Pattern release!

Finally it's here! The pattern set for my Lots of Dots quilt.
It's now available in my etsy shop - over 100 pages of patterns for this quilt which won its category at the 2011 Sydney Quilt Show.
The set comprises patterns for the 26 different circle blocks in the quilt featuring foundation piecing, applique and english piecing. Each pattern features original foundations, templates, diagrams and extensive instructions for all the blocks in the quilt.

PLUS as a bonus you will receive a 50 page pack of light-weight foundation papers to start you on this project.  So if you're looking for a challenging but rewarding project this one is just for you.

The quilt is on exhibition at the Australian Quilt Convention in Melbourne in April as one of five "Best of the Best" from the NSW Quilters Guild - I'm also teaching there so come and check out the quilt and say hi as well.

Below  is Gaby's version of Lots of Dots in aboriginal fabric featuring - you guessed it - lots of dots!

Her fussy-cutting is amazing and the background fabric is just perfect for the blocks.

You can see both versions of this beautiful quilt at our Springwood Community Quilt Show the last weekend in April. We'd love you to come - check out the latest news from the show on our blog here.

We have a winner!

First of all thank you to the 73 people who left a comment on my blog - amazing and thanks for all the kind words.

There can only be one winner and that's Michelle who doesn't have a blog.

Please email me your address Michelle so I can send you your prize.

Don't forget you can buy the pattern (along with lots of others) in my etsy store and the foundation papers will be listed there soon - I've run out of the first lot already and can't get any more til after xmas!

Thanks again everyone and I hope you keep visiting.

Class quilts

Not bad for a foundation-piecing newbie is it!

Moyra's done a beautiful job.

Mr Pelican looks right at home here in Kay's version of my Emperor's Wheel. Love those marching crabs too.

Lorraine's finally finished her Lots of Dots and it's on the way to the quilter. Looks great!

This is also Lorraine's - a Xmas runner using the Supernova block from quilt camp and a really cute Santa with tree.

Pam's made this for her granddaughter - lucky girl. Pity you can't see the quilting - it was beautiful.

Another from Pam - love those leaves and yes, less is more.

We have finally finished the raffle quilt for our Springwood Quilt Show for 2012. Go on over and have a look - blue and white always looks great and Susie will do a wonderful job on the quilting.

Various

These two quilts share the same border fabric and the same blocks with a slightly different layout.

How different they look with the individual owner's fabric choices. Both stunning.

These foundations are a lot fun to do and allow for lots of colour combos - really only limited by your imagination.

Show and tell at Figtree yesterday.

Such a different approach and such bold fabrics. Quilting was pretty good too.

The day was a riot - someone said because it's a full moon. Things just went awry all day.

Lucky we can laugh!

This was a fantastic group class with the Birdhouse Quilters.

2 days of frantic sewing produced a couple of finishes and lots of WIP's.

Great venue at Narelle's beautiful house and we were fed and watered constantly.

Thanks Maggie for accommodating me and say hi to Tiger!

My stepson sent me this from a store in Santa Monica - he thinks it was a clothing store.

Too cool!

These two pics are from Lynne who was in my class at Toowoomba. Here's what she wrote:

"Have finally finished quilting my Mariners Compass, in the border I used the William Morris fabric

designed by Michelle Hill.

Now it's back to Lots of Dots & pickled Lillies, but still have my Deauville to quilt. Nothing like a few more challenges! I love foundation piecing, it takes all the hassle out of piecing."

She's a girl after my own heart. Well done Lynne and keep on piecing.

Lots of pics today from recent classes.....

Bronwyn's lovely Mariners

Bonnie's very patriotic NYB's

We had a special guest last Saturday class - Alice's grandson Brayden joined us and made a start on this beautiful tablecloth for his mum. Well done Brayden you're a keeper!

Margaret has been busy with two versions of Emperors Wheel - what a great eye-spy quilt.

Jenny's camp project all done.

Marrianne's Mariners quilted and bound - beautiful.

QAYG Noodle box blocks



This is Bev's from Toowoomba - love the different approach to the outside scallops and the quilting is amazing.
Bev was one of the tutors at Quilting on the Downs.

Linda sent me this You tube link about sewing machine needles - take the time to look, it is very interesting.

http://youtu.be/4U48srIlnWg
On the 3rd Thursday of each month I have a class at the new Hobbysew store at Top Ryde shopping centre. It's a great venue with tons of fabric and a cafe in store. If you're in the mood for a fun class come along. You can do any of my quilts - ring the store for details.
On the Hobbysew front I also have 2 days of workshops at Hobbysew Belconnen on 29-30 October.
Come and make a basic mariners compass block or some New York Beauty blocks - both are an introduction to foundation piecing which I'm sure you'd enjoy.

