Different fabrics

Working with different fabrics has been a lovely change from the Reproduction fabrics that I normally use. Here it the top finished. A Message in a Bottle.

 

Maybe I should call it Taupes and Linens.

Working on several items.

As you will see I have several projects on the go. First up is border no 3 for Sutton Grange. It's all prepared and ready for sewing.

 

 

These are the pieces for the border, Message in a Bottle, so they are almost all ready to be set on point, joined and attached to the quilt.

 

I got this one sandwiched this week so it's now  ready to get quilted which I am going to do myself.

 

and my Big Top quilt came back from the LAQ and I have the binding attached and ready to be sewn down on the second side. I had a large all-over pattern quilted on it. Too many seams and too much to look at with colour to then have it drowned in quilting. I will put up a full photo when the binding is sewn.

 

Plenty to keep me busy. Have a good week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Too busy finishing off!

Just had a look and almost to the day it's taken a year to make my Jane Pizar centre.  I started it at a Marg Sampson George workshop and the first photo I have was taken at the end of June 2013. I spent this week quilting it and putting the binding on, even a label. I'm really pleased with how it turned out.

 

 

Now the next top is a different story. The stars have been in the cupboard about 10 years and I still don't like them, but they came out last week when the Friday Girls at Somerset, [see FB group,] decided to make Lone Star quilts. I'm not a fan of stars but found some fabric in the stash and put these together. Project done. Whew! Now they will be donated for a charity quilt. 

 

 

I've also been hand sewing and have the first large cable border for this quilt finished and well on the way to having the right side border sewn too. I'm so much happier when I'm appliqueing.  

 

 

 

Winter has now arrive and with the wind chill was down to 2C yesterday. Brrrr!

 

 

 

 

Winter ?

We are well into the first month of Winter and the Red Hot Pokers are showing off their beauty. The birds hang onto the tall stems and swing wildly back and forth while they get the nectar with their beaks. The vegie garden in the background is a bit empty just now. Almost time to put the seed potatoes in.

 

 
Remembering that it's Winter, I picked Roses today. Shouldn't it then be Spring or Summer? I put them in a vase beside a painting my DD did.

 

 

 I'm a member of the sewing group, Friday Girls at Somerset, they are on Facebook too and everyone except me is in the middle of making a Lone Star quilt. I had no notion to make one as I have unfinished Stars in the cupboard from years' ago. They just don't appeal. I took them in yesterday to show the' Girls' and they want me to finish them. Maybe. Later. If you are with Facebook you can have a look at everyone else's Stars.

 

 

Onto the more appealing sewing projects. I finished the last 2 blocks of Message in a Bottle.

 

 

 

and spent last night and today joining all the blocks together. I'm really pleased how the Taupes and Linen fabrics look together. Now for the borders.

 

 

 

Enjoy your sewing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

June - the start of Winter.

I've been working on Message in a Bottle blocks. I'm happy with the Taupe fabrics and the colours I am using. Most of the block with the leaves was stitched while I watched the French Open. The ladies final went for 3hours so I got plenty done.

 

 

I'm still working on the 3rd section of Di Ford's Quiltmania BOM. I found the flowers in the fabric I had chosen, for the Broderie Perse in the centre, too small to individually cut and stitch for the border as shown in the magazine so I have added a border using the whole fabric and I'm still deciding if I will add the hexagons over the top of it. The 4th section in the next issue of the magazine may be what influence's my decision.  

 

There is no rush to decide, I have more than enough to stitch meantime.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back again

Back again with something to show for the break from blogging.
The pattern calls for 80 Drunkards Path. That's 320 dark and light squares with 320 dark and light quarter circles which are sewn on top of the squares. The first photo shows them getting made.

 

The 2nd has the first side on.

 

Both sides on.

 

The 3rd side.

 

and finally all finished. Yay!

 

and just to finish it off the last feather border.

 

This now measures 45" and it is square, even though the photo doesn't give that impression.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Finishes Continue.

This first quilt is from a pattern by Sandra Boyle. I have photos in earlier posts of the blocks being made. It is light and fresh looking but not really to my liking. I think it would have looked better with stronger coloured fabrics. Working with light or modern fabrics is being a huge learning curve for me and I still prefer the old reproduction fabrics. 

 

 

I did a workshop with Di Ford back in March while I was at Castlemaine, and last week I finally found time to get back to my Sutton Grange. I had a brown , a blue and a green fabric picked out as suitable for the sashing, but making a final decision took some time. The blue was discarded first because there is enough blue in the quilt already and the brown ended up being just too drab, so that left the green and I'm pleased with how it looks. If you can't get to one of her workshop this pattern will be available in Di's next book.

 

The three small pieces in each corner have still to be needleturned although the raw edge in the photo doesn't look too bad.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Little Bits of this and that...

