Temecula Quilt Co sampler

Temecula Quilt Company ran a free sew along for a mini quilt sampler in June 2017. I started the sew along with blocks from scraps, in a variety of colours and a second version in pinks and reds.

By October 2017 all the red and pink blocks were completed and sewn together with sashing.  Which clearly I didn't like and changed to add cornerstones!

Then on camp in April 2019 I found the completed flimsy and started quilting it.

Quilting the sampler was easy as I just did in the ditch, but when your up close and personal all the mistakes hit you in the eye.  I just kept going.....finished is far preferable then to adding another UFO to the collection!

So finally a finish for this old UFO and  it was in time for our exhibition.  Now to hunt down the multi coloured blocks and see where they are at!

Happy quilting Sue.

Sewing in Dunkeld part 1

Dunkeld is a small town on the southern side of the Grampians National Park in Western Victoria.

 I stayed in a school camp in the National Park, a short drive north of the town for the weekend.  The camp was organised by my friend and patchwork shop owner Ann.  The company, food and views were magnificent.

I worked on a number of projects including this very old UFO - Temecula Mini Monday sampler that was supposed to have a border, but had been in the sin bin so long I forgot that and just went ahead and quilted it.

My roomie Annette machine appliqued the start of this beautiful quilt.  I didn't know anyone at camp apart from Ann and her mother Barb.  It is so nice to make new friends!

Donna and I sat next to each other and she worked on this great hunting/4WD quilt for her son.  Correction she made the top in the weekend!  The four little stitcheries were all 4 wheel drive utes - which I thought were great, because I assumed it was impossible to find male themed stitcheries!

At this point I have to confess to forgetting  details, which annoys the heck out of me - especially when I had been given the back story on some of these tops!  This is Anne's quilt top  - and it was made with reproduction fabrics.  But I don't remember if this last quilts is Anne's or her friend Helens.  

It is always nice to see other peoples work....and then find out they have been quilting longer then you! LOL! These last two quilts intimidate the heck out of me and I endlessly admire those brave and skilled enough to master them.

Happy quilting Sue.

Where has October gone?

I lost my sewing mojo weeks ago.  The last sewing I did was wool applique while on holidays and dont even have a picture to share.  However on Friday, crunch time had to happen, because there is a deadline looming.

I started working on this photo quilt for a friends MIL.  It was not what I expected, but working with what we have. Luckily sewing friends pointed out that using Quilt as you go method would assist overcome some of the hurdles.  

I have brought the backing only to find I cannot get basting spray :( because the shop was closed Saturday - so no further progress made, waiting until Monday when the shop is open.

 Lisa asked me what happened to my Temecula Mini?  

So a little bit of sewing was eventually achieved Saturday.  Well unpicking and resewing.  Not just on this (sashing was wonky), but also on a backing.  But that is it for me.  Mojo still missing, but working on some motivation.

Like this great quilt top Kaye finished on Friday.  

Cute kit for a grandchild she brought some time ago.  Bit hard to see, but fabric is perfect for the beach theme, fish,water and seaweed fabric!

 Two new purchases, which will hopefully inspire some sewing action in near future.  I am hoping the triangle tool will make flying geese easier to piece and more accurate....fingers crossed!

I have been enjoying the riot of colour spring brings.  Once a upon a time I thought owning a a carefully laid out blue and white garden would be lovely....now I crave masses of colour all jammed in together!

But the reality is I am starting to run out of room for more flowers

Happy quilting Sue.

Marvelous Mini Monday ...more tiny blocks

I had been putting off making these 36 patch blocks :(

But decided that the easiest way was to strip piece them.  Worked out fine for the red version of my Marvelous Mini Monday blocks. 

Thought I would try Trip Around the World style in rainbow colours for my scrap version.

But I didnt like it.  So after much procrastinating (and many weeks) I had another attempt.

Which is fine in my book.  

Did an audit of my blocks and worked out what was missing and which ones needed resewing...because I had lost most of the points.  

 Still struggling with the log cabin in red.  Not thrilled with the scrap version but its done.

Final photo of the scrap version of the sampler blocks.

No idea why but the flying geese have given me the most problems.

Still they are all done!

Happy quilting Sue.

Another new quilt commenced?!

Months ago I signed up to go to a patchwork camp I haven't attended in years...mainly because I already go to two small private retreats each year - an indulgence that I hang out for!  However this year one was cancelled and so I had to decide what I would want to do at a "normal" camp.  Normal being, lots of ladies, no cooking duties, but not so much private space to spread my stuff out!

 Enter one jelly roll that has been sitting in my stash for way to long.  I purchased some yardage for background at Quilters Harvest sale before they closed the doors :(

 I started cutting the pieces from this fabric for a new version of Vivid Grid!
This is going on camp with me.  So hopefully there will be some progress to show next week.

Happy quilting, Sue.

Marvelous Mini Monday update

I am participating in the Temecula Quilt Co Marvelous Mini Monday.

I wanted to use reproduction scraps, but couldn't let go enough to have a different fabric on each side of the centre block, so I have been very controlled.

I liked the blocks so much I decided to make a second set in red, pink and shirtings.

 
After making such tiny centres, to have solid centres for block 4 seemed a bit "easy"!

No complaints, because we had to make four of them...so easy is good!

Happy quilting Sue.

A new project is born!

Oh go ahead, start a new project, they are only tiny little 4" blocks...it will be fun!

 Sew much fun I thought I would make one in scrappy colours and another in red/pink.

But then the second Marvelous mini Monday pattern from Temecula Quilt Co came out.  And it was way more difficult then a four patch!  We will see if I manage to keep up or not ;)

While I am confessing my "sins" this is another new project.  A table runner designed by Jacquelynne Steves for Spring from the Top your Table series running in Quilts and More magazine.  I normally avoid iron on applique, but for a table runner I figure I will get sick of after a few years, why not? 

It has gone into the pile of things to be pinned and quilted.. 

 

I started another mini from Jo Morton's book Jo's Little Favorites, this one is called Bordered Toile.  I really have to credit my friend Lisa with pointing out the beauty of this pattern to me. And then I found the perfect toile fabric at Quilters Harvest, so it was meant to be! There are quite a few more borders to go before I can call this a finish.  The bonus is that the left over 1" strips from the borders are going into my Marvelous Mini Monday blocks!

 

I have had a final THREE shopping trips to Quilters Harvest in Warracknabeal plus a phone order...or two!  They are closing at the end of this month and I will really really miss this shop.  But I don't have a picture of my last lot of purchases, because they were not really fabric orientated, mainly notions and a new ruler.  This fabric came from Somerset Patchwork in suburban Melbourne, purchased over the Queens birthday weekend.  Unfortunately this reproduction specialist shop is also closing - but will maintain an online presence.  I dont shop online...I do enough spending in the flesh, to venture online would send me broke!

This is the yardage I purchased in 15 minutes with the family waiting in the car.  This is the evidence your honor, the reason I do not dare shop online...guilty of buying reproduction fabric in yardage, not fat 1/8's!

Happy quilting Sue.