Better Homes and Gardens

Just a quick one to let you know that the Australian August 2015 Better Homes and Gardens Magazine should be in shops today 

and it has a quilt and pattern 

I designed in it

Xx Siobhan 

Melody Calling

My Quilt pattern "Melody Calling" is in the latest Spotlight Australia Patchwork 3 publication.

Featuring Prima Homespun fabric and Long arm quilted by Kim Bradley

song is by The Vaccines


This quilt came about earlier in the year after reading an article about an up coming exhibition (ran from March - June 2014) at the MCA with Jim Lambie as part of the Biennale of Sydney. Love Love Love Jim's work and his use of everyday surfaces - Transforming them from ordinary to extraordinary. 

I had to play around with my Maths to get the proportions right for a full bed sized rectangle quilt! but it worked eventually and I love it.


Let me know if you make the quilt and tag me!


I also need to catch you all up on some articles I have been writing for the Daily Telegraph.......

and my new website

siobhanrogers.com.au

Next Blog post


Xx Siobhan Rogers

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 

Easter

Hi!

Today was the first time in weeks that I made a little project that I can share :)

Easter is nearly upon us and I hadn't done/ made anything Easter related - too busy working on huge quilts. 

So it was nice today to make a little placemat and have a finished product in a day!

I think its nice to have small achievable projects every now and then (in between the big ones)

Finished Size 13 X 14 inches

1- I used a Liberty Lifestyles print as my main background and cut 4 X 5inch Squares

I bought this Liberty print last week at Calico & Ivy Balmain - They are closing down early May 2013 and have lots of fabric reduced

2 - I then chose 5 coordinating fabrics 1.5 inch wide and joined them together - These are for the egg shape. 

2 - I then cut the pieced strips into 4 X 4 inch squares.

 3/4 - to create the egg shape I used the drunkards path method of curved piecing and made my own paper oval template.

5 - Square off your easter egg block

6 - I framed the block with 1.5 inch strip of purple and then a 2 inch strip of the Liberty print again

I used another liberty print for the binding 

2.5 inch strip selvedge to selvedge in length.

Which was a scrap in my scrap basket! Never throw out any Liberty Fabric! no matter how small!

Now I just have to make one for everyone in the family :-/

ohh and in other brief news

I have a quilt in the Easy Quilts Summer edition of Fons & Porter :)

and

 in my last post I forgot to add Australian stores that might have stock of Lotta Jansdotters "Bella" Fabric

Which is really bad of me :(

Australian stores need our business

If you have an Australian online store I don't mind sharing your links - It might take me awhile but I will eventually respond to you and post info!

I'm not one to advertise or do sponsored posts, usually because I'm not organised not because I have any issue with them.

All that "stuff" takes up time that I could be sewing! Although it could actually make me some $$, 

One day I'll be organised and have ads/ sponsors or something!

anyway Helen emailed me saying she had stock of Lotta Jansdotter fabrics

Finger Tip Fabrics - An online store based in Brisbane, Australia

Anyway Now I really am off!

kids, homework Dinner etc

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 

What?

What drives you to make stuff?

I recently did an interview with an Australian Magazine and I had to answer so many questions.... Things I hadn't even thought of.

What drives you?

How do you create?

Whats your style?

Why do you do what you do?

these all seemed like very ordinary standard questions - but ones I hadn't give any thought to until they were asked.

The story proof came back today - gosh its strange to read about yourself...

even stranger to see a big fat portrait of myself glaring back at me!

some of my fabrics available on spoonflower

Xx Siobhan

Enough room to swing a cat

For a long long time I have dreamed of having my own creative space & now its become a reality! 

Its still a work in progress - a few final finishes and external painting to do....

but Its about time for me to start filling it up with all my stuff & start doing some work.

I've spent the last few weeks procrastinating watching it all be built instead of knuckling down and getting things finished.

I anticipate another week of mucking around with my fabrics and rearranging things before any real work starts happening.....

Although thats not a luxury I have, I have a few deadlines to finish before I head away for a week in New York City early September.

Yep - thats right - I'm heading to NYC!

I have a few work meetings & hoping to see lots of fabric/ quilty stuff too.

I'd love any advice you might have :)

A quick bit of info about the studio fit out 

The walls are painted in- Taubmans Crisp White

The Wallpaper- Abigail Edwards Owls of the british isles 

Light fittings- From Freedom Furniture

The bench was made by my Dad and painted the same colour as the walls, the bench top is Corian bought on ebay.

The black wall was painted with Murobond Pirate chalk paint & the lounge is from Freedom Furniture

of course this is about the cleanest its ever going to look!

