the quilt project

The Quilt Project - home

2009-10-19T11:47:00.002+11:00

The Quilt Project was initiated in Melbourne by Kirsty from kootoyoo.
A friendship quilt worked in red, rather than a traditional redwork quilt.

Kelly

2009-10-19T11:45:00.002+11:00

the red tree

Kelly
Sydney, Australia

About me...
I am a bit of a techno-luddite who loves to read the blogs of clever, crafty people. Being part of The Quilt Project has brought two of my favourite things together, a book that I love and sewing, which I also love!

About my square...
My piece is inspired by the exquisitely beautiful picture book by Shaun Tan, The Red Tree. The Red Tree is a meaningful book for many people for any number of reasons and it is a book that touches my soul. In my quilt piece, the red leaf that is drifting to the ground symbolises hope. The quotation is taken from the final pages of the book.

My quilt piece has been hand-stitched using straight stitch, chain stitch, cross stitch and back stitch. The leaves were cut from wool felt, hand-embroidered and then stitched to the square. The font used for the quotation was designed by my lovely sister, Emily.

Nan

2009-10-19T11:42:00.001+11:00

rummage
a stream of consciousness

Nanette
Canberra, Australia

About me...
I like to move things around my house in ever-diminishing circles. The Frenchman would be happier if he could find where the hell I've put stuff. I tell him life is full of adventure. Crafting is fun except when I have to make more than two or three of the same thing, then I feel like a sweatshop and have to go and eat some chocolate in the pantry to make myself feel better.

I have two blogs, Rummage, and Acacia et Coquelicot. I expect some time soon someone will read these, recognise my genius and offer me a seven figure book deal for my memoirs. Just quietly, I'd settle for a six-pack and a weekend away at a cheap b&b.

About my square...
The square came about through sheer panic. I was (un)characteristically late, (may I be struck down by a large bolt of lightning), and had the genius plan of writing whatever came into my head as I sat in front of the sewing machine. It's called free-motion quilting and may look techy but it isn't at all.

I loved the squares people have made, I think you are all frightfully clever.

Find me...
on my blog.

Lou

2009-10-19T11:40:00.004+11:00

totally innocent
elephant

Lou,
Melbourne Australia

About me...
I am a mumma of 3,a maker,a designer.I love all things handmade and mostly I love to create.Everyday if possible.
My business is totally innocent and we make and sell handmade childrens products.I also run the Yarraville Markets.
So I can have more handmade in my life.
I have 3 blogs which all get terribly neglected at times.Better them than my babies I think.
personal, work & the market.

About my square.....
My square is appliqued.I used a quilting foot and stitched free-form over my image.Most of my designs come from memories of my childhood, and things I loved to draw as a child.Elephants have always been a love of mine and this one just popped into my head as soon as I started to think red. I am not really a planner as such.I tend to go with whatever comes to me, and develop it from there.It is a risk, but it usually works out ok.

Find me...
twitter
flickr

Lisa

2009-10-19T11:33:00.002+11:00

'lil sonny sky
the big bad wolf

Lisa Stubbs
Yorkshire, England

About me...
I'm the lucky Mum of Lil, Sonny & Sky, happy wife to Chris, hopefully good fiend to many and very bad domestic goddess.
I'm addicted to drawing and creating. I love experimenting with my drawings and taking on new creative challenges, I believe that's the only way to keep my work fresh, improve and learn.

About my square...
I initially took my inspiration from the word and colour Red literally.
I love children's books and I'm surrounded by them in my studio, which inspired me to draw
little Red riding hood and Mr wolf.

I wanted to create a bold easily recognizable image and make Red the dominating character - too savvy to be afraid of any wolf and devoted granddaughter to Grandma - who rocks.

My square is made from felt, fabric remnants, buttons, embroidery thread, cotton, ricrac, braid, a zip and a button badge. All the above was pieced together, then I stitched into place fuelled by tea and Jaffa cakes.

Find me...
You can see my inspiration here , at my blog 'Lil Sonny Sky which is my daily mental floss.
If you want to see more of my fabric art you can here at my flickr page , and you can visit my Etsy shop here.

Ok thats me on a postage stamp!

The connecting power of the internet always always amazes me!
It's been wonderful being a part of the quilt project and it's online community, also to have my work alongside such talented artists makes me very proud - thank you Kirsty for organizing it! Lisax

Liesl

2009-10-19T11:29:00.002+11:00

hoppo bumpo
cherry

About me…
I am currently a stay-home-mum with two little boys who are 3 and 4. I originally learnt to sew as a bit of a counterbalance to the large amount of time I was spending spotting diggers and rubbish trucks and playing games where you have to yell rarrrhhh. I now enjoying spending the rare quiet moments in the day sewing, crocheting, drawing and photographing sunsets. I also have some fun writing my blog Hoppo Bumpo

About my square…
My square is an appliqued cherry tree - a motif inspired by spring and my love of blossom. Most of my sewing is relatively functional, so this was a lovely opportunity to experiment and try and create something decorative and textural.

The tree branches are free motion machine stitched silk dupion and the twigs have been created using braided embroidery floss. Some of the leaves are overedged by machine and others are hand chain and blanket stitched. The leaves are only partially caught onto the fabric to give some depth to the applique. The blossom is overedged by hand and most of the flowers have red glass beads and looped metallic embroidery floss beads in the centres.

The truth in nature is that cherry blossom and fruit would not be found on the one tree, but I really couldn't resist sneaking some beautiful red shell buttons in as cherries!

Find me…
Flickr

Rachel

2009-10-19T11:26:00.002+11:00

idle pines
flowers

Rachel
Queensland, Australia

About my square...
here

Ginevra

2009-10-19T11:22:00.003+11:00

occassional glimpses
carpet

Ginevra
Sydney, Australia

About me…
I’ve always loved making things. And red has always been my favourite colour, because it’s not girly pink!

I like Twitter a lot, blogging not so much. Please say hello to me at . I mostly think about fashion or craft or my kids or notice weird stuff where I live (Sydney) or remember how much I liked living in Tokyo…

About my square…
As soon as I thought about red, I saw Persian carpets, geometric but not totally symmetrical, vibrant in their thousands of different fading reds…

But actually, when I went to the library to borrow books on old carpets, I got sidetracked and used Pakistani, Indian and Palestinian motifs, not Iranian ones!

And then I remembered Kaffee Fassett’s Glorious Needlepoint, a book I read over and over as a child. As Kaffee suggested, I used four strands together, different tones of red. I kept one of the reds (almost always) consistent, for coherence.

This was my first ever embroidery. I rather exaggerated the imperfections, didn’t I? I started out a little worried that drawing everything up on graph paper might make it a little too sterile…

And I love the back, I know the ends aren’t meant to be just knotted like that. But it reminds me of the tied ends of carpet.

Oh, and there’s a heart, a blessing, room to finish up a little more and some darning as well!

Find me…
I write a blog called Occasional Glimpses.
It really is occasional, but I have special plans for it, come late November when all my exams are done!

Sheridan

2009-10-18T16:55:00.003+11:00

chaletgirl
sheridan

Sheridan
Sydney, Australia

About me…
I’m a quilter, a sewer, a reader and a collector of fabric. I’m a wife, a mother, a daughter and a sister. I used to be a traveller. I have a 4 year old son and a 9 month old daughter.

I write a blog at chaletgirl. You’ll find some sewing, some quilting, some family updates and lots and lots of photos of fabric.

About my square…
I embroidered my square by hand using 6 strands of embroidery floss, and used about 3 skeins. I have used French knots, running stitch, back stitch, satin stitch and ‘trellis couching’.

My design came about because I can’t draw and one of the conditions of the project was that I couldn’t use somebody else’s design. But I really wanted to be a part of the project. So I started with a small circle in the middle, and from there I made it up as I went, just adding circles and details as the design grew outwards from the centre.

