The Last Piece

Hand Quilted With Love Blog Tour

Top of the morning to you all! Spare a thought for me today as I  bundle my wee family back into a metal tube to bounce across oceans and continents for another 20 hours today. All to know that in 10 days I turn around and come back again for Spring Market! 

It has been suggested to me that I may be insane, and whilst I resisted the notion for quilt some time, it's starting to take root :D

Meanwhile, I've been trying to finish a mammoth quilt, design a fabric range and co-ordinate my blog tour, all from my hotel room.

Before I hop on said metal tube I thought I'd give you the details of my blog tour. Here are the lovely
ladies who've agreed to take part:

SewTake a Hike - 4th May

Belinda Stitches – 5th May

True Up - 6th May

LilysQuilts (UK) - 7th May

Creative Dabbling (Australia) 8th May

Mrs Schmenkman Quilts (USA)9th May  

I'm A Ginger Monkey (UK) - 10th May 

Petits Elefants -(Australia) 10th May

Prints Charming (Australia) - 11th May

RedPepper Quilts (Australia) - 12th May

HandMade by Alissa (USA) - 13th May

Meet Me at Mikes (Australia) - 14th May

Sew Mama Sew (USA) - 15thMay

Some of these Mrs Incredibles have even made quilts from the book so make sure and follow along with the tour and keep up with what  they all have to say and to show you!

For my last night in NYC last night I had a book event at the City Quilter, New York's largest and oldest quilt shop. They have a wonderful shop space as well as a gallery at the side which was where we had the trunk show. I was thrilled to learn the talk was booked out with a waiting list and thanks so much to all the lovely ladies who came along! We had a fun night, signed some books and played with some quilts, and hopefully a good time was had by all. :) I will be posting a podcast of the trunk show just as soon as I can organize the 13yr old to edit the GoPro video for me!

New York, New York

Start spreading the news... I'm leaving Sunday.... Yep, after a mad mad 10 days in New Zealand I'm off again right away to New York City for two weeks with my boys. While I'm there though I'll be popping in to the City Quilter for a trunk show and book signing on May 2. If you're in the area make sure and come along, I would LOVE to see you! You need to register at City Quilter but the event is free.

I should also mention that Blocks 9

and 10

are now up and available for sewing at the Spotlight website. This is a FREE block of the month program using my On the Pond fabrics. If you are in Australia, New Zealand or Singapore you can buy the fabrics at Spotlight, if you are anywhere else you can buy them from my website by the half yard. 

AND in case you are waiting patiently for my website to have the ruler sets from Hand Quilted with Love and the linens for the Millefiori background - I PROMISE they are coming soon - I just have to go to New York and back and then I will be home to ship them.

Happy Friday everyone xx

Winner Winner, Chicken Dinner

Winners of the Quilter's Companion copies are:

Cassandra Allen from Delightfully Creative

and 

Shez from Enjoying Life

Thanks for entering the giveaway ladies and I hope you enjoy your magazines - please email me your addresses to sarah@sarahfielke.com

I loved reading about your Easter traditions - I wouldn't mind giving some of those a go myself!

Sorry to those of you who thought this giveaway was for my new book - but never fear, there is a book giveaway coming on TUESDAY - two copies of the book to give away to anywhere in the world, so make sure and spread the word :) Happy Easter everyone xx

Errata

No matter how many editors and checks a book goes through there are always, always mistakes... sometimes I think I stare at the pages so long that they don't make sense any more. Thanks to sharp eyes and pattern testers, we have a few issues with Hand Quilted With Love. I will be setting up an errata page this weekend that has everything on it.

Made to Measure

- the centre medallion magenta square should be cut 6 1/8" not 7 1/8"

- The Border one squares should be cut 2 7/8" not 1 7/8"

- Border two, two of the pieces should be cut 2 3/4" x 25" not 25 1/2"

- Border three, the squares from the purple fabric should be 5 1/4" not 5"

The templates for Paint by Numbers and the circles in Marmalade Medallion have been printed to the wrong size. The circles HAVE seam allowance added already (it says to add seams), they should have been printed with NO seam allowance, so they are the CUT size not the sewn size, they should be 1/4" smaller for the purposes of drawing the sewing lines, and then cut out with a 1/4" larger seam. The PBN template the small flat piece at the top should only be 3/8" wide - they have printed it at 3/4".

