2015 Quilters Companion Diary

This week we received our shipment of 2015 diaries at Cynthia's Ark. This diary features beautiful quilts for each week of the year with space on the opposite page for you to add your appointments, birthdays, special occasions and more for each day of the week. Plus you have a page holder to keep your spot at the current week. It is today's Hot Deal of the Day at $14.95 (normally $19.95), so pop over to the shop to order your copy today while stocks last.

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Aurifil's October Block of the Month

Here we are at the end of October and just in the nick of time I manage to get my Aurifil block done. It turned out to be an interesting block especially with the stripe in it. I didn't think about it when I cut the fabric but wow it sticks out and there was no plan for it to be there. With the stripe there and in the very corners of the block it would make an interesting quilt pattern with the right stripe fabric.

 This block of the month project has been a scrappy project, one of two projects (the other is my Leaders & Enders Challenge) where I was taking on my fear of scrappy quilts. I love to look at them but my fear of using lots of different fabrics in one project has held me back from doing one myself. I think I just don't know if I have the colour instinct to get the pattern to work out. We will see how things turn out when I piece the blocks together in both projects. 

All my Aurifil blocks so far, not sure how they will go together. When I laid them out I noticed two fabrics that have end up in 2 blocks. Interesting.

Until Next Time

Keep Sewing

Cynthia

Globetrotting Block of the Month #10 - Part 1

This month Pat Sloan has given us the corner blocks and borders instructions to finish our quilt tops off. Let’s just say I haven't quite got the top finished yet but I thought I will still posted what I have done. The corner blocks are done and I have joined the blocks together with their sashing strips. I did move some of the blocks around as the 2 lighter blocks were too close together. So I have the 2 borders left to do. I think it will have to wait until the weekend as the outer border is pieced and I will need some time to work it out. The border uses 2 fabrics which I have but when I look at them together I think they look too similar and the 2 tone border may not be noticeable. That is my biggest fear. I have seen some completed tops that have more than 2 colours in their outer border. So I might look at using some of the fabrics left over from the blocks to add to the border to give it the contract it needs.

 Until Next Time 

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Wishes Quilt Along- October's Block

 We are getting close to finishing our Wishes Quilt Along blocks. This is #10 out of 12 blocks. So there are 2 more to go. I have the finishing instructions. So once I have all the blocks made I can start to assemble the blocks. I did think I might start joining the blocks sooner but when I took the photo of the 10 blocks there was  a couple of fabrics I have used a number of time and didn't realise it. I may do a rearrangement of blocks to spread them out a bit or maybe not. We will see what happens once I have all the blocks made.

Here is this month block Idaho Beauty.

This is the 10 blocks so far laid out according to the pattern. Tell me what you think. 

Until next time 

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Batik Rainbow Fabric Club Update

The early evening view outside from inside the shop. The main street gets really quiet after hours. My current view from my sewing machine, just doing some sewing and thinking.

A good friend passed a general comment on sampler quilts a couple weeks ago that had me thinking about my sampler quilt for the fabric club. I like to cover all my bases regarding any possible questions that may come up on a new project. This comment was "I am over Sampler quilts"  It was a statement I had not given much thought on earlier beside the fact you don't have to make the sampler quilt you can just collect the fabric.

Our Batik Fabric club is more than just fabric and a sampler quilt. Now who doesn't love receiving a parcel of fabric with a block pattern in the mail? 

I know I do, especially when it is a  themed surprise.

So when you join our 2015 Batik Rainbow Fabric Club, each month you receive 4 x 30cm (total of 1.2 metres) of colour themed batik fabrics, a block pattern and a quilt layout suggestion for that block. Plus exclusive discounts in our web shop on other purchases (e.g. free postage, free gifts, etc.) and charm square sample packs when new batik fabrics arrive free. So really you are starting  a batik fabric collection (or adding to one) and a block library with instructions and with 12 extra quilt layouts you are receive 13  possible quilts to make, even if you don't make them straight away or use different fabrics, it is up to you how you use the block patterns. I am sure there is many more quilt possibilities with 11 blocks collected over 2015. If this fabric club goes well, there may be more in the future to continue building your block library.

