My Granddaughters Quilts

I made the same quilt for both of them. The first one is for Abbie and is made in the colours of her bedroom. The background is a light cream and the white wings show quite clearly but not in the photo. Even with the clothes hoist on the highest, the quilt was still longer. I thought I would get a clearer picture outside.

This one is for Grace. I picked the colours mainly because my DIL likes [loves] red and don't we dress our children, in colours we like. The pattern came with 3 layouts so they are slightly different.

I did the all applique and sewing on the machine, so fast and easy to make and rather enjoyable.

It's a Month Tomorrow

It has taken a month to sew the applique on the 2 end borders and now it is finished. There will be a frame of 1/4" fabric bias around the outer edge of the flowers but I'm going to put it on when I do the binding. It has been lovely working with bright colours but I still like my 'muddy' colours.

Show and Tell

Here are a couple of the Show n Tell quilts from people that attended on Saturday. This one was really pretty with it's large sunflowers.

The next 2 photos are of the same quilt from different angles. The colour of the 2nd one is truer to life. I wanted to show all of the quilt because it is hexagons, tiny, tiny hexagons. Even the brown border. Amazing  or insanity.

This was Merri's quilt, so far. Enormous blocks. Just beautiful.

This quilt was down before I got a full photo of it. Here is Corliss from Threadbear holding it. It was the pieced border that interested me the most, made in purple and white it surrounded a centre of enormous flowers.

I showed my Ann Daggs quilt which is my header just now on the blog.

Yesterday

Yesterday, Saturday, Bev,Linda & I went to Castlemaine for the quarterly Applique Society meeting.  We saw Carolyn's antique quilts. Here are some photos of them. The 1st one had lovely bright colours.

This quilt was so different. I had seen the block before but never a whole quilt of them.

The background was more green than grey in colour but the yellow really stood out and was wonderful.

A beautiful red and white quilt.

A quilt with Bev's favourite block.

 

The blue setting triangles were vibrant.

Another red and white and depending how you look at it the flying geese are going up or down.

This was a teddy bear made by Carolyn, from a school blazer showing the badge and the trim.  What a great use of an old 'wool' blazer. I'm thinking more along the lines of felting the wool for applique on my 'Prim' quilts.

and a real treat for the day.

Seeing Di Hall's Antique Wedding Sampler Revisited that had just been quilted and finished. This is the new BOM quilt from Threadbear. 

sorry I did't get the entire quilt in the photo. Too many in front of me also wanting a photo.

 I will put more photos of the show n tell up tomorrow.

A New Arrival

On Monday my Grandsons had a new baby sister to meet when school finished for the day. Don't they look delighted. Welcome to Abbie my second Grand daughter in 9 weeks.

I am a member of a Prim online group and it was decided back in January to do a BOM. A Little Porch Time by Lynda Hall. Last week, one of the ladies put up her finished quilt and I thought it was about time I got back to mine.I was very pleased when I realised I had finished the blocks and they just needed sewn together and the borders attached. This I accomplished over the weekend and although everything is in place I still have to applique the pieces on the outer border.

Some Eye Candy

Last Thursday I went to the Quilt Show in Melbourne and here are some of the photos I took of quilts that impressed me. There was a Challenge also on to make a quilt from the Australian book The Fabric of Society by Annette Gero. The first 4 quilts were in the challenge.
This one really caught my eye, as you will see I photographed both, of the same quilt, made by 2 different people.

 This is the Auntie Green quilt, the one I am making just now.

 and this was another one. It had one less border of flowers and was light bright with more modern looking flowers. Both were beautiful. It was so nice to see someone else's interpretation of the quilt I am making just now.

Just a few subtle changes from the first one and they were both lovely.

The Civil War Brides quilt, in blue, stunning.

This quilt was made by Ester Elui and was wonderful. It has been a free pattern over the last few months on her blog and will now be for sale.

This Applique quilt was lovely. It was the pink ripple line on off white fabric that had been used for the background that caught my eye. I always like different background fabric and this one was very effective.

After looking at the quilts, Bev and I walked round all the traders. I bought some fabric, a BOM pattern, a small halogen book lamp which can also stand on a work table and runs on batteries, which will be taken to sewing days away from home.  We met lots of friends doing the same as us and had a great day out.