I'm sure there will be lots of photos taken once I fill it up and start using it.

I also have lots of "stuff" to fill you in on over the week.

Like a few new ranges of fabric I have gotten my hands on & some exciting happenings at CLOTH Fabric

Hope you all had a great weekend 

Xx Siobhan

The happy Juggle

I'm revelling in making "stuff" at the moment.

I'm happily going between projects and being extra productive. My list for today includes

1- Vintage quilt, showing off up-cycling at      its best, a coming soon blog post.

2- A patchwork project for publication

3- writing up class instruction/ schedules for classes Im teaching in my home & confirming spots

4- ordering fabrics

5- emailing final measurements/ instructions for quilts being published X 3

and finally

6- making this quilt! pictured below

Its for a friends Master just turned 2yrs who is going into a big bed!

The brief was fun & bright

I'm sort of going by a quilt pattern I did along time ago - It was actually my first published quilt.

Although it looks like lots of piecing - it actually comes together really quickly, Its a nice project to have going in between serious work. 

Every time I get a bit over what ever I'm doing - I'll sew a block of this together. 

I forgot how much I like the random little squares

Fingers crossed my productive mode continues!

Xx Siobhan

I'm on Pat Sloan !

Recently Pat Sloan asked me to be featured on her blog - I may or may not have stalked her untill she asked.......

Pat seems to be all over the place teaching in the US, with a million projects going and a radio show. 

The other wonderful thing is that Pat is always willing to help and is really nice! 

So have a look at my interview & say hello to Pat Sloan 

Thanks Pat

Xx Siobhan

A little bit of this n that

When I gave up my day job 3 years ago to work from home I never imagined I would be as busy as I am now........ I'm not complaining - to the contrary I love it!

I've added some pictures of the few things that have been keeping me away from the Blog & Twitter

I was working on a project for my little ones kindergarten class titled "Apple" for the teacher, I really enjoy doing art with Kids - Its a very rewarding experience.
They have since been auctioned and raised a nice little amount of money for the school.
I'm going through a serious retro Scandinavian faze - hence the teak wood frame and black mount......

I made another quilt recently for the Fat Quarterly crew it will be out in a few months time ........

I Played with Lu Summers new Fabric range "Summerville"

enjoyed doing some patchwork & quilting with this lot of solids....

wondered what to do with the ever growing pile of Quilts I have.......

and I finally finished the pattern writing for the Quilt I made out of Lotta Jansdotters new fabric range "Bella" - fabric due in stores in August 2012

I've also been teaching and a few other things that are a little bit "too" top secret - But all in good time ;-)

Xx Siobhan

Thinking back......

Memories are funny things

They pop up at the oddest time.

This little basinet was bought 11 years ago for my number 2 baby, Its been given back to us recently after doing the rounds of a number of friends & family with new Bubs. I like the idea that lots of new little lives have had a snooze in it. 

I'm preparing it for storage - That is unless any of my friends have news they would like to share!

It flashed me back to the time my little Bea (hence Bea Spoke Quilts in case any of you ever wondered) was born. 

When I was pregnant with Bea I use to go to my Nana & Grandpa's house every wednesday and bring lunch with me.

 My eldest was nearly two and we would have a lazy day playing, gardening, eating and I would sneak off to Nana's sewing room and make things for the baby that was coming.

I made a sweet little sheet set and matching quilt, embroidering it with the year and a little message of love. I didn't know if we where having a boy or girl so I went with red purple & green colours. I was very impressed with myself. 

  Bea was born a month early and for three weeks we where unsure what would happen - Thankfully she thrived and came home.

I wish I had more pictures of the quilt. It was pre digital and never occurred to me to take a picture. It was stolen from my pram one day at the shops I was so upset, it still upsets me that someone would steal a handmade quilt from a stroller. The only picture I have is this one with little Bea on it.I still have the sheet set, its packed away in storage.

The patchwork & quilting industry has changed in the last 10 years. 

The availability and types of fabric for one. The books & magazines, blogs bricks and mortar shops...... 

We have so many choices now when it comes to making and decorating.

When I'm teaching lots of people are decking out a room for their children.

I love being able to help students make quilts. The idea that they are creating things for family and friends and I have facilitated the process is a very nice feeling!

Equally nice is when I get emails from people who have created Quilts using my Patterns from Magazines. 

This one is From Jerry - her niece was moving to the big smoke in New York and Jerry has made a beautiful quilt for her out of my pattern in Modern Patchwork

I love the skyline fabric she has used.I hope your Niece loved it Jerry! and thanks for sharing it with me.

I'd love to know what your all making and who its for

Xx Siobhan