New pattern released today.

Hi friends I am happy to share with you that my new pattern 'Piggy in the Middle' pictured below  ( please excuse it being a top only :0) ).

Design copy right to Paisley Jam Designs.

To purchase this pattern for $15.00 plus postage you need to contact Patchwork By Sea on 08 8377 3942 or email them on pbysea@bigpond.com 
Paisley Jam Design patterns are exclusively available from Patchwork By Sea.

Also Available by Paisley Jam Designs are the following designs.

                                          Christmas Blessings. Pattern $19.95


Design copy right to Paisley Jam Designs.

                                                            Peace on Earth. Pattern $15.00

Design copy right to Paisley Jam Designs.

                                                    Bar Cake Quilt. Pattern $15.00

Design copy right to Paisley Jam Designs.


Thank you for taking the time to read about my patterns. Please leave me a comment and let me know what you think of my designs so far :)


Hope you have a wonderful day where ever you are :)

Happy Quilting

Jennifer xx

 

Another peek.

Hello again,
I have been working to help get  block of month samples finished for the shop. So have not been getting much of my own work done as I would have liked. I have got the dragonfly design machine stabilised and have finished stitching the binding down. It just needs some free motion quilting on the background and a label and then time to write the pattern. Thinking of a name for the pattern, I find this the hardest part at the moment. So I have popped another photo up to share with you. I just love the colours, what do you think ??


Design copy right to Paisley Jam Designs.

I have started to work on a new design with stitcheries of little snowmen. I just LOVE snowmen. It comes from my early childhood when I lived in England before my family immigrated to Australia. I have to own up to having a major fetish! I have drawn the little fellows and have a rough design idea running around in my head, some sweet fabrics put aside and now working out which threads to use to stitch them. One little fellow has been stitched and discarded as I am not happy with the variegated thread colour. I am no leaning towards using individual threads. Would you like to see what I have so far ??
Okay you twisted my arm.

 

Snowmen fabrics & threads.

Have not decided yet if these are the final choice. Will have to wait and see.
I will have the pattern for "Piggy in the middle" for release very soon, stay tuned.


Hope you have a wonderful day where ever you are :)

Happy Quilting

Jennifer xx



Another peek of this evenings project.

Made fried rice and chicken for dinner tonight, which was my break from sewing. Then back to the sewing room I went for more stitching. I have sooo enjoyed my day sewing today. I wonder if I could score another day off tomorrow ? Maybe not! hehe
So I have included a photo of my finished block.

 

I just love the colours and have joined all the block's and I am very happy with the way it is looking. I have decided on a small framing 1st border and will have a 2nd border too.  Will share more when I have more done.

Don't forget Paisley Jam Designs has a Facebook page you can visit it Here

Night for now.

Hope you have a wonderful day where ever you are :)

Happy Quilting

Jennifer xx

Today's sewing.

Well I have finished the hand stitching on my flower pot quilt. I will sandwich and pin it together tomorrow and start to quilt it. So I have started another project this afternoon. I started this one awhile ago and it had to go on the back burner for a bit. Just as well, as It has now turned from being a quilt to a table runner! ha ha
Would you like to see a peek ??

Any idea of what this could be ??
Will share more when I get a bit further.

Hope you have a wonderful day where ever you are :)

Happy Quilting

Jennifer xx

Home sewing.

I am enjoying a day off today. I had to choose between doing house work or sewing. It was a duh choice for me, so I am having fun sewing.
But I keep getting the feeling I am being watched !!
What do you think ??

Think she might want me to let her in, so she can get in my way :0)

Hope you have a wonderful day where ever you are :)

Happy Quilting

Jennifer xx

I snuck some stitching time.

