Hatched and Patched

Up The Garden Path...

As I have said before I have LOVED working with my new fabric range 'Love to Garden'. After completing the quilt-top of my new BOM (see last post), I decided I wanted to see how else the fabrics could work together, so did a little experimenting and came up with this...

Using the brown as the background fabric gave the range a whole new look! This pattern is named 'Garden Path Tablerunner'.

This is a very achievable pattern to create. I wanted the applique to be a little imperfect to give it a slightly naive look, so the flowers aren't perfect circles, and the pots a little wobbly. Lots of fun!
Until next time,
Anni

....better late than never....

I will give a sheepish grin as I yet again apologise for my lack of blog! My mind and fingers have been whirring away as I have been trying to complete SO many new samples for the Melbourne wholesale patchwork show. Since my return, my computer has been whirring away as I have been trying to complete instructions!

Alas, you need wait no longer - HERE IT IS.....

I hope you like it! Each month there will be a little applique and a little piecing to do over a 9 month program. Here's hoping your local shop will be running with this!

Here is what the patterns will look like...

...I LOVED designing this cover - a bit of everything thrown in for a bit of fun!

I will show you other bits and pieces I have been working on in my next post which I promise will happen SOON...yes really...REALLY!! ;)

Anni

Tillie's Lane

Are you ready?? Drum roll please......

Ta da!!

Well, still not quite ready for the FULL reveal, but here is most of my new qulit! I hope you like it! If you didn't know I have used my new fabric range 'Love to Garden' from Henry Glass Fabrics which should be hitting the shelves soon. I must say, I have thoroughly loved working with it.

As you can see by the Title of this post, I am calling this quilt 'Tillie's Lane', so at least that is ONE promise kept from my last blog post (oops). Can you believe I am STILL quilting this quilt? Admittedly I have been making and doing other things in between (more on that soon!), so this sadly had to be put aside! Anyway, each day I am getting a little closer to completion. 

I have decided to make this my new Block-of-the-Month program as there was just too much to put into a single pattern. It should be ready in pattern form by mid December (or earlier fingers crossed!!), and hopefully you will be able to grab a kitted program in a shop near you soon. We will be ready to roll with a fabric program by January (just have to get those rotary cutter skates on!!), so stay tuned!

I don't know if you have had a chance to see yet, but I have a new-look website www.hatchedandpatched.com.au! My previous one was misbehaving badly, so it HAD to go. We are still adding all of my patterns and kits and stockists etc, but a very exciting thing for me as it has been under construction for awhile now.

More soon
Best wishes
Anni

 

...a quilting I go....

OK, so I am getting a little closer to completion! The top has been sewn, and the pinning of the three layers has been done - now just the quilting and binding to go.... ALMOST THERE!!!

Are you like me? I actually don't like completing a quilt as I wander around not knowing what to do with myself. It's like reading a really good book that you can't put down. You get to the end, LOVING it, but then it's over and you feel at a loss for awhile.

I have loved making this quilt. I am going to quilt it with a combination of machine quilting and hand quilting. I LOVE hand quilting, but I guess I have to finish this quilt sooner rather than later, so I will have to tussle with the quilt under my old faithful sewing maching.

I still don't know what to call this quilt. Hmmmm....I think sometimes a name is the hardest thing about designing a new project ;). As you already know I am a terrible procrastinator. I remember when Pete and I were driving the 2 hour trip to Dubbo to have our first child we were STILL trying to pick a name for her.... nothing has changed!! Still as indecisive as ever.

Hopefully my next post will have a complete quilt to show with name and all!

Best wishes
Anni

My New Garden Quilt Continues

Hi everyone
I thought I should give you a quick update on my quilt. It is still travelling a little slowly - damn all the interruptions!! I can only blame myself for those - too busy having fun! ;)
I can see this quilt finally coming together though, so hopefully a few more days will see the quilt top complete.
A few more sneak peeks -

Happy stitching!
Until next time,
Anni

...and the winner is...

