QUILTING: Bittersweet Symphony Quilt {another progress post}

Why yes, this is another progress post about my Bittersweet Symphony Quilt. Good things take time, right? Looking back through my blog, I realised that this quilt has been well over a year in the making. Honestly, I'm normally a sew, sew, sew until it's finished kind of person - rather than a long term 'work in progress' person.

You can see previous Bittersweet Symphony Quilt posts HERE and HERE and HERE. 

Well can you guess what happened the other day?!?! I FINALLY finished the hand quilting. Oh my goodness, what a relief! Those little crosses in the border were a good idea when I started, but gee whiz they took a really, REALLY long time.

Bittersweet Symphony Quilt by Anorina Morris

I've had a lot of questions about the back of the quilt, well here's a couple of pictures of the back. I used a very bright and busy backing fabric which is just perfect to hide all of the hand quilted stitches on the back (especially the big cross over ones when I was working on the crosses). 

The backing fabric is by Pat Bravo in her Carnaby Street range for Art Gallery Fabrics. It's a pieced back, but as luck would have it, you can't really tell where the seam is... well unless you look really closely.

Next time you see the Bittersweet Symphony Quilt in the title up there on the blog, it will be to share the finished quilt. I just need to add a hanging sleeve and the binding.

Now, speaking of binding, what binding fabric would you use? 

More of the same bright scrappy fabrics or the solid grey? 

I'd love your advice to help me decide.

QUILTING: Flourishing Cushions

It's been a while since I last posted here. I hadn't meant to neglect this little space for so long, but life has just been super busy with illnesses and school holidays mixed with the disappearance of my sewing mojo. Actually not just the sewing mojo - the whole crafting mojo seems to be on hiatus!

I love sewing and creating and I know that I just need to "start" to get going again. So to try and get back into the swing of it, I made a couple of cushions. Cushions are my go-to as they're quick to make, but useful too. I made a magazine quilt (which I can't show you just yet) with the Fleet & Flourish fabric range by Maureen Cracknell for Art Gallery Fabrics. I don't normally go for these sorts of big prints or colour palette, but I must say that I really enjoyed working outside of my usual comfort zone.

I wasn't sure how I was going to quilt the quilt, so I made a sample (3" squares) to practise a quilting design I saw on Pinterest. It was time to change up my usual stippling. The quilt design is quite simple, but very effective and contemporary. Find the quilting instructions HERE.

I made the sample into a great big cushion for the couch and with the remaining selvedges, I made a smaller cushion in the QAYG method (and then quilted the back of the cushion in that same leaf pattern).

Two new cushions for my couch and hopefully, the return of my sewing mojo ;-)

What do you do to bring back your creativity?

Pincushion Parade

My pincushion mad August has come to an end. I managed to complete the 31 days sharing pictures of pincushions over on Instagram. It was a fun challenge to participate and I not only enjoyed sharing my pictures, but seeing all of the other pinnies on parade by clever crafty friends around the world. 

Ceramic shoe originally belonged to my grandmother.

Here's a last round up of pincushions which I shared on Instagram. Some were made specifically for this challenge, some were old ones I'd made a while back, and some were made for me by crafty friends.

Scraplique - I love this method!

More scrapplique - Bunting

I wonder what my next month long challenge should be? A sewing challenge certainly keeps the sew-jo going :)

QUILTING: Making Connections Workbook Review

Quilting! Some people love this part of the process and some people just don't. Personally, I love the free-motion quilting process. In saying this, my go-to quilting has generally been stippling or loopy meandering designs. I'm not overly adventurous and tend to stick with what I know and am comfortable with. This past few weeks, I've had the opportunity to learn a new (to me) way of quilting, which I absolutely loved and plan on using regularly.

Welcome to my stop on the Making Connections Blog Hop. Dorie Hruska has released a wonderful new book "Making Connections: A Free-Motion Quilting Workbook" published by C & T Publishing. This book breaks down continuous curve quilting and makes it possible for anyone to have a go at this fun quilting technique.

The book goes through a series of worksheets, beginning with a simple design and working along to more complex quilting designs - all starting with that initial quilt design. 

I decided to piece a simple table runner with some of my favourite floral fabrics in pretty colours. It's spring here right now, so a new floral table runner was just what I needed to make.

I started by making a set of coasters (4 x 2.5" squares) to practice quilting. After quilting those first continuous curves along the edges of the squares - following along with Dorie's numbered quilting order - I discovered how simple it really was, so I then tried a few more more designs. 

I really liked these elongated loops within the curved squares and decided that was to be my quilting design. I love how this design create a secondary 'flower' motif. I absolutely love how this quilting turned out and I want to make another simple pieced project, just to have a go at the quilting using Dorie's method.

I've enjoyed this opportunity to learn a new quilting technique and certainly recommend this book to anyone wanting to broaden their quilting skills. You can purchase a signed copy of the book, directly from Dorie Hruska by clicking through the link.

GIVEAWAY: If you'd like the chance to win a copy of Making Connections: A Free-Motion Quilting Workbook, please leave a comment telling me your favourite quilting design. 

