Confessions and Apologies

I must have been tired when I last posted about the sawtooth border.

You know, the squares didn't need much trimming at all, mostly just the dogs ears... and for small pieces like that it is more accurate to trim. And it didn't take me as long as I thought it would.

The border is supposed to be dark edges to the centre

But I liked light edges to the centre for my quilt.

I trimmed the 1 1/2 inch blocks using my rotating cutting mat. It only took one and a half hours to trim, piece and attach the border to the centre. The technique really worked, so go for it!!!

Next will be a plain border, then hourglass blocks. I started making the hourglass blocks last night. It will be easier to select fabric for the border once I have laid out all the hourglasses.

I plan to work on the hourglass blocks tonight and have some more show and tell tomorrow.

Jo's Little Sawtooths

Sawtooth border.... What a sore point!

Here's my medallion center so far. Next is a sawtooth border. Let me show you the really easy way to make all the half-square triangles!

Mark with a ruler and sew 1/4 inch each side of the diagonal fold.

Then cut through to divide into half square triangles.. but NOT like that!! Ok, throw that one away.

Sew another one and cut it like this.

Then cut it again.

and some more cutting...

Now fold them open and press flat. See the half square triangles??

Ok, next instruction, accurately trim each unit into 1 1/2 inch squares. What? Look at all of these!! There are 72 units.

I am the kind of person who will piece it accurately if you tell me the correct measurements. I do NOT like oversized piecing with hours of trimming. ARGH!!

I think it will be quicker to re-make the units with 1 7/8 squares because I am not in a hurry to trim all of these.... (if it takes 2 minutes per square that's 2 1/2 hours of trimming....)

Quilt Aid

I am so proud to be associated with QuiltAid Australia. It's a new concept for Australia. 12 blocks (combining stitchery and applique) designed by top Australian designers, and 12 different quilt compositions.... with a portion of all sales going to charity.

The theme for the quilt is Bluebird of Hope. The fabric range is called Sachet Pot Pourri by Marcus Brothers.

Aren't these fabrics delicious?

I am designing one of the quilts composed of 12 blocks. I need to make the blocks then my own finished quilt design - I will keep you posted.. I guess I can show you the blocks as I make them (dangle, dangle)...

As you haven't seen my progress of late... I have a couple of weeks' work to show you.

This is Rosalie Quinlan's Little Patchwork Village.

I am a little over pink at the moment, so I have made my blocks green with bits of orange... yum!!

I ahve stitched 6 of 9 blocks in total. I used a variegated embroidery thread so I don't have to change colour at all!! (Is that cheating??? Nah!)

Jo's Little Women Club

I am still missing my camera. Maybe I left it in my girlfriend's car?? It's probably under some papers somewhere at work...

I am working on Jo's Little Women Club part 8. One purchases 25 Jo Morton fat quarters to turn into little quilts over 6 months club membership (that is why they call is Jo's Little Women Club!).

Here are the quilts for this club - usually it is 6 little quilts, one per month, but this time it is 2 little quilts and a medallion.

My fat quarters

This is the centre of my medallion. Did you notice I have no greens in my quilt, so the leaves and stems are blue.




I need to get the centre finished so I can work on the pieced blocks during my quilt group retreat on the first weekend in April. My aim is to sew, sew, sew and finish the medallion quilt top!! (Maybe Mum will quilt it for me??)

On schedule

I am right on schedule with the finishing of my Paris Holiday quilt. I finished it on Sunday night!!

Last Monday was a public holiday here in Victoria. My DH and I went for a drive to the beach... the sea air was refreshing. We have been working 7 days a week since opening our own business.

I had another day off yesterday and went out with my girlfriends. We visited the Couture Exhibition (from the V&A Museum). Oh, it was inspiring. Embroidered clothes and underwear, tiny-stitched gloves, full evening gowns...

I worked on these little civil war hexagons in the car... This is going to be a mini quilt to hang on my little quilt wall.

I wrote this nearly 2 weeks ago and did not post because I can't seem to find my camera... I still haven't found it (I am using my DH's camera and the photos aren't as colour-rich as usual). I have just posted this entry on the 23rd March!!!

Paris holiday?

I have finished the quilting on my "Paris holiday" quilt. I remembered to put the label on before I quilted it, so I have quilted right through the label - that's pretty secure. It will be hard to remove proof that I made this quilt without destroying it.

I am hand-stitching the binding down now, then I have the rest of the hanging sleeve to stitch (yes! I remembered that too!!).

I have made a trial flower for the swirling border, and I love it, so I have more of those to make before it's finished. I would love to have it finished by Sunday. What is it now? Oh yeah, Friday!! LOL!!

Ooh, I hope I finish it by then.

Something old, something new.

It's nice to be back in the land of blog. VBG. I have the internet again!!

I have so much to show and tell!! Where will I start?

I met Fay in real life (do you remember she named my Eureka Chain quilt?), and Frou too!! What a lovely surprise to meet friends who say "I am Zen of Needle" or "I am Fay, I read your blog!".

I finished a quilt, and started another one!!! LOL!! Well, that's my way. Finish something so I can start something new!!


This is the Joy Of Life quilt (designed by Rosalie Quinlan during her cancer treatment - so it is very pink!). I pieced and appliqued the top in 2007. Mum just quilted it for me. The applique is outline quilted, then surrounded by freehand hearts and swirls. A feathered border completes the quilting.
Ok, that's the something "old". Now for something new!!



I bought a "Paris Holiday" panel and cut out some of the blocks. There are 15 blocks in the panel, I am using 10 in my quilt (there are some left over for a bag or two! Fun!!).

That's me on the left - all the way to Paris to buy fabric!!

It's very pink, so I wanted to churn it up a little.



I have nearly finished the quilting, but I want something to show you tomorrow!! So you will have to wait to see more!

The Ballan quilt show is on in March and the theme is France - so I might enter it in their display just for fun. Perhaps it will inspire others to be a bit whimsical! It's been a while since I made something whimsical. Have I showed you my North Pole quilt? Some other time perhaps!!

What am I working on? Here is the list of five:

• Paris holiday
• Christmas mice (just found it again, and am in the mood to finish it)
• Jo Morton Little quilt (a new start, to show you later)
• 1950s stitcheries - only 2 blocks to go before I design then make the quilt
• friendship block for a friend (it's a secret!)

What will I finish next???