I worked on my square on holidays, by the pool, and while waiting for doctor’s appointments and every Tuesday while I watched my son at swimming lessons. People often asked me about what I was making and I told them about the project. I felt proud to be a part of it.

You can see more about how the design was created here.

Find me…
Flickr

Nic

2009-10-18T16:52:00.005+11:00

yardage
applique flower

Nic
Melbourne, Australia

About me ...
I love to design, sew and play around with lovely things. I have a passion for beautiful fabric and have decided to have a go at designing and printing my own under the label Yardage Design. My blog is my creative outlet and journal of my adventures making things.

About my square ...
My square is appliquéd red and white fabrics with some machine embroidery embellishments and a vintage button. I chose a flower because I love the shapes of petals, and I wanted to layer fabrics to give a “burst” of red in the square.

The fabric of the smaller flower is a Liberty Print (Millie) – significant to me because Liberty Prints were my first fabric obsession. Years ago, I started sewing seriously using Liberty Prints, so it’s fitting that they feature in this stage of my sewing journey after so much time away from it.

It has been such a pleasure to be involved in this project, and to be surrounded by so many talented and creative people. I hope you are inspired by our quilt.

Find me ...
At Yardage Girl

Sandra

2009-10-18T16:49:00.004+11:00

miau mau
lover's kerchief

Sandra
London, England

About me...
Small cat like creature that hails from Portugal and since childhood has been knee deep in old fabrics and handmade toys. Discovered how to animate at 14 and followed a dream all the way to London.
Lost her ways for awhile, but was saved by a bear's love and a renewed obsession for softies.
Can be found working here, doing this kind of stuff or ranting away here.

About my square...
My square was based on a Lover's kerchief, which was a traditional present made by a girl to give to her boyfriend as a "forget-me-not". Part of their charm is their atrocious spelling and grammar mistakes, they also have a very particular look, that usually includes birds, keys, hearts and flowers. Nowadays, they are very rare and sell for a lot of money.
I didn't go as far as the spelling mistakes, but I did choose a traditional verse:
Se o Amor tivesse asas (If Love had wings)
Voava que nem um passarinho (It would fly like a little bird)
Entrava pela janela (It would come in through the window)
Para te dar um beijinho (to give you a kiss)
I blogged about it here.
If you want to make your own kerchief, feel free to use my pattern.

Bec

2009-10-18T16:43:00.002+11:00

honi design
dragonfly

Bec
Sydney, Australia

About me…
I am a wife, a crafter and a blogger, a collector and a pet lover. I live with my husband and our cat Buttons (aka Steve). I’m rarely seen without some sort of crafty project be it sewing-on-the-go or taking pictures outside in the sunshine.

About my square…
I adore flowers, dragonflies, butterflies and organic flowing patterns so I wanted my square to illustrate of these passions. I wanted to create something glittery that felt magical and that utilised many different mediums. Like most crafters I constantly have multiple projects going at any one time and I cannot stick to just one form of craft. My square displays just a few of the crafts I enjoy including embroidery, quilting and embellishing. This was one of the funnest and most challenging projects I’ve completed.
You can see more about how the design was created here.

If you’d like to re-create my square, my design can be found here (free of charge, but remember, it’s not nice to steal other peoples work so please don’t use it for commercial purposes)

Find me…
I love new visitors so pop over to my blog. I’m a friendly person, so de-lurk yourself and leave me a comment!

Pip

2009-10-18T16:41:00.005+11:00

meet me at mikes
house by Ari

Pip
Melbourne, Australia

About me...
Mum of 3 :: Crafter :: Cook :: Writer :: Author :: Gardener :: All Round Good Time Gal

About my square...
You can read about how my square was created right here

Find me...
at meet me at mikes

Jodi

2009-10-18T16:37:00.003+11:00

goddess jodi
chandelier

Jodi
Melbourne, Australia

About me…
I'm a busy Mum to three small babes, wife to one gorgeous man, work-at-home Mum with a small business and wanna be photographer.

I like to bake cupcakes, sew, scrapbook, - I blog here.

About my square…
I choose a chandlier, because it reminds me of the gorgeous one I want to buy for my dining room and the not-so-gorgeous ones I currently have in my lounge room. It was embroidered using running stitch, satin stich, french knots and beads..............it is the first time I have finished an embroidery since highschool!

Find me…
my blog or
Q Tea

Emma

2009-10-18T16:33:00.002+11:00

one & four
"ducks & a tree"

Emma
Victoria, Australia

About me...
I have lived in many places and done many things in this lifetime and at the moment I am happiest being mama to two small boys and partner to their papa, all thriving on sunshine and love on the southern coast of Victoria.

About my square...
I like to find creative projects that I can pick up and put down easily as we go through our days. The quilt project was a lot of fun. It went with me to the beach, tap lessons, picnics in sheoak forests, survived splashes at the local pool and had a lot of help from small hands.

I asked my youngest son what I should do and he said, "a tree with some ducks underneath". So here it is!

All the line work is an improvised form of stem stitch and the leaves are either satin stitch, fern stitch or stem stitch. I did french knots for the ducks eyes. This was my first embroidery project so I am pretty happy at how it turned out.

Find me...
I do have a blog at oneandfour.com but with only a few entries in the last two years I can't call myself a prolific blogger, but that's ok, one day I will find my niche.

Cate

2009-10-18T16:30:00.002+11:00

polka dot rabbit
ladies

Cate Lawrence
Melbourne, Australia

About me…
I live in Brunswick with my husband Chris and work full time in education advocacy at Swinburne University. Outside my day job, I run my small crafty business Polka Dot Rabbit making accessories and home goods out of retro and recycled materials. More recently Chris and I initiated Green Renters , a website of tips and info for people who wish to do their bit for the environment despite the challenges of living in a rental property. For fun I enjoy travelling, learning German, reading crime fiction, drinking vodka and hosting tea parties in the back garden and thinking about all the crafty things I would do if I had lots of time!

About My Square...
My square is inspired by a painted by Wilton Williams "The Bystander" (1925). I am a huge fan of 1920's art and art deco designs. I also adore cloche hats! The embroidery combines applique, backstitch, stem stitch and chain stitch. I really enjoyed designing it as sometimes it's an absolute luxury to make something 'just for me' rather than due to retail demand! I have some future 1920's inspired creations in the works.

Find me…
Website
Twitter
Blog
Etsy

Bianca

2009-10-18T16:28:00.001+11:00

sadie & lance
love makes the world go round

Bianca
Sydney, Australia

About Me:
My crafty life is inspired by the creations of my Grandma, Sadie. My blog is a way to keep track of what ever craft takes my fancy.

My Mum always told me I should share my toys, so I took her on her word and in 2008 I created The Toy Society and started leaving handmade toys in public places as gifts for observant strangers.

About my square:
I love Redwork! I did some christmas redwork in 2007 using just a running stitch and thoroughly enjoyed the simple hand stitching. For my square I wanted to enjoy that simple repetitive stitching. I also wanted to express something simple that is so often displayed so generously within the craft community - the act of giving without the expectation of receiving something in return.

Stitched using 2 strands of embridery thread and running stitch.

Find me...
at Sadie & Lance
or The Toy Society

The Quilt Project - traditional quilt

2009-10-17T18:58:00.005+11:00

The Quilt Project - digital quilt

2009-10-17T18:56:00.037+11:00

The end

2009-10-17T18:49:00.013+11:00

After spending 6 months as a whole and travelling from individual makers to Melbourne where it was displayed and then onto The Powerhouse in Sydney.

in about 1/2 an hour the blocks fell away from the quilt.

It struck me that the quilt is exiting my life in the very same way it entered. The blocks have little white stitches as a reminder that they were part of something bigger.

Thank you all for taking part, for being interested, for your very valuable contribution.

The middle

2009-10-17T18:49:00.010+11:00

Once all the squares were posted we all worked on our individual squares.

