Happy New Year!

A Brand New Year for Sewing

I hope everyone had a relaxing and enjoyable Christmas and New Year with family and friends.  I know I did!

I have been working very hard over the past week designing and creating new projects for a new pattern release.

So far I have designed a table runner, a project bag, a rotary cutter/scissor bag, a cushion, a pen roll, a pin cushion and am now working on a handbag.  Great fun to have the time to design and sit and sew until it is finished!

Here is a sneak peak of the project bag and matching rotary cutter bag:

Here is a look at the front of the cushion- hand quilting still in progress:

The patterns for these projects and the rest will be released very soon.

Regards,

Katrina

"Homespun" Profile

My Profile in "Homespun" Magazine

I have just received my copy of Universal Magazines' "Homespun", Issue Number 115, Volume 13, Number 12.

This is a special issue celebrating the 200th anniversary of the publication of Jane Austen's fabulous novel "Pride and Prejudice".

This book is very dear to my heart and has brought me great luck in my quilting career.  Naming my antique inspired series of quilts after the houses in P & P has proved very popular with my students.

My "Jane" cushion features in this issue of Homespun.  Make sure you head to the newsagents soon and pick up a copy.  Yay!

Katrina Hadjimichael Patterns for Sale

Patterns for Sale

I have released some of my quilt patterns for sale by mail order.

Please send me an email if you would like to purchase any of the following patterns.  Payment will be via cheque or money order only.

I have four quilts made specifically from jelly rolls.  Each of the patterns is made from one jelly roll plus background fabric and borders.  They all finish at about 70" square.

Dust off those jelly rolls you have been hoarding and make a fun quilt!

The cost of the first four patterns is $15.50 each, plus postage.

The first pattern is "Jelly Friends".  This quilt uses an Easy Angle ruler to cut half square triangle units from the jelly roll strips to make five blocks set on point.  Add side setting triangles in a large print and sashings and you have a lovely bed sized quilt.

 The next pattern is "Jelly Nation".  Carrie Nation blocks are set side by side to create a wonderful secondary pattern of squares across the quilt.

Here is a close up of the corner:

This one, called "Jelly Mosaic" is a very quick quilt to make using just squares and rectangles cut from the jelly roll and borders and background fabric.   It can be a very masculine quilt, depending on the jelly roll used.

Here is a close up of the blocks:

And the corner:

This one is called "Jelly Holiday".  It is also a quick and fun quilt to construct in log-cabin like blocks and string pieced side setting triangles.

Here is a close up:

The next quilt is one made in response to a challenge from one of my students: "to make a jelly roll sampler quilt".  This is "Jelly Jewels".  The pattern includes instructions for thirteen sampler blocks cut from a jelly roll plus all the settings and border instructions.  This pattern is $25 plus postage.

Here is a close up:

I hope you have enjoyed my show and tell of jelly roll quilts and are inspired to purchase a pattern.  Please let me know.

More patterns to be released soon.

Katrina Hadjimichael
Katrina.H@three.com.au

Compass Quilt Beauty

Leslie's Beautiful Compass Quilt

Lesley brought her wonderful compass quilt in to show me.

She started this quilt in class last year and was delighted to have it finished and quilted - just the binding to put on now.

This is my "The Way Ahead" design - lots of work and colour choices but worth it!

Here is a close up of the centre:

Congratulations Leslie.

New Project for Quilters' Companion

Quilt Bag Project for Quilters' Companion

I have just finished making the last of my six History projects for Quilters' Companion magazine.

I have made a bag large enough to store your favourite quilt.  The front is string pieced and the back is made of a lovely chocolate brown toile with a quilt label appliqued to it.

My article will feature information on the importance of labelling our quilts and the history of inscriptions on quilts.

Here is a sneak preview of the bag:

Look out for my articles in the next three issues of Quilters' Companion.

Epping Quilters Inc

Class for Epping Quilters Inc

I had a great day yesterday teaching a group of ladies from the Epping Quilters Inc.  We were cutting, stacking and sewing my whack and stack quilt called Millefiori. 

