Mumsyblossom's World

The Mental Side of UFO's and Other Stuff

2012-01-30T09:23:00.009+08:00

Finished is Better Than Perfect.

I've been telling myself this since my first project in 1996. And I have finished quite a number of projects. But I still have more than two dozen on a list, not to mention the ones I forgot about and aren't on the list. So while this is easy to say, it's not so easy to put in to practise. Does this mean a relaxation of standards? I don't think so. But it may mean a more realistic approach according to my skills and abilities.

A Mistake is a Design Opportunity.

I came across this concept in a book called black & white and pieced all over by Kay M. Capps Cross. It isn't always possible to re-do blocks, so she tells us to think about it differently and gives great suggestions on specific 'fixes'. This leads me to my next point...

Make it Work.

Karen used this expression in her recent post. Evidently a person named Tim Gunn uses it on a show called Project Runway. This show really puts people under pressure to create to a short deadline. Sould I do as Karen suggests and imagine Tim Gunn stopping by and telling me to Make it Work!! Karen's post also highlights my next point...

Does it Really need a Border?

I like simple framing borders, but for some reason I seem to procrastinate putting them on. I think a pieced border would make it even worse. Self-analysis of why I seem to self-destruct my project's progress reveals that I am putting off the basting and quilting. So essentially I'm lazy? Probably. Who knew quilting was so physical? I need to adopt a new attitude or make a lot of money to have someone else do these things for me. I think a good professional quilter is so worth it. Did you know that some of the professional quilters in my area have closed their books to new clients? They simply have enough work with their existing clients. So I am not alone, but I obviously don't have the disposable income they do. So I need to get in shape and get it done, and see point number one.

Is it Possible to Have too Much Fabric?

I want to say no, but I think the answer for me is yes. My fabric is in large plastic boxes (about 30) and is mostly sorted according to colour and style. But the boxes are stacked on top of each other so it means a lot of heavy lifting and shifting in a small space. When I pull fabrics for a project, the process has to be repeated to put them away, which I don't always do because it is so physical. (That lazy thing again.) So then I have messy piles around or shoeboxes shoved on shelves etc. I supppose I could spend hundreds of dollars on industrial shelves to put the boxes on, but that disposable income is a tricky business.

A Quilt is not a Quilt until it's Cat Approved.

On a lighter note, I was visiting Pam at Mama Spark's World. She's come home to find her cat sitting on her just-finished quilt. What is it about cats and quilts? Or dogs and quilts for that matter. It's one of life's mysteries.

So we say it all the time - must finish the UFO's, or the WIP's, or the PIP's. (A rose by any other name etc.) Maybe this year I will make some progress. There is a lot of helpful information on the web about getting motivated, getting organised, having a strategy.

In the end, I think I need to

Just Do It!

Eli's Quilt

2012-01-29T13:24:00.005+08:00

In November I was asked to make a baby quilt in Dr Seuss fabrics. My time was limited as the baby was due in January. I managed to get the quilt to the basted stage before we took off for Albany.

Baby Eli arrived on January 6 and is a lovely, healthy boy.

I managed simple straight-line quilting and finished the binding last night. I washed it this morning and it will be delivered this afternoon.
The baby is not yet a month old so according to
Quilters' Standard Time, I'm right on schedule...

The quilt is approximately 40 inches by 49 inches.

A New Blog - Pieces of Pye

2012-01-28T14:30:00.005+08:00

I want to introduce you to my friend Sheila who has recently started a blog. Sheila is an extraordinary award-winning quilter and is an accredited teacher and accredited judge. She is also the current convenor of QuiltWest, which is the West Australian Quilters' Association's annual exhibition. Here is her Best of Show quilt from 2009.

You should know that this is all hand appliqued and that she quilted this herself on her domestic sewing machine. There are more of her wonderful quilts on her website.

Stop by and say hi!

Happy Australia Day!

2012-01-26T08:17:00.003+08:00

Today we celebrate Australia and what it means to be Australian.

Many people will become Australians today.

People from all over the world.

They came for work, love, refuge.

People like me.

I love my adopted country.

Whatever your plans for today, enjoy and be safe.

PS The heatwave continues... 41C today.

Heat Wave

2012-01-24T07:48:00.003+08:00

Perth is set for a heat wave this week.

Seven plus days of 39C plus temps.

Stay in the shade.

Drink plenty of water.

Don't handle fabric with sweaty hands.

Stay off the computer.

See you next week.

Happy New Year & Wonky House #1

2012-01-23T07:34:00.006+08:00

To all my Asian friends, Happy Year of the Dragon to you!

May this coming year bring you peace and prosperity.

As I work for a Chinese couple, I have a bonus day off today, so much sewing progress coming up!

I joined Jane's Wonky House Block Swap.

Here are the fabrics I settled on.

This is my master sketch. I drafted it at 13 inches and it will be trimmed after piecing.

I copied the master sketch by hand on art paper, which is slightly thicker than typing paper. I then covered it in clear contact and cut it apart. I noted seam allowances on the perimeter and straight-of-grain guidelines. Labelled each piece.

I ironed and starched all my fabrics, then ironed together several fabrics so I could cut them at the same time. (This dramatically reduced any slipping during cutting.)

Here you can see the white template on top of the white background fabric with the seam allowance added on two sides. What was I thinking? White on white is hard to see.

So here it is again. I found this yellow ruler that I got from Jan Mullen to be perfect for this job. I have three fabrics layered here. The template is paper side down and it does have a slight friction on the fabric to reduce sliding.

