Six geese a-wandering

These geese aren't quite ready for laying yet... they need some more nest material and some embroidery in the background. I'm getting around to it.. I promise! But, if I don't feel like doing it, I will work on something else...

It's a start.

All I have done so far is add borders around some of the pics in the Alice In Wonderland fabrics. I am rapt! What a great start to a new quilt.

The fabrics have richness and depth.

Just wait 'til I get more put together! Still, it's a start...

I just love it when...

Ta-da!

A finished quilt! The gypsy girl quilt is completed.

Mum quilted it with strawberries, leaves and strawberry flowers... She calls it "Strawberries and Cream". What a good name!!

I am designing a little quilt from the Alice in Wonderland fabric now. I just have to use it!!

Here come the geese

I did mention I should be working on the 12 Days Of Christmas quilt, but all I have done is applique on the birds!!

There is quite a bit of embroidery to do. However, I have been sidetracked. My Gypsy Girl quilt is back and I am attaching the binding.

I'm also really tired. Maybe it's the onset of Winter? But it has made me want to go to bed earlier of late...

So, this is all the show and tell I have for now.

Suffering

I am suffering from sewing withdrawals!! That's 3 nights in a row without sewing!

Mind you, I have been planning and designing some new pieces....

This little stitchery is a healing heart made for a friend. That's me in the beanie (it's cold today!!). This stitchery design is from the "Wish Quilt" by Bronwyn Hayes - it was a serial pattern in Homespun magazine a couple of years ago.

I want to work on the 12 Days Of Christmas tonight. I still have borders to finish.

Butterfly Boxes

Tuesday night I designed this quilt, Wednesday afternoon I started to make it. Wednesday night it was finished.

The egg and butterfly fabrics inspired me (they are both from the moda range "Cherish Nature"). They reminded me of old museum collections.

You know, insects in glass cabinets or drawers, bird eggs, taxidermied birds, preserved bird nests and cocoons.
I will write up the pattern - it is going to be sold as a kit.

I am so thrilled with this little quilt. I had a vision and just made it happen!!

Perhaps it is the lepidopterist in me?? (I studied butterfly ecology for my honours thesis).

Thanks Donna for suggesting the buttons which look like drawer handles. They add 3-dimensionality, and a vintage look. I used old buttons I bought from the opp shop some time ago.

I hereby name this quilt "Butterfly Boxes".

Can you count?

I hope you don't mind that I am posting just a little bit of this quilt at time. Every little bit counts, and it makes me do a bit more sewing, just so I have something to show.

I think there are only 2 more to make like these.

The more I make, the more I like the colours in these. Mmm... I can't wait to get some more of it all together!!

Then I have 16 of the next block to make.... Want to count along with me?

P.S. I found the little missing pieces, nestled in piles of block bits.

Making more

I've done a little bit of work on the Lizzie Mae medallion blocks. I can't fathom how, but I lost a couple of block pieces. Can you see the unfinished ones? Hopefully they will turn up, otherwise, I will just make more.

Polite sewing...

This is the second star in my English paper-pieced stars quilt all made from bits in the stash!
I really want to use up my reproduction blue fabrics. I had a bit of time on the weekend - not sit down at my machine time unfortunately... so I made the best of it. I sewed while I stood and made polite conversation.

Yes, I think it is possible to be polite whilst sewing... it was at a quilt exhibition!! LOL!!

I just need time to sit at my machine. It feels so frustrating!

Showers predicted

The baby shower quilt is finished and given away already.
I finished piecing the blocks and quilted it in one day.

I used a flannel on the back - it has little cows jumping over the moon. Dang it! I forgot to take a photo of the back!

The baby is due in just one month. It could be due any time really. Kind of like the weather at the moment, showers can occur at any time... (I kind of wish they would)...

Lizzie Mae progresses

This is the next stage of Lizzie Mae's medallion progressing. Lots of trimming down to do next. I need to make 12 of these blocks. Here is the first one.

Unfortunately, this project needs a bit of time at the sewing machine when my brain isn't too tired....

Oh my stars!

I wanted to make one full star to see whether the co-ordinated scrappy look is working. The white tabletop mimics a cream background. Let's see how it looks once I have the star pieces joined.

I hope it's not toooo scrappy looking.

I only wanted to use up some stash!

Retreat show and tell

I've so much to share with you as post-retreat show and tell.

Yes, I slept very well, ate very well and visited the beach!! (What's the point of going to Phillip Island if you don't visit the beach?).I worked on these star pieces in the car on the way...

The baby shower quilt is actually the last thing I worked on - this is why it's not finished. I have chain pieced lots of the quilt. It won't take long to finish the quilt top now!

Lucky really, as it needs to be finished for this weekend now. Eep!!

I couldn't go any further on the flower of the month stitcheries. I changed my mind, and decided to completely frame the blocks in green, rather than use sashing. I ran out of the red, I do have more, I didn't have it with me though. Drats!

