AJ's Antics

This arrived all the way from Canada today....and mine is on its way to Germany....hope it gets there safely! I've heard about using the backing and folding it over to make a binding but I've never seen it done. This one is nice and neat and very effective!! Thanks Heather it will look lovely on our table over the festive season!

I was complaining the other night to Helen that I was totally un-inspired to even start a Doll quilt for the EB swap...the deadline is just around the corner. So tonight I had a little play with some charm swap squares from way back...I was just doing...not thinking and it was not working! So I sat and looked around the room at all the lovely quilts I have hanging there ...and then i think my brain exploded!! I found this fabric in my stash and got totally inspired!! Where do you find your inspiration?? Here is a sneak peek of my Doll Quilt for the EB swap! It is a little bright...but I'm hoping my swappee will like it!

Raw edge circle blocks. I really enjoyed making these...so much so that I am planning a quilt using them! Following the tutorial on Cluck Cluck Sew's blog they came together rather quickly! I like pairing the floral prints Gillian sent us and them working with back into sets of 4. I'm thinking of a totally different colour scheme but I think it will work just as well! Before they were cut into quarters Just a little hint for those yet to make these blocks for Gillian....in her constructions Gillian requests that if possible, please hide the beginning and end of your seam on the raw edge applique in a light coloured section of the print I'm assuming that is so you can't see it on the line of stitching in the circle when they are being re-joined into 4's...well my little brainwave is that if you start and end the circle at the half-way point of the outside square on one side when you chop up the block on that half-way point and re-sew the beginning/end will be in t...

I needed a block...a block that others would enjoy making...I needed it to be a bit of a challenge...I needed it to be a bit different...I also needed it to be made into a quilt I would enjoy looking at everyday! After some flickr searching and google work I found what I was looking for...almost...I'd never made a cathedral window quilt block before and I found heaps of tutorials to help me out, Hyena in Petticoats has a great one and so does The Sometimes Crafter ...but it wasn't quite what I was looking for....maybe I needed to look for a different block...then I found that Angie had added 'twists' to Cathedral blocks here ....this was getting closer! Most of these tutorials made more then 1 block though and that wouldn't work in this swap...then I found it! Exactly what I was looking for! A 1 block cathedral window with a twist that I could use as a centre piece for a bigger block (so I don't have to make too many extras!!) Thank you Spotted Stone !!! I decid...

Entries are still open for this simple little Christmas themed swap...anyone else want to join in?? Link

Some flickr favourites for my EB Doll Quilt swappee!! 1. Vintage goodness baby quilt , 2. Heather Ross Doll Quilt Swap , 3. doll quilt quilted! , 4. This made it to Explore! Pink Vintage Tea Towel , 5. vintage pink roses , 6. Shabby Pink Rose Rag Quilt , 7. vintage florals - finished! , 8. my block for Aug , 9. Simple Lattice Quilt Back , 10. Yummy Vintage 50s 60s Pre-Quilted Fabric Bright Pink Roses & Buds with Lime Green , 11. August 27 203 , 12. Soiree Bed Quilt , 13. hello kitty mini , 14. Wavy patchwork Quilt. , 15. Quilts I'd like to make , 16. hexagon paper piecing As I do the swapping I know who is making my quilt...and I'd love one in their 'theme' I hope I've captured her and given her some ideas for a quilt for my wall....something different from all the others I have...pink, girly, sweet, vintage, simple, cute... The last picture in this set...*sigh*....so cute!

I was lucky enough to be invited to join the second round of 'Around the Block'. 12 lovely quilting ladies each choose a block and post off fabrics and instructions on the construction of their block. Each month we choose a block to make from the lovely pile on envelopes of fabric and then post it back. At the end of 12 months all the blocks will be back to their owners and I will have 12 lovely blocks of my own. I'm not yet ready to reveal my block but I could help myself and got started on Helen's block first. Her daughter helped pick the fabrics to make a 'jewelled squares' quilt in Blue, Yellow and Green, solids and spots! These fabrics were fun to work with and the block is now on it's way back to Helen! If you want to have a go at making your own 'jewelled squares' Helen has a tutorial here.