BossyOz

I prefer working on paper when coming up with new designs for quilt blocks; it just feels more tangible seeing it all on a page! Also, it means I get time away from the screen. Working up over a dozen of designs recently I realised it would be much nicer to have them all in one book, rather than using random sheets of paper and sticking them in binders (or, more likely, misplacing them somewhere along the way). I am already an Amazon author (after publishing the two books for UK Quilters United*), so I decided to look into the option of creating my own quilt designer notebook. After a bit of playing around and trying different designs, I settled on layout and content to capture my design ideas whilst at the same time allowing space for notes and cutting instructions.  As many quilters seem to love purple, I decided on the colour of the cover and when searching for images I stumbled on the image to use.  Quilt Block Designer journal is now live I am pleased to say that the jour...

I am eagerly awaiting the Garden Flower Blog Hop quilt top to come back from the longarmer. So far I haven't got any timings, only that it'll be added to the queue when it arrives (which it as according to the Royal Mail tracking).  Free patterns If you'd like to make your own garden flower inspired quilt, please have a look at the following links for free patterns, all compiled by me for UK Quilters United; Improv flowers: https://ukqu.co.uk/ninas-improv-flower-block-gfbh2020/ Foundation paper pieced flowers: https://ukqu.co.uk/ninas-fpp-flower-block-gfbh2020/ Various other blocks: https://ukqu.co.uk/ideas-for-additional-blocks-gfbh2020/ For all patterns in the UKQU Garden Flower Blog Hop series, please visit https://ukqu.co.uk/blocks-of-the-month/the-garden-flowers-blog-hop-2020/

Free, easy PDF pattern to download Having created the pattern for this easy quilt, I hesitated before naming it as I wanted to ensure I gave it a correct name. I was planning to call it something with 'Rail Fence', but some searching online made me realise that not all quilt patterns with strips arranged into squares are called Rail Fence! More than one Rail Fence The one consisting of just  two  rectangular pieces in each sub-block is usually referred to as Streak of Lightning (or Endless Stair) block. Using three rectangular pieces in each sub-block and you need to refer to the block as a Roman Square. Finally, the block with four strips, is the one which is actually called Rail Fence.  The free pattern So, with that out of the way, it's time to show you the quilt top I made using my Roman Rail Fence pattern (see what i did there?). The sub-blocks consist of three rectangular pieces sewn together to create a flow of red and orange 'stairs' throughout the quilt,...

  I am not very good a resisting funny, sweet or cool t-shirts and recently I have had a chance to design some of my own.  The 'Patch by patch quilters create loving hugs' design as shown above was inspired by the Quilts for Care Leavers project which I've been involved in to and from since the start. The foundation paper pieced flower in the design is a pattern which I am working on for a September feature on the UK Quilters United website .   To see many more of my quilting related designs (most of them available in men, women and youth; and in up to ten different colours), please head over to Amazon -  direct link to my designs .

Hair scrunchies With girls around, it seems that one can never have too many hair scrunchies! They are super easy to make with jelly roll strips and some elastics! ( Instructions on UK Quilters United ) Odds & sods bags Perfect little bag for storing some nappies, wet wipes, spare set of clothes and a small cuddly toy. You can make these fully reversible bags with two Fat Quarters. ( Instructions on UK Quilters United ) Art work display To avoid making wholes in the walls in our rental space, I made this art work display by using some hand printed charm squares. Once folded in half and sewn together, I filled them with dried yellow peas. ( Instructions on UK Quilters United )

I love reading and I always like to try new types of books, as well as new authors. As a result of this  I started a BOOK CLUB for QUILTERS, back in 2018. During a few months, when I was too busy, another quilter stepped in and selected the books, but I have been back selecting books for a while now.  Every month a quilting related book is selected and posted on our website, ukqu.co.uk , around the 20th of the month before. This is to allow everyone plenty of time to get hold of the books as sometimes they are only available second hand. There are quite a few prolific quilting novel writers with Jennifer Chiaverini probably the most well-known. We have only picked one of her books for the book club, as there are so many others who are less well known.  During the last two years we have read books by a wide variety of authors. The complete list is below; The Last Runaway  by  Tracy Chevalier  ( info ) Sew Deadly  by  Elizabeth Lynn Casey...

It is almost a year since I kicked off the UKQO Book Club with Tracy Chevalier's The Runaway and arranged for us to work with British Patchwork and Quilting to announce the books. After I had selected the books for the first three months, Arlene was kind enough to carry my late-night idea forward for a few months, but recently she's had to focus on other things and we put the Book Club on hold. The books selected during 2018 were; April:  The Last Runaway , Tracy Chevalier -  my review May:  Sew Deadly , Elizabeth Lynn Casey -  my review June:  The forgotten seamstress , Liz Trenow -  my review July:  The quilter’s apprentice , Jennifer Chiaveverinu (selected by Arlene) August:  Alias Grace , Margaret Attwood (selected by Arlene) September:  To Scotland with love , Patience Griffin (selected by Arlene) October:  Quilt as desired , Arlene Sachitao (selected by Arlene) November:  Happenstance ,...