Cave Hill Patchwork Camp

 I started off with a Moda Collection for a Cause Historical Blender jelly roll and some background.  I wanted to make another Vivid Grid quilt, the pattern was originally published in Quilts and More magazine Spring 2017 and is by Sharon McConnell .  With no triangles and only two differnt length stips to cut, I declare this pattern perfect for super easy piecing, when a girl just wants to have fun!

I went home with all my 36 x 10" square blocks completed, enough for a 6 x 6 layout, = 60" square quilt.

All the while I was piecing these blocks I was also piecing half square triangles in scraps of green and neutral, for my newest Rainbow Scrappy Challenge block. I cut up alot of scraps recently into HST to finish at 2.5".  So they got paired with neutrals (this months colour for RSC) and made into this little pile of 4.5" unfinished blocks. 

 And I started making mini churn dash blocks, 3" finished.

I was ridiculously pleased with the first one.  Despite careful cutting and piecing I had found that my mini blocks would often result in lost points.  However after good advise from Janet I swapped over to a different brand of thread, because it is thinner...it made all the difference! 

I spent a lot of time looking for mini pieces, its amazing how quickly they get "lost" because they are so tiny!

 But I managed a finished flimsy (14.5 x 18"), the pattern is called "Little Red One" by Red Button Quilt Co and I brought it all as a kit from Quilters Harvest.  I have yet to do the simple embroidery stems in centre of churn dashes, with mini button's for flowers.

 

 My friend Lisa put these sweet Bonnie and Camille log cabin blocks together over the weekend and made multiple bags/purses, of which I neglected to get pictures :(

 

I was too busy looking at the beautiful view this idyllic location offers, plus eating, talking and madly stitching!

Happy quilting Sue.

Sew Together Bag

I brought the Sew Together Bag pattern from Periwinkle Patchwork .... dont remember when, but hoping it was only last January!

Anyway Ann was on her way to town, bringing her shop for our local quilt show....and a pattern I had requested from her.  And the lovely fabrics I had purchased at Quilters Harvest were staring at me!

SEW I knew that I had to get that pattern made up!  Plus I had finished all the boring stuff (binding, quilting, hanging sleeves) for the quilts going on display.  So I deserved a treat.  

 I was warned this isnt the easiest pattern, but I didn't find it too bad.  The pattern its self is really really well written but you have to have your thinking cap on - I made it over two days, which I think really helped - making this in a rush would be a recipe for disaster.

 I was lucky in that I also only used interfacing (thank you Lisa for introducing me to the joys of interfacing!) and not wadding.  Mind you I still broke a needle :(  when I was sewing it all together.  I do not like machine sewing binding on, but I did do it on this project - because there was no nice soft wadding to make hand sewing easier.  It went OK, not fantastic, but acceptable.  I like this bag so much I am thinking about making another one ;)  
Happy quilting Sue.

Quilters Harvest buying frenzy

 None of my usual retailing road trip friends were available for a quick shopping trip to Warracknabeal, but that was fine, as I had limited time to dally.  Off I headed to Quilters Harvest, a 45 minute drive away, to buy up at their sale.  While it is always nice to get a bargain, there was no celebrating, because no buyer for this lovely business :( means they are going to have to close the doors.  

 Toile, not normally high on my buying list, but my new book Jo's Little Favorites has a great mini pattern that uses a lovely red/cream fussy cut toile print.

 Ahh, all of these (except the toile) were just "because I love them too much to leave them in the shop"!  And without a doubt would kick myself if I had.  

 Yep not much excuse for buying these either.  Middle shirting and bottom print (a Kim Diehl),  I brought the rest of the bolt.  It was my plan to buy enough of one background to make a large Irish Chain, but alas there wasn't enough yardage.  Still they came home with me!

 Complete bargain (30 cm each of six prints) this roll of fabric, and l already had that bottom print in the other colour ways, so in the basket it went!

 More wool, baby measuring panel, neither of which I have a specific project in mind for.  Well I am going to make some Very Snuggle Quilts, but the panel may or may not work, as it is very narrow.    Oh but the red and white stripe, I did need that for last weeks binding of my mini spools.

 Progress shot of my completed Woolly Baskets wall hanging (by Dawn Heese of Linen Closet Designs).  The final border fabric was purchased in this same shopping trip.  So I guess there was a purpose to shopping frenzy after all!

I brought about four different fabrics, because I couldn't make up my mind, for a border print for this project.  But I cannot find the photo I took of them. Pink is not normally my thing, but trust me I brought a lot of pink on this trip.  

