Doll's Quilt Swap

A couple of posts ago I showed a photo of my Doll's quilt for my Swap partner Lori. Today when I got home Lori's parcel was waiting for me.

Here is a photo of the little quilt I got. Isn't it wonderful. I just love the 'cheddar' fabric. Thank you lori.

Plenty of Applique to do

 This is the next border for the Mary Brown quilt.

Now that I see the photo, I'm not happy with the shirting fabric in the stars. It's needs to be brighter. I am so used to darker colours I find it hard to maintain the brightness of this quilt. There are 8 stars on each of the 4 border pieces, luckily I only have these 4 stitched together. The black leaves also have a vein still to be cut and stitched in them.

  

I bought a couple of Geraniums to hang on the front verandah for Christmas but they have grown too big and needed to be repotted. I love the blood red colour of this one.

The Next Step

It is so nice to see the centre  as a whole. I didn't make any further changes to the corners before I sewed them on.

I can now show you the Doll's Quilt I made for my Swap partner Lori. She got it in the mail yesterday. I know mine is on it's way but it hasn't arrived so far.

It's been a Busy Week

It's been a while but I have been busy and now I have finished the fourth corner for my Mary Brown quilt though looking at it in the photo it appears darker than the other three corners. It may need a yellow flower added. I like to hang my applique up and then when I'm in and out of the room I'll look at it and decide if it needs more or not. 

The next job this week was to make my Postcards for a Swap. I have 9 to send and don't want to reveal them yet, although as you can see the top one is a Valentine's Day theme.   

Having finished the applique on the 'corner' I needed some hand sewing for when I'm at the Guild meetings or the Stitch n Chat 's I go to and what could be better than a new project.  I have had this pattern for a      long time. I saved it from a 1989 -90 Australian Patchwork & Quilting magazine.

This quilt is in Annette Gero's book The Fabric of Society. It is called Auntie Green's Floral Applique c1860. Only the pattern for the centre square was in the magazine but I'm hoping I can get the pattern       for the rest of the quilt somewhere. If not it will be a nice size for a wallhanging. Here is a photo of my centre so far. I have only stitched 8 leaves and have 88 to go.  I only found the fabric for the basket the other day, I wasn't even looking for it but when I saw it I knew it would be great.   

Another corner completed

Another corner completed for the centre of my Mary Brown quilt.

I change, add, and rearrange the pieces as I stitch until I'm happy with what I see.

I did the preparation for corners 3 & 4 together, so lovely to pin No.3 up and take No.4 down to sew.

I have also been making a Doll's quilt for a Swap, Christine     arranged on her Blog. My swap partner is Lori. We are going to post them early next week so when mine arrives I will put a photo up for you all to see.

My BOM - A Little Porch Time

Here is a photo of Month 1 & 2 of A Little Porch Time. The photo I took of month 1. when I finished it, was too dark to show you.

 The star flower is yellow and the centre of the other is blue even though they both look white. This is such a delight to do. Quite a lot of the fabrics are brushed cottons and with the felted wool lovely and soft on the hands.

Roses

I went to Summer School at Somerset, a local quilt shop, a fortnight ago to make the Queen's Square quilt. It is made up of three different blocks and we started two in the class, and next Monday we do the third block and look at how the border is made. Which for me will be a while away as the blocks are hand pieced and have quite a bit of work to them. This is a picture of the quilt. I got a gloss photo in the pattern so it has come up a bit shiny. 

This is my first block for the centre and I have used fabrics that are the colours of the dots on the background fabric. I am having fun using these unusual [for me] colours. I have still to finish sewing this one.

This next block goes around the inner border except for the corners.The blocks are 12" in size.

I love roses and I like to cut some for in the house.Especially when we are expecting hot weather [40C] the next few days as they will all open up in the garden, dry out and die. 

The blood red ones are my favourite.

Colours of the Garden

I planted a Clematis about 5 years ago up against the lynch gate and it has not flowered until now. It is such a beautiful colour it was worth the wait and just through the gate the Salvia is in flower with the same colour. Totally unexpected as I had forgotten the colour of the Clematis and the label had long gone. 

I have been knitting in the evening and getting my Mary Brown pieces prepared for sewing. I found I still had a ball of Opal. It is a German wool designed so that when you follow the instructions on the back of the label you end up with a pair of fairisle socks. I have made one pair with this wool in different colours. As it is 3ply I thought it would make a colourful matinee jacket. The pattern for the jacket is to cast on the stitches for down the front and knit around the jacket doing the front first, putting stitches on a holder and casting on for the sleeve,then off again picking up the front stitches and continuing across the back,the other sleeve and then another front. I even had enough left to make bootees too. I will also twist the last of the wool to make the ties for the jacket and the bootees, I'm not keen on the ribbon. 

