Free November Calendar

I really wish this year would slow down; November is almost here and I'm starting to sew/plan Christmas gifts, make Christmas cakes and stash goodies away for the festive season. Its also time for your free November calendar:

This months featured quilt, Star Cluster Mini Quilt, you have seen before (and its been downloaded, shared, pinned, sewn etc soooooo many times......thank you, thank you) but I decided to share it again, in case your looking for something to make as a Christmas gift.
I'm about to sew one of these for Cohen's teacher for her Christmas gift. She has taught him for the last two years and she has been an amazing teacher who has given him so many wonderful opportunities and really prepared him for his "big" transition to High School next year. We will definitely miss her and we truly appreciate her dedication, her encouragement and her support. She gives so much to her kids.......they all love her :)
The quote I have chosen for this month, really resonates at this time of year, as we begin our Christmas preparations. It's a season for giving and sharing and a homemade, heartfelt gift says it all.
To download and print your free November calendar, just visit HERE.
And if you missed it before, to download the free Star Cluster Mini Quilt, just visit HERE.
Happy November to you and your family :)

Chatelaine- Free BOW Sampler Quilt Block 2

Thanks so much for participating in my BOW Sampler Quilt. The patterns will remain on my blog indefinitely, so if you fall behind or start late, you can complete Chatelaine at your own pace :)  I'm sure we will have lots of fun and I'm looking forward to seeing these quilts come together. There's already some gorgeous blocks on the Instagram hashtag (#chatelainebow) so make sure you check them out and upload your blocks as well. Ok, are you ready for Block 2?

This is just one of the many variations of the classic block, Road to Oklahoma. The basic design for this block was included in the "Ladies Art Company Catalogue" in the late nineteenth century and its one of my favorites. Again we are using cute little 4 Patches and some HST's to piece this quick and easy block. Hope you enjoy sewing this weeks block :)
To download and print the free pattern, just visit HERE.

Fabric Choices:

Sampler quilts, not only help to you improve or learn new techniques but they give you to opportunity to play with different fabrics and colour placements.  You can change the whole effect of a block by altering the fabric placement, as we saw in Block One with the reversal of the light and dark fabrics.

Use my patterns as a guide and don't be afraid to play around with colour placement or introduce colours that are out of your comfort zone. Every block is its own masterpiece, so make sure that each one truly shines :)

Poinsettia

According to 16th century legend, Pepita, a young Mexican girl, too poor to provide a gift for the celebration of Jesus' birthday, was encouraged by an angel to gather weeds from the roadside and place them in front of the church altar. The weeds began to sprout crimson blossoms and transformed into gorgeous Poinsettia flowers.
Poinsettias are synonymous with Christmas and are popular decorations worldwide. Their star shaped flowers represent the Christmas Star and they symbolise good cheer and success and are said to bring wishes of mirth and celebration. They were also the inspiration for my newest mini quilt design, Poinsettia:

I love the deep, rich traditional colours on this one. I have incorporated the Christmas Star within the flower and I love how it turned out. This mini measures approx. 16" square and works well as a wall hanging but it could also be used as a table topper, or you could use it as a cushion front.
No need to worry about set in seams, its all pieced using HST's and flying geese units so it's quick and easy to construct and the saw tooth border finishes it off simply yet effectively.

Poinsettia is available, in my shop HERE, as a PDF pattern for the special Christmas price of $2.95 (AUS). Once purchase has been made, I will email (ASAP) your file so please allow for time differences etc.
As a little bonus, I have also designed some Christmas gift tags and you will find these at the end of your pattern file, ready to print:

Just something to add a little fun to your Christmas presents this year :)
I hope you love Poinsettia, it has been a fun mini quilt to design and sew and it will be a welcome addition to our Christmas decorating this year :)

Chatelaine- Free BOW Sampler Quilt Block One

Sampler quilts have been popular since the mid 1800's and there are so many gorgeous patterns to chose from/admire and sew. They are an excellent way to use up your scraps or small cuts of fabric and as you piece together each block you improve or learn new sewing skills. They are also one of my all time favorite quilts to make :)
As I have been working on (and stashing away) some sampler blocks, I decided that it would be fun to offer a Free Block Of The Week Program where together we could work on a lovely sampler quilt which I'm calling Chatelaine:

