Sorry-it's-been-so-long & AQC

Oh dear, it's been over a month since I posted! In the meantime, I've been to the AQC in Melbourne, had a really bad bout of flu' that put me out of action for about 2 weeks, and, ... well, life just got in the way :-) So, I have a few photo's of some finishes and also what I got up to in Melbourne.

This quilt is from

a pattern put out by Bonnie Hunter (Quiltville.com) and is her Scrappy Bargello. But, I did a co-ordinated version and extended the zigzag a bit and called mine Streak of Lightning. I love the colours, although this shot doesnt really do it justice.

I dont kthink you can see the quilting. Fairly ordinary in the main part, but round the edge I did a sort of side-ways continuous figure 8. I love doing that design.

This next one I called Eye of the Tiger cos in the little posts in the sashing I tried to put an eye. I quilted basically around the skewiff log cabin blocks and then round the edge I did a vine pattern that I made up. That was fun too.

This is a top that I almost finished at the AQC so now it's a finished top, waiting to be sandwiched and quilted. I'm hoping it wont stay an UFO for too long, although so saying, I'm going away for about 3 months and wont have my machine, so maybe I'll aim for before Xmas! The class was with Jenny Bowker and the star is called Broken Star (or Carpenters Wheel). I added the little bits top and bottom, cos I dont like square quilts - and I love the finished top.

I'm having trouble with putting in my pictures. They always go to the top of the page, regardless of when I put them in, and then, sometimes when I'm moving them, either the one I'm moving, or one that gets in the way, disappears. So, I'm going to quit while I'm ahead here and I'll post again "soon" with more pictures of AQC and more "finishes"

Till next time,

Faye.

A few (almost) finishes.

This quilt is the 2011 Quiltville Mystery (Roll Roll Cotton Boll) - a small version. Bonnie's quilts are always too large for me, especially as they usually have such tiny pieces in them. I enjoyed making this one, but was agonizing about how I would quilt it. But, after my session with Pauline, I set my machine for free-motion quilting and away I went.

In the String blocks I have quilted 4 hearts - I hope you can see them. The half ones near the border have 2 hearts. I never would have attempted this before. It's not the best of quilting - I'm still learning and practising - but I'm pleased with how it is all progressing.

I'm having problems with placement of more pictures that I have, so that's all I'll put in this posting. I'll try and up load some more tomorrow. It's too late now and I'm getting tired and frustrated. I'm off to bed.

C U.

Faye.

Catch-up.

Oh dear, it's been a while. Where did the time go? I've been busy sewing and in a day or so I'll have some photo's to show. The one I'm quilting now is a blue and yellow Bargello and has been pinned and waiting for about 2 years !! And that's not the oldest one. But, I've made a pact with myself to try and quilt at least one quilt a week until we go away - probably the end of April. So, that should get another 4 or 5 finished, I hope. Trouble is, life gets in the way ... :-( ... and my plans get put on the back burner.

I've also been doing rounds on the 5 RR's I'm in, so cant show photo's of that as it's a secret :-) So, when they arrive I'll try and remember to take photo's and show you. This was the first one home - I think I'll make a cushion with it. I'm going to make my couch a showcase of all the mini quilts (made into cushions). That's the plan - we'll see what happens LOL.

I'm off to do some more on that quilt.

Till next time,

Faye.

At last I can do it!

Last week our club had a visit from The Gadget Queen - Pauline Rogers, and WOW. I already had my mojo going quite strongly, but now its almost bursting out of my head !!!

These two pictures are what I call Lightning Strike. The quilt is only quite small - I was testing out the scrappy Bargello pattern. It's been a finished top for about 18 months, waiting for quilting inspiration. After listening to Pauline, I decided "I can do that!" - and here it is all finished except to sew down the binding. I'm hoping the quilting pattern that I put in the red border shows up. I could quilt straight lines fine, - it was the squiggly bits that I thought I couldnt manage. After watching her, in this border I did a sort of open figure 8. Looks good, but dont scrutinise too closely LOL.

This one is what I call "Eye of the Tiger". I dont think you'll be able to see, but in the little 1" squares between each block (posts) I tried to put a tiger's eye in each one. I had actually quilted all the blocks and the first border and the narrow yellow border - all straight lines (I could do that). but it was sitting languishing, waiting for me to decide what to put in the 6" wide dark border. After my session with Pauline, I've now quilted a vine and leaf design all around it.

This is a close up of it. Hope you can see it.

And this is the back of this quilt. It was a scrappy front, so I decided to make the back scrappy too and am pleased with how it has all turned out.

Next project will be to tackle a larger top - I have plenty to choose from :-)

So, nothing wrong with my mojo at the moment. It's very much alive and itching to get sewing. What a pity I cant afford to have someone in to do all the cooking, cleaning and shopping so I could just sit and sew all day - or go shopping for quilting paraphernalia. It's nice to dream.

We are off out to lunch to celebrate DS2 (Dear Son No.2) birthday. Another interruption! But I love him, so my quilting will (must) wait.

Till next time.

Faye.

Catching up.

I thought I'd just put a few words on the blog - just to let you know I'm still here :-) Our WA branch of Scquilters had a get-together (GTG) on Saturday and I was putting my Quiltville Mystery together. I just want to add a border or 2 and then I'll take a photo and show everyone. Other than that, quiltwise I'm still working on 3 of my swaps. One is almost done, so cant wait to have it arrive home and see what everyone else has done to my centre square !!! I've also finished putting the braid border on my Scrappy Bargello, so will take a photo of that too.

Today I was on duty at the Quilt House and got quite a lot done on my blocks, even though there were lots of visitors. I had a lovely day, 9.30 till 3pm.

OK, I'm off to cut and sew on some borders.

C U

Cheers,

Faye.

Hot, hot, hot!!

We are going for the records here in WA around the Perth area. We are actually in Pinjarra, about 100km south of Perth, but get similar weather. I heard thismorning that we have had 29 days of over 30 deg., and 19 nights over 20. Cant remember how far off the record of over 30 we are - think it's about 35, but the record for nights over 20 is 21, so that will be smashed in a couple of nights. Forecast is for another week of days over 35 degrees. And also high humidity. I'm over it. The poor garden is suffering, even tho we water 3 times a week (our quota). It's been over 37 for the last 4 or 5 days (at least) and they are telling us there is still another week of it yet. The killer is that the nights dont cool enough, so the house doesnt cool down. Anyone got any rain and cool weather they can send my way :-)

I'm off to get an iced drink.

Cheers,

Faye.

Morning Vista

As I was sitting having my breakfast thismorning I thought what a beautiful outlook. No wonder I love living here and dont really want to move. Almost every morning we eat out here, on the back porch. It faces East but because of the big trees you can see in the first photo, we dont get sun until mid morning. Most times I just take it for granted, but occasionally, like today, I do take time to "smell the roses" so to speak. The 3 photo's could be "stitched" to get an all round vista, but I dont know how to do that, so here they are, separate.

Hubby does most of the gardening. When he retired we had different ideas about what to grow, and where, so I said to him - you do the gardening and I'll be the helper. It has worked well, although I wish he would put in a retic system so when we go away someone only has to turn on the tap, or even just keep an eye on it. The watering takes at least an hour if done properly.

I'm working on my Bargello quilt top (from a previous post) and will take another photo of that when I get the borders done. Have also been making lots of 9-patches as the starters-&-enders, so that's another quilt or 2 almost done. Think I'll make them into baby quilts.