Tutorial: Split Drunkard's Path Star

A while ago I mentioned that I was going to write up a tutorial for the Split Drunkard's Path star block, but I must confess that Christmas and the end of the school year distracted me.. but now all that's over, it's a new year and the perfect time to get back on the wagon!

Split Drunkard's Path block

Step 1. Choose up to 8 coordinating fabrics - 2 for the "background" and 6 for the star. I cut my Drunkard's Path blocks using my Accuquilt GO! cutter and my 3.5" Drunkard's Path die. If you were using this block on its own for a quilt it would look amazing done with the 7" DP die. You will have left over DP pieces which you can use for other stars, or put aside for another project.

Step 2. Cut a total of 16 DP blocks, consisting of:

- 8 x "Background Fabric #1" (Outer curve pieces)

- 8 x "Background Fabric #2" (Inner curve piece)

- 4 x "Star Point Fabric #1" (Outer curve pieces)

- 4 x "Star Point Fabric #2" (Inner curve pieces)

- 2 x "Star Centre Fabric #1" (Outer curve pieces)

- 2 x "Star Centre Fabric #2" (Outer curve pieces)

- 2 x "Star Centre Fabric #3" (Inner curve pieces)

- 2 x "Star Centre Fabric #4" (Inner curve pieces)

Step 3: Pair the DP block pieces, alternating the "Star Centre Fabrics" (eg #1 + #3, #1 + #4, #2 + #3 and #2 + #4). Sew using your preferred piecing method. I pinned the blocks for the first 2 stars, and am now using a Curvemaster foot to piece the blocks for subsequent blocks.. seriously, much more consistent on the seams, with no pinning!

Step 4: Pair up 4 of the "Background" blocks with 4 of the "Star Point" blocks, and the 4 "Star Centre" blocks, matching the inner pieces. 

Step 5: Pin and mark a line diagonally through the centre of the block.

Step 6: Sew 1/4" on either side of the line. (as shown above with grey stitching + white stitching)

Step 7: Using rotary cutter cut along the pencilled line so that you have 2x blocks. Press open.

Step 8: Lay out your blocks to form a star shape. The 4x corner "Background" blocks will be larger than the other blocks as they haven't been cut up, but don't panic.. we'll trim them up!

Step 9: Sew the pairs of "Star Points" and the "Star Centres" together, making sure to match the curves. Attach one set of "Star Points" at the top and the bottom of the "Star Centres" to make a column. Press seams.

Step 10: Trim your 4 "Background" blocks to match your other blocks. I trimmed the outer curve pieces and left the inner curves at full size, but you could trim it evenly all the way around if you prefer.

Step 11: Sew the "Background" blocks to the remaining "Star Point" blocks so that you end up with 3 "columns" of blocks (as shown above). Press seams and then sew columns together making sure to match seams. Press again, and you're done! (Square up blocks as required)

My first Split Drunkard's Path Star complete!

And a second one so you can see it in a different colour

Effective, yes?

Blogger's Choice Fat Quarter Bundle Competition

The lovely Laura from Quokka Quilts (another Perth girl, just like me!) is having a competition on her blog where you put together your "own" fat quarter bundle using fabrics from the Fat Quarter Shop and then make up a pretty mosaic, blog about it and go into the draw to win your fabrics! And not just the fat quarter bundle, oh no! But a HALF YARD of each of your fabrics! Woohoo! Talk about excitement.. the whole of the blogging world seems to be posting fat quarter bundles (or atleast, they are on my feed..)

So here is my bundle.. my inspiration was Lily Ashbury's Summer House line, I just love that fabric :) The pinks and greens are colours that I've wanted to have in my lounge room for quite some time now, so if I won my FQ bundle I would love to use it to make some cushions, throw rug/quilts etc. It makes me think of Spring time :)

I used the following fabrics:

1. Summer House Pink Lemonade Rosemarie Yardage SKU# 11442-14 
2. Daisy Dance Pink Tiny Flower Buds Yardage SKU# 7534-22
3. Sweet Shoppe Pink Petals and Vines Yardage SKU# 3650-26 

4. Heart Garden Medium Pink Swirling Swirls Yardage SKU# 11908-98

5. Me and My Sister Favorites Green Swirls Yardage SKU# 22045-38 
6. Sugar Hill Cotton Green Scattered Roses Yardage SKU# PWTW049-GREEN 
7. Babysaurus Green Geo Diamond Yardage SKU# 106101-06-3
8. Annie's Farm Stand Green Mini Rose Yardage SKU# 10062-Green
9. Summer House Bright Blue Rosemarie Yardage SKU# 11442-18 
10. Folk Heart Blue Teardrop Floral Yardage SKU# 30393-70 
11. Pam Kitty Morning Blue Buttons Yardage SKU# LH11011-BLUE 
12. Stitch Organic Blue Stitchin' Swirls Yardage SKU# 11900-4 
13. Kona Cotton Candy Pink Yardage SKU# K001-1062
14. Bella Solids Amelia Blue Yardage SKU# 9900-167 
15. Bella Solids Summer House Lime Yardage SKU# 9900-173 

Catching up..

