Maths is my friend

All weekend I pondered what I could show you...but I hadn't done any sewing!  Then I managed to find time to cut out some diamonds for my next  seven sisters block.
 Then I remembered I hadn't told you that Wednesday night my generous friends at After Dark Quilters had pointed out there were buttons on sale...we sew in a church hall along side their op shop... so I got the three packets of coloured buttons for $3.  At Thursday Craft, I got the white buttons off the honesty table for $2...I can see more button necklaces in the near future!
 Also from Thursday craft I got this vintage fabric, it is silver, black and gold, which are not my usual colours.  I am not really sure why I love this fabric, but I can see it in my house, so it also came home with me. 
 Then I remembered that you hadn't seen the completed final block for the Celtic Quilt.  I need to borrow a very large square, so I can now square the blocks up, before joining them. 


Then because " all good things come to those who wait "... I managed to get quite a bit of sewing time in today...despite DS2 being sick... just had to fit in some cleaning first!  Ah, maths is once again my friend...it worked!!! I had to make a few more 1" squares today, but got there in the end.  This top is now so big I had to resort to the clothesline for a photo...don't know why I haven't done this before, as it works so well.  Well except it is sideways, but you get the idea.  I am going fabric hunting tomorrow for border/binding fabric, so I can finish this quilt asap.  Then while it is at the quilters I will be able to get my head around the maths for the Celtic quilt...all those setting triangles!
Happy quilting, Sue SA.

Christmas quilt along part 2

 Yipee, I finished the 100's of 1.5" squares ready for my border and I finished hand sewing the LAST Celtic block.  Sorry no updated pictures, so decided to give you a sneak peek of my Christmas projects which are part of a challenge set by our guild. 
We were all given a fat quarter at our December meeting last year...I got snowmen.
I tried to avoid cutting the snowmens head off, but sometimes it proved difficult!  I have finished most of the piecing of this project...its in the cupboard for now while I focus on getting the Celtic blocks together and the final borders on my other quilt. 

Christmas Quilt Along

Quilt Sue is hosting a Christmas Quilt Along, because she is in the UK it technically didn't start until yesterday afternoon/evening for me.  I have never done one of these before, so not sure if I am doing the right thing or not.   I spent most of yesterday sewing  (and checking Sues blog) and now I understand I have to post on my progress.  I had assumed that I needed to work on Christmas projects, but decided that I had other more pressing deadlines.  So during the morning (Sat) I attached the first border to this quilt...Luck of the Irish.  I was going to enter it our Guild show, but couldn't get my head around putting the forms in on time (by Friday) with Dad being sick AND not knowing how I was going to finish it, e.g. borders.  I tried to work out the maths, it is not my strong point, so gave up and going with the suck it and see method!
 This morning I am auditioning the second and subsequent borders.  Actually that green floral tone on tone looks better in this picture then in life! 
 Yesterday afternoon I decided that my second priority was finishing the final block of the Celtic quilt.  Sorry its a bit blurry, but as you can see I have got 3/4 stitched down, so nearly there.  I had lots of interruptions yesterday, as DS1 and DS2 decided that they would join me in watching TV while I hand sewed.  That involved negotiations about snacks, fights about who would sit where and finally about what we were going to watch...I won but by the time I sat down there was only 45 min left of the Elvis Presley movie! Luckily DH was outside working and I was able to distract the boys back outside and settle back down with a Jane Austen movie, Northanger Abby.  I got more completed later when the boys were in bed, but I had to "watch" the footy, Aussie Rules that is...cannot wait until the season is over and I can watch movies instead! 
Today I made some scones for morning tea, broke up arguments about which bike DS1 and DS2 could ride, where they could make sandcastles (not where DH is digging trenches) and folded the washing.  Now I am going to make a few hundred more 1" squares for the rest of the border (Luck of the Irish) and then later I will try to get the rest of the hand sewing done...just waiting for something interesting to be on TV. 
Happy quilting, Sue SA.

