The Topper

We think Robyn H of our Thursday group of sewing friends wins the annual award for the 'Topper" of the group.  Here is just some of the tops Robyn has completed this year.  Mind you, some of them were started some time ago, but it is all about finishing.

 
This one is similar in style to my 'Stash Buster' quilt.  Look at the work Robyn has done on her seam treatments, and I love how she has tied it and the ties have turned out all fluffy. This is the finished one of the group.

This one is called "Seven Sisters" and Robyn has used Liberty prints. She has six sisters, thus the title.  It is a huge quilt and I didn't have a space large enough in my home to photograph it!

 Isn't this one beautiful??  Robyn did this in a workshop at Precious Time (LQS) and they had to bring along their ugly fabrics.  Talk about the ugly duckling story!

I

 
This is another huge quilt.  The colours were chosen by Robyn's daughter.  The border is really unusual and I missed getting a photo of it....next time. 

 
Good work, Robyn.  Looking into my chrystal ball I can see a lot of quilting in Robyn's future.  She is a hand quilter too. 

Stash Bash - top finished

 
My 'Stash Bash' quilt top is all finished now.  It is only lap size but I managed to herringbone stitch over every single seam in just 2 weeks.  Mind you, there was a little bit of pain in arm and wrist from pushing myself too hard.  Luckily I got away with it and I am now resting my arm for the continuation of quilting on my 'Four Leaf Flower' quilt.

 
Doing the herringbone is very addictive.  Here is a close up section.  I did the stitching in a No 8 pearl variegated thread and intend to tie the quilt with the same thread. 
This one will be gifted to our second daughter who does not yet own one of my quilts.

A Finish and a Show and Tell

IT'S FINISHED -  I have named it "Dotty about Kaffe" because I am totally mad for Kaffe Fassett's designs and fabrics etc. and also almost each small square is surrounded by a KF dot. 
Designed by Kaffe Fassett from his book "Quilts in the Sun".
  The hanging sleeve is sewn on and the quilt is ready to hang at the club's exhibition, after which it will hang on our bed  :-)  Big Smiles!!
 I am reasonable happy with it, but, I have found with every quilt there is always something you might do differently.  It sure brightens up the room.

 This magnificent quilt is the work of a fellow club member and friend, Judy.  Judy doesn't have a blog, but you can read about the quilt and see some more photos at Toowoomba Quilters Club blog.
Judy is one talented lady and she has passed the artistic genes on to her daughter, Nikki Tervo.  You can view Nikki's fabulous hand made buttons, patterns etc HERE.  Judy suffers terribly with crippling arthritis, but she still manages to churn out some marvellous quilts.  She is an inspiration.

I Love Autumn

 

In my opinion, there is no better time in Toowoomba than the month of April.  I so love Autumn and today is one of those perfect Autumn days.  Clear sunny sky with a slight nippy breeze.  Perfect for getting out into the garden, so that is what I did for a short time.  Dead headed the roses and took a photo of this wonderful deep red dahlia that never disappoints and always springs up year after year.It is a much darker deep red than what this picture shows.

Last year I did this small quilt for an Autumn Challenge my quilt group was having.  It shows the birds watching their arboreal homes change colours.  I used a few techniques in this one - crazy patchwork of scraps, hand applique and lots and lots of hand quilting done with DMC floss and in about 1/4 inch channels.  It was fun to make and I love those challenges.  They make you think outside the square.

Catch up

I have been very neglectful of my blog lately.  Since visiting my friend Shirley back a couple of months ago, I have been mad for embroidery.
I am working feverishly on my crazy blocks now to reach my goal and have them completed in 2010.  Shirley has introduced me to a group called 'Stitchin Fingers' run by Sharon B from 'Pintangle" fame, and I have loved looking over the site and chatting with embroiderers from all over the world.

It does eat into your embroidery/quilting time though.  Work on my hand quilting of KFC quilt has had to cease for the moment due to the renovations.  Yesterday we had a fine mist of gyprock powder through the house, so I can't bring my quilt out of hiding to quilt. 
It is coming along well though, and will look fabulous when finished.

