Free Patterns, stitcheries and Block of the Month

Well the rush of Christmas is well behind us,  and it's about now that quilters, stitchers, and other crafters start to look around and plan their years projects.  We see a lot of Free BOM's being offered, there are also many pay by the month BOM's out there, but that's a different slice of cake..........so here are just a couple of the freebies that have turned up in my mail box.And of course, don't forget to check the list of other BOM's and freebies on offer from some wonderful designers in our sidebar.

 Happy day!, sometime ago I wanted to paper piece poinsettias for a project, and in my search I came across a lovely sharing lady who gave me several patterns and ideas, well computers being what they are I lost the lot, but mainly I lost the contact details, how wonderful today to re-discover the wonderful site of  Regina Grewe.  Regina has some wonderful patterns and free patterns available on her site and a inspiring BOM with paper pieced mushrooms and a delectable mushroom stitchery.  This BOM started in September 2009 but the patterns are freely available on Regina's site, and just to make the landscapers in us ever so green, go visit these beauties. Regina's site is choc-a-block with lovely work and photos, well worth spending time to check out her wonderful work.

Quilters Guild of Plano brings us this 'Sweet Treats' BOM, It is a finished BOM, that is, all the blocks can be downloaded now - no waiting and no surprises!, the blocks cover various techniques, patchwork, applique, paper piecing, curved piecing and chennile, what a wonderful idea for a beginner or as a finished quilt for one of the younger set.

The talented Kim Noblin, editor of Block Central  has designed a BOM 'Sentimental Journey' Each link will be posted on the first of the month, and the link will take you to a printer friendly block instruction page.
If perhaps, you would prefer a different colour scheme, clever Kim has a printable colouring page for you to download.
block one for January is up here with a printable fabric list,  and a cutting chart for the whole quilt, 
The folks at Block Central are a bit partial to BOM'S and you can access the list and links here for previous BOM's

Sue, Terri, and  Vicki from 3 Creative Studios 

have a Mystery BOM with 5 blocks  already posted and set to go, another 3 blocks will be posted on the 16th. of each month, finishing in May 2010.  These ladies have also set up a special group for the block of the month participants to join and post pics of  finished blocks and ask questions.

This talented trio have a plethora of goodies on their site, one really piqued the interest, Cereal Box Booklets !!  -- Wha?...  the step beyond reading the spots of the Cornflakes box?..........no! really fun, go on, off you go, I know you are just as intrigued as I was.
Now if you think that was fun check out the mixed media fiber cuffs.

Planet Patchwork have this vibrant BOM 'Moonlight Dancers' on offer, it was started way back on August 2009 and there are 6 BOM's and 6 variation BOM's on offer.  Each block comes with cutting and assembly instructions as well as a fabric list.  The blocks stay up and available until the end of the BOM, and you can also sign up for a reminder for when the newly posted blocks arrive on site.
Planet Patchwork is a site well worth browsing, with a niche for beginners, a section called 'quilter profile' where you can read about some very interesting and innovative  quilting folk such as Jane Sassaman and her totally amazing quilts and a lady with a real story Ildiko Francais....go read her story and become inspired, along with more folks than I have space to mention here.

Kelli from Don't Look Now writes the loveliest patterns, you can take a peek at some in her online store and she also tutors workshops  Kelli  has a number of tutorials on her blog, including the wonderful project that she is currently working on, aptly named 'Joseph's Coat'.  Kelli has posted very clear and comprehensive step by step instructions for the project, starting with Drafting the blocks on to finishing the ends of your rows and everything in between, you will find all the links on the side bar of her blog.

Bronwyn from Red Brolly Designs, was rather taken by a quilt  made by Rita for her daughter and has been moved to offer a free cat stitchery each month for us to make into our own quilt design.  There is a pic of Rita's quilt in Bronwyn's post containing the first free stitchery pattern of Brutus the cat snoozing on a cane lounge......very cute.

About Quilting, a free quilting site well worth investigation, has a whole section on Miniature Quilt Patterns such as this Miniature Bear's Paw Quilt Pattern

Followers..........

Have you noticed the little collage of piccies under the heading 'Followers'?, these are ladies, no gents yet, who like to read our blog and follow our antics. -I have just moved it to the top of the side bar for convenience, shortly it will be back down amongst the other buttons for you to investigate.

You can catch up with these lovely and talented ladies on their blogs by clicking your mouse on each photo, a new screen will open, headed Buderim Patchwork with the members profile of whomever you just clicked on/selected.

Reading down, under Links, there will be a blog header/name, which is a link to the selected blog, click on the link/name and go visit........lots of fun, you can leave a comment on the blogs visited, even let them know you are a 'Buderim Patchworker' and don't forget to check out their list of blogs that they follow in their sidebar.........there are lots of wonderful blogs out there.

However there are a couple of followers, such as Debbie with the 'Maxine' cartoon, who I gather is a blog-less follower, but there is still a list of blogs for you to investigate that Debbie follows and enjoys, such as Blackbird Designs, with this amazing post on - of all things - quilling, a different quilling, an olde worlde version of quilling that has me hunting out my old quilling tool.

This is pic is from Blackbird Designs' blog, One stitch at a time a stunning version of quilling.
Enjoy the surf on this wet and rainy day..

A generous offering from Quilter Lyn Brown

Lyn Brown, a Californian quilter, Instructor and Lecturer has compiled a book of 18 quilts that she is offering as a free PDF for us to download and enjoy.

Lyn designed these quilts to celebrate 9 years of Adult Learning quilting classes. Each quilt can be made from a Layer Cake Pack or if you prefer..use your stash.
The book is only available for a short time, so download and save or print this wonderful offering now.

Lyn has posted the above quilts throughout her blog, so if you sadly miss out, a visit to her blog and some searching will no doubt uncover these lovely quilt patterns.

Lyn's Etsy shop also has a great collection of very well priced patterns and kits available.

And if that isn't enough from one very sharing quilter, Lyn also has a Free Baltimore Album Quilt available on her blog.  Lyn posts a new block each Saturday ( that's Sunday for us Aussies) and has posted 3 blocks so far, Crossed Laurel Leaves, Mexican Rose and Pat Nixon Rose.

The Supply list and a pic of this wonderful Baltimore quilt is available here

You will find a link to more 'free patterns' in the 'Categories' section of Lyn's sidebar, a section that is hard to leave alone, just ask me.......... and it gives you lots of inspiration.

Quilts, WIP's, Hanging, a little stitching.........

......and this amazing little invention

 

amazing as Lorraine I. is, I'm talking about the bag/roll - quilt room in a kit thingy that she is showing.  A friend of Lorraine's had a similar roll, Lorraine decided she just had to have one of those, so drew up a rough pattern/idea and went to work, end of day, one amazing roll/bag - quilt room thingy - there is a place for everything - I kid you not, and on the outside there is a pocket, empty yesterday, to stash your choccies when going on retreat.

More views of the amazing quilt room thingy...........

 and a pic of it rolled up and ready to go..........I flipped the piccy for a better view, that is why Lorraine's arm has that 'what the?' look.

Wendy bought her finished Row x Row in to show us, it is destined for her spare bedroom, just fancy visiting and getting to sleep under such a wonderful quilt.

Wendy finished off the rows by putting a wider 'rail fence' border and two narrower borders around her quilt.

Janette is doing a set (don't you just love it, a whole set) of wall hangings of Japanese Ladies, she bought in Lady #2 to show us yesterday, looking forward to seeing Ladies No.1 and 3.

Janette and her Darling went on a little cruise over the Chrissy break, and as part of the relaxing activities they were going to share reading a trilogy, well some people read faster than others don't they? so what to do, she managed to find a little tapestry kit and a tiny sewing kit, to which these tiny little scissors belong, aren't they cute?

Sheila is busily continuing with her Son and Daughter in Law's quilt, she is using the large and the small Drunkards Path templates from our Library and coming up with some terrifically innovative blocks, like this turtle..........

here are some of the other blocks Sheila showed yesterday, the top right block will be a stylised version of the Custom House in Rockhampton, the city where Son and D.I.L. live,  and the circle will be a ball............basketball?, Sheila did say........an 'I Spy' quilt for adults, so looking forward to seeing the finished quilt.

oooh isn't that last block blurry!........not sure what happened there.........probably busy gossing.......the photographer, not the stitcher.

Val made this version of a Chinese Coin quilt to donate to her charity group, made from strip pieced scraps Val tells us it didn't use up anywhere near as many scraps as she would have liked, I guess there will be more scrap quilts in Val's future.

Another of Lorraine I.'s designs, inspired by a magazine pic, Lorraine made this vibrantly coloured beauty over the Christmas break and bought it in to share with us yesterday.

While designing the quilt Lorraine realised that if she double stitched the H.S.T.'s, instead of having a lot of left over triangles and scraps she would end up with extra blocks to use in the backing of the quilt..........

and so another reversible quilt was born.

Found these cuties on a table down the back, seemed to be just hanging around waiting..........stuck them together and took a pic...........who's were they??

 

My goodness, they have multiplied.............and there are 9 patches too...........still no owner..........

 

Eventually mystery solved when I spotted Betty walking around with a bear block, there will be little hearts on the Bear's tummies and Betty was getting opinions on what fabric to use..........some of her precious Japanese prints?, or perhaps something a little pink?........what do you suggest?

And lastly, you might notice a green 'Free Rice' button in the sidebar,

 Free Rice is a non-profit website started in 2007 and run by the United Nations World Food Program, you get to challenge yourself, improve your language or maths and with each correct answer, 10 grains of rice are donated via sponsors to the World Food Program...........so a bit of fun, a bit of a challenge and a good deed too...........with a nice choccie and your fave drinkie......what more could you ask?..........well actually I'll ask you, what is a gilet?? thanks to this little game I now know it is a vest..........can't wait to use that one!

Japan Quilt Grand Prix Winners

 

Fly me to the Moon - First Place Winner

The winning quilts of the Japan Quilt Grand Prix are now on site here.  As you scroll down through the quilts, to get a closer look, i.e. a larger pic, just click on the red Japanese characters with the grey forward button at the bottom of each photo.  

Personally I'm rather intrigued by the 'Team Honda' red toolbox.

Enjoy!

Lorraine's Holiday Quilts

Before the Christmas break, we all saw Lorraine busily beavering away on quilts for her new hideaway in Tassie.
Lorraine promised to send pics of home and quilts and here, with excerpts from her e-mail, are some great pics for us to drool over......such wonderful seaside themed quilts in keeping with a house by the sea.

'My beach house is inside a National Park, on the north west coast of Tasmania.  The weather has been blissfully cool with no humidity.  We even have had to light the fire a few times at night!  When I first arrived, I got out all the quilts I have made for the house, and had a "Quilt Airing day" with all the quilts out on the deck in the breeze'.

 The many beautiful quilts made by Lorraine for her Holiday Home.

 

Fabulous views from Lorraine's Home

 

 'I was luck to receive a great pre-Loved Janome machine for Christmas, and i have just acquired a second-hand Horn sewing cabinet - so now I am making quilt tops whenever i get the chance.  I have set up my sewing room with a marvellous view, so I am just the happiest quilter in town!'

'I go for a lovely long walk along the beach in the morning, and another long walk through the National Park in the late afternoon - the walking tracks in the Park start just across the road from my house'.

 Pics of the Interior of Lorraine's Home

'So, all in all, I am having a wonderful summer what with lots of friends and family visiting, and quilting in between! Still, I so miss the friendly Patchwork group, and look forward to catching up with you all when I return'.

"Under the Sea" free BOM

Cheryl from Willowberry Designs, who gave us the lovely 'Veranda Views' free stitcheries last year has done it again with "Under the Sea" a 10 month series of delightful stitcheries.

First stitchery to be collected is the very cute Josephine Jellyfish, download her here, along with block sizing and fabric requirements.
Cheryl also very generously shares her fabric shading technique using watercolour pencils, with a step by step tutorial. Just scroll down the page for all the instructions. 

Cheryl sent me a sneak peak of block 2, due out 1st February, and I gotta tell you, it is the cutest...................
so cute in fact that i cannot wait to start on this wonderful free project.  Just click on the 'Under the Sea' button featuring Josephine in the sidebar after 1st Feb to down load .......  .... .  

Oh and by the way, what to do with all those Mangoes we all seem to have??...........Check out Cheryl's Mango and Ginger Chutney.........major Yum.  So happy stitching, colouring and cooking, a three in one blog  for you to enjoy.