I love vintage and repro

And so does Violette over at the blog Hand Quilting. She has interviewed various fabric designers such as Barbara Brackman, April Cornell, and Darlene Zimmerman. Sharon and Jason Yenter are still to come, and so is Gudrun Erla.

I feel like I am in love with Violette's blog - it takes my breath away!! LOL!!

Here are some photos of the stitchery patterns I am working on (The 1950s Collection). I have finished about 2/3 of the stitching on each one (none are completely finished - I was missing some thread colours).

Maybe I will have a finished block to show and tell this week!

Funky Monkey gains sight

This poor monkey had no eyes since December 6th 2008. (Yes, I just looked it up on my blog to see how long he has been waiting just for eyes.) I started making funky monkey on November 21st 2008. Maybe I could attach a label to his bottom like a Cabbage Patch. LOL!!

This is one of the things I love about my blog - it is my quilting diary. I can't tell you how many times (pre-blogging) I thought back and tried to work out when I started a quilt and when I finished it (for it's label, you know...). My bugs in bottles quilt still doesn't have a label. Hmm... note to self, post a photo of that.

I love Sharyn's idea of making a quilt journal to document all of this (my book covers would do well for those). I have a couple of ideas books that I have scribbled in over the years. Perhaps I will take some photos of pages and the finished quilt sometime to show you. (OK, that thought is also filed away - not in my brain, but on my blog, VBG.) I should make more book covers for them.

Did you get a spare calendar over the New Year period? Perhaps one from the dry cleaners or something like that? I guess businesses are cutting down on such things, but you could still pick up a calendar for a good price now that the year has already started. Keep it next to your sewing machine and write in some of the ideas Sharyn suggests here.

It is such a clever idea. Although I write in this blog, I don't post every time I change a sewing machine needle. LOL!!

I have a new panel. The design was inspired by an object book from the 1940s. I am going to make a soft book from it, but the pictures would also make good blocks in a quilt.

The flash didn't go off in the bottom photo, but I can't be too picky, I haven't had time to post for days!!

I am really enjoying the warm weather - BBQs outside in the cool of the evening after a hot day.... we have been eating lots of salads, unusual combinations that we rustle up so we don't get tired of lettuce and tomato. Another warm day today, 30 degrees C (it's been 2 days in a row at 39, so it is some respite, but still certainly not gardening weather).

Finish #1 for 2009

The French Collection quilt

I actually finished this quilt 2 days ago... but haven't been able to get onto the computer!! LOL!!

The close-up above gives a better idea of how good the quilt looks in real life. When the images is smaller (as below) it loses a little bit.





This last picture shows the overall look before binding and buttons.

Now I am working on a new series of stitcheries with buttons "The 1950's collection". I am nearly finished the stitching!!

The town where I grew up

Imagine seeing the town where you grow up from someone else's eyes - especially if they are a quilter and interested in the elements of design.

Well... here is Ruth's blog post describing parts of Bendigo - my home town. I never thought it would look so inspiring. I guess, I just forgot.

I am madly finishing, finishing! I will post photos tomorrow!!

French button countdown 114 down - 2 to go

I have almost finished sewing the buttons onto my French Collection quilt. Here are some more of the blocks.

Pont d'eglise - Church bridge

Cafe

Grapes

Shutters

Lavender

Patisserie

Centreville - village centre

I have loved every part of the process of making this quilt... Even though sewing the buttons on is time-consuming, what better way is there to appreciate each one in it's detail?

A challenge to you

I added a "translate" gadget to my blog (it's on the bottom right). It shouldn't surprise me that people all over the world read each other's blogs (it is the World Wide Web afterall), but it does. I went to visit a few people's blogs and I just couldn't read them, although the pictures were nice. VBG.

It took me a few tries to find the gadget I liked. Here is how I found it: go to layout and select add gadget, then search for the word translate in the search box at the top. Scroll down to the bottom until you see the pictures of the flags and add that to your blog.