It is a fascinating process to see how different fabrics look when you cut identical shapes and rearrange them.  Look what happens:

This fabric made patterns that looked like star fish and sea urchins:

Here is the fabric being cut out:

Here are Diana and Angela hard at work doing their sewing:

The blocks from this colourway look like fireworks:

Here are some blocks made from a vivid Kaffe Fassett fabric,  Wow!

Diana is the self-confessed "queen of miniatures".  She decided to make a miniature version of my quilt.  Instead of cutting 5" blocks, she cut them at 3" and is going to hand piece them all.  She fussy cut them from her paisley/flower fabric.  They look amazing!

Here is the original fabric she is using:

Here are some different blocks in a bright and pretty floral.

We had a great day, air conditioned room - yay!

I am looking forward to seeing the rest of the blocks at our next class in 2013.

Lovely Longbournes at Lyn's

Final Class for the Year

I had my final class for 2012 at Lyn's Fine Needlework at Baulkham Hills last Saturday.

The girls have made great progress on their "Longbourne" quilts.  Take a look:

The first one is by Meredith who has dubbed it "Katrina mania".  She is addicted to "fussy cutting" now.

The next one is by Pat who always keeps up with the homework - well done Pat.  It looks lovely in shades of green.

This one is by Drew who has made a lovely centre with delightful pink borders and her hexagons on a chocolate brown background.

The last one is by Leslie, a very busy lady who has done lots of my classes. 

It has been a delight to teach these lovely ladies - looking forward to more classes next year.

Katrina

What have I been sewing lately?

Fabric Candy

Moda have recently brought out collections of pre-cut 2 1/2 inch squares.  Now what do you do with them?

On the spur of the moment, I decided to make a small table runner with the collection from "Everlastings".  Add some applique and hand quilting and viola!  I love hand stitching with Perle 8 thread, it is so relaxing!

Here it is so far...

"Spikey" Makes His Appearance

Magazine Appearances

I was pleased to see that photographs of my "Spikes and Specks" quilt made it into the September/October issue of France's beautiful quilt publication "Quiltmania" and in the latest Issue Number 58 of Australian Quilters Companion.

My quilt won Second Prize in the Commercially Machine Quilted Category of the NSW Quilters' Guild Annual Darling Harbour Show in June 2012.  The quilt was beautifully enhanced by the magical quilting of Veronica Appleyard.

I have a project in the Quilters Companion out now.  It is the third project and article in my history series.  This time I include the instructions to make my "Pineapple" block cushion.  The block is made using paper foundation piecing techniques.   It is a fun block to make and would make a spectacular quilt if it was repeated in rows.  Now, that's an idea!

Two Fabulous New Quilts

Two Fabulous and Finished Quilts

Two of my students came into Pioneer recently to show us the quilts they have finished from workshops conducted earlier in the year.

First is Christina who made a beautiful version of my "Fandango" quilt.  This quilt uses "whack and stack" techniques to create lovely patterns in the circular shapes and paper foundation piecing techniques to create the perfect points around the circles.

Christina loved the technique so much she created a matching cushion.  How gorgy is that!  Well done, Christina!

Here is Ingrid striking a pose holding up Michelle's absolutely fabulous "Spikes and Specks" quilt.  I love her beautiful blocks and the borders look fantastic!

Katrina x

Thursday Girls

Last Thursday Workshop for 2012

My Thursday monthly class at Pioneer Patchwork completed their final class for the year yesterday.

Lots of progress has been made on a variety of my designs.

This is Dawn's centre compass for her Paradise quilt.  Wow!

This is Cindy with the border of her quilt as you go "Sakura" quilt:

This is Inge laughing about her applique for "Flowers from Chelsea":

This is Robyn's "Mansfield Park" - nearly finished.  So pretty!

This is the centre of June's "Rose Rhapsody".  It is so lovely:

Last but not least, this is Elaine's centre of her beautiful "Victoria" quilt:

I am so proud of all my students.  Well done girls!