Time Sensitive News x3

Quilt Pattern Sale

#1 - Which Will Inspire You?

Save up to 50% with my Anniversary Quilt Pattern Sale ~ For This Week Only! 

Buy One & Get One Free*

*Please Note: Free pattern(s) must have the same or lower price as the one(s) you purchase.

Reply to the 'Thank you for your order!' email, that is instantly sent when your purchase is complete, with the name of the pattern(s) you want as your free pattern(s).

Plus there's never any shipping costs for my patterns, because they will be email directly to you.

This special is available to both Members & Non-Members!

Here's the link to my Quilt Pattern Pages, where you'll find the dozens of options.

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Playing with Pincushions 2019 Bonus Offer

#2 - Last Few Days for 2019 Bonus Offer

You'll find all the details here.

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#3 - 2019 Online Quilters Meet & Greet

2018 Online Quilters Meet & Greet

Do you remember my 2018 Online Quilters Meet & Greet that I hosted, last September?

Well...I've got some great companies on board already for this years version.
It's going to be another Great Grand Prize indeed!!
Details about that coming soon.

It's time for me to start sending out my invitations to quilters who have blogs!

If you're a quilter with a blog and want to be part of the party
-or- a company interested in adding your product to the
Great Grand Prize for the 2019 Online Quilters Meet & Greet,
coming in September, please contact me as soon as possible!

Time to act now!

Blocking & Pinning Tips

One advantage of having this space is it allows me to share some of my favourite tips with you.

I personally have never been able to sew a perfect block, with perfect seam allowances, which effects how the whole finished quilt top sews together, as each 1/16th of an inch can add up to a significant amount in the finished size.

What I came up with early in my quilting, was to draw a line at the 'finished size', with a mechanical pencil, on the back of each unit or block. I use the line as a guide to pin to the next block, plus to sew along. The final result may have the blocks slightly off, or 'charming' in the quilt top, but the final quilt top itself lays flatter and in the end the finished quilt is nicer.

The 'Blocking' how to page, that describes the technique step by step, is available by request (free) here.

I start with a fine grade piece of sandpaper and tape it to a cardboard with masking tape.

I lay the unit or block with the wrong side up onto the sandpaper (or rough section of my cutting mat if the block is larger), and center a ruler (the finished block size I need if I have one, otherwise I use a ruler the closest to the size) onto the back of the unit.
Draw a 'sewing' line, with the mechanical pencil, around the ruler.

This gives you good corners and makes up for any uneven sewing. You can trim any extra seam allowance, if you wish to take the time.

Pin your blocks together using this pinning trick:

Place a pin in each corner of both the two blocks you are joining. Don't anchor them. Hold the pin perpendicular (90*) with your first two fingers (underneath) and your thumb on top. Now place an anchor pin (going in at an angle) beside it. Do the same for the other corner, and a few times in between, making sure you are matching up the two sewing lines. This pinning method keeps the blocks from shifting out of place.

When you combine both of these tips I promise your quilt tops will end up neater.

Happy Stitching!

Let's Get Sewing!

Did you know it's National Sewing Machine Day?
It's the day we celebrate our sewing machines - a very important tool in our life!
Whether you have one or a whole collection, be sure to enjoy some stitching.

The machine I use is the one my Mom nudged me into buying when I was 15 years old.

It lives, when not in use, under my pretty Patchwork Sewing Machine Cover.

Happy 18th Anniversary!

Yes....I've actually been sharing my original quilt pattern designs, through my website since 2001.
And thankfully, the ideas keep coming. :)
The bed quilt I'm currently working on, is going to be one of my best designs.
You'll see some of my progress below.

Limited Time Only ~> June, 2019 Anniversary Bonus Offer
Purchase a non-expiring Victoriana Quilt Design Membership this month and receive the patterns for all of the Playing with Pincushions series!

Playing with Pincushion Pattern Series

You'll find all the details on my site here.

Plus you still have time to get the current 2019 Hearts Intertwined Pincushion pattern, too!

Such a pretty fabric! 
It came in the mail last week...as a gift - Thank You 'sew' much Svea!! 
I'm looking forward to using it as the feature fabric in one of my Blue & White Tiles blocks.

