Aurifil Aurifloss Review {& Quilting Gallery Blog Hop GIVEAWAY}

The Quilting Gallery is turning 5, and to celebrate they're hosting another Blog Hop Party with Giveaways! Last time there were over 200 blogs participating, with some incredibly cool giveaway items on offer.. make sure you don't miss out this time!

I recently completed a quilt for one of my husband's friends as a thank you for helping us when we moved house. He spent a few days welding framework together for some custom desks that my husband installed in his office, and my husband asked me if I could make him a quilt as a thank you gift (Sure, no worries love! Let me just whip that up for you!).

I'd been dying to try out the "Raspberry Ripple" pattern out of Pam & Nicky Lintott's "Layer Cake, Jelly Roll & Charm Quilts" book, which I'd received as a Mothers' day gift. This is the third pattern I've made from the book (and I've now made 4 quilts using patterns from the book, but that's another post!).. anyway, considering the book was an incidental purchase I'm very impressed with it!

My husband's only directive was that "Fritz likes blue".. so straight away I knew that Deb Strain's "Spa" range would be perfect. Not my personal style, but I am SO pleased with how the quilt top turned out. Having said that, I'm not sure that I'd make this pattern again because it felt like I was piecing FOREVER and it wasn't until the very end that I had blocks that were larger than 6.5". It was enormously satisfying to complete, but it seemed to drag on and I think next time (if ever!) I wouldn't bother making all the 9-patch blocks first and I'd just make large HSTs instead. (The effect of the 9-patch blocks is stunning, don't get me wrong.. I just prefer to see tangible progress within a few of hours of piecing, not what took me DAYS over WEEKS of piecing.)

But enough whinging, I really love this quilt and I'm a bit sad to be giving it away.. luckily I know it's going to a good home that will appreciate all the time, effort and love I've put into making it!

Once I completed the quilt top it was time to move onto the larger issue of how to quilt it? My domestic machine has a very small throat space, so the thought of anything other than SLQ was far too daunting, and even that would have been struggle town. I decided to think outside the square and try something I'd never done before.... hand tying!

Being an Aurifil convert (this quilt was pieced with Aurifil 50wt #2024) I contacted the rather debonair face of Aurifil, Signor Alex Veronelli to see if I could try out some of his new Aurifloss stranded cotton.

Aurifloss is a 6 strand embroidery floss made from long staple cotton that is gorgeously presented on a wooden spool. It's suited to all types of needlecraft including cross stitching, embroidery, crochet and applique as well as scrapbooking and hand tying quilts (and many other things I'm sure!).

Alex very generously sent me three spools, and despite this quilt being 64" x 80" I didn't even use a whole spool! So I'm giving one away for one of you to try out :)

Pinned, basted and ready to go!

Having never hand tied a quilt before, I watched a number of youtube videos, googled a few blogs and referred to a couple of books to get a general idea. From there I went with the method where you take a small "bite" of fabric approx 1/4" apart with your needle (I recommend using a wool needle), and then do a little back stitch move where you take a second "bite" (as shown above).

I left "tails" of approx 2-3 inches, which I then tied using a surgeon's knot (which my research suggested was more secure than a square knot). The Aurifloss was a delight to work with. It didn't twist and knot itself while I was trying to feed it through the fabric. It was easy to knot and none of my knots have magically undone themselves - always a good start! I look forward to trying out Aurifloss in my cross stitch and embroidery projects (I just need to stop quilting for long enough to get back to them!).

A close up of my (untrimmed) hand tied knots.

And a closeup of the trimmed, completed ties.

This quilt exceeded my expectations - it turned out exactly how I envisioned it would. I love the clean crispness of the blue and white, it makes me think of Wedgwood china! I think the hand tying was the perfect way to "quilt" it so as not to detract from the overall design, while still keeping the layers secure. As an added bonus, hand tied quilts are supposed to get softer and snugglier as they're washed so it's sure to keep Fritz and Margot warm and cosy on these cold Summer nights (oh wait, you mean it's meant to be warm in Summer? hmm.. I don't think Perth got the memo this year!).

