Saturday, March 29, 2008

Some sewing done for me!

Here is what I have been working on this week, very different for me but I find I am being more drawn toward the fresh prints. Here is my version of Emma's ( from Ballarat Patchwork) quilt which was featured in one of the Down Under Quilt magazines. Click here to see the quilt.

Ten blocks done, only six to go and they are very quick and easy I have been sewing one here and there between quilting Julie's Teddy quilt.

This Week

I finally finished Julie's gorgeous Teddy quilt. Here are some photos as promised for Michele. The feather scroll border on this quilt is I think my new favourite! Ok Michele, I showed you mine now you show me yours...lol



Thursday, March 27, 2008

My Favorite Things

Go and have a look at my friend Kerry's new blog. It's in progress but you can go from there to her website. Lots of gorgeous patterns coming soon....stay tuned!!!
PS why don't you leave her a comment to welcome her to blogland.

Monday, March 24, 2008

SID - love it or hate it!

Well some quilters love it, some hate it, some regard it as a necessary evil, some just don't do it at all! Why? Because -
a) It isn't easy to perfect when you first start out.
b) It takes a long time, very time consuming and time = money
c)It can become very boring - if you have a lot of it to do.
d) Some just don't think it's necessary
e) You have to use a ruler- another tricky learning curve for beginners as you have to almost be double jointed to get the machine around all the different angles of the ruler.
f) Can't think of anything more, feel free to add to comments if you can come up with something else?


SID we are talking about and I think it's very necessary on a quilt. Why?
a)Because it makes the quilt sit lovely and flat, front and back
b)It stabilises the quilt as you are working on it
c)It just looks better.
e)Except where CC or line dancing (Diana Phillips variation of CC) replaces it - that one's specially for Pat vbg


So whats different to SID on a domestic machine? I suspect this is another reason why some Longarm Quilters don't like SID as they regard it as something that domestic quilters do, most people can do it (another reason a lot of LA's don't like to "stipple" meander) however it's just
the framework for us Longarmers. SID on a domestic doesn't need to be guided by a ruler and as most SID on a domestic is done with a walking foot it's a lot easier. Try to do SID on your domestic with the feed dogs down and the free motion foot on, that's what it's like to SID on a Longarm!

*****NB***** to ensure good SID a quilt needs to be pressed accordingly, meaning the seam doesn't jump from one side to another, it has to be pressed all to the same side.********


So here is just a small snapshot of how it's done!









OOOPPSSS!!!! Some backtracking to be done here!

]


See the difference where it has been SID'd? The little green border has been done either side and the pink border needs the left hand side done.




All finished this is how your SID should look.



Sunday, March 23, 2008

Things

My personalDNA Report
I found that on Elaines which I found vias Hop's blog and you don't even have to fill in your email address...too cool!!! ROFLMAO @ When routines get too familiar, you become bored and start looking for ways to spice things up.....read 50 odd WIPS!!! So what personality are you? Please leave me a comment if you do it! I have switched to moderated after one recent comment took me to some weird site that my pc-cillin blocked.



Well I am feeling very virtuous, see me sitting here with a halo over my head?? For the past two days I have actually spent time at the sewing machine sewing which I haven't done since early January when I posted my batch of SBS blocks. In between I was SID'ing poor Julie's gorgeous Teddy's Garden Treasures quilt which she has also been patiently waiting for, my custom waiting list is the pits partly because I keep saying I am not taking anymore in but regulars say here is one I want customed, I don't mind waiting....lol!


I have cut out and sewn a kit I bought from Serenityglen patchworx at last week's Ballan Quilt Show, it's only small but it's nearly finished each row is sewn I just need to sew all the rows together. I have it on good authority (Lissa) that it's called a disappearing nine patch, you made the nine patch out of large squares then cut them in half then in half again. I love it!





Next I was getting ready to cut out my new project a 1930's double irish chain quilt, inspired by Caroline's beautiful quilt at the Ballan show last weekend. Anyone that knows me may be shocked as I have never liked the 1930's fabric...but never say never! (see Julie's gorgeous quilt beneath my new 1930s stash?)






HOWEVER after Lissa's talk of her Bendigo Behemouth I felt guilty and decided to work on my own. For the uninitiated it means our Bendigo signature squares, all 130 odd of them. So I have 90 + done and only around 30 more left which I will have to leave for now as I need to buy some more fabric. I have cut them into 4" squares and framed them with different black prints that are a bit oriental looking and lots of plain black so the printed blacks will also be a bit of a feature interspersed here and there in the quilt top. Can you see yours somewhere there????




