More treats

This week I've been working as I have the chance on a gift for a friend. I can't reveal too much about it, or the recipient - you all know just how private this whole internet thing is :-) This is about how far I've gotten with the piecing. I really hope I can finish it up tomorrow or at least on the weekend. I really miss working on my own stuff!

And for a little eye candy - here is some fabric that arrived from Hancocks of Paducah this week. Some of the brighter fabrics are destined for a Spring Fling quilt I have had commissioned - must get busy on that! The reproductions are 'justin' fabrics ... you know, just in case I need them. And the thirties print is for the quilt I'm soon to make for Amy. She has requested her own quilt like the one with the dressmaker dolls I showed last month or so.

Best run - still a lot to get through tonite - let's hope I have a lot to share after a productive weekend! x o x

Helper Kitty

I was working away this morning putting some blocks together for a new project, and Gracie thought she'd come and investigate. Rather than just sit nearby, she wanted to be right in on the action and placed herself firmly into my box of 2.5" squares.

My cell phone camera was the only thing handy, so I grabbed it to take the picture - hence the poor quality.

I kept on stitching and put some more blocks together. It didn't take long before Gracie was fast asleep. It's exhausting work, this supervising business ...

Also, I wanted to add a little note regarding the Scrap Basket Lattice quilt. I checked with the girls at the quilt shop this morning, and they tell me that Susan doesn't actually sell the pattern for that quilt - it's one that she only teaches as a workshop. I'm so sorry to disappoint, I know the quilt has been a big hit with so many of you.

Lyn's Scrap Quilt

Today I just have to share the lovely project I quilted yesterday. Lyn made the top up - don't you just love the bright colours! It's a Susan Murphy design, and it's called Scrap Basket Lattice. Be sure to take a close look at it. I bet you can't guess how to put it together, it's really complex. Susan is amazing with her tricky scrap quilts. I haven't done the class, so I don't know exactly how it's done, but I've a vague idea.

I wanted to also show a close up of the quilting - Lyn picked the very perfect thread, it's so pretty. And I had to be so careful out in the border - any mistakes in the black fabric would stand out like a sore thumb. I'm pretty proud of myself!

My Bernina is purring like a kitten - Otto did the very best job. All is well in my little sewing world. x o x

Fabric arrives - stitching imminent!

Today when I got home there were two treats waiting for me. My fabric arrived from Z&S, the two reds, and other assorted stash enhancements. I can now start putting my Carolina Crossroads blocks together with their sashing strips.

Also, my copy of Australian Patchwork and Quilting came, which meant I had a project inside. Do you remember my Sisters Choice project? Happy days, it's in the current issue! If you're looking for the magazine, it's Vol 16 No 7, March 2008.

Today was one of my days for teaching at the quilt store. I'm there every Wednesday and Thursday. A fellow blogger, Kelly, came along today, and she is just the sweetest thing, she gave me the lovely quilted wall hanging you see there on the right. What a honey she is. Do stop by and visit her blog - she's a prolific quilter, and a very sweet lady too. Thank you so much Kelly, I'm going to hang it in my sewing room.

I still have lots to do before bed time, so I better sign off. Talk to you all soon. x o x

Hello my pretty ...

This morning after I dropped the kids off at school, I had to make the call. "Hello Otto, may I drop my precious baby off at your Bernina health spa?". "Of course Tara, bring her in as soon as you're ready" he replied.

I needed to finish up quilting Janine's quilt, and then it was go-time. I bundled Bernie up and delivered her to salvation. Please understand, she's not sick or anything. I just know that it's been 14 months since she's had her last grease and lube, and you all know how hard I work that poor girl, so she was due for some 'me time'. "Is next week okay?" Otto asked. "Do you think maybe this weekend?" I countered, knowing full well that I'd be in withdrawal before I got out the door. "Sure, I'll give you a call" he replied.

Well, you know I wouldn't make it through the day without doing some sewing, so this afternoon I broke out my precious pretty baby, my Featherweight. She's my 'working' one. My other one is on display in the lounge - you know, reclining and being generally gorgeous. I need to use this little honey more often, I know this because every time I thread her, I have to break out the manual!

