When Quilting ...

... it's best not to let your pets get involved. You can just see tufts of Gracie in amongst the Christmas quilt I was working on yesterday.

I knew she was nearby, but when the quilt started to get really hard to move around, it was pretty clear she was closer than I thought. Maybe she wants to learn the craft for herself??

And here's a quickie shot of the quilting I'm doing on my friend Jenny's quilt. It's coming up really nicely.

Both pictures were taken with my phone-camera which was nearby at the time, I do wish it would take nicer pictures. Maybe it's time for an upgrade. Anyways, back to the quilting. I hope you're having a great weekend. x o x

Beginnings and Endings

Here you see a beginning - a new project for me to play with. It's a beginners needle turn applique project, a table runner. I can't get most of it in the picture, but that's okay, I can tease you with it over a little while. Some of these fabrics are ooooold ones - they've been in my stash a while. Some are fabrics that Linda has sent over to me. They're like good friends :-)

I still need to make up a pile of bias strips for stems and put leaves in place. Nothing is stitched down yet, and placement and pieces could change so much! Beginnings are wonderful - full of possibilities.

And here is an ending. The end result of work I did many months ago. This is my Spring Fling quilt. This issue actually came out last week, so be sure to check your newsagent. I know that Quiltaholics has sold out of them already. (Thank you Cheryl for giving me your copy.)

My quilt is in Australian Patchwork and Quilting, Vol 17 No 2, September 2008.

This was a really fun quilt to work on, and I love the needle turn applique technique with batik fabric - the weave of the fabric is just so nice.

Bricks and Stepping Stones

I have been just hanging to get into my scrap boxes lately, so yesterday I spent the whole day putting together matchstick units from Bonnie's Bricks and Stepping Stones scrap project.

It was really fun to get into the 3.5" strips, and while I didn't make a huge dent, I could actually see a small reduction in the scrap box. What I did manage is this: I have NO black fabric left in my stash at all. NONE!

So, yesterday I completed all the matchstick units, and sewed a few together, but then I just knew I had to get back to deadlines and work on other things. I have a needleturn applique project I must finish super fast, and still a number of tops to be quilted among other things. Let's see how much I can get done.

A finish!

Do not adjust your set, you read that correctly, I have had a finish!

This is a table runner I put together for a charm square workshop (I can't remember if it was this year or last year) and I never got around to quilting it. Well, yesterday I decided to change that.

I quilted peacock feathers in four rows, two rows following the direction of the braids, and a row in each border in the opposite direction. Super easy. The thread was my favourite variegated YLI thread in the Caffe Romano colourway. I bound it with a reproduction stripe fabric from my stash, and it's now done! Feels good to complete a project that has been sitting around for a while.

Christmas Panel

I just finished putting the last of the charm square border on this panel. Cheryl asked me to put it together for the shop. It's actually really cute.

The quality of the picture isn't great, as I'm using my phone-camera, but you get the idea. I just added an inner border on which the top and bottom measurement is different to the sides. This was to get the panel to the right size so that the charm squares would fit nicely. Added the borders and hey presto. I'll take it to the shop on Wednesday and we can decided what to back it with, and then I'll get busy quilting it.

I think I'll be able to do some work on my own projects this afternoon. I'm really not sure which project I'll get busy on ... Ohhh the choices!!

Not as fast as I used to be ...

I just saw this on Bonnie's blog and had to give it a go. What fun! I haven't done a speed test in a long time. When I used to be a secretary many moons ago, I could type at almost 100 words per minute. It would seem I haven't lost my touch entirely, but could use some practice :-)

75 words

Speed test

How's your speed?

Personal Shopper

A big thank you to my dear sweet friend Janine. Because of her work, she's in a marvellous position to alert me to wonderful homewares sales, and knows of my special love for blue and white china.

Her quick phone call to me at the store today saved me from missing out on these little sweethearts. Janine even delivered them to me personally. Once again, thank you Janine, you are just darling :-)
And because my blog has been almost entirely devoid of quilty goodness lately, I thought I'd share a couple of my projects that are currently hanging in the corner of the store. (What did we ever do before camera-phones?) On the left is my Log Cabin Tree Skirt, and on the right is my Dresden Table Topper. Colleen has been working on a tree skirt in class on Thursdays and it's looking just lovely.

Tonight I have more quilting to do, and then tomorrow more of the same, along with a large pattern order to pop in the post. Happy days :-)

Secret Love

It's time to fess up ... I have a secret love. So secret. I've been hiding it from my husband, and my children too. Hiding it all over the house really ... mostly hiding it in the pantry away from prying eyes and fingers.

Sounds scandalous, doesn't it.

My secret love is here. It's amazing, and totally addictive. Don't say you weren't warned. I can feel cellulite forming as I type ...

