Deadlines... always a surprise!

The Christmas Elves challenge this year for my quilt group was to make two blocks from the Dear Jane quilt using the background fabric provided. Everyone who completes their allocated blocks will receive a raffle ticket - the winner will receive a bundle of blocks. These are my allocated blocks. Lucky for me I had already made the Dear Jane quilt, so this was not a difficult challenge for me.

However, I have just made the deadline - they are due in at the end of the month. I've had these to make for six months.

Does that ever happen to you? Deadlines just seem to loom up on me when I am not looking.

That reminds me of my agreement to have my Civil War Bride quilt finished for the VicQuilters Exhibition at Jeff's Shed next year.

Hmm... on another note, my Pieces of The Past quilt and my Miniature Reproduction quilt have both been accepted into this year's VicQuilter's Exhibition. I am putting my money where my mouth is... (so to speak). I feel so inspired when gawking at other people's quilts, I think it's time to give back....

Jane A. Stickle quilts

Well, you've seen my Jane Stickle quilt colours. The quilts pictured today were on display at the VicQuilters showcase July 2008. They are spectacular. Just like the "Nearly Insane" quilts in the slideshow, every Jane Stickle quilt (otherwise known as "Dear Jane") has different fabrics and a different look. Congratulations to these quiltmakers for their achievements. Thank you for inspiring other quilters.

Mostly I followed the geometric draft of each block in the book, even when it did not match the way the original block was constructed. I changed a few things around for my convenience. e.g. I appliqued rather than pieced some shapes.

It took me five years to make 169 blocks and the pieced triangles. I had to stop periodically to collect fabrics. (Now I am battling to reduce the stash!) Jane Stickle's quilt has trip around the world colouring from the centre, then the colours blend and the pattern is lost.

I decided on my own trip around the world colour scheme before I started. I didn't want too much brown in my quilt, so I put in more purple, red and blue.

Wonderful weekend...

I hope you have had a wonderful weekend! I'm just back from solid sewing time with friends, food and frivolity!!

I finished putting the scallops border on my vintage-look Jane A. Stickle quilt and gave it to Mum for quilting (borders not shown, it's just good to have a photo of the whole quilt top).

I finished piecing together the red white yellow cherries quilt top - silly me! I didn't take a picture yet!

I machine quilted and bound the Celebrate December wallhanging - it really is finished!

I sewed the label on the group Charity quilt.

I have nearly finished the French Collection Stitcheries (working on the last one).

I pieced the backing fabric for the 2007 Mystery Quilt and gave it to Mum to quilt. There was room to spread the quilt top out for a photo of the whole top. How is that red border?

Jo made a Disappearing 9-patch using the Lucinda's Needle fabric.

Di finished stitching her Christmas tablerunner. The little pictures are tres chic!

As the December quilt is finished, this means I have room on my list of four projects to work on:

red white yellow cherries baby quilt (needs quilting)

Kaffe and Liberty tumbling blocks (needs binding)

Civil War hand-pieced hexagons (until I get a quilt from Mum that needs binding)

French Collection stitcheries (quilt top needs piecing, waiting for fabric)

The list of four seems to be helping... now I just need another retreat weekend to finish a few more things!! LOL!!

No milk today....

I love Herman's Hermit's and that song is now stuck in my head.

I'm looking forward to being on retreat this weekend.

I hope to machine quilt and bind the Celebrate December quilt, finish piecing the top of the yellow white red cherries quilt, work on the French stitcheries, piece the back of the mystery 2007 quilt ready for quilting (they are all on my list of 4) but also to piece borders onto my Dear Jane quilt top - they will become scallops later.

This is the original Jane A. Stickle quilt. I can't wait to post mine on my 2008 finished projects list.