Quilty Garden

Well, I finally finished the Garden Song quilt top, gave it to Mum to quilt, and here it is.

Mum, the quilting is truly beautiful. Thank you so much!

I need to sew on the additional buttons (that just MAKE it!!), and I started sewing on the binding...

but I want to take it off. I used a thinner batting this time, and I need to adjust the seam allowance. I machine-stitched the entire binding on, and hand-stitched about an eighth of the binding onto the back before I realised I don't like it.

So... this will drag on a little longer, until I have the energy and patience to unpick!! (Actually, all I really need is time)....

A complete photo of the finished quilt will follow... eventually. *grin*

Garden-ing Update

I've been working.... and here is the centre of the Garden Song quilt so far.
There are still leaves to be appliqued, and I would also like to add some extra flowers, stems and leaves between the blocks. It is just a little bit empty for my liking.
Then the borders... I will keep on sewing....

A little update...

I am still constructing the Garden Song quilt as a sample for my LQS.

It seems to be going very slowly... perhaps it's the amount of reverse stitching I have endured...

I am very keen to sit at my machine at the moment, and just sew like an absolute maniac!! (I really don't have time for unpicking)...

As for handwork - here is a little update on the 12 Days Of Christmas. I am still working the final border. This is a section of one completed strip.

There are four sides to a square quilt (funny about that eh?), thus, I have another three sides to stitch. The thing is, every time I pick it up, the blue pen has faded out. Bugger. And I have to re-draw it... It's not supposed to be a fade away pen, but I guess 6 months is a long time between stitches. Haha.

Right, let's finish the Christmas Quilt before Christmas 2011.

A slow patch

I must be going through a slow patch (if you will pardon the pun) with my crafting... It's been really hard to pick up a needle.

Normally, I would say sewing soothes the soul.... perhaps it is already soothed? Perhaps I am just too busy with so many things going on in an active life.

So, there is just this one lonely block finished. Grin.

Oh yes, it was a very slow patch.

Just one more block

This was such a quick block to applique - hardly any thread changes. I am working on a few blocks at a time when it comes to the machine stitching.

Hopefully this will reduce the number of thread changes (I can stitch with a particular green on two blocks at once, instead of just one block, and so on).

I do enjoy seeing the splash of colour when viewing all the blocks together so far.

Hopefully this will keep me motivated. Of course, I am also involved in other crafty things. Have you seen my blog My Bohemian House? It is all keeping me quite busy at the moment.

The Garden Is Growing

I have finished another two Garden Song blocks.

Really enjoying making them... almost half way (Listen to me - isn't that how we motivate ourselves to finish a project, when we've only made 3 blocks???)

The variety of flower petal fabrics (around the outside of the applique centres) are starting to look interesting.

They certainly look more dynamic together as a team. Well, I did choose the fabrics because I thought they looked together.

Time to keep sewing!!

Bird in the garden

There's a bird in this garden!

This is my first completed block for the "Garden Song" quilt, designed by Nancy Halvorsen of Art To Heart.

I am machine blanket-stitching. This is the project I need to focus on... for now anyway.... LOL!!

New project and a new challenge

I'm a little behind with my blog posts.

At our Christmas function we received a new challenge from the Christmas Elves of the Sunbury group. The Elves have been secretly planning this challenge for the last 6 months. They made samples to show us, now we have until the Christmas in July function to undertake the challenge!

What is the challenge? To use the bias tape and the fabric supplied to make a quilted item in the "stained glass" style. Hmmm... lots of ideas are bouncing around at the moment!! I might need to shop for extra supplies!!

Here are some blocks I am making for the Garden Song sample quilt for my LQS.

This one is finished. I couldn't resist making the bird one first... I just love birds in quilts!

And this one has been started. Still some machine-applique to go (I am stitching on a few blocks at a time to reduce thread changes). And carrying the hand-stitching around with me. Each block has some words embroidered, and some have other details such as whiskers etc.

Stitch and Cut

I stitched another raffle block - that makes three. We have all purchased little squares of the same fabric from the swap co-ordinator (20 cents each) so that it really is all the same fabric. (You know how solid black can vary? So can solid cream). Everyone is using the same variegated thread "Christmas Time" by Threadworx. I like stitching with variegated threads.And, I have been cutting. I will make a sample of the quilt "Garden Song" by Nancy Halvorsen of Art To Heart for my LQS. Her patterns are just luvverly.
This is a close-up of some blocks in the book.

It's okay, I am not yet sidetracked from Log Apartments. I machine-stitched a bit more of the border last night... and would have done more, but I ran out of fabric!

I am only cutting out these appliques so far. Well... cutting and fusing, but definitely not machine stitching!!