP Wednesday - Chicopee feathers quilt and binding.

A bit of a belated WIP Wednesday post but I was at work yesterday and didn't get a chance after I got home last night. Anyway, my AusModBee quilt is back from the quilters and it looks amazing! Here is a peek of the beautiful quilting:

So whilst it is still cold here, and before I get started on another "big" project,  I have the binding all ready to go to finish this quilt off.

Linking to WIP Wednesday over at Freshly Pieced.

Kirsten.

Red Letter Day quilt

As I finished up the binding on my Red Letter Day quilt last night, it was pouring rain so I didn't think that I would be able to take photos today, but fortunately it has cleared up this morning and everything is all fresh and sparkly outside.

I must say that I really love the effect of the scrappy binding and will definitely be doing it again!

I kept the quilting quite simple on this one - just echo quilting along the seams and with the Bliss aqua dots flannel backing it is still super soft.

It is hard to decide on my favourite block...

Possibly the navy one in the top corner, although I do really like the orange "Marmalade"one as it was the first block I made at the class with Camille back in June.

 The obligatory kitty photo bomb!

Just love how pretty the Sundae Scallop prints look together!!!!!

Hoping it stays cold here for a bit longer so I can snuggle up with this quilt:)

I have really enjoyed the whole process of making this quilt -  the class with Camille and Holly was so much fun, and it was great to meet up with some of my bloggy quilty friends in Brisbane.

Stats:
Pattern: Red Letter Day by Thimbleblossoms
Size: 67.5 x 67.5" (each block is 22.5 x 22.5")
Fabrics: Bonnie and Camille prints from Bliss, Ruby, Marmalade, Scrumptious, Vintage Modern, Happy Go Lucky, April Showers and Miss Kate. 
Background fabric: Prima solid in "Natural"
Backing: Bliss aqua dot flannel
Binding: Sundae Scallop from Ruby and Miss Kate.
Linking to Fabric Tuesday at Quilt Story. And this quilt was on my list of finishes for the Q3 FAL hosted by Katy @ The Littlest Thistle so this is another tick off my list.
Kirsten.

Moody blues....

Blue is the colour for this week 's palette over at Porch Swing Quilts. 

The colour blue always makes me think of the ocean and if you look closely at the photo above, there are a couple of dolphins jumping the waves we saw during our trip to Yamba earlier this year.

And a recent "blue" sewing project - my Red Letter Day mini Kitty quilt. Linking up with Jennie over at Porch Swing Quilts.

Kirsten.

WIP Wednesday - RLD binding.

The binding for my Red Letter Day quilt is made from Bonnie &Camille "Sundae Stripes" which are one of my all time favourite prints.

I haven't really done a scrappy binding before but after seeing some of Camilles quilts when she bought them all the way to Australia, have decided to give it a try this time. 

Some of these prints are from Ruby and a few from the newly released Miss Kate range, and I think they will go well with the Bliss flannel backing.. 

A huge thanks also to one of the lovely ladies at the RLD workshop in Brisbane who gave me some of the navy print which completed my Sundae scallop collection!.

Linking to WIP Wednesday over at Freshly Pieced.

Kirsten.

A birthday bag...

A few weekends ago, I went to my local craft group gathering and took along a bag which I made as a gift for a friend who is celebrating a very special birthday this year.

The pattern is Anna @ Noodleheads "Super Tote" which I have made a few times before.  

The straps and gusset are in a dark blue denim which went well with the colours in the main fabric which is a really pretty print - almost like watercolour flowers.

And because the recipients favourite colour is green, I used a cute lime green spot for part of the lining and the recessed zipper tabs. 

This tote is such a good size - she said that she loaded the bag up and took it to work the next day.

And another tick off my FAL Q3 list as this project was on my list of finishes for the Q3 FAL hosted by Katy @ The Littlest Thistle.

Also linking up with Fabric Tuesday at Quiltstory.

Kirsten.

Colour Palette: Green

This weeks colour palette over at Porch Swing Quilts is green which is my favourite colour! 

First up is a gorgeous Rainbow Lorikeet that visited our balcony whilst we were on holidays in the Whitsundays a few years ago. It was definitely one of the brighter parts of our trip as it rained constantly the whole week were there:(

(Note to self: do not book a tropical island holiday during cyclone season!)

And this is the "Land of Oz" quilt I made for last years Pantone emerald challenge.
Linking up with Jennie over at Porch Swing quilts.
Kirsten.

WIP Wednesday - Red Letter Day quilt

This week I am hoping to get some more done on the RLD quilt. 

I have laid out on the lounge room floor and now have it all basted ready for quilting.

Linking to WIP Wednesday over at Freshly Pieced.

Kirsten.