family visit

Last week I went to Sydney and Newcastle to visit with my family.  It was my sister Diane's 70th birthday.  Di belongs to a "seniors" tap dancing troup and they were having their annual concert in the day before her birthday.  All the family attended.

Di is in the centre.  She got the good legs!   I really loved the concert, and I really loved that these girls were there doing stuff that they enjoyed,   They go to Senior Citizen's homes and and nursing homes, and do concerts for them.  Some of these girls were only "shufflers" but they were doing it, and not sitting about complaining about life.

This is Di and me at the birthday lunch.   All the gang were there as well.  We had a great visit, then back home again.  Short but sweet!

Christmas is Coming - believe it or not!

Today I got into trouble from Jan because I had not posted on my blog since August.  I knew it had been a while, and I have been busy.  One of the things I have been working on is a Christmas quilt as Penny and I had decided to do a Christmas workshop in November.  I have just uploaded a copy of the Flyer for the workshop.  There are still places in the two days, so please let one of us know if you want to attend.  My quilt is a scrappy medallion style wreath, and Penny's is a quilt as you go table runner.  All the details are on the flyer.

Tomorrow I am off to Sydney for a few days to visit with family - cousins, aunts, uncles, sister etc.  As yet I have not packed my bag or finished the washing, but I have worked out what sewing I am taking.  Got to get those priorities right!

Tip Toe Through the tulips

Some people commented on the featured quilt in the AP&Q article.  This quilt was printed by them quite a few years ago, however, I still have the pattern for sale if anyone is interested.  It is on my website   Lots of my quilts patterns are for sale.  I also have quite a few of my actual quilts for sale.  They are listed as well.

Australian Patchwork and Quilting

I guess AP&Q have run out of interesting quilting people to write about, as they have done a "profile" on me in the upcoming issue Vol 20 No 9.

 

 They used old photos they already had of some of my quilts and my friend Marilyn took the photo for me with my own camera.  I told her not to bother about the "Doris Day" lens (you know, the smudgy one), so you see me, wrinkles and all.  Which reminds me....I am 60 now.

Where have I been?

Some of my regular followers have been asking what I am up to.  No I have not been away traveling the world and enjoying myself.  I have been working!  Silly me, I took on a job with the Bureau of Statistics as a Census collector and it really took over my life from late July, until yesterday------I have finished!

I managed a little bit of applique with this new top Lemon Tree. It is for a one day applique workshop next year, and I had to get started on it so that the organisers can show it about.  Needs quilting now.

I got another of my scrap quilts finished in this time.  The blocks were all done, and put together, I just had to get it quilted and the binding done.

This one is called Crackerjack.  It has been beautifully machine quilted by Elaine Pellatt at Quilting in the Vines at McLaren Vale, South Australia.  She has done an all-over Baptist fan, which I thinks is perfect for the these straight lines on the blocks.

The block is in the book "Around the Block Again" by Judy Hopkins.  If you have the book, you will see there are some templates instead of rotary cutting.  I just converted the templates to rotary cutting, and whizzed all the blocks up in no time.  It is called Cracker, on page 50.

old time knitting

Yes, I have been knitting again.  Don;t you just love this neck warmer?  I saw a girl knitting one just recently and remembered seeing them when I was a kid.  It looks like a bow tie, and has a little slot where you put one side through the other.  I found the pattern on Ravelry.  I adjusted the pattern a little, made it wider and longer, but it is so easy.  This one is for my friend Marilyn.  It is made from an Argentinian wool 75% Merino and 25% nylon.  Very soft.  I made one for myself as well in Aubergine colours.

Now that I have completed my current knitting phase, it is back to applique, and the latest Beyond the Cherry Tree block.  Took a while, but I got there.

Tree of Life

Part of the aging process is that, if you are lucky, as time goes by you accumulate a few lovely friends.  Last week I turned 60 .  No, I can't believe I am that old either! but I am.  I remember having a conversation with a girl in her 30's when I was about to turn 50.  I was sulking about it and she said that she just wanted to be 50, as no woman in her family had achieved that age.  Well, that was a wake up call!  Better to age than to die young don;t you think?  So far I have been blessed with good health and not too much to worry about.

