New project and a new challenge

I'm a little behind with my blog posts.

At our Christmas function we received a new challenge from the Christmas Elves of the Sunbury group. The Elves have been secretly planning this challenge for the last 6 months. They made samples to show us, now we have until the Christmas in July function to undertake the challenge!

What is the challenge? To use the bias tape and the fabric supplied to make a quilted item in the "stained glass" style. Hmmm... lots of ideas are bouncing around at the moment!! I might need to shop for extra supplies!!

Here are some blocks I am making for the Garden Song sample quilt for my LQS.

This one is finished. I couldn't resist making the bird one first... I just love birds in quilts!

And this one has been started. Still some machine-applique to go (I am stitching on a few blocks at a time to reduce thread changes). And carrying the hand-stitching around with me. Each block has some words embroidered, and some have other details such as whiskers etc.

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.

Christmas Elves Challenge 2008 - miniature quilts

Pictured left is the miniature quilt I made for our challenge. Pictured below is the back of my mini quilt. I did not want to cover my quilting with a label, so I made a "hollow" label and wrote inside it.

Rules of the Challenge: the finished quilt must measure between 12" - 20" square. The quilt must have 2 borders. Binding corners must be mitred. Fabrics provided must be used (can be mixed with others). Add a quilt label with a big impact.

What a lovely time we had at our Christmas In July day! Sew sew sew! Lots of ladies made a quilt as you go table runner. I worked on a UFO that needed FOing (finishing off??). Not much to tell really, I sewed all the grey parts on. LOL!! I got really tired at about 3pm and packed up.
It must have been the roast dinner and Christmas pudding working on me!

I love how good the mini quilts all look together. I saw a great picture on a blog I love to read - Quilting With The Past http://www.lucyquilting.blogspot.com/ . It had a wall covered in mini quilts! - I have included the picture.... Anyway, now I have made 3 mini quilts, I am going to start my own wall!

How good does this wall look?