Sit Dog, Sit! New Paper Pieced Quilt Block Pattern!

Several months ago I did a very small Quilt Along featuring some new Farm Animals I had created. While most of these patterns were released at the time of the Quilt Along, one pattern was not. That pattern was called 'Sit Dog, Sit!'

'Sit Dog, Sit!' is a 12" quilt block pattern using foundation paper piecing. The release of the PDF pattern was delayed, as I was developing a print version of the pattern and it was one of the featured pre-release patterns in the Jump On In Box in October 2019. The Jump On In Box is a quarterly subscription box full of fabrics, patterns and other quilty goodness from Sew-Inn Colac in Australia, and totally worth checking out (I'm a subscriber myself). In fact, the background fabric I used when making my own version of this pattern was Serenity - Daydream from the Pinkerville Range by Tula Pink and was one of the fabrics which came in the first-ever Jump On in Box! I then used some pretty pink fabric from my stash and an 18" zip to finish my block into a pretty cushion cover!

There were some pretty cute versions of Sit Dog, Sit made during the Quilt-Along by my testers and I really couldn't pick a favourite:

I love the flowers that Truus Tante used for the background. Truus plans to make a full quilt of farm animals using all the animals from the quilt along!

Donna said she was thinking of her own dog when she was making her version and used fabrics and colours to reflect this. 

Marie's puppy quilt block was very cute in the green hues she chose!

Julia had been making a rainbow of farm animals for her quilt, and so she made her version of Sit Dog, Sit! using a variety of beautiful Orange fabrics. 

I'd love to know which version is your favourite - Let me know in the comments!

Sit Dog, Sit! is available as an instant PDF download in my Etsy Store now, or as a print pattern available select quilt stores.

Happy Piecing!
RJ

Have you heard about the Purple People?

Hello again!

Recently I designed a fun new quilt called 'Purple People' and I haven't yet had a chance to write about it.  Essentially Purple People is a series of twelve foundation paper pieced faces, which all differ in expression and have subtly different features.

Each quilt block measures 6" wide by 8" tall and the finished quilt centre should measure 22" across and 37" down after sashing has been added. 

When I designed them, I envisaged the faces would be purple for my own quilt. However, since the release of the first blocks, I have seen the blocks made in all different colours, including, one participant who decided to make hers as a Rainbow! 

If you want to join in the fun an make your own Purple People Quilt - I'm releasing one quilt block each month until July next year through my email newsletters. 

'Moustache Matt' made using Aboriginal Dot by Kaffe Fassett

The first two blocks, Kissy Karen, and Moustache Matt, have already been released and have now been made available to purchase in my Pattern Store for a small cost and if you would like to get the remaining blocks for free, make sure you sign up to my mailing list! 

Alternatively, the full Purple People Quilt Pattern including all twelve foundation paper pieced quilt blocks, sashing, and quilting suggestions will be made available for purchase sometime in the last half of 2020.

Happy Quilting!

RJ

Packing, Moving and Sewing.

It's been a while since I posted. There is a very good reason for it. 

I'm moving house - actually we are moving cities. As of next week, I will be living in part of the artistic (and coincidentally also political) capital of New Zealand, Wellington! 

However, in the meantime, it has meant a lot of sorting, donating, cleaning and generally having a clear-out of the horrendous amount of rubbish that we seem to have accumulated or kept from our last move. Seriously - how many spare pillows do we actually need? Because I had about 16 spares in the cupboard and more on the spare bed! Unfortunately, all of this has not left me a lot of time for quilting or sewing. 

However, I have managed to finish up one of the items on my list for The Work in Progress Project. 

Remember I wanted to finish my Up in the Air Quilt filled with Aeroplanes, Rockets, Helicopters, and Hot Air Balloons but was very unenthused about it. I had chosen a baby blue background colour which I thought was going to look like the sky when it all came together. Turned out by the end of six quilt blocks I really disliked the colour.

I think it was just too over-powering on its own and needed more colour to break it up. So I decided to put a colourful border around each one and make six mini-quilts to donate to Tauranga Hospital's Special Care Baby Unit. This is something I have done before, but never six at once!

Thanks to the ladies at Papamoa Patchers for being my lovely quilt-holders!

I know it probably seems a bit crazy, that as I'm trying to reduce the number of unfinished quilts I have by actually finishing them, I would decide to make six quilts instead of one. But it did give me the passion back that I needed in order to finish these blocks and make something that I know will be cherished by six little people. As I started putting the borders around each one, I realised that I could have quite easily put all six blocks into one quilt with the rainbow borders, making a lovely aircraft themed rainbow quilt. However I was also pretty determined to finish what I had started and because we are moving I now had a deadline!

Each of the blocks has a pretty backing, but my favourite is definitely the backing I used for the Red Hot Air Balloon Quilt. The heart fabric is by Riley Blake, and is something that I found while cleaning out my stash. The hot air balloons are a fabric that I had printed at Spoonflower using my logo (it's not for sale, but here are some designs that are) It turned out so cute. I also ended up using a lovely Satin binding which will I hope will be nice and soft and silky on those precious baby fingers that will be curling around the edges. 

I'm pretty pleased with all of these awesome colourful mini-quilts and hope they brighten up the Special Care Baby Unit! All of these quilt block patterns can be found in my Etsy shop either individually or as a set of quilt blocks.

It's another project finished, but I still have plenty left. Plus, unfortunately, when I was cleaning out my fabric stash I found another two unfinished projects that I started years ago. One is a completed flimsy (quilt top - yet to be quilted), and the other was an EPP project I started moons ago and clearly did not get unpacked from last time we moved. I have put them both in a box marked "The Work in Progress Project" and will add them to my list. One thing is now very clear - given my propensity to start further projects on a whim (I want to make everything!) and the fact that I keep finding forgotten projects, it is a safe bet that I will not be finishing all of my WIPs any time soon, but that doesn't mean I won't keep trying! 

Now my sewing machine, overlocker, and all my tools are sorted and packed into boxes. So that means no sewing for the next couple of weeks and not finishing any more projects for now. Although I'm sure it will be unpacked and set up in a new room as soon as possible when we reach our new home.

Until next time, Happy Quilting!

RJ