Last night I was given this beautiful collection of Tree of Life blocks by my sewing group.  I have often admired this block, but never attempted it - mainly because of all those tiny half square triangles.  Thanks so much to Erica who organised it all, and the girls who made the blocks- Erica, Raeleen, Irene, Liz, Kim, Janette, Rosemary, Sandy, Vicky, Sharon , Penny,  Julia and Virginia.

While making this block, Sharon managed to sew right through her finger, and landed in hospital to have the needle surgically removed!  Ouch!  how painful.  I have come close, but never actually sewed my finger.

I am now thinking about how to finish off these blocks.  The suggestion was made that they needed green, and I am going to experiment with some green setting fabrics.

Weekend Retreat and Red and White Blocks

 This is the lovely old building where we held our retreat.  this was taken when we were all packed to go home, and waiting for the bus.

 

How about this lovely old house on the hill?   This is so typical of Riverland houses.  This whole area is flood planes - and the river does rise.

My plan for the weekend was to work on my Botch Handle Red and white blocks.  The ones I had made previously were from Block Base.  I liked them, but they were a little complex - lots of different measurements throughout the block.  The blocks from this book - Home on the Planes - were so much easier!  I abandoned the 5 I have made of the old style, and made the new ones.

 There is actually strip piecing instructions, so I could get a few done at a time.

I cut and sewed 5 of them at a time.

 These are the two different blocks side by side.  The one on the left is the one from Block Base and on the Right from the book.  All the strips are cut either 2" or 1 1/2".  So much easier! 

10 Blocks finished for the weekend!  Pretty good I think.  I should be able to finish the rest in a week or so, once my present commitments are behind me.

I have this vision of a black/red/white sashing and/or border.  Have to work on that idea some more.

Off to Retreat

On Friday I am off to a quilters retreat with the Southern Belles quilter's group.  There are around 25 people heading off to Mannum in the South Australian Riverland.  We get back later on Sunday, staying at the Mannum Motel/Country Club.  I am so looking forward to a bit or R & R, and some serious stitching time.  Today I started to organise what I am taking, sewing that is

I got the next 8 blocks of the Antique Sampler to work on.  These are all ready to sew together, then applique in place.

I would very much like to get the next block done from Sentimental Stitches, Beyond the Cherry Tree.  All the fabrics are chosen, just have to put them in place.  Does not look terribly interesting like this, but it will when all the bits are added.

Mustn't forget the red and white quilt!  I really thought this was all I would do on the weekend, but there are times when you don;t want to sit at the sewing machine anymore, and just need some quiet hand sewing or ......knitting!   Yes, I am a quilter, but I am knitter too, and love beautiful wools.

 I made these socks last week for a special friend.  No names, as they are a surprise, and she might read this.  Don;t you just love the colours!

I bought some more wool from Morris and Sons.  My granddaughter, Skylar, saw me knitting socks, and wanted to know if I was making some for her as well.  Yes, I guess I am, and the purple/orange/teal is for me.  Sock knitting is a bit addictive - a bit like quilting - and I will be taking some with me this weekend for the bus ride.  You can knit where you can not sew!  Another great site for wools is Yarnbow.  They are currently having a "Summer Sale" which is just fine for us in the Southern hemisphere, 'cause we are having winter and want to knit.  Great service from both these shops.

Busy couple of weeks

When I gave up work I thought I would have more time for myself.  Wrong!  All the retired people told me this, but I thought they were just not organised :-)  I am so busy this week, and really until the end of August.

This week I had to do double duties, as I am heading to Sydney for the Quilt show, and have no free days before I go or when I get back.  So everything I would have done leisurely next week, is all crammed into this week.

On Friday,  Penny and I are having a "finishing off" day.  Anyone who has done a workshop with us, and wants to get the quilt finished, can come along and join us for the day.  Strike out Friday!  Good part is that I don;t have to write notes.

Saturday we have a Trunk Show at Tanunda, in the Barossa Valley.  All the girls want to do our workshops so I have just printed, cut and packaged 27 kits!..  It takes ages.