A New Top

The last week of July is almost here so it is time to change my header.  It is called the Ann Daggs quilt and the pattern for it is by Di Hall. There is a surprisingly large amount of applique in the borders of a quilt that is not large. It is 62" square.
I have started sewing the leaves on the border strips of my Auntie Green quilt and got quite a few done while I watched the Tour de France last night. Well Done! to the 1st Aussie to win the race, Cadel Evans.
Yesterday the sun came out and I managed to finish pruning the roses but today it is wet and miserable again, such a good reason to sit under a quilt and spend the day sewing.

It's been a while but.......

I have been busy sewing and not much to show til now. I have been sewing the  applique on the side borders and finally finished them. The next job was to get the pattern drawn for the top and bottom borders. This done I sat it out on the table and started yesterday to pick fabrics and get them cut. So this is where I am with Auntie Green.

To have a break from the applique I decided to start a quilt for Grace. Here is a photo of the first 6 blocks. I have the backgrounds cut to size and the pattern pieces traced on to 'heat n bond' so far. I will machine buttonhole - stitch the lot after I have picked the fabrics and cut them out . The pattern is by The Chook Shed and is called Everyday Angels.

I have been part of a Swap with an online Primitive sewing group. The task was to make and send a Needleroll to another. Yesterday I received my Needleroll from Imi in the Netherlands. It is made of felted wool and all hand sewn. This is a picture of the front.

and this is a picture of the inside. Isn't it wonderful.

Unfortunately I can't show you what I sent to Alice, as I posted it without taking a photo.

Quilt-In Day

Today the Guild had a Quilt-In. There was about 150 ladies sewing and talking and sewing and having morning tea with homemade cakes and biscuits. The Passionfruit Sponge was especially good.  The Day started at 10.00am and finished at 3.30pm. There were constant door prizes, quilts to view, a silent auction and Di Ford/Hall gave a talk and showed us her beautiful quilts. There was even vendors stalls if we wished to spend.
I am still sewing the borders for the Aunty Green's quilt so no new sewing to show.
I do have a couple of photos of my new Grand daughter I would like to share with you. DS and DIL got some taken professionally and there are 3 at this
Grace  link under Sneak Peek. One on the scales and two in Daddy's hands.

A bit of sewing and a bit of shopping

I have done a little sewing. The first photo is the block I have been working on for the Mary Brown quilt, the second photo I did a while ago and forgot to show. They are all quite different. I didn't notice it so much when I looked at the whole quilt but as I do each block the variety is wonderful.

I could not go to Threadbear in Castlemaine and not do a little shopping. They had quite a lot of Quiltmania books in the shop for us all being there for the Applique Society meeting. Carol, of Quiltmania had brought the quilt on the front of the book for Show & Tell and it is beautiful. I have seen quite a lot of Yoko Saito quilts and bags online, in the many different colours of   'taupe' fabrics and I have always liked them . Not only was I drawn to this book by the quilt on the front but also by the bag patterns inside. Anyone that has been in my sewing room knows how much I like to make bags.

and then I bought a few fabrics. I have also included the Chintz border fabric I bought from Petra Prins so that you can see it better.

A weekend to remember

My friend,Ros and I went off to Castlemaine,Victoria for a weekend break and to attend the Applique Society's special meeting. Corliss and Megan from the Threadbear quilt shop run the meetings every 3months but this was an extra this year for us to meet overseas guests.

My first photo is Petra Prins and her friend Nel of Den Haan & Wagenmakers in Holland and here they are showing some of their Chintz fabric. They gave a talk about the shops and their fabrics and I ended up being lucky enough to buy this piece of fabric before they left.

We also met Joe and Mary Koval and saw some of their antique quilts and fabrics that they had brought with them. This quilt with it's Broderie Perse was all needleturn. Absolutely beautiful.

This photo was taken last Tuesday night when I had been invited to Linda's to meet and preview Mary's antique quilts and fabrics.

This was a wonderful night and was thoroughly enjoyed by all.                         

 

This is a photo I took inside the Town Hall where we had the meeting and two more of our special guests you can see with their red tops on were Carol,owner and editor of the magazine Quiltmania and her photographer, Guy. They went round every table looking at what everyone was stitching and taking photos. There was over 200 of us.

