In the Mail

A huge thank you to my wonderful friend Linda for the parcels that arrived in the mail yesterday.

Linda knows my taste inside and out, and just knew I'd love these Sturbridge fabrics and put them to good use.

I'm truly a lucky girl to have such a wonderful friend. Thank you again Linda. x o x

Nine Patches

Here is my former 'leaders and enders' project. My other project kind of bossed its way to the front of the queue.

I have so far made 52 of the green/cream nine patches. I'm a little stumped for a moment, and here I am thinking I'll throw a question to the masses.

I'd like to set the nine patches on point with setting squares, but I don't know what colour I'd like the setting squares to be. Ideas anyone? I was sort of thinking cheddar, but I'm just not certain. Please inspire me :-)

Winter Woollies

Mmmmmm ... now that we're heading toward Winter, I've noticed that my favourite sock yarns are back in stock again. I loved these two colourways and had to have them in my life.

And while out shopping with my friend Kath, I noticed this scarf in a store that will remain unnamed. I know I can knit it up myself, and I have the yarn already ... so I let it remain in the store for another shopper to snap up.

Sleepy

It's tough being a cat ... sometimes there just aren't enough hours in a day to fit everything in.

Power naps always take first priority.

New Phone Test

Yesterday my darling husband got me a new mobile phone.

I took this picture sitting at my laptop looking across the kitchen - I wanted to see if I could take all the steps from sucking the picture out of the camera to getting it on to the blog.

Looks like success!

Gripped

Well, as predicted, I did become hopelessly addicted to these scrappy blocks, I went wild *lol* and finished the main body of the quilt. I do wish I hadn't put those larger pink squares so closely together, but to kind of make it matchy, I kind of mirrored it on the other side in the final row that you can't see in the picture.

Do you recall that I said "I'll stop at 25, slap a border on and call this quilt top done". Well, here's the thing ... I did stop at 25 blocks, but as far as slapping on a border - there has been a change of plan.

I thought to myself ... what if I make up a series of nine patches from the 2.5" squares, and make them into the border? Sounds wonderful doesn't it? But it will require a good deal more effort than 'slapping' it together. I think that portion of the project will definitely be relegated to 'leader and ender' status. But I've said that before - famous last words they were :-)

A Special Saturday

Saturday was a special day - for two reasons. The first being that it was our wedding anniversary. 17 happy years together for Marty and I. Because I was going to be up and out very early on Saturday morning, Marty presented me with this gorgeous Cyclamen plant on Friday night. He didn't want me wondering on Saturday whether he'd remembered or not. Usually we both forget, so it was a very sweet gesture.

And the second reason it was a big day was my teaching appointment. I was lucky enough to be asked to teach at the Southern Cross Quilters annual retreat which was held here in Adelaide.

Here are some of the ladies working away. I was teaching needle-turn applique, and more specifically, the table runner you can just see on the table. All the ladies in my group were just delightful, and for me (being the nervous Nellie that I am) it was just the very best day.

In fact, it was such a beautiful day all round, that for a while some of us dragged our chairs out on the balcony and soaked up the sun. Get a load of that view - such a lovely location for a quilting retreat!

A Quilter's Tale

Once upon a time a quilter and her good friend went to a Ricky Tims workshop. Both quilters could be considered very traditional, and one in particular had a great deal of difficulty breaking free from long practiced rules and hacking into the fabric sans ruler and measurements. However, a 'chantelle' piece was created, and it was duly stuffed into a box, not to be seen until a couple of years later.

Well, last night, one of those quilters had a dream of the chantelle, and decided it was high time it was finished.

Batting and backing was selected and pieced together, quilt pinned ... Ricky's book was liberated from the book cupboard and his 'flame' quilting stitch selected. Not so long later, the quilt was complete, save from hand stitching the binding.

I know that I have quilting friends out there who will be completely agog. Look at it girls, it's finished - who'd-a-thunk-it??

Fifteen Repro Blocks

Have I mentioned how addictive I'm finding these blocks? I've made 15 of them now - I think I'll stop at 25, slap a border on and call this quilt top done.

So many of you have asked for dimensions to the blocks. First up, I have to say that I don't know anything about the pattern - ie, if it's a pattern by a particular designer, if it's from a book, or any such things. Having said that, I'm sure it's just fine for me to say that the finished sizes for the pieces are: large squares 6", small squares 2", and the rectangles 6" x 2". I'll leave the rest for you to figure out for yourselves :-)

Yesterday I did manage to finish writing the directions I'd been wrestling with for a little while. I wanted to have them done on Monday, but I just couldn't focus. Sometimes it's so hard to find the words I'm looking for. I think it could also be because I'm a visual learner, and find it so much easier to show people how to achieve something. But anyway, I've done it, and yesterday I told myself that I could reward myself with the Singer slant needle machine Marty had seen at a local 'pawn' shop. I'm not sure yet if I'll go get it today - for two reasons. I know it'll be super heavy, and I just don't know where I'll put it!

