My New Website!

Well I promised you some exciting news didn't I?

After many, many months of planning, uploading, tweaking, changing I'm delighted to announce ....

....my new website!

Woohoo!

It feels somewhat like a graduation from my humble blog, which I have thoroughly loved since December 2010, when my good friend introduced me to blogging!

So what will you find in my new site?

Blog:

My home page is where I will continue to blog and chat about my creative endeavours!

About Me:

Here you can read a little bit about my creative philosophy, some exciting new developments in my work, and testimonials from satisfied customers!

Free Tutorials:

I'm keeping my tutorials page, and will continue adding to it.

Shop:

This is my most exciting new venture!  Here you will find lots of new patterns, with the option of buying digital, paper, beginner friendly, and dyslexic friendly versions.

Also on offer are haberdashery supplies, kits and fabric, as well as a 'Made by Me' section where I will be selling off some of the things I make.

And for those of you local to me, there is a funky new 'collection only' option at the checkout, if you want to bulk buy wadding, basting spray or avoid shipping costs.

I would love it if you could take a few moments to poke around my new site and let me know what you think.

I'll soon be running a giveaway to celebrate - so stay tuned to my new site and keep following me over there.

This is the last post on my trusty Just Jude Blog.

Farewell faithful friend!

Jude xo

Houndstooth Quilt

The design process can be an interesting one!

I remember one time in Bee Blessed we decided to make arrowhead blocks.  For some reason, when I looked at that block I saw different patterns, and filed those ideas away!

Earlier this year I made this Starburst quilt, for a summer issue of Popular Patchwork, and realised one of those arrowhead ideas!

But I needed to 'scratch the itch' a little more, and so my modern Houndstooth Quilt came into being (in fact there were 4 other variations of this one!).

Love Patchwork & Quilting magazine fell in love with it and commissioned it for their November issue, which is in the shops now!

Photo courtesy of LPQ

They also asked for a matching cushion:

I'll admit that this quilt is a little more modern than my usual style, but I love the 9 steps of gradation in the Kona solids from Black to Silver.

Kona Pomegranate has been one of my favourite colours since I discovered Kona solids - I love how it completely interrupts all that grey!

And just look at that bright canary yellow on the back!

It's a bad habit of mine not to look at blocks at face value! You never know what you might discover!

Happy sewing!

Jude xo

Blocks-a-plenty!

Hi everyone, I hope you are having a great November so far!

Outside of my normal teaching, sewing and pattern writing hours, I've been keeping up with my bee block commitments.

In Siblings Together this month, we have been making 'boy' blocks for Doti:

Also for Siblings Together, I made 4 more canvas blocks.  It was my month in September, where I set the Canvas block. I was only 4 blcoks short and now that I have 30 blocks, I can get the quilt completed. 

For Brit Bee this month, I had to make a block for Jo, which was designed by Angie!  These are the colours Jo has chosen for her quilt - I hope she likes it!

So that's my block round-up for November.

And I hope to have some really exciting news to announce here soon! Watch this space!

Happy sewing!

Jude xo

Hexie Stars Quilt

I'm one of hundreds of quilters who love hexies!

I've even got a Pinterest board dedicated to them!

And machine sewing hexies isn't as tricky as you might think (and no, I'm not talking about Y seams!).

One way to make machine sewing hexies easier is to use pre-cut fabric like a layer cake, and create star points in the spaces between the hexies.

The hexies and their star points are then sewn together in rows - Simples!

And there are great templates out there that make cutting the hexies super quick and easy.  I particularly like these ones from Missouri Star Quilt Company.

Here are 2 Hexie Star Quilts I've made in the last 2 years ....

Autumn Hexies with Essex Yarn Dyed Linen (Flax)

Sweetwater's 'Noteworthy' with Navy solid (gifted)

... and here is the one in the current issue of British Patchwork & Quilting:

I made this one as a 'man quilt' with Sweetwater's 'Elementary' and Essex Yard Dyed Linen. And they put it on the front cover!!

So if you like hexies as much as me, why not have a go!

And if you are looking for a gift, both my Essex Linen Hexie Stars Quilts will soon be for sale (watch this space!).

Happy Hexing!

Jude xo

Autumn Garden Quilt

I spent the weekend in Derby with my 3 favourite girls!

My eldest daughter turned 21 at the end of October and it was so lovely celebrating with her in the most inspiring surroundings!

Autumn is such a beautiful season. But it's time to put on an extra layer, turn the thermostat up another few notches, and bring out the cosy quilts.

The November issue of Popular Patchwork is in the shops, and in it you'll find my Autumn Garden Quilt.

This is a small quilt (53" square), but I'm a little bit in love with it (I love curvilicious quilts)!!

