Show and Tell

Fairholme Quilters have their Big Morning Tea on Monday 22nd June to raise money for Cancer Research. We have all been asked to bring something for Show and Tell, so this week I have been busy hand quilting this quilt . A finish at last!! 

The quilt began as a way to use up left over Civil War quilt fabrics from a previous project. I decided to put them with a mixture of batiks, and  florals in a hexagon and triangle setting. The hexagons measure 2 1/2 inches on each side. I even mitred the outside border - a first for me! 

The striped binding really sets off the quilt perfectly. 

It has also been a busy week in Sydney, with the Sydney Quilt Show now on at Glebe Island. You can find lots of photos on Instagram following #sydneyquiltshow. I was thrilled  when my friends Lyn, Sue and Peggy won 3rd prize for the group quilt section with their amazing stained glass window quilt.

The quilt comes with a wonderful story , which you can find on the Fairholme Quilters Blog. Pop on over and read all about these inspirational quilters. 

I am off to the Show tomorrow with my Mum and my sister- it is an annual event and one we look forward to every year. 

Happy sewing, Miriamx 

The Secret to Making Perfect Quilt Corners

There is always room for improvement when it comes to quilting. Today I would love to share a new trick I have just discovered to help make fantastically neat and tidy quilt corners  made with  binding. Maybe I am the last quilter on the planet to learn this trick , but maybe not...... 

I have always been a bit embarrassed about the rounded corners of my quilts. No matter how hard I tried I always seemed to have a bit of fiddling and folding to do to make the corners square and neat.  This is an example - not perfect , and that is after all the fiddling.

The trick is simply this. When you reach one quarter inch from the edge with your binding seam, instead of finishing off, leave your needle down, lift your presser foot, and turn the quilt so you can continue the seam at a 45 degree angle  through to the corner as shown, as shown. 

Then fold back this side and commence the next side seam the usual quarter inch in .

Simple! This little extra stitching through to the corner results in a very neat, tidy and crisp corner when you turn the binding over to the back of your quilt . Hallelujah !!! I am one happy quilter! 

A short and simple post today - but hopefully one you will find useful. This trick has revolutionized my quilt corners. 

Happy sewing, Miriamx 

Quilt Express ( or my little pony! )

It's time to play! As you know I love making bags and teaching others . As I have been doing this, I have been thinking of ways to use the same techniques but to make quilts. It feels a bit like "build a quilt!" I have had to think like an architect and examine the building blocks of quilt making and come up with ways to reduce the steps to make quick, individual, and fun quilts.

With just a bit of fabric on hand, I have been playing around with ways to quilt as you go and so far the results have been lovely. My quilt is not finished yet, so we will all have to be patient, but the blocks are coming along nicely. I thought I would share some of them with you today, and in following posts keep you up to date with progress. If all goes well, I could then run classes to help you make your own. I am thinking of calling it  " Quilt Express." What do you think? These are the the kind of quilts that are great for modern graphic prints, feature fabrics, and make a perfect quick gift for loved ones.

Taking time to slowly piece and make a quilt is a wonderful thing, and I am all for that. But, time isn't always on our side, and   there are many times when we have to think smart, and quilt smart too. Combine steps,  cleverly choose matching  fabric backing and threads, and voila- build a quilt. I have never been the kind of quilter that just follows a pattern step by step. A lot of the joy of quilt making for me is in the individual approach  which includes the designing , the fabric choosing , the
construction. It is a process that should be enjoyable and also a learning experience. I was first
attracted to quilting because of the infinitive possibilities it offers and this still attracts me today. Something new is always just around the corner.

Happy sewing, Miriam x

Fabulous Workshop

Phew! What a busy week it has been. The highlight indeed was a wonderful Sewmiriam Bag Making workshop held last Wednesday at the Cottage Quiltworks. 12 talented ladies sewed away and produced a wonderful array of Handy Zip Top Bags.

It is amazing what can be done in a day.

There was a steady hum of machine stitching.......

Lots of oohing and ahhing  over fabric ..... And more stitching....

The results speak for themselves. Fabulous one of a kind bags . Here is Liz's ..

Josephine had better watch out - her Elvis bag was coveted by all!!

Annette's Mum will be thrilled with her new bag 

Jen really did a superb job with Aboriginal prints 

There are more that were nearly finished. Hopefully I can show them to you soon too.

Thank you all for a wonderful day. 

Happy Sewing, Miriamx