The End of another Week

I have been totally absorbed with these little baskets. .

 

 

It's such an enjoyable pastime.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How the time flies...

I am very slowly quilting my Trailing vines and sewing my Coxcombs and Stars but I noticed a friend sewing this pattern, The English Basket Quilt and remembered I had started this when I bought the pattern a number of years ago.

 

It was a pleasure to find that I had actually had quite a bit done. The blocks and borders are all cut, as are all the templates, baskets and stems. The baskets and stems were attached to their blocks and I had sewn two of them. The fabric for all the flowers, butterflies and leaves I had returned to my stash. Not to worry, as long as I pulled out fabrics that matched the border fabric it would work. It is really quite good as I now have many more yellows in my stash compared to when I started. This is a photo of the first 3 blocks, my borders and the bundle of baskets on blocks still to be done. I have made changes to suit me. I'm not a hexagon making type of person so the dark background in the pattern I've replaced with light and the border fabric will replace all those hexagons etc. Can you imagine how it will look?

 

 

 

A few Sundays ago it was Mother's Day and my Daughter ordered a copy of the catalogue for me, for the V & A quilt show being held at the GOMA in Brisbane from now til September. It arrived yesterday and it is a beautiful book of Quilts and has plenty of detail and reading inside. Thank you Nicola.

 

Meanwhile I have splashed out and bought 2 new ranges of 'modern' fabrics. I have an idea in my head what the top range will be used for

 

and this range will be for applique. I do like the Marg Sampson-George quilt on the front of Quiltmania No 94. I think this may have to wait.

 

My new header for this month is my version of the Sundial quilt. I used a pattern from Karen Cunningham when she had an online workshop. I changed quite a few of the blocks to some in the original quilt which I will get to see when I visit the V & A quilt show in Brisbane later in the year.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On a cold Autumn Day

It's good to sit under a quilt and sew. This week I've finished the first block of Coxcombs and Stars and

 

 

started on the Top border. This shows half of it. So many berries.

 

 

and then I got out the next block from the Marriage quilt I started last year and got the shapes cut out and attached to the wool ready to be cut out and placed on the background.

 

and then this arrived back from being basted so that I can quilt the stems on the vines. This has now become a long time project as I find quilting very hard on the fingers and I will only be sewing it in small quantities.

 

 I also got my Grand daughter's quilt back from the quilter and it requires the binding to be sewn down. Just the thing to sit on one's knee and stitch when it has been so cold. When we got up this morning it was 3C Brrrrrr! How long do I have to wait for Summer, I'm not a Winter person. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looking at my UFO's

I've been going through my baskets of projects started and trying to decide whither I will continue, finish it where it is or put it back in the cupboard for another week, month, year.
Why did it end up like this? Did I just find a nicer quilt to make? Were the fabrics the wrong choice? and will I ever get around to completing it? I'd love to hear what you do with your UFO's. 
At last year's Symposium, run by my guild, I started a Red and Green quilt being designed by Sandra Boyle. I had a Moda Layer Cake of fabric I decided would be fine with a few greens added. I decided last week to finish it where it was and cut the remaining fabric into squares to be the sashing.  

 
I have nearly finished the applique on the 1st block of Coxcombs and Stars. I now need to prepare the top border as this is the next piece of the pattern and it will be nice to have it ready to go. 

This weeks meanderings

It's been a little of this and a little of that, this week. First picture is Lori's little quilt from her blog, Humble Quilts. This was fun to make.

 

 

and this is the centre of her latest quilt. If you go to her blog the patterns are available.  I've still to stitch it.

 

and a little bit more of Coxcombs and Stars. I showed you a while ago and then it got put on the back burner. I took the freezer paper off the front and ironed it on the back of the cut pieces and tried the technique of folding over the seam allowance with starch and not glue. This method worked well as the starch doesn't stick like the glue pen does and the paper came out soo easily. Paint the liquid starch on with a small brush, fold over the seam allowance with the fingers and iron as you go. The edges are crisp and ready to sew. I will use this method again. It's a great way to get a nice point at the end of the leaves. The stars were a bit trick-ier [?] as they are a brushed cotton and a very soft fabric. I'll straighten them as I sew them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quilting

Yesterday I picked up my Sundial quilt from my Long-arm quilter, Katrina. As usual she worked her magic and my quilt has been enhanced with the designs she has quilted on it.
I asked for a 'less is more' approach to her choice of quilting it and It has been achieved and my quilt is soft and beautiful.
I took some photos to show some of the quilting and I just love how the centre looks with it's cross-hatch,swirls and feathers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I managed to get the binding  stitched onto the front edge, ready now to be rolled over and slip stitched down. A label and then onto my bed for the coming Winter. 

What's been going on

Last Thursday I went to the Australian Quilt Show. I had a good look around the traders and bought some fabric and threads. The fabric is a linen,spotted and wider than the usual cotton patchwork fabrics. I have a pattern in mind that needs wider than 42" and think this may be ideal. The threads are for my X-stitch. The quilts on show are from previous shows that have won Best of Show awards. Here are some photos of the ones that caught my eye. This is called Southern Stars by Karen Malone. The cheddar and green together is wonderful.

 

Moving House Blues by Judy Hooworth

 

Cock of the Walk by David M Taylor

 

 

Oh Dear Mrs Thompkins by Helen Hayes

 

 

 

 

Zig Zag by Mylene Pijpers

3384 Yoyo's

 

 

Flower Basket Medallion by Pip Scholton

and Tracy Browning

 

The quilting surrounding the centre basket was amazing. It is a Kim McLean quilt  pattern.

 

 

My Swoon block are all sewn together and I took this photo as I was pinning the outer borders on. It is Large.

 

I have finished painting the laundry walls and I have just the door surrounds to do. Looking around the house I need to continue painting, just to freshen it all up.