Show and Tell

Fairholme Quilters have their Big Morning Tea on Monday 22nd June to raise money for Cancer Research. We have all been asked to bring something for Show and Tell, so this week I have been busy hand quilting this quilt . A finish at last!! 

The quilt began as a way to use up left over Civil War quilt fabrics from a previous project. I decided to put them with a mixture of batiks, and  florals in a hexagon and triangle setting. The hexagons measure 2 1/2 inches on each side. I even mitred the outside border - a first for me! 

The striped binding really sets off the quilt perfectly. 

It has also been a busy week in Sydney, with the Sydney Quilt Show now on at Glebe Island. You can find lots of photos on Instagram following #sydneyquiltshow. I was thrilled  when my friends Lyn, Sue and Peggy won 3rd prize for the group quilt section with their amazing stained glass window quilt.

The quilt comes with a wonderful story , which you can find on the Fairholme Quilters Blog. Pop on over and read all about these inspirational quilters. 

I am off to the Show tomorrow with my Mum and my sister- it is an annual event and one we look forward to every year. 

Happy sewing, Miriamx 

The Secret to Making Perfect Quilt Corners

There is always room for improvement when it comes to quilting. Today I would love to share a new trick I have just discovered to help make fantastically neat and tidy quilt corners  made with  binding. Maybe I am the last quilter on the planet to learn this trick , but maybe not...... 

I have always been a bit embarrassed about the rounded corners of my quilts. No matter how hard I tried I always seemed to have a bit of fiddling and folding to do to make the corners square and neat.  This is an example - not perfect , and that is after all the fiddling.

The trick is simply this. When you reach one quarter inch from the edge with your binding seam, instead of finishing off, leave your needle down, lift your presser foot, and turn the quilt so you can continue the seam at a 45 degree angle  through to the corner as shown, as shown. 

Then fold back this side and commence the next side seam the usual quarter inch in .

Simple! This little extra stitching through to the corner results in a very neat, tidy and crisp corner when you turn the binding over to the back of your quilt . Hallelujah !!! I am one happy quilter! 

A short and simple post today - but hopefully one you will find useful. This trick has revolutionized my quilt corners. 

Happy sewing, Miriamx 

Quilt Express ( or my little pony! )

It's time to play! As you know I love making bags and teaching others . As I have been doing this, I have been thinking of ways to use the same techniques but to make quilts. It feels a bit like "build a quilt!" I have had to think like an architect and examine the building blocks of quilt making and come up with ways to reduce the steps to make quick, individual, and fun quilts.

With just a bit of fabric on hand, I have been playing around with ways to quilt as you go and so far the results have been lovely. My quilt is not finished yet, so we will all have to be patient, but the blocks are coming along nicely. I thought I would share some of them with you today, and in following posts keep you up to date with progress. If all goes well, I could then run classes to help you make your own. I am thinking of calling it  " Quilt Express." What do you think? These are the the kind of quilts that are great for modern graphic prints, feature fabrics, and make a perfect quick gift for loved ones.

Taking time to slowly piece and make a quilt is a wonderful thing, and I am all for that. But, time isn't always on our side, and   there are many times when we have to think smart, and quilt smart too. Combine steps,  cleverly choose matching  fabric backing and threads, and voila- build a quilt. I have never been the kind of quilter that just follows a pattern step by step. A lot of the joy of quilt making for me is in the individual approach  which includes the designing , the fabric choosing , the
construction. It is a process that should be enjoyable and also a learning experience. I was first
attracted to quilting because of the infinitive possibilities it offers and this still attracts me today. Something new is always just around the corner.

Happy sewing, Miriam x

Fabulous Workshop

Phew! What a busy week it has been. The highlight indeed was a wonderful Sewmiriam Bag Making workshop held last Wednesday at the Cottage Quiltworks. 12 talented ladies sewed away and produced a wonderful array of Handy Zip Top Bags.

It is amazing what can be done in a day.

There was a steady hum of machine stitching.......

Lots of oohing and ahhing  over fabric ..... And more stitching....

The results speak for themselves. Fabulous one of a kind bags . Here is Liz's ..

Josephine had better watch out - her Elvis bag was coveted by all!!

Annette's Mum will be thrilled with her new bag 

Jen really did a superb job with Aboriginal prints 

There are more that were nearly finished. Hopefully I can show them to you soon too.

