Another busy weekend.

I've had another busy weekend this time at a 2day workshop with Marg Sampson George. This is the time to raid the stash and find all those bright or spotty or geometric fabrics, the ones that normal live at the back of my cupboard. I do enjoy seeing how an expect views fabrics and how she cuts them up to form wonderful shapes to applique. The first photo is a great  example.

 

 

Having bought the fabrics to make the Crib Quilt at last year's class and then making the Jane Pizar instead I decided to start it at this year's class. Here is a photo of Marg's Crib Quilt. 

 

On the second day I went with newly acquired fabric and changed the design on my quilt much to Marg's delight.  Here is just a small section of what I'm doing. There will be a new addition to the family in September so the colours and designs will be for either, boy or girl.

 

 

 

This is some of us engrossed in the 'quilt show 'that followed at the end of class. 

 

and not forgetting the prior weekend here is my Sutton Grange that I started with Di Ford. Plenty of applique to keep me busy for quite some time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Weekend Away

Back home again after a wonderful weekend filled with quilts, fun and friends. The first photo is lunch at Kyneton on our way to Maldon where we stayed in a lovely old Guest House. Below are Bev, Linda, me and Randi. Moreen joined us on Saturday.

 

 

Saturday, was up early, well for me anyway, breakfast and off to Threadbear to do a bit of shopping before the workshop with Di Ford and Margaret McDonald started. I bought a Yoko Saito book called Daily Quilt with quilts, bags and a few stuffed animals. There's an elephant I'd like to make for a new addition to the family due later in the year.

Arriving at the venue we were given a bag of 'goodies' which contained a large bundle of fabrics to use in the quilt we were there to start ,while learning applique skills and fabric use. The bag was full of many good things. In the morning session we had Di Ford and her version of the quilt and this is where we sat with her quilt in the corner. The fabric for the inner sashings is no longer available but Di had brought a number of fabrics that would be suitable for the job, some turned on point and cut diagonally would be spectacular but my eyes don't see what Di's eyes can see in a fabric before I'm shown, and this is a great ability that she has. This is one of the reasons her classes are wonderful.

 

 

re note at bottom of post, I now have a couple of photo's one of the centre.

 

 

 

and one of the 'fussy' cutting and the applique sashing.

 

Here is a photo of Margaret McDonald's version. The centre is the same but she has different surrounds and borders and we spent the afternoon with her. Again techniques  were shown for appliqueing pieces with curves and how to tackle smaller pieces and pieces that overlap or go under adjacent shapes. It was all very interesting and we had a wonderful day. 

 

 

From there it was onto the Quilt Show and here are a couple of photos. The first one, the Antique Wedding Sampler and Moreen standing beside her quilt. This is her first quilt! and it is stunning.

 

 

Here is Bev beside her quilt which is gorgeous and the colours are soft and wonderful.

 

 

To see a large range of photos from the quilt show please visit Buddy and Me and Every Stitch blogs.

 

Sunday was a lie in and then a visit to the shops in Maldon before a few stops at old-time country cottages for photographs and a visit to the first school in the area, now just very old ruins.

 

but surrounding it was the biggest delight, as none of us had seen Gum trees like these before. The bark had peeled off, as gum trees do, and the trunk was now a spiral of light and dark colours. It was amazing how it ran up the tree and along the branches and all the trees around the school were the same.

 

We then returned to Castlemaine and had a wander around the shops, going to Habadash, the button shop, and the  Castlemaine book shop,[one of the best] and the Restorers shop and also another trip to Threadbear before leaving to come home.

 

p.s. if I can work out how to get my IPad photo's to transfer across to this computer I'll show  some close ups of Di Ford's quilt and all of her 'fussy 'fabric cutting. At the moment it is not cooperating with me!

 

 

 

 

 

Cotton and Chintz.

I've been waiting for the cotton chintz to arrive at Somerset and it did when I was there on Friday. I am making Karen's quilt which is on the front of the 100th edition of  the Quiltmania  magazine and here is a photo of mine. In the centre is the Chintz Tree of Life panel surrounded by a mixture of  Dutch Chintz fabrics and cottons for the hexagons and bordered by Petra's new cotton chintz.

Another item that has been finished is the last border for my Coxcombs and Stars quilt.

 

and the last item that has been sitting waiting to just be stitched together is Block 7 for Lori's quilt. Just as bright as all the others.

 

 

I'm away with the 'girls' next weekend. First a class with Di Ford and Margaret McDonald on Saturday at Threadbear in Castlemaine and on Sunday a visit to the Applique quilt show. I'm thoroughly looking forward to both.