You have until 5pm Friday 15 September 2017 (AEST) to leave your comment. The winner will either receive a hard copy of the book or an electronic copy of this book depending on winner location.

Check out these other creative people who're participating in this blog hop (and don't forget to enter their giveaways too!!)

Friday September 1st 
C&T Publishing Blog: http://www.ctpub.com/blog/   IG:ctpublishing 

Monday September  4th 
Holly Anne Knight Blog: https://www.stringandstory.com/ IG: stringandstory 
Susan Arnold Blog: www.quiltfabrication.com IG: quiltfabrication 

Tuesday September 5th  
Becca Fenstermaker Blog:  www.prettypiney.com IG: prettypiney 
Teri Lucas Blog: www.generationqmagazine.com IG: genqmag 

Wednesday September 6th  
Sherry Shish Blog: https://poweredbyquilting.com IG: poweredbyquilting 
Pam Morgan Blog: www.mysweetlittlestitches.com IG: sweetlittlestitches 

Thursday September 7th  
Katy S Blog: www.katyquilts.net IG: katyquilts 
Laura Piland Blog: www.sliceofpiquilts.com IG: sliceofpiquilts 

Friday September 8th  
Suzy Webster Blog: https://websterquilt.blogspot.com IG: websterquilt 
Bernie Kringel Blog: https://needleandfoot.com IG: needleandfoot 

Monday September 11th 
Jamie Mueller Blog: www.jamie@sunflower-quilts.com IG: sunflower_quilt 
Nancy Scott Blog: http://masterpiecequilting.blogspot.com IG: masterpiecequilting 

Tuesday September 12th  
Sherri Noel Blog: www.rebeccamaedesigns.com IG: rebeccamaedesigns 
Anorina Morris Blog: www.sameliasmum.com IG: sameliasmum 

Wednesday September 13th  
Yvonne Fuchs  Blog: https://quiltingjetgirl.com IG: quiltingjetgirl 
Barbie Mills Blog: https://thequiltingmill.blogspot.com IG: thequiltingmill 

Thursday September 14th  
Afton Warrick Blog: www.quiltingmod.com IG: quiltingmod  
Kathy Bruckman Blog: https://kathyskwiltsandmore.blogspot.com IG: kathyskwiltsandmore 

Friday September 15th 
Susan Arnold Blog: www.quiltfabrication.com IG: quiltfabrication 
Dorie Hruska Blog: http://www.forever-quilting.com/blog IG: foreverquilting

Giveaway winner is #22 - Congratulations Christine M

Blossom Tablerunner

Hello friends! It's been a while since I updated my blog as life has been busy, busy, busy! Time in the sewing room has been limited, so I've made the most of every stitchy moment, working on a secret project.

Blossom Tablerunner

Blossom Tablerunner

The Fat Quarter Shop have just released a new book called Tablerunner Bliss by Sherri Falls of This & That Pattern Co. If you love making table runners, this is certainly the book for you! It contains 20 table runner patterns, perfect for any occasion.

Today is my turn on the Tablerunner Bliss Book Blog Hop and after sharing a few hints (and sneaky peeks) over on Instagram, I'm so pleased to be able to show you my finished table runner which is called "Blossom".

Choosing the fabrics for this project was tricky, but as spring has arrived here in Australia, I decided on some lovely florals. I used 30's Playtime 2017 by Chloe's Closet for Moda Fabrics in a simple palette of red, blue and yellow.

The pattern is very easy to follow with simple step by step pictures. After clearing off the cutting table, I was super organised and did all of the cutting in one session, while keeping all of the pieces labelled. I must admit, I’m usually a “cut as I go” kinda person which isn’t the most efficient use of time.

This table runner came together in a few hours (in an evening) and I spent a couple of hours quilting it and sewing on the binding the next morning. I was a little fancy with my quilting - loops and hearts.

Be sure to follow along with these other talented people, also participating in the Tablerunner Bliss Blog Hop over the next couple of months. Each table runner in the book will be created and shared on Tuesdays.

• Tuesday, 9/5 - Anorina (Samelia’s Mum) and Pam (Pam Kitty Morning)
• Tuesday, 9/12 - Sinta (Pink Pincushion) and Tina (Emily Ann’s Kloset)
• Tuesday, 9/19 – Lorna (Sew Fresh Quilts) and Connie (Freemotion by the River)
• Tuesday 9/26 – Amanda (Jedi Craft Girl) and Jennie (Porch Swing Quilts)
• Tuesday 10/3 – Tina (Emily Ann’s Kloset) and Sherri (A Quilting Life)
• Tuesday 10/10 – Sinta (Pink Pincushion) and Lisa (In the Boon Docks)
• Tuesday 10/17 – Vickie (Spun Sugar Quilts) and Susan (yardgrl60 on Instagram)
• Tuesday 10/24 – Taunja (Carried Away Quilting) and Lorna (Sew Fresh Quilts)
• Tuesday 10/31 – Greg (Grey Dogwood Studio) and Melanie (A Bit of Scrap Stuff)
• Tuesday 11/7 – Melisssa (Happy Quilting) and Kim (Persimon Dreams)

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Blossom Tablerunner