To join visit our shop Cynthia's Ark and purchase the Fabric Club it is on the homepage under New Products. First instalment will be dispatched early January 2015. Credit card orders preferred due to the ease of processing monthly orders.

 Don't forget we have our Batik Brights Thread Club starting December featuring Aurifil cotton threads especially picked to go with batik fabrics you can join. More details here if you are interested.

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Spoiler Alert: A little teaser for you if you saw our round up from AMQ Festival there was one of the blocks featured in our fabric club display on the back wall if you want a sneak peak.

Time is Flying By.

I was cutting my fabric for my block of the month projects and thinking of 100 other things when I made a cutting mistake. Oops! At least it was the first cut and not a whole batch cut wrong. There seem to be a lot going on and I'm not getting anywhere fast. I can't believe there is only a week of October left. That means only 2 months left for this year and there is a ton of work still to be completed, mainly on my unfinished projects which I wanted to complete by the end of the year. I think some are going to end up on next year's list. Really does it matter? I have achieve some much this year compare to 2013 I should be happy, should I?
Time for a review to see where I am at to and see what I can still complete before the end of the year.
Here is my list.
1. My Pies & Tarts Quilt I am half way through hand quilting this one.
This one is already on next year list. I have only done a tiny bit on it.
2. My Batik Hexagon Quilt top ready for quilting and binding.
Completed
3. My Batik Log Cabin Quilt I am nearly finished the blocks (4 blocks to go)
Completed
4. My Farmers Wife Sampler quilt -only have 30 blocks to go then sashing and borders.
I won't get this one completed but there is only 6 rows to piece together and add on.
So I am aiming to get the quilt top completed.

5. Bonnie Hunters Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt the final layout was only released on 1st January 2014 I have 24 blocks completed.
Completed
6. My Double Wedding Ring quilt I started at the end of October at a workshop. 3 rings completed only.
This one may become a bed runner instead of a quilt. I'm going to do some work on it on Sunday. We will see what happens.

New things to tackle this year, there are plenty of new things I want to try but there is only 365 days to work with..
7. Building Blocks Quilt. 2014 Free Motion Quilt Along created by Leah Day. This one is going to allow me to tackle 2 things on my list, improve my free motion quilting and have a go at the Quilt as you go technique.
This one I have mixed feeling on this one, I have improved my FMQ skills with the blocks I have done but I have fallen way behind. Not sure what is going to happen with it. It may be a smaller quilt.
8.A new Cynthia's Ark design featuring our Mystery Batik Sampler Pack. All designed just have to sew, write the pattern and kit it.
Halfway through the blocks and pattern.
9.A new Cynthia's Ark design featuring hexagons using the Inklingo technique or EPP.
My Camellia Quilt is Completed
10.Quiltmaker magazine Black Tie Affair using Riley Blake Evening Blooms (in stock atwww.cynthiasark.com.au)
I haven't started this one.
10. Pat Sloan's Globtrotting  BOM for freequiltpatterns.info (One block a month)
Blocks are completed just have to piece the blocks together and add the borders for the top to be completed.
11. Fat Quarter Shop Wishes Quilt Along BOM (One block a month)
Up to Octobers block so should have the quilt top completed by the end of the year.
12. A Dahlia Quilt I have a pattern.
I have started this one but it will go on to next year's list as I am hand piecing it.

To view all the completed projects this year click on the tab at the top on my blog. There has been a number of extra projects completed on the way. 

Until next time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Blogger's Quilt Festival - South Australian Stars

Over the weekend I made time to do some quilting. This star quilt has been ready for a while but there has been no time for quilting. There was a real need to get this quilt done in time for the Blogger's Quilt Festival. A deadline helps when you need to finish a project.

This is one of my UFO projects for this year and I am glad to tick it off the list. It has been a little while since I completed a project, I have starts some new ones though. I used 3 Aurifil 50 wt threads in red, blue and cream for the quilting and did lots of free motion quilting on it.

 It was good practise; now that I have a super slider mat on the machine it has made a huge difference to my quilting. It makes the quilt glide under the needle a lot easier. So I had a lot less trouble with my threads and my stitches are looking a lot more even. I did some echoes inside the blue stars; I did a stipple in the red stars and the red borders and a wavy zigzag in the plain blocks following the pattern on the fabric.

