Over the weekend.....

it was the AQA, Australian Quilter's Association, quilt show. My local guild and I forgot to take my camera. The array of quilts were wonderful and varied. Pieced, Appliqued and Hand & Machined quilted.

There was a challenge to make a small quilt A3 size,bound and quilted. We  were given a paper bag with the challenge inside. A page out of a garden magazine, a packet of flower seeds and a piece of fabric. Green with gold thread through it. [one of my pet hates is fabrics with gold or lurex thread] I pinned the magazine page to my wall so I could look at it every time I went in my sewing room. There were sweet pea flowers on one side and a few small pictures on the other of a garden arbor,flowers and a meadow. I decided I would try and recreate the Meadow. Here is the page showing what I was doing my challenge on. I slipped a sheet of white paper over what I was not doing.

Strips of green fabrics which included the one from the paper bag. White daisies cut from fabric with a dab of yellow paint and a rough meander of quilting to hold them on. I didn't even vote for it. There were some with soo much work and effort.

I was totally surprised to find that mine was the winner.

The packet of seeds will be sown in the garden when the weather warms up.

A Little Red and White

I discovered on Cheri  's blog a free pattern at the beginning of each month. This is September's pattern. The first red and white I have made. Such a change to piece and not applique. Before I started my sewing machine got an oil and clean and a needle change. It worked beautifully. I have had my Bernina 440 about 3 years and I still love how smooth it runs and how even the stitches are over seams.

Now to sandwich and quilt.

The Sun has been Shining

I took my camera out into the garden while the sun was shining. I am amazed that at the start of Spring I have so much flowering. The first photo shows the Spider Magnolia, a soft pink with a delicate flower. The deep pink flowers are a Salvia. It only flowers through the Winter and is 7' to 8' tall. I think the birds have been trying to get nectar from the flowers because a number of the stems are leaning well over.

The blue Echiums are out and will be buzzing with bees soon.

The Camellia bush was here when we moved in and all I've ever done to it, is a heavy prune every second year.

This is a flowering Almond, all for show, once a year. The netting below is an extension to the vegie garden and it's the only way we've  managed to keep the possums out. 

This is my Blueberry bush. It usually sits on the verandah but I moved it while the blossom is out so I don't knock it off and lose the fruit.

and my Cyclamen sitting outside my sewing room window.

New Header

September has arrived and  my header photograph was due for a change.This is called Lila's quilt. Made for my DIL. She loves red. I am going to add the photo of the backing.I couldn't resist it because she was nursing at the time.

Quilts in the Barn 2

Here are a few more photos of Jo Morton's quilts at the Barn. I was back on Sunday helping out and the weather was just glorious. Not quite as busy as Friday but a steady stream of visitors to see the quilts. A lot of familiar faces and some new ones too.  

Isn't the cheddar and blue wonderful together? and the little baskets.

So many to look at again and again.

This Quilt belonged to Megan. It is a Karen Cunningham design but made with Jo's fabrics. The photo doesn't do it justice. It was vibrant.

This tumbler quilt hung at the entrance to the Barn. It belongs to Linda and is made with Jo's fabrics. Just beautiful.

 Linda will let us know what was raised for Breast Cancer Research when she tallies it up.  Next year, I believe we are having our own Red and White quilt show.

Quilts in the Barn - Day 1

This is the entry to the Barn and our wonderful Raffle  quilt made with Jo Morton's fabrics. The Quilts in the Barn is held every year to raise money for Breast Cancer Research and this year features Jo Morton and her quilts.

Here Jo and Russ are checking out their photos. The basket quilt to the top right is second prize in the raffle. The quilts are beautiful with the many different fabrics of Jo's.

I loved this quilt with the little stars.

This is Jo's new quilt pattern and will be available October/ November.

If you live in Melbourne, Australia the quilt show runs over the weekend too and well worth a visit. The Quilted Crow shop from Tasmania is here too. 

Photographs of the quilts will be on here in the next and coming weeks.

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.