Me in Pink and Purple

Today is the reveal day for the latest challenge from the Art Quilts Around the World net group.

Here is the link.

I am happy with mine. My execution is never quite as good as the ideas I have, but I am getting there.

Reverse applique - perhaps...

My inspirational mother and I have another challenge on.

It is to use the following panel in a quiltlet.

I think I may just reverse applique it onto this fabulous fabric I bought, and then do some trapunto style quilting on it.

A sneak peek of self portrait challenge

As part of my Art Quilts around the World group, our current project is a self portrait.

Here is a little teaser of what I have been working on for it.

My latest purchase

Went with a friend to the Quilt Fair in Melbourne. Met Mum there and had a great day. Spent too much money.

I bought an in-the-ditch foot for my machine, which I tried out today - very happy!

Practice

I am wanting to expand my reportoire of free motioning quilting, stippling is great but I can't do it on everything now, can I?



Have been getting inspiration from Leah Day.

Butterfly medallion challenge

This is what I have been doing today.

Going for the sympathy vote

I live in rural Victoria, on a broad acre farm. So, no town water (or pressure).

Basically, we collect our rain water, and then it is pumped up into another tank where it is gravity fed into the house.

Yesterday, we had lashings of rain (yeah, good for the crops), and very high wind (up to 100kmph), and our high water tank fell over into our house. (Nobody or children in the vicinity at the time, so no people damage.)




And, of course, at the end of that passage where all the water came through the roof is my sewing area. My second machine is water logged, my light box that I was showing off is drenched. I am lucky it is winter and I had moved my Horn with my main machine into the living room for the warmth. In the warmer months, it would have been in this space also.

Materials, and patterns, and magazines, and craft books, and some of my AWAQ quilts are wet or ruined. But, not too bad considering what could have happened.

But, don't feel too sorry for me, this is the paddock beside my house where we can watch and listen to our lambs fattening up for market. All is good! (Well, now the panic has subsided). And, that is not a black sheep but an alpaca looking after the flock.

First swap blocks done!

I have decided to put up the blocks I make rather than the blocks I receive.

When I have all the blocks and I have made them into quilts, then I will reveal all of those blocks.

ATCs

Here are a bunch of my latest ATC's.

My H is for .... for swapping with Mum created a theme.

Antique Tile Block Swap

I never find time (or perhaps inclination) to do any charity quilts. Or anything much along the lines of charity really. Time constraints are my usual copout.

So, I have signed up for an Antique Tile Block Swap with the intention of then having blocks ready to whiz together for charity quilts.

I have to provide the centre 4 1/2" square, and these are the fabrics I have chosen.

There are 12 swap partners, and the rest of the Antique Tile block is made from their stash, so it will be scrappy, and good fun.

Quilts in my bedroom

Linda Robertus posed the question about quilts around the house on her quilting blog here.

So, I thought I would show the three quilts I have in my bedroom.



From the top is a quilt my Mum made my hubby for his 40th last year.

On the bed is the quilt my Mum made for our wedding 5 years ago. It is a queen size bed, and the quilt nearly drapes to the floor. Magnificent.

And, across the back one of Mum's early quiltlet, a medieval theme.

See more of Mum's thoughts here.

I have one other quilt hanging up - I will save that for another time.

Showing off

I have been going to show off my light box for ages.

And, today I was using it so it seems the perfect time.

My dad made it for me, it is more a piece of furniture than a light box.

Aren't I just the luckiest???

Opinions ....

Here is the next round for my medallion quilt.

DH thinks this round is unnecessary and it looks finished without it.

What do others think?

Quilt as you go

I have been working on my quilt-as-you-go this weekend.

I am half way through, and I am hoping to get it finished for our local quilt show in October.

It was started in a class, my first ever and only class, in August 2008.

My work has come along way since all these blocks were made, but it will be lovely and warm for the winter nights.

Sampey's

I have completed 'Sampey's'.

I am very happy with it.

It is 19" x 23". Pieced background of cotton batiks, with some free motion machine embroidary.

I quilted some sheep in the paddocks.