The Antique Sampler BOM is also due by the end of the week - might as well cut those as well!

When I get back on the 24th, my flight arrives home about 9pm, next morning I have a class at Patchwork by Sea at Brighton.  Well, better gets those class notes done while I think if it, eh? 

I might be able to take it easy for the rest of the day now, and catch up on a bit of of hand sewing.  I have fallen behind with my own blocks for the Antique Sampler, so perhaps I can pack that for my travel sewing.

Must be cup of tea time.....

Oh yeah, forgot, I have two online shop orders to fill.  Must not forget those....

By the way,  I am going to be at the Sydney show doing my white gloves duty on Wednesday 22nd, from 11 am to 1pm.  Anyone in the area, please come and say hello to me.  I will have my badge on.  Love to meet other quilters.

Sampler quilt, red and white and Maltaville - Big Week

My sampler quilt - Pieces of the Past - it is all finished!  After the quilting and binding I washed the quilt in the washing machine, on gentle cycle, then blocked it.  I use to fret about making wobbly quilts, after I saw one of my earliest quilts hanging in a show.  I was so embarrassed about how wobbly it was.  Now I don't worry - since I found out about blocking.

While the quilt is still quite wet, I lay it on a sheet on the carpet.  Down on my hands and knees, I move about the quilt and pin it along the edge, with straight pins, into the carpet.  I pull it, and pat it, and smooth it until it is nice and smooth, and flat, and square and keep re-pinning.  Leave it there for a couple of days, with the ceiling fan on in the summer, or a blow heater in the winter.  Hey presto!  you take it up and there is your square flat quilt.  It always works, even on really bad quilts.

 

I took some close up shots of the quilting.  In the border I used a Baptist Fan template.  These lines are 1" apart.  I would like them to be closer, but I ran out of time.

In the sashing I did a little template - think it is called egg and dart.  Fitted in - that is all that matters.

I got a few of the red and white blocks done.  They are not quick to make and as I am using lots of different fabrics, it is not even worth trying to cut up heaps and just string piece them.  As I make them, I am finding easier ways to do it, including the quick method for Flyer Geese.. These blocks are suppose to be 8" finished, but they are coming out at 7 3/4" - every one of them.  Guess if they are all the same then it does not matter.

Finally with the quilting done on the other quilt, I have room to work on the Maltaville blocks from Quiltstation.

So far there have been 16 blocks released, and I have managed to do 12, which is not too bad.  I can catch up.  Must admit that it has been the easier ones I have done first.  The flower block in the centre, has a bird missing.  I was looking for a bird to Broderie Perse, but can't find one small enough.  So I had better just practice my applique skills.

Red and White Quilt

After all the turmoil of the last few weeks, it was so nice to move my machine back to where it belongs, and actually use it.  This is my new project - red and white - inspired by the Red and White exhibition in New York recently.

This block has lots of names - Devils Claw, Turkey Tracks, Botch Handle, Crows feet.  Not sure what I will call mine.  They are 8" finished, and I think they are going to be one of those blocks that are not going to turn out so perfect, with the tricky piecing.

I saw the quilt pictured on the front of Betsy Chutchian's book, Gone to Texas

It is called Crowfoot in this book, and has a slightly different piecing in the centre. Don't you like the way the blocks different set on point or square?  Not sure where I will go with that yet.

Then I saw it in the book Home on the Plains.  I don't have an image of the inside of the book, as I do not own it (but I am going to!) but you can click on Pickledish store and have a look at the pages.

Finally, this week I received this book in the post - all the way from Rochester, NY, from my friend Ava.  The quilt was actually owned by her friend, and made by the friend's mother and grandmother.  Wow!

This made up my mind!  I have two boxes of red fabrics to choose from, and I found a heap - (I mean yards and yards), of white shirting with a tiny red print,  in my clean up.  I bought it for another project and it did not happen.

So my reds will get an airing, and i will feel like I have achieved something this week.  I printed my pattern on Block Base where you will find it called Botch Handle.  I made the blocks 8", but in some of the patterns I have seen it is quite large.  The one in the books above are 11".

I might even make two of these, the red one 8" and a multi-coloured quilt with larger blocks.