Challenging!

I've been busy mostly with challenges - one for Victorian Quilters "Seasons" challenge - no pics because it doesn't go on display until Thursday's Craft Fair at Caulfield racecourse.

The others pictured above are the Kilmore quilters mystery challenge with Maree Marr - the top red and white one; a block of the week as found on Barbara Brackman's "Grandmother's Choice" blog; 

Kilmore quilters 2012 10th Anniversary Challenge - "10" (third from top), for which I was so pleased to be placed second in the Viewers' Choice at our Quilt-In.

Next is a cushion kit from the now closed Quilter's Bazaar in William Morris fabrics from a pattern by Michele Hill.

Then a large cushion made from reproduction fabrics at a technique class by Wendy Blyth and finally a little bit of a fun mini quilt for my niece Leah on her 7th birthday this year. 

I have also been making a bit of progress with my husbands 12 moons quilt which is ready to be bound after I had  some fun experimenting with different styles of FMQing, and I am also hand quilting a twisted 9 patch with sashiko thread.

Getting into the swing of it all.

I have a neat little pile of quilt sandwiches, some mono filament, bottom  line and an assortment of needles threads etc. and am working through a machine quilting book, doing the exercises one by one to try and free motion quilts.

My new Horizon is great to work on and I'm starting to see some improvement. I am hoping to get my Repro quilt sandwiched and ditch quilted this weekend, as long as I am not expected to babysit or produce culinary miracles.

More pics soon.

Well it's been a while. I went to Quilt Retreat and survived - just one lacerated thumb to show how wise it is to rotary cut after a glass of wine, when its late and you're not feeling well anyway. I would go again.

While there I finished a disappearing nine patch in Asian style fabrics and have bought some sashiko thread to hand quilt it with.

I had two quilts come back from the machine quilter and have bound them and am nearly finished a panel wall hanging - Twelve Moons from the Robert Kaufmann site.

I went to a sit n sew for the Scquilters forum in Melbourne and had a great day. I also finally finished a mystery quilt from a couple of years ago in Barbara Brackman Civil War Homefront range. Shiloh the quilt Inspector approved. I machine quilted around each patch 1/8 inch from the edge and put a hexagon in the centre of the large squares.
So, I have been busy.

Two quilts have left home and gone to the Quilter. These are the first I've ever sent away. So excited!  There are now two empty spots I have to full with Something Else!

Progression

Most of the way through quilting  a mystery quilt I finished the top of about 2 years ago.
Found out one of my favourite LQS closed down a couple of weeks ago. Bit sad that.
On a happier note, I am now down to one babysit per week, with much more time and inclination for quilty stuff.
Have just sent away for the binding fabric so I hope I will have the quilting done for when it gets here maybe early next week.
:)

Pot Clips

A picture from John Seymour's "Forgotten Household Crafts" showing a pair of pot hangers of possibly pot clips.

Back to the machine

Well... It's been a busy Summer with a family wedding and a house full of overseas visitors for over 2 weeks. I have finished a quilt top and have decided to bite the bullet and pay to get a couple quilted.

I have started on a mystery quilt where the central 8" block is themed around "something that means a lot to you" I guess. This theme will be carried through apparently. I have sewn one particularly poor block and cut out more fabric for one that I HOPE will work better. I am using old rice sacks from Spanish Calasparra rice and it's a bit stretchy.
I am also working on the fabric choices for a table runner for my local group's retreat competition in mid May this year. At the moment I'm toying with the idea of a woollen Amish style. It's not so big and therefore I could 'almost' afford wool for it.

To top it off.

Well, here is my first scrappy quilt. It was made from 2 x 3.5" rectangles and arranged as best I thought with some batik borders to hopefully bring some of the colours together.
I will probably quilt it with some biggish wavy lines and I have a dark brownish batik for the binding.

Cleanign up

I've had a big rearrange of my sewing space. I've put the two Horn sewing cabinets back to back in the middle of the room and moved the rest of the stuff away to the sides and now I have the window at my right shoulder as I sew and a good flat workspace.
I have been challenged by a bag of 3.5" x 2" pieces bought at our quilt show this year. Not all quite the right size, a range of different weight and quality fabric and totally scrappy with regard to colour and design. I have nearly finished putting the top together and will post a pic soon. Then to get on with the UFOs.

Heeeerrreee's Alice!

This is the quilt I made for my latest Grandchild, Jasmine born in August this year. I quilted it myself with free-motion quilting and from a pattern by Leeanne Pitman in a recent Craftlovers Co magazine. I substituted Alice in Wonderland fabrics for this.
I am actually going to hang this in the Kilmore Quilters show this weekend. This is a real milestone for me.