I got a little stitching done, and then at around 5pm I got a call - it was our Bernina God, Otto. "I decided to do your machine straight away - it's ready now if it's not too late for you to come get it" he said. Well, I decided not to risk breaking land speed records, and I'll go get it in the morning. Ohhh my goodness, Otto is my new best friend. I wonder if he sensed my desperation and noticed my shoulders slump as I went out the door ... He's quite a man :-)

Watch the needle fly ...

Ohhh yes, Bernie's needle has been all but smoking! This weekend I finished quilting on three of the great pile of customer quilts. A really good start don't you think? I'll share some pictures of a couple of them, but it's a little late right now to take good photos.

And this evening I achieved a small finish. My candle mats are completed. I'll pop them in my Etsy store shortly. A fun scrap project - some 2.5" strips used up. Thimbleberries fabrics, and a cute toile too.

Note to self - clean candle shade. It's the little things that make a difference, isn't it?

Last of all ... I'm just loving seeing so many people working on the Civil War Diary and Civil War Love Letters blocks. It's just killing me not just joining right in, I really want to. But my mind just knows I need another UFO like a hole in the head ...

Hope you're all having a great weekend! x o x

You might like to ...

... check on me later on this week ... just to make sure I'm not trapped under a pile of bags. This is the lineup of customer projects I need to quilt.

I'm almost done with the Little Macca's Farm quilt, I should finish it tonight. I had to put it aside during the week to work on a rush job, and two others that were very simple (needed a couple of no brainers :-))

It's so nice that people trust me with their precious quilts, just so flattering. And it's great for me, cuz I'll have the school fees paid for in no time!

I promise I'll post something more interesting in the next couple of days, I just need to dive in and get moving on these first. Be good - I'll be thinking of you all! x o x

Kaleidoscopes

Just call me a quilter with ADD. Well, the truth of it is this - I just haven't had much time to piece on my own projects lately, and when I have had some minutes to myself, I have wanted to work on simple things.

These are destined to be little 'candle mats'. I hope I can quilt them up tonight. I'll see I go for time - I can't believe how late it is already! I'd like them to be for the Etsy store (cuz I think it's empty right now!) but I'll see how attached I get to them :-)

I also need to get busy with customer quilting. I have five projects lined up. Four of which I was given today at the store. Busy busy busy :-) Isn't it wonderful to have a job doing the thing that I love! Have a great day all! x o x

Scrabulous

I'm really loving playing Scrabulous on Facebook with Kathie and Claire. Do we have any other Facebook quilters out there who would like to play too? I could really use the practice :-) If you're interested, email me so I can add you ... seriously, I DO need the practice :-)

HST's

As the Royal Cross quilt has been sent and is visiting with the magazine - and I only have one more customer quilt here to work on (my other project {PIF} is super secret!) I thought I'd do a little piecing toward putting a few lovelies in my Etsy Store. Judging by how little I did today, it's going to be a while before I finish anything up - but starting up a few HST's is better than doing nothing right? :-)

I do have my next magazine quilt to work on, but I'm waiting on some fabric to arrive for that one. Then I can make final decisions about what coordinates to use. A bit thank you to my Editor - Marianne, for having such faith in my ability to produce nice quilts from such sketchy details!

And I just have to ask ... further to the Jane Austen quiz ... did anyone at all not end up being Elinor Dashwood?? Everyone that communicated with me has been her so far, and I even took the quiz again with different answers and still came up as Elinor! Bizarre!

Jane Austen Quiz

Take the Quiz here!

You are Elinor Dashwood of Sense & Sensibility! You are practical, circumspect, and discreet. Though you are tremendously sensible and allow your head to rule, you have a deep, emotional side that few people often see.

I love Jane Austen in all it's forms, my special favourite is Pride and Prejudice - you know - the BBC version. What a fun quiz, and while it's probably marginally accurate in terms of character traits, maybe in my heart of hearts I would like to be someone a little more romantic and impulsive. It would be much more fun to be more like Lizzy and end up with the handsome Mr Darcy. After all, Marty is somewhat like him ... tall, proud, handsome ...

