Snugglepot & Cuddlepie

The Old Home's in the old place.
The same old stars are on the Wall.
–May Gibbs

At the end of June 2012, our sweet Catherine gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. We're just getting around to posting it now. The quilt is just too cute not to.

And so, of course, we had to make her a quilt. We knew that she loves the Snugglepot and Cuddlepie series of books by May Gibbs and when we were talking about ideas for the quilt, that theme came up. Since the books are Australian, and we all live in the US we Googled the characters and put together a fun quilt for her sweet new arrival.

This is what Cat had to say about the quilt: Well not long after my second child, Connall was born I received a lovely surprise in the mail. It was a beautiful Snugglepot and Cuddlepie themed quilt!! Snugglepot and Cuddlepie are a children's classic that I grew up with here in Australia, so I was quite surprised and thrilled to see that my USA mates had decided to use this as a theme for a quilt for my little Connall. I'm sure he will treasure for years to come.

Sea Horse by Angie

Koala by Beth
My koala block was a paper piecing pattern found in a quilt pattern book by Australian Margaret Rolfe. The book featured Australian animals. I used the leafy green material to mimic eucalyptus leaves that I had purchased for the rose bushes in front of Edward and Bella’s Cottage on the Breaking Dawn Quilt and the pine trunk printed material from the Cottage’s front door was perfect for the trunk of the tree. I’m a literalist when interpreting fabrics. LOL The gray material had been ordered as a possibility for the cottage’s stone façade, but I didn't use it, so it found a perfect use in this project! The koala’s mouth and nose are both appliquéd by hand, the eyes are hand satin stitched and the claws are hand backstitched to complete him.

Baby in Leaves by Joyce

Mushrooms by Iris
When I searched for Snugglepot and Cuddlepie images online I came across this photo. I love mushroom shapes and I've always loved the Anne Geddes style photos of babies so I knew this is what I wanted to do, only a simplified version. Lucky for me Vanessa Wilson at Crafty Gemini had just designed and posted this cute pattern for the Garden Blog Hop hosted by Jennifer at Sewhooked in April. It was perfect! I just pieced it with one less 'shroom then appliquéd the two babies. I was especially happy that I had that background fabric that reminds me of the eucalyptus leaves. I drew the details on the babies with a fabric pen. Don't you just love the little baby booty? ;)

Kookaburra by Colleen

Hedgehog by Kate

Gumnut Babies by Elizabeth
When we make a quilt we all throw ideas out and then we sign up for the block or blocks we want to do. I love to do needle-turn appliqué, so I thought it would be fun to do the little Gumnut Babies, Snugglepot and Cuddlepie. I have never seen the books, so I used an image I found on-line for my pattern. Everything is needle-turn with a bit of embroidery for the details. I did a satin stitch for the pupils and the white reflection on the eyes and for the mouths. I used backstitch for the noses, eyelashes and around the chins for definition.

I love the beautiful quilting job Angie did. I'll let her work speak for itself.

Frog by Nicole
First off he's so cute with the lily pads (quilting that Angie did)!

Second, I wanted to do a frog because I like frogs. I figured he'd be in the water so I stuck with using blue for the background and green for the froggy. Then I found the perfect eyes, well buttons. But they look awesome!

Owl by Jerri Lynn

Obelia By Beth
My Clam Shell Obelia square is one of the hardest things I've ever tried to design. I chose the Obelia character because I knew I wanted to do something water related because I’m a swimmer. After trying to paper piece an open clam shell, I abandoned the idea when it became too busy a background to embroider the vibrant little character on.

The green patterned material lent itself to a seaweed-looking background, so I appliquéd the brown outline of the shell. Running behind to meet the deadline, I hand stitched the character on the only light background I had, some muslin, by stitching through a printed paper onto the fabric and later removing the paper. Not an advisable method, but without fancy backlit machines, a material transferring printer, or other higher-technology helpers, it got the job done! I was even able to use metallic threads for the bubbles Obelia sits on. Lastly, I appliquéd the embroidered muslin into the open clam shell.

