Is the ribbon border barbed wire?

If the centre of this quilt is Dharavi, then what is the next border? Spillage? Overflow?


The green background with "plinks" printed on do look like people walking around (with or without umbrellas) from an aerial view.Perhaps the ribbon border looks like concertinas that will expand to let more people in. I have used three different dark green-ish fabrics in the ribbon border.

So far they are not stitched on.

I need to calculate how wide to make the straight band of light minty green to make sure the ribbon border fits just so.

Maybe the ribbon border is barbed wire? Does it keep people in or out of Dharavi?

What else could it be? Any suggestions?

Kyomi - another finish!

It's another finish for the year. A gift for my Aunt's 60th birthday. (She is receiving it early, as I will be overseas while she celebrates).

It's too bad you can't see all the beads I sewed onto this.

Edgeing

This is part of the next border. I won't be able to work on the quilt tonight - you will have to wait a few days until the next bit is stitched. I am up to the third dark print in the zig-zag outer border.

After that I am not quite sure what I will be doing. It will need another dark striking border so that this light background edgeing doesn't just float away from the outside.

Borders can make a quilt grow very quickly can't they? It's becoming bigger and bigger. This is so much fun!!

What does it mean?

It's growing and growing! I am thinking about the quilting already Mum!! I am not sure whether to add any applique around the "ribbon" type border, or whether to leave it open for quilting.

I will just let it all talk to me as it grows. I have only used one dark fabric in the outermost border so far, I selected another two dark prints to use as well. I want it to feel like it flows around the outside, and changes colour as it moves.

I originally thought of this quilt as "Log Apartments" - a modern version of a Log Cabin (when I started the centre in about 2000). It was the first time I really enjoyed playing with colour, and was successful with my combinations. Since then, I feel I have really grown when choosing fabric colours.

Now, I think of the centre as an aerial view of sarees lying out on the ground drying... or perhaps silk carpets... or perhaps the brightly coloured awnings or tarps etc used for roofing in an incredibly built-up area such as Dharavi in Mombai, India.

This is an aerial shot of Dharavi I found on google. Can you see what I mean?

This next photo (also from google) shows carpets or block-printed fabrics or sarees (not sure which) laying out to dry in the sun.

I started this quilt about 6 years before my first trip to India. What does it mean?

Digging them up

I sure am digging them up when it comes to this ooooold UFO that has been "hanging" around for about 10 years.I have trimmed the centre down (it used to be an odd shape) and used some of the squares on the outer border.

Still more to add to this border, then another round with a flying geese-ribbon border. That's not a very useful description is it? You will just have to wait to see. I would like to finish this quilt this year.

Sew! Sew! Sew! Go us!

The universe is smiling...

I've been experimenting with saree fabrics we brought back from India. This is what I started with....



then I made this block - with the om symbol. It's my first successful attempt at zig-zag machine applique. The universe was smiling at me when I decided to make it!!

I don't want to join this delicate applique with the first section of quilt. So, I started another block.

This will be the tree of life. I plan to join the 2 blocks then applique peacock feathers down the sides to complete a wallhanging.

These girly bibs are for my DH's grand-neice. She is only a few months old, she will be able to grow into them too.

Twins

I quilted this tablerunner and completed the binding on the same night. Do you know what I mean when I say I have been crazy to finish lots of things?

Do you remember seeing its twin? You may notice they are not identical!

More bibs have gone to good homes. These ones are for a baby boy - James. I think he will have to grow into them! Still, from what I hear, lots of gifts for newborn babies only fit for a short while.

A useful bundle

I've been sewing my fingers to the nub preparing for a baby shower! I think I mentioned I am trying to finish all my "Christmas" and holiday sewing before the start of December - that will leave me December to increase the number of "Finished Items" for the year! Hurrah! This is one bib made from a towel.

This is all three for Catherine. We don't know the gender of the baby - so I have tried to be neutral with the colours (but still bright!).

I also decorated these little singlets. (It will be a Summer baby, and might get to wear them on a hot day!).

This one is my favourite colourway. Hmmm.. now the bird looks like it needs an eye. Oh well, it's "arty"!

I bought this little suit and decorated it with... you guessed it another bird!!

