Provence Quilt Kits - Prices Reduced

I have reduced the prices on my Provence Quilt Kits listed on Etsy and also included a matching backing with each kit, making them marvellous value.
They are all pre-cut kits, so less than a weekend of sewing and you will have a beautiful French Sunflower Quilt adorning your bed, or as a wonderful gift.

On the Quilting front, I am delivering back a batch of Linus Quilts, I just did the quilting, so they can go out to the needy kids in hospitals etc. They happily take donations of quilt tops, fabric and time to help with this worthy cause.

What a great time I had at The Handmade Expo last Saturday. I met lots of wonderful quilters and chatted to quite a few. I just love Crafty Get-togethers.

Speaking of which, I had a lovely evening with the Vision Patchwork Group last night, and got some more of my embroidery done. I need to post some photos - something else for the to do list!!
Happy Quilting for now,
Lyn.

The Handmade Expo

The Handmade Expo is on again this Saturday and I am making my debut. I am really looking forward to meeting all the lovely people and chatting to them about Quilting and Crafts.
It is at the Bundamba Turf Club on Saturday from 8am so come and say hello.
Happy Quilting,
Lyn

Missing - 1 week???

Where do the lost things go? Like this week - when did it get to be Saturday??
I remember being away for Easter and coming home Monday.
Tuesday must have been washing to catch up. Oh, and I went to a friendly stitching group and had cake for Pam's birthday.
Wednesday - I pulled apart my longarm and gave it an upgrade. And with a bit of brute strength and moral support from the bloke, I actually got it going again after dinner.
Thursday - Another Quilting Group for the morning and I showed them my quilts and talked about Machine Quilting.
Friday - Paperwork, it was piling up and needed to be dealt with. BAS waits for no man, or woman. Errands and a daughter for dinner to top of a busy week.
So today I need to finish the Surprise I am working on, and take the bloke shopping for clothes for him to wear to his daughter's wedding.
And I booked a stall at next Saturday's The Handmade Expo at Bundamba.
See you there and Happy Quilting,
Lyn.

Provincial Sunflower Quilt Kits

I have just finished listing my Provincial Quilt Kits on Etsy, featuring wonderful Sunflowers, so they are all there for you to see.
They are so lovely and bright and lively, made with very good quality fabric.
They include all the pre-cut fabrics so you just have to put it together and there is no wastage.
The Strippy ones have the backing included.
The others don't but I can supply backing in one of the matching fabrics, just email me for the price and colours available.

Please enjoy and Happy Quilting,

Lyn.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/LynsQuiltCottage

Happy Easter and Rag Rugs

Happy Easter Sunday everyone.
I have been indulging in something related to quilting but not at all quilty.
What you ask? Well it uses all the scraps and strips that you couldn't find a use for and had trouble coming to grips with.
I was challenged at my Quilty group the other day to make a Rag Rug. So in the process of having a cleanout I found a container of strips all ready cut and a crochet hook so I set to.
Searching the net revealed a quick, no-sew way of joining the strips. (In fact in 3 days I haven't stitched a stitch!!) A little slit in each end of the strip and pass it through and back the last strip, will find links later, then off you go. Some chain stitch and a basic understanding of treble stitch and you're off.
So now we have a rag rug for the front of the pot-belly stove and another on the go already.
Quite good for watching a movie by and at night when the eyes don't like fine work. and a delicious use of "ugly fabrics" that you just can't cope with. You can keep some semblance of pattern or just go random.

Giveaways and labels.

Check out Jasmine's lovely blog and her Giveaway - it close's soon.
http://banaghaisge.blogspot.com/2010/03/blogaversary-give-away.html

Been busy today framing printed labels for a special present - this is still a secret though.
Need to go and buy a backing now so I can proceed.

Sunday's Off

Well not entirely - still stitching.
Treating myself to time on my new project, Jane Austen's Bonnets.
Check it out on http://www.countryquiltco.com.au/index.php/patterns/thimblestitch.html
I am adding my own little creative touches, like beading and ribbon embroidery, so it is a little indulgent, but gorgeous - photos to follow when something is finished.

Lace Dyeing

Yesterday I found some lace I had been dyeing and I just have to find a project for them.

Take a look at them and tell me what you think.

I hope the Lace Seller is at the Craft Expo next weekend so I can get some more.

Quilt Top in a morning

With 7 pieces of fabric, it doesn't take long to finish a quilt top.

So what do you think of my Red and Yellow Sunflowers.

Still have to quilt and bind, but it looks lovely and fresh and bright.

I am listing the full kits on Etsy today, so take a look.