Here are my Mary Brown pieces pinned up on the wall in my sewing room. The freezer paper is still covering many of the applique pieces so the fabric I have chosen is'nt showing, yet. Time to put the needles away and do some sewing.

Getting Ready

Yesterday, the first of the potatoes were dug up. There are Pontiac, King Edward and Kifler. The strange shaped ones are Pink Firapple and this is the first time we have grown them. They seem to grow extensions out of the sides and could be hard to peel. I think a hard rub to clean and then boiled with their skins on will be the way to go.

 We have had lettuces for a while and radishes too, but these ones are enormous and hot. This is the first of the tomatoes ripening. There are plenty on the bushes but they are still green. Everything has grown wonderfully with all the rain we have had but we are now needing it warmer so that the tomatoes can ripen.

It has been preparation time again. I have been working on both corners 3 and 4 and I now have all the pieces for No3 on and ready for applique and the templates ready for No.4. I have ironed on the freezer paper for the leaves but still  have to do the flowers. I like to do this during the daylight as it is easier to choose the colours of the fabrics I want to use. 

and in the evenings, finishing up the ball of wool from the jacket I knitted a pair of bootees.

Knitting and Sewing

I have been knitting away and have finished the first little jacket. This has been good to do. I really enjoy knitting and haven't done any for such a long time.

I have still to buy ribbon for the front tie.

and I have also got a little bit of sewing done and finished the 2nd triangle for the May Brown quilt. The stems for the ivy I am planning to embroider as they are only thin lines. I need to prepare the 3rd one before I can get anymore sewing done.

New Things

Can you see what's coming this year? Not once but twice. Both of my DIL's

are expecting a bub later in the year, so Grandma has to get started now.

My elbow has decided to throb if I knit for too long so I've been knitting 10rows whenever I sit down and this will get what I want to knit finished although a tad slower than usual........... and keep the elbow sweet. 

  

I had a package in the post this week, a new project. I'm getting it as a kit from the Buggy Barn so that I have the variety of plaids and brushed cottons the pattern calls for. I'm also adding [felted] wool to most of the blocks to add texture to it. I love the mixture of cotton and wool on the more 'Prim' style quilts.

I will also have to look for a couple of nice 'cot' quilt patterns but may not be able to make these until later.  I will need to know if they are to be blue or pink.

Work on the UFO's Continues.

Another quilt almost completed and put away as I tired of the process. I was making this quilt with an online group and making my first quilt with machine applique. I had not used this method before and I can now say never will again. Cutting the paper shapes out, cutting the fabric out, starching the edges, so they turn over and stay, and ironing them and burnt fingers  and an ironing table cover ruined, this was not fun to make. The sewing was very quick and easy but the look of the nylon thread leaves much to be desired. I will always continue to try new ways but it needs to enhance the look of my quilts and be pleasing to do.
This quilt is a Kim Diehl pattern from an American Patchwork and Quilting magazine and is called Promise of Spring. 

I have two of Kim Diehl's books and several of the patterns are tagged to be made. There is a lovely dolls quilt and a candle mat in the books too. This     next quilt is also her pattern that I made a few years ago and is called           Feathered Stars and it is in her Simple Traditions book.

More UFO's

I also found in my UFO cupboard a small plastic continer holding 265 -  5 1/2"
squares I had made from the fabric in my scrap basket. I had even trimmed them all so it was an easy job to sew them together.

The quilt is 80" X 80" so I hung it on the clothes hoist to take a photo. As you will see, as soon as I pegged it on, the wind came up. It has turned out quite bright, rather a 'happy' quilt and I am very pleased with it.

Wishing All my Blog friends a Very Happy and Healthy 2011.

UFO

I decided to go through my boxes and cupboards. I wanted to look at my UFO's and decide whether they were worth keeping. Was I ever going to finish them??? was there any need to keep them????? I didn't get passed the first container after discovering 25 blocks ready to needleturn and I was only on the 2nd one. Inspired by seeing all the lovely fabrics I have decided to get on with it and we will see how far I get before it goes back in the cupboard. Here is a photo of the first 2 blocks. They are all either red, yellow or cheddar in colour.

and here is a better photo with the centre broderie perse sewn on. I had my DIL look at the settings on my camera and it has made a great difference. They are a better colour now and not overly bright.

The Story of the Diamonds

My Diamonds are finished.

I have also been looking at pieces to add to the centre as Broderie Perse and found that the  small ring of roses that surround the centre medallion cut into 4 sits nicely around the inner side of the corner hexagons and makes quite a difference to the look of the 'bareness' [is that a word?] of the centre. I will get them stitched on later.

and.... I also finished my X-Stitch, Alphabet Sampler. I had to buy the trinkets online and unfortunately the key which sits beside the "F" is very small but luckily I do have a larger one and will change it over before it is framed. There is also a pair of scissors which are supposed to sit under the "8" beside the "V" but they are too large so I've had to leave them off. I have moved the reel of thread higher to compensate. The squirrel with his "acorn" trinket I think looks great.