I have been busy working on stitcheries for a bom for the shop. But I had a day off yesterday, so I snuck a bit of stitching for me time. I have hand appliqued the leaves but decided to do the petals by machine. I spent 2 valuable hours trying to get my machine to stitch button hole stitch without the bottom thread  showing on the top of my applique. Sooooo frustrating isn't it? When you want to sew and your machine has decided when you turned it on to give you grief !
I started with re-threading the machine, taking the bobbin out and putting it in again, changed the needle, changed the top thread, sat the tread upright and then put it in the vertical position again, then changed the bobbin thread, rang Terry for help with texted photo of said stitching, thought about swearing at it ....but refrained, still nothing! In desperation I even got out the destruction book for the machine to look up how to change the auto tension thingmie!! I even found out that my Pfaff will even embroider the alphabet!! Who knew? Not me that's for sure :0)
I managed to keep calm and not loose my cool, I was proud of my self! Then I picked up the tread off the spool thingy at the top of the machine and sat it on my table to the right of my machine and my machine stitched beautifully !! Well I'll be a monkeys uncle.................then I remembered I had this spool thingy I bought that I can add to the machine that has a little metal arm that draws the tread up from the top spool and back down through the machine. Now why did I not think of this sooner??? I wasted so much sewing time!.

Anyway once I started to sew I stitched down all my petals. Then decided to add hand stitched  vein details to the leaves and add details to the flowers. This is how it is looking.

 

What do you think ? I just love the added hand stitching. Hoping to get this one finished soon, so I can start on a new project.

Hope you have a wonderful day where ever you are :)

Happy Quilting

Jennifer xx

Inspiration !

 
I was cutting fabrics at the shop for a block of the month on Monday, from the beautiful Moda Mimi range. I just love these pretty fabrics in dusky pinks, teals, raspberry, creams and peaches. I was cutting one patterned print when I thought of a design. I  quickly found goodies to compliment my idea.

 They still need a background fabric and will also involve a stitchery or two using the divine Cosmo Seasons thread in the photo. What do you think ?? I have fallen in love with them and bursting to start the design process with them. BUT I am working on a project at the moment as you know and have another idea swirling around in my head involving my love of snowmen. My question is do I HAVE to finish each design before I start a new one ?? or can I work on more than one at a time ?? he he. I have often said I wish there was a another day in the week called "me day" as I work 6 days a week in the shop. Now I am thinking I need another two days in the week "me day" & "design day" !  I hope I am not being toooo greedy :0)
You may also be interested in following me on facebook  Here

Hope you have a wonderful day where ever you are :)

Happy Quilting

Jennifer xx

Class sample photo.

Here is the photo of the class sample quilt I was working on during the week. It is a class I am running in the shop on Saturday 28th September. The class is called 'Piggy in the Middle' and it is made using a layer cake. There are a few places are still available if you would like to join me. If interested please contact Patchwork By Sea on 08 83773942.

Design copy right to Paisley Jam Designs.

Once the class has been run I am thinking of releasing it as a pattern, but I think it needs a change of name. Any suggestions will be appreciated as I need to improve in deciding on names for my designs. Hope you like the quilt.

Hope you have a wonderful day where ever you are :)

Happy Quilting

Jennifer xx

Design update.

Sorry for taking so long to add an update from my last post. I have been working on another project

which took priority as it was a teaching sample of a class I am teaching at the shop next month.

So the boo boo with cutting the borders the wrong size  in the last post ended with me cutting more border fabric. This is the new picture on the wall in my sewing studio.

 Lesson learnt and I have now added borders to two quilts with out a problem now that I have remembered this golden rule !.

I have been doing hand work today and I am pleased with the results so far.

Stitching the rick rack into place.

Only one more stem & leaves to go before I can add the flowers and maybe some embroidery to add veins to the leaves and details to the flowers. Hope you have enjoyed a sneak peek of what I am working on. I will share a photo of my class sample quilt when I take a photo of it, hopefully tomorrow.

Hope you have a wonderful day where ever you are :)

Happy Quilting

Jennifer xx



I broke the golden rule !

Well I am very cross at my self this afternoon. I have broken the golden rule and have wasted fabric :(
What is the golden rule I have broken you ask ?. The measure twice and cut once rule !!
LOOK !

Do you think I can stretch my border to fit ?? I have cut it 139cm instead of 170.5cms No idea how I got it all so muddled. Off to cut another set ( yes, I cut both side borders at the same time!) . Wondering now if I can use the side borders as the top & bottom borders. I'll let you know how I get on.

Hope you have a wonderful day where ever you are :)

Happy Quilting

Jennifer xx

As promised.

Earlier today I promised to send an up date of how far I got with my new design. I have used Floriani Stitch and wash to make my applique designs. It has taken longer than my preferred method of using Visofix for raw edge applique. But I do want the design to stand out more from my quilt. So not much to show yet. I have more pieces done but have laid some out to share with you. What do you think ?? Planning on getting more done tomorrow.

