Another entry for Bloggers Quilt Festival

For my second entry into the Bloggers Quilt Festival, I thought I'd like to enter my Ella Bubbles quilt. I love this quilt and am excited to be sending it (her) to Kiama for exhibition in Australia's only Modern Quilting Show.

This is the first YouPatch pixel quilt that I have made incorporating half-square triangles (HSTs). They allow me to create smoother, rounder lines which is perfect in a quilt about BUBBLES!!!

Frida

We often get requests from YouPatch customers wanting to make high detail images into small quilts using the pixelated method/style. This is tricky because the higher the detail in a small quilt, the smaller the little pieces. It gets to a point where the pieces are simply too small to sew.

But they can be stuck!! A-ha!! I came across a method called Fabric Mosaic via FaceBook (as you do) when I befriended a woman called Robyn Taylor who makes small pixelated fabric wall hangings using this method. She also teaches this method. Google her!!

After numerous discussions with Robyn and some of Dan's magic software creations, I began a trial piece. A portrait of the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo.

Quilts at long last

I think I misplaced my blogging mo-jo (is that called blo-jo?) so haven't posted in a couple of months. So much has happened since my last post that it's hard to know where to start.

I think for this blog post I'll show you some of the quilts that I have loved seeing of late. I'm sure you will have seen many of them in other people's posts .... people who actually post regularly and when the news is still current :P

First up .... Quiltcon: Feb 2015 (Yes, that long ago!!)

"Face #1"
I adore this quilt by Melissa Averinos. I wasn't the only one.  It was awarded a Judge's Choice award.

QuiltCon - meeting all the quilty people!!

What an absolute buzz it was to meet so many wonderful people in Austin last month!! Many people I had corresponded with online, people who had made YouPatch quilts, so many people I have admired over the years!!

WARNING: there will be a LOT of photos in this blog post and I will be in most of them :P
So if you have had enough of seeing me and my pink hair, just focus on the OTHER gorgeous people in the pics ;-)

First up, the Aussies!! In the lead up to QuiltCon, I joined a FaceBook group called "Aussie QuiltCon Contingent". Such a gorgeous and supportive group of women. Some old friends, some new. We shared our travel plans, our excitement and of course much silliness! What a crazy bunch travelling to the other side of the globe to play with quilts and fabric!!!

QuiltCon - The first blog post of many

And not a minute too soon!!! I'm a tad late in posting about QuiltCon as we didn't get home to Melbourne until the 28th Feb and since then I have been suffering jet lag, a nasty head cold and a severe case of procrastination-itis!

So in this first blog post, I'll be mainly showing you our YouPatch booth. We were so proud of our booth that packed away into a suitcase! But more about that later.

In future posts, I'll be talking bout the people of QuiltCon, the city of Austin and, of course, all the gorgeous quilts!!! I'll also be showing you our post-Austin visit to Los Angeles where we got to hang out with a bunch of fabulous people and soak up the winter sunshine.

But first, our journey to Austin ..... didn't go exactly to plan!

Bubbles!!!!!

So as you may have seen in our recent post, we are introducing HSTs into the YouPatch quilt design suite! Here is the first pixel quilt I've made that incorporates triangles:

The original image was a pic I took about a year ago of my daughter Ella blowing bubbles.

Rather than go with my usual bright solid fabrics, I wanted to incorporate a palette that was a little different so I asked my dear friend Louise (who usually goes for a softer palette than I do) to select the fabrics for me. Not only did she select something gorgeous and a little different, she went with textured fabrics.... all purchased from Amitie.

From L-R: Robert Kaufman dot in pink, Quartet Collection by Faye Burgos for Marcus Fabrics, Zenith by P&B Textiles, Robert Kaufman quilters linen in silver, Robert Kaufman quilters linen in platinum.

Reflecting on a crafty year

2014 was a super busy crafty year with the launch of YouPatch in February.

Loads of pixel projects and quilts for friends and family.

Thank you to everyone who helped to make YouPatch a wonderful experience and to everyone who made my 2014 interesting, fabulous, challenging and creative.

Happy new year!! I hope it's s stitchy one!

Andi xxx

PS The song in the video is called "Ho Hey" performed by the very talented Indi Eisner. You can listen to it here!

Yee-haw! A Texas quilt

Well, if we are going to take an Aussie quilt to QuiltCon, we'd better have a Texas one too! ;-)

This succulent was the closest thing I could get to a cactus at short notice ... lol

This is the first pixel quilt I've made that has the added element of applique. It's not easy to create a 5-pointed star using squares and rectangles! :P

Aussie Aussie Aussie

In preparation for our trip to Austin in February, I thought it would be good to make something very Australian to share at our YouPatch booth.

An Aussie map quilt hanging on the most Australian of icons, the hills hoist!

Getting ready!!

Dan and I set up for our first trade show today: Melbourne's Stitches and Craft Show at the Caulfield Racecourse.

I was invited to be one of their 'guest artists' which is very flattering and I'm a little nervous (and excited) about how the next four days will pan out. I will certainly keep you posted.

In the meantime, here's a look at today's setup ....

A pretty big space to fill.

With my name on and everything! (Don't I look gorgeous in fluro??)

Half way set up. Still a bit messy.

The right hand section of the booth all ready to go.

Complete with my wall of divas!

And the other half.

With the computer ready to show everyone how YouPatch works.