This is sure to be a useful bundle for the Mum-to-be.

Keeping busy

Yes, I've been keeping busy... (almost too busy to blog I'm afraid!). My posts seem to be shorter and shorter. Lucky I type fast, otherwise I wouldn't be keeping any kind of journal or record of my quilting and sewing history.

I finished the little bit of hand-stitching required on the kris-kringle pattern folders. (One is for me though!!)These folders are for storing your current project in - or for collecting patterns from magazines, and carrying them around.

Now I have another kris-kringle gift to make!! But, I can't talk about it on here (they might read my blog!!).

I made this pin-cushion (peppermint swirl pincushion) from the free pattern on moda bakeshop. What a nice quick pressie this would be!This next item is NOT a gift, it's for me! It's the latest Heidel chocolate tin. Ahhh.. so sweet! I carry sewing threads and pens in my others.

I haven't bought any in the last few years - the tins were the same. Even the chocolate papers are cute! And you can even eat the chocolate. Fancy that!

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.

1950s nostalgia

I am so pleased to have this quilt hanging so that I could take a photo of it in its entirety.

I really don't like trying to take photos of quilts on the clothes line - it all depends on too many things to get the photo right (how long is the grass? how long is the

quilt? where is the sun? is the wind blowing? have birds been sitting on the clothes line wires?) So, I think it's worth the wait to see my finished quilt.Of course, having a photo of this quilt does not make my "finished" list for 2010 any larger, but I sure like that its growing!!

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?

What else is new?

I am slowly adding beads to the stamens onto the Kyomi wallhanging.

Orange and pink- they are a little hard to see here, but they are adding an essential dimension.

Can you guess what these are?

These are bibs I started (for my cousin's baby shower). A towel was cut into segments, and some of them have been bound. I will show you what to do next... (when I am up to it!!).

I love a finished project!

Yay for buttons!! The perfect buttons arrived at my LQS for my new bag! What a great match for this outfit! I just love birds in quilts and on fabric...

Look at the button! (darned flash). There are birds in the tree!!

What a happy day - I love a finished project.

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!!

Is it kind of like mending?

It's so exciting to have a quick start-to-finish project!! (You know, for in between those ongoing projects like the Civil War Bride quilt... (Let's not talk about that just now).

Okay, so these folder covers are not quite finished yet... they just need a little bit of hand-sewing. But, it's hand sewing a closure.. which is kind of like mending and putting up trouser hems. So, it gets left behind.

I love creative sewing!! I am planning to make some bibs for my cousin's baby shower. I will give her the Let's Play quilt after the baby is born (I want to add the baby name, birth date and weight to the label... I guess I can omit the star sign. LOL!!) Wouldn't it be nice if the baby was born on my birthday? She is due around then...

Kris kringling

Still on the Kris Kringle theme... I have stitched little "labels" to go on the folder covers.
I just love the retro theme!!

A turn on Christmas

Yes, still on Christmas, but with a twist.

These are not Christmas themed, but one is for a Kris Kringle present. It's a cover for a display folder to keep patterns in.

If course, as I develop this pattern I thought I'd better make a practise one for me... (too cute to pass up aren't they?)

Back to Christmas

Can you believe it's nearly a year since I started the 12 Days Of Christmas quilt? Finally, I started the borders... this is the THIRD take...

The first time I tried to needleturn the holly leaves. Forget it! (Don't ever try it... trust me!)

Then I tried to free-motion machine applique them on... they just looked shaggy compared to the rest of the needleturn blocks.

Here is my third (and final) attempt. I am hand blanket-stitching them on, then embroidering stems.

Ah well, it's a little bit of handwork isn't it?

Not the bag...

Okay, I've got some show and tell, but it's not the bag... nor is it the Star Gazing quilt...

but it is the wallhanging for my Aunt's 60th birthday... it's quilted - still needs some binding and beading.

Last year I decided I wanted to be ready to put up the tree and wrap presents on the 1st December. I've done half of my shopping, and I've nearly made all the December presents - I don't want to be up late Christmas Eve finishing pressies this year!! LOL!!

This means I can finish off a few UFOs in December before the New Year. I am looking forward to plumping up the list of finished items on the side bar!