Thanks EVERYONE who left a comment to try and win my latest fabric range 'Love to Garden'. I must say I was SO overwhelmed by your entries. I read them all and was blown away by many of the comments liking my REALLY old designs - projects I thought were long lost in anyones thoughts.

Anyway, thanks to technology, the number scrambler chose a number whose comment was from..... drum roll please.... Shirley Pearce!!
Now, I think that number scrambler must have know I liked that entry, as she wrote -
"Gardening is my favorite hobby! It is one thing I have found that when you finish it, it still looks great the next day - something the kiddos don't mess up in 15 minutes!" Shirley wrote more, but I just LOVE this comment and it made me realise that that is probably why I love gardening so much too - just hadn't realised why before now!!

I will have to do more giveaways in future with more prizes as I hate the thought that only one person wins - oh to be able to give a prize to everyone...

Alas, moving on.... here is the progress of the new quilt I am working on... as you can see, it doesn't really look like progress at the moment ;). Rather, it is looking like messy mess all over my room... sigh... hopefully it will look like a quilt soon!

...and still I play on. Even though it is looking far from anything concrete, I am having loads of fun and, like always, keep changing my mind!!! I wish I was a more decisive person, as this swaying on the fence is a little dizzying ;)

Thanks again to all you crazy stitchers
Until next time
Anni

'Love to Garden' Fabric GIVEAWAY!

I received a little bit more of my new fabric line 'Love to Garden' in the post last week, so thought it would be fun to give some of it away!!

For your chance to win a fat eighth bundle of the range (18 pieces measuring 10"x21") plus a panel, all you have to do is let me know your favourite project that I have designed. Whether it is something small like a pincushion, or one of my larger designs, I would love to hear from you.

On Tuesday 9th October I will draw the name of the lucky winner out of a hat.

Good luck everyone!!!!
Anni

One Million Pillowcase Challenge Blog Hop

I was lucky enough to be invited to visit the Meredtih group, (the gurus behind Better Homes & Gardens American Patchwork and Quilting plus other brilliant titles) last time I visited America. It was like walking into Willie Wonkas world with the most wonderful people you could ever meet. Well, if you didn't know, these great people decided to set up a fantastic challenge for charity called the The One Million Pillowcase Challenge. For the month of September the people behind AP&Q decided to run a One Million Pillowcase Blog Hop and I was fortunate enough to be asked to participate!!

The schedule of participants are as follows -

1. Welcome from American Patchwork & Quilting (http://www.allpeoplequilt.com/blogs/apqstaff/)
2. Rashida Coleman-Hale (http://www.iheartlinen.typepad.com/)
3. Olivia and Alayna's Pillowcase Project (http://www.allpeoplequilt.com/blogs/apqstaff/)
4. Morgan’s Smile Factory (http://www.allpeoplequilt.com/blogs/apqstaff/)
5. Pat Sloan (http://blog.patsloan.com/)
6. Northcott (http://pattispatchwork.com/)
7. Betsy Chutchian (http://betsysbestquiltsandmore.blogspot.com/)
8. Vanessa Christenson (http://www.vanessachristenson.com/)
9. Andover Fabrics (http://blog.andoverfabrics.com/)
10. Laurie Simpson (http://minickandsimpson.blogspot.com/)
11. Oak Hill, Ohio (http://www.allpeoplequilt.com/blogs/apqstaff/)
12. Robert Kaufman Fabrics (http://www.swatchandstitch.com/)
13. Pam Buda (http://www.heartspunquilts.blogspot.com/)
14. Indygo Junction (http://www.indygojunction.com/blog/)
15. 4-H (http://www.allpeoplequilt.com/blogs/apqstaff/)
16. Katie Hennagir (http://baywindowquiltshop.wordpress.com/)
17. Anni Downs (http://hatchedandpatched.typepad.com/)
18. FreeSpirit Fabrics (http://www.freespiritfabric.blogspot.com/)
19. American Patchwork & Quilting Staff (http://www.allpeoplequilt.com/blogs/apqstaff/)
20. Patty Young (http://modkidboutique.blogspot.com/)
21. Moda Fabrics (http://modafabrics.blogspot.com/)
22. Monica Solorio-Snow (http://thehappyzombie.com/blog/)
23. Moda Bake Shop (http://www.modabakeshop.com/)
24. Andover Fabrics (http://blog.andoverfabrics.com/)
25. Roseann Kermes from Rosebud’s Cottage (http://rosebudscottage.typepad.com/)
26. Ann Kelle for Shannon Fabrics (http://www.annkelle.com/category/blog/)
27. Therm O Web (http://blog.thermoweb.com/)
28. Edyta Sitar (http://www.laundrybasketquilts.com/blog/)
29. Fabri-Quilt (http://inspiredbyfabric.blogspot.com/)
30. Cherri House (www.cherryhousequilts.com)

