Murphy's law

Good day to you all !

I am just back from 3 days of workshops in Melbourne 

Apologies if you have messaged or emailed me as I was flat chat and had zero time to respond to ANYTHING 

This is brief as I DO have people that NEED responses and I am also off to Teach this am at Hobby Sew Top Ryde.

I was very excited to receive an email late last week telling me that not only was I one of 66 artists profiled in the Uppercase Compendium - I was also to have one of my pictures of my wedding ring quilt in progress on the cover.

Murphy's law would be that this quilt was chosen for a cover. 

Funnily making this quilt, it was when I was having a moment with lots of thoughts in my head and I wanted to mindlessly sew. 

I wasn't concentrating on fabric design choices or placement and truthfully my seams aren't all matching either. 

It feels like a true reflection of how I felt at the time and I am honoured to have it shown on the cover of this fantastic publication.

I have also just finished discussions with Quiltsmith in Sydney to teach this quilt 

31st Jan 2016

Give them a call to book in

Like a typical creative person I have agreed to do a workshop on a class for a quilt that I haven't finished!

I have a pretty tight deadline and hope to have it on display hanging in the shop mid November..... Wish me luck !

Anyway apologies for briefness - I need to dash to teach my Hobbysew class.

If your waiting on advice/ instructions/ general replies I will get onto it after my class today !

Thank you

Xx Siobhan 

Taking the air

Work, kids and family logistic can make it very very hard to actually talk to people. I might see them fleetingly or text daily but to actually sit for hours and talk...... That rarely happens.

I was fortunate enough on the long weekend (Queens Birthday in Australia) to catch up with friends that I haven't quiet been able to have a conversation with for sometime or so it felt.... and the country air and beautiful scenery didn't hurt either

I feel refreshed and ready to get some work done. Friends are good for the soul.

of course I packed the boot with quilts! Im never one to miss an opportunity.

Pictured below are two courthouse step quilts - both a little different in pattern widths and colours but similar construction. 

One of the patterns is in US Spring Modern Patchwork magazine (top quilt) and the other pattern is available  at Spotlight stores in Australia (bottom quilt).

and below my Wild Horses quilt and Kisses and Hugs quilt from my book By The Block - available in lots of places, ask your book shop or library to get it in if they don't already have it.

If your after more pictures from my weekend away check out my Instagram pictures or Facebook

Siobhan Xx

and what !?

One thing at a time ! Thats what I keep telling myself, I am only one person and only have two hands!

Trying to start up something on your own entails a fair share of blood sweat and tears. 

I spent the first half of last year finishing off my book manuscript and projects to hand into my editor, Its hard to believe this time last year I was knee deep in 22 quilts and pattern writing.....

and

Now its available for pre order !!!

I did a quick google and these are all in the first page search

AMAZON  US based Store

Book Depository UK based Store

Interweave Store US based Store

Page after Page NC, USA

Booktopia Australia

Angus & Robertson Australia

Kinokuniya Australia

Can Do Books Australia

The Australian distributor is
Capricorn Link

Please let me know if you have seen it somewhere else! 

If you would like your local shop or Book store to stock my book - ask them to get it in :) 

The second half of the year was dedicated to setting up my website

siobhanrogers.com.au

I wanted a space where everything was in one spot. The blog, contact info, My Media work, workshops, exhibitions (coming soon), The book and of course my shop for patterns quilts etc.

Id love to know what you think of it.

I also had the opportunity to create projects, style, photograph and write for local Sydney paper The Daily Telegraph. Below are some of the stories I created.

Then later in the year 2014 -  just when I thought I would get into blogging again, I was commissioned for a few more magazine stories............. Some exciting (for me!) Magazines with my projects coming out through out this year 

Let me know how you go with the pre orders of my book! 

and If you know or see another retailer that has it in stock or will be getting it in - Let me know and I will eventually get a stockists list together !

Siobhan Rogers Xx

and again

with some pics of my Melody Calling Quilt pattern that is in the Patchwork 3 publication for Spotlight Australia

Have a look at yesterdays post for more details 

Xx Siobhan Rogers

Colour Burst

 Hi :) 

late last year I was asked to design another quilt for Prima Homespun solids range

to be showcased in the "Project Patchwork 2" book by Spotlight Australia.

I had to quickly pop into Spotlight today for press studs and lining and voila! there it was the new Spotlight book on the cutting counter catching my eye.

For now the pattern is only available from Spotlight - in the Project Patchwork 2 book

Here are some pretty pictures I took before I shipped it off to Melbourne

I do love this quilt, I'd love to make another when I get a bit of time.......

I hope you like it !?

and I'd love you to show me if you make it!

Xx Siobhan R

Patchwork isnt just for quilts

lots of work to complete.....in the next week :-/

One of my not quite finished projects is this chair....... Its needs me to make some double welt cord in the matching fabrics to finish the edge and hide the staples.

I bought these two chairs on ebay earlier this year at the bargain price of $90AUD,

and I had been scouring pinterest for ideas.

In my travels I found a very cute blog (which I bet everyone except me knew about) called Mustard Seed Interiors 

well worth a look if you like painting/ redoing furniture.

Any way the chair was mentioned back here when I was painting it.

I'll do a post on all the products and techniques I used (promise)once I finish the double welt cord and hot glue gun it on.

not a bad transformation ??

Xx Siobhan R

Where do you get your Inspiration from?

