Marg Low Designs

Fun, Colourful Quilt

What to do with forty-two 7 inch squares from an American Jane range purchased many moons ago.

It's been many years since I made either of my daughters a quilt. Many little projects but not a quilt since their 21st birthdays to my embarrassment.

Obviously I love these fabrics, or I wouldn't have purchased them, and knew my daughter would too.

They came rolled in a tin with a pattern which involved more cutting and sewing than I had the time or the inclination to do.

I find it hard to make a decision with fabrics I love, especially when they are only small pieces, procrastinating, not wanting to cut them in case I come up with a better idea.

But I was running out of time, when am I never not, and kept it simple.

I started by pairing two 7 inch squares and cutting them in half.

Sewed the 3.5 x 7 inch pieces together.

Once sewn cut them in half cross ways.

Each unit was then paired with another and sewn together to

make a four-patch.

There were a few prints I liked too much to cut up and left them as whole pieces. These were trimmed to match the size of the four-patches before sewing.

More fabrics were added to make the quilt 54 x 54 inches.

My daughter loves it!

One down, another to go, I have until Christmas.

Christmas - A Time of Magic

Yes I have been missing since returning from Craft Alive Bendigo,  madly working away behind the scenes on my new Christmas designs and preparing for the Christmas in July workshop held last weekend.

This year's new project, which I absolutely love, is a small wall quilt, Christmas - A Time of Magic.

There was no plan, just the idea - blocks of varying sizes and shapes, a mix of stitching, felt applique, machine piecing with some ric rac and ribbon thrown in. A good deal of time went into just staring, moving blocks around, deciding if it needed another stitchery or applique block. The final three empty spaces took the longest.

The quilt measures approximately 20½ x 21½ inches.

As you can see there is a mix of stitchery, felt and needle turn applique and machine piecing.

The pattern includes Gift Ideas for four of the blocks.

 

The pattern is $35 plus P&H

Christmas - A Time of Magic

Christmas - A Time of Magic Kit

The kit, $90 plus P&H, includes the pattern, linen to stitch on, fabrics for the top, felt, ric rac, ribbon and fusible light weight interfacing.

Not included, binding, backing, batting and threads.

 

Other new patterns

Who doesn't love Santa!

Approximately 4½ inches in length, a felt Santa entirely hand sewn.

Santa Ornament

The pattern is $8

or Kit $16 including the pattern, felt and threads.

Plus P&H

 

If you loved stitching the Christmas Sampler - Bauble, Heart and/or Tree from last year, you may like to stitch the pears.

The pears are gathered over bag batting and lightly stuffed to give them a slightly rounded appearance.

Approximately 5 inches in length and entirely hand sewn.

Stitched Pears

The pattern is $12

or Kit $17 including the pattern, linen, backing fabric and felt.

Threads not included.

Plus P&H

I intend to make more and display them in a basket.

 

Please note my website only allows international orders for PDF Patterns.

Please email me if you'd like to order any of the above. I'll let you know if I do post to your country and the cost.

my stand at Craft Alive Wodonga

Covering the walls with the calico was the easy part. Then I spent some anxious moments thinking 'where do I start'.  You know if you can just hang up a quilt and two or three other samples you can make it work.

The Christmas wall was first and from there it just flowed with a few adjustments along the way.

 

 

 

 

 

This was my first show in four years and I was very happy it only took six hours to set up.

 

You can check out all my patterns and kits online here.

PDF Patterns

Please email me for overseas orders.

Shop display

So much fun setting up shop at Flourish Creative Studio.

I only had an hour, which included moving the samples and stock from the car to the shop.

 

 

 

I was very pleased with how it looked given I had no time to umm and ah over where to hang this or that sample or how to arrange the baskets of fabrics, kits, felt and other bits and pieces.

 

It was such a great day, I went home and started on a new quilt.

 

 

Two blocks made, or so I thought, until I spotted a problem with the half square triangles in one corner. Oops!

The reverse sewing will be a weekend job.

 

it's been awhile

My stitching and sewing mojo is back and just in time for Christmas!

 

I've been telling myself for sometime, just sew or stitch SOMETHING. I've missed being on a creative roll this year. When one finished project rolls into another, then another and you just can't stop!

So my thing for Christmas this year is TREES!

Last year I had so much fun with the Slow Stitched Zipper Purse I decided to give the stitches a Christmas makeover.

I went with the easiest shape possible - a tree. I really like how the green with a dash of red is turning out.

 

Keeping with the tree theme I started a small quilt for my granddaughter. I was making it on the fly and thinking about a quilt for her baby sister and some how the ideas became merged so a doll size quilt is more like cot size ........

The tree block was too big for a doll quilt and I messed up the math with the first border.

But at the heart of it all I'm in my happy place, using fabrics from the scrap box and sewing them together.

I do need to make a plan for the next one!

 

 

Pieced quilt backings

It's been ages since I allowed myself to just play. And you can play with a backing. It doesn't need to be perfect. There's no pattern to follow. It just needs to be bigger than the quilt top.

Anything goes on the back. Use leftover pieces from the top, less than perfect blocks that didn't make the cut for the front and fabric from your stash. Favourite pieces or pieces you've used in multiple projects and never want to sew with again.

A while ago I remade a few blocks from Sarah's Sampler. I often remake part or all of a sample if it's been a while since I made the original and need to refresh my memory for a class.  I had a fleeting idea to remake the entire quilt but then thought of all the projects I needed to make.

But now I had nine blocks. I didn't want to put the blocks in a box only to forgot about them nor did I want them in the way every time I opened a cupboard.

The best solution was to make a mini quilt. I plan to hang it on the gate (weather permitting) at my next pop-up shop.

Here it is after it was quilted by Rose of Pandora Quilting.

It hasn't been trimmed and you can see the batting and a glimpse of the backing along the side edges.

I asked Rose to centre the top on the back.

 

The black square shows the placement of the top.

I've learnt from experience to keep the seams on the back away from the edge of the top. It created extra bulk when I sewed the binding on and folded it over to the back.

You can see I've kept the seams away from the top edge.

Now my dilemma is what to do with the pieced strips when I trim the backing!

 

The back can also be a place to repeat the block used on the front, changing its size and the layout.

 I love how simple this quilt back is, in fact I now prefer it to the front!

Two fabrics, big blocks (I used 12 inch Drunkards Path templates).

I cut and pieced the blocks. Then calculated the width and length of the borders including the allowance for the quilter.

One quilt, two tops!

Just one more reason to love pieced backs.

 

If you haven't tried piecing a quilt back why not give it a go!

 

March already!

I'm not going to ask where February went. I know I spent days thinking about what I could be and then what I should be doing with very little to show.

I kept jumping from one project to another until I stopped and asked myself which project was a priority. The answer: a small baby quilt.

 

 

The cute bunny fabric is a 50cm piece I purchased a few years ago and had in my stash. I played around with numerous ideas before settling on the stars.

 

I had an idea ages ago to make a different block each fortnight for an entire year. I made four on my holidays and then nothing! No surprises there!

 

 

This is my favorite block. I toyed with the idea of pieced borders, but my heart said keep it simple. The fussy cut spot and floral are the perfect borders.

I was thinking to finish it over the weekend but.....

there's an Easter project I started this afternoon and another one last night

 

 

I don't know if I can choose!

 

Have  a lovely weekend.

a long weekend

I think I've ticked most of the work boxes which means the next three days are mostly mine to do as I please. What I hope to do is finish these little stitcheries I've been working on.

 

I've really enjoyed stitching them. Most of the fill detail is worked by eye, which means I don't have a clear picture of how it will look until the final stitch. It's how I love to create!

 

This week I finished writing the pattern for the Playtime Scrap Quilt.

Playtime with my fabric stash is something I wish I could do everyday.

Playtime Scrap Quilt

If you can't want wait for the post, you can purchase a downloadable PDF pattern

Playtime Scrap Quilt PDF Pattern.

 

I had fun updating and adding to the Fat Eighth bundles.

Five Fat Eighths on sale for $10.

There are limited bundles.

If you love scrappy quilts this is a great way to acquire an eclectic mix of fabrics.

Bundles of Five Fat Eighths

 

And I'm really just posting this picture as I think the colours are lovely. It makes me want to play!

Twill $1.50 per metre

 

Have a  great weekend.

Stay safe & well.

Just one more thing to do!

The cot quilt is almost finished.

Only the label to go.

I have to admit to moments when I thought it would never be finished.

 

Another one finished!

I don't know what it is about this year, but I'm keen to finish and have finished a number of projects.

I started making blocks for this little quilt in 2017.

The block was one I used in the Postcard - Quilts pattern. It was so sweet with it's fussy cut sashings I had to make a couple more; before I knew it I was on my way to making a small quilt. Nothing makes me happier than going through my stash looking for just the right fabrics, rediscovering old favourites and mixing them with more recent additions.

Once the top was pieced it sat in the pile of projects 'to be finished'. Every so often I pulled it out and thought about the borders, toying with the idea of appliqueing them and then discarding the idea when I calculated how long that would take. I did want it finished! Then one day the perfect border fabric arrived. It still took months to cut and sew the borders on.

Sometimes things happen so quickly around here I surprise myself and then other times they drag on for a very long time ..........

The colour is truer in this close up photo.

 

Have a lovely weekend!

 

a start, nearly done and a finish

Nearly Done!

It's always a relief to finish a top and have it at the quilters, especially when there is a deadline to meet (1st birthday present early March). I think I've mentioned the quilt is cot sized, so it's not big. I can't wait to get it back from Rose of Pandora Quilting.

I dropped in three smaller quilters too so I'm going to be very busy making and sewing binding!

 

Finished!

 And it only took a bit more than two years.

It was started, stopped, re-started and the applique finished, then nothing while other projects were started, finished and patterns written before the timing was right to complete it.

 

A Start

 

I've been thinking about and ever so slowly working towards a collection of little quilts I can hang on the wall in my office/workroom. I do have a stash of little quilts and could make a nice display of my red and white ones, but it's not the look I'm going for.

To be honest I'm not sure what look I'm after but I'm sure I need an appliqued quilt!

Am I having fun planning and dreaming about the quilts that will one day grace my wall?

Yes I am and at the core that's all that really matters.

This block is from a project I designed for Quilters Companion five years ago.

I'm using fabrics from my stash and a few new ones from the Shine On and Figs and Shirtings ranges.

I'm almost done cutting out the applique pieces, only the leaves to go.

 

Happy Stitching!