I first lined up the straight of grain...

Then cut my fabrics, adding the seam allowance in the process.

Cutting the fabrics was pretty straight-forward and completed in a couple of hours. I tidied each stack away here in my project box as I went.

I put together my first block in no time. It came together beautifully. I will do the rest with chain piecing.

Here is the first block. The door and windows will be raw-edge appliqued with machine stitching.

Please have a look at the Flickr group set up for this swap. These houses are amazing!

Quilt Inspiration

2012-01-21T07:49:00.006+08:00

I found this fabulous blog and wanted to share it with you. It's called Quilt Inspiration, and it showcases fabulous quilts. They've just wrapped up a couple of weeks of "Winter Quilts". They link back to original websites for purchase but they also have free patterns. It is definitely worth a look, especially if you have the blahs.

With Valentine's Day just around the corner,, you might want to whip up a little quilt. QI has some lovely free patterns here and here. This is an example.

Keep the Heart Truth Growing free wall hanging and pillow pattern by Jane Spolar for Janome.

I'm making wonky houses for Jane's swap and don't have a lot to show for it just yet. Turns out I'm not the free spirit I thought I was and it's taking a little longer. I've abandoned my first sketch and simplified the design to make the project achieveable in the time allowed. You can see the Flickr pool here.

A Birthday Gift

2012-01-19T08:41:00.002+08:00

I met my quilty friends at our guild day on Tuesday. One of our lovely ladies, Carole (no blog) made this charming heart pincushion for my birthday, which was a couple of weeks ago.

Her embroidery is perfection and she used a vintage lace made by a member of her family.

There is no denying that handmade gifts are the best.

Thank you Carole! I love it!

Albany WA Holiday

2012-01-17T15:47:00.005+08:00

One of the highlights of our trip this year was seeing the Endeavour sail through Ataturk Channel and in to Princess Royal Harbour. The Endeavour is an exact replica of Captain Cook's ship when he first sailed to Australia around 1770.

We also made a visit to the Albany Wind Farm. These windmills are certainly impressive. The town of Albany is nestled on the shore of the harbour. You can see it in the distance in the upper right photo.

We also walked to the Point King Lighthouse. This is a solid structure with massively thick walls. The original wooden lintels are still in place. Lighthouse keepers and their families lived here, some had up to eight children! Imagine this tiny four room cottage on the edge of the sea with babies running around. The lighthouse tower is now gone, to be replaced by an electronic beacon further up the hill. But it is not entirely empty. Did you see the black lizard? These little beauties are found everywhere and love sunning themselves on the footpath. They quietly slip away when you walk by, only to return shortly.

On one of our days we slipped across to Bremer Bay on the south coast. This is a quiet fishing and recreation village. We went specifically to visit the Wellstead Museum. Only a little taste of what's to be found there.

So another holiday under our belt and a new year begun. Back in to the work routine and now to devote my attention to my various commitments, quilty and otherwise. I hope to be able to catch up with some of your news soon. Thanks for visiting! ~~And if you've made it this far, I'm quietly going to have a small giveaway for comments on this post only. Shhh. Only for us.~~ Giveaway closed.

Postage Stamp Quilt Challenge

2012-01-06T00:01:00.001+08:00

Mary over at The Curious Quilter is hosting the Postage Stamp Quilt 2012 Charm Swap & Challenge. Mary has planned out a fun year of monthly posts, swaps, giveaways, and a simple (year-long) challenge - all dealing with postage stamp quilts (hence the name). Start sorting those scraps and keep on eye on Mary's blog for details.

PS I'm still on my break. This is a scheduled post - lol.

Blog Break

2011-12-30T21:45:00.000+08:00

I'm going to sign off for a few weeks. Time for the summer break.

Will catch you up with any news when we get back.

At the moment my Mr Fixit is reading my APQ (Australian Patchwork and Quilting) - the article about the crazy quilt that sold for $70,000.

Hope he's not dreaming... I'm totally not in that league!

SSCS What I Sent

2011-12-29T07:48:00.002+08:00

This is the quilt I made for Linda at linsueray.

When looking through Linda's blog to find out a little about her, I discovered that although she lives in the mountains, she really enjoys her trips to the ocean when she's able. I thought a little reminder of the ocean would be good. The birds are sandpipers, not seagulls - lol.

I hope she likes it.

This is the ornament I made.

It looks huge in the photo, but it's not.

Another successful year with Chookyblue's SSCS.

Pop over to her blog as she's posting all the swaps.

Wonky House Sketch

2011-12-27T17:59:00.000+08:00

I joined Jane's Wonky House Block Swap

and have finally decided on a design.

Not sure yet how I'm going to put it together,

but I really like it so will figure it out.

Jane has opened another group if you want to join in.

Santa's Holiday

2011-12-27T08:30:00.000+08:00

We all know where Santa goes on Boxing Day.

SSCS 2011 Received

2011-12-26T07:36:00.004+08:00

Once again we've had a lovely swap organised by Chookyblue.

Thank you Chookyblue!!

The lovely lady who made these items is

Cheryl at Polka Dots & Rick Rack.

These gorgeous snowmen holding their Christmas treats... just too cute.

This is as close to a snowman as I'm ever likely to be here in Oz.

This darling notebook is a perfect size for my handbag, sewing bag or next to the computer. Lots of options here! And I love writing things down. The lovely feel of pen on paper... am I the only one?

Look at this tea towel!! Red plaid!! My favourite! And a snowman snow globe. And of course, rick rack trim!!