We carefully planned our designs & then began working in red. It was wonderful to imagine those 65 other people tracing, stitching, machining, crochetting & printing their own squares.

As the squares arrived they were carefully unwrapped & piled one on top of the other. I was hoping to eliminate the need for ironing (no such luck).

I waited (and waited) for a nice bright Melbourne day. True to form Melbourne just served gloomy day after gloomy day. So one very grey day 48 of the squares were pressed and photographed. When the last of the squares were all in I took more photographs (no surprises...still grey in Melbourne)!

Then the real work began. All the images were cropped, resized and uploaded to Flickr. Each participant was asked to provide a little blurb about themselves to accompany their page on the site.

The placement of the squares in the quilt was a huge challenge. Hours were spent with little thumbnail images pushing them around the table and finally a "just do it" decision was made. The pile was dragged out onto the kitchen table and I just began sewing. One elephant had to be relocated as they randomly appeared one on top of the other.

Once the real quilt was stitched the digital quilt and The Quilt Project site was created.

I hope, in the end that The Quilt is something that all the redworkers are enormously proud to be a part of. Together we've made something really special.

The red square

2009-10-17T18:35:00.004+11:00

66 squares were posted out.

60 squares were returned.

For a number of the participants something got in the way of being part of the project. In some cases it was really good, inspiring, life changing stuff & in a couple of cases it was the not so good but very real life.

I wanted those original participants to be represented in the quilt. Their original support & enthusiasm for the project made a real difference to me personally & I wanted their part in the project to be acknowledged.

Thank you.

The beginning

2009-10-17T18:18:00.013+11:00

The Quilt Project is something special.

This lifted straight from kootoyoo

I have co-ordinated 3 community based friendship quilts and loved so much the sense of belonging & the unity & the thought of many hands working together to make one "something".

I've been stewing on The Quilt Project for a good long time now. Everytime I've looked at my Great Grandmother's Redwork quilt I've thought about it more & more. I feel a connection with those women. Women who made time to stitch these intricate designs in only red just to share a piece of themselves with someone else. It gives me goosebumps.

I'm the only person who really gets to enjoy my piece of redwork history & so I thought I'd like to have a go at organising a contemporary redwork piece that once complete will be published online so that everyone can enjoy it.

About 18 months ago I purchased a huge stack of calico squares all overlocked in red. I've got 50 squares to post out & I'd love you to be a part of it.

I thought about sending personal invites, but you know...you never know where the gold might lie. I want participants to be as passionate & as excited about this project as I am. You don't have to restrict yourself to embroidery.

Thanks to some lovely support from allsorts, mayamade & twoandsix the number of applicants exceeded the original 50. Nobody was turned down in those first few days & the number of squares posted out grew to 66.

The rules to the participants are listed below...

Rules and Info

The goal of the project is to create a temporary redwork quilt. By participating and completing your redwork block, you will be a founding contributor to The Quilt Project.
After signing up you will receive a square of calico in the mail. The square measures 50 x 50 cm approximately.
Your design should occupy the centre of the calico block only. Please ensure that your design is no larger than 35cm x 35cm. Pieces submitted with a design larger than this may not be able to be included.
Your contribution should be ORIGINAL. Please do not reproduce commercial stitching patterns. This block will be your “signature” – make it unique.
If you’re not a stitcher…fear not. You can appliqué, paint, sketch, quilt, screen print, gocco, crochet or knit your block. You may choose to incorporate all of these…knock yourself out! Just make sure it’s RED. Your finished piece should measure 50 x 50cm with the actual design occupying 35 x 35 cm (border with original calico).
Please use ONLY red. Pieces submitted using other colours may not be able to be included. If you’re quilting/piecing please use only neutral & red fabrics.
All blocks must reach Melbourne by 20 September 2009. Blocks received after this date may not be able to be included.
Once finished the quilt will be displayed in Melbourne & then made into an “online quilt”.
Finally, the quilt will be disassembled.
You must elect “swap” or “save”. If you choose to “save” your original piece will be returned to you. If you choose “swap” then you will receive the block belonging to another quilt member.

Such was the beginning of the project.

Jessica N

2009-10-17T18:04:00.002+11:00

miss fancy tumbles
hey dee

Jessica
Melbourne, Australia

About me…
I’m a wife & a mamma to a special little girl . I'm an aspiring crafter who loves pretty things and creating special bits & pieces.

The birth of my baby inspired me to jump on the 'crafting bus'. There is so much to inspire a 'wanna-be ' crafter out there in blogland. Becoming a Brown Owls member helped emormously to fuel this passion. I have recently started my own blog/tumbler diary which mostly revolves around my baby, Nieve Fancy's, day to day happenings and also a little a about me and my crafting endevours. You can find me at miss fancy tumbles.

About my square…
My square is pretty much 'a moment in time'. Miss Fancy had just learnt / sung her first song 'Hee Dee Hee Di Ho' hence elephants were the flavour of the month in our house! The square was embroidered by hand using 2 strands of embroidery floss. It includes chain stitch, back stitch, stem stitch & satin stitch. Many of these stitches were a first attempt at embroidery for me so the square was an education in itself!

Find me...
tumblr

Trash

2009-10-17T17:15:00.003+11:00

trashcan
a multitude of small delights

Trash
England

About me…
Currently self-unemployed, I spend too much time playing on blogs and the innernets and imagining all the triffic craft projects I could begin. Sometimes I even start them! CK is currently waiting for one to be finished.

About my square…
My square is embroidered by hand using 2 strands of Anchor embroidery floss. It was a red shade but I am such a poorly organised crafter that I do not actually have the number of that shade anymore.

The quote is one from Charles Baudelaire (1821-1867 Poet, Critic, Translator). It speaks to me. I am attempting to adopt it as a motto for my entire life. The image of the rhino was a sketch I had done some months previously. It made me happy when I drew it and it made me happy when I had stitched it . The trees I did at the end to balance the whole thing out.

If you’d like to stitch a rhino too you will have to draw one as I do not actually know where the original is!

Find me...
on my blog

Jess B

2009-10-17T17:02:00.003+11:00

button beauty
j

Jessica
Canberra, Australia

About me...
I am a wife, and a mother, a carer and a crafter. I love learning new things.

I write at buttonbeauty, where I explore my creativity, rant a bit, record tales of my 2 kids, visit local op-shops and love to try new crafts.

About my square...
My square is minimalist and stitched by hand. I used a Japanese embroidery thread. I am known as ‘Just Jess’ so embroidered a ‘J’ using some Celtic knot styles. I was aiming for simple, as per the traditional red work techniques. As always, I went with the adage: ‘less is more’. It takes a bit of courage to put your work out there for critique, and this has been quite a challenge for me.

Find me...
on my blog

Yana

2009-10-17T16:56:00.002+11:00

white mouse creations
wedding bouquet

About me...
Yana... born in Ukraine, migrated to Australia, married an Aussie and now living in Sydney. A Parraplanner by day, and a craftswoman by night/weekend.

About my square...
Took me a long time to decide what to put on the blank canvas, but in the end I settled for my wedding flowers. I used 1 skein of embroidery floss, and back and stem stitches to complete the project. My design is available for free on my blog: white mouse creations

Find me...
on my blog

Gretchen

2009-10-17T16:50:00.003+11:00

june at noon
doll's house

Gretchen
Northeastern United States

About me...
I’m a wife and a stay-at-home mom to two incredible kids. Making things makes me very happy, and I especially love embroidery because it takes my interest in and ability to draw and adds another layer to it. You can read more about me and my artsy-crafty endeavors at june at noon. I can also be found on Twitter, and I will be opening an Etsy shop, in the (hopefully) near future, at which I plan to sell patterns for this piece.

