Six bushfire quilts

Really love to see these 6 quilts stacked before they were posted to Jan Mac for the Oz Comfort Quilts group. They have a target primary school, but weren't able to hand them out to every child yet, as there weren't enough boy quilts. 

I had a brainwave that we could use green and black squares to make minecraft quilts for boys aged 8-13. That should be right up their alley, and simple to make also.

Freshly snapped out of my garden, this wonderful tree is flowering all over, and I can't wait to collect some gumnuts.

The Raven update

My go to hand work project!

The blocks need berries... 

Just plugging away in the background, I have run out of the tape I use to make the 1/4 inch strips and waiting for the shop to get more in.

What to do? I will just have to surge forward. Most blocks are prepared and ready to stitch. These are really big measuriang about 50cm square!

Ohhh the berries

Plugging away at the berries for my handwork....

I've decided it would be great to finish this quilt in time for the Townsville show (just because it gives me a deadline to finish it, and I have so many quilts to make in me still!)

It took an hour to make 9 circles, without stitching them down... I still need to make some in other colours, and I think I need about 70 in total. Oh my!

Pattern credit: The Raven by Blackbird Designs. Fabric choices by me.

Squirrels!!!

Ta-da! Really chuffed to have finished this squirrels quilt for Master 4. It;s fresh, bright and yet, won't show the dirt! Hahahaha.

And it's his favourite colours. 

Even the back turned out to be pretty trippy with the mix up of pieces from the $5 doona cover cut up.

Most importantly, my little boy is sleeping under his big boy quilt made with love.

Irregular shoe drool

Well, I was drooling over Irregular Shoes a year ago when I was in Melbourne, recently shared some images of them online, and so when I went to see Tracey and Wazza, Waz said I had to hang on while he rushed out to show me these!

He bought Tracey shoes! They just came back from Melbourne, and she has a few pairs. Ohhh my!

A flat pair also, which I am looking forward to seeing next time.

*Blessed are the shoemakers (and wearers).

Joining

Eep! Eep! (or whatever noise squirrels make), I have finished the blocks and the joining has begun!

I might even have enough fabric to make a matching smaller quilt for his toddler bed.

Love love love the purplish, lime, whites and brights that are making this pop!

Is that my blanket?

"Mum, is that my blanket?"

Yes!! Woohoo!! Master 4 has already recognised that I am making his quilt. Music to the ears of a creatrix.

Every maker's desire is for the finished product to be enjoyed and cherished with as much delight as she had in the creative process.

This is an 11 inch square set out as a mini quilt sandwich with 3 layers: the back, the wadding and the top fabric. Once it's quilted as a mini quilt all the blocks are joined together to make a pattern.

See that funny little plastic thing? It's a quilters essential item. In the old days a quilter used a sharpened bone to mark straight lines for cross hatching, and that is where she would stitch.

This Hera marker is the modern day version of the bone. It's plastic, and shaped kind of like its predecessor. It marks a crease in the layers that isn't visible after stitching and if you make a mistake it steams out with the iron. I haven't found anything I like better for marking quilts in my 24 years in crafting them.

Creating 9 of these little squirrel blocks is today's project. I'm so happy that 4yo is already going "nuts" over it.

Fairy QAYG number 2 for my daughter.

I was looking at the quilts on my children's beds... I have made 6 bushfire quilts this year, and my children haven't had a new quilt for almost 5 years.

So I put aside the feeling that I had to make them something super special as an heirloom, and decided to make something quick they will love and enjoy while they are young enough!

Take 2 of the fairy QAYG started for Miss almost 9.

I had another panel and plenty of fabric left to make surrounding blocks.

These are her colours, and I've finished the quilt, I just need to get it hung up for a full photo. 

The night she lay in bed under it for the first time she was snuggled under it so happy, and she said "Are you sure the bushfire kids don't need this quilt Mummy?" My heart melted, because she really was happy under it, but was offering it to others. I told her I had made 6 for the bushfire kids, and I would make more during the year, but I had made this one for her especially, and her eyes were like laser beams of love. My dear Shelley x

Squirrel quilt

First peek at the QAYG pallette for my 4yo. I asked if he liked the squirrels, he said yes, so I pulled fabrics to go with it, and so excited to start!!

Will cut the backs and batting for the blocks next.

The Cars quilt

And then suddenly it's a week later, but the cars quilt is completely finished!

Quilt number 6 for the bushfires, and my last for a little while as it's time to get these sent off and ready to be hand distributed.

When I see the entire quilt, it's amazing to think that it started with a car print as inspiration!

Easier to see it up close, I love the orange sashing.

And even more striking is the back, made from $5 cotton doona covers and strips of solids I had on hand. I have been using up lots of old fabrics I had hanging around!

Bushfire quilt for Oz Comfort Quilts.

Art by a 4yo

So proud of my little boy's first drawings with limbs and faces!! 

In his favourite colours!

And another little masterpiece. He starts each day at the easel. I love his artistic streak. Maybe I should start taking pieces of fabric in for him to paint!!!

Two more altar cloths/table centres

This first altar cloth was dreamy so stitch... I added fun hair, stars and swirls in the space, and accentuated the rays... It's like the origin of woman!