Sometimes things on pinterest and magazines catch my eye and they get filed in my head for a rainy day.

Reading one of my favourite French crafty magazines, Marie Claire Idees - October 2012  I saw a cute little black board map of France.

and all the vintage school maps started popping up everywhere - which I really liked too

and I cant forget to mention Pip Lincoln who made an embroidery version of an Australian Map

and then I meet Annabel Wrigley at Portland Quiltmarket this year and saw online her awesome patchwork map of the USA that she was doing with kids.....

and then I jumped on the map bandwagon and made my own Australian version!

and...

Its now happily hanging in my studio 

Xx Siobhan 



 - EDIT - NEWS - 
after lovely Florence's comment - I decided to create a flickr group

Patchwork Maps

Please Join in and make a patchwork map - I would love to see lots of Maps from all over the world :) 

Xx Siobhan 

How on Earth do you

store all your quilts?

When teaching or generally talking about what I do - The number one question is

"What do you do with ALL your quilts"?

because I do have a lot of them and I do keep making more and more.....

A few have gone to friends or family but mostly they live in my house or studio and sometimes one or two are on display at places that I teach at.

BUT

most of them are in my house!

If they aren't on a bed (which we have five of in our house and most beds have two quilts on them) they are on the lounge, hanging on a chair, folded on a chair, in a basket or hanging on one of the many ladders I have collected......

I'm yet to have wall hangings although I do have box framed fabric art works

Quilts aren't just for beds!

How do you store your quilts?

and on decoration/ houses and storage etc I have been pouring over Megan Morton's (Australian based Stylist) new book - I love my room its gorgeous!

I love the book! 

& my kids have been absolutely fascinated with it.

Lots of great ideas. Which will come in very handy when we eventually start our renovation/ extension.

more room for more quilts!

I'll have to get my dad onto making more ladders for me :)

If any Sydney people are interested in a ladder (like the one pictured) 

they are 900 wide X 1800 high, raw timber

and cost $130 AUD

email me :)

I'm off - last day of school today before the winter holidays and I have a million jobs to do 

Xx Siobhan 

pretty cushy

Hello!

Something that comes in very very handy at our house is the giant floor cushions we have.

The kids LOVE them plus they are fun and easy to make.

I've made a few here on the blog and in the recent Australian Quilters Companion May/June 2013 I have three versions for you to make.

I buy my cushion inserts online in Australia with Innergreen, if they don't have the standard size I'm after I get one made to measure.

One more week till I go to Portland for spring market!

cant wait to see what everyone is up to and go to all the meet ups :) 

and before I go don't forget to enter the Craftsy Comp to win a quilting class competition closes 18th May

Xx Siobhan 

when I'm teaching......

When I'm teaching patchwork and quilting.....

the thing I start with is usually learning how to use a rotary cutter and cutting mat and accurate (ish) piecing.

I've been reminded this most recently when all my classes for the year started last week and I had lots of new students - which is great!

It can seem daunting at first but its not so bad once you get use to it and work out what works best for you.

Every one does things differently

this is how I do it :)

for this project I have cut 30 X 7 inch squares 

Finished quilt size

33 inches X 39.5 inches

perfect for a baby rug

When cutting fabric you should always try to fold fabric selvedge to selvedge. 

1 - I use the grid lines on my cutting mat to help line up my fabric and keep it square and then trim the end to make it a straight edge.

2 & 3 - once I have lined up the fabric and it is trimmed I then measure my width strip that I need - in this case it is 7 inches

4 - I then cut this strip into 7 inch squares

repeat until you have all 30 squares cut

Lay out your squares in your desired layout - in this case I have gone with a random placement of pattern and colour.

Sew the squares into strips and iron the seams. 

I iron my seams open, lots of people iron their seams all sorts of ways - to the side all in one direction, to the dark side etc Its personal preferance. I sew mine open as I find it easier to quilt on my machine and the long arm machine quilter I use prefers it too. 

Once the strips are sewn then sew the strips together

here you have one finished patchwork quilt front!

next steps are 

1 - making a backing

2 - wadding

3 - making a quilt sandwich and basting

4 - machine quilting

Squares are a very versatile shape in quilting and can be very effective in lots of different sizes and colours

Hope that helps some new Quilters

:)

Xx Siobhan 

Big Block Beauty

Here you go

This is the quilt in the latest Australian Quilters Companion, Modern Quilts Special

it should be in store in Australia soon

This Quilt is a big one - measuring 84 X 108 inches

In my picture its on a king Size Bed,

in the magazine its on a queen size bed.

This is a re sized big version of an old block - the Courthouse steps

Its a great pattern for using up all your bits n pieces of your stash or even finally making that quilt out of your old favourite dresses and vintage fabrics. 

My Quilt is very bright and bold using a different colour for every block and for the neutrals I have used variations of white with grey text/ print.

If your looking for Text print fabrics or plain neutral backgrounds - I have some in my Spoonflower store.

So many variations are possible with this pattern!

the magazine also has a 4 page story about me and pictures of other quilts I have made :) 

the lovely quilt on the cover is by Cathy Underhill from Mt Martha Victoria, Australia.

The other projects are by

Brenda Gael Smith

Jenny Pedigo

Cynthia Muir

Jen Carlton Bailly

Charlotte Dumesny

and

Bill Kerr & Weeks Ringle

Enjoy the rest of your weekend

Xx Siobhan