Retail Therapy

Living about three hours away from the nearest quilt store/spotlight can be quite a nuisance for a quilter or crafter. So you have to be very prepared, have plenty of thread and solid white homespun in my case. But there are days when I just want to go buy new farbic!

So that's where the lovely world of internet shopping comes in. I have become quite addicted that's for sure, there are times where I have to refrain and restrain myself.

This week I needed to square up my pinwheels and a shorter ruler, along with some new scissors and a new blade for my rotary cutter. Thanks Oz Quilts for my lovely goodies.




I do love getting parcels, Lyn my post lady is great and she will always let me know if I have a parcel. Thanks Lyn you are the best!

With my new 7.5" square I got a chance to square up my pinwheels




Its all coming to together. Come back in a few days to see the finished quilt.

Pinwheels

I made these block last year and got frustrated with them. I didn't know if to sash or not to sash. Well I have got them back out again and I am sashing them with a cute little aqua square were each corners meet. Its going to look darling.

 

I got the idea for these blocks from a video tutorial from the Missouri Star Quilt Company. They have some pretty awesom video tutorials.

 

 

 

I am just waiting on a little parcel with a new 7.5" square to square the blocks up and I can sew them together hopefully this weekend. Fingers crossed it doesn't rain and we can't get mail.

I bought a new square ruler because I like to square my blocks before putting a quilt together especially with a block like this one which has alot of seams that have been cut and put back together. 

Do you square your blocks?

Carpenters Star

Over the past few months i have been working on some carpenters start blocks using this tutorial I found on Cheries blog Sew and So Quilts. Its pretty much all HST and doesn't take long to piece. The only time consuming part of this block is the cutting, pressing and squaring of the blocks. If you work on a few at a time and chain piece it comes together quite quickly.

Here is my progress so far.

 

 

I have three more blocks halfway through my sewing machine which need to be finished. 

P.S. sorry for the horrible photos I only had my phone.

What do you think of my effort?

Have you ever made a carpenters star?

Baby Quilt

So I have never made a baby quilt because I have never had the need to. Many of my friends and family are not at that stage of their life. But it just so happens that my partners sister had been expecting her third child so I was so excited!! Because now I had an excuse to make one. 

No one knew the sex so I had to wait till bub was born! After nine long months I got the news from across pond that it was a BOY! So online shopping I went for some boyish fabric. Btw if you have never looked at all the amazing fabric specifically for kids then you should. It makes me clucky just looking at it ( but for the wrong reason of course) I just want to make more quilts :). 

So after hours of window shopping I found one I thought would go great. 

Bungle jungle by Tim and beck. 

So I got 1 charm pack of that and 1 charm pack of moda Bella solids in white which made the whole quilt top come together a lot faster. 

I did a basic chevron pattern using HST and it came together in less then a few hours. I always forget to take process photos. 

I quilted this little baby myself which made it extra special. I had to add the red flannel on the back because this little beauty was going to the cold country of Ireland so this would have made it extra snugly. 

 Tip: if you are going to baste and quilt your own quilt I would recommend using way too many safety pins and a wool or cotton batting. 

My idea behind this is that if you are going to spend your hard earned money  and time on fabric and piecing and basting a quilt spend the extra money on the batting so that your quilt will be with you for a long time. I also find it easier to quilt with. Just my opinion though. 

So all wrapped up and sent off I hope that little bub enjoys it as much as I did making it. 

For now

- Jazz

Gone But Not Forgotten

So if you have noticed I have not been an active force on my blog for quite sometime. Many reasons have lead to my absence but I think the main one being time. It can be hard to juggle and multitask my time and I am an acclaimed procrastinator in my family so that does not help either. But seeing as it is a new year (and they say you should make a New Years resolution) I have made a pledge to myself to start blogging more (fingers crossed). To do this I thought it needed a revamp so I kinda changed the name to suite the direction that I see this blog moving towards.

So to start this lovely and new year I will give you all a sneak peek of what I have been working on.

These are Ruby by Bonnie and Camille pinwheel squares using this great technique from Missouri Quilting Company check out the tutorial here it is awesome.

This block is a Carpenters star, Sort of looks like a swoon block. I am using material that I recently purchased from spotlight. I am in love with these two materials but not so much the rest that came in the bundle so I am on the look out for something else. The tutorial for this block is very easy to understand. You should give it a go it is very effective.

And this lovely quilt is Hopscotch, Pattern by Camille Roskelley of Bonnie and Camille. Material Cuzco by Kate Spain.