I will have these templates redrawn and they will be available for download on the errata page. The reason there is a template for Paint by Numbers is that I have used jelly rolls for the stars - you can't cut a 2 7/8" square from a jelly roll. If you are using yardage, simply cut your squares at 2 7/8" and cut them in half on the diagonal and you will be fine. If you have a half square triangle ruler this will be fine too, you would cut 2 1/2" triangles from that.

I'm hoping that's it - I certainly have been through it 4 million or so times already, but I'll be doing so again today....apologies and please know that this is not through negligence, rather through simple human error! Thanks

 

A Little Cover Girl Giveaway!

Hey, did you know my quilt, I Love All the Colours, is on the cover of this month's Quilter's Companion?

This quilt is from my new book, Hand Quilted With Love. I have two spare copies, I guess I'd better give them away.... it's a little giveaway in preparation for the proper giveaway next week ;)

You need to live in Australia to win, and leave a comment telling me what your Easter tradition is. Competition will close on Easter Monday at 5pm Sydney time, and I'll post on Tuesday. You don't need to jump through the hoops but if you do tweet, blog, Facebook, pinterest, Instagram about it let me know and I'll give you another entry. Have fun :)

 

Spotlight Block of the Month

Hiedy-ho patchwork-erinos, Blocks 5 and 6 are live online at Spotlight for your viewing pleasure. 

I especially love those little stars. I'd like a whole quilt in that. :) If you are making the mystery quilt along with us, or indeed anything from On the Pond, make sure and join in to the On the Pond Facebook page where you can post pics of what you're up to. 

 

Also I have had LOADS of requests (and thank you, MWAH!!) about where to buy this fabric in the USA and Europe - the answer is you can't. Sorry about that - it is exclusive to Spotlight in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. If you want some though and you aren't in any of those places, you can buy it direct from me at my website - I will post anywhere and the postage isn't as bad as you think :)

I also have for sale there my new book - in stock any day now!!- and templates, applique kits, patterns, books and past fabric ranges. Check it out :)

Details of a competition and a quilt along are coming your way in the next few days. Exciting things afoot, happy Friday everyone! xx

Gwen Marston in Australia!

As you can imagine, I meet a lot of quilters. I often get asked which quilter I haven't met, who I would most like to meet and take a class with? Easy, the same ever since I first started quilting, top of my list. That would be these two.

Freddy Moran and Gwen Marston.

I tend to not really geek out over meeting people but when Erica told me Gwen was coming to New Zealand for Symposium my first thought was my airfares, and my second thought was - I'll bring the mountain to Mohammed!

And so without further ado, the frantically thrilling news that Gwen will be here in Australia teaching in July! You can find her at

Amitie in Melbourne on July 2
Precious Time in Toowoomba on July 4 and 5
Cottage Quiltworks in Sydney on July 7 and 8
Quiltsmith in Sydney on July 10 and 11

and she's giving a lecture in North Sydney on the night of July 11, details from CQW or Quiltsmith. Bookings are through the individual shops not through me.

Gwen will be teaching from her new books, 37 Sketches and Liberated Medallions, depending on which shop you are at.

                         

 

Trust me when I say that this is a class you don't want to miss out on - and that I will be firmly seated in classes in Sydney with bells on! See you there :)

 

Spotlight Mystery BOM Block 3 + 4!

Patterns for Block 3 and 4 are up at the Spotlight website for download! 

Are you quilting along? It's not too late to join in! Plus make sure and send me pics of anything you make with On the Pond so I can share them on my blog, for all to see. Hope you're all having fun with the fabric, I love hearing from you all :) Happy Tuesday everyone

Makes from On the Pond

I thought you might like to see what everyone has been getting up to with On the Pond! You certainly have gotten creative out there! 

Jane has made this gorgeous and very original quilt:

You can see more pics at her blog, QuiltJane.

And Carol has made this pretty simple top:

Caroline has done the most beautiful paper pieced blocks:

Aren't they pretty? She has made them into a table runner:

Clare has a lovely little Etsy shop called A Bunting we Will Go, and she has made some OTP bunting for sale:

Have YOU made something from On The Pond? I would love to see it! Drop me at pic at sarah@sarahfielke.com and you might turn up on my blog :)

AND for those of you doing my free Mystery Quilt with Spotlight - Block 2 is up for download and Week 3 will be available THIS FRIDAY for download. Yay!

Craftsy Sale!

In case you missed it, Craftsy is having a Valentines Sale! Until Sunday my class is 30% off, so hop on over and enrol! http://www.craftsy.com/classes/quilting