About my square...
My square was embroidered with DMC 498 and consists of stem stitch, outline stitch, and some back stitch. I used about two and a half skeins of floss (around 22 yards?), and that was using only one or two strands at a time for the majority of the project. (I used three strands for the outline around the entire house.) If I had to guess, I’d say this probably took at least 30 hours scattered over the course of a little more than two weeks. The piece is inspired by the cross-sections of houses that my cousin Sarah used to draw when we were kids. I specifically remember her drawing a rocking horse in the attic of one house. The idea just fascinated me, and I started drawing them too. All these years later, I still like drawing cross-sections of houses.

You can read my blog post about this piece here, or you can see many, many more photos (including photos with measuring tapes and coins for size) at my flickr page here.

Find me...
june at noon
Twitter
Etsy shop

Daria

2009-10-17T16:43:00.002+11:00

bird murmur
i don't want to live life without you

Daria
Plantation, Florida USA

About me...
i love photography - i use old cameras, expired film and natural lighting
i bruise easily and often
i eat my vegetables and enjoy silly stories & made up words

i can't remember all the times i tried to tell myself to hold onto these moments as they pass.

i jump between two blogs:
bird-Flew
bird-Murmur

About my square...
each month i concentrate on a different craft. this is a combination of my most recent two: stamp carving/embroidery. the square is made up of designs i hand drew and turned into stamps which i then embroidered.

each work i create is influenced by nature as well as my life at the given moment. this square sums up the past year of my life in connection with another being

Find me...
Flickr
Etsy

Christie

2009-10-17T16:36:00.002+11:00

pigeon pair
the mock turtle

Christie
Melbourne, Australia

About me…
I am a wife & stay at home mum to 2 kidlets. I love to make lots of different things & I recently took up knitting! I think some of my favourite crafts are hand crafts, I especially enjoy paper piecing & embroidery, but I will give most things a try.

I started my blog, pigeon pair, a few years ago to document a family trip overseas, but since then it has developed into a craft blog & as a bonus it gives in an impetus to actually finish project that I start!

About my square…
My square combines hand embroidery with needle turn applique, two techniques that I really enjoy. Most of the embroidery was done with a single strand of floss so I could create the small detail.

My piece is based on an illustration of Alice & The Mock Turtle by Mabel Lucie Attwell & is from my favourite book, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.

Find me…
Twitter
flickr

Jessica H

2009-10-17T16:32:00.002+11:00

a life so peachy
golly gosh

Jessica
Sydney, Australia

About me...
Office worker by day, crafter by night.

I am always making things and am constantly inspired by the beautiful things around me.

About my square...
I jumped into the quilt project on a whim and I am so glad I did! In the beginning I had lots of ideas; words, a nude, a chair were among the top contenders. I decided words would be me but didn't want to do just any old words.

I searched for inspiration and found it in some heirloom tablecloths and doilies, flickr, fairy bread and wanting to do something 'different' and non-traditional. In negative seemed like a fun idea; random single stitches creating the outline of the words, starting small and getting bigger and more spaced out towards the edges.

In the beginning "oh golly gosh!" seemed like an appropriate quote in the context of the quilt. In the end, it summed up how I felt! I greatly underestimated the time that all those little stitches would take but I am so very happy with the finished piece and that I have been a part of this wonderful project.

Find me...
blog-
etsy-
flickr-

Emily

2009-10-17T15:43:00.002+11:00

dancing with birds

Emily
Sydney, Australia

About me...
I’m currently setting up a business with my buddy Jess, for the creation and sale of custom invitations, cards and lovely prints.

About my square...
My square has been gocco’d, appliquéd and handsewn. First, I drew the design in pencil. I then photocopied each element of the design in order to create my screens. These were then printed and hand-sewn to my calico square using red and beige thread in back-stitch and blanket stitch.

I really like birds. I think they are a symbol of freedom and beauty to many people.

Linda

2009-10-17T15:38:00.002+11:00

two pink possums

Linda
Tasmania, Australia

About me...
I am wife to an Architect and mother to two adorable girls age 10 and 17

I love to create work in 2D and in 3D. My blog is a journal of things I love to create and love to collect.

I sew, stitch and make mixed media pieces. I knit a little and am always learning to crochet.

I love to find old things, that after a good clean I can breath new life into and use. For example crockery and linens.
I collect buttons, vintage Tupperware, Pyrex and teacups.

About my square...
My Square is inspired by my love of whimsy, fairies, owls, fairytales and the wee folk. I wanted to have The Quilt Project itself incorporated into my Square.
I decided upon owls as the wee folk with their own little quilt hanging out to dry.
My pattern is available for free here.

Thank you to Kirsty for arranging such a special community project.

Find me...
on my blog

Melanie

2009-10-17T15:15:00.002+11:00

emmstarr
a friend is someone who crafts with you

Melanie Starr
Melbourne, Australia

About me...
Fulltime working mother of three and general all round crafty person.

About my square...
'A friend is someone who crafts with you" is based on two loves from my childhood; craft/making things and a book by Joan Walsh Anglund "A friend is someone who likes you".

I have always had a love for craft ever since I was a young girl. I loved drawing, knitting, sewing, making paper dolls etc.. and this love for making things has never left me. I have tried to represent different crafts within my square; sewing, crochet, knitting, felt and then there's the fundamental applique and embroidery which make up the quilt image itself.

In regards to Anglund's book, "A friend is someone who likes you" is a book that always enchanted me when I was a child. Its sweet illustrations and the idea that you can make friends with a brook that 'talks to you with splashy gurgles' or the wind who 'makes leaves dance for you' has always appealed to my imagination and still does. I've tried to represent Anglund's influence in the piece through the whimsical nature of the scissored butterflies and sewing machine balloon and the figures themselves draw strong parallels with Anglund's style of illustration.

You can view the progress of my square here and here.

Find me...
on my blog

Gina

2009-10-17T15:09:00.003+11:00

clutterpunk
my cup runneth over

Gina
Melbourne, Australia.

About me...
I'm at home with two small boys. I spend most of my time making up silly songs, drinking coffee, chatting with friends, and performing random acts of craft. Sometimes I relish this 'domestic' season of my life and sometimes I just want to run far, far away. I get a kick out of thinking about the meaning of life, being creative in new ways, and dragging other people along for the ride.

I blog at clutterpunk, where you'll find all of the above but mostly the craft.

About my square...
My square has a bit of sashiko around the border, but it was largely free-motion machine embroidered, or 'thread sketched'. I chose this method because it was fun and liberating. Although a natural perfectionist, I'm learning to embrace imprecision and have realistic expectations. Oh, and the Wiggles DVD was coming to an end...

I chose the image and words ('my cup runneth over') because it expresses the core of the person I am learning to be, the person I want to become: someone who is grateful for the abundance of good things; contented in all circumstances rather than envying others for their stuff or abilities; reliant on God's provision; willing to give freely - of time, money, love, ideas.

Find me...
on my blog

Shannon

2009-10-17T14:50:00.003+11:00

aunty cookie
lend me your wings

Shannon Lamden
Melbourne, Australia

About me…
Most of the time I hang about home and mother., the rest of the time I am a freelance designer specialising in pattern design and illustration. I enjoy nothing more than a nice cup of tea, a speedy internet connection, making and drawing. I write a blog and run a small crafty business called AuntyCookie.

About my square…
My square is embroidered by hand using 2 strands of embroidery floss. This is the second thing I have ever embroidered so dont look too closely! It was inspired by an Emiliana Torrini song called 'Birds'. In real life I am quite scared of birds so I guess its an odd choice, but I do believe you keep your friends close and enemies closer so maybe I am subconsciously trying to keep the winged things on my side....not sure.

Find me…
www.auntycookie.com

Jane

2009-10-17T14:44:00.002+11:00

thunder road

About me...
Making stuff keeps me happy. I like experimenting and trying new crafts.
Sometimes i write about it on my blog.

About my square...
Initially, my red work square was daunting: too many ideas. I finally settled on an old children's illustration which i enlarged and edited into my own design.

