One more of everything.

Trying to keep up with a bit of everything.
I stitched the applique on the first block with the basket. There are four blocks like this and I'm going to use the same fabrics for each one.

The  next block for Under the Cherry Tree. I'm still managing to get one sewn each month so this is number 7. Maybe the next one will have fewer leaves.

 

 

 

 

and two more Civil War Stars. This week Woven Plaids. Learning the history behind the fabrics is an added bonus.

 

 

If anyone is looking for me, you'll know where I'll be.

 

 

 

How Time Flies................

 

April has been a busy month with a couple of family Birthdays, Easter and a trip to the Melbourne Quilt Show.

I finally took a photo of my GS quilt hanging up in his room.

 

 

 

A quilt in progress, a pattern from the workshop with Marg Sampson-George. I have had this lovely antique floral fabric for a couple of years and didn't want to cut it up too much, so this pattern was just what I needed to show it off. I need to find a fabric for an inner border to go between this and the 9-patch final border.

 

 

 

I enjoyed a trip to the Melbourne quilt Show last week and  I bought some more Japanese Taupe fabrics. I want to make another quilt using them, so I bought suitable pieces for backgrounds.

 I got a couple of FQ from Lu'cello's and some fine wool for stitching my Sue Spargo's BOM which is coming along beautiful but unfortunately I can't show you until the BOM finishes.

This project is keeping me very busy with all the embellishments Sue adds to her quilts.

 

 

 

 

Stars.

I started making Barbara Brackman's 'Stars in a Time Warp'. Each week on her Blog there is the history of a different fabric and pictures of star blocks. You can make one or as many Stars as you wish using that particular colour or type of fabric. At the moment I have only made one in each but I hope to make more later on, as I have several fabrics in each variation except for the Overdyed Green.
 So far we have had Turkey Reds - Prussian Blues - Shirting Prints - Chrome Orange or Cheddar - Overdyed Greens - Double Pinks - Madder Prints -Indigo Blue - Chrome Yellow - Green Calicoes and Purples.
Here is a picture of my Stars so far.

 

My other project - Mrs Millar's Journey -  is progressing slowly. This is one of four baskets on the side blocks of the quilt and I have two of them stitched down.  

 

Time to sit and sew and watch the World Cup Cricket final.

 

 

 

 

March

I have started off with a photo of the next block that I have finished for the Under the Cherry Tree quilt. I'm glad to have the berries sewn on as there was quite a few.

 

Then I started a new quilt and this is the centre block for Mrs Millar's Journey quilt designed by Liz Willing. The large leaves and flowers overlap onto the surrounding blocks and will be sewn down when the blocks are attached.

 

 

A couple of visitors to the garden. They were quite happy to sit there and devour our tomatoes straight off the plants.

 

 

Last Friday I went to Ballan with a couple of friends and saw this quilt show. It had been put on by Millrose . Patchwork shop, cafe and accommodation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

one of my favourite.

 

 

just a section on a quilt.

 

 

 

 

 

Needless to say we also did a bit of shopping while we were there.

I did finish my Grandson's cot quilt and forgot to take a photo before I gave it to him.I'll take one when it gets hung up.

 

 

 

 

 

Sewing things

I'm still sewing the wallhanging which can't be revealed yet but here's another 'critter'
that has found a place to hang on to. A Green Tree Frog.

 

and when I wasn't at the sewing machine I finished another block for the Under the Cherry Tree quilt.

 

It was such a beautiful day I washed my Civil War Brides quilt and with the wind blowing it has dried and is ready to use.

 

 

One of my favourites.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

January 2015 - just made it.

I have spent the Summer holidays making a quilt that I've had the pattern for, for a long time. Pumpkins and Turkeys by Jan Patek. Just one of those patterns that hangs around in the bundle of 'one day', you know what I mean.

 

The next job was to make 9 blocks for a Swap that is happening later in the year and 1 small Spring quilt for another Swap I've entered, due in April ,and I can't even show them to you. Later!

The next one on the list is a wallhanging for my new Grandson and here is one block for you to see. The quilt is full of Australian animals and this is the Desert Lizard. I used my reproduction fabrics for all of them and they have worked out wonderfully. I've spent the last week and a half sitting at the sewing machine making the 12 blocks and [ watching the tennis] I'm now at the stage of sewing it together, so it shouldn't be too long before I can reveal all.

 

 

By the way Happy New Year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This Year's Finishes

I thought I'd look back and see what I had made and finished this year. The first three quilts I started in 2013 but were finished this year. Quilted and bound. 

Lori's Big Top Pattern.

 

Sandra Boyle's Peony Medallion

 

Jan Patek's Coxcomb and Stars

 

This year I started and finished the following.