Helen's Quilt

Just a few minutes ago I finished the quilting on this quilt. One of my Wednesday girls - Helen - pieced it. If I recall, I think it was made up from a Thimbleberries pattern that she modified. I just love it, and had a lot of fun quilting it.

I thought I'd share a close up of the blue fabric - isn't it just divine? I really love it :-) I have two more customer quilts to work on, and I also need to draft up a pattern that's floating around in my head - Yay for the weekend!

Today Cameron came home from school telling me that a helicopter landed on the oval at school. Unusual I thought. We chattered some more, and he told me that it had a big 7 on it, and a lady with a red shirt was in it. When I thought about it some more, I realised that it was a Seven News chopper, and that it was probably visiting because of the school's 25th anniversary. So, we watched the news later in the evening, and last up after the weather report, sure enough, the news team had indeed visited and presented a little story on the school. How fun! Our poor Amy missed the fun because she was at camp with her year level, she also missed the news report. The camping trip had left her so entirely exhausted that her eyes closed on the lounge and she couldn't be roused. I feel sure the school will fill her in on all the excitement.

I'm off to bed soon too ... I'm just exhausted after a big and busy week. x o x

Carolina Crossroads Blocks Finished

I'm lagging behind all the other speedy stitchers who have put their Carolina Crossroads quilt tops together, but I'm entirely thrilled to have at last finished up all of the blocks.

I'll have to wait a little while before I can progress any further. When the fabric I ordered the other day gets here, then I can get busy with the sashing strips for the blocks.

This mystery has been a delight to work on, thank you so much to our wonderful friend Bonnie for creating the project for us.

I don't have much else to report in stitching news, and nothing at all to report in stash news. Nothing came in, and nothing was used! I have been very busy working on customer quilts, and right now I'm working on quilting Lyn's 'Little Macca's Farm' quilt. It's very cute indeed.

Last of all, my Royal Cross quilt went into the mail yesterday, so happily that's another deadline met. I really loved working on that quilt, and I'm looking forward to making something else just as scrappy. I have an idea for a 'Spring' style quilt running around in my head right now, so I need to get it on paper before it runs right on out ... Hope you're having a great week ... x o x

Getting back to it ...

Cameron and Amy went off to school this morning, so suddenly the house is very quiet. It's Cameron's first day at the 'big school', and he looked so adorable in his uniform :-) Sooo ... this means I get days to myself now. I predict plenty of sewing time in my future!

Because the Royal Cross quilt is completed, and all bits and pieces are almost ready to go in the mail, today I thought I'd piece a little on my Carolina Crossroads blocks. I haven't had the chance to work on the mystery for a couple of weeks, and it feels great to get back into it.

After seeing Forest Jane's quilt with red sashing strips, I thought I'd like to do the same. I don't have very much red fabric at all, so I popped on over to Z&S to order myself some. Love that shop! I ordered many different reproduction style reds, and a cute background fabric that was on sale too. Given that it's a flat rate for shipping here to Australia, it makes sense to fill up a postal envelope.

Marty is away right now - I'm hoping he'll get back tonight. We were on our way to get dinner on Saturday night, and he received a call to let him know that he had a work emergency about a five hour drive away. Normally he'd be back sometime the next day, but here it is Monday afternoon and he's not home yet. All part of the job I guess, but such a shame that we had to cancel plans with friends on Sunday.

I'm heading back to the sewing room for a little while before I go pick up the kids. I can't wait to hear how their days have been :-)

Ewww ...

There was a competition recently in blogland, to see who had the messiest cutting area. Shame the competition wasn't this week. I may have been in the running.

I've been rushing from one commitment to the next, and haven't drawn breath in-between. This evening I've slowed down a little, and I'm horrified at the state of my work area.

I haven't managed to put away the patterns that I photocopied during the week, my scraps and offcuts are all over the place, well, I don't need to go on, you can see it all there.

And for something I quickly wanted to share, my friend Kathy has recently started a business, and her website is up and running. I'm so excited for her, so please take a moment to go check it out. Her business is called Style Call, and if you're local to Adelaide, give her a call.

Talk to you soon ... x o x