The Hexi's are made.

 I started Briar Hill quite a while ago and made the centre and then I made other things, you know how it happens. I've been sitting in the evenings making hexi's, hexi's and more hexi's and now that they are made I've 'just' to stitch them to the background. Here is the first strip ready for sewing. The white circles are freezer paper, marking the edge for turning under.

 

 

I hung each background strip up on my craft wall and then I pinned on the hexi's flowers and the rounds, mixing and matching the fabrics and colours as I went. The rounds have one, two or three layers. It will hang there while I sew each strip.

 

 

This has now become a great 'pick up and go' project.

 

 

 

 

 

Working on a project

I received an email from P & B Textiles in July, asking me if I would like to work with some of their fabric. I replied that I normally used Reproduction fabrics but other ranges could be interesting.
This lovely bundle of FQ's arrived in the mail shortly after.

 

I then had to think of a project using 12 FQ's and remembering the Swoon pattern I had bought last year used FQ's, this worked perfectly with some white fabric from my stash. I tend to buy the same white so I used up all the strips and pieces,  leftovers, from previous quilts.

 

Here is a photo of my finished top.

 

and a photo of each block.

 

I think they all work well together with the variety of colours. The solid colours were a stripe which caused a bit of extra thinking when it came to cutting and sewing the 1/2square triangles but it was all good in the end.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lots and lots of sewing

Most of my project have finished around the same time. I quilted and put the binding on my Bundling Board. It is made with Brushed Cottons and Felted Wools and feels lovely and soft.

 

My Coxcombs and Stars, a Jan Patek kit given to me by a generous friend, came back from the LAQ and looks absolutely wonderful. I really like how Pam quilted it and after spending quite a few evenings sewing on the binding,[ it's a large quilt] it is finished too. This photo shows half of it, because it is too big and heavy to hold or hang up, I put it over the railing along the verandah.

 

 

The Message in a Bottle quilt now has it's final border attached  and will be the next one to go to the quilters'. I hope to find another nice pattern to use some more of my Taupe and Linen fabrics again.

 

and last but not least my Sutton Grange quilt has only a small bit of sewing left to be done. A couple of the corner pieces to applicate down and it will be finished too. I'm very happy how this one has turned out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.