Bloggers Quilt Festival Spring 2013 - Throw quilt

This is my second entry into the fabulous Bloggers Quilt Festival held twice a year.  This entry is for the throw quilt category.  I was really excited when Melissa announced she was going to have  a quiltalong for her Starburst quilt. I loved her version as soon as I saw it, so jumped at the chance to make my own version. I wanted to use a color palette that was bright and fresh, but would have contrast against the Kona Snow.  I have used some of fav fabric ranges and designers in this quilt...Lucky Penny, Simply Color, DS, Lizzy House, and Joel Dewberry.

Melissa's instructions were super easy to follow and I love how this has turned out.  For the back I wanted colours that complemented the front so went for a pieced back using Joel Dewberry's Heirloom and Kona solids.  The binding is Michael Miller's Cotton Couture Violet. I free motion quilted it on my Bernina using an all over stipple.  

Some of the family pets are grazing behind us :).

Be sure to visit all the other amazing quilts in the Bloggers Quilt Festival

Blogger's Quilt Festival Spring 2013 - Home machine quilt

I love the Blogger's Quilt Festival and look forward to it each time it comes around. So much amazing creativity and inspiration.  I am submitting my Birds and Bees Quilt that I finished in November last year.  I think Birds and Bees by Tula Pink is my all time fav of all her ranges.  I was lucky enough to have a jelly roll of this so used the "Dripping with Diamonds" pattern from Jelly Roll Dreams by Pam and Nicky Lintott.  The jelly roll wasn't quite enough for all the diamonds, so I ordered more of my favourite fabrics from the range to make up the rest and to add to the back. I used Kona solids for the background and diamond centres.

I think I am particularly drawn to this range as it has many of my fav colours in it and I just adore those little ladybirds!

For the back I used my 3 fav fabrics and a Kona solid "Green Tea" which went really well with the purples and blues and I used a Deb Strain stripe for the binding. 

I straight line quilted it on my Bernina as I thought this would show off the diamonds better. I wanted the fabric to be the focus not the quilting.

I think this is one of my all time fav quilts and it gets used all the time as a snuggle quilt.

Be sure to visit all the other amazing quilts in the festival

New Acquisitions

Haven't done a lot of sewing over the last month...main reason is I took the family to Surfer's Paradise for a holiday. Now, before you get too excited and think how lucky I was, I went with 5 teenagers and my hubby! Hardly a holiday....Seriously though, it wasn't as bad as I was dreading and I did have enjoy myself.  We must have looked a sight walking from to our hotel though...

We had lots of fun doing the theme parks, shopping, walking along the beach, and just relaxing...

The 5 kids..Sarah, Jordan, Keegan, Nick and Hannah

 Hannah and me.

Superman rollercoaster at Movie World...I did not go on this

But I did go on the log flume at Sea World!

Before I went I did order some books from Fishpond which arrived while I was away. I got 2 of Sarah Fielke's books, Hand Quilted with Love, and Quilting From Little Things and Tula Pink's new book Tula Pink's City Sampler.  Love all of these books.  Already bookmarked a couple of quilts I just have to start!  Am going to join Sara's Sew-Along with the Tula Pink book.

And the latest addition is this....

He was found abandoned and I am such a soft touch. Look where I found him this morning...