SALE!

Pumpkin Coasters digital pattern booklet is on sale in my SHOP until Monday. Get yours this weekend & quilt a crop of coaster for Halloween!

Don't forget to enter the code PUMPKINPATCH25 at checkout to receive 25% off.

Enjoy your afternoon tea & quilted crafts :o)

Lantern Coasters

The Lantern Coasters pattern is now available in my SHOP!

This paper-piecing pattern is a great way to use up all your fabric scraps. Make one lantern coaster or a string of five!

I have rated Lantern Coaters 4 out of 5 buttons due to the fact that this is a paper-piecing pattern. If you have paper-pieced before then this pattern will be easy for you.

If this is your first time, step-by-step instructions show my paper-piecing technique. If you have any questions along the way, please contact me and I will be happy to help you.

For the glowing lantern effect, make sure you have three different tonal groups graduating from the lightest at the centre and working out to the darkest section. The template clearly shows the three sections.

Download this digital PDF pattern, print it out, assemble it into a little pattern booklet, and have fun sewing! PatchworkPottery patterns include metric conversion chart, stitches & terms section, illustrated step-by-step instructions, and full size templates.

Enjoy your afternoon tea & quilted crafts :o)

Teacup Coaster & an Owl

I didn't really decide to sew a tiny coaster on the hottest day of the year in my attic studio... it just happened!

I needed something to put under my ice water to soak up the droplets dribbling down the sides of my jar. I have a bunch of mug rugs but I wanted something smaller this time, and I wanted to include a little teacup applique because (believe it or not) I don't have anything with a teacup!

I tried a few decorative stitches on my machine but only the last two flowers were aligned even though they came out perfectly on the scrap. A few years back I would have picked out every tiny stitch of that row and re-sewed it but I'm slowly challenging my perfectionism. Besides, the coaster is only for me... and it was way too hot up there to stay a moment longer than needed!

I'm currently working on a new owl ornament pattern requested by Kay who has made over 100 of my bird ornaments and wanted another simple animal or bird ornament pattern to give as gifts. It's tough to come up with something new when it has already been done so many different ways. I think I've made an owl that is my style... I was thinking about calling it "Owl on a Stick" but it will probably end up just being called "Owl Ornament".

What do you think of my owl?

It has been so hot the past few days. I have been meeting my friend Jana at the air-conditioned cafe down the street for some mindless colouring in the squelching hot afternoon heat!

The vegetables in my garden aren't complaining, neither are the plums or grapes. And when It's time to water the garden, half the water ends up on me!

Enjoy your afternoon tea ice water & quilted crafts :o)

Colourful Autumn

Here are a few photos of my colourful Autumn. Some from Halloween...

Some of a quilt I'm making for myself based loosely on the Colorbrick quilt tutorial by Rachel of Stitched in Color. Working in these brighter colours was exciting & fun and the quilt is already making me happy :o) My plan is to quilt a double line around each brick and hand-embroider a running stitch between the lines in various colours but that seems like a LOT of work because there are 108 bricks!

A new chair from Ikea. Oh how I love gingham! I may eventually paint the base white.

And a rainbow CoffeeMug pouch I made for Krista when my friend Sonja & I went to see her quilt show at Island Quilter on Vashon near Seattle. The show was awesome and Krista's quilting never ceases to amaze and inspire me. Island Quilter was floor-to-ceiling walls of bright rainbow fabrics! I bought some organically patterned fabrics and began designing a butterfly quilt as Sonja & I drank chai & sketched at a local cafe. It was such a fun road trip and I can't wait to do it again! (some photos courtesy of Sonja)

Some coasters for the Vancouver Modern Quilt Guild table at Got Craft? and some rainbow cupcakes I made for my daughter's birthday.

Enjoy your afternoon tea & quilted crafts :o)

Published Again!

I'm very excited to be published in two more books this year! My Nesting Boxes have made it to the front cover of Zakka Style by Stash Books coming in December. Thank you Rashida for inviting me to be part of your book! I already love it and can't wait to see more!

I also designed this "New Home" coaster set for Countdown Calendars also by Stash Books which came out in June. These decorative coasters would make a great gift for a friend who is moving. Numbers are appliqued on the backs of the coasters so they can be flipped to count down the days until moving into their new home.

Enjoy your afternoon tea & quilted crafts :o)

Mug Rugs

In September I joined an online Mug Rug swap. You may ask the same question I did, "What is a Mug Rug"? Well, it's like a quilted potholder... a special place to put your cup of tea with room for treats!

The Scrappy Mug Rug Swap was lots of fun! 125 crafters signed up and each had a different secret partner. We received a list of our partner's likes & dislikes from our swap mama and then we had to be sly & cunning to learn more about what our partner liked without letting them know!

Lots of design photos were posted, comments given, guesses and hopes as to which mug rug we would receive! Take a look at all the wonderful Mug Rugs in the Scrappy Mug Rug Swap flickr group.

My partner liked linen, pink and charcoal as well as teapots and teacups! From the comments on flickr, I learnt that she liked the first design in the softer pink colourway.

She also liked the checkered button from the second colourway and adored the backing fabric which is why I decided to make a matching napkin so she could actually see it!

It travelled all the way to Rose in Australia. Rose says, "I'll be thinking of you when I have a cup of 4 o'clock tea with my napkin while admiring my mug rug safely on the wall!"

Here is the second mug rug design in the other colourway. I was really happy how this one turned out too! I worked on it at the weekend quilting retreat but left the binding for home after finding a tiny piece of the stripey fabric in my scraps. I knew it would be perfect and that I had some in my stash!

I bought these lovely Spring fabrics at Quilted Treasures in Coquitlam. I used the pretty green on the right for the backing fabric.

And last but not least...

The absolutely fabulous Mug Rugs that I received from France! Yup, not only one mug rug, but TWO!!! And teacups! What could be more perfect :o) Thank you so much Sylvie! See how they match our mugs perfectly!

Sylvie's 5 year old daughter made a special lavender house sachet for Claire. She was thrilled to receive something from across the seas and enjoyed seeing the photo of Charlotte sewing the sachet. She loves the smell and takes it to bed with her! Thank you so much:o)

Enjoy your afternoon tea & quilted crafts :o)