Thanks Cheryl! This is just too cute.

This gorgeous wool ornament I showed you before, but here he is again.

This is my third year in participating in this swap,

and each time I've had such lovely lovely gifts.

Thanks again Cheryl!!

In other Christmas news, this year I did not set up a big tree.

Here is my Christmas vignette.

Of course every tree needs a star, so I sewed on this delightful ceramic button.

I hope everyone has had a lovely Christmas!

Season's Greetings

2011-12-22T07:22:00.000+08:00

May your home be a peaceful haven this Christmas.

Potholders (Again)

2011-12-19T21:16:00.003+08:00

So I made two smaller potholders to go with the bigger one.

The 'front' is the red Cat in the Hat and the 'back' is the all-over white print.

For daughter Number One, by special request.

Jesus Came for Everyone

2011-12-15T09:34:00.008+08:00

Chinese Nativity by Yu Jia-de found here.

Navajo Nativity found here.

African Nativity found here.

Aboriginal Nativity by Mathew Gill found here.

Australian Nativity by Rachael Flynn found here.

Isaiah 9

6For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7Of the increase of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
***
Matthew 1

18This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. 19Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
20But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
22All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23“The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”—which means, “God with us.”
24When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
***

May you find time to set aside all thoughts of trees and turkeys and santa to ponder the wonder of it all - that Jesus became a baby to live and die for us - that His very life was the greatest gift of all.

***

John 3

16“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,f that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

Jane's Wonky House Block Swap

2011-12-12T08:48:00.005+08:00

Jane is hosting a wonky house block swap and I joined in. ~~There are a couple of spots left if you are interested.~~ Click the button above to go to her post about the swap.

Edit: I also found this post for this 'wonky town' quilt.

Below is a mini quilt I received from Helen. This is a great wonky house quilt!

Thanks Helen! I'm still loving it!!

Potholder

2011-12-11T06:58:00.002+08:00

Potholder made from scraps of Dr Seuss fabric.

Two layers of batting - one is insulbrite and the other cotton.

Approximately 9 1/2 inches square.

I will make a friend for it and then give the pair as a Christmas present.

International Disturbed People's Day

2011-12-09T17:04:00.002+08:00

I received these photos in one of those emails that gets sent around with words of encouragement and friendship etc. We are supposed to send it on etc. I don't usually mind getting them, and I even occasionally send them on. These photos particularly appealed to me so I thought I would share them with y'all. They are meant to be in honour of International Disturbed People's Day. (PS There is no official day so this is just an excuse for a bit of humour - and the world can always use more of that.)

dis·turb

verb (used with object)
1. to interrupt the quiet, rest, peace, or order of; unsettle.
2. to interfere with; interrupt; hinder: Please do not disturb me when I'm working.
3. to interfere with the arrangement, order, or harmony of; disarrange: to disturb the papers on her desk.
4. to perplex; trouble: to be disturbed by strange behavior.
verb (used without object)
5. to cause disturbance to someone's sleep, rest, etc.: Do not disturb.

Origin: 1175–1225; Middle English disto ( u ) rben, disturben < Anglo-French disto ( u ) rber, desturber < Latin disturbāre to demolish, upset, equivalent to dis- dis-1 + turbāre to confuse Related forms
dis·turb·er, noun
pre·dis·turb, verb (used with object)

Synonyms 1. bother, annoy, trouble, pester.

The gist of the email is that even if you are a disturbed individual (as in a little off), your friends will love you and be there for you. Be happy in your life and forgive others. Live each day to the full and remember to dance like no one's watching. Worthy sentiments all.

The sheep are my favourite.

Some of my days recently have felt like this.

There are some very clever (a.k.a. disturbed?) people out there.

House Ornament

2011-12-06T15:14:00.004+08:00

I met today with my lovely quilting friends (a.k.a. Girlfriends).

We had a wonderful lunch and swapped presents.

This is a little house ornament I made as part of my gift.

The back.
I made this from a pattern by Kim at Retro Mama.
I didn't follow the pattern very well,
but I am happy with my result.
You can find the pattern and tutorial here.
I will make more of these,
and may even follow the pattern next time.
Hope your Christmas plans are going well!

Little Helper

2011-12-05T22:06:00.003+08:00

This little gecko watched me hang my laundry.

My garden is literally a desert,

but even the smallest creatures can find a home.

SSCS 2011 Received

2011-12-01T08:49:00.005+08:00

I participated in Chookyblue's Secret Santa Christmas Swap (SSCS) and I have received my package from the lovely lady who "got" me. Look at that beautiful quilty card! And red spots and yummy rick rack.

Very appropriate!

This is the lovely gift I've received from

Cheryl of Polka Dots and Rick Rack.

This ornament is just too cute!

And the only snowman I am likely to see anytime soon here in Oz!

I cannot even begin to tell you how much I appreciate the fine work involved in making something like this. The attention to detail and all the little stitches and special touches. Just too precious. This is one ornament that will live in my sewing room. He's just too adorable to pack away in a box and bring out once a year! Thank you so much Cheryl!!!

Quilt Labels

2011-11-28T07:01:00.003+08:00

This is one way that I do labels.

*The base of the triangle (which is the top long edge) is on the selvedge so I don't need to turn that edge under.
*The other two raw edges will be secured in the corner behind the binding.
*I heavily starch the fabric.
*The lines are ruled with a hera marker.
*I used magic tape
to secure the edges while I wrote my information. It easily lifts off without pulling on the fabric. (This is the same tape I use for foundation piecing 'repairs'.)
*I used a .5 black pigma pen and neatly printed:
**the name of my quilt
**'adapted from a design by...'
**who the quilt was for
**my details
**swap details
**date
**location.

