Corners and Borders

All the applique for the corners and surrounds is finished and I'm really pleased how it looks. Once it is quilted I'm going to bind it in the background fabric.

 

The photo of my 'finished' Toile medallion is not great but it lets you see the final borders. The colour of the last border is as you see it, a strong Chrome Yellow. 

 

 

 

Preparation! it always takes longer than you think it will. Block 3 of Coxcombs and Stars is now ready to needleturn , but first I've got 60 berries for the border piece to make and attach.  The Stars are already stitched to the rounds. It's easier to do them first.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photos taken

I put the last border on to finish the block and a photo to show. It may hang on the wall for a while, until I get some of my current projects finished but I would like to make some more blocks and I have plenty of Reproduction 'brights' to keep going.

 

 

 The next photo is the Christmas stitchery I have just finished. I still have to make up my mind whether to frame it or make something with it.

 

and last, my Coxcombs and Stars blocks and border. I'm working on the left border at the moment as it was in the bundle with the 2nd block. At least when I get the 4th block sewn there will only be one border to go. I have never had a pattern before where the blocks aren't finished first before the borders are started.

 

Today is a beautiful sunny, warm day. The washing is done, out on the line and dry. The garden is looking good, with the roses, daisies and sweetpea all in flower and it's a great place to sit and sew.

 

 

 

 

A Little bit of this and...

a little bit of that.
  The decision was made and I've sewn the medallion to the background. Each corner has applique too and I have the freezer paper pieces ready to go. I just need to spend some time preparing them, choosing fabrics and marking them ready to sew.

 

 

The next border has been attached and the fabrics are cut for a diamond border which is next.

 

 

 

I joined in Lori's Humble Quilts block making, for the quilt in the  header on her blog.

 This is Part 1 and 2 but the instructions are all there if you fancy joining in. Part 3 is ready to be made with more plain and HST's borders.

 

 

When I visited the Melbourne Quilt Show I bought a piece of fabric from the 'No Chintz' fabric stand. They had a chair upholstered in it. I have now put it to good use and made myself a [nother] bag. The fabric along the top of it, is an old Repro that was in my stash and I think it goes very well with the main fabric and the handles which were bought a while ago finished the job. 

 

I've also fitted in a bit of applique of my Jan Patek quilt and a Christmas stitchery but I'll show you them next time as I haven't taken photos yet. It's been good getting a bit of everything sewn. There's certainly no time to get bored.

 

 

 

 

 

Sewing on the Machine

I finally decide to give the hand piecing a rest and get started on a new quilt that is in the Quiltmania magazine No 96. It is Marg Sampson George's Toile Medallion. I've been looking at it since I did the Jane Pizar workshop with Marg. and as I had just bought the feature fabric recently wanted to get going. The piece of secondhand fabric was filthy, but after several hand washes with wool mix and some Sard added, it came up beautifully and has really bright colours in it which include Double Pinks and a Chrome yellow.

So here is the centre.

 

 

The two ends attached

 

and now the sides.

 

There are several borders still to be made and attached but I'm happy with how it is coming along. Below is my Cyclamen. It has soo many flowers on it this year there is hardly enough room for them all to open. I think it must be all the cold weather we have had this Winter/Spring.

 

 

 

Last Weekend

The weekend started bright and early and the first photo shows everyone putting the last touches in place for the opening of The Quilts in the Barn at Linda's . It was a busy, busy day with so many people streaming in to see Petra Prins Chintz quilts, books and fabrics.

We also had Mary and Joe Koval with their antique quilts and fabrics, Quiltmania books and the Quilted Crow shop from Hobart.

 

 

This was my quilt on display with a piece of 1900 Chintz fabric in the centre. I had bought it from Mary Koval a couple of years ago.

 

This was part of Mary's display.

 

Di Ford and Meghan selling Chintz fabrics surrounded by Petra's beautiful Chintz quilts.

It sold very quickly and by Sunday little was left.

One of the antique Chintz quilts on show that I really liked. The colours although faded were beautiful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

All the quilts hanging up were stunning.

 

The next photo was taken Sunday afternoon with Linda and some of her helpers. All money raised goes to Breast Cancer Research.