For a while now I've been wanting to make the 'drunkard's path' flower, and I think the saturated tones of Denyse Schmidt's Chicopee and Shelburne Falls give these flowers a cosy autumnal feel.

I've used my trusty Essex Yarn Dyed linen (black) for the background and whizzed the fabrics through my Sizzix Drunkard's Path dies (657168 fan background & 657169 quarter circle).

And this quilt could easily translate into another season (think fresh Spring fabrics!).

I hope you are keeping warm and cosy this Autumn!

Happy sewing!

Jude xo

Hearts & Patches Tilda Quilt

I have a particular soft spot for Tilda fabrics.  I love the calming colours and the vintagey feel the ditsy florals and spots evoke.

'Autumn Tree' is a collection that came out last year, and is still available to purchase.

I went with simple 16 patch 'on point' blocks with appliqued hearts for my autumn quilt submission to Pretty Patches magazine.

And they put it on the front cover!  Woohoo!

I definitely think there will be more Tilda quilts in my future!

Happy sewing!

Jude xo

Bee Block Bonanza!

I support 2 charity quilting groups - Bee Blessed and Siblings Together.

This means making different blocks for them each month, which is a non-demanding way of supporting these wonderful causes.

Here is a wee round up of my recent bee blocks.

In Bee Blessed, we were making Woven blocks in pastels for September .....

.... and Wonky Cross blocks in 'male appropriate' colours for October.

In Siblings Together Bee 2 I got to set the block for September, and requested Canvas blocks, in any 2 colour-ways.  Here are what I have received from the other ladies in the bee:

I only need to make 5 more blocks, and after putting it out for consultation (asking a few sewing friends on FB!) it was decided that I should make the remaining blocks in purple, yellow, pink & green!

October's blocks in STB2 are these fabulously scrappy 16" blocks.  These were so much fun to make, because they were scrappy (my fav) and the irregular improv angles meant they were super quick too!

So that's me up-to-date with my bee commitments!

And it's half-way through October already!  So I'll leave you with a few of my recent Autumn pics!

Happy scrunching!

Jude xo

Folksy Tea Cosy!

Sewing World asked me to make a Scandi inspired Tea Cosy for their October issue.

After much deliberation I broke with tradition and chose felt to best illustrate my design.

I used my trusty Essex Yarn Dyed Linen (Flax) for the background.  I think the rustic linen gives a lovely foundation for the tactile felt.

I bondawebbed the shapes down (took quite a bit of heat to adhere) and then had to decide on how to applique them.

I haven't free motion sketched on felt before so wasn't sure if my risky decision would pay off.  But I'm really pleased with the added texture it gives to the felt.

Photo: Sewing World

I hope you like my cute cosy, and my nod to all things Folksy!

(The October issue of Sewing World is in the shops now.)

Thank you everyone for your continued comments.  I always reply to comments, so if you don't get a reply from me or an answer to your question, it means you are a 'no reply comment blogger' and your email address doesn't register with your comment. Please leave your email address in the comment box so I can reply to you.

Jude xo

Woodland Friends Quilt

Happy Tuesday everyone!

I'm super excited to be able to show you some of my new friends!

This is my Woodland Friends quilt, made with Aneela Hoey's 'Foxgloves' & 'Vignette' collections on an Essex linen background.

It all started with a commission from Popular Patchwork to make an Autumnal/Woodland quilt.

Photo: Popular Patchwork

I found a picture of a fox and started drawing over it! And so 'Vi' Vixon was born!

But Vi needed a friend to play with, so 'Rusty Red' came out to play!

Now Rusty is a cheeky chappie, and he and Vi get up to all sorts of mischief. Especially when sleepy 'Flora' Fawn is trying to nap ....

.... and 'Boris' is busy sniffing and rustling out tasty treats on the forest floor!

'Olive', the great and wise overseer of the Woodland is tut tutting at Vi and Rusty!

She sends in 'Harriet' Hare, the only sensible fur in the whole forest, to keep harmony between the rascals, the nappers and the rustlers!

Order once again is restored and all the friends can enjoy the treats of the forest!

I so enjoyed designing and making this quilt. The characters evolved organically, and they have become like little characters to me!

I chose satin stitch applique for this quilt, using 'stitch n tear' behind the bondawebbed shapes.

Next came the tricky decision on how to quilt it!  I couldn't bring myself to sew through my cute new friends (I tried, honestly!).  So in the end I went for 'interrupted' vertical lines. 

And to top it all off, Popular Patchwork put my Woodland Friends on the front cover of the October issue!  Weehee!

I hope you have enjoyed meeting my new pals.  

And what would you think to me running this as an applique Quilt-Along next year?

Jude xo