Every Wednesday I will publish a new block pattern as a PDF file for you to download. Each file will include a coloured diagram,cutting and piecing instructions plus any required full size templates. I will also include photos, tips and tutorials where applicable to assist in constructing your blocks.
The blocks will be a selection of my favorites (or my own adapted version) and the difficulty level will vary from week to week. I will also offer a final layout for the quilt, (including borders) as the weeks progress or you are free to chose a layout of your own. Even if you chose not to participate in the full sampler quilt, you can collect each block pattern and use them as a reference for other projects you may have planned in the future.
The blocks will finish at 6" square (6 1/2" unfinished) and for my quilt, I have chosen to use a mix of my favorite Bonnie and Camille fabrics and some lovely white homespun.
For the first week, I have chosen the gorgeous Milky Way block:

This block is a variation of the popular Friendship Star block and it is a great example of the reversal effect of light and dark fabrics. It's a quick and easy block to piece and you only need to chose two or three fabrics to get started.
To download and print the free PDF pattern, just go HERE.
If you chose to participate and you use Instagram, post a picture with the hashtag #chatelainebow to share your completed blocks with me and others. You can also grab the Chatelaine button from my sidebar to share with your readers, on your own blog by copying and pasting the HTML code into a "Gadget" on your blog layout.
Have fun with the first block and happy piecing :)

Mini Mania

I think we all love a mini quilt. They are super quick to make and lots of fun to sew. While I'm working on larger projects, its nice to deviate (aka procrastinate) a little and have a "quick finish". It keeps me motivated and focused and I'm rewarded with a instant sense of accomplishment.

When I saw this free mini birthday cake pattern from Lori Holt of Bee In My Bonnet, I just had to make one and it was just the "quick finish" I needed :) I love this pattern and it would make a gorgeous gift.......I will definitely be making more soon, for some upcoming birthdays.
I've also got a magazine project coming up and I chose to design a mini quilt:

Just a little sneak peek for now but the magazine is due for release in the next few weeks so I can share more. I used the leftover fabrics from my Asteria quilt for this project, as they are just gorgeous and I have loved working with them :) Thanks again Helen :)
And finally I'm working on a Christmas Mini quilt which will be ready for release soon. This has been a fun mini to design and as I love lots of pieces, I've managed to cram lots into such a small project :) Stay tuned for that one and in the meantime I really should get back to my new (full size) quilt design, no matter how much fun I'm having with these adorable minis :)

Halloween Subway Art

I love Subway Art; simply pop it in a frame, gather together a few props and it becomes a quick and easy decoration for any spot in your home. With Halloween fast approaching, I decided to design a free printable for you to use as part of your decorating:

I've teamed mine with a mini pumpkin and some Banksia Rose flowers from my garden but it would also look great next to your candy bowl or a carved pumpkin or whatever you have on hand as you set the Halloween theme this spooky season.

Simply download your free PDF file HERE, print the entire page on to a medium cardstock, trim around the Subway Art and its ready to pop into a 8"x 10" picture frame, for you and your family to enjoy this Halloween.
Happy Trick or Treating :)

Mini Banoffee Tarts

I rarely cook desserts but when I do, they have to be decadent. Last night I made some Mini Banoffee Tarts:

These little tarts are lush, super sweet and ohhhh so yummy! We have embraced clean eating and when cooking meals, I am quite adept at substituting a healthier option ingredient but with desserts or baking, I just wont compromise :)

These little tarts are quick and easy to make and we enjoyed them so much that I decided to share the recipe with you:

Either right click the recipe image and save to your files or you can download the PDF version HERE to save and print later.
Hope you enjoy!!! :)

Busy as Bees :)

"To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow" - Audrey Hepburn

Spring is my favorite time of the year; there's a promise of new beginnings and it's a symbol of rebirth. It's time to leave our long winter hibernation and reacquaint ourselves with the sights, sounds and smells of our surroundings.

It's school holidays here at the moment and we are enjoying a different kind of "busy". Our days are filled with replanting, feeding, watering and nurturing our little promises for tomorrow.

We gather outdoors to sit and enjoy the warmth of the sun, amid the chatter of birds or the buzzing of bees; sipping our coffees, reading our books or working on some hand stitching. And we breathe, we recharge, we appreciate the simple abundance that is our life before we head into the last few hectic months of the year.

I like this kind of "busy" the best :)