Issue Seven
quilt inspiration
it’s everywhere!
scrappy, rainbow, vintage..
something for everyone
meet
Molli Sparkles
aussie hero quilts
sewing for our troops
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fresh projects issuefour seven issue
meet the makers
Sue Abrey blog
Anne Beier
Alyce Blyth
@hudsonvalleyquilts
@blossomheartquilts
blog
blog
Lisa Chambers
Melissa Dunworth
Amy Garro
@chambsvacc
@sewbittersweet
@13spools
blog
Melissa Gottliebsen
blog
Lori Hartman
@msmidge
@lorihartmandesigns
blog
blog
make
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blog
Amber Johnson @gigis_thimble blog
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meet the makers
Jane Kelly @wherejanecreates
Emily Lang @mommysnaptime blog
Tricia Mathis @quiltbugcreations
@quietplay blog
Lara Motta @luellabella
blog
Sonia Spence
Kristy Lea
Bec Proschogo @skyberries blog
Barbara Ramirez
Kitty Wilkin
@fabricandflowersuk
@nightquilter
blog
blog
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issue seven
practicalities
quilt bee
& swap etiquette By Kristy Lea
uilting bees and swaps online are a great way to ‘hang out’ with other quilters, make some new quilty friends, and try new blocks and techniques. Oh yeah – and end up with enough blocks for a quilt at the end, or score an amazing swap item! But sometimes it can be a little hard to know the etiquette and the unspoken rules that seem to go with bees and swaps. So let’s have a little look at some of these and make your bee and swapping life so much easier!
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Let’s start with looking at bees first. Let me start with a disclaimer – I’m not a bee expert. I’ve made bad bee block choices in the past as Queen Bee, and I’ve also had to make some shocker blocks as a bee member. So I’m definitely not an expert. I’m just sharing from my experience and from conversations I’ve had with quilty friends as well as lessons I’ve learnt the hard way.
@partyofeightourstory
Here are some DOs and DON’Ts that are important for successful quilting bees.
DO choose fun blocks to make Now I know that ‘fun’ is very relative. For me, a paper pieced block is fun, whereas an appliqued block is not. So you need to know your fellow Bee members and what suits them. You can always ask a week or so before your turn whether they are completely adverse to using a certain technique in the block for the month. Oh and I think it’s always advisable to avoid y-seams. Does anyone like y-seams?!
DO choose free patterns When you start looking at bought patterns for bee blocks, you’re starting to wade into copyright waters. You can’t purchase one copy of a pattern and share it with all your bee mates. If you really want a purchased pattern, you could a) contact the designer and see if they’ll work out a discount deal for you, b) buy copies for all your bee mates or c) see if your bee mates are interested in purchasing the pattern themselves. But generally – it’s much easier if you choose a free pattern and there are heaps out there to choose from.
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sew the rainbow
through the
prism
by Melissa Dunworth
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veryone loves a good rainbow and this quick piece mini makes great use of your favourite scraps. It would make a perfect mini for the wall or a gorgeous table centerpiece.
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issue seven
ask the makers
quilty entertainment ach issue, we ask our contributors a very important question about some aspect of quilting. Regardless of how long we’ve been quilting and sewing, there is always something to learn or a tip to make or do something slightly differently. So this issue we asked our makers about their preferred quilty entertainment. We asked the makers: “What do you watch or listen to while you quilt?
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Jane of Where Jane Creates & MM Editor
“I usually listen to music or watch the Country Music Channel on Foxtel on my iPad. I prefer music to TV or movies because I can tune out when I’m focusing on my sewing, and tune back in when a favourite song comes on.”
Lara, MM Business Manager
because it doesn't matter if I “I binge on cringe-worthy shows like go in and out of the room or miss sections when I'm concentrating on my sewing.”
Sonia of Fabric and Flowers “It really varies for me......silence whilst cutting (with three children, silence really is golden!), and then it varies between the radio and rock music turned up very loud for when there is lots of chain-piecing and quilting to do, the heavy beat helps me stay motivated!”
Lori of Lori Hartman Designs
“I constantly have Netflix running in the background. I usually have a TV series that I am working on. Some of the TV series that I have really enjoyed lately are , , and . Occasionally I will give Netflix a break and listen to a quilting podcast, recently I have been listening to Modern Sewciety.”
Barbara Ramirez
“When quilting (and sewing in general), I play Pandora Radio. I have several favourite stations, including ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s, Sarah Brightman, Pentatonix; Andrea Bocelli, and The Canadian Tenors. Most recently, I have played podcasts produced by my friend Sandi Hazlewood of Crafty Planner. She rocks!”
Emily of Mommy’s Naptime
“I love to listen to old and new favorites, Billy Joel, Simon & Garfunkel, Ingrid Michaelson, and the Civil Wars. I love the rare occasion where I'm home alone so I can blast my music while I quilt. If I'm not listening to music then I'm watching any one of the movies!”
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Amber of Gigi’s Thimble
“When the house is quiet and I have a few moments to myself to sew, I like to turn on music from one of my many playlists. Maroon 5 is probably my favourite music playlist (I can listen to them for hours!) Once in a while I'll turn on a podcast. I especially like to listen to Stephanie Kendron from Modern Sewciety. It helps to keep my creative juices flowing by listening to her fun chit chats with other people in the industry. I love hearing about how they got started and what they're up to now.”
