Maybe it needs ironing...

But, who can be bothered with ironing!??

I love this block.. So much more to show you!!

Four Calling Birds looking to get in..

This block depicts Four Calling Birds, but they are looking to get in... there's no door yet!!




I am really enjoying the mixture of stitchery and applique on these blocks...

The 12 days of Christmas quilt was designed by Viv Robinson and is a block of the month from Quilter's Bazaar.

Working on this quilt is a reward if I finish some more on the smoking jacket... *sigh*.. The jacket makes me tired just thinking about it!

Preparing for Christmas

My sister Libby doesn't read this blog.. This is lucky for me.. because I made this apron for her Christmas present.

The Swedish horse fabric is a fat quarter.

The waratah apron is for Libby's Swedish "host sister" who is over for an Australian Christmas... how fun!!

I enjoyed making the aprons, they were quick and really showcase a special fat quarter.

2 and a half hens

This will be 3 French Hens up the Eiffel Tower when I have finished this block... I have decided to do the applique on all the blocks so that I can take the stitchery away on holiday with me after Christmas... I am sure I can fit some stitching in during the travel-time...

12 days of Christmas advances...

As Christmas advances, so has my quilt block... This is the finished block "A Partridge In A Pear Tree".

I have actually been really busy in the lead-up to Christmas... (aren't we all?)... but I have managed to find time to do some sewing.

I spent about 4 hours on the Smoking Jacket the other day... I did lots of machine sewing, and now I need to do at least the same amount of hand-sewing. The photos aren't worth showing yet, as it mostly looks the same at the moment...

Countdown commences...

Okay, maybe this post is a little late.. but I have started the actual countdown to Christmas.... and finished the quilty bit.

I love it!!

Stumpwork homework

I am really trying hard to keep up with our homework for a class I am taking on

stumpwork, embroidery techniques and embellishment.I've got a little bit more to do on the bird's tummy, and a leaf to embroider in a similar way to the golden appliqued pear on the left.This is my first stumpworked leaf. I have 3 more to do. Who knows? I might have them all done by next lesson.

Am I dreaming? LOL!!

Partridge and pears

This is a new start.. it's the first block in a 12 days of Christmas Block Of The Month quilt - full of birds!!

I stitched this while I watched the movie "Miracle On 34th Street" - as prescribed by one of my best friends, Rosie.

Watching the movie and stitching this block made me feel like I was getting ready for Christmas...

Now for the cream...

Here are the little raspberries finished in their little quilt top - ready for the countdown to Christmas. All they need is cream on top (i.e. I will machine quilt this little wallhanging).

Still, no rush, that could happen next year! Nahhh. Of course I want to finish it, but I also want to finish off a few other projects.

Last year I finished 28 quilty projects (more if you count each individual journal cover and beaded bracelets and button necklaces).

This year I have 17 finished items on the sidebar so far... now it's a race to see how many I can finish before the end of the year (you know I can't help starting more too)...

Almost there...

The Little Tailfeather quilt just needs a green border before it goes to Mum to be quilted.

I decided not to stay up overly late the other night... I was already too tired.

After all it only means that I get it back one week later... and what's a week in the scheme of things?

I am just so inspired all the time!! I want to start so many new projects!

First, I want to put the binding on my dollhouse quilt, and finish the little Santa piece for the Countdown to Christmas. I am actually writing this post a couple of days before it is published, so I will have the countdown finished for the 1st of December when I put my decorations up at home. YAY!!

Just teething

Well, hasn't this come together quickly?
I've got some more teething to do (it's a sawtooth border - gettit??)... Then it just needs a quick quilting job, and binding. I can't wait to hang it up -I am looking forward to decorating my house for Christmas!!

Fruits of labour

These blocks are now fully grown and ripefor piecing - ready to add as the border to the Little Tailfeather quilt centre.These fabrics look so juicy!! No wonder I like these so much - these are the colours of my blog. Look at the font and surrounds. LOL!!

I hope to get the border added and the quilt top finished tonight and give it to Mum for quilting tomorrow. YAY!! I want to sneak a couple more finishes to my 2009 finished list before the end of the year...

The last raspberry

This is the last stitchery block from the raspberry cream pattern. This is an Angel... and she still has her halo!

I really enjoyed adding a second colour to the stitcheries to add a different accent on each little picture.

Here are 3 of the stitcheries... Rudy has gone walking.... LOL!!!

More raspberries please

Even though they are not rabbits, they are multiplying just like them!!

It's because I love stitcheries!! And these are so easy to do...

These are more from the raspberry cream pattern...

Awww... too cute for words!!

One more stitchery to go, then I need to put them together into a little wallhanging.

Only half grown

These little blocks are going to be the border around the centre of the Little Tailfeather quilt.

There are 24 blocks, but these are only half grown. They all need another round of log cabin before they are "ripe".

Well... they do look good enough to eat!! The colours remind me of Summer fruit (I have been eating peaches and nectarines... yum!!).

Who is this?

I resigned myself to the fact that I would not get the smoking jacket done by last Tuesday, and started another project that wasn't too hot to sit on my lap while hand-stitching.

Also.. I decided last year that I wanted to finish all my Christmas decos for 2009 by the 1st December 2009 so that I could enjoy them!!

I've still got a couple of other family Christmas presents to make too, but overall, I have finished Christmas shopping for my quilty friends.

Who is this little reindeer?

It's Rudolph... with his knobbly knees....

He is from the new Cinderberry Stitches pattern "Raspberry Cream". The original pattern is stitched in only one colour thread, but I chose a variegated red and pink and offset it with green.

Oooh.

Centrefold

This is the centre of the Little Tailfeather quilt.


I still need to add the borders made of log cabin blocks with little birds in each corner.

Even though I didn't piece each square individually (I used strip piecing), there were a heck of a lot of seams to match!! I pin each seam join with 3 pins, so it took all day to get the blocks together with all the little squares.

And onto the borders! Yeeha!

My homework...

This was my embroidery and embellishment homework. The pieces are appliqued on.

I have worked pears and leaves. Unfortunately the flash has blown out the fabric - I must have taken the photo too closely.

I've already learnt a few new stitches. Next we are working on the bird body with a few new stitches incorporating beading. I have another class in 2 weeks, so I will have homework to show sometime before then.

I've got an awful lot to do on this jacket before I hope to give it away on Tuesday next week. All these seams need to be covered in ribbon.

I used a pre-quilted fabric instead of adding a lining, so it's been twice as much as work.

I have also added my own adjustments like velvet cuffs and pocket drapes. I also want to make a velvet collar. I will get to it. It just takes more time when you are re-designing as you go.

I've got to work on putting together a quilt top this week too. Let's see what I have to show you next...

Santa's crotch

Yes, that's one of the things I have been toying with - stitching Santa's crotch. It doesn't look like much yet. You will have to watch it grow. (ooh dear, how does that sound? I mean you will have to watch it progress as I post on here).

Earlier this week I was stitching my embroidery and embellishment ready for teacher tomorrow night (oh yes, I must show you a picture soon).

We were stitching crosses and I found it quite therapuetic. So I thought...hmm... I haven't done any cross-stitch for about 12 years (i.e. since I took up quilting in a big way)... this could be nice. I opened a drawer and found this cross-stitch kit in its packet.

There is a heck of a lot of work in this, but blow it... I don't have enough projects on the go .. LOL!! I've now got 41 projects on the go, but who cares??? It doesn't need any preparation. It's the handwork to take on the go at the moment...

I forgot you actually need to count with cross-stitch, but that hasn't taken away all the enjoyment. After all, there's quite a bit left to do on Santa's crotch.

It's nice to have a day off...

My day off... I made a wrap skirt using patchwork fabrics (yummy!) from the Make It Perfect pattern "versatile wrap".