Thank you all for a wonderful day. 

Happy Sewing, Miriamx 

Bits and Pieces

Life has a habit of getting in the way of uninterrupted sewing time! That's fine for a while, as there is always work, family demands, household domestic goddess business, and friends to keep us busy and bring joy to our lives and others. We roll along and get things done. But after a while I feel restless and in need of some down time. Time to sew, potter about and play with colour and design is necessary to maintain a balance, recharge the batteries and be creative.

Why then is it so hard to prioritize this time ? I don't know why, as I continue to feel the need to justify myself when I set aside time to sew. It is always the first thing to get shelved. I imagine that I am not alone in this.

The buzz term is currently mindfulness, and I find that it is my sewing time that allows me to clear my mind of worry, and focus on the here and now. It definitely is a " living in the moment" time for me. 

It is not New Year, but I need to be resolute and put this time way up on the priority ladder! When I do, I know I function better in so many aspects of my life. What do you think? Do you struggle with this dilemma too? 

Meanwhile , in the tiny bit of sewing time I have squeezed  in I have been busy making bags as gifts for special people in my life. These bags are made using my quilt as you go technique. The travel bag holds an iPad, and the Babushka bag is designed to hold templates and quilting supplies.

 I am also busy preparing for my next bag making workshop at The Cottage Quiltworks in Warriewood next Wednesday. It is going to be a wonderful day. I love watching the transformation of fabulous fabric pieces into one of a kind bags that reflect the personality and style of the maker. 

Take the time to stop, sew  and be creative. Essential really and not a luxury!! 

Happy sewing , Miriamx 

Bloggers' Quilt Festival

Welcome to Sewmiriam - my blog about quilting, sewing and design. Today I am sharing my quilt entry in the scrappy Quilt section of the Bloggers' Quilt Festival. which can be found at Amy's Creative Side. Click here.

This quilt takes me to a happy place when I look at it. I think it reflects the joy I found while making it. Hopefully you will see the sunshine in it too.

I have decided to enter my Trip Around the World quilt as I think it fits perfectly with my philosophy of quilting, and hopefully it will resonate with you as well! I don't want to feel lonely. 

First and foremost it is scrappy. All fabrics used came from my stash. 

Secondly it is all hand pieced. I even eyeballed each seam, no measuring allowed. Boy- was that a test in self trust , and a definite skill builder exercise. 

Thirdly it is hand quilted in a cross thatch pattern. 

The stats you ask? Well the quilt is made from 2 inch squares. The seams are a scant quarter inch.  There  are 24 rows. The finished size of the quilt is  60 inches by 60 inches. The idea for this quilt came from A Brigitte Giblin Trip Around the World sew along which I just happened to chance upon while looking up what's new in Brigitte's world on the net. Serendipity it would seem. The instructions were easy - use what you have, start with a red spot , and include a row of red spots every now and then. Some rows are all the same fabric, others are make do, which I actually found really fun and added interest to the quilts overall design.

Needless to say this quilt has become a family favourites already. I loved making it. But be warned should you wish to make one - it is addictive!! 

If you like my quilt please vote for it in the Scrappy Quilt section of the Bloggers' Quilt Festival.

Thank you so much for stopping by. Please visit again soon. You are always most welcome !

Happy sewing, Miriamx 

Fussy Cuts

For a while now, one of my slow burner projects has been a Marg Sampson George quilt which requires about 90 hexagon and diamond rosettes for the centre panel. I finished my last one earlier this week. Hip, hip, hooray! It has been a challenge to hand sew so very many rosettes and to use fussy cutting to make unusual and delightful designs from fabric. 

Paper piecing is very exact, and the shapes all fit together like jigsaw pieces for the rosettes. There is something very satisfying about the process. Using a see through template ( or peeper) is handy when deciding on how to cut up a fabric to create a new pattern. 

The hexagons shown below are 3/4 inch and the diamonds are 1 1/4 inch. 

Here is one of my favourites

Like to see a few more? There is definitely an animal theme going on for some

Others are more traditional

I can't resist a few spots, stripes  and floral prints

They are all now in a huge pile . From this I will randomly chose one at a time and stitch them onto a large square of linen. Yikes! That is a lot of stitching. 

This post will finish with a little eye candy just for you! 

Happy sewing and thank you for reading Sewmiriam. You are always most welcome!!

Miriamx