And Malificient is so magnificient. I had so much fun creating her. 

She is already on her way to her new home... I will have to make one for myself sometime, as she is the Fae of magickal protection.

A bit too white

I took my son to his music and values class, and the teacher has written a book titled I Love My Body. So when I saw this very white t-shirt I snapped it up to wear to the gym... But... it was too white, so the teacher sprayed it for me with a multitude of pretty fabric paints, and now I am so ready to wear it. I just love it.  I might even wear it to belly dance classes.

So far I have finished 4 entire quilts (almost 5), and so I felt I deserved a little bit of Stash Enhancement on an Expedition (S.E.X.) - does anyone use that term anymore?

The cars print is the feature print for my next QAYG bushfire recovery quilt. I have lots of scraps, and this will really bring the colours together and give a theme.

And this bird print had to come home. I adore birds in fabric and quilts. I wonder what I will make with it!

And these celestial stripes. I might have to buy more of that... I just love love love it. And I love it quilted, it's so tactile, and brings me joy to touch it, and run my hands over quilting, so a little bag isn't going to ring my bells with these. I am so in the mood to make quilts and table runners and whatnot.

 Okay, the batting didn't arrive today, but I cut up my son's old cot bumpers and reclaimed the batting for the borders! And I have enough for that! Looking forward to getting it finished tonight!

The car quilt is going together

Just starting to join this next set of blocks for a boys quilt - using the feature fabric of cars,  I wanted this one to appeal to young boys.

So many of us have pretty fabric in our stashes that we are using to make bushfire quilts, I bought 40cm of the car fabric, and pulled other pieces from the scrap bags to go with it.

Just starting to join the blocks

And $5 cotton doona cover fabric for the backing again.

I love the way these go together so quickly!

Using one of my own altar cloths

Lammas, end of Summer harvest.... I created this altar for Lammas to give thanks for all the gifts of the Summer....

Thank you for the Isis workshop, and the money that came our way.

Thank you for the fruits of our labours, the wishes that came true, the presence of dragon and snake, the protection afforded us, and the money harvested.

Thank you for my hamsa plate. For this blessed lepidolite crystal....

I loved stitching Pomona, and it's lovely to see her being used and loved.

The Kiwi Bushfire Quilt

I am absolutely chuffed with the way this Kiwi Quilt turned out. I used almost every skerrick of fabric (3.5 metres). I bought the Kiwi prints from a lady on buy swap sell....

The batting was mostly reclaimed from the cot bumpers I had made for my son's bed a few years ago.

This is all that's left, ready for another bushfire scrap quilt!

I made the back from pieces of a cotton doona cover from H&M for $5.

It's so amazing to have created something beautiful from something that wasn't wanted. I hope this one goes to someone who feels connected to the Land of the Long White Cloud.

Kiwi quilt update

I am (im)patiently awaiting the arrival of my next batch of batting in the mail... the centre of the Kiwi quilt is made, but I still need to add the borders.

I really hope it arrives tomorrow (Friday) or I can dash away hopes of finishing 8 quilts before posting out to Oz Comfort Quilts for the bushfire quilt drive.

Fingers crossed!!

Witches Gathering

Every now and then it's great to insert a fast finish.. like one of my altar cloths. These are about 40cm square and help to create a sacred space for contemplation, reflection or ritual in the home.

 This one is the Witches Gathering. I do love freemotion quilting. It's great to get my own time to do create in the cool. 

It's been a huge start to the year with our young man at kindergarden. So many changes.

I have cut 6.5 inch squares to make four patches with the kiwi fabrics to make the next bushfire comfort quilt. This keeps the details in the fabric at a size to appreciate.

QAYG cupcakes and allsorts

Well, doesn't this look smashing when you step back to take a look?

It's the cupcakes quilt as you go (QAYG) quilt.

I used a charcoal fabric for the sashing and binding, and boy, does it make the colour scheme ping!

Now I see the blocks like this, I see licorice allsorts. Anyone else?

And the back is also interesting. 

I've been using a wool/cotton blend batting from Matilda's Own and it's my new favourite. Not too lofty, feels soft, and doesn't beard.

Most of the blocks feature the cupcake fabric, and the others are all scraps. What a great design it is for using up scraps.

This is my #4 quilt for Oz Comfort Quilts bushfire quilt drive (find the group on facebook). Jan will want to distribute these soon, I just hope I can make some more quilts before she needs them.

The satisfying bit

Without a doubt, I am enjoying machine stitching down this part on the quilts. This, and machine stitching the binding are the most satisfying bits!

The bobbin winder on my Janome 6500 shown in this image still needs to be fixed, but I am not quite prepared to be without it.... I will have to check that the second hand machine I bought as a backup works first.

As I have almost finished the cupcake quilt, I have pulled out the next fabrics. Some gorgeous Kiwi prints.

I bought 3.5 metres of fabric from a lady on Buy Swap Sell for AUD$30, which is a bargain! And I have calculated how to make it into a quilt as you go maximising the use of the prints and not losing a lot of fabric in the seams.

It's fun to be excited about the next quilt as well!