After some pratice runs i decided on using single strands for the finer detail (hair/wood grain) and 2 strands for some definition of line. I even managed some french knots and i was very happy with the end result and to have actually finished it!

I've loved being part of this project. Being new to redwork, i discovered it to be a gentle meditative occupation, easy to pickup/stitch in amongst the daily grind. Seeing everyones ideas and designs develop has been fun also, knowing how tricky and painstaking it has been. So much thought and creativity has gone into these projects

And a big shout out to Kirsty for bringing the redwork quilt together.

Find me...
on my blog.

Jonathan

2009-10-17T14:37:00.003+11:00

the yogre hunt

Jonathan
Cleveland,Ohio, USA

About me…
I’m a father and husband, and a biochemist. I like trying all sorts of things, but embroidery, simple building/wood carving, ultimate Frisbee, various kinds of dance, and outdoor yard/landscape restoration work are things I frequently return to. I’d love to collaborate on other needlework projects with any of you, but with a longer time frame.
I’ve begun to post pictures of things I’ve made, written, or read on my blog

My wife, who got me into this project, posts here.

About my square…
My square is embroidered by hand using 1, 3, or 6 strands of embroidery floss. I used almost four skeins to complete the design. Most of the design uses satin stitch and blanket stitch. There is some outline stitch (I think). The sky uses stitches I made up, although they’ve almost certainly been done before. For the sun, the curved fill was created by adding extra twist to the 6 strands and laying the satin stitch down in curved rows. These were anchored in place by passing a single strand through the 6 strand fill in enough places to hold it. The puffy part is again satin stitch with the thread untwisted to make it spread out, and loose stitches on the top. The rays were made by laying 6 strand floss straight from one end to the other. They were again anchored by basting to the cloth with a single strand. These stitches won’t hold up to wear. This was really designed just for show.

I thought of 19th century embroidery samplers after reading a little about the history of redwork, so I decided to start with a scriptural phrase. I slightly misquoted it from the Doctrine and Covenants 121:33. I wanted to pick something specific to my own religious tradition, but with a sentiment many others could share. I originally intended to use a deep space telescope picture, but decided to bring the image down to earth, literally. The mountains are the ones I saw east of my house growing up in Utah. The people looking up are me and my son.
You can see more about how the design was created here.

Feel free to use my design, or copy any ideas from it. The pictures are all public domain, although NASA wants to be acknowledged if you use theirs.

Peta-Jane

2009-10-17T14:31:00.005+11:00

unpicking is the pits
kite

Peta-Jane

About me...
My name is Peta-Jane.
Married, 2 children, one dog.
I ramble on with crafty bits and other daily dribble at unpicking is the pits.

Thanks to my 4 year old, I seem to spend more time crafting with playdough , glitter gel and finger paints than I do with my needle, thread and fabric !

About my square...
My block design for the Quilt Project is my attempt at making light of my distaste for windy days. Windy days always mean bad hair days !
This block is my first “stitchery” ...umm...so don’t look to closely !!

I am a late bloomer in the world of craft and sewing. I discovered quilting 10 years ago. Since then, I have found a world of inspiration and crafty community in blogland which has lead me to try my hand at various projects. I hate unpicking but have learnt that it can be a necessary evil rather than live with a glaring mistake ...and I have made a few of those along the way.

Find me...
my blog

Fran

2009-10-17T14:27:00.002+11:00

wishthimble

Frances
Melbourne, Australia

About me…
I think I was born with a glue-stick in my hand! For as long as I can remember, I've always been making "stuff". My mother was good at all things crafty: cooking, sewing, knitting. I have six sisters and they're always working on some sort of project.

I started my blog, wishthimble in 2005. It's super daggy. Just a space where I can blog about craft, books and life.

About my square…
My square is embroidered by hand using 2 and sometimes three strands of embroidery floss. In order to make the deadline, I had to take my square on holiday to New Zealand - which was fine until I found myself in a tiny town with no red thread! But of course, all old fashioned towns have at least one place where you'll find a ball of wool, needles and yes, red thread.

I dreamt up the design but I was inflected by lots of Japanese images - the duck just seemed to appear!

Find me…
Twitter

Andrea

2009-10-17T14:23:00.001+11:00

there's no place like home

Andrea
Melbourne, Australia

About me...
I am an accountant who is trying to get in touch with her crafty side. Participating in projects like this is helping me in this endeavour. I have a lovely husband and two beautiful (if naughty) dalamatians. I enjoy reading, cooking, attempting to make things and sports of all sorts. I love the idea of the community quilt and am in awe of the contributions this talented bunch of people have submitted.

About my square...
The writing and the outline of the shoes has been embroidered in stem stitch using two strands of metallic thread (not metallic embroidery floss). While easier to use than floss (thanks for the tip Kirsty), it was still hard work. The sequins are individually sewn on with invisible thread and was a very,very slow process. The bow was the easiest bit. I chose the ruby slippers as my theme because I love red shoes, and have a pair that co-workers call my Dorothy shoes. I saw the real ruby slippers at the Smithsonian a couple of years ago and loved the picture that I took. But most importantly, I love the words, because there really is no place like home - not just the place you live in but the people, animals and things that make a home.

Lara

2009-10-17T14:16:00.002+11:00

thornberry
crochet "pineapple"

Lara
Melbourne, Australia

About me...
I'm a mum of two young girls, a wife, a daughter, a friend, and I'm a little bit crafty. I work outside the home two days per week and spend the rest of the time doing home and family related stuff as well as sewing, quilting, crochet, blogging and reading. My mum taught me to sew on her machine when I was in primary school and I've been sewing ever since.

About my square...
I became addicted to crochet when I was pregnant with my second daughter (she's now two years old) and have constantly been challenging myself to try new things and develop my crochet skills. My square is five crocheted motifs, with a few embroidered lazy daisies and french knots thrown in for good measure. The motifs are crocheted in cotton thread.
The pattern for the central motif is the Petite Pineapple Doily and the four little motifs are from the Island Necklace by Robyn Chachula (published in /Interweave Crochet, Summer 2009/). The embroidery is done in three strands of embroidery floss.

The square is a little like me - mostly orderly and symmetrical with a teeny bit of wonkiness and improvisation thrown in.

Find me...
On my blog , on Twitter (thornberrylara), on Ravelry (thornberry) and on Flickr (thornberry).

Nicole

2009-10-17T14:06:00.001+11:00

craftapalooza
tea time

Nicole
Perth, Australia

About me…
I'm a partner to a wonderful woman, mother to 3 fur kids, crafter and maker.I'm addicted to textiles and currently have an obssession with paper piecing.

About my square
My square was originally going to have screen printed "doily tea" but an incident with an iron and scorching led to a new design. Using 2 strands of Finca 1902 I've embroidered a running stitch tea cup and appliqued the teapot with blanket stitch. Quilting thread was used to attach the buttons and lace in the corner and the Finca to sew on the button tea.

The design evolved from thoughts of my childhood. Growing up there was a lot of family conflict but one of my positive memories was of my nana.
She had her own issues and an alcoholic, dimentia ridden husband, but she used to look after us on school holidays. She had a button tin. I LOVED that button tin and can remember often playing with it.

Consequently and I think subconsciously buttons are a constant in my crafting. The same nana always served strong tea from mismatched china and had a wooden dresser with doilies on it. She never had much but I remember these small things about her and her being so proud of myself and my sister.

You can see more about how the design was created here.

Find me…
http://craftapalooza.typepad.com/
http://www.flickr.com/craftapalooza
www.craftapalooza.com

Liz

2009-10-17T14:01:00.003+11:00

chedderfish
all the world's a sway with the beck of the moom

Liz
Baltimore, Maryland, USA

About me…
I love to learn. Trivia, facts, or techniques, they all fascinate me. I write about what I do, see, read and generally want to share at chedderfish. You could say Chedderfish is my "masccot".

About my square…
I learned a lot about the effects of stitching with different amount of strands. I used mostly a running stitch but also a chain stitch.

