Letting Go of the Reins: A Quilter's Journey into Mystery

Quilting is my therapy, my creative outlet, and usually, my personal challenge. I've always been drawn to the art of designing my own quilts—from creating the pattern to choosing fabrics to sewing each intricate piece together. It's a process that brings both joy and a fair share of stress, but that's the thrill of the creative journey, right?

However, my quilting routine recently took an unexpected turn when I found myself grappling with a new dilemma: letting others take control. For someone who thrives on the challenge of crafting my own designs, it was both liberating and, admittedly, a tad terrifying.

Typically, I steer clear of patterns—not because I don't appreciate the myriad options available, but because I relish the challenge of navigating the creative chaos and finding my own path. Isn't following a pattern, selecting fabrics, and stitching the quilt challenging enough, you ask? Well, yes, it is. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, I couldn't resist the allure of the 2024 Murder Mystery Quilt.

Here's how it works: they provide a colour palette, and each month, a new block arrives along with a chapter of a murder mystery book. All I have to do is select fabrics that fit the palette, sew, and read. It sounded like a quilter's dream—someone else doing the hard work, leaving me with the joy of the craft.

So, is relinquishing control liberating or terrifying? The answer, it seems, lies in the delicate dance between the two.

Liberation Through Creativity: There's a unique joy in allowing someone else to guide the process. Choosing fabrics within a set palette is a delightful challenge on its own. It sparks a different kind of creativity, forcing me to think outside my usual colour schemes and fabric choices. It's a refreshing departure from my usual routine, liberating me from the self-imposed pressure of perfection.

The Element of Mystery: The murder mystery aspect adds an intriguing layer to the process. Each new block brings not only the excitement of stitching but also the anticipation of unraveling the mystery. It's like sewing my way through a gripping novel—one stitch at a time. The element of surprise keeps the creative energy flowing, making each step a revelation.

Terrifying Unknowns: Yet, there's an undeniable fear in not knowing the end result. When you purchase a pattern, you have a visual guide—a picture of the quilt, showcasing how the dark and light fabrics harmonize to create a cohesive design. With the mystery quilt, I'm left to wonder about the final product. Will the colours align with my taste? Will the finished quilt sing for me?

The Verdict: Embracing the Journey: For now, I've chosen to embrace the mystery. The uncertainty adds an element of excitement to the creative process. Will I like the finished product? Will the colour palette resonate with me? Will I successfully solve the mystery? These questions linger in the background, but the joy is in the journey itself.

Quilting has always been about more than just the finished product; it's a labour of love, a dance with creativity. Whether liberating or terrifying, relinquishing control has opened a new chapter in my quilting story—one filled with surprises, challenges, and the joy of going with the flow.

So here's to the unknown, to the liberating terror of creativity, and to enjoying the process, stitch by stitch. After all, isn't that what quilting is all about?

#QuiltingJourney #MysteryQuilt #CreativeChallenge #EmbraceTheUnknown #QuiltingCommunity #StitchingStories #2024MurderMysteryQuilt

5 quick exercises to get your patchwork mojo back. (Copy)

I’ve lost my patchwork mojo; how do I get it back?

It has happened to all of us at some point, I think.

So what do you do when you have lost interest in patchwork and still have a room full of fabrics? Well one thing is for sure you need to find your mojo and get sewing again.

Here are 4 exercises to re-ignite your creativity or just get you feeling a little differently.

1.      Look at colour. Walk outside, stop and close your eyes. Take a deep breathe, open your    eyes, what is the first colour you see? Now look at the colours around that first colour. Do the surrounding colours contrast or compliment that first colour? Does the colour combination work or not? Does the colour combination make you feel happy, sad, energised, warm or cool?  Grab some colouring pencils and with the help of this printable sheet document the colour combo. http://www.nestofquilts.com/cheatsheets/qtzbyqkr45rftxtevyo4anz8xosnbx

Each season has it’s colour pallet, do you have a preference?

 2.      Either pick up some interior design magazines from the shop, library or op shop and look at how interior designers use colour combinations. Take note of the colour that “pops” in the images and how much of it they use. Great colours to use for “pop” are black, hot pink, orange, purple, lime green and white. 

 3.      Now that we have looked at colour and have hopefully re-ignited some creative interest let’s look at patterns.  Again let’s go back to nature, in the garden. Does the garden path, the highs and lows of the planting, the clouds create patterns? Do the windows of the buildings create patterns? Now start filling in the boxes, on the sheet you printed out in exercise 1,  with patterns, random lines, just doddles, don’t over think it, do it quickly maybe 2 or 3 minutes. Is there one you like, if so colour it in using one of the colour combinations from the above exercises.

 4.      Go to your fabric stash and put together some of those colour combinations you played with in exercise 2 and 3. Throw in a “pop” colour and see how it changes things? Hopefully you are starting to feel a little energised and are wanting to go beyond the theory and into the practical.

 5.      I have left this exercise till last because it is almost too obvious, look at Pinterest. But I am going to put some restriction of your search because we all know Pinterest can be overwhelming and the last thing we want is for you to find it all too much and lose interest. So only search for one type of quilt design eg black and white quilts, four patch quilts etc, you get the idea. Maybe step out of your comfort zone and search for art quilts or miniatures.  Only spend half an hour on this exercise, has anything caught your attention?  

 I hope this has been helpful and you are now wanting to grab the rotary cutter and launch into a new patchwork project or even maybe revisit a UFO with new enthusiasm.

 I find I revisit these exercises whenever I find myself in a creative rut, they help free up my mind to other possibilities.

 Good luck and happy sewing

Margaret

Patchwork, waste of time, no, no, no. Waste producing, yes, yes, yes.

Patchwork rubbish.
I love making patchwork quilts but it does produce a lot of rubbish. I used to just throw all my threads and tinny scraps into the bin and send it off to landfill. Then two years ago I stopped and thought about what I was doing and was horrified. Yes cotton does eventually decompose but during the decomposition process, textiles generate greenhouse methane gas and leach toxic chemicals and dyes into the groundwater and our soil. I realised I could not continue doing what I was doing. After doing some research I found a company that would take my scraps and recycle them. I have two companies in Australia -UPPAREL Australia and Textile Recycling Australia.

I have a box beside my sewing machine and as I cut threads of bits of fabric I drop them straight into the box. When the box is full, and I mean pushed down to the point where not another piece will fit in, I seal it up and organise a collection.

As patchworkers we already do our bit by using our fabrics until they are too small for even the smallest template, this is the next step, finding a way to recycle what is left. Hopefully there are companies near you that can help you reduce your textile waste.

Margaret

PS. After posting this blog I have had a lot of suggestions, from other patchworkers, as to how to use my scraps. The one I really like is using them to fill a pillow case to make beds for animals in shelters.

My top 5 holiday prep tips.

A little prep goes a long way

I am not really an App kind of person BUT these two I find just so helpful when prepping for holidays.

1.    PackTeo. This App suggests things you might need to pack under various heading eg documents, clothing, hygiene, first aid kit, electronics. You can also put items into the “Carry On Bag” section. There is a packing for children suggestion list too. You can personalise the list by add items to the lists as you think of them leading up to the time of actually packing. As you pack you tick of each item ensuring you leave nothing behind.

2.    Ulmon. Offline maps you can access when travelling. In the weeks leading up to departure you pin all the places of interest you want to visit on the city map. Then you can see the proximity of all the attraction so you can plan each day so you don’t miss a thing. Pin the attraction in each city and you are ready to go. Thank you, Heather, for introducing me to these two Apps.

3.    I like to buy a new scarf/wrap for my trip. The scarf can be a light blanket on the plane, a quick shoulder or head cover when going to a church or mosque or a wrap to jazz up a plain t shirt or little black dress. I tend to buy one with a few colours in it so it goes with everything.

4.    I like to prep my travel handbag early, then it is once less thing to do as the trip gets closer. Now I know everyone has their own idea about what constitutes a good handbag, but I will tell you what I love about mine. It has lots of pockets for starters. I always carry my passport in the outside pocket next to my body when I am at the airport. There are two smaller outside pockets on the other side, the top one always has lip balm, tissues, nail file and a small tube of hand cream. The bottom one has two pens, for filling out all the airport paperwork, and some zip ties for our suitcases. We are zip tie people rather than locks. In the main centre compartment of the bag I have my phone, book and glasses. My bag is starting to look a little worse for wear but as I have not found a replacement for it yet it will be coming with me on my next trip next month.

5.    Sewing of course, I am a patchworker after all. I sew at airports, on plane and trains. I like to take enough hand sewing so that I still have some for the flight home. Choosing the blocks and fabrics and cutting out the pieces can take some time so start early. I take all my blocks laid out in a Jen Kingswell Block Wrap so they are nicely contained and ready to be sewn.  Remember no scissors in your carry on but I have never had a problem with needles or pins.  

I love to travel and have missed it over the last two and a half years. In fact I had sort of forgotten how to prep for travel, writing this blog has reminded me that the prepping and anticipation of travel is half the fun.

Remember to “Travel with open eyes, an open heart and an open mind and you will be reward with unforgettable unique memories and experiences.”

Margaret

Same, same but different.

Really? No.

What do COVID and patchwork have in common????

Here we are in our 3rd year of COVID life, COVID restrictions and COVID same,same.

COVID has taught us how to be flexible, compassionate, and tolerant. But what do COVID and patchwork have in common you ask? Well let me explain.

1.      Reduced food intake.

COVID - one of the symptoms of COVID is nausea, it reduces your food intake.

Patchwork – you can get so involved with a project that before you know it is 4pm and you haven’t had lunch.

2.      Staying at home.

COVID – has kept us all at home for short and long periods over the last 2 years. Some of those stay-at-home periods have been because our government has restricted our movements, others have been self-inflicted to safeguard our health and others have been because unfortunately, we have had a close contact or worst we have had COVID.

Patchwork – when you are really into a sewing project you just want to stay home and sew, sew, sew.

3.      Use what you have at hand.

COVID – at times we have not been able to get to the shops, so we have had to make do with whatever is in the pantry and fridge.

Patchwork – a good size fabric stash came in very handy when the patchwork shops were closed ie using what you have at hand.

4.      Increased energy and enthusiasm.

COVID – in our first and second lockdowns I took the opportunity, and was enthused, to clean out draws and cupboards, wash curtains, do a good “Spring” clean. I really achieved.

Patchwork – at the same time I took the opportunity to finish a few UFO’s, start a couple of, and finish, some new quilts and use up some of my stash.

5.      It is here to stay so we learn to live with it.

COVID – unfortunately I think COVID is here to stay for a bit longer.

Patchwork – once you have the patchwork bug is very hard to shake, if you want to, which I do not. My family has had to learn to live with fabric in various rooms in the house, quilt tops laid out on beds, late dinners because I can’t stop sewing and holidays designed around patchwork shop’s locations. They may complain about it all but they never complain about the finished quilt that suddenly appears on their bed to keep them warm on Winter nights.

As a patchworker I hope you can relate. Happy sewing, stay safe and stay healthy.

Margaret

To press or not to press, that is the question.

To press or not to press, that is the question.

Up until recently I had always thought it was best to press your sewing as you went along. But I think I have been on the wrong track.

I think if you are machine piecing it is a good idea to press as it makes it easier to match up points and seams.

I do a lot of hand piecing and I have only just realised it is best to leave the pressing until the block is finished (a small iron is very handy for this job). If you do this it allows you to spin your seams which reduces the bulk at points. If you are not sure what I mean by this I have included a photo. It also means you can press a seam open if that will give you a better look on the front of the block.

Which brings me to the old rule” always press to the dark side”. A great rule but not always practical. For example if spinning your seams, as mentioned above, you may well be pressing half of the seams to the dark side and half to the light. So there is a decision to be made , stick to a rule or have less bulk and a flatter, crisper block. Sometimes you get a better result, on a straight seam, if you press the seam open.

It really all comes down to minimising bulk and what gives you the best result on the front of the block.

Have a play, see where you sit re press as you go or wait till the block is finished. Whichever you decide remember when it comes to patchwork you are pressing not ironing, ironing can stretch your fabric and thereby change the size of your block, even by only a little but it could be enough to make life difficult when piecing finished blocks together.

We are only a few days to Christmas 2021 and still life and the World is topsy turvy with Covid and it’s latest variant. I hope you have a safe festive time and may 2022 be a year of sewing and creativity.

Margaret

Why is patchwork so popular?

Antique quilt

Why oh why is patchwork so popular.

Very good question. Is there a definitive answer? I don’t know but here are my thoughts.

It was popular years ago because it filled a domestic need, to keep you warm on cold winter’s nights in a home that possible was very drafty. Quilts were made from left over fabric from worn clothes, seed bags etc so cheap to make and all the requirements were on hand. Necessity made it popular.

Fast forward to today. Quilts still fulfil their primary purpose, keep us warm but they do so much more now. We now buy fabric specifically for a quilt, we have access to patterns, batting and sewing machines. So yes we can, if we choose, make them quicker and easier that our for-fathers but why do we still make quilts when we could go out and buy them.

We, like those patchworkers that have gone before us, want to express our creativity. A lot of what we do, on a daily basis, we repeat over and over again eg we wash dirty clothes, hang them on the line, fold them, then they are worn again and need washing again. On and on and on it goes. We make a quilt and it stays made. Our creativity, talent and love is there for all to see. There is a saying “ it’s cheaper than therapy” and yes it is and you have a quilt to comfort you, win, win.

Patchwork is mindful, calming, fulfilling in a time when we all seem to be busy, rushing around chasing our tails. Maybe it’s popularity stems from a need to slow ourselves down, enjoy the moment and be mindful and if anyone asks ”you are sewing” and that is being productive, not wasting time or being self-indulgent. Oh if only they knew how totally self-indulgent half an hours sewing really is, just me and my fabric, priceless.

So why is patchwork so popular? Because it is the perfect self-help, me time, share with like-minded friends craft, that results in a functional item of home decor. Do you think the husband will buy that explanation when I next come home with new fabric to add to my already extensive collection? Probably not but as long as I have the patchwork bug/passion I will continue to make quilts and give quilts because they are beautiful and functional, but most importantly beautiful.

 

Marg

5 quick exercises to get your patchwork mojo back.

I’ve lost my patchwork mojo; how do I get it back?

It has happened to all of us at some point, I think.

So what do you do when you have lost interest in patchwork and still have a room full of fabrics? Well one thing is for sure you need to find your mojo and get sewing again.

Here are 4 exercises to re-ignite your creativity or just get you feeling a little differently.

1.      Look at colour. Walk outside, stop and close your eyes. Take a deep breathe, open your    eyes, what is the first colour you see? Now look at the colours around that first colour. Do the surrounding colours contrast or compliment that first colour? Does the colour combination work or not? Does the colour combination make you feel happy, sad, energised, warm or cool?  Grab some colouring pencils and with the help of this printable sheet document the colour combo. http://www.nestofquilts.com/cheatsheets/qtzbyqkr45rftxtevyo4anz8xosnbx

Each season has it’s colour pallet, do you have a preference?

 2.      Either pick up some interior design magazines from the shop, library or op shop and look at how interior designers use colour combinations. Take note of the colour that “pops” in the images and how much of it they use. Great colours to use for “pop” are black, hot pink, orange, purple, lime green and white. 

 3.      Now that we have looked at colour and have hopefully re-ignited some creative interest let’s look at patterns.  Again let’s go back to nature, in the garden. Does the garden path, the highs and lows of the planting, the clouds create patterns? Do the windows of the buildings create patterns? Now start filling in the boxes, on the sheet you printed out in exercise 1,  with patterns, random lines, just doddles, don’t over think it, do it quickly maybe 2 or 3 minutes. Is there one you like, if so colour it in using one of the colour combinations from the above exercises.

