Two Littles completed

Oh! This Itty Bitty piece is complete! And gifted to a friend who loves provincial style. 

Janelle turns 50. I love the tassels for a wallhanging. I feel it doesn't look like a tiny piece of art on the wall.  But it is indeed art. And I want it to be seen that way.

Made from moda mini charms. French General.

The red one is for my cousin Katie. She got married and bought a house, so this is what I was able to send on my budget.

Made from Moda mini charms. French General.

So pretty! I stalked her social media photos slightly, looking at the home decor, I feel sure this works.

And finally, I cut up some regular charm squares I bought. It was a pack of Tilda, and I had no idea what to make with it. I decided I can make 4 of these Itty Bitty quilts/art pieces from the pack, and they can be gifted out and shared.

I'm glad I've chosen small art pieces for gifting this year. I have a lot of friends turning 50 and celebrating other milestones in the next year or two.

 

Bernina Travelling Suitcase 2022

I miss the huge Quilt and Craft fairs in Melbourne. Such an inspiring see and shop. I miss the exhibitions and the quilt ins. I guess, I was lucky to have experienced them for so long.

I've made it to my first time at the local Craft Alive experience in Townsville.

I happened across the Bernina Travelling Suitcase Exhibition. Such a great idea to have an exhibition to inspire everyone. These were the only quilts displayed, except for some at the shop stands.

I must start with the Ruby Slippers piece, which means so much to me.

I hope you enjoy the view here.  I will make another post with my shopping show and tell.

 

Goddess Kali small quilt

Oh, this is my goddess Kali altar cloth set up. 

It took me a lot of energy to hold space for the creation of this altar cloth, particularly as I made another one at the same time for someone else, and she wasn't energetically ready for hers yet.

I love creating sacred spaces of intention. Here I am, connection to the ancestors position.... high vibe, my key.

Hello Goddess Kali. The Destroyer. 

Taking away the old path, so that we must take a new one.

 

Blaze

I was inspired to make this in an absolute frenzy. 

First I had quilted the background, then I added the applique. Blaze was looking at something, and it turned out to be a Merkaba. 

So much detail in all of the applique and quilting, and I adore the way it turned out...

Shimmery fairy frost body too. 

I am really happy  it went to a happy home.

Birds In The Air - ready to launch

I have finished another little quilt ready to hang on the wall!!

I so enjoyed quilting this miniature piece - Birds In The Air.

The finished size is 20in x 16in. It was such a pleasure to machine quilt. It turns out that the teeny tiny "birds" (i.e. triangles) did not actually need quilting. See this close-up for quilting details.

I just scooted around the large base triangles a quarter inch away from the seam.

All that remains is to add a label, which I shall do.

Satisfaction

I'm feeling quite satisfied with the bit-by-bit quilting of these mini quilts.

How good is it to finish 3 little quilts, then hang them all together??? Well, I can tell you. It IS good. *grin*

Especially after going through a dry spell (the blog has been a bit light-on hasn't it??). The quilt above is Delightful Four-patch - started November 2009, completed May 2010.

I'm rearing to sew at home, but the heater is on the fritz, and it's the coldest we can remember for June. So, if I am at home, I am in bed with the electric blanket and a beanie on, with a book. It's not quite right for the sewing machine... *grin*

Of course I'm also working on a mystery BOM for my LQS that I can't show my progress on... so that's another reason the blog looks a bit forlorn.

Still, I hope to keep you updated soon with another mini-quilt completed. (I do so love seeing these hang on the wall!!)...

Simply Charming - a mini quilt

Aha! I told you the next one finished would also be a mini quilt!! This is Simply Charming designed by Lori Smith.

I do enjoy free-motion quilting.... then I've used geometric machine quilting on the borders.

I love this backing fabric - that's George Washington.

The quilt measures 16in x 20in. I can't wait to have a wall of miniature quilts... I have another 6 just waiting to be quilted.. ("Pick me! Pick me!" They are calling...)

Counting every LITTLE finish

When I look at the very small list of finishes for this year, I need to count every LITTLE finish...

So, let's celebrate this little quilt, which is now quilted and bound. I would like to have a wall of miniatures to post at some time...

It's time to start quilting another mini. There is something about finishing a piece isn't there? I'm just raring to go onto something else!!

Stimulating the Senses at Quilt Camp

It was a special time for me over the Mother's Day weekend. I went on the Phillip Island Patches Weekend away - it's Quilt Camp really. We stay in a school camp, our meals are prepared for us... we relax, chat, socialise, and sometimes even sew!!