I love finding shirts, to use for my quilts, from the local thrift store.
These two are my most recent finds and added to my fabric stash.
The bottom blue & white plaid is already being used in my Blue & White Tiles quilt.
I've been taking advantage of the nice weather to separate the parts of these outside - so the dust of ripping them apart (along straight edges only) doesn't end up in the house...that just causes extra housework.

There is no such thing as too many...
When it comes to fabrics in a quilt

My newest quilt progress...

I was so glad I figured out a way to extend the life of my cutter mat...so I could cut the bunch of strips I need.
I could have gone back to cutting them with my rotary cutter, but it's so much easier this way!
I covered the 'cut through' section with a strong duct tape.
I know it's not ideal, but it did work for a while.

In one day I made good progress - Many, many green fabrics cut into strips.
The tip I gave above, to extend the life of the cutter mat only went so far, until I had to change the tape.
I then remembered an older large rotary cutting mat I had, so I cut a 6" strip off it to use.
It wasn't quite the same thickness, so I added a layer of cardboard from a cereal box on top of the stack, and cutting the rest was a breeze!

These are the fabric strips for my next quilt - all cut.

I then got patches all cut, so I'm ready to begin the most fun part!

I'm 'sew' looking forward to what's next!!

Happy Stitching!

Playing with New Designs

There's no such thing as too many...when it comes to fabrics!!

In my quilts I've always enjoyed using many different prints, in the colours needed for the design, which gives the final quilt that something extra.

[That quilt is my Let's Have a Cuppa Table Topper with Easy Peasy Dresden Flowers.]

This past week I 'needed' to work on a new design, that was buzzing in my head...not letting me think of anything else.

This is a blurred peek at the queen size quilt I've been puzzling out.

It's evolved into something I'm 'over the moon' about! 

And if the quilt looks half as beautiful as the pencil crayon drawing...

I've been designing quilts for more than 20 years...and this one will be one of my best!

Stay tuned!!

Finally it happened!

I had a full-on sunny day...and that meant two things had to happen ~>

1. I needed to iron this stack of fabrics.

I quickly cut these hunks & chunks from my stash, before the sun hit my solar panels.

I made good progress, getting a whole bunch of fabric ironed, while I had sunshine.

Then it went back to rain for a few days...and had to wait to do more.

2. I also needed a good forest walk - enough said. 

I took a video to share, of a lovely mossy nook I came cross...where I tried to sit and listen to the birds and other forest sounds.

But when I went to sit and listen to the forest, the black flies, which were out in abundance looking for a meal, were all around me - as you can see in the video.

I was able to nicely catch a pretty birdsong in the few seconds I was recording...and then continued my walk.

Thankfully I got a second sunny day.
Here I'm all set up and ready to get more of the needed ironing done, including an audio book and a view of the big window.

I'm felt lucky to have another full sun day, as they've been rare lately.

Because all of my electricity comes from solar power, I need to take advantage of having more than enough power to run an iron all day.

On cloudy days, I get enough power to run the refrigerator, computer/modem, sewing machine and even making me my needed coffees - but not enough to get these fabrics ironed - so I can begin cutting them up.

I found even more fabrics in my stash to add to the batch I started with.

Loving that stack of greens! 

Can you guess what I'm working here?

It's the 2019 Playing with Pincushions - Hearts Intertwined.
It will be available to Members of Victoriana Quilt Designs for my Anniversary month of June.

That pretty rose fabric that I used has a special story.
Way back in the 1990's, when I taught quilt workshops - travelling and out of my home, I used to save the scraps of fabrics that my students were throwing out.
I've been saving two tiny rectangles of this print since then, for just the perfect project - and here it is!

My whole collection of Playing with Pincushions patterns will be available as a special Anniversary Bonus, to those who purchase a non-expiring Membership this month.
You'll get the directions & templates for all of these pincushions:

My June Update Newsletter, which will be sent out in the next few days, will have the link to the free Hearts Intertwined Pincushion.

And speaking of Membership Bonuses...

Are you interested in virtually stitching along with others to make my Victoriana Album quilt?

There's one block a month, with Block #1 available now.

It's also free to non-expiring Members - You need to email me to register.

The Membership information is available on my site.
You still have time to be part of the fun!

Happy Stitching!