Finished just in time for Christmas...

Now that you've made it to the end of my post, I think you deserve the chance to be rewarded, don't you? I'm offering up a charm pack of Summersville by Lucie Summers and a spool of Aurifloss so that you can try it out for yourself. The giveaway is open from the 10th December until the 17th December (Perth time). The giveaway is open internationally, although I can't guarantee that you'll receive it before Christmas!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Jacky-Oh! Something Wicked This Way Comes..

I'm pleased to introduce you to my friend Jacky-Oh! He's a jack-o-lantern that has come to visit for the Something Wicked This Way Comes blog hop!

I was participating in Kristy from Quiet Play's Practically Paper Piecing blog hop when I heard that Soma from Whims & Fancies was organising a Halloween themed paper piecing blog hop. The catch? You had to design an original block. No worries... I'd just received a copy of EQ7 for my birthday from my husband, how hard could designing my own block be??

I knew straight away that I wanted to do a Jack-o-lantern block.. after all, carving pumpkins is one of our favourite Halloween traditions.

I found a free stock photo of a Jack-o-lantern, imported it into EQ7 and threw myself right in the deep end! It took a few tries, but eventually I came up with a block design worth testing:

He turned out ok, but highlighted the fact that very small lines in EQ turn out to be large lines in real life (the part where the left eye isn't actually a triangle - it's not my bad sewing, it was a design flaw!) So I went back and tweaked the pattern a few more times, adjusting his eyes and his teeth..

Alternate tooth position

 I printed out my new pattern, tested it out and voila! A delectably scary Jack-o-lantern!

 I decided that my two blocks would make fantastic snack mats for Bean and Blossom, so I backed it with some super cute jack-o-lanterny goodness (Dem Bones, Carol Eldridge for Andover Fabrics) and ditch quilted it with some Aurifil 28wt thread. I regularly use Aurifil 50wt (this was pieced with white #2024) but I'd never tried out the 28wt.. As luck would have it, I had a spool of orange #2150 from a sample pack that I won some time ago.. and it was the perfect Halloween orange! The 28wt was an absolute delight to sew with, and while it's not super obvious in the quilting (because it's quilted in the ditch), it looks amazing on the binding. I chose a decorative stitch that reminded me of candy corn, to match the candy corn fabric that I used as binding. Seriously, this snack mat is good enough to eat!

 Jacky also looks super scary when he's backlit by the setting sun. No evil spirits will be visiting here!

To be safe around the children though, we might just illuminate him with our faux candle lantern that Grandma brought home for them.

If you like Jacky-Oh! and would like to make a pumpkiny friend of your own, you can find the pattern for free at Craftsy :) There is also an "Extended Edition" available for purchase that has additional templates to create a range of different pumpkin personalities!

Let's Get Acquainted!

Hi! Today's my turn to "Get Acquainted" with you all in the Plum & June "Let's Get Acquainted!" blog hop. I'm sharing today with Megan from City Stitches, so don't forget to pop over and get acquainted with her too! 

My name is Tracey and I'm from Perth, Western Australia. I'm a stay at home mother of two great kids who never cease to bring me joy and frustration in equal measure ;) I love to quilt, embroider, crochet and bake (fortunately the first 3 are calorie free!). I love to be crafty in general and I've tried most things along the way. I'm really lucky to have a great group of crafty girlfriends (we all met through playgroup when our kids were tiny) and even though our kids are now going to different schools we catch up atleast once a week to sew, craft, eat and chat!

Here are a few "fun facts" about me..

How long have you been quilting

I've been sewing for as long as I can remember, but I only started quilting 5 years ago.. I made 2 quilts, and then had a 3 year break before taking it back up again last year. Now I've got a project list long enough to last me until I die! (It gets longer every day!)

Favorite quilting tip(s)

People always say to measure twice, cut once. I cannot emphasise enough how important that is! But I also love spray starch. I discovered starch a couple of months ago and it has improved my accuracy quite a bit! And it smells pretty.