I've spent the last few days making more of the small blocks needed for the Message in a Bottle quilt. Some are applique and many are machine sewn, pieced. Many are Taupe fabrics but some are Linen and some Japanese cottons. They all go well together.

 

When I've been away from the machine I've sewn a bit more of the broderie perse flowers. A much slower progress with them or I've slowed a bit with the joy of finishing 3 projects

last week.

 

 

 

 

The weather is cold, wet and miserable only improved by staying indoors and watching my 'footy' team thrash the opposition. Yay!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Finish and a Start

I finished all that can be done at this moment on my Crib quilt. I want to put a border along the top, about 4"-6" deep but will wait until I know, is it a boy or a girl.

 

Time to make a start on a new pattern I bought at the Aust. quilt show recently. It is called Message in a Bottle by Irene Blanck.

 

I will use my Japanese Taupes as I have a large bundle left over from making Yoko Saito's 'Houses" pattern and I've also been buying more as I saw them.  I'm waiting for a few more to arrive via the postman and there will also be quite a few 'linen' fabrics included.

 

 

Here are sections 1 - 2 - 3 & 5.  I like to get the backgrounds ready first and this pattern uses several in each block. Putting the main background fabrics aside, so that I don't use them again, the next job is to trace onto freezer paper the applique shapes. Now comes the choosing of each fabric for each piece and this is when time just disappears.  Mornings, afternoons and evenings.  I found a large bag of bias/stems, bits I haven't used up when making other quilts so I will be using them. They are all cotton fabrics but by choosing the ones that are in the 'taupe' colours they will fit in fine. I really like to prepare every block and then as one is sewn/appliqued the next one is ready waiting.

Time to get back to it.  

 

 

 

 

 

Doll Quilt Swap

I took part in Lori's Doll's Quilt Swap and today I received my quilt from Randy in the mail. I couldn't get the envelope opened quick enough so that I could see it. It is just beautiful and I love it.

 

 

My swap quilt has also arrived at it's destination but I'll let her show it to you. I think Lori is having a photo gallery when they all arrive. I'm really delighted with mine so I hope everyone gets as good as I did.

 

Happy Easter

I picked a Reproduction fabric from my stash to use for the sashing and borders of the Big Top blocks. It is a chocolate background with a small design of a bright blue, yellow and cheddar which picks up the colours in the blocks. It also makes the blocks stand out.

 

and I've started the trimming of this lot of HST's and made 9 blocks. Just 19 more blocks to go, a daytime job as I like to sit and applique in the evenings.

 

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Forward and Backward

I have a 'few' projects just about finish and decided it was time to just get on and finish them. My Coxcomb and Star quilt has been waiting to be put together. Trimming up the 36 1/2" squares had been the cause of the delay. Not one of my favourite jobs on large pieces, when neither the ruler or the cutting board are big enough. That done I attached the centre sashing and was not happy with the look of what had been supplied in the BOM for it. As there had been plenty of fabric supplied I cut new ones from a lighter fabric left over from an earlier month. Of course, this meant the first ones had to be unpicked. Need I say more! Not a favourite either. Then the borders went on. Yay!  Well, until I looked at these photos and realised the left border is facing the wrong way.

 

Next job, get the HST 's trimmed. These ones were 11/2"

 

and these ones 13/4".  I always make them bigger and trim to size.

 

 

But this was the result. One more block for Lori's quilt.

 

and today, with all the HST's made I also completed the ninth and last block.

 

 

 

I won't tell you how many squares and HST's I have left. Maybe I'll make some dolls quilts with the squares. I like the look of the centre of the last block.

 

Now, while on the subject of HST's I have this bundle to trim for 28 blocks.

 

 

 because I still have this quilt on the go. I have the Crossroads blocks made already so after the Birds in the Air blocks just two more rounds to go .

 

I just have too many bits and pieces on the go at one time.

 

p.s. I've unpicked the border and it's stitched on,  the right way. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There's been a lot happening.

This week after the workshop at Linda 's I went to an Antique Quilt Day also at Linda's . Many old quilts to see and fabrics to oh! and ah! over and a wonderful lunch and great company as well. Here are just a couple of snippets.

 

 

 

This weekend was our Quilt Show for the Australian Quilters Association

 

 

and I was delighted to win Viewer's Choice with my Mary Brown quilt. A shocking photo of it but you get to see the one it is. There were 150 quilts on show plus 26 blocks for a Challenge quilt and several quilts using the Elizabeth Legacy' pattern. A wonderful exhibition altogether.

 

 

 

 

Meantime I have been working on Di Ford's Mystery quilt BOM and have finished getting the border done and attached.

 

 

 

and I've also been sewing the Crib Quilt from my workshop with Marg Sampson-George and it's coming along. Most of the outer elements still need to be appliqued.

 

 

 

Now back to sewing, I've never had so many projects going at the same time.

 

 

 

 

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.