I ran out of shopping time, but as you can see I did try my best to help Del and Shirley out by reducing their stock.  Thanks for great customer service ladies, hope to see you "around the traps" in your retirement/new adventures.

Happy quilting Sue.

Red and White Dresden quilt - finished!

This quilt kickstarted in June 2015 at a camp in Bordertown with my Adelaide stitching friends.  Ingredients were a store homemade red "jelly roll" and a Moda Primitive Gatherings jelly roll for the neutrals.

This pattern came from a class I did with quilt teacher and friend Heather Ford (Adelaide).  You make lots and lots of pieced blades and then make the Dresdens. 

Then you dither for months about buying a fabric to use as the center circles.

Then spend an hour in Quilters Harvest (Warracknabeal) pulling out every bolt to find the perfect background fabric - thank you Dell!

And then slowly hand stitch them down to the background fabric.
Allow to mature in the cupboard, until taking top to Periwinkle Patchwork (Warrnambool), to find the perfect red for the border/binding - thank you Ann!  Mind you it matured a bit more before I got the border sewn on.

Then bundle off to Vicki Jenkin, long arm quilter extraordinaire, and allow her to work some quilting magic.  I wanted some thing fancy but edge to edge, so Vicki recommended these feathers.  I have never had feathers before and love them :)

Yeah my first finish for 2017!  

Happy quilting Sue.

Stitching at Quilters Harvest

I have been stalking my next Kim Diehl book online and decided I would go for her new book, Simple Christmas Tidings.  But wanted to support my local quilt shop...so I asked Quilters Harvest to put a copy aside for me.  No point in getting this book FOR Christmas, I need it now, to make stuff!

It is full of good projects, but I cannot get distracted yet, I have to finish some of the things I started with Quilters Harvest Spring Sewing day!

 A day out with Lisa, meeting up with friends (new and old) at Quilters Harvest in Warracknabeal, is just what I needed!  The spring sewing day started out with a small gift, a lovely coffee mug, which I used all day!

 There was the usual goodie bag full of new patterns, all very stitchery focused.  I started off with this pattern, by Melissa Grant of One Day in May.  Can you see the tiny orange flower....it is double sided fused - totally raw edge, only held down by a few embroidery stitches in the center.

I did not think to take a hoop, but it didnt matter.  Melissa showed us how to make the tiny blue dots, and the orange flowers.  This is the embroidery for the needle book in the pattern.  I really need a stitchery roll, which is also in the pattern, but going to try and finish the needle book first!

This project (sorry no photo of finished item) is by Lisa Cantlay of Fig n Berry Creations and is going to be pin cushion and sewing pouch. There was lots of satin stitch in this project so I had a lesson on that from the tutor.  I have never mastered satin stitch, so was thrilled to finally get my skill set up to speed there.  And she showed me out to do colonial knots - I could never follow the diagrams in books, and stuck to french knots.  But I am true convert to the colonial knot now!

And then there was some shopping, one of Melissa Grants patterns, and two by Petals and Patches designer Leanne Knell that spoke to me!  Especially Tilly the turtle!

And the final bit of shopping was the linen here, which I need for my stash, no immediate use, just had used up what I had brought a few months ago.

Last but not least, my first gift for the day was this cute little needle book, all in repro fabrics from Mandy.  Very cute and very appropriate for the day!  I tucked all my threads in it carefully before we left, so I can continue my stitching....I did manage to finish some of last years projects, so my aim is to get these two done...probably over summer when its too hot to quilt. 

Happy quilting Sue.

Fabric shopping

I needed to buy setting fabric for my Circa 2016 quilt, some binding and a skein of embroidery thread.  There are quilt shops in town, but we love the shop in Warracknabeal and they had a sale!  One day only, on my day off and a friend offered me a ride.

So pleased to get the setting fabric for my Circa 2016. The Temecula Quilt Co used a grey. But I am not a big fan of grey and this beige print looked great in the shop!  Del always let me pull bolts out and take over the shop, but we didn't need to with this print, she picked it in one!  

These might not all be strictly reproductions but they are leaf style prints, which I love.  I am not a fan of traditional floral prints.

The top print is the binding for a wall hanging.  The gold/mustard was just because.

I am positive the top pink is not a reproduction but I need some brighter colours in my Circa 2016.  I love the striped pink, but as you can see it is not particularly bright.  In fact I am not a big fan of pink, but all these fabrics "spoke" to me and I was in the mood to spend money!

Happy quilting Sue.