 

Solomon's Temple Block

I think I'll call it 96 Pieces, still to be quilted.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sue Ambrose's Briar Hill

still to be quilted.

 

 

Di Ford's Sutton Grange

quilted and bound.

 

Karen Styles Chintz Hexi's

still to be quilted.

 

Irene Blank's Message in a Bottle

booked in for quilting in Feb.

 

 

Marg Sampson-George - Crib Quilt

quilted and bound and wrapped for Christmas.

 

 

Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year to you All.

 

 

 

 

I've been doing a little sewing..

...throughout the year and not showing it on my blog, until now. I first saw these blocks
here and just liked them so much I knew I would make them one day. Meredithe drew up the block for me with all the measurements and I never realised until I saw the draft that there are 96, yes 96 pieces in each block.  It's been slow going but I am really happy to have it finally finished.

 

 

I have used a large selection of different blacks, blues, reds and shirtings. Just one question to ask... Do I add a border and if so what colour?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's been a while

My last post had a picture of this bundle of fabric from the range Bella Suede Collection by P&B Textiles, Basics. A collection of bright tone-on-tone colours.

and this is what I have come up with after several days of thinking, several days of cutting and many more days of sewing. I finally finished it last night. It is almost 60" square. The first photo was taken with just the lights in the room on....

 

and this photo is with the camera flash on.

I got a new camera for my birthday which will take a bit of time to work out if I'm ever game enough to switch off the Auto button. The camera informed me the flash was needed but I think the clear colours in the first photo are closer to the actual colours. Here are a couple of close-ups of the fabrics so that you can see the designs.

 

 

 

 

and todays job has been completed. It's that time of the year again.

 

and my Christmas Cactus quilt is up too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

All stitched

All stitched and backed. I have enjoyed working with wool again. It is lovely and soft on the hands. I can bring it out in the Autumn and pop it on top of the table.

 

 

 

Last week I received a bundle of fabrics from P&B Textiles to have a play with. Thirty wonderful tone 0n tone Fat Quarters. What to do? Hmm!

 

 

 

Thinking time.

Wool

At sewing on Friday I was sitting next to Sue and she was sewing a Felted Wool pattern and I came home thinking about the wool pattern I had bought recently from the Buggy Barn.
I wanted a table topper and not a wall hanging so over the weekend I popped round to 'Officeworks' and had the pattern reduced in size. Home again, I put the pattern in the printer to make a copy for cutting out, giving me all the pieces of the pattern ready for attaching to my wool.
The next job was a search through my container of felted wools to find the right colours. I then stapled the paper pattern to the wool and cut them out.
Saturday night I removed the pattern and attached the pieces to the background. Now that all the preparation is finished I can sit, sew and enjoy. The watermelon and the pear I cut out of velvet, the rest, including the background, are felted wool.
The pattern is Bowl of Plenty by Maggie Bonanomi.

 

 

 

Binding and Borders

My Sutton Grange came back from the quilter this week with all this beautiful quilting highlighting my applique. Pam does such a great job.

 

Then I set to and got the binding sewn on. Finished!

I had no sooner got my quilt pegged up on the line and the wind blew and the rain came on, such a change from yesterday.

 

 

 

Yesterday was hot and sunny 30C, so my Briar Hill with it's borders on has a few shadows from the trees. I found this perfect fabric, Pomegranate, in my stash. I had bought it to use for another pattern,  but fortunately the other quilt didn't get made, because it is so perfect for this quilt.   

 

 

 

 

Getting it all together

All the hexies and circles are appliqued to the background. The sashing has been added and Briar Hill is now all together.

Time to pick a border fabric.

Time to get a bigger display area!

Around the World Blog Hop.

Blog Hop.
My blog was tagged by Lizzy of gone2thebeach.blogspot.com last week. She sews and creates and has the sun, sea and sand on her doorstep. A great blog to follow.

What am I working on?

Several items. There are always several projects on the go at the same time.
The most recent is Briar Hill.

Under the Cherry Tree quilt

 

Several X- stitches                                                                                          

 

and I made this little bag recently. I love bags and I'm always finding different patterns

 

 

How does my work differ from other quilters?

I think that finishing my projects and not having a cupboard of WIP's.
I like to make new and old quilts/patterns.
I make a LOT of bags.

 

 

Why do I create/ write my blog.                                                                                      

I like the different stages of making a quilt and being able to show [hopefully] the enjoyment I get from each stage and finally finishing an article. Large or small.

How does my creating process work?

By writing a blog and having photos of the journey. Not so much creating ,more a journey of decisions. Patterns - Size - Colours - Fabrics - Shapes - Techniques. Choices  -  so many choices.

I'd like to recommend a couple of blogs  www.bemused.typepad.com.au
                                                  and    www.nicolamoss.blogspot.com.au
I think you'll enjoy their work.