I have a large list of things that I want to post about so hopefully you will see them here soon. But for now tell me what you think of those beautiful sewing projects of mine.

Jazz

New Years Eve!!!

I can't wait. I just had to share!!

By the way I left my camera with all the photos from my trip at home so no photos. Maybe at Christmas time I will share if your still reading.

Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder..

So for any of you who read my blog (which is not many) you may or may not have noticed my long absence. I am still alive but I have had so much on my plate.

Firstly I have come back to Australia for 4 weeks just because i felt like it and also because I missed my sewing machine and my mothers large pantry. So I have been enjoying myself far too much.

Secondly I have been bombarded with assement pieces for uni. When you have 5000 word essays to do you do not get much time to blog.

And third and final excuse, pinterest has taken over my spare time. I am so addicted.

But all excuses aside I have many things to share over the next week or two don't you worry.

Ill be sharing some projects that I have been working on since I have been home. Some quilt tops that have been sitting in my cupboard for way to long. A few recipes of things I have made while I have been home. And a few other things up my sleeve, they are all fabulous by the way. But you will all have to come back and have a look for yourself.

For now...

Jazz

Pinterest Inspiration

So tonight I sit at my computer. I have a thousand things I really should be doing, but instead, I am searching the millions of wonderful images on Pinterest.

If you have never heard this expression before, then don’t worry because I must admit, tonight is the first time I had ever been on the site myself.

So tonight I thought I would share with you a few of the wonderful images I have found in the half hour of searching. Just imagine what you could find in an hour.

If you have never been on the site then you are really missing out. It gives you so much inspiration.

Source: nobiggie.net via Karisse on Pinterest

Source: None via Erica on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via Josey on Pinterest

Source: polyvore.com via Michele on Pinterest

Source: thebookofsecrets.tumblr.com via Emily on Pinterest

Source: opentravel.com via Sahar on Pinterest

Source: sugarlaws.com via Lissa on Pinterest

Are you just loving on any of these images?


What inspires you?

Stars and Flying Geese

So I have been a little slack with my blogging. But I do have an excuse, I have been studying feverishly for my exams. But now I am on my one day break so I thought I should post something. So I thought I would show you the second quilt I made, mainly because its the only quilt I have with me. The rest are at my mums house waiting to be quilted.

So.... this quilt was my second quilt ever!! as you may know my boyfriend is Irish and when he got a hold of my first quilt and my mums and our neighbours he wanted one for himself. The only thing he wanted was a green quilt, can you believe it?? So i set out to make him a GREEN quilt (btw I don't really like his take on green). This is the result of his annoying and pestering efforts, a green Irish quilt!!

This quilt was so time consuming, but I LOVE it!! Yes I said I didn't like green, but this is an exception.

I got many funny looks from old time quilting friends who thought I was crazy making this quilt. But I did it and I love it. I snuggle up to it everynight.

These are my favourite two stars, the one below was my way of putting some colour (other then green) into the quilt.

 

Below was the backing of the quilt.

 

This quilt was the first quilt I made all by myself. I had to learn how to do flying geese and they were so hard the first few times, but they got easy after that. I did not quilt this one myself, do not think I could have if i tried, its HUGE! I don't know the exact measurements but it fits on a queen with hangover.

I hope you enjoy this post, come back soon as I will be showing of some new fabrics additions to my stash. 

p.s. Sorry for the bad photos, it was raining and the light was horrible, I tried every room possible!

Choc Chip Cookies

So last night I was sitting on the couch with my boyfriend and all of a sudden we both had a craving for something sweet. Of course i didn't have anything on hand to whip up something so we had to go without.

But my mission today was to make something sweet (and easy). So I give you my tried and tested recipe for my favorite choc chip cookies!

This recipe is from the Australians Women's Weekly COOK book and they are so scrummy!

Ingredients
125g unsalted butter
1/2 caster cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 3/4 cups self-raising flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
150g dark chocolate chips (I always add a little more)
Pre-Heat oven to 180

They look so yummy don't they

First off you cream the butter, caster sugar,  brown sugar and vanilla

Add lightly beaten egg gradually to the mixture

Add flour and salt

I have used a mixture of the lindt dark chocolate and some milk chocolate

but you can use whatever takes your fancy.

Add the chocolate bits and mix.

I use my hands cause its easier.

Roll a tablespoon of the mixture into balls and bake for 

10-12 minutes or until slightly golden.

Don't you just feel like cookies now!!

ENJOY!!