Melissa of Sew Bitter Sweet “I love to listen to music while I quilt. Lately I've been listening to the Rascal Flatts station on Pandora Radio, though sometimes I find myself listening to my daughter's favourite channel, Hakuna Matata Radio. Music helps me get in a good groove!”
Kitty of Night Quilter
“I'm hard of hearing, which means I'd have to blast music fairly loudly to enjoy it, and I can't watch movies without reading the subtitles, which doesn't pair well with sewing or cutting! Since I do much of my quilting after the kids are in bed or during nap time anyway, I usually just watch and listen to my video baby monitor.”
Lisa of Quilty Adventures
"I love listening to triple j while sewing. I find this keeps me up to date with new music, plus movie reviews and the actual news. If not triple j then I will have a playlist of songs going that I am into right now. If Iam doing hand stitching I am usually watching the TV or relaxing with Ayla I always have something I can pick up easily and handstitch on the lounge, especially when hubby watches the footy."
Sue of Quilt Times
“Sometimes I listen to discussion programs on the radio, but that's not a good idea as I keep arguing with the people talking on there. I have tried listening to quilting podcasts, but that is a disaster as it keeps giving me more ‘bright’ ideas of things I want to try. Most often I just listen to the peace and quiet of my sewing area.”
Amy of 13 Spools
“I watch a lot of shows and movies while I sew! I find it really helps pass the time. , , and of course the Some of my recent watches include most recent season of . One of my favourite (random!) picks has been .”
Bec of Skyberries
“I'm terribly dull I'm afraid... I listen to the drone of my sewing machine. I sew almost exclusively when my toddler is asleep and so have never dared to pump up the music or listen to a podcast. I'm a terrible multi-tasker so it would probably end in disaster anyway... I definitely couldn't watch anything, I'd sew over a finger! I do enjoy the peace and quiet when I sew, the house is never silent when the little man is awake!”
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issue seven
baby love
denim cathedral
windows by Lara Motta
he Cathedral Window pattern is a great classic design that can be made modern with fabric choices. Lara cleverly recycled some old jeans and used charm squares to create this gorgeous, sturdy quilt. Best of all, the clever construction means there is no basting, quilting or binding the quilt – making this a fabulously fast project!
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issue seven
meet the maker
heidi staples Fabric Mutt
by Jane Kelly or some of us, our earliest sewing influences come from our mothers and grandmothers as small children – for others, it’s our own children that inspire the need to sew. For Heidi Staples of Fabric Mutt, it was a bit of both. Her mother has always sewn and being a creative influence, but being a stay at home mum to three small girls was the impetus she needed to take up quilting. In just a few short years, she’s gained a great following on her blog and has had her first book published. We chat to Heidi about her quilting journey.
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In autumn 2011, Heidi’s sister started sharing some of the cool things she was seeing on sewing and crafting blogs with her, which sparked her interest in sewing. “I was a stay-at-home mom who was consumed with taking care of my three little girls who were then only one, two and four years old. Quite honestly, I was about ready to lose my mind when my sister began sharing some blogs with me. When my mum got a new sewing machine, I decided to take the plunge and tried making my first mini quilt. The rest is history,” Heidi explains of her introduction to the quilting world. Like many of us, it took no time for Heidi to realise this was going to become a big part of her life. “I was hooked instantly. I was so thrilled to be home with my girls, but I had really been missing the creative aspects of my former job as a teacher. Sewing filled that void for me. Also, at a time when it seemed like nothing I did – diapers, laundry, dishes, a clean house – had any permanence to it, I was so thrilled to be able to create things with my hands and have a beautiful finished product to look at when I was done.” Sewing and quilting was a natural fit for this former teacher, who has always been quite creative and surrounded by fabric and sewing. “My mum has always sewn, and I picked up cross stitch from her when I was young. I also took art classes both in and out of school – drawing, crafting, and ceramics were my favourites – and dabbled in graphic design as part of my job as an educator,” Heidi elaborates. For Heidi, a great part of the appeal of quilting and sewing is the fabulous contemporary fabrics out there, which is evident in her work and the way she mixes fabrics with such a good eye. “I think I probably fit best in the modern traditional category. Most of my work features modern fabric in fairly traditional shapes and patterns,” she says, adding, “I really love seeing the contemporary fabrics that have been developed in response to the modern quilting movement. Fabric is the key to everything for me, and I find myself responding most to prints and colours when I look at a quilt.”
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vintage 2 modern
vintage ways by Amy Garro
my was inspired by the vintage block, and simplified things by turning it into an applique block with extra negative space. Fussy-cutting prints brings extra whimsy into this quilt. Use bright, primary colors to make it more youthful, or stick with a more subdued palette to mature the pattern.
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issue seven
good things, small packages
leafy pouch by Emily Lang
his adorable pouch is inspired by the colours of autumn and is perfect for carrying just about anything – it’s not too small so it could be used to tote your latest hand sewing project, or even makeup. It’s a great project to bust a few scraps, so get those scrap bins ready and go!
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