Lego Man quilt - flimsy

I am feeling a head and shoulders above the rest, ha, ha, ha!

My first effort at a hand wasn't great, so tried again.

Slowly coming together, pants are important!

At this point just getting everything squared up is a challenge.  Then I remembered there was a size limit!

So that required a little off the top, and adding to the sides.

Just got to sew the sides then we are done!

Happy quilting Sue.

Aussie Hero .....wall hanging!

Normally I make quilts for Aussie Hero Quilts.  And this is the same size as the quilts, but it is technically a wall hanging, made to be displayed in a common area for everyone to read the messages of support and enjoy.

People were asked to write a message of support and sign a block at Quilt Convention in April.  I volunteered to make the top up, after another volunteer Lyn (who has made an astounding 250 quilts for this group) made the signed squares up into blocks. 

 Of course there needed to be some extra blocks added to make it big enough so I dug deep into my sewing cupboard and found my orphan box.  The paper pieced kangaroo and birds are Margaret Rolfe patterns from her various books.  I was crazy about paper piecings many years ago but these ones had never made it into a quilt. 

 The animals and birds were all different sizes so I sashed them (but made them offset) with the same fabric (kangaroo paw print) to make them the same size as the signature blocks.

 Then to fill the gaps I found some more Aussie themed fabric in my AHQ box and just had plain squares, some flags but mainly this Holden fabric - thought the guys might like some blokey stuff!  Then I found this great platypus fabric on sale at Spotlight, perfect for the border!  It was so well priced I went back and brought more for the backing of my next AHQ quilt.

Its hard to know what other people who are not quilters might like.  But I think I well and truly covered the Aussie theme and hopefully that with the messages is a moral booster to those hard working men and women serving overseas.

Happy quilting Sue.

Aussie Hero Quilts and Laundry bags

You have seen this quilt before.  But I didn't tell you that I decided to donate this quilt to Aussie Hero Quilts and Laundry bags, to a serving member of the Australian Defence Forces.  It is now in transit overseas and hopefully when it reaches its its owner they will know that I appreciate their service, keeps them warm and is a reminder of the hard job they did and the sacrifice their families make while they are away.

 It is accompanied by a matching laundry bag.  Matching only because I had some of the left over backing fabric, which ironically has army jeeps on it and has been in my stash for a long time.  I originally brought this fabric because it was navy blue and on sale...it has been a great backing.border for several boys charity quilts.  It was only fitting that the last of it went into a quilt and laundry bag for a soldier.  

Through this donation I have met a whole bunch of new quilting friends and yesterday four of us got together in Adelaide to sew.  I had not had time to prepare anything, so I found the scrap 2.5" block box and started making more four patches.  A little pile had grown into a big pile by the end of the day.

 During the day Mary (who hosted the day at her lovely home) gifted me this block so I could work out how to make one at home.  I love scrap quilts, but never thought to use blue and green together, this is now my new favorite combo!  This block is 12" so perfect for scrappy charity quilts.

 When I got home I couldn't resist trying out the method she showed me to make the two coloured wedge bit out of scrap 2.5"strips I had sitting by my sewing table.  

 But the real temptation was to find a suitable background fabric for my scrappy four patches so I could keep sewing. I wasn't sure what size to cut the triangles, but cut a 10" square, cut twice to make four triangles, still too big, so I cut them in half and they were perfect!  Sew a new quilt is underway!

This is the loot I purchased from The Quilt Basket at Victor Harbour last weekend.  Some Aussie novelty fabrics, which I want to use in a Aussie Hero quilt, one lovely reproduction, giraffes cos they are my favorite (and the kids are still made keen on African animals) and the birds just because.  

These matching panels were irresistible, they will make a good boys quilt one day for that budding astronaut!  My first "real" job was with DSTO (Defence Science Technology Organisation) the research arm for Defence and I have long standing joke with friends about my time working with the "rocket scientists".  

Perhaps these are going "straight to the pool room"!

Happy quilting, Sue SA.