The men in the family have gone off for a game of golf so I'm going to potter in my sewing room before it is time to make dinner for them.

A Gift in the Mail

Today I received a beautiful little quilt made by Taryn from Repro Quilt Lover. She had made it for a giveaway I was lucky enough to win. It has so many lovely little pieces of fabric in it and I just love it. Thank you Taryn, Christmas has started early.

Also in todays mail I received fabric I had bought online. They are a bit darker than the photo shows. I love the cheddar fabrics and the greens are Jo Mortons latest range.

A Parcel on the Doorstep

Today as I left the house I found a parcel the postie had left on the doorstep.
A box of goodies from Jeni .I was on my way to my embroidery class, so I put it under my arm and off I went. By the time I arrived there, I had an idea it could be the Secret Santa Swap I am in with an online primitve folk art group. 

I explained to everone what I thought it was so it was opened. Everything was separately wrapped in Christmas tissue. A lovely handmade Christmas card. A star made by Rug hooking, I look at the rugs online that people make and love them. This is now my very own piece. A cardboard snowman, wool thread, a very large bundle of felted wool in many different colours that I love to use in making things.2 Fq's of beautiful fabric, some roving for making balls or a beard on a santa, a quilt pattern and the most gorgeous little prim quilt with a black crow too, my favourite. What a marvellous swap to receive and I am truly delighted with everything Jeni has sent.  

I am waiting to hear that my parcel has arrived at my Secret Swap lady.  

  

The Christmas decorations come out

Here are some of my Christmas decorations that are handmade.

My Crow wallhanging I received in a Xmas swap online and is made with wool.

He has tartan slippers! and I love it.

This a wool penny mat I made for last Christmas as you will notice Mr Crow is there again. 

I hang this one from the handle of the door.The stitchery is done on linen but the rest of the heart is wool.

This is a Lynette Anderson pattern. I love the penquins on it. This was a great wallhanging to make.

I made this one at WoodnPots, a local shop before I had started making quilts. The shop taught Folk Art painting on wooden shapes that her husband makes. The centre panel and the wooden hanger I painted with a lot of help from the staff and although I don't tie the little bags on any longer it is an Advent quilt with 24 hearts on the border.  

Even the checkerboard was painted!
Sewing is so much easier.

Finally Finished

This is my Primitive Garden quilt. I bought it as a BOM from Primitive Gatherings. It has a cotton Background and Felted Wool applique. This is the first quilt I made with wool.  I made it in 2008- 2009 and have just got it quilted and bound over the last few days. Working with wool that has been felted is wonderful. It is very soft on the hands to sew and as it doesn't fray only requires a whipstitch round the edge.

Progress is slow

My Drayton Hall quilt.

Progress is slow. I have been working on the middle part of the quilt off and on but now have cut enough diamonds to make the surrounds.                    

I started sewing the pieces together bit by bit for the first row and finally came to my senses with the second row that it would be so much quicker and easier to string piece it.                                                                     

This equals enough rows for 1/2 of one side. The strips have still to be sewn together. This was yesterdays work at the machine.                             

Today I was out on a bus trip to Patchwork shops with the AQA. [Aust.Quilters Assoc.] We went to 5 shops. The first shop was like a maze,
rows and shelves of fabrics ,braids ,threads tools. So many corners, cupboards, fabrics from way back when, an aladin cave. I found a fabric I had used in a quilt 10years ago. I loved this fabric and I had kept every little scrap of it because I liked it so much.Recently, I had finally used the last little piece for a berry.  And now, I found a whole bolt of it. Yipee!

The next shop was BRIGHTS, LIGHTS and 1930's.
So, not me but I found a pattern for a sheep. Shaun the Sheep. The sample in the shop had a black with white fabric body, arms and legs and over the top a white fleece Jumpsuit with a zip down the  front, so a child could dress/undress him.
The other sample was made with white with black fabric for the body and a black fleece jumpsuit....and as I'm going to be grandma next year had to have him.

Lunch was next and then off to a sweet little shop with a lovely selection of fabrics.

The next shop was another aladin's cave. This one had Xmas decorations too and afternoon tea on the verandah. This is when we really did feel the heat of the day. It was over 30C.  I bought a pattern to make 3 little Christmas penquins with my felted wool and a nice black/white cotton for making Shaun.

The next store had Japanese fabrics, red - navy and taupes. An enormous range of Homespuns [muslins], and a large range of florals.
and then it was back on the bus and home. I had a good day and didn't break the bank.