Raven acorn block

Ooh, and another block, this one with an acorn.

I love that William Morris flower that kind of looks like pumpkin flowers as well.

I am surprised at how well I did choosing these colours when I went shopping for the fabric. I was in one of those decisive moods, and went to buy it all at once. I didn't even take the pattern book with me on the day. I saw them, pulled fabrics, chose everything, and took it home with me, feeling like a million bucks.

I think I did it around this time of year, it's almost my birthday, and I like to find something that I really want to treat myself with. Especially if it's something quilty, because it lasts much longer than just the day.

I am adding these blocks to instagram as well, because it's inspiring me to see other people create this quilt. Let's Roll!

 

The triumph of a quilt that took over 10 years to complete.

 Well chill my chitlins! It's only been 11 years that I needed to finish this quilt!

It's the 12 days of Christmas bird quilt. I think I started it in 2009, and it was my facebook password for YEARS, the idea being that typing it in would remind me that I needed to finish it. (Hey, I don't do that anymore, passwords are much more secure!)

It was the outermost border that was stuffing me around, so in the end, I decided not to include it.

!!

Mum custom quilted it for me (she can't remember her password, but you know I think it was something to do with when blogger became google and all the passwords went weird, because we didn't understand that the password for all google apps became the same, and we didn't know which apps google was running.)

12 Lords a leaping. I distinctly remember hand embroidering these in Bajaj Homestay in Karol Bagh, Delhi, Summer of 2010. That's how long this has been wanting to be complete.

I found this little pear fabric which turned out to go with the colours beautifully.

Little quilt centre.

9 maids a milking. 

7 swans a swimming.

6 geese a laying

5 golden rings

4 calling birds

3 french hens

\

2 turtle doves

partridge in a pear tree

Even though these are not my favourite colours anymore, I have so many Christmas pieces I've made in so many colours, that it won't matter.

I wonder if one day I will have rooms with different colour Christmas themes. Hmm, that's something to think about.

It's a goal

I'm not sure if I've posted photos of the other blocks made so far in The Raven Quilt. It's designed by Blackbird Designs.

The blocks are quite large - about 15 inches square.

This makes the applique easy to do.

It's strange because I'm not really into brown quilts anymore. Living in the warm sub tropics, I am no longer seeking warmth and cosiness, but seeking freshness and coolness from my textiles.

Most of these fabrics are moda. The background is a Japanese fabric, almost an Osnaberg. I bought it for $10 a metre in about 2015, and put it aside for about forever. Haha! I am more into patterned backgrounds than ever before, so I thought, if I don't use it now, I probably never would.

The other prints are William Morris and some light orange and purple reproduction fabrics. And a moda grunge for the stems. I can't get enough grunge. It goes in most of my projects these days.

I went on a berry making spree to complete these 4 blocks totally. That's 4 out of 9 complete. And I am on track for October hanging it on the wall! 

My first Halloween quilt. With a house with lots of wall space, I am starting to think of themes for different times of the year. I have so many Christmas pieces, and the house looks so good for that period of time. Why not have more themes for other times of the year?

 

On holiday at home

Now we are home, it feels like I am actually on holiday!

I'm at our local beach, only 20 minutes from home.

It's the main esplanade, and it now hosts electric scooters.

They scoot up and down so fast, and they don't really walk anymore.

We don't always swim in the water in Summer, because of the stingers (jelly fish with stings). There is a special place with nets to keep the jellyfish out. That's the best place to swim if you are not wearing a stinger suit.

Grabbing some quilt inspiration with these views, I've always always loved palm trees. They bring me calm and joy and peace whenever I See them.

This is 5yo sitting on a dugong statue, and that's Magnetic Island in the background. Snorkelling there is excellent. We are on the Great Barrier Reef here.

Do you ever find that your holiday at home is better than going away?

 

Happy New Year

Happy New Year! Baking time with the family, makes me happy!

Lots of icing and sugary toppings make the kids happy. Haha happy new year!!

See you in 2021. I am excited for fresh starts, vision boards, new goals and plans!

 

The Raven quilt goals

We went away for a couple of days with the family: The kids uncles, partners, kids and grandparents. Well, I felt very much like I didn't have a holiday at all. I didn't get to sit out with the other adults late at night (ours were in bed), and I was up at 6am with an extra one to take care of, bouncing on me in my room. The kids had a blast, and I learned about what I want out of a holiday, and where I would go stay.

My enjoyment was stitching after going into our motel room for an early night (couldn't leave the kids on their own!!) .....

 I now have two blocks finished from my blackbird designs quilt "The Raven". It's my goal to finish this by next Halloween.

These blocks are huge at about 15 inches each. Lovely big pieces, except for the berries.

Only 9 blocks in total, time to prep another needleturn block. I have goals!!

 

Christmas Cats

One more chance to show off a finished Christmas project hanging in a space where it gets the attention it deserves!

I made this swag by making Crazy Christmas Cat quilts, using quilt as you go, then binding them individually with little ribbons hanging out of the sides.

Such a pleasing view. I used up every scrap of that cat fabric, and the co-ordinates I bought to go with them.

Some Christmas ribbon I got on sale after Christmas one year.

And backed with Christmas cat fabric as well.

There we are, all documented for the future. That's why I started this blog after all. I love quilt history, the stories behind why something was made, the evolution of a project, and the quilt artist herself.