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!!!

The warmth of Spring

Yesterday it was a warm and cosy 25 degrees C. Spring was so welcoming. I had the opportunity to snap a quilt I finished recently. The sun was out, not a speck of rain in sight, and it wasn't TOO windy. This is my Jane Austen quilt.

Rosie, Sandra, Andrea and I have been going to quilt history lessons for a few years now. About 2 years ago I was browsing in a quilt shop (who doesn't?) and I spied the new Jane Austen fabric range. I made a few phone calls and left the shop with fabric for all of us.

Jane Austen's quilt is made from pieced diamonds with broderie perse on the centre diamond. I wanted to include diamonds, but not actually cut them out, so I designed this quilt and made it completely from triangles. I chose the easy way out with no applique, so I added the unusual border.

Andrea has made a lone star quilt (diamonds), but I think she wants to applique in the spaces around the star.

Sandra has appliqued in the centre of a stack of diamonds, I think she is up to putting it together.

Rosie made a whole lot of four-patches and plans to applique across the top.

I am the only one finished because I took the easy way out, but I am happy it is finished. They are ahead of me in our other challenges (1920s redwork and feedsacks - but more about them later).

Come on girls!!

Here are a few snaps from my garden yesterday:

I am Elizabeth Bennett!

Eureka chain is on its way to Mum for quilting. Yesterday I pieced the back. It is quite interesting. I found a small (unlisted) UFO and some orphan blocks that were leftovers, and incorporated them onto the reverse side (I will not be calling it the back on a double-sided quilt).

You will have to wait for a photo though, it was too big to photograph on my own. The quilt top and reverse are the size of my king-sized bed, so you wouldn't be able to see anyway.

As well as finding the small UFO, I found these oven mitts that I finished in June (I think).

I already gave some away.

I bought a panel called "Amy's Kitchen", and I wondered what to do with it.

I will make some more oven mitts to give as gifts with the rest of the pictures. I feel that oven mitts are useful and can suit a country home or give a kitsch feel, so the recipient does not have to feel like they are a cook to appreciate them. (Anyone can put frozen chips in the oven anyway!!)

I like these kids eating the chocolate cake. There should another picture of kids licking the bowl and wooden spoon or eggbeaters.

I machined the binding on the 2007 Mystery Quilt, and last night I started the hand-stitching while watching Pride and Prejudice (the BBC series) for about the 46th time. I love it. I am going to watch for the conversation prints in the girls' frocks.

Did you see? I took the quiz Which Austen Heroine Are You? I am Elizabeth Bennett!! Well, like her I guess. I couldn't be happier. The BBC series' portrayal of Elizabeth Bennett is very much to my liking.

OOh! and I have another quilt on Quilter's Show and Tell. Visit the site and submit your photos. It's not bragging, the intention is to inspire others, like me. Go on! Off you go!