I would like to thank Corliss, Megan and Di Ford for such a wonderful day.

On Sunday, Ros and I went to Malden, a small country town not far from Castlemaine and they had a Food and Wine market on, in the Main St. We also visited the patchwork shop there.  Then it was back into the car and home.

Time

The end of another month is almost here and half of this year has flown. Time to put a new header up. I saw this pattern in a magazine and really liked it. Such a simple block to make and I love the Baptiste Fan design for the quilting.

Preparation!

I have spent some time on preparing the side borders for my Aunty Green quilt. I have started sewing a little of the applique on one of them and with the handling all of the freezer paper pieces have fallen off. On the other side the paper remains so the colours aren't on view yet. I spend quite a bit of time deciding on the fabric and then 'fussy' cutting the larger flowers. I always enjoy this part of making a quilt.

 Meanwhile I still have blocks ready to sew for the Mary Brown quilt. This is the latest to be finished. The reverse of the previous one.

The weather has been wet and cold, just miserable. It's nicer to stay home and sew with the added bonus of watching Wimbledon at the same time.

Mary Brown

I have finished appliquing another block for my Mary Brown quilt. This one seemed to have quite a lot more pieces in it and there is also another with this pattern reversed. I have changed the fabrics for it and have it ready to sew.

Maltaville Album Quilt

Still keeping up to date with the blocks for the Maltaville quilt. You can get the patterns from here if you would like to make the quilt. Each month I receive 4 by email and I believe the large centre block is next. 

This Weeks Stitching

This week I stitched another block for the Mary Brown quilt and made metres of bias for the stems on my Auntie Green's quilt.

I still have some tendrils to sew on this block but will do them later.

                                           

 I made the bias for both side borders at the same time and thought I had made plenty but I soon ran out and had to make more.

A New Arrival

Looks like I'll be changing to pink with the arrival of a Grand daughter yesterday, 19 days early and caught us all on the hop.
Grace Amelia  6lbs 8ozs.
to my youngest son and wife.

End of the month

As usual, when it gets to the end of the month I change my header. This month it is the Scrapbook quilt made with a black cotton background and wool applique and cotton blocks.
Most of the wool I felted and dyed myself. I like working with wool, it is soft on the hands and easy to whipstitch. I use the Aurifil 'Lana' which is a wool 'thread' on spools which is also good for the buttonhole stitch on the sewing machine when a large piece needs sewn.

I have made another block for the Mary Brown quilt. I'm really enjoying sewing these blocks. They are all different and once prepared can be easily sewn while watching a bit of the French Open tennis. Such a good way to spend one's time when the weather is cold and miserable.

Stitching

I got this block finished for the Mary Brown quilt this week and have prepare the next one for sewing. I did the bird in the very centre of my quilt with black fabric and I'm happy to continue to make the birds in the border with a variety of black fabrics.

I hope to get some more done while I watch the tennis at the French Open.Nothing better when the weather is miserable.

Bits and Pieces

This is a mixture of bits and pieces.  From my visit out into the garden. Broccoli, a cabbage, spring onions [more like mini leeks] they have grown so well,a capsicum and 2 figs.Yum. There are plenty of green figs on the tree and  I have been told that it is now too cold for them to ripen, but I'll wait and see if they do.

An email from Margaret telling me the next 4 blocks will be out next week had me finishing this month's blocks.The top left one has a bit of a 'zing' to it with the fabrics I used.

Meanwhile I have started the border blocks for the Homage to Mary Brown quilt. There are 19 blocks that surround what I have already sewn [April 12th blog post]. Looking at the photo I think the top one needs a few more leaves.

and I did get the rabbit made with the felted wool.

On Monday at the guild we had The Biggest Morning Tea to raise funds for Breast Cancer Research and one of the requests was that we bring along a pin cushion that related to a morning tea. This is the tableful we got. My pincushion is the large slice of chocolat cake with pink icing [ No 9 ] It had been given to me as a present last year and it won 4th place.

and this was another one that won a prize.The entry that won 1st I don't have a photo of, it was a box of fabric chocolates and they were beautifully made.

*A friend has just sent me a photo of the winning box of chocolate 'pincushions'. If you look at the size of the eggcup next to them you'll gauge how small they were.