I also use pre-printed labels (when I can find them) and labels I print myself (when my printer has ink).

How do you make your labels?

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T17:31:00.002+08:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American family and friends.

May you have a joyous time.

To all my other friends, may you have joyous occasions with family and friends. And maybe find an interesting vendor like David Lansing did when he went to Mexico.

Friend's Baby Shower

2011-11-20T07:34:00.003+08:00

We had a baby shower at my house for my daughters' friend.

My daughter Hannah did all of the decorating and most of the cooking.

This is my daughter Corbie helping with the red velvet cupcakes.

Topped with blue icing and fairy floss of course.

Have you figured out yet it's a Dr Seuss theme?

The amazing cake was made by the mum-to-be's father's ex-partner.

Yummy jelly deserts with cream.

Hannah finally got to give Caz the nappy bag I made at the retreat which I blogged about here.

I think she liked it.

It was a really good day.

Hannah, Caz (a.k.a. Caroline) and me.

Yes, she's wearing a Grinch apron (found online).

Baby is due early January.

Christmas Blocks

2011-11-14T21:07:00.004+08:00

I'm off to guild tomorrow and these are my blocks for the block raffle.

They measure 12 1/2 inches square. My group is on hostess duty so we are in for a very busy day.

Quilty Ladies need a lot of hot water!!!

This is our last day meeting for the year.

Owl Ornament (not mine)

2011-11-12T19:45:00.000+08:00

These were created by Jessica Levitt over at juicy bits.
She has kindly shared her pattern here.
It's that time of year. Already.

11-11-11 11th Hour

2011-11-11T20:01:00.002+08:00

AAQI

2011-11-09T06:51:00.003+08:00

Raising Awareness &

Funding Research

Through Art

Click the links here and here to watch a quick video of some of the quilts at Houston this year.

Would you like to buy one? Go here.

Nothing to show you. Had a great weekend but no photos yet (will have to borrow some).

Camping in the Bush

2011-11-04T06:00:00.000+08:00

This is where we'll be for the weekend. A church family camp in a lovely woodland setting about two hours from Perth. The forecast is for light showers and around 24C. The accommodation is cabins and dorms although we will be in a tent. It will be good to get to know some of the other families in the church that we don't always get a chance to talk to.

Display Home Art

2011-11-01T12:54:00.001+08:00

So we occasionally look at display homes to keep an eye on what's happening in layout and design. A few art pieces caught my eye - they are all prints, but may just translate well in quilting. The first is very intriquing and my first choice if I decide to have a play.

Although this one definitely has possibilities too...

An outdoor shower off the master bedroom. Not sure about this one. We usually see these when someone has a pool.

For lovers of curved piecing...

This cute guest room actually had a (store bought) quilt on it.

It seems the decorator colour of the moment are brown and orange. What a lovely room.

So I'm sharing all this as I can't show you my sewing. If you've made it this far, I will tell you that I had a slightly tricky design problem (basically I'm scared I'll wreck the quilt) so I decided to photocopy that section of the quilt and practice sketching what I want to embroider. Seems to have worked so progress is continuing. What are you working on?

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T06:29:00.002+08:00

This is as close to candy corn as I will get this year.

Evidently it's not allowed to be imported because of a contamination scare.

We don't really celebrate Halloween in Oz, although retailers try to and there are costume parties. Hope all who celebrate have a safe and happy time!

Mugz on Monday

2011-10-31T00:01:00.000+08:00

I do love my Christmas trees.

I know it's early, but if you don't buy it when you see it, they'll be gone.

Christmas is a good attitude of heart to carry year-round anyway.

Bloggers' Quilt Festival: Fall 2011

2011-10-28T17:49:00.006+08:00

This is my entry for Amy's Bloggers' Quilt Festival. My title for this quiltlet is 'Fantasy Picnic.' It was made for a guild challenge the theme of which was "Food for Thought." I roughly followed a design by Aneela Hooey. I have never done collage work before and I must tell you it was a lot of fun! I used fusible web to tack before machine quilting. I just love how it turned out and will be giving it to one of my daughters for Christmas. It measures 8 inches square. Be sure and click over to Amy's to see the other quilts that have been entered. Have fun!

Christmas Block

2011-10-27T00:01:00.000+08:00

I'm organising a block raffle for the guild meeting in November. Participants are to bring in a 12 inch block that is pieced or appliqued using traditional Christmas colours. The blocks are sorted into groups of 3 to 5 blocks (depending on numbers and styles) and then one of those blockmakers wins the group. So it's not a swap where everyone wins, it's a raffle with about 20% odds (which is pretty good).
This is my contribution. You may remember this pattern from a few years ago. Nanette at Freda's Hive designed it and her tutorial can be found here.
I made a few of these houses and the pattern is smaller than 12 inches. I've added fabrics on three sides and the block will need trimmed back. I'm debating whether I should trim it or leave that to the winner. It really is hard to get the same size block off different quilters and she may appreciate the extra fabric for tweaking. What do you think?
I'm making up another block as well if time permits. I sure love the Christmas fabrics.
Better go. Got the day job tomorrow.

Stash Report?

2011-10-25T21:20:00.004+08:00

I see this from time to time on blogs.

Not sure that it's helpful for me to try to do that.

It sure would by horrifying if I really knew

how many metres of fabric I had.