Favorite blogging tip(s)

Have fun and stay true to who you are. Don't write what you think people want to read. Write what you'd want to read.

Favorite fabric (or wish list fabric)

I am a huge fan of Kate Spain and Bonnie & Camille. I've always coveted "Terrain", but I don't actually have any in my stash - I only "discovered" designer fabrics as "Good Fortune" was being released. 

Favorite craft book

I love Joanna Figueroa's "With Fabric & Thread", although I've made quite a few quilts from Pam & Nicky Lintott's "Layer Cakes, Jelly Rolls and Charm Quilts" book.

Favorite book

My favourite authors include Diana Gabaldon, Stephanie Laurens and Julia Quinn. But I'll read virtually anything, and I practically devour books! I'm currently reading "The Scarpetta Factor" by Patricia Cornwell.

Favorite children's book

I love Enid Blyton's Magic Faraway tree books. I have two of them from when I was little that I read to my children. They love to hear about the Land of Presents, the Land of Goodies and the Land of Take What You Want the best!

Favorite quilting tool

Of course my sewing machine would have to be my favourite quilting tool of all time.. but my Accuquilt GO! cutter is pretty high up on my list!

Favorite music to listen to while quilting

I don't often listen to anything while I'm in my sewing room as I need to get some portable speakers.. occasionally I'll remember to take headphones in with me, but I'm usually too lazy! This last week I've been using my sewing machine on the dining room table so I could have the quilt top laid out on the floor as I put it together, and it was so nice to sew with the TV on, or the radio. I think I need to ask Santa to bring me some speakers for Christmas! I love to listen to Pat Sloan's APQ Radio podcasts in the car though.

Binding - by hand or by machine?
My first two quilts were done by hand, but when I got back into quilting last year I saw a fab tutorial for machine binding using a decorative stitch (sew binding to back of quilt, then fold to front and secure with a pretty stitch) and that's how I do all my quilts now.

If I'd only known - what you wish you knew about blogging before you started your blog

I've noticed that a lot of people have said they wish they'd known more about Blogger vs Wordpress, but to be honest, I still don't really get the difference. I mean, I understand that Wordpress has more customisable functionality.. and I'll confess that I actually signed up for both. And I think I even posted my first couple of posts on both. (Although that might have been for my other blog, Needles in the Haystack) But I found Blogger easier to wrangle, and I don't have any plans to change (at this time). 

I wish I'd known that there was this awesome quilting blog world earlier. Like when I first started quilting. I've had other blogs in the past, but I never knew how much great stuff was out there. I wish I'd had more of a clue!

I'll have a brand new tutorial for you in a couple of days - it'll be my turn to show you my paper pieced block in the "Something Wicked This Way Comes" blog hop on Friday! I'm pretty excited to do the whole big reveal.. so stay tuned! In the mean time, there are a few tutorials on my Tutorials page to keep you busy ;)

Don't forget to check out the other blogs that are participating in the "Let's Get Acquainted" blog hop - this week we have:

Oct 23
         Tracey from The Peony Teacup (you are here!)
         Megan from City Stitches

Oct 25
        Kerstin from Sunset Sewing
        Jenniffier from Jenniffier's Sometimes Creative Life

Thanks for stopping by xx

Book Tour - The Big Little Book of Fabric Die Cutting Tips

Welcome to my leg of the book tour for Ebony Love's much anticipated debut book "The Big Little Book of Fabric Die Cutting Tips" :)

Before we go any further I'd just like to say that unlike all of the amazing book tour stops before me, I'm not a professional/expert die cutter or quilter! I'm just your average 30-something stay at home mum who fell into die cutting rather like I fell into quilting - straight in the deep end and working it out as I go along! But the fact that *I* am not a professional is really unimportant, because as you'll discover (if you don't already know), Ebony is THE "go to" girl in the fabric die cutting world.

