BossyOz

After more than ten years I've decided to cancel the bossyoz.com domain, so from 1 APRIL 2022 you'll find me at the free website address  https://bossyoz.blogspot.com/ . In fact, EVERYTHING on my website is ALREADY on blogspot/blogger, but I've got the bossyoz.com domain showing as the address so there is no exporting / importing to be done. I'll check internal links after the shift, but fingers crossed all should work smoothly.  To confirm, my patterns, external blogs and quilting & sewing t-shirts remain in their usual places as below.  ACTION: Please update your bookmark to  https://bossyoz.blogspot.com/ BossyOz: Useful links BOOKS, PLANNERS & T-SHIRTS FOR SALE: Quilt Block Designer Journal - 24 blocks (4 pages per block):  https://amzn.to/3vWUjY1 Quilt Block Planner - 40 blocks (2 pages per block):  https://amzn.to/2Qi7T7E Quilting and sewing t-shirts:  https://amzn.to/3lRv0Sx UK Quilters United by a common thread, edited by Julie Passey,...

I have designed a few different quilting and sewing related t-shirts which are available for sale on Amazon UK (a select few are on Amazon US too). Below are some of them.  Quilting and sewing related Sew far sew good.  Woman, man and youth fits. Available in ten different colours. White text, lighter / colourful t-shirts,  https://amzn.to/2XrjoNU Patch by patch quilters create loving hugs . Available in 24 different colour combinations. Woman, man and youth fits. (£2 per sale goes to Quilts for Care Leavers, Q4CL ) White text, darker t-shirts,  https://amzn.to/3eASvO1 Blue text, lighter t-shirts,  https://amzn.to/3lgPdk6 White text, long sleeved t-shirts,  https://amzn.to/3tk0R0t Sewing Granny, Quilting Granny and Granny's Little Helper . 10 different colours for each of the Granny designs and nine for the little helper. Woman / youth fits. Sewing Granny,  https://amzn.to/2Xwc1Vz Quilting Granny,  https://amzn.to/3xJFpE8 Granny's Little Helper,...

I've had some fun when I created two quilt block patterns with people on them. These are the two base blocks which you can get from my shops. Both blocks have a dress (short or long) and a trouser outfit (jumper or suit / dinner jacket).  By mixing the two quilt block patterns and adjusting the hair styles, a wide selection of blocks can be created. You can keep with traditional woman and man, or mix it up as you like. Below are some of mine; I'd love to see what you make, so please tag your makes with the hashtag #alltogethernowquilt and #bossyozpatterns so I can find them.  https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/alltogethernowquilt/ Get the two base patterns:  LINK to my Payhip shop   LINK to my UKQU shop - currently £1 off!

The Quilt Block Planner is now live on Amazon globally and it has space for a whopping 40 quilt block designs  Similar to the Quilt Block Designer (link below), the Quilt Block Planner is for 12" x 12" (or 6" x 6" blocks if you like 1/2" grid lines!!).  The main difference is that the Quilt Block Planner has two pages per block (a 12x12 grid page and a notes page) which means that this version includes space for creating and documenting 40 blocks in each notebook.  Direct links to my notebooks / journals:  Quilt Block Designer Journal - 24 blocks (4 pages per block):  https://amzn.to/3vWUjY1 Quilt Block Planner Notebook - 40 blocks (2 pages per block):  https://amzn.to/2Qi7T7E Other quilting related things I sell on Amazon: Quilting and sewing t-shirts:  https://amzn.to/3lRv0Sx UK Quilters United by a common thread, edited by Julie Passey,  https://amzn.to/3w0PSeu UK Quilters United by a second thread, edited by Nina Danielsson,  https:/...

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 ,...

The reproduction of the first book by and about UK Quilters United is now available on Amazon. Three formats are available; Kindle (text only) Paperback (text only) Paperback (full colour version including images and pattern)

Did you know that there is a book about UK Quilters United? Yes, it is true. There is a book about us! Amazon Kindle and Paperback versions Three years ago Julie Passey, one of our Facebook members, together with over 100 writers created a book by and about UK Quilters United. A limited print run of only 100 copies were created and sold to members for them to keep or to be given away as gifts to likeminded people. The original book cover It is absolutely amazing that the original Facebook group has grown from two complete strangers (Juliet and Nina) to well over 15,000 members, not to forget that we also have an incredible website since a year back, thanks to Sylvia! With an aim to try to document the journey UK Quilters United has been on, we are currently in the planning phase of a new book. To give more people a chance to read the original stories and to encourage everyone to contribute a story to our second book, Julie has kindly given us permission to reprodu...