Paisley Jam Design no 4

Mind you I did get distracted by this below, it is sea fog and it rolled in from the ocean over the jetty at the end of our road and up past the shop at around 1pm this afternoon! I have never seen this happen before. Can you see the tower at the end of the jetty ??

 

Hope you are having a wonderful Saturday were ever you are. Don't forget to 'follow' my blog so you can stay up to date with my posts.

Happy Quilting

Jennifer xx

About to start work on another design.

Hi folks, I am excited that today I am about to start work on another new design today. This idea has been running around in my head for months now, and now I am about to begin working on it.

 

 

 

These are the fabrics I am going to use.

 

So wish me luck for smooth day of sewing while serving in the shop. If you stop by I can show you a peek !. I will share a pic of where I get up to later today.

Hope you have a wonderful day where ever you are :)

Happy Quilting

Jennifer xx

BOM info ?

I am wanting to start designing a block of the month. What type of BOM's do you enjoy making ?? ie......... applique, stitcheries, pieced, japanese style, children's quilts..... ect. Do you have fabric colours that appeal to you more than others ?
I would love to hear your thoughts on BOM quilts so please leave me some comments about what makes you buy a BOM.

 Cheers
Jen

Yesterday's car trip.

Yesterday saw Terry drive us from Adelaide to Melbourne for Melbourne's up and coming Craft & Quilt Fair starting this Thursday. Don't forget to come and visit us and see my Piasley Jam Designs on Patchwork By Sea's  stand D7 just in side the main door way in to the show.
 During yesterday's car trip I decided to do some more knitting. I had already started the jumper front. It has a nice pattern repeated 3 times. I am so out of practice at the knit two together and slip one knit one pass the slip stitch over and counting all the stitches! Might re think the pattern up the middle of each sleeve with all the increasing on rows, counting the rows and stitches in the pattern!
I will share a photo with you if I can get a bit more done so you can see the pretty pattern. Amazing how the trip goes faster when my mind is occupied watching the knitting grow.

What type of wool do you like to use ? do you have a favourite brand ? what are your fav type of knitting needles ? steel, plastic, bamboo ?
Who do you like to knit for most ? hubby, children, babies or your self ??

Hope you have a wonderful day where ever you are :)

Happy Quilting

Jennifer xx

Claude Monet in London and Melbourne

Last year when I was in London, we had a whirl wind race through the London National Art Gallery as my uncle wanted to show us Vincent van Gogh's Sunflowers painting. It had been a topic of conversation that he had taken his young grandson to see it, as they had been learning about the painting at school. As we were sprinting through the galleries, I spied Monet's Water garden as I thought it was called. I stopped and was in total awe and was drawn to the painting, Terry following me and my Uncle had to back track to find us. We could see 13 Monet paintings hanging in the gallery with Rembrandt paintings for company! This is the painting I could not believe I was standing in front of!

 

Claude Monet
 1840–1926

The Water-Lily Pond 1899

 So when I heard that the National Gallery of Victoria would have a Monet Exhibition on at the same time that we were to be in Melbourne for this weeks Craft & Quilt Fair, I could not resist to go and enjoy a leisurely look at his paintings. While some were not to my taste, I have fallen for all of his paintings of water lilies and learnt about his building of his water garden and  famous Japanese bridge. Pictured below is the painting I admired today.

The bridge over the waterlily pond 1900

I had no idea until today, that Monet had painted many of these paintings and many others he painted more than once, so he could capture the subject in the many different types of light. Also some were painted in different colours after he had a cataract operation and he found he could see his beloved blues and pinks again.
Also very exciting to see his paint pallet and glasses.
I also saw JMW Turner's paint pallet when we went to the Turner Exhibition in Adelaide earlier this year. Last year when on the William Morris Tour we saw the Pallet and paints of Danti Gabriel Rossetti at Kelmscott Manor. Looking at their paints and paint pallet you fan feel a real sense of these amazing and talented painters. 
A big thank you to my darling hubby for todays treat as a belated birthday treat.

Hope you have a wonderful day where ever you are :)

Happy Quilting

Jennifer xx

Sydney Best of Show winner

A little late I know, but here is the photo of what I believe to be the most amazing quilt I have seen in a long time ! Look at all the ribbons it won !!