I've only got about 35 years left of an average lifespan.

This is nearly half my stash.

I'm sure it's breeding.

No matter what I use or giveaway,

there's another to take it's place.

Ever see the Star Trek episode

"The Trouble with Tribbles?"

I am making progress on my SSCS.

And there's a little sewing I can show you later in the week.

Mugz on Monday

2011-10-24T00:01:00.000+08:00

I found two Christmas mugs this year. I love this one.

It's also very shiny.

Interesting reflections, but the stars do shine!

I'll show you the other one next Monday.

Periodic Table of Sewing Elements

2011-10-18T07:52:00.004+08:00

Something to look at since I can't show you what I'm sewing.

Off to guild today.
Scientific Seamstress.

Potholders Revisited

2011-10-10T00:01:00.000+08:00

I made some potholders for my dear mother-in-law which I blogged about here. I recently recieved this one back for repairs. She swears she doesn't know what happened to it. I'm happy to see it this way, because then I know she's using it.

A rough-as-guts quick repair and it's back in business.
She's in a new kitchen now, so I may have to make her a new set.
One can never have too many potholders after all.

Auditioning Fabric

2011-10-08T11:37:00.003+08:00

I've been auditioning fabric and this one didn't make the cut.

He can sing and dance all right...

He just didn't have the right tone...

PS Can't show you the project, it's a secret.

Perth Royal Show 2011 Other

2011-10-04T15:06:00.000+08:00

This is an agricultural show after all... here is an amzing variety of eggs. The ones in the lower left do indeed have a green tinge... Dr Seuss really knew his stuff!

A large variety of grains grown here in Western Australia.

Textile art.Delightful soft toys...
A close-up of this play pillow...

The rest of my photos are too blurry to publish.

That's it until next time!

Perth Royal Show 2011 Quilts

2011-10-03T15:02:00.000+08:00

Too much light reflecting on the glass for most of the photos, but here are a few.

Perth Royal Show 2011 Cakes

2011-10-02T14:48:00.004+08:00

One of the first things we did was check to see who got first in the meringues. For many years my mother-in-law always took out the top spot. A few years ago my brother-in-law started putting his meringues in as well. Quite often of late he takes out the top spot with Mum second. This has a created a good-natured rivalry in the family. I must tell you that the recipe is closely guarded so don't ask. I don't even have it...

Just a few photos of the amazing cakes.

Too amazing to eat...

Perth Royal Show 2011

2011-10-01T07:27:00.006+08:00

It's that time of year again!

Mr Fixit and I are off to the Perth Royal Show. The rides and stalls are only a quarter of the site.

We last went in 2009 and I blogged about it here and here.

We are going by ourselves again.

Sunny and a breezy 25C.

Time to find the sunscreen!

The fireworks are around 8pm.

We won't stay that late.

Have a good weekend!

Free Going Batty Quilting Design Pattern

2011-09-28T19:46:00.003+08:00

Free Going Batty Quilting Design Pattern

This is what I get up to when I'm not in my sewing room.

What did we do before we surfed the web??

Seriously, Halloween is just around the corner...

Design Seeds

2011-09-25T20:53:00.003+08:00

Have you discovered Design Seeds yet?

Lots of colour palettes to inspire.

I'm really enjoying this website ...

A charming time...

2011-09-14T17:17:00.004+08:00

For the past few days I've been chopping up my novelty fabrics in to charm squares (5 inch). Anything fat quarter size and smaller got the chop.

These fabrics have been sitting around for a long, long, long time.

Here's my progress so far. I may just chuck the other scraps back in the box and call it done for now. Or not. We'll see.
It feels good to have these under control. And prepared to share or throw into a quick baby quilt.

Another Retreat Project

2011-09-05T19:38:00.003+08:00

This little table runner is another one of my retreat projects. I used the fabric squares I won in a giveaway and I blogged about it here. I added two fabrics of my own. I'm pleased with it overall and will show it again once it's finished. I love these fabrics. It is Finally Free by Caroline Simas. It's not quite available yet (sigh) but the Fat Quarter Shop will email you when it's available if you ask them.

Fabric Box

2011-09-01T11:21:00.005+08:00

At my recent retreat, I made this fabric box from orphan blocks in the scrapheap. (The scrapheap is a bunch of scraps from quilters attending the retreat - it goes in a pile for people to rummage through as needed.) I used this as a warm-up project before I made the Dr Seuss bag.

The free pattern is from Val Laird and can be found here. I'm surprised at how sturdy it is and how well it stands up by itself. A very useful project and I will probably make one again sometime.

Isn't it amazing how life pushes forward so fast? And it feels like forever since you've been away but it's only been a few days? And now it's September and before you know it it will be Christmas...

Love Dr Seuss!

2011-08-29T11:09:00.004+08:00

I've just spent four lovely days at my WAQA retreat in the lovely Swan Valley. My main project was to make this bag in the lovely Dr Seuss fabrics I showed you in an earlier post. Here are some of the pieces getting prepped.

Of course I spent more time sewing than taking photos, so I did manage to finish the bag.

Ta Da!

Here it is in all it's Dr Seuss loveliness. This bag is for a friend of my daughter's who's having a baby at the end of the year.

I did work on one or two other things - but will have to post about them later. Back at work this week and working extra shifts. Will pop in to say hi when I can.

Wildflower Season

2011-08-24T14:45:00.003+08:00

Something pretty to look at while I'm away at my retreat.

A little sewing...