I knew I wanted to use a moon in my design and I love the idea of how much the moon effects the world- from the tides to the general cycles of energy. The sketch just kind of fell into place.

Find me…
Twitter
Etsy
Flickr

Sosser

2009-10-17T13:55:00.003+11:00

bricolage life
go with the flow

Sandra Soss (aka sosser)

Chicago, USA

About me…
i think a lot and then i try to make what i've imagined from the materials i have at hand. i like to walk and i love being at home, always with a camera or two within reach, observing and documenting the beauty i find in everyday life. i try to write a post every day at (http://www.bricolagelife.typepad.com).

About my square…
My square is embroidered by hand using 2 strands of embroidery floss. the design is my own, from an original ink drawing i have been reworking and reinventing. i call it "go with the flow", a lesson i am still learning.

Find me…
posting my photos

shopkeeping my photographs, collages and art projects

vending my vintage goodies

Amy

2009-10-17T13:41:00.002+11:00

badskirt
turtles

Amy
Sydney, Australia

About me...
I am full-time toymaker and lucky wife. I love the creative process and exploring new creative media. When I'm not busy making things; I enjoy pinball, tattoos and math problems.

About my square...
My square features appliqued quilting fabric and hand-embroidery using 2 strands of embroidery floss. This is my first completed embroidery piece.

The phrase on the blog is a tribute to my husband who travels with me through life's. He has taught me to slow down and enjoy each day rather than rushing to the finish. As I was creating this square, I tried to work within this philosophy of simple slow steps.

I have always liked to draw turtles.

You can find out about my creative process at my blog and the Badskirt website.

Jenni

2009-10-17T13:29:00.004+11:00

embellish
mary janes

Jenni
Melbourne
Australia

About me...
"once--a--day"

It has to be, just a little stitching on something & I am happy.
My Family understand & oblige me.
Being Mum to 3 generous & kindly minded children I am constantly inspired to
stitch--a--little something for them.

I've sewn for Fashion Designers, Costume Designers, Props, Brides, Friends, Shops, Kinders & Schools but nothing gives me more satisfaction than seeing my kids settling under a Mum made blanket or wearing a "not quite right" item with pride.
I began on my Grandmothers Singer treadle under the guiding eye & hand of my Mother & are still treadling on my tired Pfaff with as much pleasure & gusto as those early days.

About my square...
"The quilt project" was something I was so keen to participate in.
It had all the right elements: stitching, community, original ideas & design, free range & a damn fine colour.
My daughters red slippers were an instant idea.
You can read more about them here.
It came together very quickly, I used Anchor stranded thread 47, red/white gingham & a plain red cotton duck.

I thoroughly enjoyed sewing my square & watching all the other participants reveal their wonderful works & imagining how they will all join together to make a very special quilt.
I'm "tipping my lid" to you Kirsty & your amazing idea.

Find me...
on my blog

Claire

2009-09-30T07:58:00.003+10:00

loobylu
starry serenade

Claire
Melbourne, Australia

About me…
I am an illustrator, writer, crafter and mother of two girls. You can find me at loobylu.com where I have been blogging for some time now, and showing no signs of slowing down.

About my square…
I used two strands of dmc #817 and used mostly chain stitch (with a few french knots and a little backstitch for good measure).
My design is all about whimsy, music and dreaming - our family seems obsessed with all three.
There is a free pattern for my design on my blog here.

Find me…
loobylu.com
twitter
tumblr
flickr

Bindi

2009-09-30T07:54:00.004+10:00

kettle tree

Bindi
Darwin, Australia

About me…
I’m a wife, a mother & a friend. I like warm weather. I like having barefeet and being outside. I like walking.

About my square…
My square is embroidered by hand using 3 strands of embroidery floss. I used chain stitch and blanket stitch - because that's all I know!!!
The kettle tree design comes from one of my walks a couple of years ago. Just out the back of Vestey's Beach there is a walking path which winds through the mangroves. Often people camp here. One day I came across an abandoned camp with the remnants of a camp fire and the kettle hung in the tree. It made me smile and left a lasting impression.

Find me...
in The Territory

Caroline

2009-09-30T07:50:00.002+10:00

maika creations
winter fox

Caroline
Brisbane, Australia

About me…
On the surface I appear to manage to do all the usual stuff - work, parent, do the housework...but I am often actually terribly distracted from these worldly activities because I am always sewing, or thinking about sewing, or dreaming of sewing instead of working (dream on!). I love the challenge of starting something from scratch, from idea to sketch, to pattern, to construction to finished object. I always have an idea or project on the go and as a result I haven’t seen my dining table the whole year (it’s buried under sewing gear). I also get a thrill from giving my creations away to unsuspecting recipients. To record all of my creative endeavours, adventures (and mis-adventures) I write a blog called Maika Creations

About my square…
Winter Fox
The significant part of my design is the fox. It’s a tracing of a wooden carving that belongs to my husband. The carving originates from Bulgaria – my husband’s home country - and was handmade about 20 years ago by an aging artisan who sold them for a living on the streets of Sofia. It’s one of those things we just always have on display somewhere in our house, wherever we live.

I liked the fox’s smooth and flowing art deco style, in my mind’s eye I could see him effortlessly running through a silent winter forest. So the design was conceived, a sleek fox running through the snow, past the conifers and bare winter trees with a few remaining berries, his journey only noticed by a couple of birds above.

The square is embroidered by hand using two strands of embroidery floss. I used exactly two skeins to complete the design which, to maintain the simplicity of the design, uses only back stitch, French knots and a few daisy stitches on the birds.

You can see more about how the design was created here.

If you’d like to stitch a winter fox too my design can be found here free of charge).

Find me…
Flickr
Facebook page: Maika Creations

Kirsty

2009-09-28T17:59:00.008+10:00

kootoyoo
running shoe

Kirsty
Melbourne, Australia

About me…
I’m a wife, a mother & a friend. I like to make stuff & I like to run.

I think a lot about how stuff works. I write a blog at kootoyoo. It’s a bit of craft, a bit of drivel & just a bit of fun.

About my square…
My square is embroidered by hand using 2 strands of embroidery floss. I used almost four skeins to complete the design which uses chain stitch, running stitch, stem stitch & French knots. There’s a wee bit of satin stitch hack in there too. My stitching began in Melbourne & was finished in Darwin and travelled back to Melbourne with the kettle tree square.

The running shoe is significant because those Asics are so much a part of who I am & of the stuff I make. I make an awful lot of plans on the run & some of them actually work out pretty well.

You can see more about how the design was created here and you can read all my quilt project related posts here.

If you’d like to stitch a running shoe my design can be found here (free of charge).

Find me...
at kootoyoo

Evie

2009-09-28T17:51:00.003+10:00

handmade romance
9 lives

About me...
Hello my name is Evie. I live in Melbourne Australia with a sometimes-friendly white cat and my comedic fiancé.
I spend most of my spare time 'making stuff'. And on rainy days I love to bake, sampling the goods straight from the oven!

About my square...
My square for The Quilt Project, titled Nine Lives is embroidered by hand using mostly backstitch and a little running stitch. I am pretty new to embroidery and love the idea of creating an illustration in this medium. For my piece I drew nine cats doing various things they love. There is a little of me in each of them!
So, why cats? Simple. I like them.
And the title?
'Nine Lives' comes from the saying, 'A cat has nine lives'. I felt this was quite fitting to The Quilt Project, which inspired the use of this saying. Not only are many lives coming together, contributing a little piece of themselves to the one project but there is also the possibility each piece of quilt can take on many lives of it's own, beyond what the creator imagines. From concept, execution, Kirsty's quilt project and whatever lies thereafter!

Find me...
I'm often found meandering over here,
And can be randomly spotted here.