Here is the photo that I took in 2003 that inspired this quilt. It is one of my husbands family farm blocks. It doesn't exist anymore because they have pulled the old fencing down now. Progress!

Simulated trees

Today I free motioned some trees on my Sampey's quiltlet.

I need to get on with this if I am to get it finished by the 12th April.

I also have enough left over, nearly, of the batik squares for the backing.


I am two squares short, but I had intended to do a big tag with the original photo on it, so I am still going to do that but place it in the backing, rather than on it.

Flora

I have finished my flora quilt.

And have posted it online here.

I am happy with the final edition, though the quilting could have had some more thought and effort put into it.

The if-in-doubt-stipple was perhaps not the best path to follow.

Coming along

Our local quilting group got together last night.

So, I got quite a bit done on my One Block Wonder quilt.

Nearly all of the blocks, as such, are made.

They are hexagons, but I have only put them together as two halves at this stage.

E is for ... ATC

Here is the next in my alphabet ATC series.

E is for .... essentials; craft, tea and love.

Plisse

I have been working on a new technique for me - plisse. Or tucking.

This is a section of a small art quilt that I have finished. It has worked really well.

And the technique was fiddly but easy.

The quilt is for Art Quilts Around the World and the theme is 'flora'.

The big reveal is the end of the month.

I am now working on some stump work to finish the project off with.

A new quilt

At our quilting group, we are doing a one block wonder quilt.

It will be all hexagons. It is made from only one fabric.

My husband picked this fabric. I said I would probably donate the finished quilt to charity.

And Anto said, Good, get rid of that pink stuff.

As good a way of choosing fabric as ever I have heard.

D is for ...

Oh, I have been lazy about posting.

Some weeks are too busy for enjoying time at the sewing table.

Here is my latest in the series of alphabet ATCs.

PS - It is D is for .... darning!

Alphabet ATCs - B is for ...

So, did you guess what my A is for ... was. It was A is for agaric, which is the underside of a mushroom. It is alright my B is for ... is not cryptic.

Here is the A is for ... Amber that I received in return. The photo doesn't really show up the bee floating around on the inside. Isn't it gorgeous. My mother is very inventive.

So, here is my B is for... Braid.

I am happy with the result, I do hope the braid holds, it is only sewn on by the edges.

Quilters gathering

Got to together with my mother, and some online quilting friends the weekend before last.

I was unwell and busy with the three kiddlies, but it was great to put personalities to faces.

We swapped ATCs - I gave the 'golden dots' from an earlier blog.

Here they are:

Top row: Left; from Linda. Right; 'Sunset at Ceduna, SA' by Fran.

Bottom row: Left: from Marian (mum). Right; 'L'oeuf' by Kathryn.

I am chuffed with them all.

Golden Dots ATC

I have been continuing to procrastinate. I should be studying.

So, instead I have made a postcard to send my s-i-l. And some ATCs for some quilting friends I am meeting in Melbourne on Sunday.

It will be a six or so hour drive on Friday to Melb with three kids under 5. Fun, fun and games.

Border done!

Here is that border I was spouting about all finished.

Bright is good!

Read a great article about procrastinators. And I am one of those. Anyhow, it suggested being able to have a list of things to do whilst putting off what you should be doing. It is working spectacularly. I have achieved so much of late whilst ignoring what I really should be up to.

Medallion Challenge

This is the second border to a medallion challenge set by my quilt group in Kaniva.

The central motif is a butterfly one.

I have been working on it on and off for over a year, and now the second border is nearly ready to go on. It has four blocks so the corners work well.

It is going to be colourful.

Sampey's project

Following on from previous post about chain piecing.

I put this together today.

I am quite happy.

Nothing I do is perfect but I am happy.

Alphabet ATCs

Mum and I are having a personal 2010 ATC swap for the alphabet.
So here is my 'A is for ...'

Can you guess what it is?

I have drawn the lines with Inktense pencils in a couple of colours and then stitched them in brown. I will send the one on the right to Mum, I think the denser colouration is a better representation of my subject.