Flower by Angie

Kangaroo by Joyce

Lizard by Wanda

Quilter Spotlight: Twilight Quilt by Essie

Happiness quite unshared can scarcely be called happiness; it has no taste. –Charlotte Brontë

We always love to encounter others who have shared their love of Twilight through quilting. Recently, we met Essie, a Twi-Fan who lives in the Netherlands. She agreed to let us share her beautiful quilt with you!

Twi-Quilters: How long did the quilt take you?
Essie: I started this quilt in October 2011, during the Dutch Quilters Guild retreat. The assignment was to design and make a quilt with signs, lettering and/or text.

A lot of people made something with their initials, but I didn't want to do that. So while I was trying to think about what to make for this quilt I thought, “‘text’ ... ‘books’ ... why not make something with Twilight? The image on the cover of Breaking Dawn combined with the lettering that was used for the films?”

Of course I didn't have the books with me, but fortunately the hotel could print things for me, so I took quite a few trips to the computer in the lobby during those 4 days.

The letters Twilight were made with fusible appliqué. I had to make do with what I had at the time and I didn't have the option to print on fabric ... all the other writing is done with pens as they were too small to fuse. The quilt measures only 19 x 21 inches.

The block on the top left corner I did back at home as well as the ribbon. Between doing this and that, the quilt ended up on the "to-do"—pile and I quilted and finished it a year later in October of 2012.

Twi-Quilters: Do you have a favorite quilt block?
Essie: I loved making the part with the chess pieces, but my favorite part is probably the smallest ... it is the little howling wolf silhouette.

Twi-Quilters: Who is the quilt for?
Essie: I never intended to make this quilt for anyone, and seeing as Twilight is close to my heart, I think I'm just going to keep this one for myself.

Twi-Quilters: What is your favorite book in the Twilight series?
Essie: I don't really have a favorite because I love them all, and I see them really as one book, one continuing story. I think New Moon is special to me because it was the first book I read in the series.

But one I would really love to read more of is Midnight Sun, loved to hear the story and thoughts from Edward's perspective. I hope Stephenie finishes it one day.

Twi-Quilters: Which team are you?
Essie: Can I pick team Bella? If not I'll have to go for team Edward, because that's Bella's choice too.

Twi-Quilters: Who is your favorite character in the books?
Essie: Apart from Bella and Edward ... I really like Alice, love the way she moves in a fight as shown in the films.

Twi-Quilters: How many times have you read the books? Seen the movies?
Essie: Someone at work lent me a DVD once called Twilight for me to watch. From that time on I was hooked, and went straight to the bookstore to get the book New Moon. I must have read the books about 3 or 4 times, as for the movies ... I think I've lost count. With Breaking Dawn coming out on DVD, I can feel a movie marathon coming. ...

Twi-Quilters: Anything you’d like to share with us about Twilight, your quilt, or quilting in general?
Essie: I really enjoyed working on this quilt and also really like the quilts you have made with all the paper pieced blocks each with their own story to tell. It is so much fun to give your own interpretation to something you have been a part of and loved reading (and/or watching). One day I might make a bigger different version of this Twilight quilt.

Something else I like and might make a quilt of some day is The Lord of the Rings. I have some ideas for that one going around my brain for a while now, but before I start with that I need to finish some of my current ongoing products.

Essie, thank you for sharing your beautiful quilt with us. It was so fun to see pictures, hear about your process and get to know you a little better!

Twilight Saga Charity Quilt: Book Covers

If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all. –Oscar Wilde

Twilight Saga Book Covers
Patterns by Cat and pieced by Elizabeth as part of our Give-to-Win Twilight Saga Charity Quilt.

Twilight

New Moon

Eclipse

Breaking Dawn

From Elizabeth:
I had done Cat's Twilight, New Moon and Breaking Dawn patterns each several times and enjoyed doing them. I had never tried the Eclipse pattern, though, so I was excited to try it. I enlarged the patterns to 12" and used my favorite Fairy Frost fabrics to give the blocks that shimmering vampire quality.

I especially love the beautiful quilting Angie did in these blocks (and throughout the quilt). Her work is amazing.

For every $5 donation to George Mark Children's House, you get one chance to win this quilt. Visit the Twilight Saga Quilt Page for more details.

Make your donation

Twilight Saga Charity Quilt: Quotes

What really knocks me out is a book that, when you're all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it. That doesn't happen much, though. –J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye

Book Quotes
Machine embroidered quotes from each of the four books done by Nicole as part of our Give-to-Win Twilight Saga Charity Quilt.

