Cushion, table centre or wall hanging?

 The sun was streaming into the lounge creating the perfect photo opportunity to display the quilting on my sunflowers.  The petals were going to be quilted in a more sedate style, but this fern curl (? you know the curly bits on tree ferns) just came to me as I sat down to quilt this morning.

So that just leaves the question, what do I make with them?  Two cushion covers or table centres or wall hangings or a combination?

While I am happy with them, I am giving them away (for palliative care fund raising), so just wondering which finished product will be the most attractive to potential buyers?  I am happy to hear your suggestions!

I made these two baby taggies for the gift box from left over minky  and some ribbon out of my stash.  I think I might wash them first, as the minky seems to shed fur.  I have some left overs of green minky that Mum gave me, so if I buy some more ribbon I could have both genders covered in the gift box.

Nothing else for show and tell I am afraid.  The stormy weather and grey skies have made for poor Internet access and therefore blogging difficult, so apologies for my absence.  

Happy quilting, Sue SA.

New unplanned projects

I finished the mini log cabin wall hanging!  Technically the pattern was in the winter edition of Quiltmania and had a little holly leaf on it, but I thought it would just make a great all year around wall hanging to add to my collection...now I just have to convince hubby to put up some hooks for me!

My little school house wall hanging has stalled, as I decided I hated the sashing and cornerstones that I added.  I think the problem is that there is no contrast, because I have used positive and negative blocks together.  I cannot bring myself to use black, but I am beginning to think that a grey or very dark background might be called for.  I am avoiding the unpicking, hence it is being ignored in a corner somewhere.

 I cut backgrounds for the sunflower dresden blocks and got them sewn down, just have to make some centres. I think they are going to be cushions, but we will see.

On Sunday I did another complete flip and started a whole new project.  I saw a tiny ad in a magazine, featuring a charm pack I happened to own - and had no idea what to do with.  

So I started cutting, love the fact there is little required and stitched away the afternoon. Added some pink/white polka dot sashing from my stash.  Then had to nip to the shops to find fabric to make a external sashing, when my stash bit ran out.  I am loving the purple polka dots and don't mind a bit that it doesnt match.  

So now just contemplating if this cute cot quilt flimsy is getting a cotton or minky border.  At this stage I am thinking something warm and cuddly for the backing as well.

This is another attempt to lure the kids into helping me with/enjoying some gardening.  I read this tip in the last edition of Gardening Australia magazine. When you cut off the ends of the spring onions you can "plant" the root end into cotton wool, keep it moist and it will reshoot - you can see the ones that reshot on the right and the next ones I have planted on the left.  Once the roots had a couple of centimeters of green on them I planted them out into the real vegie garden.  So I am hoping that I am going to have a ongoing supply of spring onions, by just replanting the roots!

Happy quilting, Sue SA.

All day quilting - May

Yesterday we were a smaller than usual band of merry quilters, but very productive. Stacy arrived early and left for a few hours to coach her daughters netball team, but still managed to pin and start quilting this batik quilt.  In fact a few quilts were pinned, with good reason, as this week the temperature gauge in Adelaide plummeted from a lovely 30 C to a wintery 15C!

Rose showed us the lovely Sudoku quilt she has made for her son.  

Rose spent her day working on these colourful blocks.  Sorry at the time I thought they made a great picture laid out like this, but now I realised you cannot see the full block, just the pretty colours!

Sam and Vicki were working on the same project, which they often do.  This is Sam's swoon block.

And this is Vicki's swoon block...I hope I got that right!

Sam showed us her completed quilt, made for a neighbour.  I am sorry I didn't take a photo of the pieced backing as it was very cleverly done.  I neglected to ask Sam where she got the pattern for this quilt, it is a very effect design and use of solids.

Shez was machine quilting her purple elephant quilt.  Again a great pattern, forgot to ask where it came from, sorry!

Jonelle finished off her big twister animal quilt.  Jonelle used the most gorgeous giraffe print as her border and most of the animals appear to "pop up" in the twister blades, which looked very effective.  

Cathy was working on some blocks (oops sorry didn't get a picture) but also was finishing off this great kids quilt.  She used her scraps to make the braid sashings and then used the trimmings to make the binding - which really sets the quilt off.

This quilt makes me want to use up some colourful scraps.  Except I have a preference for those muddy tones, which worked in my favour yesterday when I decided I just might make a Dresden Sunflower block...just because I can and it helps to use up the stash!

 I didn't get to finish it off, as the navy background I grabbed from my stash (in a hurry) wasn't wide enough and I only had black for the centre, but then decided I really wanted chocolate brown.  

Apologies that I don't have pictures of Jill's work nor of Bronwyn's, despite the fact I was sitting next to the them.  Bronwyn has a new toy - a scanning/cutting machine and she was teaching herself to use it and made some very nice shapes for applique!

Happy quilting, Sue SA.

PS special hello to Heather, hope its not too cold in eastern Victoria, please consider this the ADQ report!