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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another piece finished.

First item to be finished was the 4th centre block for my Coxcombs and Stars and now I'm working on the bottom and last border. This is a large quilt and laying on the floor was the only way I could photograph it while still in pieces. The bottom border matches the top one and I really want to get this finished in the near future.

 

I bought this Japanese Taupe fabric last year at the quilt show. It's more of a dark grey than brown and I had the handles and the big black button in my stash already.  The next photo is the fabric I used for the lining. Nice and bright so I can find things when I fill it up. It always seems harder to find the keys at the foot of the bag if it has a black lining.

 

 

 

Block number 6. The 2nd orange border is not dark or dull, it's just the turquoise is very bright.

 

It feels good to get ahead and finish off some pieces and there's a very good reason too. Next month, March I've booked myself into, not one, but TWO workshops. That's two new projects and I'm looking forward to both of them but they both involve choices of designs so more about that later.

 

 

Not a lot of sewing

I managed to get another of Lori's blocks finished. I like to make the HST's by sewing two squares diagonally together on either side of a centre line and with so many fabrics to choose from I try to make enough to have a complete round with no doubles. The bonus to doing it this way is that I then have enough for the next block, as making them this way yields two HST's from each one. I then press them flat, trim  to size and join them together for each side with chain-piecing, so that all four sides are done at the same time. So this is number 5 and I also made the centre 6"block for the next one. 

A few nights with the Winter Olympics, Friday at Somerset and today at the Applique Guild meeting I've made a bit of an inroads to the 4th centre square of Coxcombs and Stars. Not ready for a photo -yet but it's coming along.
I also have Foxtel [Cable] on my IPad and watched all 13 episodes of Season2 of House of Cards. I did thoroughly enjoy it and may watch it again before this offer runs out on the 13th March. The only downside to this, is the fact that I can't sew while my IPad sits on my knee.  I'll have to work on that.  LOL!    Have a good week everyone.

Hurray!

I'm saying Hurray because I've been without my computer for 10days. Today it came home with quite a bit of work done to it. Everything is now working again so I can let you see what I've been stitching. First up, is Month 1 of Di Ford's BOM, the centre. I made so many hexagons for the corners but each time I made them into a rosette the colour or the design of the fabric just didn't look - right  but with the paler fabric, finally I'm happy with how it looks.

 

 

Second, is a photo of my Chintz hexagons. I'm waiting on some more white, cotton chintz to arrive before I can do any more. It's turning out to be a bright coloured quilt.

 

 

 

and Thirdly, I made another block for Lori's  Big Top quilt, another bright item on the craft wall.

 

 

We have a long spell of extremely hot weather and some days have been over 40C so even with the A/C on it's been just too hot to sew. Today we had a cool change and a temperature of 26C - tomorrow, it's back up into the 30C's for a few days.

 

Washing

With the weather being so hot yesterday, I decided to wash a couple of my quilts. I never treat them as if they are 'precious',  I just put them in the washing machine on a Woollen setting, with cold water, some Wool Mix and 3 or 4  Colour Catchers. These pieces of paper work their magic and catch any colour that runs especially if there is red fabric in the quilt. My Antique Sampler hadn't had it's wash when I finished making it so it still had it's Rosanne glue and chalk markings on the quilt.  Hanging it outside in the warmth with a good breeze blowing it took 20mins to dry.
The reds are red and the whites are white.......

 

 

........... I can't say the same for the Colour Catchers.

 

 

 

 

Australia Day

Today , the 26th January is Australia Day. It's about celebrating the fact that we live in the 'lucky country'. I came to Australia in 1966 and I was amazed at how big and blue the sky could be without a cloud in sight. I still love those days, when the sun is out, the washing on the line dries in 20mins and the magpies strut across the lawn as if they own it.

 

I've been sewing a bit more of my BOM. Now come the hexies in the corners. 

  

 

 

and one more Oak Leaf block.

 

 

 

When it's hot - Sew

We are all breathing a sigh of relief now that the weather has changed from unbelievably hot to our much cooler but more normal summer weather. I think most people living in Melbourne, Aus  melted during our four days of over 40C temperatures this last week. Yesterday dropped to 19C which felt a tad cold but today at 24C is beautiful. Long may this last.

It gave me the time though, to sit with the Air conditioning ON , to watch the Tennis and Sew. I started Di Ford's BOM , in Quiltmania. and here is a picture of what I have done so far. If you've seen it in the magazine you'll notice I've used a different fabric for my Broderie Perse. I'm already making a quilt with the Chintz fabrics and didn't want two with the same. The places where the ring of scallops sits, I've marked with an iron-off pen so they won't show once I have them placed  - and pressed. The background is a creamier colour than is showing in the photo, too.