Well, got the gyprock dust cleaned up when along came the tiler and decided to grind some concrete.  I can't describe it.

All I will say is, if you are going to do a reno - MOVE OUT.



Here is a photo of my friend Pam's Dragonfly quilt.  She has made this for a special gift for someone and it is her own design.  Love her background fabric and she has done lots of handquilting on it.


 A close up of her gorgeous dragonfly.


As I write this I am hoeing into a 'Lemon Myrtle & Macadamia' yoghurt.  It is the bestest most divinest yoghurt ever.  It is made by a local company called Queensland Yoghurt Company and states
" Gourmet Yoghurt".  Not wrong!  I had to stop myself from eating the whole 500g tub.  They have other yummy flavours such as coffee & walnut, mango and passionfruit, Rhubarb, apple and cinnamon and many more.  Going to roll into bed now.

Seeing Red

 For my birthday yesterday my wonderful Thursday quilting friends gave me all these delicious red fabrics.

We are asked what type of fabric we want for our birthday and I chose red. I am seeing a red quilt sometime in my future.  Perhaps a Baltimore type one, but then again, who knows.  I would like to design something different.

Here is Carmel (on the left) with Joan checking out Carmel's quilt of many colours.  She has put all these scraps together in a log cabin style to create this fabulous ecclectic quilt.

Love, Love, Love it.

Kaffe Fassett quilt - Another one

 

 This one I cannot take  credit for!  Isn't it stunning?  My friend Pam has put this one together. I will get a decent picture of the whole quilt next time!  As far as I know, it is still a WIP.  

 

Posting this picture is a cop out on what I have been doing in the sewing room lately.  Every day is all about that four letter word, "work" around here.  I am using some of this weekend to sew and work on projects, so hopefully I will have something of mine to show next week. 

It's Hot Hot Hot

It is going to be a scorcher today.  Has it forgotten how to rain?  
This bush seems to love the heat and is flowering profusely at the moment. It is called a plumbago?  I think.  Our tank in the background is thirsty.
 

Isn't this quilt magnificent?  It is queen size and is all hand appliqued, hand embroidered and fully hand quilted. WOW.  It is the work of a lady in our quilt group and it has just won third prize at the Qld Quilters Quilt Show in Brisbane, deservedly so IMO.  You will also see on our blog that she won viewers choice at our recent exhibition with this quilt.

The flowers represented are a native to Australia called Flannel Flowers (common name).
All her work is original and is always hand quilted, because like me, she is not that good of friends with her sewing machine.

Strip Chevron

Everyone who knows me knows how much I love strippy quilts and I loved this quilt at our our recent exhibition.  It is so bright and cheerful and was right beside us at the sales table where we were working most days.  

Another one for me to have a crack at.  So many quilts, so little time....

Kaffe Fassett Top Finished

Just have to baste and quilt it now. I think I will use Sarah Fielke's method of quilting which seems to be quick and easy, using Perle Cotton and a larger needle. Just for something different.
It certainly is a departure from the quilt we have been sleeping under for quite some years. Mr Neat thinks "it's a bit busy" but surprisingly he loves the bright colours. He is a little conservative, so it is good he approves because before long he will be sleeping under it. (Have decided to get in and finish it before starting another - for a change).

Now some of my qulting mates have suggested some pretty raunchy names for this quilt, but I think I will call it Kaffe Fassett Passion. Yawn boring, I know, I know.

Gorgeous Show and Tell

Remember Frances and Carmel who were 'painting quilts' in this post? Frances has finished her No 1 in her Moorcroft series based on a beautiful picture of a Moorcroft vase. The vase sits on a doiley on the table and she has added her floral display. Gorgeous!! Carmel is off to England on Monday for a holiday, so she has not had time to finish hers yet, but we have seen the 'skeleton' and it is going to be different and gorgeous too.

What about this GORGEOUS Kaffe Fassett quilt by friend Pam. She has added a few other designers' fabrics but it is predominantly Kaffe Fassett. We must have the same taste, as a lot of her fabrics are also in my KF collection. My KF is going slow as I had to order more fabrics. Got them at a very good price from fabric.com.

Carmels a Quick Quilter

Here is a close up of Carmel's 1930's quilt from the previous post. A simple design and her fabrics and colours are so delicate.

Carmel put some of her scrap pieces and "orphan" blocks together for this wild quilt. She is going to hand embroider over the seams, crazy patch style. What a great idea..... now where to find the time to start one of these....

Tracky Dak Day

A couple of weeks back on a very cold and wintry day, a few quilting friends and I met at Carmel's house for a "tracky dak day". We came in our track pants and ugg boots, relaxed and sewed, and as you will see painted. Carmel had the fire going, we all contributed to lunch, and Yvonne provided the yummy chocolate/mocha hot pudding with custard after lunch.... yum.

Here is Frances and Carmel working on their painted homespun canvas. They are doing the base for a free motion quilted piece. Will show you the results when they are done. (In a few weeks). It will be spectacular!

Carmel has "whipped up" this beautiful 1930's quilt.

Here is Yvonne practising her free motion quilting before tackling her nephews quilt. She actually used twin needles for some of the quilting, and a beautiful variegated thread. Will also show you the finished product later. Just have to remember to have my camera on me at all times!!!

Bush Fire Quilt

This is a quilt top which I put together some time ago now using a technique shown to me by a lady named Joyce Carter. We were both members of Gympie Quilters at the time. It was called "Magic Triangles" and I swear on a stack of bibles, I did not cut one small triangle to make this very scrappy quilt. That is not to say I did not cut some BIG triangles, but hey, cutting and sewing big ones is a lot easier than cutting small ones...agree?

Once the big triangles are cut, you end up with a triangle you see in that block called "Birds in the air?????" or something like that, anyway. You can make your small triangles however you like, e.g. 1 dark, 3 light or 3 darks and 1 light and all the other combinations, but that is decided back at the beginning when you start with 2 squares.
Clear as mud? Well you have to see it, it is a really cool technique, too hard to explain here.
I have decided to donate this quilt to our quilt groups bush fire appeal, and have also decided to donate backing and wadding and quilt it as well. Better get on with it.

The other project I have been working on is my new leaf quilt. see previous post re leaf quilt.
I have started the long (and have now found to be veeeerrrry involved) process of making the bias tape for the leaves to attach to.
Now, if you don't own one of the clover bias tape makers, well do yourself a favour and invest in one. They are the best thing since sliced bread.
Putting the sticky stuff on at the same time, well that has been a challenge, but as usual I have learnt much.

As you can see, I roll my cut bias tape onto an old cling wrap roll, pull it through the tape maker (that little green thingy), ironing as I go, and roll it onto another cardboard roll.
This is set up on the ironing board at the moment, and I do a little bit at a time - so very tedious.

Someone in a previous post warned me about this - anyway, you were right.

Lessons - Make your tape the width they tell you on the bias tape maker packet. In a couple of places I went a bit narrow and the tape wont roll over as there is not enough of it to do so.

Iron it (no steam, or you will burn your fingers) as close to where it is coming out as possible.

Don't sweat the small stuff - if it doesn't roll over or it misbehaves learn to ignore it, cut it off or fix it up later - that is what I am going to do!

Dianne Firth Quilts

I have just been to the Canberra Quilters Exhibition site and after seeing the winning quilts by Dianne Firth, I have to say I am just head over heels for her work. I sooooo want to buy one of these, expecially the "Cone" and I also would love to get "Coffee Swirl". She had a couple of quilts in the Sydney exhibition too and also at the Gold Coast earlier this year. It was at the Gold Coast that I fell in love with her quilts.
Go have a look and enjoy all the other winning quilts. I am also going to win the raffle quilt by Helen Godden, just waiting for the call.

Four Seasons of Toowoomba

This is the raffle quilt for our quilt group (Toowoomba Quilters Club Inc) for 2008. The quilt was designed by a group of members and quilted by a local professional quilter. (See the Toowoomba Quilters blog for some up close photographs of the magnificent custom quilting).