Twilight

New Moon

Eclipse

Breaking Dawn

From Nicole:
When we talked about having a quote from each book, we all worked together to pick the right quotes. I wanted to make sure the quotes chosen were unique to that book. I volunteered to embroider them. I think we picked pretty good quotes!!

For every $5 donation to George Mark Children's House, you get one chance to win this quilt. Visit the Twilight Saga Quilt Page for more details.

Make your donation

Twilight Saga Charity Quilt: Fido

"Allow me," I suggested. Silently, I lifted my doggy bowl off the floor. Then, with a quick, powerful flip of my wrist, I threw it into the back of Blondie's head so hard that — with an earsplitting bang — it smashed flat before it ricocheted across the room and snapped the round top piece off the thick newel post at the foot of the stairs. –Jacob Black, Breaking Dawn page 303 - 304

Fido
Designed and pieced by Krista as part of our Give-to-Win Twilight Saga Charity Quilt.

From Krista:
This is the first time I have taken part in the making of one of these quilts, and I was very excited to be asked!! I decided to create the "Fido" block because it was one of my favorite scenes in the book - classic Jacob and Rosalie! I wanted to keep it simple, but at the same time try to recreate that moment. I found a pale peach reproduction fabric with a small rose pattern on it for the background, thinking that the roses would be a perfect representation of Rosalie. I tried numerous times to make a silhouette of Rosalie's head, but was never thrilled with the results so I left it out. The grey fabric dog bowl was traced free-hand - I reversed the fabric for the inner part of the bowl - and used machine applique to sew it to the block. I added several lines of black stitching to create the illusion of the bowl flying through the air. After several failed attempts and trying to "write" the name onto the bowl with thread, I ended up using iron on letters to spell "Fido" - maybe not as pretty as Rosalie would have done it, but I still like it!

This block was such fun to make, and I am honored to have a small part in this amazing quilt!!

For every $5 donation to George Mark Children's House, you get one chance to win this quilt. Visit the Twilight Saga Quilt Page for more details.

Make your donation

Twilight Saga Charity Quilt: Arm Wrestling

"You. Me. Arm-wrestling. ... Now."

"No problem," Emmett said with a gleaming smile. "Right this way, Bella."
–Bella Cullen, Breaking Dawn, page 518-519

Arm Wrestling
Designed and pieced by Joyce as part of our Give-to-Win Twilight Saga Charity Quilt.

From Joyce:
This is one of my favorite scenes in the book. Emmett is so much fun, and it’s great to see Bella ‘best’ him. I used the photo still that was released before the movie to get a sense of how this scene would look, reread that section of Breaking Dawn, then sketched my version of it. I used the tree fabric for the background so it would look like the forest around the Cullen’s house. The rock is the same dark gray as the lower cliff on the cliff diving block. I used black with curlicues for Emmett’s hair and a very pale fabric for Emmett’s skin. Bella’s skin is the same fabric in an even lighter shade. I used denim for her shirt and brown for her hair. I didn't think Emmett needed a shirt. I satin-stitched around Emmett and Bella to give more definition, then used a wavy embroidery stitch for Bella’s hair.

For every $5 donation to George Mark Children's House, you get one chance to win this quilt. Visit the Twilight Saga Quilt Page for more details.

Make your donation

Twilight Saga Charity Quilt: Bella & Edward's Cottage

I stared into the violet dark. There, nestled into a small clearing in the forest, was a tiny stone cottage, lavender gray in the light of the stars.

It belonged here so absolutely that it seemed as if it must have grown from the rock, a natural formation. Honeysuckle climbed up one wall like a lattice, winding all the way up and over the thick wooden shingles. Late summer roses bloomed in a handkerchief-sized garden under the dark, deep-set windows. There was a little path of flat stones, amethyst in the night, that led up to the quaint arched wooden door.
–Bella Cullen, Breaking Dawn, page 475

Bella & Edward's Cottage
Designed and pieced by Beth as part of our Give-to-Win Twilight Saga Charity Quilt.

For every $5 donation to George Mark Children's House, you get one chance to win this quilt. Visit the Twilight Saga Quilt Page for more details.