Rings & Roses by Janet Treen

I just sat in front of it one day after the show had finished and could not take my eyes of it !. The more I looked, the more I saw. I just Love it !. Double Wedding Ring with appliquéd rose borders, hand quilted and trapuntoed.  You can go Here   to read more about it and the prizes it won, other than Best of Show.

Also I finished the back of the jumper  I was knitting last week, in the car on the way home back to Adelaide on Tuesday. Last few cast off stitches were done after the sun had gone down and not quite dark. I started the front yesterday, had a bit of unpicking to do as I had forgotten how to put the thread forward and knit the next stitch !!. But worked it out eventually !!. Should also say I was home from the shop sick. Terry and I both picked up germies while in Sydney. Terry came down with the flu while driving home on Tuesday and was home sick Wednesday. I thought I had missed it ... but No :( . 

Hope you have a wonderful day where ever you are :)

Happy Quilting

Jennifer xx

Sydney Craft &Quilt Fair update

I thought I would let you know that I am having fun at the Sydney Craft & Quilt Fair. It is fun to catch up with friends and to look at all the amazing quilts. The best of show quilt here is absolutely amazing. I will try to get a photo of it tomorrow to share with you.
My newest design  Bar Cake Quilt pattern is selling very well indeed , we may well sellout of it and have to take orders. Here is a full photo of it.


 Bar Cake Quilt © 2013 Paisley Jam Designs

The pattern has sold so well at the Darling Harbour show that we have sold out  today. But will be taking orders and posting out to customers.

Hope you have a wonderful day where ever you are :)

Happy Quilting

Jennifer xx

A new design to be released in Sydney Craft & Quilt Fair Darling Harbour

I have another new design to be released in Sydney Craft & Quilt Fair this coming week.
This one was quick, I had the idea and it was made very quickly with the help of my new sample maker ! lol a big thank you to Terry, he put the top together, while I was doing some stitching on another project. So I thought you might enjoy a sneak peek !

Bar Cake Quilt © 2013 Paisley Jam Designs

It is not quilted yet as we ran out of time. But this gives me time to think about how I would like to see it quilted.

We closed the shop this afternoon and hoped in the car and started on our tip to Sydney. After 4 hours of driving, we are have stopping at Ouyen in Victoria. Tomorrow bright and early we will set off for the 10 hour stretch of driving to Sydney.
So while in the car I have decided to knit.  I did  7 rows in the car tonight before it got to dark. I used to do a lot of knitting years ago, I had forgotten how soothing it can be.
So here is a photo of what I got done today.

This is the jumper I am knitting

 I wonder how long it will be after knitting in the car tomorrow ?. If I am not to tired tomorrow night I will do a post of my progress.


You might like to follow Paisley Jam Designs on face book here

Hope you have a wonderful day where ever you are :)

Happy Quilting

Jennifer xx

Almost time to leave for the Sydney Craft & Quilt Fair !!

Hi Everyone,
                    Time has flown past since we arrived home from the Perth show Tuesday last week. We have been busy cutting kits & catching up on Bom's. We have even found time to design a new quilt using a Layer cake :). Pattern still to be written and we leave for Sydney on Sunday afternoon after the shop closes.
I enjoy going to Sydney as each year Terry and I get to catch up with my bestie Jo and her hubby. Nice to have dinner and chat about our year and what the kids have been doing ( Jo has 5 beautiful children). We also try to catch up with family, while we are there as well. Hoping to catch up with my sister and family too.
 So if you are heading to the Darling Harbour show don't forget to pop by our stand K27 and say hi and see my designs on the stand in real life ! :). 


Hope you are having a wonderful day where ever you are.
Jennifer xx

Paisley Jam Designs at Perth Craft & Quilt Fair

Hi Everyone,
                   I thought you might like to see a photo of our shop stand, at this weeks Perth Craft & Quilt Fair. In the center you can spy my two designs, Christmas Blessings and Peace on Earth with all the other goodies on our stand.

Terry & I are both pooped tonight, after the first 2 day's. Looking forward to wine 0'clock soon. Only another 3 day's to go,  then the pack up & get the stock packed back on the pallet and shipped on to Sydney for next months show.

Hope you are having a wonderful day where ever you are.
Jennifer xx