When you have an interesting fabric, and you want to highlight the pattern without too much fuss, do you sash or border? Sashing is a great way of separating blocks, for a simple quilt layout and if you are looking for a quick quilt idea this is a great way to go. Simple to sew, I tend to cut my verticals to the block size and then have my horizontals as a complete strip. The other way to highlight a block, very effectively, with only a little bit more work is to create borde

Section 1 of the Thoroughly Modern - HST Maze Quilt is done! It is a quilt course available in the Courses section of the Platinum membership. The quilt is totally HST! the preparation is the most vital part of the process and took a while. Constructing the quilt was done in a day................ about 7 hours. If the fabrics work well together and the prep is done, the construction is quite quick and very satisfying. This is a fun and modern quilt and a great way to improve

I have just added a new design to the Inspirations page. I'll only show you one image here, you can find the rest in the inspirations section. I have been playing with colour, the other two images have very different colours. This looks more complex than it is - it is mainly chain blocksm which you make with the strip method. There are some HSTs, but not that many........ The stars would be the most difficult of the blocks. Check out the inspirations page. This one will be mo

I have started to prepare the Half Square Triangles for this quilt which I have as the first course - "Thoroughly Modern - HST maze" I have created all the Easy 8's as in sewing the two larger square together with their diagonal seams. But I have only trimmed and pressed enough for the first section. There are a lot of HST's in total - like 400 of them............ too arduous a task in one go, so as I had divided the quilt into 4 sections to sew, I have only prepared the ones

Well the website has been live for a few days now and I am making a few minor alterations as we go...... mainly to the mobile site to ensure it is easy to read and use, but also to let visitors now more about what is available. Computer (laptop) version and mobile version act differently, because one has a mouse and one doesn't! - interesting how you find differences in operation as you test and try things out. Website development is certainly interesting and time consuming..

Revamping and launching my website had its moment today - and we are live! It's been an interesting exercise and I'm sure there will be more interesting times ahead - depending on how well I've made this version and what I add in the future. I am always open to suggestions, so please let me know if there is anything you would like to see. The Forum in the Quilter's Community is the place to go to write to me and let me know if there are things you would like added. It is also

I ran the first of two sessions on the Mystery Jelly Roll Quilt Class, day before yesterday (Friday), great fun. 7 curious students........... The idea came from a quilt I had made a few years ago and not with a Jelly Roll...... The challenge was to adapt it so that it could be made with a Jelly Roll. The inspiration! First Variation! Second Variation! The focus was the strips that become half square triangles, that become flying geese......... Not so obvious in the first var

I have been playing with my laser and have created some new templates. The Christmas Trees are available through my online shop.

I work with a wonderful groups of ladies, sewing items for a charity hub called "Sewing for Charity" They just celebrated their 10year birthday........... Congratulations Cas on an awesome effort. Our group "Friends Who Create" had a display stand in the foyer, showcasing the work that we do, who we are and the fun we have. Great display Peggy! Four of our group, Peggy, Virginia, Mary and Vanessa attended the celebration and had an amazing time meeting other people who also w

For straight ruler work I have always like Amanda's jubilee ruler with the hook ends, but it is a bit on the short side. Fortunately Amanda has combined her long ruler with her Jubilee rule and YAY! I have a new favourite................ the perfect combination............... a longer Jubilee ruler with the lines and angles of her standard long ruler, but with the hooks.................... the middle ruler in the photo. I must buy for anyone doing a lot of straight ruler work

I love making quilts for premmie babies, they are both so delicate. Premmie babies are so special and to brighten their world with a quilt is very rewarding. The size for these quilts is about 20" x 24" (50 x 60cm) give or take a couple of inches/centimetres.

I absolutely adore my two antique sewing machines that we found in Castlemaine, Victoria at the XXXX Antique Complex. The GEM is circa 1887 and I may be able to get it working if I can work out how to thread the shuttle bobbin system, although it might be slow sewing to the extreme........