Jo

2009-09-28T17:13:00.003+10:00

Jo
Melbourne, Australia

About me...
I am Jo from Melbourne. I am a wife (to a wonderful husband), work in aged care and I LOVE my job. I love to sew and still have a lot to learn about it.

About my square...
My square is probably the most simplest of them all. My Grandparents, were for a long time, the most important people in my life. I lost them both within 15 months. My square is a tribute to them and the love the 3 of us shared.
The butterflies represent the freedom they have now. Free from pain, confusion and frustration. Free from old age. Grandpa was 96 and Gran was 90. They are the most amazing people I have ever known.

Jeana Marie

2009-09-28T17:09:00.004+10:00

unbecominglily
dancing dress

Jeana Marie Blackert
Geelong, Australia

About me…
I am a wife to one, mum of two lovely girls, student, textile artist, liver and lover of life. I am most inspired by the beauty and joy of God’s creation, motherhood and forgiveness. You can catch fragments of my art and life in words and photos at my blog

About my square...
she swirled from one corner and across the floor carefree, in and out of time with the music arms around the one she loved in a red, red dress. Later they were married and the dancing morphed into to the fine art of living one’s life day by day; children, routines, struggling to enjoy the moment, arms still round each other, deepening and moving fast as ever...
Such were my thoughts whilst creating my square “dancing dress.”
Hand and free machine embroidery over silk fabric (dupion and hand-dyed georgette), cotton thread. And I must confess to using just a touch of pink, not to be cheeky but for the benefit of a somewhat dull red thread.

You can see more about how I planned my design here.

Find me...
on etsy where I have a little shop.

Kate

2009-09-28T17:03:00.002+10:00

one flew over
patchwork square

Kate
Melbourne, Australia

About me…
Mother to two, wife to one and friend to many...

I have been sewing for a year and blogging for even less than that, it has been a wonderful little journey and I feel really lucky to be part of such a wonderful community. I write a blog at One Flew Over.

About my square…
My square is a wonkish log cabin block. I have used some of my favourite fabrics and tried to incorporate some of Australia's very talented fabric designers...Aunty Cookie and Prints Charming to name a few.

Find me…
blog
flickr
twitter

Michelle

2009-09-28T16:56:00.003+10:00

midge & judy
butterflies

Michelle
Essendon, Victoria

About me...
I am a stay-at-home mother to two young children, aged eight and ten, and two adult children, aged twenty-seven and twenty-six. In my former life, I was a midwife and then a cafe owner.

My passions are family, home, food, tennis, snow skiing and making crafty stuff.
Mostly, I sew and embroider. I have been perfecting both skills for forty years—but I still have a lot to learn. I also like to knit, crochet and try my hand at any other sewing challenge that comes along.

About my square...
I loved my involvement in the quilt project. It took me a few weeks to settle on a subject, and I eventually came up with the idea of embroidered and appliquéd butterflies after a trip to the museum with my kids. I used some fine white cotton, originally a vintage bassinet sheet, along with some new red and white fabrics to embroider the butterflies. I then cut around the embroidery, backed the butterflies with calico, and secured them to the square with French knots. The embroidery stitches I used are stem stitch, running stitch, French knots, satin stitch and chain stitch. To finish, I embroidered the title in French, nuef pappilons rouges, or ‘nine red butterflies’.

Find me...
When I find the time, I blog at midge & judy.

Naomi

2009-09-28T16:43:00.003+10:00

two little buttons
family by Master 5

Naomi
Melbourne, Australia

About me…
I am a wife, mum to 2 little boys and I like creating, cooking, spending time with friends and exercise.

I write a blog called two little buttons. It’s a place where I can write about my family and friends, snippets of our family life, my craft and creating journey, cooking and entertaining and things that inspire me. I write it as a way to remember this phase of our lives and one day as a memoir for the boys.

About my square…
My square is embroidered by hand using 2 strands of embroidery floss. I used stem stitch, back stitch, satin stitch & French knots.

I asked my eldest son (who is 5) to draw us as a family. This is how he drew it; the 4 of us as he sees us. I love it. His drawing captures who we are, now in 2009. I copied the drawing onto my square of fabric and his lines of pen became my stitches, captured forever.

Find me...
on my blog

Cassie

2009-09-28T16:39:00.003+10:00

koi

Cassie
Melbourne, Australia

About me…
I’m married to my high school sweetheart, mother to 1.5 children and 1 old lady dog, sometime teacher and recent convert to the world of craft.

I am generally quite a lazy person, and my enthusiasm for embroidery and more recently, crochet has quite surprised me. I've always got a project on the go and I love making things for other people.

I do share a blog with my sister which we started to share our projects with each other - I’m usually too self-conscious to tell people about it! It’s kind of small and homey. And that’s how we like it!

About my square…
I hand-embroidered my square with 2 skeins of floss. I outlined the koi in stem stitch and the rest is back stitch, with a bunch of french knots for the eye, as my satin stitch is dreadful.

My husband has collected several tattoos in the many years we’ve known each other. The koi is my favourite, it’s classic and beautifully rendered. I haven’t attempted to recreate the shading and depth in the real thing, but I think the linear quality of embroidery really shows what a great picture it is.

Find me...
on my blog

Leah

2009-09-28T16:36:00.004+10:00

mini monty
pearl jam

Leah Distefano
Melbourne, Australia.

About me...
Stay at home mum of four, love to make, create and make some more. I especially love to repurpose thrifted goods. I blog to stay sane, it’s about kids, craft and anything else that takes my fancy.

About my square...
Speaks for itself, Pearl Jam are my muse, Eddie Vedder my god.
The lyrics, the voice... I won’t bore you with the details.
It has inspired me to try something new in the way of “Art Quilts”.

The making of can be viewed on flickr.

If there is anyone else out there that is obsessive as me about P/Jam as me and actually wants my design for some insane reason, contact me via my blog.

I’m happy to be a part of the bigger picture and everyone’s amazing contributions, which make up the Quilt Project.

Find me...
on my blog

Nikki

2009-09-28T16:32:00.005+10:00

my black cardigan
family

Nikki
Melbourne, Australia

About me…
I try and be creative in those tiny moments of free time that happen in between doing all those things that need to be done every day.

You can read more about creative things and sewing things and life things at my blog, My Black Cardigan.

About my square…
Being part of a community quilt got me thinking about being part of the blogging community. I have found so much inspiration, support and friendship since blogging, an unexpected benefit of being a mum. Not that you have to be a mother to blog.... but for me, it was being at home with my children and rediscovering the ‘creative me’ that lead me to blogging.
So I decided to represent my family on my quilt square, to show the three best things in my life and to acknowledge them as the reason I am part of this project. I traced around a photo of the four of us and used this outline as the design for my square. It is hand sewn using stem stitch with just a tiny bit of satin stitch. There is more info on how it all happened here.

Find me...
blog

Nova

2009-09-28T15:28:00.004+10:00

a card a day
mini quilt

Nova
Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia.

About me...
I love to drink tea and sew.

About my square...
I made a mini redwork quilt for my block using tiny scraps of red and white fabrics which I pieced together by machine and then embroidered little sewing notions on to a few random squares by hand using 2 strands (occasionally just 1 strand for the fiddlier bits) of embroidery floss. I ‘tied’ it with embroidery floss to quilt it.

Redwork is very current in my life right now as I am working on a long distance redwork quilt with my mum (she is in the UK) so when I came across ‘the Quilt Project’ I was so excited and just had to be a part of it.

Here’s how I transferred the little designs onto the quilt to embroider them.

Find me...
Pop in and say hello sometime, you’re most welcome - you can find me here ....

Tania

2009-09-28T15:24:00.002+10:00

myrtle & eunice
no place like home

Tania
Melbourne, Australia

About me…
I am a mum, a wife, a designer, a recovering perfectionist, an over-my-head-with-addiction craftster

I make stuff because it’s food for this soul. I blog about the crafty and the steep learning curves, along with the comedy of errors that punctuate our family life with startling frequency.

