Sewing frenzy

I made this needle case on a whim about two weeks ago.  I brought this book early in the year (or was it last year?) and was desperate to finally make something out of it.  Since then I haven't done much sewing, so this weekend I went mad and just started sewing....I don't accept long absences from my sewing machine very well!

This cot sized quilt top is what I made on Saturday.  The fabrics are all out of my stash...they had to be, DH was out Christmas shopping and both my boys now refuse to come into the fabric shop...besides together their behaviour doesn't make for relaxed auditioning of colours...it always ends in hasty purchases that can be regretted.  I then needed more fabric to continue (I only had left over fat quarters in these colours), so managed to purchase necessary yardage today (well it was on sale!) to start the next step. However I really wanted to wash and dry the new fabric, so I had to put this new project aside.

That prompted me to finally finish the boys version of the cot quilts I had been making...there was only two corners of binding to be hand sewn down and a label attached, its been like that for a few weeks! 

And then this project - Alphabet Sampler, only required a hanging sleeve...why do those simple jobs take so long to get around to?  This wall hanging I designed with DS1, he picked out the shapes and colours he wanted in the corners.  You probably cannot see very well from the picture but I quilted each letter of the alphabet into each square, depicting that letter.  It was very hard to find J and X fabric...J = jeep but it is a black print on blue background so not easy to pick.  I was more then happy to cheat with X after I found this skeleton fabric, I figured that would do for X-ray...I was never going to find a better substitute!  I am not hugely proud of this wall hanging it got made in a hurry and the quilting is very poor.  However the boys don't care and I suspect its "life" will be short, as they will grow out of it in a few years, so I figured finish it now, while they can enjoy it...not a time to take up hand quilting!

I cannot find the photo of the pot holders I made (quite some time back) so I had to take a new shot, which doesn't do them justice.  Downloading the pictures for this post took two days, so I will wait to see if my internet speed improves and try to squeeze in one last post before Christmas/New Year...I am nearly at 100 posts....trying to think of a way to celebrate??  In the new year I might just have to have my very own give away, stay turned!
Happy quilting, Sue SA.

Christmas Challenge

The South Australian Guild gave all those attending the December 2010 meeting a fat quarter of Christmas fabric.  There were three different prints; snowmen, angels and Christmas trees.  We were only instructed to make something, so with no rules it was great to see the results this December.

This was the wall hanging I made for the challenge...I couldn't help but use every little bit of fabric, when the squares are only 2" cut!  The pattern was from the Moda Bakeshop and is called Christmas Wreath Wall Hanging by The Calico Horse.  I had lots and lots of fun with the quilting, stippling in the white background and using a free motion teardrop echo shape over the wreath, giving it a lovely curved look.  I never appreciated how much better a wall hanging would sit flat on the wall because it was heavily quilted, this is now my favorite Christmas decoration.

I liked the snowman fabric, so did DS1 so he demanded a large piece for another project (to be included in a different post) which left me with only a few snowmen to play with.  I decided snowball blocks would be appropriate for a table runner, but things didn't quite work out that way....it was hard to avoid chopping off their heads!  The projects other ladies made were fantastic, table runners aplenty, wall hangings, as well as journal covers, pot holders, decorations, door stoppers, quilts and even a bag with working fairy lights!

And I have now finished the girls cot quilt, title to be determined.  It needs to be delivered to ACT, but after a well known SA teacher announced at our guild meeting that Australia Post had lost her 8 kg box of quilts, teaching samples, notes and books I decided I wont be risking it...apparently its the second time she has had precious work stolen out of the postal system.  I am hoping that Granny express will be happy to deliver door to door for free - I just have to get it to Granny first! 

Happy quilting, Sue SA.

Luck of the Irish

Can you say its finished if you still havent sewn the label on?  I had better hurry up and do that because I have booked it in for valuation...I need some evidence of its worth for my sewing self esteem!

Thanks Kylie for being my quilt photographer and ignoring DH who was not impressed I had interupted him at work (well it is for his mother!) to hold a corner of this quilt, while balancing on the couch...because its that big! 

The pattern is from Evelyn Sloppy's book "40 Fabulous Quick-Cut Quilts".   The original pattern just has a plain border, but I needed to make the quilt bigger, so made up the pieced border, which also helped to use up some of the left over 1 1/2" squares.  And as you can see I love adding a 6 1/2 " border to all my quilts....its easy because thats the width of my ruler and it seems to frame everything nicely...plus it helped make it the right size. 

Then because I have only done a bit of hand sewing this week, I will show you the string pieced placemats I made earlier.  I couldnt find the yellow and pink/purple ones I made, think they are in the wash!

The final block of the Celtic quilt was cut larger then others (by 1/2") so once I figured that out, it ment I am going to have to unpick and resew ALL the corners of the applique....otherwise I would have to cut them off :-(   But because it is the LAST block I am trying to focus on finishing it ASAP....as my goal was to have the top done by September... the new goal is Christmas!

Happy quilting, Sue.

Slow progress

It was the week for everyone else to be unwell, so it only stands to reason that I would come down with something (different as nobody was infectious) on the weekend.  However some progress was made with...