I wish that there had been a book like Ebony's when I was making my first foray into die cutting 12 months ago. My son "outgrew" his baby quilt, so I decided that it was time to make him a new one. I found some Harry Potter fabric squares on ebay (he's only a little obsessed!) and then went on to think about how I was going to put it all together. In Australian Patchwork & Quilting magazine I'd seen ads for the Accuquilt GO! cutter, which ultimately led me to research it a little online and decide that I needed the GO! (as opposed to the Baby) and the Drunkard's Path die. I'd seen this cool idea for a Split Drunkard's Path star block online and I thought it would be a perfect way to use my Harry Potter fabric. I did some price researching, and while it was cheaper in the US, the shipping to Australia would cripple me, so I sucked up the price difference and found a place over here that had a pretty good price, and as it happened, a sale on dies! Hmm.. surely I needed more than just the Drunkard's Path? I managed to convince my husband to order me the Double Wedding Ring, the Rose of Sharon, the Tumbler and the 2.5" strip die (the strip die was an after thought, but it was $58 down from $85 for the GO Baby compatible one, so I couldn't go past it!).. and then I snuck in the Sunbonnet Sue die when he wasn't looking.. Turned out that ordering the Tumbler die was the best thing I did for that quilt, because the fabric squares were too small to use with the Drunkard's Path die. But I found a way to make those stars anyway!

And that 2.5" strip die I bought just because it was on sale? Best. Die. Purchase. Ever. I use it with EVERY quilt I make (sometimes for sashing, ALWAYS for binding!). Ebony outlines a whole range of other things you can do with the strip dies, including cross cutting the strips to make diamonds or squares. I also picked up a few tips on continuous borders by cutting length of fabric (LOF) instead of width of fabric (WOF). Other sized strip dies are definitely on my "to get" list!

If I'd had Ebony's book before buying my GO!, I think that the section on choosing which die cutter to suit you would have been invaluable. I love my GO! but there are times when I wish I had something larger, like the Big Shot Pro - especially because it has the flexibility of using other brand dies (including the Accuquilt ones) which my GO! does not. I love Ebony's clear, concise comparisons of the features of each cutter, the number of dies available, the die compatibility of other brands etc. Having it all right there in an easy to read format makes it much easier to make an informed decision.

Recently I've been pondering the purchase of a smaller machine because while my GO! *is* portable, it's quite heavy and cumbersome when I'm also trying to carry bags filled with fabric and my sewing machine when I go to guild meetings etc.  I'd naturally considered the Baby GO! because it will fit all my dies (except the DWR), but after seeing the Sizzix Big Shot at the Craft Fair a few months ago I've been in a quandary. I loved some of the dies that Sizzix offered (like the multiple same size hexie dies) but I wasn't sure that I wanted to invest in a new system, especially given that the Big Shot will only work with my 5x10" dies (which rules out almost all the dies I currently own).

After reading Ebony's comparison section, I'm seriously considering the Big Shot. After all, I'll still have my GO! so it's not like I won't be able to use my 6"+ Accuquilt dies, and I could just take my GO! on those occasions when I need to use the dies that are too big for the Big Shot. Additionally I'd also have the opportunity to purchase Sizzix and other brand dies that catch my fancy.

Don't think that just because you've already got a fabric cutter that you won't need this book - I picked up so many tips and ideas when I read through it. Some of them were so simple that you'd think they were obvious, and yet it had never occurred to me that I might be able or need to do some of those things. I'd never thought about checking my dies for accurate cutting by using paper to do the first cut, or even filing those paper pieces for future reference (eg using applique cuts to audition placement on blocks etc).

There is something in The Big Little Book of Fabric Die Cutting Tips for everyone. If you don't have a die cutter but are thinking of purchasing one, you should read Ebony's book before you make any decisions.. and if you already have a die cutting machine and want to learn how to get the most out of your die cutting experience then you won't be disappointed! I can't wait to get my hard copy so that I can make a few notes in the convenient sections Ebony has peppered throughout the book - perfect for all the extra tips I've been picking up over the course of the book tour!

