20 quilts this year...

Well, the 20 quilts include small wallhangings.. and this also includes some UFO quilt tops that were completed.

I have three things with hardly anything to finish on them (funky monkey, Mrs Perkins and the peg bag). It just isn't going to happen today.

I pulled out 7 wheelbarrows of weeds today (two days ago I pulled out another 8 wheelbarrows full of weeds) and planted 9 plants into the cottage garden in our rose circle. Tomorrow I need to pull some flowering broccoli out of the vegie patch to put in some spring onions and zucchini (the broccoli has stopped the weeds taking over).

I hope I will be able to start the finished projects for 2009 list very soon.

I have some great news! I mentioned I was a cover girl, but I didn't say what it means!

Remember this quilt?

Here is another view!

Can you imagine how excited I was to find out it was on the cover!!

You will find instructions to make my quilt in the Down Under Quilts yearbook (issue 128, January 2009).

Plus seven pages about me with some quilts seen on here already, plus some others you haven't seen before.

My phots are a little bit blurry. I took them without the flash to ensure there was no reflection. You will have to buy the mag if you want a better look!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Souvenirs

I must say that after a few days on the coast I am quite brown! I slathered stacks of sunscreen on, but some rays still got through!

A Christmas tree in the window - cute decorations

It's funny what we bring back as "souvenirs" isn't it? I can only deal with so many spoons and fridge magnets and I don't use stubby holders. Christmas Eve in Milton NSW I found an opp shop open!

opp shop pattern - 20 cents (I like the one with lace)

I really want to make this nightgown. If it works as a nighty (maybe sage green) I think I will make one as a dress in a nice 1970s green - sort of light emerald.

I would like to make the bags - crochet is so quick (pattern - 20 cents)

I have been really inspired by reading EmilyKate's blog and the links in her "procrastination station". I really thought I was the only one to buy stuff at opp shops and alter them!! LOL!!

No, I can't see myself making any of these on the back of the pattern.

zippers - 20 cents each

I am going to three weddings over the next 4 weeks, so I thought that was a good excuse to buy a new outfit (I can wear it to all three!!). I hope I will find something at the Indian shops. I have a nice pant-suit in mind. I had a quick look around my local opp shop today -nothing tempted me there (and that is a suprise!).

On the way home from Christmas-on-the-coast I stopped at Braidwood - famous for it's quilt hangings up and down the street in November every year.

I popped in and saw the new Down Under Quilts mag on the counter! I am a cover girl!!

Of course, I only happened to go the counter because I was buying this.

I think it will make a really good address-book-cover for my BIL's birthday (I know, I wasn't going to make anymore, but that was just for 2008).

Uh-oh

Uh-oh, I can't finish one of my Christmas presents!!

I ran out of buttons! Doesn't this one look sad?

I am just so pleased with the way these thread-cutter pendants worked out. The colours haven't photographed very well. I tried with and without flash.

Do you remember the one I made for myself? It's this green one.

We are going to be the button-cutter club!! LOL!!!

Knitting is not quite quilting, is it?

What are these?

They are presents I already gave away!!

First I threaded the beads on the wire, then I knitted the bracelets.

I enjoyed playing with the colours and I really couldn't keep them all for myself.

Hang on, I don't think I kept any for myself! Ah well, I will have to make some more!!

Red Delicious time

Esther has her next block up for the free Red Delicious BOM.

It will only be up for one month, you will have to be quick. On the 15th of January the block will be replaced with block three. If you missed Esther's first block you will need to go to etsy and buy it.

I can't wait to start mine...

Here is what I really have to do now. LOL!!

My sister's DB (Dearly Beloved) is a very funky guy. When we were shopping for bridesmaid dresses (1 1/2 years ago!!! *blush*) Pevie said he always wanted a "smoking jacket". Do you know the type? Shiny with flash large lapels? He has never seen anything like it that would work.

I said I would make him one. Pevie bought the fabrics and pattern (about $100 worth) and I have half-made it. I need to take it up there at Christmas, finished. He doesn't mention the jacket anymore, but I know he hasn't forgotten.

First... I need to find it. I found the pattern.....Isn't the velvet beautiful?

There were only 2 mens jacket patterns available from all the pattern ranges. I guess people buy ready-to-wear or see a tailor (who wouldn't need a Butterick pattern LOL!!!).