The second last Celtic block has now been "fixed" so the applique is more then 1/4" from the edge.  I have unpicked one section of the applique of the last block and just need to stitch it back down today.  Part of the reason it has taken me so long is I find it too hard to see at night, particularly unpicking as Bea's stitches are so tiny.  The dressmakers chalk that she used to mark the pattern shows up well in the picture, but its alot fainter in reality.  However I do think I will try and carefully wash this block before I sew it to the rest.  I also unpicked the row that was the wrong way up, so it just needs machine stitching back together. 

And finally a picture of the place mats I made some time ago.  I was trying to get the lids on my scrap bins closed (they are sorted by colour) and decided that I HAD to use some up immediately.  There is one scrappy I spy mat for DS2, a red one for DS1, blue for DH and green for me, with a spare for guests. 

I used ugly/unwanted fabrics for the backs, pieced scraps of wadding together and used left over binding for a real scrappy look.  It was a good way to have a clean up and get some functional place mats very quickly.  I am sort of wishing I used some decorative stitches on some of the seams as well. These crazy place mats inspired some string pieced ones, but I don't have a photo to share handy, perhaps next week when I am feeling better.
Happy quilting, Sue.

Christmas Quilt along

So the plan was that DH would work outside, the kids would play quietly (inside or out) and I would sew inside, therefore allowing me to join the Christmas quilt along.

Hmmm the best laid  plans....DS1 has another sore ear, the third in the last month and the doctor has previously refused him medication.  He is lying down on one lounge, dosed with Panadol and at least eating dry biscuits.  DS2 hasn't kept down water since 7am but fingers crossed its now 3 pm and he has had half a dry biscuit and some water.  He is holding fort on the other sofa and at least had a couple of short naps. 

Obviously when I decided to clean the house yesterday and the mop broke before I could wash the floors, it was for a good reason.  So today apart from going out to buy a new mop, several loads of washing and washing the floors I did squeeze in some sewing and a quick trip for batting.

So I previously showed you a block of this quilt.  All the fabrics came from my stash, apart from the blue stripe.  Definitely a boys quilt.  Oops needed a girls quilt....hence a bit of sewing this morning to finish the sashing on this...none of which came out of the stash!
Sorry just needed to acknowledge that this is a Ursula Reikes design, titled Coxey's Camp, from her book Even more Quilts fro Baby, Easy as ABC, published by That Patchwork Place 2000.
 

So the backing (from stash) and batting have been prepared, but two sick kids will prevent me from sandwiching these to cot quilts today. 

However I did stitch the final bit of binding on this quilt this morning, so here is a peek...I haven't done the label yet.  Luck of the Irish is too big for DH to hold on his own and the clothes line is full. So hopefully I will round up two friends soon...if I am not quarantined by the doctor tomorrow...!

Happy quilting Sue SA.

South Australias Quilt Show

I tried to load some pictures for you last week, but the Guilds website wouldn't open, I am guessing it was overwhelmed with visitors.  I have my own photos of the show, but the Guilds rules are that we are not allowed to publish them on the Internet.  Which is a pity as not all my friends won a prize, and some complete strangers quilts captivated me, which I would have liked to share. 

Drum roll please.......... (photo by SA Quilters Guild)

Elaine Kennedy won first prize (category Amateur - Traditional) for Cream Feathers and Scrolls and Excellence in Long arm/Short arm quilting.  This is just a close up of the middle of the quilt, because the quilt is a cream on cream whole cloth a photo of the whole quilt doesn't look like much, sorry but you really need to see it in person! 

Elaine and I quilt together at After Dark Quilters and she quilts all my big quilts....plus we are very privileged to have her quilt the charity quilts we make at Quilts from the Heart.  Elaine is also a good friend, so heartfelt congratulations and a few tears of joy, as these awards are great recognition for her wonderful work and well deserved.

In keeping with my red and white/cream fetish I made a few purchases in fat quarters and really pushed my comfort zone buying TWO charm packs.
Happy quilting, Sue SA.

What happened to October?

The past month has disappeared with visitors, DH work trips, trying to get back into routine after school holidays and a long weekend away.  I have made a few purchases...

More boy novelties from the quilt shop in the Barossa and one reproduction print for my Seven Sisters quilt.

But I decided I needed to focus on my priorities, so put the finishing touches to my Quilters guild challenge #2 - a table runner, sneak peek here...sorry but its a secret until December.

And my other ongoing priority which is to finish Bea's Celtic quilt.  So I trimmed the blocks, laid them out, stitched them together...only to discover I had sewn one row the wrong way...now there are two blue applique blocks together.  So that is in the "waiting to be unpicked pile" along with the two applique blocks I need to finish, so I can put the top together.

Then I heard from a friend...she has had a daughter, so I started a cot quilt, but it ended up a bit gender neutral, only from the lack of pink in my stash.  Then I couldn't get a purple to go with orange and green (why is that?!) so ended up with navy sashing (sorry no pic) but the blocks look like this...definitely not a girly girls quilt.  So what can you do but buy more fabric !

 But before I could cut that up it was time to go to the Adelaide Quilt show...which features in the next post as blogger isn't playing nice when it comes to pictures.  Happy quilting Sue SA.