Are you coming to the show this week? Please pop over and say 'hello'.

Much stitchy love to you.

Andi xx

What have I been up to?

Apart from the usual school holidays, kid wrangling, etc ..... I've been sewing some teeny tiny pixels together.

The smallest 'pixels' are 3/4 inch so fairly fiddly. I've completed 40 blocks out of 100. (What you can see in this pic is about 6 blocks).

It will be a while before this baby is finished so I'll try to pop by here regularly to show some progress pics.

See ya later stitchy people!!

Andi xx

Down Under Quilts Giveaway

Aussie quilters will already be very familiar with Down Under Quilts. Well this much loved magazine has just gotten even better with a new look!! This month's issue (the Spring issue) will be in the shops this Thursday with a fresh new feel.

As usual, the magazine will be available in Newsagents but will now also be available at Coles stores!!

We are very excited to have a YouPatch pattern in this Spring issue .... a gorgeous pixelated tulip!

In addition to lots of gorgeous patterns, each magazine comes with a free wheel of pretty quilting pins!!

The giveaway bit ...

Practical Publishing is offering a free copy of the magazine to one lucky PatchAndi reader (Aussies only for this one). You each have 3 chances to enter.

1. Leave a comment on this post telling me what image you would like to turn into a pixel quilt.
2. 'Like' the PatchAndi FaceBook page and leave a comment on this post to tell me about it.
3. 'Like' the YouPatch FaceBook page and leave a comment on this post to tell me about it.

A winner will be chosen at random next week on Wednesday 24th September.

You can also win a free copy over at Anorina's blog: Samelia's Mum. She's a fabulous quilter and also has a lovely pattern in this issue.

Good luck to all and see you soon.

Andi xx

A new baby

No ... I'm not pregnant!

But my niece was ... until last week ... when she gave birth to the most delicious little daughter called India. She is a very special baby who will be more loved than most people I know. But of course, that might be my bias talking.

My niece asked for yellows, greys and neutrals. But I couldn't resist a splash of red!

And of course, the baby's name on the back (or the "other front") of the quilt.

All fabrics from my stash, including the scrappy yellow binding.

Already much loved by it's new recipient. Here's some more pics .... just because.

Welcome baby India. We love you to the moon and back. 

Andi xxx

Autumn leaves?

Yep ... I created this abstract pixel pattern from a picture of autumn leaves.

Using YouPatch I chose the lowest level of detail and dropped the colors down to 5. Then I selected my own color palette and voila .... this was the result!!

For the quilting I went with an off-centre spiral, augmented with some fun squiggles and swirls.

And for the backing, I chose this stunning fabric that I bought at Amitie Textiles.

I'm hoping this quilt will be accepted for the exhibit at QuiltCon.

I'm a bit excited to have this one finished and I have another finish to show you in a few days. Much stitching excitement!!

Andi xx

Finished quilt top

A slightly grainy Instagram shot taken with my iphone. But I love it!!

The back of the quilt will have the baby's name on it so I'll have to wait until s/he is born before I can finish this one off. Just a few weeks to go!

Happy stitching to you.

Andi xx

A finished quilt (and loads of pics!!)

My niece is getting married in October so, of course, a wedding quilt is required!

I know I have finished this one rather early for an October wedding but I have so much YouPatch sewing to do in the coming months, I knew I had to get it done now or it may never get done.

This quilt is HUGE. 96 inches square. That's 8 foot square!!!! I used Katy's tutorial for 12 inch economy blocks and I really love how the blocks come together to create secondary blocks!!

My niece is a fashion photographer so I have included fabrics with images of cameras, handbags and sunglasses among the many and varied fabric choices.

Given that this quilt is intended for two people, I thought I'd better include something about her beloved too. He is a bit of a mad surfer and loves the ocean so on the back of the quilt ..... I created the ocean.

This one was too big for me to quilt on my little Bernina so I sent it off to be quilted by Kylie (who has no website or FaceBook profile or anything I can link to). She did a gorgeous job of creating waves on the solid Kona fabrics I used on the back.

The Binding from the front just looks like scrappy solid blue colors but on the back, the binding perfectly matches up with the colors I have used for my backing. 

I'll finish up with some (more) gratuitous quilt shots. 

I'm sure my niece and her fiance will love this gift. She definitely 'gets' the whole handmade thing! Now I just have to see if I can wait until October to give it to them or if they 'need' it early to have a warm quilt on their bed this winter. We'll see.

Happy stitching to you.

Andi xxx

Throw back Thursday

Turns out I've been pixelling for longer than I thought. I pulled out this old quilt that I made back in 2002. I had nearly forgotten about it. Pretty pixelicious hey?

Happy pixelling to you!!

Andi xx

Eeeeep!! Much excitement!!

I'm sure you've heard by now that Katy Jones (aka imagingermonkey) is the editor of a fabulous new quilting magazine out of the UK called Quilt Now.

Image borrowed from the Quilt Now FB page

Well, Issue #1 has been released this week although it may take a while for copies to reach Australia :(
And ... YouPatch has a project in it!! A juicy pixelated pineapple!!! Here's a bit of a taster:

It is such an honor to be a part of Katy's new publishing adventure. Thank you Katy for including us! I am sure that Quilt Now will become an integral player in the modern quilting world!! 

Pop out and grab your copy. It will also be available as a digital download so head over to the Quilt Now website to find out more!!

Yay!! (again)

Andi xx