Now that you have the tool on your blog you won't need to look for it. It won't matter if the blog you are trying to read does not have a translate tool on it, just copy their blog address and paste it into the tool on your blog. It will translate it! How great is that? Okay, syntax may not be exactly right.. but you get the general idea of what is being said.

I encourage you, dear reader, to put the tool on your blog too, and let someone in an exotic part of the world into your blog!!

Awww.. did you want to see my French Collection blocks? It was 39 degrees Celcius here yesterday and the same again today... it's too hot to sit under a quilt (yes, I do need it all over me) to sew on the buttons. I did do some late last night in the air-conditioning... but I still have 4 blocks left to go.

Okay, here is a sneak peek!! Remember the gaps I showed you on this one?

I attached the little flowers with only one hole using a bead to secure the stitches.

116 buttons

I am on my way to my first finish for 2009... and what a finish!

The binding and hanging sleeve are on the French Collection quilt...

Sewing the buttons on is taking quite some time. There are a lot of buttons. 116 actually.

I need some small beads to finish sewing on the small buttons with only one hole.

You can really see the gaps where the buttons need to go.

This is my night-time project. I am flat out painting shelves and what-not.

Lots of designs in your head?

Have you been over to Virtual Quilter's blog? She designs a lot of quilts on EQ and shows us pictures. Most of the quilts aren't ever made.

Do you have lots of designs running around in your head? Why not make a miniature? A mini could be the size of a greeting card. Imagine that, Irish chain machine-appliqued on measuring only 4" x 5". I think I will try that very soon!!

I made this miniature quilt with raw-edge machine applique. I was inspired by Marie Webster's quilt poppies c.1912.

Marie Webster is mostly responsible for the look of those 1920s - 1930s quilts made from homespuns in pastel colours. She designed quilt kits.

You can find out more about Marie Webster and other ground-breaking quilt designers of the past at Online Quilter. This is a fabulous site full of info for people interested in quilt history (that's me!!). You will want to visit this site periodically to get through all the information on it!

Plus, look at the Clothesline section - Jan Baker shares photos of her wonderful collection of antique quilts.

How to find quilter's blogs

Have you heard about http://www.quilterblogs.com/ ??

You can browse through quilter's blogs to your heart's content.

I just listed my blog there. They don't seem to have a little gizmo to go on the side of the blogs like Quilting Bloggers etc.

I am stitching away on the 1950s collection. I think I am 2/3 of the way finished. Why aren't there any photos? Er.... well... you see... I didn't have all the thread colours when I started. So, while I have stitched nearly all pictures, I need to go back and do the other 4 colours on all of them, then some colouring-in.

You will soon see!!

Update: It took a little bit of a look, but I did find the html for the button (it's under the SCQuilters button on my blog). Thanks Mary.

The wedding quilt that never was...

Yes, I know it's mine!!

Too bad all the clothing was for ladies in the bowling set (hey! I am in the bowling set!!) or I could have walked around saying "this is mine, this is mine" (Have you seen that episode of Red Dwarf?).

Anyway, Mildura was lovely for a wedding last weekend. I did not get a quilt made for the adorable couple (this was to be the art nouveau quilt).

They got a vintage radio. Perhaps I will get a wall-hanging made sometime? They plan on having children quick-smart, so I will make them baby quilts that I know will be appreciated.

They want a Tarago in the next couple of years... so I think they will be very busy!! LOL!!

Thanks Mum!

Well, here is the French Collection quilt now that Mum has long-armed the most complementary designs onto it.

I asked for cross-hatching all over each of the stitcheries, a twirly grapevine along the sashings, and cross-hatching behind the applique.

My DH wasn't sure about the cross-hatching all over the stitcheries - he worries that it detracts from the stitched pictures. But, he couldn't come up with any other way for the stitchery blocks to be quilted as there is just no space for outlining in the pictures.

The quilt will look really different with its hand-painted buttons attached. This will happen after the binding.

I guess I had better add a hanging sleeve. It will probably hang more often than sit on the bed.

I can't wait to finish it! But I've barely had time to post!!