Don't forget to check out all the stops along the way - there are even a few chances to win yourself a copy of the book! If you'd like to read an excerpt, Ebony has one available here :)

• October 16th – Ebony Love, LoveBug Studios 
• October 17th – Jennifer Rodriguez, All Things Belle
• October 18th – Marjorie Busby, Marjorie’s Quilting Bee
• October 19th – Michelle Marr, Michelle’s Romantic Tangle
• October 20th – Tammy Tutterow, Sizzix Blog
• October 21st – Patsy Thompson, Patsy Thompson Designs
• October 22nd – Tracey Rampling, The Peony Teacup <-- You are here!
• October 23rd – Mary Fons, Hey Quilty!
• October 24th – Barb Gaddy, Bejeweled Quilts
• October 25th – Katrina Chapman Kahn, Sunshower Quilts
• October 26th – SewCal Gal, Insights from SewCalGal
• October 27th – Vanessa Wilson, The Crafty Gemini
• October 28th – Kelly Jackson, I Have a Notion
• October 29th – Connie Campbell, Freemotion By the River
• October 30th – Gene Black, An Alabama Quilter
• October 31st – Ebony Love, LoveBug Studios
• November 1st – Book Launch on Amazon!

Practically Paper Pieced Potter and a {GIVEAWAY}!!

I've really enjoyed seeing all the amazing paper pieced projects during Kristy's Practically Paper Pieced Blog Hop... and today it's my turn to show you what I've pieced!

I decided to make a coordinating cushion to go with the Harry Potter quilt that I made for my son's birthday..

There are some great Harry Potter paper pieced patterns available from Fandom in Stitches, so although I received a copy of EQ7 for my birthday I just couldn't work out how to put my own paper pieced Harry Potter pattern together in time and went with what was already available!

The original pattern, which I then cut in half and trimmed down so I could enlarge it.

I decided that I wanted my block to be ~10 inches though, so I had to blow up the pattern using Phillipa's fancy multifunction printer's copy function. Perfect! I also coloured in my pattern so that I could keep all the pieces straight... 

The original size versus my enlarged (coloured in) version.

My fabric choices - scraps from the Harry Potter quilt, a gorgeous black swirly fabric I bought for the August QCA Bee block, and some charm squares from one of the rainbow swaps.

... but I forgot to take into account that the pattern would end up backwards and I had to unpick and redo the blue section (because my husband was insistent that I couldn't just swap the Hogwarts crest around.. Bean would notice!).. once I'd fixed that up though it was relatively smooth sailing with only occasional unpicking required when I was being a bit too stingy with my fabric... it really does pay to be generous and then trim back - taking "short cuts" and being "thrifty" NEVER works with paper piecing!

Block complete.. So in love!

With the block complete I decided that I wanted to add an additional ~1" border in the black so that it made the crest stand out a little more. To make the cushion cover I wanted a 15" front panel, so I used 3" strips in the blue mosaic print from the Harry Potter quilt to border the Hogwarts crest (this gave me plenty of room to trim back). 

Using plain white homespun as backing fabric, I then quilted with a simple outline/ditch quilting around the "H", the crest (Aurifil 50wt #2130) and between the black & blue fabric (Aurifil 50wt #2620 - which I also used to piece.. I love this colour, it's so versatile for everything). 

I made a simple envelope backing (2 panels 15" x 10" - both lined with the white homespun for strength and one with pretty binding, incase you wanted to know) for the cushion using the blue feedsack from the Harry Potter quilt. Simple, but effective. Not to mention that it helps coordinate the cushion with the quilt!

The cushion turned out beautifully - Bean is so excited and wants to have it on his bed straight away, which kind of scuttles my plans to give it to him for Christmas! So much for planning ahead. I guess I'll just have to learn how to use EQ properly so I can make him another cushion (it looks so lonely by itself!) as a surprise. I think I'll attempt to design a Gryffindor crest of my own.. but we'll see!

The cushion and the quilt meet for the first time.

So there you have it! You could make a cushion like this with any stray paper pieced block, all you need to do is add a border to make it the finished size you want.

Oh.. I mentioned a GIVEAWAY, didn't I? It just so happens that next week is my 1 year blogiversary, AND I'm about to hit 100 followers.. all of which coincided beautifully with The Quilting Gallery's Blog Hop Party!