New patterns!

These patterns are finally available in my etsy shop 

Patchwork Fun.

Ancient Dahlia - Makes a double bed sized quilt 68" square.

Stunning foundation pieced dahlia centre machine appliqued to the background.

Features a small dresden plate centre and is surrounded by 16 6" circular sample blocks which are bound and appliqued to the background. Rated for the intermediate sewer  .

Faux Wedding Ring - Makes up to a queen sized quilt 74" square.

No curved seams for the blocks but easy hand or machine applique.

Foundation pieced sashing that uses up lots and lots of scraps. Rated  easy  .

Jacobean Star - Makes up to a sofa sized quilt 55" square.

Striking foundation pieced centre circle appliqued in the middle of a machine pieced eight-point star.

Surrounded by machine pieced setting squares and triangles and finished off with appliqued diamonds.

Rated for the intermediate sewer .

All patterns can be purchased using Paypal or credit cards - go have a look!

WOW factor!

At my Hobbysew class yesterday the girls were really on fire! Lots of finishes and great show-and-tell.

This is Jenny's Oriental Journey and it sure has been a long one. Jenny traced 37 foundations onto interfacing to save removing paper at the end - that's a chore but she was happy to do it that way.

Zoom in on the quilt to see some great fussy-cutting close up.

The fabrics she chose are just so sumptuous it makes you want to dive into the quilt!

Last month we saw Laurel's quilt centre finished and this month it's the whole deal - mitred borders and everything. "I'm so thrilled" was her quote for the day. It's really beautiful.

 Check out Barbara's NYB top with partial borders. What a riot of colour and perfect piecing too.

These are all 6" finished size blocks and quite fiddly.

One of the pleasures of white-gloving at the Sydney Quilt Show is meeting so many friends and students.

I had the pleasure of also meeting the lovely Jenny Scott from Always Quilting, the Australian distributor of Aurifil Threads.

We had a lovely chat about Aurifil - Mako 50 is my preferred thread for applique, piecing and quilting - and about quilting in general.

Hop over to Jenny's blog and see a selection of quilts from the show whose makers all use this beautiful thread. She also has lots of useful information about which thread is best for which project.

On the road 3

Show-and-tell from Susanne

Last Thursday hubby and I set out for the city of Orange way west of Sydney.

I was there for a 2-day class at Bella Patchwork owned by the lovely Delma.

We were expecting freezing temps but it was really mild and the town looks beautiful with all the tree-lined streets and magnificent old houses and public buildings.

These are pics from the class with the girls making a start on Lots of Dots.

They worked really hard and I will be back in November for another round.

From Orange we continued to Bathurst on Saturday morning for my class at The Home Patch.

These beautiful blocks are from Nicki's NYB quilt. Some of the "coloured" fabrics are satin-type and give a lovely sheen to parts of the blocks. 

Home on Saturday for my SIL's 30th birthday bash then off to Hobbysew Kings Park on Sunday.

This is Debi's amazing Reproduction Beauties top being pieced together.

It has taken a while but looks stunning don't you think.

Coral is up to the borders on her Emperors Wheel where she has combined a Summer School block in the centre with a great collection of oriental fabrics and very precise piecing.

This is a ring-in from my Berrima class. It's Leah's Lots of Dots and it's the 1st one I've seen finished.

Her work is beautiful and she should be so proud of the result.

More show-and-tell from Susanne in Orange.

She started this in my class last year and i was really pleased she brought it along. Precise piecing and great quilting go together for a quilt with that wow factor.

Further to the exhibition at the University of Nebraska featuring mosaic quilts you can view the exhibition and buy the catalogue here.

It was certainly good to get home and maybe there'll be some sewing time for me today!

On the road 2

From a class at Jukejema Quilting Barn in Nowra

More Lots of dots from Berrima - only one more class to go

Hobbysew in Canberra - such enthusiastic students!

Pippa's hexagons! She obviously has way too much spare time!

Sue from Canberra's Featherweight machine. It sewed like a dream all day and is so beautiful.

Something I've been working on lately. A real scrap-buster.

Have you seen the latest issue of Aust Patchwork and Quilting? My son's quilt is a project in it.
He's still complaining about not having it to sleep under! Won't be long now Stu.

I been days sorting "stuff" for my stall at the Springwood Quilt Show. Fabric, patterns, bric-a-brac and all things quilty. Please call by and say hello next Friday, Saturday or Sunday.