...so yes, it is September 17th, so my turn! I, like many of the other designers asked, decided to use one of my fabric collections when making up my pillowcase - my very first range 'My Favorite Things', as it encapsulated a few of the simple pleasures that can put a smile on our face.

With my son in hospital just recently for the scary operation of brain surgery, I ALMOST donated my pillowcase to paediatrics. But then I got thinking. Everyone I saw in the hospital had a loving family by their side. Instead, I decided to donate my pillowcase to a charity that provided hope to people who may never have experienced a loving home or a caring family. Enchanted Makeover was my charity of choice. 

The pattern I used for my pillowcase was the Ric Rac Band pillowcase and can be found in free patterns instructions. I am a stickler for applique and often use ric rac in my patterns, but there are many other patterns, some of which take hardly any time to make!

The challenge is open for anyone to make a pillowcase for any charity, so come on board!! It doesn't take long to make one and there are HEAPS of different patterns to use.

Keep stitching!
Anni 

Time out for Gardening....

I seem to always apologise for not manning my blog as much as I should, and here I go again! I think LIFE gets in the way, which is, I think, an important thing to take hold of!

My son has been in hospital for awhile to have what we think was major surgery. It was so frightening waiting to hear the verdict on whether the operation was a success. My heart goes out to everyone who has to go through this. Luckily everything went very smoothly and Tim is now once again smiling, walking and talking. I think smiling mainly because he is having an extra holiday before returning to school!! 

Just before leaving for hospital, there was a much awaited parcel in the post with strike-offs of my new fabric collection yayay!!!
As you can guess, I have been dreaming up some ideas to use it, so here's a small sample of what is to come. I only have small pieces to work with, so more dreaming than doing just yet...

Gardening is one of my all time favourite things to do, not that you could tell with my neglected one at home! I am spending a bit more time than usual in my garden at the moment, pruning it into shape slightly. Still MUCH to do!! Because of my love of gardening, I had an absolute ball creating this range, my favourite piece being the panel - here are a few snippets...


This range is called 'Love to Garden' and I believe it will be available toward the end of October. Can't wait!!

Until next time (whenever THAT will be wink wink)
Anni

A' Stitching I Go....

Back in February (yes that long ago) I posted the beginning of a new stitchery or two, and posed the question to you all on if I should screen-print, use an iron-on transfer or just a hard copy of the stitchery outline in my patterns. I must THANK YOU all for contributing your thoughts. I was very surprised as I had the number of my local screen printer ready to run. I have gone with the two most favoured options, so now my two new patterns have an iron-on transfer, as well as a hard copy if you prefer to trace your patterns.

So, finally, the BIG reveal of my patterns -
Flower Basket Sampler on the left, and New Day Stitchery on the right..... ....hope you like them! They should be available at your local quilt shop now.

Oh, by the way, if you like the frames, I painted them myself. They are an 8"x10" frame that I painted using a house paint called 'Sheltered Bay' (by Dulux), which I then rubbed back. I could also see the stitcheries on bags, or as a wallhanging or even in a quilt!

Thanks again for your comments - I really appreciated your words of wisdom and knowing what you prefer.

Until next time
Anni