So to celebrate, I'm offering up an AURIFIL Thread Colour Card.

Image Source: Aurifil.com

To enter, all you have to do is leave me a comment. About anything really, but you could always tell me what kind of fan-related paper piecing you would love to try.

For bonus entries (which are entirely optional) you can:
* Follow my blog
* Follow me on Facebook or Twitter
* Tweet, Blog or share my giveaway and leave me a link.

The giveaway will be open until Tuesday, September 4th at 7pm Western Australian Standard Time. International entries are welcome.

If I manage to hit the 100 follower mark, I might even throw another giveaway on my actual blogiversary date :)

Meanwhile, back to the Practically Paper Piecing Blog Hop.. don't forget to check out the other projects still to come:

27th August - Fiona from Celtic Thistle Stitches

28th August - Anorina from Samelia’s Mum

And you can find the list of the other blog hop stops at Kristy's PPP page :)

Playing catch up..

Please don't confuse my lack of blogging for lack of activity... I'm pleased to say that we are settled in the new house (although there are still a few boxes haunting me) and the other house if FINALLY not my problem.. it's sold, settled and its new owners have moved in. Thank goodness. There were a few moments during the final moving/cleaning stage that were rather fraught with emotion/exhaustion. Have I mentioned that I hate moving house?

And my new house is unpacked enough that I have been able to sneak a few hours in my sewing room (my husband still thinks unpacking should be my first priority, followed by cleaning... but a girl needs to have some fun!)..

I don't think I ever revealed what I'd received in the QCA Handmade Swap. The lovely Jess from Scrappy n Happy sent me the most gorgeous little sewing kit, complete with embroidery scissors, applique needles & thread. She also enclosed some chocolate (I LOVE the Cadbury Marvellous Creations - it's fully of popping candy fun!) and fancy coffee sticks so I could sit down and check my gift out properly. The sewing kit has a matching needle book - both using a print from Bonnie & Camille's Ruby line.. one of my favourites! I especially love the measuring "tape" on the front. Jess, you'll be pleased to know that I could not live without those embroidery scissors!

All kitted out! Aren't I a lucky girl?

Speaking of swaps, I posted off my #talknt Handmade Swap gift.. and it made its way to Utah to live with @catann40. I made a mini quilt using a Swoon block, and this time I remembered to add hanging tabs! I really liked the way the mini turned out - it was incredibly hard to send it away.. good thing I've got lots more of that fabric! (I've actually decided to turn "my" Swoon quilt into a quilt for my Granddad... hopefully I can get that finished in time for Christmas!)

A closeup of my stippled quilting

I am dreadfully behind on my Craftsy BOM blocks.. I haven't done the July blocks yet, but if it makes any difference I used the tutorial for one of the August blocks to make Anorina's July QCA Bee block (which I made last week. In August. Woeful.). Anorina asked for a 12.5" star block of our choice, in grey/black/white/orange. I found some gorgeous black swirly and "galaxy" print fabric at Textile Traders, and used some orange from my stash. Bean really liked the block, he thought it looked like a Harry Potter star (whatever that is!).

I also made a start on McKenna's August block today. McKenna asked for a 16" feathered star block in the patriotic red, white & blue. So far I'm about halfway through cutting 48 1.5" HSTs.

I also finished piecing the nine patches for the quilt my husband wants me to make for a friend of his.. 64x 6.5" nine patches! Next I get to cut 64x 6.5" squares from my white background fabric so that I can turn all those nine patches into 128 nine patch HSTs. This quilt pattern is somewhat more labour intensive than the last two patterns I made out of Pam & Nicky Lintott's Layer Cake, Jelly Roll & Charm Quilts. I think it will look really effective once it's done though.

6 down, 58 to go...

64 nine patches complete!

 And the last thing I've been working on is my project for the Practically Paper Piecing blog hop that Kristy from Quiet Play is hosting. I've actually finished my paper pieced block, and all I have to do now is turn it into a finished product. You'll just have to wait until next week to find out what it is!

Here's a sneak peek for you...

Linking up to: