DISAPPEARING ACT

Disappearing Nine Patch 

Disappearing Nine Patch Tutorial

These blocks work really well if there is a contrast in the colours and fabrics you choose, ideally you want to have light, medium and dark fabrics. It's ok if you don't though as it's perfect for scrap busting.

Cutting:

Square size can vary depending on the size of block and/or finished quilt you want - as long as all squares are the same size it doesn't matter. For the purpose of this tutorial, I used a couple of charm packs so my squares are 5 inches.

Cut 9 squares, each 5" x 5"

• (1) dark

• (4) medium

• (4) light

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Arrange the squares into three rows with three squares in each. Place the dark square in the block's centre position. Place the your feature fabric squares (medium) or those you wish to highlight in the block's four corners. Fill in the gaps with the remaining squares (light).

Assembly:

1. Sew the squares together using a quarter inch seam, I press my seams to the dark side, but you can do whatever you prefer, I also like to nest my seams so they lay flatter and line up perfectly.

2. If you are using 5" squares your block should measure 14" square when once the rows have been sewn together. You're then going to cut this in half vertically, so you have 2 units each measuring 7" x 14"

                                 

3. Cut each unit in half horizontally, so you have 4 units each measuring 7" square and then the fun begins.

Putting the block together:

1. There are a variety of different ways these blocks can go together, have fun and experiment to find a layout you like and then sew the rows together.

2. This is the one I went with, the feature fabrics will stand out more due to the borders around them, which is what I was after for this particular block.

Repeat to make as many blocks as you need for your quilt. I intend to have 4 rows of 4 so will need 16 blocks, this will give me a finished quilt of 54" square.

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HAPPY NEW YEAR

Live, Learn, Love 

I know it's already the 6th (eeeek how did that happen) but technically I can still say happy New Year as this is my first post of the year, hopefully the first of many now that I have a much better system in place for planning and sewing.

It started a few months ago with my usual daily Instagram stalk, come on you know you do it to, there are some absolutely amazing things on there so much inspiration which in turn leads to many, many amazing projects and purchases. One of my other small obsessions just happens to be planners!! Planners, stickers, washi tape, note cards, pens you get the idea, I  love how creative they can be and how there seems to be this massive whole other world all about planners and making them art. If you are going to stare at the thing for hours and plan your life, it might as well be pretty and full of stickers right?? Anyway back to the stalk, I came across lots of planners that were being used and immediately wanted them all, as with most of the lovely things I want they are either only available in the US or outrageously expensive to try and get here, so I had to decide on just one. 

Enter the Get To Work Book designed and created by the fabulous Elise Blaha Cripe and is not only a daily planner but has several sections that can be used for goal setting and project planning as well. Many of the pages are graph paper which is perfect for drawing out quilt block ideas and there are also some pages of thick card stock which makes practising one of my other obsessions much easier......

Sharpie pen, Tim Burtonesque illustrations. Although I have only been able to use my GTWB for nearly 2 weeks so far I absolutely love it, there is plenty of space to make the pages pretty yet still get everything down that I need to plan my day, my week, my life and everything in between.

Last year was a jam packed year, I didn't always find enough time to get as much sewing and quilting done as I would have liked but I did manage to achieve some lovely things that I am very proud of:

1. The ridiculous amount of squares needed to make this centre Star

2. Being brave with my fabric choices for my first Mini Swap

3. Remembering how to put in sleeves for the costumes this loon needed for her first role in Panto (super proud sister moment)

I became a we (whoop whoop) and we celebrated some new arrivals, special birthdays, first experiences together, made some new friends and have made some exciting new plans for the start of a new year together, oh and someone else went and got themselves engaged whoop whoop Kerry Q!!

Last year really was a jam packed year with so much going on, I've learnt a lot about myself as one usually does, but I have also learnt things about other people which was harder to get my head around because I can't really make sense of how they tick. I guess the saying "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" might just be true after all, although I am fairly certain that if I buy any more fabric I may be killed!! It's not my fault though, look at all these lovely things I have found that I absolutely need to try and make....... 

It's already shaping up to be a busy year and we are only the 6th day in, lets hope I can stick to my New Year resolutions of making more time to sew and planning my time better so I can fit it all in and complete more projects, otherwise there will be a multitude of UFO sightings in the South East!!

Happy Quilting

Kerry xx

MOTHER TRUCKER!!

And A Few Cars...

A while ago I set out to make a quilt for a very special little monkey, he loves bright colors, cars, bikes, trucks and more than anything diggers!! I began in my usual way with researching and came across this darling pattern 

PEAK HOUR

They are available allover the place but I bought mine from the lovely Isabel over at Creative Quilting I loved the idea of the rows of different vehicles and signs, but what it really needed was one almighty digger!!  So I set myself the challenge of creating just that! I started with a small A5 size picture that had to be scaled up to almost single bed size.....eeeeeekkk!!!

Once the overall design was complete, each section then had to be individually drawn onto Bondaweb and ironed on to the fabric choices, as is standard for general machine applique. In true blonde style I did have to start over twice.... the first time I put the chair "in" over the door frame and then the window "in" over the chair!! I amaze even myself at times!

I wanted to make it as realistic as possible, I mean go hard or go home right?!? So I spent quite a long time trying to get some shading into the teeth on the big scoop and the wheel arches, although not totally perfect I think it does make a difference. Life got in the way a bit and unfortunately this project had to be put on hold a while which meant I didn't quite make the deadline I had set myself.

A couple of birthdays, high teas, spa days, thunder storms, very long work days, a few fights with my sewing machine and a lot of fabric buying later rows of cars and trucks started to appear.

And eventually after a lot more late nights, fabric cutting, fights with the sewing machine and some words of wisdom from my lovely quilt group this emerged and found its way onto an African bound plane!! 

I wish I could be there to see my little monkeys reaction to it, hopefully he will love snuggling up in it as much as I loved making it for him and I will get some photos of that darling little face.

I have about 13 new projects that I want to start, 4 new projects that I have started and a good 25 more that I have seen that I totally need in my life, don't roll your eyes at me I know you totally have the same list going!! At the same time as I am typing this post I have another window open on my browser auditioning fabrics for Jen Kingwell's My Small World, which is available in Quiltmania's Spring 2015 special.

You know you want it......

Happy Quilting 

Kerry xx

WEEKEND REVIEW

Quilting in the Surrey Hills

Saturday was a great day, so hot and sunny, the birds were really chirpy, the flowers looked so lovely in the sunshine and best of all a whole 4 hours dedicated to quilting with some wonderful friends!!

Val started some gorgeous Log Cabin, Caroline was working on a bag project and Kerry Q is adding the finishing touches to a lovely sea creature themed baby quilt. 

I however took the plunge and make a tentative start on the wonderful Green Tea and Sweet Beans by Jen Kingwell. As usual it took me the best part of 3 days to decide which fabrics to use, I was trying very hard to be brave and not go for my usual 'perfectly matched and newly bought specifically for' fabrics and instead pick things out of my stash. Feeling very pleased with my bravery I thought why not keep going and lets the ladies make the final choices.......

All the blocks for this quilt are soooo gorgeous I really didn't know where to start, eventually I settled on the clam shells, a shape I  have no experience with but have always wanted to try out!!

So far so good, I will keep you posted.

Kerry xx