Royal Adelaide Show - Wagga's (Quilt Challenge)

I promised to show you a picture of my Wagga once the Royal Adelaide Show had started, but then I realised I hadn't taken one of it finished!  I finally made it to the show yesterday and took pictures of most of the Wagga's entered, including mine!This is the quilt I made (above) and Elaine's (below), the fabrics are all wool, or a wool mix.  Elaine had a large diamond template we used and all the fabric came out of the Quilts from the Heart stash, so both these quilts belong to QfhH.  Elaine had wanted to make a Wagga for a long time so she was the one to inspire me to have a go at making one.  My quilt was quilted on Elaine's long arm machine, in a baptist fan pattern.  In keeping with the "make do" spirit I had used batting left overs pieced together, so really wanted to make sure the quilting would hold it all together - I always assume our donated quilts will be machine washed...or worse!  Elaine choose to hand quilt hers, a real dedication to traditional methods given that we are giving them away! 
Quilts from the Heart - Elaine's Wagga
 Elaine made a second Wagga for herself, out of her scrap collection a lot of which were velvets or corduroy.  Again she hand quilted, using a variety of threads.
 This is the first prize winning Wagga.  I didn't touch it, but from a close up inspection I am sure they are wool suiting fabrics and it was beautifully hand quilted. 
 This is the second prize winner and again without touching I suspect these fabrics were flannel and from the patterns it would surprise me if they were recycled men's PJ's or similar. 
For those of you who don't know what a Wagga is, traditionally they were "make do" blankets that men living and working in "the bush", generally made by sewing two layers of hessian wheat bags together as a blanket.  Later women made Wagga's by sewing together domestic sewing scraps, men's wool suiting samples, blankets or old knitted garments.  Wagga's are not quilts in the true sense as they were generally only two layers and not necessarily quilted.  Hence this entry, which received a special mention.
A tough call for the judges, because it is very traditional, but hard to say it is the finest needlework, compared to the other entries.  I liked it but not exactly quilters "eye candy"!
  This wagga was made entirely from old jeans, while I like the crazy piecing I am really glad I don't have to sleep under it, as it looks really really heavy!

Thank you to all the people who left comments to confirm that my comments box is working, well for some people anyway.  I have been a bit distracted this week, so not replied to everyone as my father collapsed while on the phone to me (Monday) and ended up being transferred (by air because he lives a 3.5 hr drive) to Melbourne.  They have scheduled him for a pacemaker on Monday, which apparently is considered a minor procedure, and I have been told should be the end of any need for medical intervention, much to everyone's relief.  Dad isn't impressed as the doctor thinks he wont be able to weld...hmmmm the least of my concerns I can tell you, especially as he had been driving the truck all day before I called him!  That and the fact that he still cuts all their own wood for the wood heater.  I am a bit tempted to send the tradesman around to have the gas heater installed while he is still in hospital! 

On a lighter note we attended the show as a family, which was a nice outing, but very different from previous years.  Priorities have now started to focus on show bags, junk food and rides, as DS1 is now at school and influenced by the other kids experiences.  This is very disappointing to me as I loved taking the boys to see the animals and hand crafts.  I did get to check out the decorated cakes but DS2 was convinced that all those cakes  and a "present" (show bag) meant that it was his birthday!  Which made for a very funny running commentary if you were stuck behind me in the queue to look at the cakes..the absence of candles didn't convince him that it wasn't his birthday!

Happy quilting, Sue SA.

Testing one, two, three...hello?

Hello, anyone out there?  I had been wondering why I wasn't getting any comments, then Kylie emailed me to say that she wasn't able to.  Last night at Guild Jude and Dawn confirmed the problem.  I did have a fiddle yesterday, but not sure if it worked or not...(fingers crossed)...could someone please try to leave me a comment and send an email if it wont let you?



Thanks, Sue.
PS these are my purchases at the shop, Riverlea Quilts from last nights SA Quilters Guild meeting.  Yeah I know, do I really need more novelty prints? LOL, I  just couldn't help myself!

Kim Diehl star in a churn dash blocks

I was just popping in to read some of my favorite bloggers, after a six month absence!  Then I saw that there was this draft post, so figure...