 

 

 

and I'm still working with the Chintz and the hexies. It's turning out quite bright.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2014 January

Feeling better and back to normal which includes sewing again. Summer has arrived at last with a couple of lovely warm days which is now going to be followed with 4 or 5 days of hot weather. The next few days are going to be in the 30C's which can get a tad uncomfortable but as we have air-conditioning I will stay in, sew and watch the tennis on the TV of the Melbourne Open. 
Meanwhile I finished Block 3 for Lori's quilt. The centre does look paler in the photo than it really is.

 

The next project is new and the pattern which is by Somerset will be available in a coming magazine so I'm only showing a small section.

 

I always pick the roses for the house when I know it's going to be hot. They last a little bit longer indoors.  I think this one is called Mother's Day

 

and a Blue Moon

 

and Mister Lincoln

 

 

 

2014

Happy New Year
Wishing everyone all the best for 2014.

I haven't been too well over Christmas so there has been no blog and no sewing.
Hoping to to get back to both soon.

December

Each year I take part in a Christmas Swap with a Prim Yahoo group. This week I received my parcel from Imi in Holland. It contained a Mug Mat, a FQ ,a Christmas decoration and a pattern. Each of us had to send the same to our Swap partner. I have sent my parcel to Sandy in Ohio. The mug mat is all made from felted wool and it is beautiful. The decoration is double sided with a snowman's face on each side and I think everything I received is just lovely.

 

 

 We were asked to bring our scissor collection to the sewing group on Friday at Somerset', this time.  I found scissors with each of my projects, in drawers, containers - everywhere and I decided just a couple would be enough to take.  I have taken a picture of a few of what I have , dressmaking shears which are large, pinking shears which are very stiff, sewing scissors, embroidery scissors, tiny cream travel [airport] scissors and my snips that I use when sewing on the machine.

How many pairs does one need?  How many do you have?

 

I have one special pair though. I believed  they were my Grandmothers but they may have belonged to my Great Grandmother,  because I have found a name on the side of them and it  would need to a maiden name as it is not my Grandmother's name although this is who I got them from.  They also have a special purpose. They are buttonhole scissors, for the days when there were no zippers. The buttonhole was stitched and then the hole was cut between the stitches. I've put my thimble there to try to show the size.

 

 

 

 

and here is a picture with the hole cut and I've slid a button in the slit to try and show it clearer. Because of the shape of them the blade doesn't cut the edge of the fabric. The piece of fabric I used just happened to have been pinked around the edge and has nothing to do with these scissors.

 

 

 I wonder how old they are? I'll also have to try and find out what my Great grandmother's maiden name was.

 

 

 

 

 

Sewing and reading

This is the 2nd block for Lori's  Humble Quilts  quilt. There is always a lot of fabric cutting  to be done with each block, so I spent quite a few hours this week just cutting out squares in two different sizes.

 

 

This I'm sure will make a difference to the time spent on each block. The bundles of colours are mixed so that I have a large variety to pick from and the shirtings are all the small pieces I have had left over.  The containers I bought at the Supermarket and are a wonderful size for the job they are doing.

 

 

 

Something different! At Somerset on Friday, Karen gave  us a challenge to make the following. She had got them at Market and brought them back for us. They came in a little package with the instructions and a bundle of fabrics.  I haven't done any Foundation piecing for a long time and it was thoroughly enjoyable, to sit yesterday afternoon and make these 'Cupcakes'. I just need to put the borders on and finish them off.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I forgot you were there.....

While I was in the cupboard looking for my halogen table lamp I found this container/bucket and instantly knew what was inside it. It must be 6 years since I started this project and I also remember that I found it beyond me at that time. What I did forget was that I had...

 

cut all the background blocks out, all 25 of them and

 

I had also cut all the pieces of fabric for the applique and placed them inside each block.

 

 

and I had already sewn the applique on 4 of them. They are Oak Leaf Wreaths. [ try saying that quickly] in either red, orange or yellow reproduction fabrics. These are going to keep me sewing for quite a while. The red one at the top may have to be unpicked as it's not square on the block, one of 'How to do this' I have since learned. The fabrics are still some of my favourites which is lovely as I know my tastes have changed from when I started Patchwork.

 

 

 

I've also been sewing my Coxcombs and Stars. I finished the berries on the border, all 60 of them and started Block 3. It is lovely to pick up this soft brushed cotton fabric  and sew a bit after appliqueing an Oak Leaf on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Corners and Borders

All the applique for the corners and surrounds is finished and I'm really pleased how it looks. Once it is quilted I'm going to bind it in the background fabric.

 

The photo of my 'finished' Toile medallion is not great but it lets you see the final borders. The colour of the last border is as you see it, a strong Chrome Yellow. 

 

 

 

Preparation! it always takes longer than you think it will. Block 3 of Coxcombs and Stars is now ready to needleturn , but first I've got 60 berries for the border piece to make and attach.  The Stars are already stitched to the rounds. It's easier to do them first.