2011-08-23T00:01:00.001+08:00

Aside from hemming pants, I have managed to do a few little bits of sewing. I made these little padded sleeves for the weights for the pull cords for our vertical blinds. Now that the surfaces are painted so beautifully, we did not want these weights to chip the walls. I've pulled the sleeve down a little for this photo so you can see the plastic case for the weight. I've made the sleeve snug enough to just slide on without being tied on.
I've also got three of my pieced borders for this quilt done. This looks good enough to be it's own beginnings of a quilt, but I will resist starting anything new for now.

I've also washed and ironed these lovely Dr Seuss fabrics. One project for this fabric is a nappy (diaper) bag for a friend of my daughter's whose baby is due in January. I will make the bag at the retreat I am going to next weekend. I will also make a small quilt with the panel. Should be fun.

So my camera is at the ready and I will catch up with you all after the retreat.

Multiple Blessings and a Giveaway

2011-08-21T07:57:00.003+08:00

Look at these yummy fabric squares I won from Caroline Simas from her blog Designing for the Soul. Caroline is an artist and designs fabric as well as other art works. At the moment she is having a giveaway for a skin for an ipod 4 (for those of you who know what that means. My mobile phone is about 5 years old and is showing signs of failing (sigh) and I can't even begin to imagine breaking in a new one.)

These fabrics are from Caroline's line called Finally Free from Robert Kaufman fabrics.

One of the things I really like about Caroline is that she shares her inspirations for her designs. She is a woman of faith who walks with God and she shares her wonder and amazement of His glorious creation through her art. We should all be so inspired!

Food For Thought

2011-08-20T13:28:00.003+08:00

My guild (WAQA) had a quiltlet challenge with the theme "Food for Thought" in honour of our 35th anniversary as an association. The girl on the swing quiltlet that I did was my entry and I titled it 'Fantasy Picnic'. Here are the quiltlets. I did try to take some close-ups but between poor lighting and focus problems they are a little 'iffy'. So have a look and have a laugh - some are quite amusing.

Colour makes all the difference...

2011-08-18T10:29:00.005+08:00

Check out this blog to see how fabric choices make the same quilt look so different. I had to look twice to see they that were indeed all the same pattern. Karma Quilt is the blog of Maria, who lives in Denmark. Near as I can tell, these quilts were from a local quilt show.

Colour

2011-08-16T07:06:00.004+08:00

I'm working a lot of extra shifts at the moment so not much to show. A little colour for you to look at instead. I picked these up recently for a dollar each. Coats No. 8 cotton.

Not another shirt!

2011-08-11T11:06:00.006+08:00

I'm trying to clean and tidy a little each week (outside the normal housework). This week I decided to sort through old clothing destined for the op shop. After making this quilt, which included a lot of synthetic fabrics, I thought I would never make another quilt out of shirts. However, when feeling these soft, 100% cotton shirts, I decided to salvage them ala Bonnie Hunter. I also get a lot of inspiration from Julie.

So I snipped off buttons and de-constructed the shirts eliminating all the seams. Each shirt easily yields more than a half metre of useable fabric. 25 shirts in all. I will probably work with them next year (a starting year). Unless of course my resolve weakens...

Have you ever made a quilt out of shirts?

Back Soon...

2011-08-04T09:49:00.000+08:00

A sorting day

2011-07-30T14:41:00.006+08:00

Today I'm cleaning out a bookcase. Taking up valuable shelf space was 9 years of past diaries. For many years I used the Australian Patchwork and Quilting diary, but they stopped making them and my 2008 calendar was a plain little green one from the news agency. Then I came across the Quilt Art diaries on the internet.

They are published by the American Quilter's Society.

You can see the layout here - works very well for me, and great quilts to look at all year long. It's interesting to look back and see how the general look of the quilts has changed. And I'm all set already with next year's diary.

I also came across this book behind another book. No wonder my house in never clean! Actually, I must confess that I have two copies of this book. Maybe it's worth giving one away! Would you be interested? Edit: (This book is on it's way to Simone. )I also came across this redeemed home-made gift voucher. For when you just don't know what to get a teenager. Better than a store voucher as she just loved, loved the personal touch. And we enjoyed shopping together to spend it!
So what's hiding in your bookcase?

I have stacks of stuff all over the floor so better get back to it.

Hope you enjoy your weekend!

Wild Goose Chase

2011-07-26T16:49:00.006+08:00

So in between playing around with itty-bitty scraps,

I have this interesting book to read.

You can read about the author here,

I got my book from Fishpond,

or see the other sources on Terri's website.

Scrappy Pincushion

2011-07-24T15:46:00.000+08:00

What do you do with leftovers?

2011-07-23T18:41:00.000+08:00

Fabric Collage 2

2011-07-19T16:56:00.004+08:00

so I finished stitching down all the scraps

here it is from the back - pretty cool

(backing fabric will cover this)

i built up the applique on baking paper

then carefully transferred it for fusing

here she is

you probably guessed by now that this is

"Girl on a Tree Swing" by Aneela Hoey

all finished

overall a quick project and lots of fun

This small quilt was submitted to my guild as part of a challenge.

Fabric Collage

2011-07-17T15:29:00.002+08:00

So I cut some one inch strips

I cross-cut the strips to one and half inch rectangles

and placed them on to the sticky side of paper-backed fusible web

I had the fusible web resting on a square ruler for easy transfer to the ironing board

I only gently pressed so as to not disturb my arrangement

this is what it looks like from the back

I carefully removed the paper backing then fused it to a white fabric foundation
I then pinned it to my wadding, in this case, pellon

here you can see how I'm stitching it down

I have yet to stitch the green down

there's a little more to be added to the quiltlet after this

Not much happening...