Don't they look good with those colours framing them?

This little golly quilt top was sitting around for about 5 years. I quilted it, then hand-stitched the binding on in the car on the way home (I didn't drive, it's okay). VBG.

I found lots of half metre pieces of fabric in my stash during the clean-up. They were all nice fabrics, but not something that would slot easily into a quilt without designing the quilt around the fabric. Know what I mean?

These fabrics were perfect for accessories - just like these bags!

The first bag took me 2 hours to make, by the time I made the last one I had it down to 45 minutes.

My first real go at zippers.... I used the walking foot - much easier than the zipper foot.

When I made the first one, the bag instructions said to sew the second side on with the zip half closed.

I found this difficult, so I sewed it with the zip completely closed on the second bag. Whoops. The zipper tab (what DO you call that bit on a zip that goes up and down) was on the leftover bit of zip on the inside of the bag. I had to unpick and put the zip on the outside of the bag.

The third bag, I sewed the side seams with the zip closed and couldn't turn the bag right side out. Whoops again! I had to unpick a seam to slide the zipper tab (or whatever it's called) along, then re-sew the seam... then I could open the zip to turn the bag right way out.

Lots of learning, lots of show and tell. No, I didn't finish everything... Never mind.

It was a joint effort.

Before I head off for the weekend, here is my latest finish!!

Andrea and I pieced the blocks, I designed the applique and setting, then finished the quilt top... Mum quilted it. What a wonderful joint effort! (I am still adding it to my list of finished projects!!)

And, here it is finished and bound.
It's so exciting to have a finish!! Especially one this beautiful. *sigh* One of the most satisfying things is to add a finish to my list on the sidebar these days... LOL!!

Click on the link for more info about Pieces Of The Past.

Oh my stars!

I found these vintage flower of the month stitchery patterns on the web a few years ago, and stitched them. Today I trimmed them down ready to join into a quilt top whilst on retreat with the Phillip Island Patchworkers (VIC).The large floral fabric is from my stash. It's going to be the outer border.
I will frame the blocks in green and use the red and green print for cornerstones. The red is for binding.

Last night I started this project. I looked in my (mostly) sorted stash and saw I had a HUGE pile of green fabrics (I am very comfortable with this, I use them for stems and leaves in applique all the time). I noticed I also had a large amount of blue fabrics.
I am going to use this picture as a basis for my repro paper-pieced stars.

I herby name this quilt "My Stars!". When you say it or read it, you must pronounce it just the way Samantha would in "Bewitched" episodes.

I've already prepared some diamonds to take away on the weekend for handwork.

Baby shower quilt

I've finished the little stitcheries for the baby shower quilt and trimmed them up. I have cut the chenille into 5 inch squares and the charm pack is ready to go.

I plan to join these together into a quilt top while I am away on the weekend.

Preparations

I am preparing for my weekend retreat. Here is an old UFO "Red Shoes and Twirly Skirts" that I plan to quilt. It is basted and the binding is made. Yippee!!

I whipped these French Braids together with the leftovers from my French Braid quilt. It is spray-basted and that's the binding in a neat bundle next to the top. This is going to be a tablerunner for my sister (who doesn't read this blog) - a housewarming gift. She doesn't like any pink or florals - this should suit her.

And, I've used leftover batting and backing. Gee that feels good.

Good excuse

I've been invited to a baby shower for a family member... I looked around at home and I don't have anything to turn into a quick baby quilt (I think I made all those before I started this blog)... ah well, I will have to start something new, and buy some fabric too!

I chose 3 little stitcheries from the book "Little Chicken Feather" by Bronwyn Hayes. I am mixing them with a charm pack (or two) from the "Whimsy" range.

I don't know the gender of the new baby, better play it safe. I chose thread colours for the stitcheries that match the colours in the printed fabrics.

I am also going to add some chenille - I will cut it into 5 inch squares.Perfect!!!

Wave at the little piggy! It will soon be finished!

Too busy to breathe!

Do you ever feel like that? So busy both mentally and physically you forget to breathe? Thank goodness for the subconscious.. in more than ways than one. Firstly, that part of my brain is organising the breathing thing, and then I felt a little stirring in the back of my mind...

After nearly 2 days looking through UFOs at home, and perhaps dabbling in them a little bit, I came back to work and thought... when is the QuiltAid quilt due? What? In only four days!!

So, I got really busy. I had already designed how to put together the 12 blocks, I just had to make it, testing out my pattern as I went.

Here is a rough photo of my quilt top! My DH has taken a good photograph of the quilt and photoshopped the binding on for me (Shhh.. don't tell will you?)

You can win all 13 patterns to make the quilt above by matching the block with the designer at Helen's blog. Click here to enter.

I also managed to squeeze in an entire day at the Australasian Quilter's Convention (ACQ). I met up with lots of friends, and came home so inspired.

In only a week I am going away on retreat for the weekend, so I am going to prepare lots of things to finish while I am away. YAY!!