Pevie liked the pre-quilted look so I didn't make a separate lining. In some ways this was easier. I want to use a satin-finish fabric to add "bindings" (like quilt bindings) over the seams so that the raw edges are not sticking out.

The velvet really makes the "look". I added some to the cuffs to give a bit more glam. This photo doesn't look as good. I must take another one without the flash.

I hope to post more progress tomorrow.

The last of the book covers

I do believe I have reached the end of the book covers. I thought I was done, until last night when I went to wrap presents for giving today. Dang! One short!

So, I made this one for that particular recipient. She will remember her own family kitchen to have been like this, or her grandmother's.

I made this one for my sister. She is such a golf nut that she and her partner went to watch the Australian Open in Sydney last Sunday.

Libby is also very fussy. "No pink, frills or flowery crap". Too bad! This isn't too frilly, and you can't change the colour of the skin on the girls!! I was trying for a fun, fresh and funky look.

I would say my sister is most like the girl in the background. She has short-ish blonde hair, blue eyes and a similar top-heavy build to the girl pictured. LOL!!

Lastly, because it's easier to make a few at once, I made this cover. I am using it as a cover for next year's business diary.

Addicted to these things...

These are worse than chocolate!! Alright, not that bad - they are not fattening after all.

I made some more book covers for gifts. Four from the same fabric.

My DH looked at them and said "I didn't think this kind of fabric was your bag". I said that it would be hard to make a quilt out of, but it's good for these. Plus, I bought the fabric on sale a year ago and hadn't found anything else in particular to use it for. To this, he nodded agreeably.

I used different kinds of ric-rac. The pink ric-rac is pretty swish!

I know just who to give these to!!

Look at this stack! What was I thinking?? LOL!!

I already gave one of the oriental ones away!!!

What do you do with oven mitts?

How do you make these look good when you give them as gifts???

Put them with something else! LOL!!

If I just give oven mitts, the recipient might feel I only think of them as a cook!! If I only give bought goods the recipient might feel the gift is not very personal. So, I think I have it worked out!!

Quilting Christmas party

Those three words really do go together well: quilting, Christmas and party. Yeah!

I showed you the bag I made for Gill. Sue made this one for me.

I indicated a preference for icky green fabric (That's what non-reproduction fabric lovers would call it. Group members who know me well would know I meant repro). Sue filled my bag with green stuff!! Threads, fabrics, buttons and even green chocolates! (well, peppermint filled Freddo frogs). I ate them straight away!! Yum!!

At our Christmas-In-July function (this is a great idea for us, because we get to enjoy traditional Christmas foods in the weather they were meant for, sometimes it is just too hot to eat roast turkey and pudding.... just kidding!!) my group had to present our Challenge items. These are the miniature quilts in the slideshow on the sidebar of the blog.

At that time the new Christmas Elves were chosen by the previous ones. The rest of us had no idea who has been organising our next Challenge! Tuesday night, our Elves were revealed (Fiona and Di H). We received a parcel of goodies and instructions.

This is Andrea's parcel (unopened) - she will get it early in the New Year.

This is what I found in mine (there are slight variations in fabric between the parcels).

The challenge is to make a free style collage applique quilt: (Yay!! I love it!!) Basically, one cuts fabric the size and shape wanted then secures with glue or fusible web. Fabric is added layer upon layer until the image is constructed.

The picture on the cover of this mag was used as an example.

• The background must be pieced
• Only straight edge machine applique allowed (no buttonhole, no zigazg, no satin stitch etc.
• No broderie perse
• Quilt must be at least 14 inches square or a shape adding up to that measurement
• Must include some free motion embroidery
• Binding is optional
• Use at least one piece of the fabric provided somewhere in the project

You can see the free motion embroidery in this close-up.

And yes, I made more books!!! LOL!!

I am trying to make them for gifts, but my DH has said I need to keep a Dick and Jane one and a kitchen print one (I do not need any persuading!!). I thought the kitchen print books would make good recipe books.

I am going to buy more book inserts today. VBG.

The night before

Well... the afternoon before really...

I took these photos yesterday afternoon before the quilting group Christmas doo.

Here is the Christmas Cookie bag with the gift I bought for my K.K. I chose Civil War Dressing Gown fabrics for Gill as she has just finished hand-quilting her Dear Jane. It took her 10 years to hand-piece and hand-quilt her masterpiece. So, I knew she would like these fabrics.

I've gone a bit crazy on the book covers.

I am loving the fabrics!!

I bought more ric-rac yesterday! LOL!!