Magazine Fun and Scrapping Indecisively

My Dogtooth Violets quilt came back to me in the mail yesterday. And tucked into the box was a copy of the magazine. Here's a little sneaky peek for you all to see.

The magazine is Australian Patchwork and Quilting - Volume 18, Number 4. I notice they've stopped putting the month and the year on the magazine again - I wonder why? In any case, they've photographed the quilt beautifully, if only I could arrange things at home so artfully :-)

And on the weekend I had a few minutes to myself late at night. It was too late to organise another top for quilting, so instead I took a look at my 'leaders and enders'. I'm not usually completely indecisive, but I thought I had a better idea with the layout. I ripped the four blocks apart that I showed a few days ago, and added squares around the edge of all of them.

This morning I thought about them some more. Maybe I could set them on point with this yellow reproduction as sashing strips. I'll then have a little think about what I could use as setting triangles.

I wonder if this project will banish all the 2" reproduction fabrics from my scrap box? I have a feeling ... not!

An Important Step

On Thursday morning, a big step was taken toward an important project for this year. I started making the blocks for my 'Turning Four-T' quilt.

It's quite the milestone, so I'm using some of my favourite fabrics. Amongst those are some precious conversationals that my wonderful friend Linda sent me quite a while back. I have seven fat quarters, which is not quite enough, so I'm going to intersperse them with a light tea dye fabric. Had I decided not to make a pieced border, the conversations may have been plenty, but I'm a scrappy quilt girl, so I'll love 'making do'.

In other news, my 'Dogtooth Violets' quilt has just come out in print in Australian Patchwork and Quilting. I haven't received my copy in the mail just yet, but I'll share as soon as I have it. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled - I just love the quilt!

Starstruck Again Finished

Haven't I been a neglectful blogger? There just haven't been enough hours in a day to pay proper attention to my computer. I have been busy in the sewing room though - I have quilted four entire quilts this past week - and one of those quilts I bound and finished also.

And this is it - my Starstruck Again quilt. I folded the corner down so you can see the fun backing fabric. The one with the ducks that I mentioned last week. I had to add a little to it, and thought that the heritage green fabric went well with the colours in the back.

Over the weekend I hope to photograph the quilt nicely, and adapt the pattern to the new colours so I can have it available in the shop.

Hope you're all having a great week - I've been blog hopping when I can - just lurking I guess :-)

Thread

A little while back I mentioned a thread that I'm really enjoying quilting with right now.

Showing a picture of the thread is the best thing I can do for you, as there is nothing at all on the spools mentioning a name or a brand. I wouldn't use it for piecing, as it's not made from cotton, but for decorative quilting, I'm loving it.

And the price is amazing ... at 99c for 1000 metres!

Taken 'aback'!

Tonight I pinned the 'Starstruck Again' quilt. On the back, just for fun, I'm using a fabric given to me by my wonderful friend Linda.

A quilt I slept under at her beach house had this fabric also as a back, and when I told her I thought it was cute, she declared that she didn't care for it much and promptly hid the remainder of it in our luggage. She was thrilled to evict it from her stash. So, it's kinda a jokey fabric for us both ...

Marty wandered in just as I was getting ready to layer the quilt, and being the 'shoot from the hip' kinda guy he is stated that he 'likes the back better than the front'.

How does that song go? Things that make you go hmmmmmm ...

And it was busy!

My goodness! Isn't this arrangement an assault on the eyes!

But you know what? I still quite like it. And by the time there is a whole quilt's worth of scraps used up, surely there will be a sizeable dent in my 2" scraps box. Be sure to look closely - some of those fabrics are OLD.

This may just become another of those leader and ender projects that bullies it's way into being a 'main' project. Let's see if it can hold my interest.

New Leaders and Enders

Today I have been machine quilting, and doing various chores ALL day. I finally finished all the things I wanted/needed to do at 11pm, and because I just didn't feel like sleeping yet, I got busy organising a new leader and ender project. Holly thought she'd help too :-)

A little while back I had started these random nine patches using repro fabrics and 2" squares. I had no idea where they were going, and tonight I decided I'd frame a couple, to see if that's what direction the project will take.

Kinda cute I think - let's see if I can make any kind of dent in my 2" strips. I have high hopes :-)

Weekend Away

Did you notice things were a little quiet around here?

On Saturday we all set off with another family for a trip up to Yalpara station. We got back late last night, and my goodness we were tired. We had many late nights, plenty of fun, and due to a little rain, we got very dirty!

One of the days was spent 4WD'ing to neighbouring Minburra station, and the guys and the kids did a little caving. You can see Amy, Camo and Matt in the picture.

Pet and I don't like being underground, so we stayed above. After all, someone needed to tend the fire, drink wine, eat cheese and crackers, and read magazines. All very civilised really.

A good time was had by all. But you know what? Last night I was so relieved to be back in my own bed.