It took less than hours, and that included drafting the pattern pieces onto the fabric and researching how my machine makes button-holes. LOL!! I am going to draw up the pattern onto lightweight sew-in vilene so I can pin it on next time. Yes, there will be a next time. I love this skirt!!

And... I appliqued Santa onto his background, although it is not yet a little quiltlet ready to hang. Still, there's always another day.

I am going to make more of these skirts. I will keep you posted.

Still counting...

I am still working on my Countdown To Christmas - I fused on the Santa block ready to applique.

I want to do the Santa applique by hand because it is much mroe detailed than the number blocks.

Ooh, I can't wait to finish it and show you the cute little stand!!

Little quilts are so quick...

Little quilts very quickly jump from this...
to this....

to this...



And now there are three. Ooh, they look so nice together.


I am not going to join them together to make one quilt. I have photographed them together because I am using 45 fat quarters to make all 9 little quilts.

The back shows how I pressed one of the four-patch seams open, then the long diagonal rows were also pressed open. This really eliminates bulk in the seam intersections - this will make quilting much easier.

Now I need to work on my Santa countdown, the smoking jacket and I want to make a wrap-around skirt. I also have some homework to do for an embellishment and embroidery class I am participating in. I haven't shown you that at all yet!!

What a delight

This little four-patch quilt really is a delight to make. The blocks are going together really quickly.

This is the layout of the little quilt.

Let's see how much I can get done tomorrow...

New little quilt

I started the little Lori Smith quilt full of four-patches.
Here is some cutting our and piecing, hmmm... I think it's time for bed. *yawn*

I love little quilts!!

I have really been in the mood to sew by machine lately. It's just as well, because I have so many projects that need to be pieced together and what-not. But, I am working on new things aren't I? It's an irresistable pull to start something new. This is my second finished quilt top in the Lori Smith series "Simply Charming".

Ah, they look so good together! Can you imagine how 9 little quilts will look together?

Here's a photo to indicate scale - we all know the size of a rotary cutter don't we?

Instead of the usual way when piecing (i.e. make a four-patch and join them together to reduce stretching across rows) I pieced in rows. The seams sit so much better on the back.

I also pressed the long seams open, but to make them stay there I used a product called "Mary Ellen's Best Press" - it's a starch alternative. It's new in Australia.

Have you ever tried "Crisp" spray starch from the supermarket only to find it scorches and burns? Best Press really is the best.

Tonight I would like to work on my next little Lori quilt "Delightful Four Patch", and tomorrow morning is reserved for working on the 1950s quilt. Hmm, if I fuse Santa onto my Christmas Countdown tonight, it will be ready to hand-blanket stitch tomorrow night at quilting.

I think that's a plan... Now, how can I fit it all in?

A little update

Just a little update on the Broken Dishes quilt. I made these over the last 3 days. Each block is made of 2 colours and measures 2 inches finished.

This is the second little quilt in the Simply Charming series by Lori Smith. I am rotary cutting and machine piecing this quilt.

I only have 2 more rows to make, then the border goes on, and that's another one!! YAY!!

Next I need to work on the 1950s quilt top, and I would like to finish the Countdown To Christmas.

Yikes! I've got a bit to do!!

It's time for another one...

This is the little quilt top "Homage To Mrs Taft" designed by Lori Smith. It is not quilted yet because I am using a stack of 45 fat quarters to make 9 small quilts, each measuring 16" x 20". I want to use the leftovers for the quilt backs. I need to make sure I have enough for the borders etc first.

The next one I will make features the block Broken Dishes. Each block finishes at 2" square.

A couple of days work

I've been sewing rather than blogging, and now have a bit more show and tell for you!! These are the next 3 blocks in the little Lori Smith series of quilts. The blocks finish 4" when in the quilt.
Okay, here are all of the blocks. The finished quilt will measure 16" x 20". I won't write too much, I want to get back to sewing!!