Upon arrival Friday afternoon, we unpacked the hugely overloaded car (poor little Kermit) into our sleeping quarters, and moved our sewing supplies into our designated workshop areas. After fish and chips on the beach for tea I finished quilting this little mini quilt - remember this??? It's been a heckuvva long time in between stitches!!! The binding was ready to hand-stitch down.

The next day we settled into our workshops. I enrolled in the Caroline Sharkey "thread and painted landscape" class.

Basically, we chop perfectly good fabric into little pieces. Like so...

This (above) will be the greenery in front of the water - I am using a photo as a guide to "build" my landscape. I've included lots of tulle pieces to add texture and depth. Actually, this photo isn't very accurate. It's much more green than blue.

These little bits of fabric will be used on the water. The little pink scissors are what we use to cut all the little snippets or confetti pieces.

With so much snipping it was necessary to take a break - numerous walks were required, and enjoyed... breathing in the seaside air.


The smell of spray glue and hot sewing machine oil made stimulated us all... but conversations couldn't be sustained while sewing machines were making zoom zoom noises... Music filtering into the ears surely assisted the creative process.

The R-rated coffee machine (adults only) sure was a hit with a lot of campers. Personally, I thought the drinks from the machine tasted disgusting. But, I'm a kid, and I'm not supposed to use it anyway...

Different people were constructing different parts of the scenic landscape. This is how a tree went together.Saturday night dress -up. The theme for the weekend was flowers - these are the flower children.

Every now and then I glean a little inspiration from somewhere... like these toadstools growing in the kiddy playground.

Olga Walters (legendary quilter and quilt teacher) have some sort of bond... we really only see each other on these weekends each other.

But as you can see, we are kindred spirits...

Not sisters... but sisters... :)
My dear friend Rosie introduced me to these weekends away.... They bring such blessings and joy.
Show and tell from everyone in my workshop.
Of course we stopped at a cafe while journeying home... and because it was Mother's Day we were treated to special cookies.
Jocelyn said this cookie was meant for me because the swirls matched my Maori koru pendant.

Blessings, blessings, blessings.

And now, I feel inspired to keep sewing!!

Not yet finished...

When I finish the final little Lori Smith quilt top for this year I plan to quilt and bind them all.

Then I will post each and every one of them as a "finished" item for 2010 (or 2011, depending on when I finish them. LOL!!)

Each little quilt (measuring only 16inches x 20inches) takes as long to make as a larger version.

I just love this little pinwheel quilt, made of leftover half-square triangles from the other 8 quilts. Just one little quilt top left to finish, and that's foundation piecing.

The next three....

The next three blocks in the pinwheel quilt are complete. That's all the blocks now - just sashing and borders to go to complete the quilt top!
Watch this space, there is so much I want to finish before the end of the year! How about you? Do you feel the same urgency to make your "finished" list longer?

It's mini time!!

It's mini time again! I would still like to finish all 9 mini quilt tops this year, and I have only made 7 and a half and a half!!!

This is almost half of the mini Pinwheel quilt.

There are 6 blocks and sashing. It's going to be an interesting mini quilt - very scrappy, made from some leftover blocks from the other (almost 8) little quilts.

I'm not sure whether I will have time to quilt and bind all 9 mini quilts before the year ends... I shall try for a few though!! Wish me good sewing!!

Blocks is blocks

I spent a little bit of time sewing on my day off yesterday.

I admit, I also spent a little bit of time gardening, a lot of time doing housework and went to a yoga session (I touched my toes for the first time, and it was only my third session!! How exciting!!).

Another four block is another four blocks though. Right? Right.

The new mini

This is the start of the new mini quilt (Square Dance). Each block measures 3 1/2inch square before stitching.
I have another 10 blocks to make, then applique to add... At least I started it!!

Now there are six.

This is the latest addition to my miniature quilt top collection.

Birds In The Air - made with 1800s reproduction fabrics. Measuring approx 16in x 20in. The yellow border is quite lairy, I think it will need a brown binding.

Now there are six little quilt tops waiting to be quilted. I said it before, and I will say it again. I plan to finish all the nine little quilt tops, then work out backings and bindings from the leftover bits of 45 fat quarters.... It's a self-challenge thing.

More itsy bitsies

I started a fresh miniature quilt. It's Birds In The Air, or Ocean Waves... or mine might even be Birds In The Waves!!

The complete blocks measure 3 inches finished.

I need to make 16 complete blocks and an additional 8 geese sections (without the bottom triangles).

I will just do a little bit at a time until I get there.