Oven mitts

I am always looking for smaller projects that I can use as free motion practice pieces and this tutorial for oven mitts by Sew4home is one of those ideal projects.

To see how these are done, click HERE.

Machine applique

With time always against us doing applique by machine has long become very popular.  However with any technique it is always good to know some of the pitfalls that might occur during the process.  Elizabeth shared some secrets and a free pattern sheet on Sew, Mama, Sew's site.

To get her expertise on this technique, click HERE.

Hobby X Bloemfontein

I went to check out the very first Hobby X held in our city at the beautiful Sand du Plessis theater and although still small at least a beginning.  So let's all go there and support the vendors; we would like them to make this an annual event don't we?

I was unfortunately not allowed to take any photos but quilters have contacts and other quilters are kind, so the only quilt booth we had this year allowed me to take a photo of their booth.  Nobody attacked me but I guess the organizers weren't around.

Thanks Cotton Tale Fabrics for visiting us and I supported them for their trouble, so I do hope other members of our guild will too.

Then Iessie, Marianne and Nelia were the ladies hanging quilts in the foyer to make it more attractive and Iessie sent me a couple of pictures of the quilts on display.  A big thank you to these 3 ladies who just always seem to be everywhere and do everything.

I also need to thank the ladies on white glove duty for giving up their time and taking care of the quilts on display.  We do appreciate this.  And now I'm off to the International Quilt Convention.  Lovely weekend to you all

Fabric fundamentals and other videos

To all those who claim to read our blog first thing in the morning and saw that I am really late in posting. I do apologize........  I overslept terribly but it was just SO good, I refuse to apologize too much.  And now I'm off to Hobby X in Bloemfontein!

Chatterbox Quilts has a couple of You Tube videos available to help beginner quilters with the fundamentals of fabric as well as other videos on workstations, setting up your studio, tools for your studio and many more.

Go take a look at these over HERE.

A lesson from a master

Anyone who knows the hand stitched artworks by Laura Wasilowski, will also know that this lady CAN.  I accidently stumbled across her blog and was surprised to see that she actually still has time to keep a blog and offers a tutorial on 'How to make an improvised art quilt.'

To see how easy she makes it look, go read the tutorial over HERE.

Buying a new sewing machine

As exciting as this prospect may seem it can become just as daunting when one doesn't know what to look for.  With Christmas coming closer I suspect a couple of us would like to put a new machine on our list to Santa but then we need to specify exactly what we need.

I found this interesting article on Sew, Mama, Sew's site and the best part of this article is that it has printable PDF documents with things such as "Wants/Needs" and "Questions to ask the dealer".

Furthermore a huge list of reviews can also be found here.

If you see a new machine in your immediate future you should read this over HERE.

And my personal belief when buying a machine - 'find a dealer with the best after sales service."

Hobby X - This week in Bloemfontein

Fynbos Quilt-In 2012

For more information and to receive your registration form and workshop program via e-mail please contact Lucille at

lucille@kbarchitects.co.za

Summer Kaleidoscope Quilt Tutorial

Candice from Made with love shared this tutorial on the Riley Blade Designs webpage for us to enjoy.

Take a look at how to make this over HERE.

Choosing colors for a quilt

I often get told by beginner quilters that they don't know how to select colors for a quilt.  The advice I give is that they have to find a pretty printed fabric and then use that as a guide to select colors.  The almost immediate sentence that follows is that most of the fabric they like will be floral and they don't necessarily always feel like using flowers.  Still no problem, you don't have to use the fabric you liked, simply look at the color legend on the selvedge of that fabric and choose your colors from there.

I was reminded of this when I read an article about this on About.com Quilting and if you would like to read more on this and get the instructions to a pinwheel quilt pattern, read all about it over HERE.

Free quilt patterns from Beth Donaldson

Another great link sent to me by blogging friend, Chris for a couple of free patterns all from THIS BLOG by Beth Donaldson.

The one that immediately caught my eye was "Lattice" as seen on this picture and can be found on the same page by scrolling down a bit.