 Then it was a matter of binding, luckily there was enough blue fabric left for me to bind it with.  Now this quilt is finished I wonder how long it will be before the original pattern and the rest of the fabrics turn up. 

 This quilt is my entry into the Blogger's Quilt Festival
South Australian Stars
58 inches square(148cm square)
Category Small Quilts

 Don't forget to pop over and have a look at all the quilts and vote on your favourite. The link is in the toolbar on the right hand side.

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Grand Illusions Introduction- A Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt

This is the new mystery quilt by Bonnie Hunter Grand Illusions. Last week Bonnie released the colours for this year mystery so we can prepare our fabric selections for the first clue next month. Here is the link to Bonnie's post if you are interested in joining us. 

The colours for this year are yellow, green, turquoise, pink, black and neutrals. Now I find it hard to do scrappy but this year I have been working on my fear of scrappy with the Leaders & Enders Challenge and after a few wobble of I can't do scrappy it's not me.  I am ready to take on this year's mystery quilt as a scrappy quilt. So we will see how I go. 

Here is my selection for the quilt I may adjust it once we start, there is a couple of fabrics I am not sure about but we will see what happens. I was very pleased with myself that I was able to find most of what I needed in my stash I was worried about the turquoise and the yellow but the turquoise was ok, (one may be blue and a couple may be closer to aqua but we will see if I use them). Yellow was the only problem in the end, no yellow as it is the only fabric for the quilt that you needed yardage and I didn't have it. Not a huge yellow fan, that is why. So it is the only piece I had to purchase. Very happy the stash has a dent in it and room to add some new fabrics to it in the future and I did get to buy one new fabric and of course I brought a little extra for the stash. I look forward to starting this project next month but in the meantime let's finish a couple projects off, time for some sewing.

Until next time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia 

PS I have put the Grand Illusions button on my side button so you can pop over to Quiltville to see what is happening at any time.

I am Inklingo-ing.

Is that a real word Inklingo-ing? Or I have just made it up. I just couldn't think of another word to describe that I am working on my Inklingo projects.

Have you tried Inklingo yet?

If not? Inklingo is downloadable shapes to print on to fabric using a standard inkjet printer. Here is the link to the Inklingo blog for more details, if you are curious. I know I was 2 years ago when I came upon a post about this technique. Since then I haven't looked back, I always have an Inklingo project on the go. 
Here is a couple of my completed projects and the Case of the Secret Garden was my first project. Really! It was a mystery quilt Linda had on the blog and I found it the perfect project to start with as she had all the details worked out for you. 

The other one was my Camelia Hexagon Quilt.

There is a free starter collection for you to download and try before you buy as well. The Inklingo method is suited to hand piecing and machine piecing so whatever one you prefer, try it. Now I love to hand piece so it saves me from have to make templates and drawing around them and cut them out. Too long, with Inklingo I cut the fabric to the size I need, iron the same size piece of freezer paper to the right side of the fabric and put it in the printer and hit the print button. Then all I have to do is cut them out and I am ready to sew. 

You can just see the printed lines.

 I have 2 projects on the go at the moment and they are my Kaleidoscope stars which will be a table runner once I choose the background. 

This is the first time I have tried the fussy cutting with no waste technique which will become a table runner and my other project is my Castle Wall quilt, I am halfway through block 4 of 12.

The Inklingo blog is a great resource of information and it is well worth bookmarking it for easy reference. Here is the Inklingo link to get started. 

A disclaimer from me. I am affiliated with Inklingo so please click on Cynthia's Ark when you are asked where did you hear about us question as you go through the checkout when you purchase anything from the Inklingo website. I think I will be trying the newest star release next after I finish my kaleidoscope star table runner. I might not be able to wait.

Until next time 

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Island Batik Mystery Quilt Along

I have been following Bea's blog for most of this year. So when she announced she was doing a Mystery quilt along for Island Batiks I just had to join in I also love Island Batik fabrics. They make up 95 % of batik fabrics in my store. That says a lot in itself. 