 4.      Go to your fabric stash and put together some of those colour combinations you played with in exercise 2 and 3. Throw in a “pop” colour and see how it changes things? Hopefully you are starting to feel a little energised and are wanting to go beyond the theory and into the practical.

 5.      I have left this exercise till last because it is almost too obvious, look at Pinterest. But I am going to put some restriction of your search because we all know Pinterest can be overwhelming and the last thing we want is for you to find it all too much and lose interest. So only search for one type of quilt design eg black and white quilts, four patch quilts etc, you get the idea. Maybe step out of your comfort zone and search for art quilts or miniatures.  Only spend half an hour on this exercise, has anything caught your attention?  

 I hope this has been helpful and you are now wanting to grab the rotary cutter and launch into a new patchwork project or even maybe revisit a UFO with new enthusiasm.

 I find I revisit these exercises whenever I find myself in a creative rut, they help free up my mind to other possibilities.

 Good luck and happy sewing

Margaret

Do I have enough? Just one more?

I recently listened to an American Patchwork and Quilting podcast about how patchworkers travel, and it got me thinking. In the podcast they talked about buying fabric, at your destination, that reflects the destination, about taking sewing with you to do in the car, plane and at the destination and about planning your holiday around quilt shops.

Ahh travel, a thing of the past thanks to COVID but I am hopeful to be able to travel again next year even if only within Australia.

As I have mentioned in a previous blog I have made several quilts about holiday destinations I have been to but there is still a problem I ponder each time I am getting ready to go on holiday, “how much sewing should I take or need?” The last thing I want to happen is to run out of sewing and find myself on a 6 hour train journey and no sewing.

Is the calculation 1 block per day or per week or 1 per plane trip or 1 per train trip. I know what you are saying “you can never have too much so just prep more”. But there is the issue of packing it and keeping it organised when you are packing and unpacking when traveling.

So what do I do? Firstly the calculation very much depends on what sort of a holiday you are going on, but I would usually prep at least one block per day and 2 to 4 for the travel to and from. When we Australian’s travel overseas we are usually on the plane for many hours.

When it comes to packing and keeping it all organised, I have a secret weapon, Jen Kingswell’s Block Wrap, https://www.jenkingwelldesigns.com/jens-block-wrap . It has room to lay out 6 blocks, keeps them tidy and ready to be sewn. As you finish a block take if out and lay out the next block therefore you always have 6 blocks at the ready.  The rest of my block pieces I keep in letter size envelopes, well labelled and held together with a sturdy bulldog clip. Needles, tiny cutter and pins are all in a small needle wallet. I then put all these into a well labelled packing cell, neat, tidy and very easy to find in the suitcase.

I have photos of me sewing in all sorts of holiday destination eg Machu Picchu, Antarctica, Uluru. I have had to go into the hotel laundry to iron my block while staff watched on and I have finger pressed many a block until I could access an iron. It has all been fun and I think of all those experiences and places when I look at the blocks.  

I hope this has given you some ideas for your next trip.

Here’s to travel and prepping our sewing and packing it lovingly ready for the big day, departure day.

Happy sewing wherever you are

Margaret

I sometimes cheat, do you?

I sometimes cheat, do you?

I love tips and hacks that make my life easier, whether it’s cleaning, cooking and especially sewing. I believe if there is an easier way of doing something that gives you the same result embrace it. Is that cheating or just being smart with your time? I think definitely the latter.

I also love patchwork blocks on point, like the one below. I love the different pattern that is created when you flip a block onto it’s point. But there is a little more maths involved in this layout than a straight horizontal layout.

So with that in mind I decided to spend a little bit of time now to save time later. I have created a free downloadable cheat sheet for the set-in-triangles and corner triangles for on-point quilt layouts. I have done the maths from 4-inch blocks to 14-inch blocks.

Head over to the “Cheat Sheets” page, on my website, to download the chart for free, I keep mine in a resource folder as well as on my computer, so it is at hand whether I am at home or on a sewing weekend away.

I hope you find the cheat sheet helpful.

Happy sewing

Margaret