Well, that's it for now, I really want to get busy and piece some more blocks and sashings. So much for a leader and ender project. I had a feeling it'd push its way to the head of the line!

Eight Repro Blocks

Yesterday we went out for Sunday lunch with Martin's family at the Feathers Hotel. We had a wonderful afternoon, and of course ate way too much. The kids were all 'chocolated' out when we got home, and I was dying to get into the sewing room and work on my repro blocks some more.

In the picture, you can see where I got to - it was about midnight and I couldn't keep my eyes open a moment longer, even though I really wanted to make sashings for more blocks, I just couldn't trust myself to play with the cutter. (Pay no attention to the morning rays of sunshine streaking across the floor)

Don't the sashing strips change the look of the blocks entirely? This quilt is going to go together quickly, leader and ender project or not. It should be a good scrap-buster too, even though we all know that it doesn't seem to matter how many scrap quilts you make, they just don't seem to make a dent.

Today I MUST write some directions that have been kicking around in my head. They're required for next weekend, and though I've known I needed to do them for a LONG time, I have writers block for some reason. I seem to be able to write them while I'm dreaming ... but not in reality. Wish me luck friends :-)

Repro Blocks

Raise your hands if you just knew I wouldn't be able to resist making up a couple of blocks like the ones in Jenny's quilt (in my last post). I knew I'd succumb and start picking at my repro scraps, but I didn't know I'd be itching to get stitching quite so quickly!

I need a new 'work in progress' like a hole in the head - I have a number of 'just started' projects on the go already, but a scrap quilt is a wonderful thing, and a repro scrap quilt is like a double delight to me.

For this quilt I'll just have to select a background fabric. It'll have to be one I have some yardage of, I think that will be what pulls this quilt top together. The sashings are pieced, and will make the blocks look so much more interesting. I'll also aim to get a few of my brighter reproductions into the top - most of these ones are quite dull. I'm in no hurry, this can be my new 'leader and ender' project maybe (if I can stop myself from working on it continuously). And it's just a joy to be sewing in something for me for a change!

Spider Webs and Easter Eggs

On Wednesday evening I hurriedly made up an Easter present for Camo's school teacher. She's been entirely wonderful for him this year, and I wanted to show our appreciation. I made a spider web block, quilted it up and presented it with a Lindt bunny.

In the rush to get it all together, I neglected to take a picture of the finished article. The pattern is so cute and I wanted to make some more, so I put together the ones in the picture last night, and I'll hopefully quilt them tonite. They're made up using the same fabrics as the ones for the teacher, and these new ones will be a gift for my Mum if they work up nicely.

And today I quilted this top - I'm entirely in love with it! Jenny made it up with the most lovely reproduction fabrics, and I'm thinking I'm going to have to make up one of my own. I'll add it to my already very long list.

Last of all - Happy Easter to all my blogging buddies. From my family to yours, we hope you have a wonderful weekend with your families and friends. x o x

Table Runner

I've been a quilting fool this week - I'm sure you can tell by my blog-absence that I've been occupied elsewhere.

This is Mira's Shoo-Fly Table Runner - I quilted it the other day, and I really like how it turned out. It's only her second project ever, and I'm so proud of her and the way she's just caught the piecing bug, and is not ever hoping to recover!

I have only one quilt left to work on, and I'll consider myself all caught up. Then I'm going to start piecing on my 'Four T's' blocks. I'm just dying to work on something of my own. Whatever happened to those days when I could just work on whatever I pleased for as long as I wanted??

Quilt Group

Today I received an invitation in the mail to join Quilt Group. I've joined up of course, I think it's something like Ravelry? I'm not sure that I need more reasons to spend hours and hours on the computer, but I just couldn't resist.

How many more of us have joined up??

Marilyn's Quilt

A big thank you to my lovely friend Marilyn for sending this picture thru.

Do you remember when I made the original of this quilt? Well, lucky for me, my friend Linda's favourite quilt store ordered a bunch of the patterns and kitted them up for the Pacific International Quilt Festival. Imagine how surprised I was to learn that the kits sold out on the first evening! I think it was all my friends that bought them :-)

Anyway, Marilyn has made her quilt up, and doesn't it look sensational! Her piecing and applique is just lovely, and the quilting is beautiful too. Thank you so much for sharing Marilyn!

What happened??

It wasn't that long ago that I made myself a promise that I was going to keep my cutting are tidy.

Hmmmm ... what happened??!!??

See if you can guess what I'll be doing tonite ...