If you follow my blog you know I have been flat out over the last month and my plan to do 2-3 post on this project over the month didn't happen. I have been doing little bits here and there when I have had 5-10 minutes. I haven't quite got the top completed but it won't take me long to finish the blocks.

  As the project is called Stain Glass quilt and Bea stated at the beginning avoid too many directional fabrics, I picked tonal batiks for my project. I may change the dark binding fabric(top fabric) now I have seen the quilt layout.

My sub blocks made up.

My sub blocks laid out ready for sewing.

This is the block completed.

The first 4 block completed and lay out in the centre blocks.

Hopefully I can squeeze in a couple hours of sewing in on Sunday to complete the rest of the blocks. Only 12 more to go.

Here is the link to Island Batiks Blog if you are interested in this project

 Until next time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Australian Machine Quilting Festival 2014 Round Up

Wow! What an event! Of course there was plenty of work done but there was fun along the way too. Now after the event there is even more work to be done. This was the first time we have traded at this event and at a venue we haven't dealt with before.  I am always nervous how things are going to work out. Setup went smoothly besides some silly woman (me) who forgot to put the ladder in when she loaded the car. Whoops but I always forget something and we always manage. My LSH (long suffering husband) won't let me live that down for a few events. 

Is that a sneak peak of one of the Batik Rainbow Sampler blocks on the wall? 

There was a full six days of classes and three and bit days of trading in the vendors hall. I did manage to sit in on a Squedge ruler demo from Joy's Craftworx and yes I did purchase one with a book. I have some ideas using batik fabrics I want to play with. I will share them when I get to it. That is why I got the book because it may be a few months before I get to play with it. If you saw my last post you would know I got to meet Jenny Doan from Missouri Star Quilt Co who was here teaching. I wish I had done one of her classes but it just wasn't possible.  I have promised myself I will do a class next time.

Of course, at an event like this, you must have a quilt show featuring Machine Quilting. I just love looking at all the work that went into creating these quilts. Even my LSH had a favourite.

My LSH favourite one. 
 Some of the quilts on display in the Quilt show.

Also at this event we launched our Aurifil Batik Bright Thread Club (starting December) which is now available to sign up for in the web shop. Here is the link to the post on the club.

October has started with a bang. With our Batik Rainbow Fabric Club launched on the 1st and now our Aurifil Thread Club launched, 2015 is shaping up to be a big year for us and to top things off I know there are some very exciting patterns using batik fabrics, more batik fabrics coming and some new tools I think as well.

Until next time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Our Cynthia's Ark Aurifil Batik Bright Thread Club is here.

As part of Australian Machine Quilting Festival we launched our Aurifil Batik Brights Thread Club (starting December) which is now available to sign up for in the web shop. Each month you receive six 150 metre spools of Cotton Mako NE 40 weight cotton plus with your first month you receive a personalised box to keep them in as pictured. This weight cotton is perfect for sewing batik fabrics with.

The cost is $39 plus postage for the first month then a flat $39 per month (for Australia) for the next 11 month to complete your set of 72 spools  Aurifil cotton which has been selected to go with our  beautiful range batik fabrics we stock. 

Email us at sales@cynthiasark.com.au  if you live outside Australia and want to join our thread club and I will work out the cost for you.

Until next time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

PS You can join this club at anytime to start your collection so don't worry if you couldn't join the first group starting in December. 

Australian Machine Quilting Festival 2014

What a big day I had at AMQ Festival at the Adelaide Convention Centre.  There was a sneak peak for everyone Friday night which was something new to me. It made it a long day but it was an interesting experience. 

So today we were back for the first full day of trading and it was a full day of meeting up lots of people, including long-time customers from interstate and friends who have travelled a long way to attend and look who I got to meet. I am over the moon to be able to talk to Jenny Doan from Missouri Star Quilt Company and hear her story. It was very inspiring.

I don't know what could top this experience but we will see what tomorrow brings us. Hopefully I will get to see the rest of the quilts on display. I did have a look at the Pam Holland display, her work is just amazing. I also heard a lot of good things about her class from her students today. I might have to do a class or two next time.

I will share some more about this event in the next day or two.

Until next time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia