3x6 Bee Blocks Finished!!

I sent my blocks off today for the [3 x 6] Sampler Quilt Mini Bee (and just in time too :)

Here they are all together:

Jennifer B's block:

Debbie's block:

Jennifer T's block:

Chelsea's block:

Kelly's block:

and Melissa's block:

The blocks are 12.5" square and there are too many fabrics to mention. I used my favourite spiderweb template, it's paper-pieced and works well with approx 1.5" strips.

I hope you like them Hive 11 :)

Happy Blogiversay to me!!

This time last year (on September 6th) I started this blog!! Prior to my quilting blog I had a personal blog and I didn't really post that often so I thought this blog might not survive through the first few weeks. This is my 78th post!!

Sometimes I've blogged often and other times infrequently depending on what life has thrown at me, but the reasons that I have continued are that I have loved having a record of my creations and how I have changed and improved over the past year or so, and also the feedback from others in the quilting community. I have really enjoyed meeting so many people through the blogisphere and I have appreciated every one of you that have left a comment, sent me an email, or become a follower. Many of you have given me so much inspiration through your own blogs! 12 months ago I couldn't have imagined having 100 followers, I admit I was pretty stoked when I had just a few non-family followers.

SO THANK YOU!!

Here are a few things I have achieved in the past year:

1. I completed my first "real" quilt and made a few more.

2. I have participated in a few Bees and have just commenced my first ever swap.

3. I have gained confidence in my fabric selection. I no longer feel that I have to go with a particular fabric range rather than picking out individual fabrics that I love.

4. I started my journey into free motion quilting and have improved greatly with straight line quilting.

5. I have way too many projects on the go but have realised that it doesn't matter. What I love most about quilting is trying something new and practicing new skills, rather than just concentrating on the finished product.

Here are a couple of other things that I've realised lately:

1. Many of the things I have made and gifted I have not taken photos of.

2. I have made many things for others, yet I have made nothing for my husband, myself or our home (except for a couple of pincushions). Our couches are screaming out for some colourful cushions, so once I've finished with my present commitments this is first on my priority list to rectify.

Here are some of the things I had gifted to my sister Ellen but not taken photos of until now:

My favourite cushion/pillow I have made for her. It's her favourite too and lives on her bed.

Here it is wth one of the other cushions I made for her last Christmas.

Here's the other cushion I made for her last Christmas. Kate had made the There's a Square in There quilt (behind) for their wedding nearly 12 months before and I knew I wanted to make a cushion to coordinate. The circular flying geese and wonky nine-patch cushion live on their lounges in their living room.

Here are all the cushions together ...

The two Henna Garden cushions were generously bought by Ellen for the Queensland Flood Appeal Auctions. They are going to live on their daughter Ella's bed.

There were a few other things I didn't get around to taking photos of, but I did take some of this journal cover.  I adapted it from this tutorial ...

 Here is the inside cover .....

So my plan for the next 12 months is to keep a better record of what I create, including taking more photos (maybe I should also think about labelling my quilts too), and also making some things for our home, especially a quilt for my husband. He has put up with a lot of "does this fabric go with that?"and "what do this think of this block?", not to mention all the fabric I have bought and all the time I spent quilting over the past year -  to not have a quilt of his own.

What are your quilting plans for the year ahead??

Noah's Quilt

I have really enjoyed the last week and a half that I have been able to spend with my family in Sydney, especially meeting this new little guy, Noah!!

He is the sweetest thing and such a good baby!

His parents didn't find out whether they were having a boy or girl, so I made this quilt in gender neutral colours to match the cushion and softie I made for my sister Ellen's baby shower ...

It has 648 little squares in that little cot size quilt!!

I only got the quilt top completed before he was born, so once I knew they had a boy I picked out a more boyish backing fabric ... I love those elephants!!

I did straight line quilting approx 1/4 inch away from the vertical seams.

And here they all are in his cot. I'm glad it fits so well.

And here's one more of Noah at approx 4 weeks ( he's now 5 weeks old). His clever mummy made the raggy quilt he is lying on.

WARNING: DO NOT READ ON IF YOU ARE SQUEAMISH!!!

This photo is for posterity :)

You know how I said that Noah is a really good boy? Well even a really good boy can't be good all the time ;)

His poor mother copped it during a nappy change. She has now learned to change him super fast!! YUCK!!