Bittersweet Briar is hung!

I have been slowly finishing the binding on the Bittersweet Briar wall hanging from Kim Diehl's book Simple Graces.

This photo on the lawn washes out the colour, but made for a better background shot.

I tried to take photos that showed the free motion quilting I did.

Which is way easier then actually quilting black on black!

This quilt is now hanging up in our house and I get a kick out if every day.  I do however think that it needs more quilting in the centre flower.  That is on my to do list, but a bit distracted with other priorities on the home front right now.  So I am just going to enjoy looking at it in the meantime.

Happy quilting, Sue SA.

Ready to be pinned

Last weekend I snuck in half a morning of sewing and got the border on my Kim Diehl wall hanging Bittersweet Briar.  While machine applique is quick, but I don't know that I would call it fun.   Having said that I needed quick, so I am very please to have a finished top.

Now I just need to squeeze in some quilting time and it will nearly be ready to hang on the wall.  I am going to try my hand at FMQ this very heavily, fingers crossed it works!

Happy quilting, Sue SA.

All caught up for July

I plodded along on Sunday and managed to get the last two BOM blocks for the Sugar Block Club done.

Can you see the hopping kangaroos?

Sorry I tried to rotate this picture after I had uploaded it, and it didn't work.  My wheel is spinning the wrong way but I don't care!  I am loving the stripes in the corner with the dotty centre.  This colour combo is very "out there" for me, but I really really like it now its finished!

I have made a bit more progress on my Bittersweet Briar wall hanging.  More work is required and I am still not sure about the colours I have used for the large flowers.  This is a terrible photo colour wise because I took it inside at night, but I think I will applique on the many yellow berries and then make a final decision on the flowers.  

Happy quilting, Sue SA.

I stuck to the plan, Stan!

Having a short term goal to achieve really worked for me over the weekend and a few nights after work this week.
I have stayed focused.  I have the slow burning desire to start a new project, but I haven't, cos I need to finish these ones first!

The Bittersweet Briar wall hanging now has all the leaves and stems machine appliqued down, plus a few berries and flowers.  The two big flowers are still pinned.  I am stumped on the colour for the fourth flower....still tempted to buy more fabric!  How did I ever develop this addiction for fabric?  Sew glad there is no cure!

The two cot quilts have binding machine stitched one, and hand sewing half done.  I will take photos when I can get some better light, so they don't look gloomy like this one!

This is my finished Scrappy Four Patch quilt, label and binding all done.  I have to make a laundry bag and then it is ready to send to a Aussie Hero serving in our defence forces overseas.  Not the best photo, but it was not outside weather.  Do you like our rocking horse?   My father made him for our boys, a very special gift, made with love.  The kids come in to see me when I am hand stitching in the lounge, and ride the horse while they are telling me something about their day...or dobbing on their sibling....or asking for a snack!

Happy quilting Sue SA

One more childs quilts and a little shopping trip

What do you do on a Saturday morning when DH flies in with jet lag, desperate for some sleep and you have two excited noisy boys in the house?  I let the kids play computer games in my sewing room, but I was blocked from my latest project (which I had left in the lounge room) while hubby was napping.   These are my purchases from Hetties Patch - which I have started to prep, for a new project. 

That black print down the bottom is a Primitive Gathering, from the same range as the black and tan log cabin wall hanging I just made!  And the soft green print I discovered I already had at home in the form of a fat quarter!

This is my new project, Bittersweet Briar from Simple Graces (book) by Kim Diehl.  Its a large wall hanging and there are two versions in the book, this is the wool on cotton version, but the all cotton version has a cream background.  I would normally always go for the light background, but this colourway really speaks to me, so black it was - but I am using all cotton.  I am discovering that I don't have as many reproductions as I thought.  Hmm think I can justify some more shopping!  And to justify starting a new project, this is going to be my autumn wall hanging, as per my wish list! 

Unable to access all the goodies to start work I started eyeing off all the things IN my sewing room!

I quickly found the box of novelty fabrics that I had cut up.  I chose 4.5" squares, because there seemed to be a good pile of them and I was only aiming for another cot quilt.  I sorted the squares into colours and sewed them into pairs, then fours.  I did have to cut a few more blocks out of the stash to get a bit more variety, but fell in love with the effect.  

My previous I Spy quilts have been a riot of colour and this version gives your eye somewhere to rest.  I added a plain sashing that worked with the ultra busy border fabric.  All this fabric came from my stash.  I was aiming for a gender neutral quilt, but I gave up, I have far more boy fabrics in my stash then girlie ones!  

It feels good to have made a large lap/small SB size quilt all from the cupboard and all in one day!  Mind you DH didn't sleep all day, but he didn't mind that I sewed for most of it!

Happy quilting, Sue SA.