Heart Struck Runner

Kim from the blog Kim’s Big Quilting Adventure shared this lovely runner tutorial on her blog.

To see how to make this, click HERE.

Valentine's Mug rug

Another smaller (faster) project for this special day can be found on the site of Whipup and supplied by Jodi from Pleasant Home.

To see how it is made, click HERE.

Valentine’s Day Table Topper

A quick weekend project by designer Deborah Schlegel can be found on the site of FaveQuilts.  Is this not pretty?

To see how it is done, click HERE.

Valntine's Antique Heart Quilt Pattern

A slightly bigger project for Valentine’s Day but I know we have fast quilters in our midst.  Take a look at this.

To download your free pattern, visit the site of FreePatterns or click HERE.

Fabric Heart Bookmark

You may not have time for a big project for Valentine’s Day but still want to make something for the special person in your life.  Then this little bookmark is just the thing.

On the blog of Sew Many Ways Karen shares the tutorial on how to whip this up.  Find the whole post by clicking HERE.

Triple Heart Lap Quilt

Even though still warm in the Southern Hemisphere for Valentine’s Day this lap quilt shared by Agnes Farside can be used for more than just Valentine’s Day.

Find out just how easily this can be put together by clicking HERE.

Heart Wall hanging

With Valentine’s Day around the corner I found this lovely wall hanging pattern by Jane Spolar on the Janome website.

Find the instructions and pattern to download by clicking HERE.

Festival News

VERY IMPORTANT:  No bookings can be made before 1 March 2013.

Iessie Steenberg, the coordinator of the 17^th National Quilt Festival has compiled this guide to planning for the festival.

1.      Work through the program and decide which classes you’d like to attend.  Take a look at the timetable to see whether the dates and times of your classes will work out.

2.      Summarize these before making bookings through Computicket (1/3/2013), have all your contact details as well as the number of the class/es you plan to attend. (Not the classroom number, the course number).

3.      Check to see if you need to order a kit for any of the classes.  Some classes have COMPULSORY kits.

4.       Check to see if you’ll need a sewing machine for a class – take a look at the student requirement list - if you want to make use of a hired machine, check the timetable to see if your class will have machines available.  If your class does not have a mark to show that machines for hire are available, please e-mail Iessie URGENTLY at iessie@vodamail.co.za.

5.       Now you complete all the information needed on the accommodation form.

6.      WAIT UNTIL 1 MARCH 2013

7.      All reservations can now be done.  Computicket for registration, classes, kits, sewing machines, evening functions, lectures and Pamela at Eunice for accommodation.

COMPUTICKET – (http://online.computicket.com/web/)

a)      Registration – Buy this ticket first (this includes your goodie bag).

b)      Book for classes.  Remember to give as much of your own personal information to enable us to send you more information closer to the start of the festival. (You will immediately be informed if you can attend a class but remember only 20 people per class allowed.  You will have to pay for your tickets immediately.)

c)      Kits – you’ll need to buy each separately specifying for which class it would be.  Take note:  Some classes do have COMPULSORY kits.

d)      Sewing machines – purchase a ticket should you need one for a class IF your class shows machine for hire available. (If a class does not have machines, contact Iessie at iessie@vodamail.co.za.

e)      Evening functions – You really don’t want to miss these!

f)       Lectures – starting on page 6 in the program.  Purchase a ticket if you want to attend.

ACCOMMODATION – (Pamela@ehs.co.za or 086 651 9822)

a)      Now you contact Pamela and book your accommodation or should you prefer book your own accommodation at a nearby guest house or hotel you’ll need to contact them.

8.      Print or write a list of student requirements you’ll need to have for every class you plan to attend and stick this in your diary.  Bring all on your list/s along.

Remember to look out for the daily tours. The Women’s Memorial turns 100 years old and it promises to be an exciting excursion.  Tickets are also available through Computicket. (Bush Junkies).

Portable Mani/Pedi kit

My manicure tools are simply all over the house as I have this habit of filing my nails while on my way to another room and then the file just gets dumped on the piano or whatever is near when I’m done.

Positively Splendid with all their lovely tutorials shared this tutorial for a portable mani/pedi kit.  I think this can make a lovely gift to a friend.  Find the tutorial over HERE.

More BOM patterns

Just when I though I said all there is to say about Block of the Month sites, I found another list compiled by Judie Bellingham from BellaOnline.

To see which BOM’s she recommended, click HERE.

2013 Block of the Month projects

Oops!  I slipped and only when fellow quilter, Ruby van Straaten, asked about this I remember I featured a couple of BOM projects at the beginning of 2012.  So guess what I did on Friday before and after my Freeze Frame Facial?

This is what I could find on the World Wide Web.

On the site of Shabby Fabrics I found this adorable little house BOM.  To download your blocks, click HERE.

The first block of Val Laird’s BOM will be published this week, so start following her blog by clicking HERE.

Claudia’s Quilt Shoppe offers a free Quilter’s Alphabet BOM and it can be found over HERE.

Animal Babies (rather cute – she says with having her first grandchild) over at Angie’s Bits ‘n Pieces over HERE.

Debbie Mumm’s Favorite Themes Sampler over HERE.

Sewing basket paper pieced blocks by Heleen Pinkster, January block already up, over HERE.

Wonky Sampler by Brandywine Valley quilters over HERE.

Stellar BOM by Animas Quilts over HERE.

Stars quilt by The Quilt Ladies over HERE.

Quilt Sampler by Country Threads Chicken Scratch over HERE.

Pieced blocks by the Glendale Quilt Guild over HERE.

Skill Builder BOM starting on 17 January by Pile O Fabric over HERE.

I didn’t check back to see whether these are less or more than last year but I think this should do to get Ruby and other BOM followers going and as much as I enjoy sitting here typing, I have some quilting of my own to do!

Kaleidoscope challenge - final post

Yesterday’s post originally would have been my final post on this Kaleidoscope challenge but then blogging friend, Chris, sent me yet another interesting link to a paper pieced Kaleidoscope block.

This time the tutorial is from the site of Pitter Putter Stitch and to see how to draft your own Kaleidoscope block, get Brooke’s tutorial by clicking HERE.

Now this concludes my hints and references to our first challenge.  Come on...... you can do it!!

Kaleidoscope challenge - almost final post

Pressed for time but still wish to enter a quilt for the first quarterly meeting's challenge?  Then take a look at this quilt on the site of Robert Kaufman.

Pretty and really not that hard to make.  To get the full instructions, click HERE.

Kaleidoscope challenge - Part 3

How about giving the 8-wedge Kaleidoscope block a try?

With the free pattern and extremely clear instructions on the site of Connecting Threads, you simply cannot go wrong.

To take a look (and obviously start with this immediately!!) at how it is done, click HERE.

Kaleidoscope challenge - Part 2

So if from yesterday's post you still couldn't decide what to make.  How about using the standard Kaleidoscope block pattern?

Take a look on how this block can be changed to get rather interesting effects on the site of TLC Home by clicking HERE.

I just love the little curved pieces added to this.

First quarterly meeting challenge

Okay members of the Oranje Quilters' Guild I trust you rested well and that you already took a look at the page showing all the DATES TO REMEMBER and also took note of the challenges for every term.

Don't forget that any UFO can also be entered for the quarterly challenges but I'd like to focus on the theme challenge for the first term which is Kaleidoscope - in anticipation of our festival later this year.

So to get your creative juices flowing and your mind set on an interesting idea, take a look at all these Kaleidoscope images by clicking HERE.