Dammit 9am ... if I weren't slacking around and watching TV, I would never have heard of the stuff ...

A little stitching ...

Of late I have managed to get just a little of my own stitching done. Just enough to feel like my life is still my own :-)

On Tuesday evening I put a few blocks of my Carolina Crossroads quilt together. I had planned to put sashing strips between the blocks, but I changed my mind in the end. I'm not even sure that I will add borders to the quilt, but I'm a LONG way off making any decisions like that.

And in almost astounding news, today I thought it'd be fun to put a Dear Jane block together. This is L13 - Harvest Moon. Quite a fun block - a little piecing and a little applique. Linda recently sent me some lovely 30's prints (thank you Linda!) and I think they've inspired me to look at my 30's Jane again.

Best get back to work, I'll check back in soon. x o x

Sharing

I still have my nose to the grindstone here, and thankfully, I'm enjoying the work I'm doing. Just thought I'd share a couple of the projects I've been quilting on. The pictures were taken with my cell phone, so forgive the quality of the photos.

This is Helen's Oriental Traditions quilt. It's a block of the month project. I don't mind admitting I was a little nervous to work on it, as it's one of the largest items I've quilted for someone else. She's super thrilled with it, and I don't mind admitting that I was really happy with it too. I'm growing in confidence with every project.

And this is Robyn's quilt. I can't recall what it's called, but I'm sure someone can enlighten me, it's from a recent publication of Australian Patchwork and Quilting magazine. This is to be a wedding gift, I sure would like to be the one receiving it. I feathered the border and sashing strips, added dimension to the flowers and leaves, and then meandered around in the background. I love the colours in the quilt, they're so vibrant.

Tonight I'm working on a lovely quilt made from charm squares, and when it's done, I have some stippling to do on an Infinity quilt. Busy, busy, busy. :-)

Must create!

I'm really feeling a pressing need to create something ... anything! Soon ... I keep telling myself I can work on something soon. Today I MUST clean house.

I've even found something I'd like to work on, but it will require a trip to the store. I found this link on the How About Orange blog. Ribbon Key Fobs. I'd love to make some for our luggage before we go on holiday. Aren't they so cute?

Scrabble Addicts Anonymous

I saw this on Cheri's blog, and had to have a go ...

Pholph's Scrabble Generator My Scrabble© Score is: 39. What is your score? Get it here.

Greenery!

My record with Maiden Hair Ferns has not been the best at all. In fact, up until recently my kill record was about 5/5. And this little one was heading in the same direction.

It lived in a cute pot on the coffee table in the lounge room. When Gracie came on the scene, she really liked digging in the potting soil, and was using the fern as the 'veggie' portion of her diet. Ultimately the poor little fern just couldn't take any more and was looking so poorly, I decided to replace it with a cyclamen and got ready to toss it out.

For some reason I just couldn't bring myself to bin the little guy, so I put it in a tiny pot and brought it into the kitchen for a little nurturing. And here you see it some months later, it's actually looking somewhat healthy, and has about trebled in size from the nibbled stumps it had become.

Who knows, maybe my thumb has a slightly green tinge after all?? Or perhaps I shouldn't get ahead of myself - it's early days yet.

PS: Can you tell I have nothing quilty to share?? I actually don't remember the last item I worked on for me ...

PPS: Had my hair done today, and love it! I think there was more hair on the hairdressers floor than on my head ... I may share a picture if I'm brave ... you know how I love to have my picture taken ... It's probably shoulder blade length now, rather than near waist length ...

Talk soon x o x

I love these!

more cat pictures

Royal Cross

Thank you so much to those of you who were waiting so patiently for me to have the pattern for my Royal Cross quilt available. You know who you are :-)

The good news is that I've finally gotten my act together and the pattern is available on my website. Go me!

Whew!

Did you all miss me?? *s* It actually felt a little strange not spending much time on the computer!

I'm so pleased I got the big order in the mail today. If you're interested, the Golden State Sewing Center in California will soon be stocking a range of my patterns. I think they're largely destined for PIQF. And speaking of PIQF, I have pre-booked my tickets, so I'll definitely be spending some time there.

This is one of my early 'teaching' quilts - Flower Basket Medallion - it was among the patterns ordered. I made this one back in 2004, and realised while I was putting the packs together that I hadn't actually shared this one with you all.

It was made for a beginners follow up class, and the girls had declared their love for the log cabin blocks, so we decided that the next quilt needed to have more of them! I'm always happy to oblige where log cabin blocks are concerned.

Shortly I'll be off to netball, and I'm hoping tonight to get some new things uploaded to my website ... let's see how energetic I feel ...

I'll chatter more soon. :-)