Hairy Goat

I am running around like a hairy goat... That's one of my favourite "Sandra-sayings".

I'm off on a cosy retreat this weekend and I have a lot to get ready. On top of that, the charity quilt needs its label attached, it needs to be photographed, and I am waiting for the valuation team from VicQuilters to get back to me - do I post it? When can I get it back etc? It is raffled in only 3 weeks.

I got the binding on the Jane Austen stars quilt last night, now it needs a label and a few touch-ups. It needs to go in the post today for photographing.

I am out tonight at a local school theatre production.

For now, here is a cushion cover I made while on retreat on the Mother's Day weekend. I did a class - invisible machine applique. It was more trouble than it was worth. Hand-applique is soothing, this was quite vexing!

I need to buy a large cushion insert, all of mine are too small. Good, here is another photo to add to my finished list.

Finished quilt

This quilt was finished a few weeks ago. I intended to give it to one of my cousin's - two of whom are having babies soon. However, I like the design so much I think I will keep it. I will write it up as an easy pattern.

I love the antique toys. Mum did an allover quilt pattern of monkeys and half-peeled bananas. It's really fun.

I have put the red yellow white cherries quilt aside. I need to put the binding on my Jane Austen stars quilt. I know it's not on the list of four, but I will explain why later.

Add this to the list!! (er.. the small one over there...)

I actually have completed more than 3 projects this year (see list on the side), and I plan to post them all to counterbalance that dreadful UFO list. I am still in shock (and still adding to said large list when I think of something else!)

This is a stitchery quilt I finished this year - "Love Is" - designed by Rosalie Quinlan. Mum quilted it on the Statler stitcher with swirly hearts all over it, but she was able to "cut away" around the bits I stitched solid, this meant they were stitched around - not over. It's great Mum got her longarm last year - She has done about 10 of my quilt tops already. My dearly beloved husband is holding the quilt for me for this photo so it's not very flat. Never mind!





Still working on the 4 chosen projects (French Collection, red white yellow cherries, 2007 mystery quilt and Celebrate December), although I have 2 quilts that only need binding. I might machine the binding one today so I can take it to hand-stitch tonight at my quilting group.

Working my way through the list...

What a full and busy weekend I have had! Here's the red, white and yellow cherries PIGs (Projects In Grocery Sack) I started with.

And here is my rough drawing. It's a lot rougher than I usually start with, but I feel like ad-libbing. It won't matter too much, it is a baby quilt.

I can't remember exactly what I had in mind when I bought these fabrics, but the ric-rac was in the box, so I used it.

Here are some of the 32 blocks I put together - very easy - 6.5 inches unfinished.

Ric-rac added... it does give some pizzazz. Not all the blocks have ric-rac, so placement will be important when I set them all out and play with positioning.

The big list appears

I finished my mystery quilt top. I need to piece the backing and hand over to Mum for quilting on the longarm. It's such a big quilt that I couldn't photograph it properly. It covers the top of our King size bed.

This is the final picture of the mystery quilt designed by Cathy Stevenson.

Here is part of my final quilt - the colours are very different! Mine are all repro fabrics, but they are vivid and bright. Not one bit of brown.

But I must go ACK! again!! I found 3 UFOs today that I had completely forgotten about... so I bit the bullet and made the big list. It's on the right column down the bottom. There to haunt me until the numbers go down somewhat. *sigh*. I am not panicking. Not yet.

I won the 6 redwork squares Christmas 2006 or 2007 at our end of year do... still to make them into something.

These baskets are made from 1930s feedsacks. I have made 42. I have fabric for 2 more baskets I think - but that's an odd number. I must check my design plan.

Also found the eau de nil or 1930s green fabric I bought to go with it. Was it for sashing or binding??? We are talking about 2 years ago. Sandra, Rosie, Andrea and I all started working on our feed sack quilts together.

Finally, I found a stack of 1930s squares cut out to make a baby quilt Irish chain.

Four is the limit

Okay, so I wrote a list of 4 things I want to work on:

· French Collection stitcheries (nearly finished the stitching, needs surrounding fabric

· Celebrate December applique quilt – just needs quilting etc.
· Mystery quilt top from last year – am currently assembling it – will give to Mum to quilt.
· New quilt: baby quilt

My friend had her 2nd baby recently and she sent me a photo of the 2 boys on the older one’s quilt… I wasn’t going to make her another one because I thought she would use the lovely rug she crocheted for this baby instead.

Nope, the first baby quilt is being loved. She needs another one. ACK! I looked at some PIGs (Projects in Grocery Sacks) and saw some chenille: red, yellow and white with some cherries fabric that I bought one day 4 of us were out together…. Or was I on a bus trip?

This is the quilt I made for the first baby: "Ten Little Monkeys (jumping on the bed)" named after the poem.

Anyway, better make her a new one and this (cherries etc) could easily be the fabric – I think it will work for a boy. Will put it together and see.. something quick and eeeeasy!

Ok, so none of these can be done from start to finish without interruption (e.g. Mum will quilt the mystery one, have to wait for French fabrics), but this is my current focus. How’s that??? Narrowed it down somewhat?

Finished the Christmas Mice!

Yes! I finished this project pretty quickly. That's the beauty of a little project.


Now I am ready to finish a mystery quilt I started January last year. I was up to date each month last year, so what happened? It only needs to be put together.

Three things put me off:

(1) I thought I ran out of green for 2 leaves and nobody on SCQuilters had any (but I found some at home somewhere - obviously not in the box with the rest!).

(2) I needed to purchase extra fabric. I had bought it all at the beginning - before I knew what the quilt looked like. Month 2 we got the message to purchase an extra 0.5 metres, this could be purchased later to "balance" the quilt.

(3) The final assembly instructions are a little tricky and i need some clarification. I have just emailed the designer and I look forward to piecing the quilt top over the weekend.