About my square…
Embroidered by hand using anything with sparkle-arkle, as well as embroidery floss and a swish of silk/satin.

From the outset I was drawn to Dorothy and her red shoes. My embroidered versions are referenced from the original shoes worn by Judy Garland. Even though it’s never not a whirlwind at my place, there really is no place like home.

You can see more about how the design was created here.

Find me…
Flickr
Twitter

Cam

2009-09-28T15:18:00.003+10:00

curly pops
ferris wheel

Cam
Melbourne, Australia

About me…
I’m a crafty type who loves nothing more than a bit of stitching, painting, glueing, and cutting. If it’s crafty, then I’ll always give it a try.
I love op shopping, and recycling my thrifty finds into brand new creations.
I also spend far too much time on the internet!
I have a craft blog that you can find here: it’s mainly about my day to day craftiness, but I also include some of the happenings in my life.

About my square…
My square evolved from my current obsession with dismembering crochet tablecloths and doilies. I started by painting the crocheted circles red and then laid them onto the calico in a circle.
I immediately pictured a ferris wheel in my head….. and that’s how the design began.
Most of the materials that I used in my square were recycled or given to me. The red fabric paint was given to me when a friend moved interstate. I recycled the cord that was used to pack the original calico square. The embroidery floss came to me via Freecycle, and the sequins were given to me from a family member whose daughter used to participate in dancing lessons. The only new materials in my square were the sewing and embroidery cottons.
You can see more of my design in various stages here:
http://curlypops.blogspot.com/2009/09/my-creative-space_10.html
http://curlypops.blogspot.com/2009/09/obviously.html
http://curlypops.blogspot.com/2009/09/my-creative-spae.html
http://curlypops.blogspot.com/2009/09/where-for-art-thou-ferris-wheel.html

Find me...
You can also find me via my online shop…

or my photos on Flickr

Cherry

2009-09-28T15:13:00.003+10:00

bright red cherries
flowers

Cherry
Adelaide, Australia

About me…
I’m a new wife (married April this year), a fulltime worker who dreams of longer weekends, a Brown Owl prefect and crafter

I’m co-author of brightredcherries which I share with my Mum (and craft hero!) Cathy.

I find that I use the phrase ‘I try hard’ or ‘I tried hard’ a lot. Really I do!

About my square…
I drew the flowers based on some vintage wallpaper I found online.
My square is embroidered by hand using stem stitch satin stitch, bullions, French knots, and chain stitch. My aunt Susan was very patience and taught me each stitch.
I stitched in bed, in front of the TV (watching Mad Men), at the kitchen table, in the lunch room at work, in the garden in the sunshine and at Brown Owls.
My square is framed with red ribbon, stitched with a running stitch.

This is my first (ever) piece of embroidery I’m thrilled to be part of the Quilt Project group!

Find me...
Facebook, flickr, Meet me at Mike’s Forum
Come say Hello!

Myf

2009-09-28T15:09:00.003+10:00

long ago tales
code for boys

Myf
Melbourne, Australia

About me…
I like the way milk spirals when you add it to tea
pulling things apart & sticking them back together,
watching things grow, home science experiments & anonymous acts of kindness.

About my square…
The design for my square is based on a found note written by a child. Using an old craft book as a reference, I learned as I went. I hope this project inspires some people to try their hand at embroidery- it’s fun and not as hard as you might imagine.

Find me…
on my blog

Angelique

2009-09-28T13:44:00.005+10:00

no life without wife
crochet & applique square

Angelique
New Caledonia

About me...
Hi I'm Angelique,
I'm a wife, a mum of twins and maybe a little immature for my age.
I am a permanent visitor to this tropical paradise, New Caledonia. I don't work here and spend a whole lot of time looking after my family and using any spare time crafting, reading and having coffee/lunches with my new found friends.

I have two blogs one about craft, family and general stuff-
no life without wife
and another about the greater beauty that is New Caledonia-
travelling in new caledonia

About my square...
When I started my square I only had one thing in mind and that was to put some crochet into it so that was where I started. I crocheted 1 big square and 4 smaller squares all of the same pattern. The rest evolved around these 5 pieces. There was no sketch or picture to follow, as I said it just evolved.

The things used were crochet cotton, embroidery thread and some new spotty fabric I had just received.

Find me...
on my blog OR
you can find me at flickr and I have recently opened myself up a wee shop.

Alison

2009-09-28T13:41:00.003+10:00

frutejuce
self portrait

Alison Bancroft
Milton Keynes, UK

About me…
I have 3 Children and 3 Grandchildren. Nothing makes me more happy than having my family around me. I have been a crafter for many years after being brought up by my parents who would have a go at making something before buying. They were years ahead of their time with recycling and reusing. I love nothing more than to be crafting or fiddling around with something technological.

I found out about The Quilt Project through blogging, I am a relatively new blogger, but just love sharing my efforts at crafting and a few bits here and there about my family who I love. I enjoy the way people are prepared to share things that are so dear to them and they entrust us with this information. The friendships I have built in this short space of time have just bowled me over, I am into friends and connections in a big way and this is fulfilled by blogging.

About my square…
I took a long time to think about my square. I wanted it to say something about me, I wanted to find the essence of what I am about, I struggled with this as I have so many different sides to me I couldn’t settle on one thing! So in the end I ‘did’ me!
I took my blog avatar photograph and used that. You can see the process here.

I used my sewing machine to freehand embroider the result. I am quite new to this method but love how adaptable a method it is. I chose my red thread without any idea of an actual shade in mind. I meant to take the red thong along that was wrapped around the original parcel that arrived from kootoyou but of course forgot it. It would seem like an easy task to choose some red thread but once you get there and see all on offer it isn’t as easy as you would imagine. Every shade of red going!

I haven’t shared my pattern with anyone, not ‘cos I am a meanie, it’s just that if you were going to be sewing a portrait, lets face it, it wouldn’t be mine!

Find me...
You may also want to check me out in the following places as well.
blog
facebook
etsy
coriandr

The redworkers

2009-08-24T09:43:00.003+10:00

Link list to the artists & crafts people who submitted a square for The Quilt Project.

Andrea
Bindi
Cassie
Emily
Jo
Kelly

-Nova
a card a day
-Jessica
a life so peachy
-Shannon
aunty cookie
-Amy
badskirt
-Daria
bird flew
-Sosser
bricolagelife
-Cherry
bright red cherries
-Jessica
button beauty
-Sheridan
chalet girl
-Chedderfish
Chedderfish
-Gina
clutterpunk
-Nicole
craftapalooza
-Cam
curly pops
-Jenni
embellish
-Mel
emmstarr
-Alison
frutejuce
-Jodi
goddess jodi
-Evie
handmade romance
-Bec
honi design
-Liesl
hoppo bumpo
-Rachel
idle pines
-Gretchen
june at noon
-Kirsty
kootoyoo
-Lisa
lil sonny sky
-Myf
long ago tales
-Claire
loobylu
-Pip
meet me at mikes
-Caroline
maika creations
-Sandra
miau mau
-Midge
midge & judy
-Peta-Jane
milly molly mandy loves to quilt
-Leah
mini monty
-Jessica
miss fancy tumbles
-Nikki
my black cardigan
-Tania
myrtle & eunice
-Angelique
no life without wife
-Ginevra
occasional glimpses
-Emma
one & four
-Kate
one flew over
-Christie
pigeon pair
-Polka Dot Rabbit
polkadot rabbit
-Nan
rummage
-Bianca
sadie & lance
-Lara
thornberry
-Jane
thunder road
-Lou
totally innocent
-Trash
trashcan
-Naomi
two little buttons
-Linda
two pink possums
-Jeana
unbecominglily
-Yana
white mouse creations
-Fran
wishthimble
-Nic
yardage girl
-Jonathan
yoho the rattlin

Testing layout size

2009-08-21T14:44:00.001+10:00