Wool work for Winter

A little road trip occurred (Quilters Harvest in Warracknabeal) to secure a greater selection of wool for my 

Little Wooly Basket blocks from Linen Closet Designs

The green wool was off the bolt, but the rest came from the dwindling stash the shop purchased last year from Debbie Busby (USA) when she presented workshops here.  Buying wool is expensive, so being able to buy the big squares of different colours is a great idea. 

Block 3

I love this sweet basket with buds and flowers.

Block 5 Strawberries
This is my favorite basket!  I am still trying to find a way to make little knots small enough on the berries so they look like the seeds on the outside of the strawberry.
I need to get a wriggle on, so I  can get it all together while its still winter : )
Happy quilting, Sue.

Cot quilting

I love that Dolly Parton song, "Working 9 to 5" and at the moment that sums up my life!  My new job is a blessing I am grateful for, but it is playing havoc with my sewing output.  Well that and a month of busy weekends where my volunteer commitments demanded time and we had two lots of visitors.  I literally unpacked my machine after sewing in Bordertown to sew on the border and then in the same night I managed to piece the backing and wadding.

  And then it sat and sat while I waited for the opportunity to pin it.  I had hoped to attend my night group but between cooking dinner, homework and after school activities it hasn't happened yet.  Finally on Sunday (after our visitors left) I got the chance.

I started quilting in the ditch around the triangles.  Boring but just the mindless sewing I needed in the company of friends so I could forget about all the other things I probably should have been doing...like housework!  

Happy quilting Sue.

Woolie workshop with Debbie Busby

Yipee I fixed my IT issues...don't ask me to explain how, but I managed to retrieve all my lost photos and software, phew!

OK so back to the important stuff!  While I was offline I attended a wool workshop with USA artist Debbie Busby, at Quilters Harvest in Warracknabeal.

Debbie had lots of lovely patterns, I was especially smitten with the tiny flower baskets.

And then there was a lovely floral table runner pattern.

I have always wanted to make a month themed wall hanging, this one was the perfect size and Quilters Harvest are ordering in the cute wire hangers to hold them.

 We made this delightful table runner (pattern is called Holly Basket) and I got most of it finished on the day.  

It was so nice to come home and be able to finish it in front of the TV that night!  And it is the perfect size for my "newest" coffee tables... one that belonged to my grandmother.  

 Debbie was very generous and made everyone a cute little tomato - I am using it as a decoration, but I guess its really a pin cushion.

 The girls at Quilters Harvest were very generous and our kit came with all the wool (many pieces were already cut out, a great time saver), three skeins of embroidery thread, scissors and a needle, so I didn't need to take a thing!

I really enjoyed working with wool and Debbie was so sweet, the catering us A1 (food is always good at the Quilters Harvest workshops) and all round we (Lisa and I) had a great day out. 

Happy Quilting Sue.

Spring Workshop in Warracknabeal

On Saturday I spent the day stitching in Warracknabeal at the Harvest Quilters Vintage Retreat.

The tutors were (from left) Marg Low, Shelley Kelly, Leonie Bateman and we were hosted by the Quilters Harvest owners, Dell and Shirley.

I started this wool applique door stop, by Leonie Bateman.

 I don't own a light box, so I made use of the numerous light boxes available to participants to trace off this stitchery by Marg Low.

I stitched tiny hexies and started the applique for a sweet needle roll, by Shelley Kelly, which is in the bottom middle of the below photo, which shows all the finished patterns we got in our goodie bag.  

I fell in love with applique all over again.  Shelley showed me how to needle turn, so I thought it only fair I brought one of her patterns...how beautiful is this pillow!

Shelley does wonderful work, this is her naive tulip quilt.

 But her miniatures in reproduction fabrics were just stunning.  I would love to do a class with her, but Shelley lives over near Albury/Wodonga, it's at least a five hour drive!

 Log Cabin miniature by Shelley Kelly. Hand sewn and quilted.

 Lone Star by Shelley Kelly.  Machine pieced, hand quilted.

 Gather your Baskets by Shelley Kelly, I had to have a picture of it, as I love basket quilts so much!

Brookfield by Leonie Bateman..  The baskets and top border are all wool and appliqued on.  Leonie loves hand applique and helped me improve my blanket stitch.  As well as demonstrated her technique for preparing wool work, which was very helpful as she uses woven wool which is too thick for fuse web.

Last but not least a stunning red and white quilt by Marg Low, Sarah's Sampler (1855).  This was available as a pattern and I was very tempted, but thought I am going to be busy enough making all the lovely patterns I had in my goody bag. 

It was lovely day out, with lovely friends.....and I came home to a roast dinner and three happy chappies cos their footy team won, yeah!

Happy quilting Sue.