Goodness me! I've just realised that it's been a month since I last posted about something crafty on here! It's not for lack of crafting, let me tell you! Infact, it's probably exactly why I haven't managed to post.. aside from the fact that it's "that time of year" and things have been super busy with end of year concerts and parties as well as half a dozen birthdays, I've been spending quite a bit of time focussing on the actual crafting which has left significantly less time for the blogging. I've been lagging behind badly on my blog reading, too - falling asleep on the sofa has become my new normal.

So here's some of the stuff that I've been doing this last month...

Crochet "wine glass cover" #3 - about 3 rows to go.

My first completed "Split Drunkard's Path Star" (will blog tutorial)

2 stars plus the tumbler medallion.. Harry Potter Quilt still in progress

Quilt for Blossom's Kindy teacher, who is retiring.
Each child in the class decorated a square, and I put it all together.

Back of the teacher quilt.

Christmas table runner, complete!

I just love the backing fabric.. might even pretend it's reversible ;)

I also broke my fabric ban.. it all started so innocently.. with a voucher for $40 off at Spotlight when you spent $100... and I needed more fabric/batting for the quilt for Blossom's teacher, so it totally didn't count towards the fabric ban.. and my husband decided that I should make some "Minecraft Creepers" for Bean & Blossom (like these) so I had to buy fabric for those (because I seriously need ANOTHER project that has to be finished in time for Christmas!) and my SIL decided that she wanted a jungle themed quilt for her nursery instead of Peter Rabbit, and I found a gorgeously perfect panel..

And most people would leave it there. But not me... once the flood gates were open, it was on. It didn't help that there were a whole pile of Black Friday sales being tweeted left, right and centre... The first thing I indulged in was a 21 FQ set of Riley Blake's Delighted from The Intrepid Thread, which reminded me how much I love fabric designed by The Quilted Fish so I went hunting for some more Sweet Divinity to go with the fabric that I bought a couple of months ago (which will be turned into a quilt and accessories for Blossom's new room when we finally move)... and I found what I was looking for at two separate etsy stores.. A total of 10 yards, made up of 10x Sweet Divinity fabrics, 9x Sugar & Spice fabrics and the "Quite Contrary" Green Stripe by My Mind's Eye. Yes, way more fabric than I will need to make Blossom a quilt, given that I already have 5 yards of Sweet Divinity (5x fabrics).

My Christmas present to myself

And then I went back to Spotlight and bought myself a walking foot, some coordinating fabric for my SIL's baby quilt, some more fabric for the teacher quilt (because my backing fabric was an inch short and I decided just to buy another piece than mess around) and then decided that I was all binged out.

Lily Pad Quilting: Accuquilt GO! Baby Giveaway

Lily Pad Quilting is having a giveaway for an Accuquilt GO! Baby fabric cutter, 3 dies and a layer cake of "Chemistry" by Cosmo Cricket!

It's time to get my Nigella on!

I know most of the bloggers I know are going to be celebrating Thanksgiving today, and down here in Australia I am also having a celebration tonight... not so much Thanksgiving as my mother-in-law's birthday! And while she's elected to make dinner herself, it has fallen to me to make her birthday cake. She requested chocolate cupcakes,  and while I have a couple of favourite cupcake recipes, none of them are specifically chocolate. So I went hunting, and came up with:

http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/chocolate-guinness-cake-3086

Nigella Lawson's Chocolate Guinness Cake! (except in cupcake form, obviously) Hopefully they will turn out just as delightfully in cupcake form as I'm planning to use the leftovers tomorrow night at the "Mummy Cocktail Night" that I am hosting! 'll post pictures later, but now it's time to put on my apron and channel my inner Nigella!

Weekday Baking: Gingernut Banoffee Tarts

It was my "turn" to have the girls over for Tuesday craft and Phillipa always puts on delightful nibblies so I had to make something a bit more exciting than a packet of biscuits... What could be easier and be way more impressive than the amount of effort? These delightful Gingernut Banoffee Tarts, of course!

Take 1 packet of Arnott's Gingernut biscuits (or Butternut Snap, or any other biscuit that takes your fancy) and lay out into a patty pan (I had to do mine in 2 batches because my patty pan tin only has 12 spaces). Place into a hot oven for 2-4 minutes. Yes, that's right - ONLY 2-4 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully press down into patty pan so that they become cute little curved tart shells. Allow to cool for a minute, then remove from patty pan. 

Fill with Nestle Top 'n' Fill Caramel (or chocolate ganache topped with strawberry is FABULOUS too.. you could even make your own caramel if you're inclined) and then when ready to serve, top with whipped cream (canned is ok!) and a slice of banana. And there you have it!

I forgot to take a photo of them when they were ready to serve until there were only 4 left! They were really yummy and popular with both the girls and the assorted small children!

Samelia's Mum: ULTIMATE Cars 2 {Giveaway}

My Australian blog reading friends should check out the Samelia's Mum: ULTIMATE Cars 2 {Giveaway} - She's having a giveaway for a Cars 2 Blu-ray/DVD set plus some cool extras... I know I have my fingers crossed, Bean has been asking for a toy "spy" kit for Christmas, and this looks like it might be just the thing!!