I have decided to add a small amount of PDF patterns to a new Payhip shop - www.payhip.com/bossyoz . So far I have added patterns for a memory cushion, which also would be lovely as a Valentine's Day gift (it would definitely last longer than flowers!), an easter egg template and my very popular pushchair / stroller / buggy footmuff pattern and tutorial.

Almost 30 of the volunteer bloggers for the ukqu.co.uk website came together for the first time in real life at the weekend. Many of us have been blogging and 'met' each other online for the last year, but this was the first time most of us met in person.  Fabric Club by Karen Lewis Textiles I decided to focus my weekend on making something with the lovely fabrics I have been sent during the year as a subscriber to the Fabric Club run by Karen of Karen Lewis Textiles . I arrived to the retreat by train (!) and was rather restricted on what I could bring. Luckily one of the other retreat goers offered me to use one of her spare machines, and she even picked me up from the train station close to the venue. Quilters are SUCH great persons!  Not knowing how well the borrowed machine and I would get on, I decided to make free-hand-ish blocks with curves. The machine was a beauty!! I had a very good run and managed to complete a very bright top using most of ...

With the colder season upon us in the northern hemisphere, I have lowered the price for the footmuff pattern and tutorial to just £2. The instructions include a generic size to make, as well as take you through how to make one that fits exactly to the size of your own buggy / pushchair / stroller. Make sure you fill in your email address correctly. Once your payment has been approved, a link will be displayed so you can download the PDF immediately. You'll also receive an email confirming your order (please check spam/junk). Useful links My  original blog post  with reviews (2011):  http://www.bossyoz.com/2011/08/tutorial-cosytoe-footmuff-bunting-bag.html Updated blog post  (2018)  http://www.bossyoz.com/2018/06/refresh-of-footmuff-pattern.html Link to  shop  location:  https://ukqu.co.uk/shop/patterns-4/footmuff-for-pushchair-pdf-downloadable-pattern-and-tutorial/ Other names: cosytoe, footmuff, bunting bag, pushchair bag

The miniature football made with Liberty of London fabric is finally finished. It is just slightly larger than a Pink Lady Apple and will most likely be used a key ring / backpack decoration. Download the templates: It uses 12 pentagon shapes and 20 hexagon shapes and you can download a pdf for free over on UKQU (no need to register, just fill in your email address).  Download here (if you can't see it, please click Free Patterns)

If you have been really bored, you may have found out that a typical football consists of 20 hexagons and 12 pentagons. I say ‘typical’ football, as the older ones were made up of rectangular-ish shapes and the latest one used for the World Cup is actually made up of six cleverly interlinked panels. But this make is for a ball consisting of hexagons and pentagons. Lots of left-over hexagons? I believe there are many like me, who have lots of basted hexagons not yet used in a project. Find 20 of them, measure the side and create 12 pentagons to match. Add toy stuffing and you can make a football. For this particular ball, the recipient decided she wanted to be able to hang it on her bag; hence we added a ribbon when sewing the shapes together. I found that you can turn and stuff the football through just one of the pentagons (1 inch sides). Free pattern Head over to my shop to download the free template and brief instructions. The PDF file includes the full set o...

= = =   Currently £4   = = = Almost seven years ago, I posted a tutorial of sorts, showing how you can make your own customised footmuff (also known as cosytoe, bunting bag, pushchair bag, etc). It has by far been my most popular post, attracting over 50k hits. After receiving a request to contribute to the Baby Feature (#babyfeatureUKQU) on the UKQU website , I have now updated the tutorial and turned it into a downloadable PDF pattern with images explaining the various steps of the process. As usual, it has taken longer to get the pattern and tutorial written up than actually making the item itself! Feedback on  my original tutorial  can be found in the comments section on the original post. Get your copy of the pattern To make your own customised footmuff, please head over to my UKQU shop ; whilst you are there, don’t miss the opportunity to also download some of my free patterns to make the UKQU logo (appliqué and FPP); just make sure you cli...

The amazing hand made pall which she was the driving force behind Hand flower including hexagon Vila i frid / rest in peace