From Beth:
I have a thing for houses. How they’re made and how their pieces represent the people that call them home. So no wonder I loved bringing this image to the quilt! The description in the book is fairly succinct. It was just a matter of finding fabric with the correct patterns. I found a shop online and ordered several different patterns and colors of rock and stone, and they also offered different colors of roof shingles!

Once I looked at the pattern sizes and put together complementary shades, I drafted the cottage. I wanted an asymmetrical structure to add some quaintness with curving lines and dormer windows and, of course, a chimney. I planned on setting the house against waves of green fabric with my favorite lavender, scrolly material above as the “violet sky.” But when I found the forest-scape fabric, it was beyond perfect. It came in a deeper, darker green, but I chose this more vibrant green because of the yellows in the trees throughout, since it was early fall in the book. I moved the cut-out of the house stone around on the forest fabric until I found the backdrop look I wanted with the side trees and the pines peaking up above the chimney.

I appliquéd the stone of the cottage onto the backdrop, then the roof thatching (which was difficult around the dormer window cut out) and the chimney. I used some wood bark fabric for the front door, then hand-stitched outline details to give the chimney it’s 3D corners.

I cut out the backdrop fabric where I’d stitch in the violet sky, but after I put the lavender piece in, things didn’t look right. So I cut around the trees to add more sky showing on the sides and then top-stitched the trees for added reinforcement. I appliquéd on the three windows in a dark (almost black) gray, hand-stitched the door hinges, handle and dormer details, then satin stitched both sets of eaves.

I tried satin stitching the pathway stones in purple, but wasn’t satisfied with the result so I opted to appliqué each of those in an amethyst fabric. I had always planned on ribbon embroidery for the rose bushes and honeysuckle, utilizing simple brown floss backstitches for the rose bushes themselves, but with the lush green of the now-changed background, I was afraid they’d get lost. So I utilized one of the green patterns I had planned to originally use for the green waves of backdrop. I noticed the pattern had small bush-like groupings if I strategically cut them, so I free hand appliquéd those as well.

I used silk ribbon in red to ribbon embroider the roses on the bushes. I’ve always loved this technique and really like how it gives some texture to the block. Lastly, I chose very vibrant DMC flosses to free hand embroider the honeysuckle. I used backstitches for vine, lazy daisies for leaves, 5-point backstitched stars for flowers and French knots for buds.

Although I’m newer to quilting, this block will always be one of my favorites. I really enjoyed making it and am very pleased with the results!

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Twilight Saga Charity Quilt: Isle Esme

“Bella, look there.” [Edward] pointed straight ahead.

I saw only blackness at first, and the moon’s white trail across the water. But I searched the space where he pointed until I found a low black shape breaking into the sheen of moonlight on the waves. As I squinted into the darkness, the silhouette became more detailed. The shape grew into a squat, irregular triangle, with one side trailing longer than the other before sinking into the waves. We drew closer, and I could see the outline was feathery, swaying to the light breeze.

And then my eyes refocused and the pieces all made sense: a small island rose out of the water ahead of us, waving with palm fronds, a beach glowing pale in the light of the moon.

“Where are we?” I murmured in wonder while he shifted course, heading around to the north end of the island.

He heard me, despite the noise of the engine, and smiled a wide smile that gleamed in the moonlight.

“This is Isle Esme.”
–Bella and Edward Cullen, Breaking Dawn, pages 77–78

Isle Esme
Pattern by Linda Causee and piece by Angie as part of our Give-to-Win Twilight Saga Charity Quilt.

From Angie:
This pattern is another one from my happy pattern book, 365 Foundation Quilt Blocks. I managed to make this one totally out of scraps from my 'small bits bucket.' I don't know what it is about quilters but we manage to find a way to us EVERY bit of our supply of fabric. It's like squeezing all the last bits of chocolate syrup out of the Hershey's bottle. Before I even made a stitch on this block, I had found a package of buttons at Joann's with beach-ish things. I auditioned quite a few of them but in the end opted for the sailboat and I was pretty sure that using the sparkly sun button was imperative.

For every $5 donation to George Mark Children's House, you get one chance to win this quilt. Visit the Twilight Saga Quilt Page for more details.

Make your donation