The quilt represents the four seasons of toowoomba in a row by row style, starting with summer at the top.

Sue did a lot towards bringing the quilt together, so congratulations to her for this outstanding achievement.

Now, I am off to pack some of my sewing gear up for our retreat. We start on Friday afternoon about 3.00pm with coffee at "The Chocolate Shop" at Highfields and of course, a visit to the Quilters Angel shop which is just a few short paces from the Chocolate Shop. Then it is on to Perseverence Dam (the one with very little water in it) where we will "camp" for 3 glorious nights. Glorious because there will be all sewing with no interruption of household duties. Breakfast, lunch and dinner served up to us - Bring it on!!!

Evolution of "The Brown Thang"

Remember "The Brown Thang"? It is now a quilt top and is going to be an 80th birthday present for my Dad. I am going to call it "Target 80 and Beyond" because the circles look like bull's eye targets.

I think my Dad will like it, although he finds it difficult to understand the whole concept of quilting. "Why do you piddle around with this stuff?" is just one comment he has made in the past. The fact that it has been made especially for him and made with love, I think, will appeal to him.

Instead of quilting it, I am going to tie it in brown (what else) crochet or perle cotton.

Dad, always the ultra conservative dresser, has always been fond of brown actually.

Baby Hex

This is my little "Baby Hex" quilt I made a couple of years ago in case either of our children decided to bless us with a baby one day.

Well GUESS WHAT?? Our older daughter and her husband are expecting their first child (our first grandchild) and we are all very excited.

"Baby Hex" is made up of 1,253 - 1/2inch hexagons. It is all hand sewn and hand quilted. It took some 18mths to complete. Of course, it was going to be a much larger quilt, but common sense prevailed. It accidentally turned out to be a bit of a colourwash quilt. Originally, I was using up all my little scraps of pastels in light to medium tones, then a friend gave me a whole bunch of 1/2" hexagons because she grew tired of doing them. The ones my friend gave me were of a much darker breed, so I decided to start in the middle with the light ones and then graduate out to the dark.

Serendipity!

Tommorrow I am off to Sydney with a girlfriend to here. We will have to be up at 4.00am and on the road by 5.00am to get to the Brisbane airport. Exciting stuff. Looking very forward to seeing the quilt show winners and checking out the Japanese Textile Art. I will blog all our travels when we return.

Catch up Blog

Can't believe it is over a week since I blogged. Life has been ultra busy.

Yesterday was my last day in the office of Blue Care (again). I have had so many farewells from that place, and there is every chance I may be going back to do more temporary/fill-in work down the track. They gave me a farewell afternoon tea and this gorgeous arrangement of flowers. (The lily just came out in full bloom this morning - love it).

Last night I dragged out an old UFO to do a bit of hand quilting, as it was just the weather for it. I am paying a bit for it this morning in the headache department though. Why is hand sewing giving me a headache? This is the puzzle I am trying to work out. I bought a $10 fold up office chair like the one Caity showed as at quilt group. It is ideal, as it makes you sit up nice and straight. I am really concentrating on my posture and trying to have breaks at regular intervals, but still I get the back/neck/head aches. Can anybody help me with a solution? (and don't say - stop sewing ).

Tulips in a row

Pretty tulips all in a row!
This section of Toowoomba Quilter's raffle quilt has been a work in progress for some months now and I am really happy to have it finalised by this Saturday for the working bee on the quilt.
This Saturday, I am doing a workshop with a Baltimore Album specialist named Gail Chalker, and I sure wish I had done it before embarking on my first foray into hand applique on such a scale as this.
Anyways, I'm pretty pleased with it, and hope no one gets up too close and personal to it.
I have really enjoyed the hand applique and look forward to doing more of it on Saturday with Gail. She does the most perfect circles you have ever seen and she has done a beautiful, large reproduction Baltimore Album quilt which I can't stop thinking about since seeing it a couple of weekends ago. The work was amazing. It is certainly something one could aspire to.