Also take a look at the interesting Sampler quilt.  Now there is a skill builder for you!

Tutorial for Jack's Chain

Are you up to a serious project made easy?  Look at this lovely tutorial taking an old pattern that should be done by hand and changing it into a machine project with the tools we have today.

To see how this lovely oldie can be done much faster, check out Kathy's tutorial over HERE.

No words needed on this Friday the 13th

That says it all!!

Disappearing 9-Patch Variation

I know there are many tutorials on variations for the Disappearing 9-Patch block but occasionally I find a tutorial so neatly put together, it simply stands out from the rest and today I found this one on the Chock-A-Block Quilt Blocks blog (almost got me confused there!).

Not only will you see pictures to go with every step but looking at the colors in the completed quilt, makes you want to make one too!  Take a look at the tutorial HERE.

Festival news - Setting up the class schedule

If you are anything like me you too would try to zoom in on this picture to see if you can see more than what is officially shared but alas...... it doesn't work.  Iessie, the coordinator of the 2013 National Quilt Festival in Bloemfontein, was way too clever when she re-sized the photo before sending it to me.

I can however tell you who these hard working ladies in the photo are.  Left to right:  Iessie Steenberg, Marianne le Roux, Frances van der Walt, Mari Strydom (teacher coordinator) and Myrtle Wellman.  The application form for teachers has been removed from the blog and I do believe that most teachers were already informed if their applications were successful.  Now the long wait until these are officially released!

Boxes and Bubbles free quilt pattern

I've already shared one of Alison's other free patterns with you in THIS POST and today I'd like to share another of her free patterns called Boxes and Bubbles.

Alison contacted me to say that she didn't mind me sharing her What Goes Around pattern, so I thought this lady is well worth supporting.  So do check out Alison's blog over HERE.

Scroll down and on the left hand side you'll find links to not only this but more free patterns.  Take a couple of minutes to read some of Alison's posts and look at all the inspiration!

Thanks again for sharing Alison.

January Pop Pattern

One will have to search really hard to find another site with more free patterns to download than that of Connecting Threads.

I've shared some of their patterns previously but for those of you who forgot to check back regularly, this should serve as a reminder to go check it out again.

For today I found this little twin-size beauty that I'd like to share with you.

To see exactly what you'll need click HERE and remember to click on DOWNLOAD FREE PATTERN to the right of the screen to get the full instructions on how to make this.

Round Travel Case tutorial

Another amazing website to keep track of, get ideas, patterns or fabric is that of Sew, Mama, Sew!  So today I'd like to share a tutorial for this lovely Round Travel Bag I found on this site with you.

To see exactly how this is done, click HERE.

Fiber and iron

Even though I'm totally incapable of making mixed media quilts, I do love looking at or reading about these.  When I saw a heading "Fiber and Iron quilts" I needed to see examples.

So I contacted Sharon Richards to send me the invitation they used for their show to share with you.  Unfortunately Sharon, the fiber artist and Cathi Borthwick, the creator of the ironwork do not have a blog or website as they claim to love to create but not do the computer/marketing thing.

So for now, like me, you too will just have to suffice with these 3 pictures.  Lovely isn't it?

Modified Bento Box Quilt

I have not even gotten around to make a standard Bento Box quilt and here the blog Film in the Fridge has already made a modified version of this popular quilt!

To read all on how this can be achieved, click HERE.

Pincushion cottage

Just when I think everyone now has about as much pincushions as one can have I see something as beautiful as this and know I just have to share it.

Tonya Prawitt designed this and shared the instructions on how to make this on the Riley Blake Designs website.  To see how this is done, click HERE.

PAPER PIECING

Lots of us don’t enjoy paper piecing. I tend to enjoy it as that is the only way I seem to sew straight and all the pieces fit. It’s only the removing of the paper that can be very time consuming. Denise Russel at Pieced Brain has a tutorial on how to paper piece and I think we might get a tip or two from her. Click here to go see the tutorial.