Happy Quilting,

Lyn

Provincial Red Strippy Quilt

I found some Red Sunflower Fabric so I am going to whip up a Red / Yellow Strippy Quilt.
Check back later to see the colour combination.
In cloudy Brisbane, waiting to see if it rains.
Lyn.

Friday Night Sew In

I've joined Heidi's Friday Night Sew In - why don't you?
Click the link and add your name to the list and let's see how much we achieve.
Happy Quilting.
Lyn

Free Pattern and French Quilts

I have been designing a range of French Provincial Quilts and the patterns and kits will be available through my Etsy Store -

http://www.etsy.com/shop/LynsQuiltCottage

but for the month of March, I will be making one pattern available for free.

This is my Sunflower Strippy Quilt - it is quick and easy and a wonderful use of a large feature print fabric.

So please email me and I will email you the pattern which goes with the kit, but describes the fabric required and the full instructions.

It's so easy - choose hydrangeas or roses or ask me about the kit for this quilt.

Happy Quilting,

Lyn.

Productive Day and Sewing Machine Maintenance

I have had a lovely day today - stitching with friends this morning talking patterns and threads. Then machine quilting on a couple of Linus Quilts. And since I finished stitching some special blocks, I just had to put the quilt together. But then the machine kept doing loopies. I re-threaded everything, then started pulling it apart and cleaning out the fluff, then finally had to pull the tension spring and hooky thing completely apart to get rid of the fluff that was catching!!
I suppose if that's the first time I have had to do that, then it takes a while to clog up, but I will look there again first next time.
And proof yet again that the Quilters Law does exist (our version of Murphy's Law) - that whenever you get within 2 inches of the end, the bobbin WILL run out.
Happy Quilting.
Lyn.
PS The Special quilt is a secret for the time being.

Good day for hand sewing

It's all rain here today, so the hand sewing is out. Working on a surprise quilt - can't say much, will post when it's not so much of a surprise.
It's so rainy that I drove out to a new Stitching Group only to find it was cancelled because of the weather. So I came home and set myself up on the couch with the radio.

Having fun machine quilting some Linus Quilts and trying different patterns on them. They are for hospitalized kids, so having fun with the threads too.

Back to the hand sewing.

Lyn

My Lovely Studio

I finally have photos of my studio up and running. It is a lovely sunny room and I can just shut the door at the end of the day and my lounge is still tidy and clean. I love my little garden where I can look at the Gerberas and Jasmine and the birds love the birdbath.

Machine Quilting Samples

This rainy afternoon I have taken photos of my quilts, so I will be adding more over the days.

Here is my lovely Guardian Angels quilt. The appliques are done from a pattern, by my layout is different as I didn't do the full size. I have quilted this with my longarm, with a meandering loopy, flowery design, avoiding the applique areas.

I can remember visiting my daughter in Darwin and hand sewing several of the blocks. They have extra buttons and beads to make it "pretty".

My Studio

I am half way towards setting "My Studio" up properly. I have the bookcase, cutting table and sewing table in, and I have filled up the shelves with books and fabric and notions.

Just my Sweet Sixteen to go in now. But the men in my life had to go to work today and all the goods deeds I expected them to do will have to wait.

BUT I did get a noticeboard for the kitchen made, and very attractive it is too, if I do say so myself.

Now we will know when the latest Motorbike Rally is on.

Inspiration from Master Quilters

I borrowed "Quilting in the Limelight" by Philippa Naylor from the library. It is a terrific book of her quilting life and explorations into dyeing, machine quilting and colour. I am inspired to start on my daughter's promised quilt "Graduation". I found a sample we prepared and got stuck into it - machine applique, trapunto and machine quilting. I feel brave enough to tackle it now.

Provence Quilts

Here is the "Red Medallion Quilt" which I have designed.
I have the Quilt Kit available.

Trying to finish some quilts

I have spent the morning trimming quilts and sewing on the bindings and a rod pocket. Now I have a pile of hand sewing to do.
Popped down the shops and found some gorgeous storage/gift boxes. All dusky pink and floral and they will look lovely in the sewing room on the shelves with different projects inside. Also some terrific bead containers, round ones that screw together, the 6 cylinders are fitted into a clip closing container, so they are all held together, great for carrying around.
Back to the hand sewing now.
Lyn.

A Scrapping Day

I have retrieved some of my quilts from storage and they will make lovely Machine Quilting Samples, both of Pantographs and freehand designs.
Since yesterday I have pieced a scrap quilt using Jan Mullen's Railez pattern, and finished a Jelly Roll scrap quilt also. Both will be practice quilts on the quilter and then eventually go to Linus quilts.
Off to dinner with DD2 tonight.

Machine Quilting

I have made fantastic progress with fixing up our spare room and I will be setting up my Machine Quilter this week. Can't wait to get it running again after going without it for a while.