2011-07-15T16:36:00.001+08:00

I have the winter blahs...

Christmas In July

2011-07-10T07:56:00.006+08:00

For all of you working on Christmas items - good luck on a great head start!

For the rest of us... what's going on over there?

For more inspiration, Google Images Christmas Quilts.

When you're home sick...

2011-07-06T12:10:00.005+08:00

I'm in the hacking/choking cough phase of my cold and it is impossible to be effective at work so here I am at home drinking hot tea with lemon and trying every cough syrup known to man. Alas, time will be the best remedy. All is not lost however, as I can still operate my sewing machine between coughing fits.

Our dear friend Lurline started making a quilt with this pattern using Liberty fabrics. Her life is turned a little upside down at the moment, and she has graciously consented to allow a few of her friends to work on the quilt for her.

Our dear friend Robin pre-cut the strips and supplied us with block kits.

For the centre pinwheels, Robin prepared the half-square triangles (hst) by placing right sides together with this gridded paper and then sewing on the dashed lines. I will cut on the solid lines, remove the paper gently and voila! perfect hst's!

The top left block is one Lurline made and was supplied to us as a 'sample'. Our strips included two over-sized strips for the outer edge to allow for trimming as that mysterious quarter-inch seam can be elusive when shared in a group.

So while I am coughing and spluttering and feeling sorry for myself, my dear Mr Fixit is busy detailing (i.e. painting) our kitchen/dining/family area (still). It's a long job when perfection is demanded. If he were a quilter, any quilt he made would be a masterpiece.

And I discovered this little chore to do in the laundry.

One of my favourite and oh-so-necessary-in-this-weather turtlenecks.

I think I'll go and have a little nap. Coughing is too much hard work!

Happy Independence Day!

2011-07-03T16:45:00.003+08:00

I hope all my American friends and family enjoy a lovely Fourth of July with much celebration and fireworks.

Misc

2011-07-02T22:48:00.002+08:00

I made this little dragon ages and ages ago. It belongs to daughter #2. My first softie. Cheap felt and over-stuffed but well loved. The eyes have yellowed over the years. I got the pattern from a book or magazine - can't remember - although I probably still have it here somewhere.

Back view.

My number 2 daughter made this as a school project way back when. She is now 22.

Detail.

Recent family photo just before we went to see "The John Denver Story" with Rick Price.

Left to right Daughter #2, Daughter #1, Daughter #3 (crouching), Mumsyblossom and Mr Fixit.

Lots of painting and fixing plumbing and fighting winter colds going on at the moment. No sewing - alas!

My Grandmother's Doll Quilt

2011-06-24T19:52:00.001+08:00

My grandmother made this little doll quilt later in her life. It was occupational therapy while recovering from something or other (living in Oz the details were sketchy as they didn't want to worry me or something like that. Very frustrating.) These fabrics are not cotton. Think polyester.

These prints scream sixties and seventies to me.

The herringbone stitch is a nice touch.

A rogue woven fabric - a coat? skirt? vest?

My grandmother loved her polyester suits. But I'm sure she didn't have this many. I believe the fabrics were shared amongst the group in recovery.

Nothing like a good op-shop to find this stuff.

Incredibly, my family sent me a bag of polyester scraps and a huge polyester flimsy... which I've blogged about before but haven't done anything with yet... it's mind boggling and will probably be cut into small quilts. That one didn't have any hand stitching like this little beauty.

I'm sure my grandmother had a green poly suit...

What's hiding in your cupboard?

QW 11 - Last One

2011-06-20T19:48:00.000+08:00

Our intrepid leader, Sheila Pye.

Take-down is officially a construction site so we are all supposed to wear our vests.

The quilts are dropped and bagged as quickly as possible.

Deconstructing the stands begins immediately.

All the bits are counted in to the storage bags.

It takes ages to fold all those calico back drops. They have to be folded a certain way so we can fit ten in the plastic crates.

All of this is counted so it's ready for the next outing.

The quilts are folded carefully.

The quilts are laid in numerical order ready for collection.

The quilt owners present their numbered ticket to collect their quilts and sign them out of our custody.

It takes two long days to erect the stands, hang the quilts, and prepare the displays for the exhibition. (Not to mention the two and a half days prior for processing, judging and photography etc.). Take down takes only two hours (or less).

That's it for another year. I'm off the committee now. I've happily served for six years, but if I stayed any longer, it wouldn't be happy any more. Time to share the glory with someone else stepping forward. I look forward to enjoying the exhibition next year as a "civilian".

QW11 Best of Show

2011-06-20T08:34:00.001+08:00

You didn't think I'd forget Best of Show?

Quiltmaker: Rebecca Stewart-Bartell

A 30-something mum of three children. Her husband helps watch the kids while she quilts.

Photos just can't do this amazing quilt justice.

QW11 No. 23

2011-06-19T22:06:00.001+08:00

Another very favourite quilt...

QW11 No. 22

2011-06-18T22:04:00.001+08:00

QW11 No. 21

2011-06-17T22:01:00.001+08:00

QW11 No. 20

2011-06-16T21:58:00.001+08:00

QW11 No. 19

2011-06-15T21:52:00.001+08:00

QW11 No. 18

2011-06-14T21:48:00.001+08:00

These are the student quilts. They range in age from 5 to 17.

