I have been having a lovely time paper piecing applecore shapes. They look a little tricky but make up quickly once you get going.

The small project Handy Hussif from Patchwork with Busyfingers is great for using these apple core shapes and for using lots of scraps of fabric too!

I chose Sweet Broderie (Rosalie Quinlan’s first fabric range from Lecien) for the apple cores and lining with a linen background fabric and I’m really pleased how it turned out.

Sometimes it’s good to do a small project that you can complete over a weekend or in a few week nights and actually get finished quickly.

The great thing about the Handy Hussif is that it’s really useful. Mine already holds thread, needles, scissors, glue pen,  and more so the bonus is  -  it makes me less messy:)

The good news is that I am giving away a kit so you can make your own! Just leave me a comment letting me know your favourite paper piecing shape and the winner will be drawn on March 18th!

In the kit will be the Handy Hussif pattern (which includes the apple core papers), and Sweet Broderie fabric for the apple cores and lining, as well as hanky linen for the background.

Best of luck in the draw!

Until next time, Gaye

Hi,   I’m back with some photos of the wonderful quilt displays we enjoyed while on the Patchwork with Busyfingers retreat.

First up is the Antique Sampler quilt which is a combination of applique and paper piecing. This charming quilt pattern includes all the applique patterns as well as the papers needed to make the quilt.

Next up, two quilts from Sue Daley’s latest book, New English Paper Piecing – the quilt on the left is Icy Nights, which is the covergirl from the book and on the right is Joined at the Heart; template and paper packs are available for both of these beautiful quilts.

Also on display for us to enjoy was the gorgeous paper pieced and appliqued quilt Under the Southern Stars . . .

and below is Sue’s latest design, the Lancaster quilt which combines applique and paper piecing. The pattern for this quilt comes with papers and acrylic templates.

The quilt at the bottom of the photo is Appleberries which uses the new applecore shapes.  New patterns, the book and other goodies will be coming into the shop in the next few days and that is a parcel I am really looking forward to opening!

Well that’s all for now, till next time, Gaye x

Hi! I’m back from the Creative Inspirations retreat for shop owners, run by Sue Daley from Patchwork with Busyfingers last weekend.

Great company, lovely food and stitching were all on the agenda as we soaked up the sun in the beautiful surroundings of her B&B located in Eumundi, Qld. 

Over the three days we sampled English paper piecing and needleturn applique as well as American paper piecing, and used  some of the newest Busyfingers accessories including templates, cutting mats and sandpaper boards.

The new shapes we started working on included interesting applecores and clamshells which look complex but went together easily and quickly, thanks to techniques Sue has devised to construct them in a more simple way.

I shared a room with the lovely Kerry from The Cottage on the Hill in Nundle, NSW and this was my bed covered with a beautiful Spring Garden paper pieced quilt which was very hard to leave behind!

I will be back tomorrow to share some more photos of the quilt displays from the retreat.

Till then, Gaye x

A couple of months back I made a quilt for my niece’s 21st. I was recovering from an operation at the time and had bought myself a copy of Sarah Fielke’s latest book Quilting -  from little things. I chose to make the quilt pattern Stars in Your Eyes using a jelly roll of Verna that I had sitting in the sewing room looking beautiful. As I don’t have the special ruler that would no doubt make the sewn strips easier and quicker to cut, I just made a template from the pattern in Sarah’s book and voila! stars started appearing.

I’m really pleased with the way the quilt turned out because even though the making of the stars was the gratifyingly easy part, I found the joining together of the background diamonds and stars much more challenging – (yes, I may have sworn on a couple of isolated occasions)! I am still not a very confident ‘Y’ seam sewer though, even after the practice I had making this quilt! I enjoyed the quilting with free motion scrolls and spirals on the background fabric and borders. I ditch stitched around the stars and through some of the seams as well.I finished putting the last stitches in the binding the night before and there were a few moments when I really thought I wouldn’t get the quilt finished. Anyway, I got there in the end and Alex loved it!

It’s great when a plan comes together!

Take care and happy stitching, Gaye

Hi and welcome to my blog! This is a new experience for me as I have a long list of “favourites” I read but have never written myself.

So here goes . . .

One of my recently completed projects is this simple quilt I designed using French General’s Rural Jardin fabric, based around a wonderful toile print with lots of different fabrics from the range used in the hexagons and scallops, which have been paper pieced – one of my current sewing obsessions!

It is wall quilt size and hangs in our hallway at the moment.

Apart from all the free therapy I enjoyed while doing the paper piecing, it was a break through in terms of free motion quilting because I tried out some techniques from Deb Louie’s free motion quilting dvd which came out with a Quilter’s Companion magazine awhile back. I love free motion but am terrified of quilting myself into a corner and her techniques did help me be brave enough to just have a go! Thanks Deb.

It is difficult to see the quilting design in my non-professional photo, but it is a teardrop, curvy pattern that is fun to do and is very forgiving.

I will be back with more to share soon. Happy stitching, Gaye