Of course I then had around 130ish 2.5" rectangles left, the offcuts from each block so of course I decided to make TWO quilts as you do, the other one is based on Bento Box which is in Successful Scrap Quilts by Judy Turner and Margaret Rolfe. It still has a long way to go, longer I think than the other quilt!


























































Thursday, March 20, 2008

Another custom quilt done

This one was finished last week for the Ballan Quilt Show last weekend. It belongs to Brenda and it's her own original design so I won't show the whole quilt here yet. I think she wants to enter into the Vic Quilters show in July. This one has taken me 40 hours so far and I want it back to do a swirl filler at the back of the pyramids but it's the type of quilt where the quilting isn't very obvious because of the dark colours and some of the busy fabric. It's a lovely quilt well done Brenda! I had to lighten some of the photos to see the quilting. Way out of my comfort zone, not a feather in sight!!!














In the workroom - making some headway!

Poor Jacqui has been waiting forever for her quilt. I had half of it done before Christmas but then I didn't like what I had done in one section so off it came and I had to unpick it which took forever! Finally it's done. Here are some photos of the front and back. As usual freehand feather motifs, feathers, feather borders, fillers, leaves border.
















Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Free Quilt Give Away!!

Thanks to Lissa I have entered to win a free quilt. Good luck to everyone there are going to be LOTS of entries. If you would like to enter too go and visit the Old Red Barn Co and leave a comment. Good Luck!

Monday, March 17, 2008

Tagged!

It seems I have been tagged by Jane and Andrea

I am not clever enough to know how to link back to their blogs just by their names. (just worked it out too easy if you go to help!)

Here are the rules:
1. Once you are tagged, link back to the person who tagged you
2. Post THE RULES on your blog
3. Post 7 weird or random facts about yourself on your blog
4. Tag 7 people and link to them
5. Comment on their blog to let them know they have been tagged.

1. I collect things....which probably won't be weird to any quilters but to non crafty people it's weird....mostly fabric now and quilting books (as opposed to patchwork books) but in the past it's been buttons, ribbon, lace, anything for crazy patchwork, wool and I still can't walk past a gorgeous ball of wool, plants eg roses and once was azaleas and camellias but I had trouble watering them enough so I just stick with roses now, so much easier. Oh and of course beads!

2. I was hopeless at sport at school, I would always be the last person picked on the netball team, the only sport I was any good at was hockey and I played interschool hockey. I was more the "arty" type. I played basketball when I was older with a group of mothers and I won a trophy for "most improved" I was stoked, my first ever sporting award! lol

3. I really like my own company, I can't understand people who get "bored" I never have enough hours in the day to do what I want to do.

4. I am a great starter of things not as good at finishing! I can be a bit of a procastinator.

5. Don't look in my spare cupboards as bags of "things" of a crafty nature are likely to come toppling out at you.

6. I hate, hate, hate, read LOATHE the hot weather!!!

7. I would love to go out dancing to a nightclub although rarely do, the only chance I get is at weddings etc.

I don't know if they are very weird but it's the best I can come up with.

So I am going to tag

1. The lovely Lissa Jane
2. Blessed Speedy
3. Sue D
4. Purrfectly Quilted
5. Cathy MG
6. Sion
7. Hops who has probably been tagged 100 times!


Ok that's all I can come up with everyone else I know has done one and maybe some of you have too...I am just following the rules!



IQ Test???

Take this test!
You are gifted with the natural fluency of a writer and the visual and spatial strengths of an artist. Those skills contribute to your creative and expressive mind.



Insightful linguists can take complex concepts and articulate them to just about anyone. You have a gift with words and insight into processes and the way people think. These talents enable you to explain things clearly to people.

Helen Keller is a great example of an Insightful Linguist. Blind, deaf and mute, she was still able to put things together in her mind and to understand complex ideas. She could do that because she was able to conceptualize ideas internally. Though she could not literally see, she had the visual and spatial skills necessary to understand patterns on an abstract level. She learned to read, write and ultimately became a writer on issues of social justice.



You have an uncanny ability to work your way out of sticky situations using your talent with words. Crossword puzzles, debates — you're particularly well equipped to come out on top since you can read people well.



Like Charles Dickens, your verbal skills go far beyond having a good vocabulary. Dickens' genius was in the artful and descriptive way he crafted sentences. Also Dickensian, is your keen eye for detail and your adeptness for identifying the best way to express an idea based on your given surroundings and circumstances.



Your ability to communicate your vision clearly will take you far. So enjoy being perceptive, and make the most of your abilities as an insightful linguist.

I'm Baaaacckkk!!!! 2

Well I went to have a look at Susan I's (the cats's mother) blog and she had this IQ test so I tried it and above are the results....interesting I must say I don't like crosswords much but I did like debates when I was in school. The other comments are interesting regarding the visual and spatial strengths....I always thought I was bad at the spatial stuff....maybe the quilting has helped it....LOL!


Ah, that reminds me Glenny and Andrea have "tagged" me I think it's the 7 weird things about me. Maybe that can be one. I must have a look and see what I have to do.


GD alert....latest photos.


Coco with her new earrings, her Mum sent me photos via the mobile. Ouch her little ear looks red still. The one in the pink dress is Mini Me of her Mum especially with the blonde hair coming through same colour as her mum had.
Next is Bella, doing her Bindi Irwin impression and practising to be a Hamilton Island attraction just like her great-aunty Trudy!