Retail Therapy

2011-06-14T10:24:00.002+08:00

We interrupt our regularly scheduled broadcast to bring you other news...
.
I made this little coin purse in a class run by Jane MacDonald of BeBe Bold during the recent quilt show. A little fiddly but now I know how to do it, I can see myself making one again sometime.

This is a recent purchase from Funky Fabrix.

Sweet and cheerful.

Pefect to bring a little spring in to these cold winter days.

We now return to our regularly scheduled broadcast...

QW11 No. 17

2011-06-13T19:40:00.001+08:00

A beautiful crazy quilt.

detail

charming

sweet

elegant

fun

QW11 No. 16

2011-06-12T19:38:00.001+08:00

I showed you this one before. This quilt was made by the one male member of our Association. Ross Ellis is a retired occupational therapist and stated in a recent radio interview that he finds quilting a great creative outlet and that he used to quilt on his lunch hour when still at work.
This quilt has won five awards at this exhibition. Best applique, best hand quilting, President's Choice, Viewers' Choice and Members' Choice. Here is a little of the detail to show you why...

This is all reverse applique...

QW11 No. 15

2011-06-11T19:36:00.001+08:00

Does this block have a name?

From a class held by Lessa Siegele. I could not find a link to any blog or website for Lessa, but it could be out there somewhere.

detail

Another beauty...

QW11 No. 14

2011-06-10T19:34:00.001+08:00

Members of our Association donate literally hundreds of quilts each year. They are distributed to the children's hospital, neo-natal units, cancer wards, cardiac wards, hospices, refuges, foster care, the Flying Doctor, and probably other places I don't know about.

Our Sit-n-Sew volunteers work on these quilts during the exhibition to show members of the public (a.k.a. civilians) the quilting process. The bags were made be volunteers at a local quilt shop and they will go to foster kids.

This is where members of the committee greet the public and answer any questions. We also sell our catalogue and commemorative badges. It's a good place to sit for a few minutes and have a breather and maybe even get a stitch in or two.

Centre aisle

The ladies on the left are members of the sub-group for crazy patchwork and hexagon lovers.

QW11 No. 13

2011-06-09T19:33:00.001+08:00

This is the Kidz Korner.

Our lovely Jan Rowe designed activities for kids of all ages (many parents joined in). In addition to the quizzes and treasure hunt (for particular quilts), kids got the opportunity to make their own 'quilts' out of paper.

Kids could also draw a quiltlet and the lovely Jan Rowe turned it in to a real live quilt! Amazing.

I'll never look at kid's drawings the same way again.

QW11 No. 12

2011-06-08T19:31:00.001+08:00

This is the lovely Lisa Walton, of Dyed and Gone to Heaven.

Lisa brought her considerable expertise as the guest judge of this year's QuiltWest exhibition.

This is an example of Lisa's work.

Her bead embellishments are amazing...

Lisa has a short beading tutorial here ...

You can source Lisa's hand-dyed fabrics and beads at her online store here.

You can also catch up with Lisa later in the year at Houston.

QW11 No. 11

2011-06-07T19:29:00.001+08:00

A Sudoku quilt

a variety of quilting in the blocks

QW11 No. 10

2011-06-06T19:26:00.001+08:00

QW11 No. 9

2011-06-05T18:10:00.001+08:00

This quilt is amazing... I'm so in love with it...

detail

QW11 No. 8

2011-06-04T18:05:00.001+08:00

This is one of the coveted rosettes for first prize - handmade by Association volunteers.

QW11 No. 7

2011-06-03T18:04:00.002+08:00

Fussy cutting and precision piecing...

detail - look at the centre...

an interesting effect - the way it swirls around - no messy, heavy seam - I really like it...

QW11 No. 6

2011-06-02T18:00:00.001+08:00

This quilt was not an official part of the exhibition. There was a blank spot so our intrepid leader 'pulled one from the stack' to hang up. She made it in 2004.

detail

A real beauty and a favourite with the crowd...

detail

A wonderful combination of precision piecing and applique.

This one too...

QW11 No. 5

2011-06-01T17:57:00.001+08:00

With flash

detail, no flash

detail... look at the beading...

Lovely shades of purple...

QW11 No. 4

2011-05-31T17:50:00.001+08:00

The first two quilts are from the AQC challenge "The Seven Deadly Sins". I thought they were quite clever in their design. The cake one is my favourite this year...

Fun quilts from the exhibition...

QW11 No.3

2011-05-30T17:47:00.001+08:00

These are some very fine examples of what our contemporary quilt group is up to...

Yes, those are real metal bits sewn on top of the quilt...

QW11 No.2

2011-05-29T17:42:00.001+08:00

These are several of the Association's anniversary quilts.

This is the 30th anniversary quilt. My name appears on one of the leaves.

This year is the 35th anniversary. We don't know yet what the quilt will be... details to follow soon...

QW11 No. 1

2011-05-28T17:39:00.002+08:00

Without flash.

With flash.

Detail

Look at the quilted birds in the 'sashing'

A really beautiful quilt

I can't put my hands on my catalogue at the moment, so my apologies to the wonderful makers of this quilt. I believe it was either a two-person quilt or a group effort.

QuiltWest 2011

2011-05-21T20:48:00.005+08:00

A few more quilts to look at - tomorrow is the last day. Whew!

The Quilt Show is Up and Running

2011-05-19T22:02:00.004+08:00

Pick your favourite metaphore for 'flat out like a lizard drinking' and that would be me. Here are a couple of the approximately 200 0n display. Time for bed now. Three days to go...