Friday 27 November 2009

Finishes ...

Last week I managed a couple more finishes along with the yellow pair. So below we have a jelly roll pinwheel quilt I made back before the summer. I managed to get it quilted whilst I've been at home, and finally got the binding on last week.
The weather has been quite wet lately and even getting outside it was hard to get a good pic of the quilt. But, hey, it's on my bed now!
I had great fun quilting the feathers in the stacked coins. Another one that finally had the binding sewn on last week.

It was definitely a week of finishes!


Ooops, this one seems to have got a creek in it's neck!

I also wanted to share with you another of our beautiful sunrises. We really are so lucky to get these, and we've had some stunners lately.


Happy Quilting!

Thursday 26 November 2009

Christmas is coming!

Way too fast in my humble opinion!

I have so many projects to get finished, and so little time left to do it in!

Last week I went to a class at my LQS, and this was the project for the day. No I didn't come home with it in this state, I spent Tuesday afternoon, finishing the foundation piecing of the flying geese and putting this little hanging together.
Then came the tedious task of removing all those beastly little papers from the back!
And as you can see, some of them are really tiny! They are out, and now this is layered and ready for quilting. Today's task along with cracking on with my Mum's quilt!
Be back soon to show you my progress!

Oooooh, while I remember, please pop over to my friend Sweetiepie's blog, and take a look at the beautiful little quilt she has been free motion quilting on.

Happy Quilting!

Tuesday 24 November 2009

PIF Gifts and Parcels

I'm very pleased to say my Pay It Forward gifts are in the post! So get ready Sue, Nicky and Linda! I hope you like them :o) I'll post pictures after I know they have been received, I don't want to spoil the surprise.

On Saturday I attended a Quilters Guild Region 10 Area Day at a fabulous village hall in Waltham on the Wolds near Melton Mowbray. There was a talk by Elizabeth Brimelow on 'Why Textiles' which was extremely inspiring. Elizabeth is a member of the 'Art Quilts' group, 20 European quilters who exhibit their work all over the world. Her quilts were fantastic! And I have to say the slide show did not do them justice, we were lucky enough to get up close and personal with some of her quilts, sketch books and even a work in progress. Do go and look at her website. I'm afraid I failed completely with photo's, despite the camera being in my bag! Ooops!

Whilst I was out the post man called and left a great little parcel of loveliness!

I'm not really into bags, but I've been eying this one up on the web for some time. Lets see how long it takes me to make one up, you never know, I may get hooked!

I have some finishes from last week to show you too! But they'll have to wait till next time!
Happy Quilting!

Saturday 21 November 2009

Fall Mini Quilt Swap

I've been busy signing up for a few swaps just lately. Not that I need any more projects on top of the huge list I already have, but I think a mini quilt is achievable and such fun to swap with a complete stranger too! This is a secret swap, so my swap partner doesn't know who is making for her. As she doesn't have a blog or a Flicker account (that I'm aware of) It's a little hard to know for sure what she likes.

So these are the fabrics I have chosen to start my Fall mini quilt off with (all from my stash). I know there is definitely too much fabric in the pile, but I've cut off what I need from each, and its a much smaller pile! They pretty much speak fall to me! And I have a great little pattern that I've had, dare I admit it, for at least 10 years! It's about time I used it, don't you think? lol

Thursday 19 November 2009

Mellow Yellow and Yellow Peril - Done, Done, Done!

Thanks to QuiltSue, yes, the second is call Yellow Peril! But they are both done, quilted, done bound, and done delivered! And I am pleased to report that Ilene loves them :o)

Isn't that what we want as quilters, that they go to homes where they will be loved? Well I do anyway!
The border fabric is slightly lighter on yellow peril than it's partner.

It was a very dull morning yesterday, to the pictures aren't brill, and these were taken just before I went out the door with them to Norfolk.
I just want to share the sunrise from this morning! Stunning!
I have lots more to share, I'll be back soon!
Happy Quilting

Sunday 15 November 2009

Mellow Yellow

I've been working on these for some time, the deadline to have the pair finished is fast approaching. This is the first one, trimmed and ready to add the binding. (now done)

I spent most of today quilting the second one. It too needs to be trimmed and the binding adding. That's tomorrows job.

I've not really done block specific quilting much before, but am very pleased with the results. I'm going to have to concentrate on this next year. I also turned the quilts to complete the inside borders.

The plan, tomorrow morning trim and add the binding, pm I have a quilt group meeting, Tuesday a quilt class at the LQS, and Wednesday, deliver 2 completed quilts! Nothing like a deadline is there? LOL I love a challenge!

Do you like?


Saturday 7 November 2009

Armistice...

Today we remember...

I felt this Pam Bono Quilt entitled 'Remembrance' which was presented to the Committee of the Royal Canadian Legion. It lead to many more quilts being made for Legions and veterans alike.

Personally I think i is stunning!











Lest we forget.


Chilford Part 3 - What you've really been waiting for!

Edited Note: Part 2 of the quilt photo's has been published below Part 1 :o)

OK, I've not bought kits for years, but this one was an impulse buy, and shouted at me!
Another kit, which I had seen displayed back at the Spring show way back in March this year, Another impulse buy, but hey... what the heck!

Funny how they are both similar colours, hmmm a blue and brown phase is approaching ?


Yep, blue and browns for a sneaky little idea that's nagging its way to the front of my brain and won't be still!



I saw a stunning quilt done in black and whites, and as soon as I saw it, it was one of those patterns that just made sense! Watch out for a leaders and enders project to be done with these




I actually went with my mum's Christmas quilt in mind, and these are some of the fabrics I bought, the colour hasn't come through too well, they are warm taupe's with a pinkish hue.
And these are the ones I will be using. The background fabric I picked up at my LQS recently, it has that opulent feel that my mum would like, it needs to go well with the wallpaper in the bedroom. Nothing like a challenge! (Hence the wishy washy look of the fabrics too)

I walked passed this little roll of 4" strips several times, and it goes so well with the blue and brown collection too!



I had been tempted having found this pattern on the web recently, but felt that shipping from Australia seemed a little decadent for just a pattern, so when I saw this along with many others I just had to. And it will be used as inspiration for my Fall Mini Swap quilt.

So those were my purchases. I spent far more than I anticipated, but am really pleased with the stash that came home with me!
I've loaded up the first of the yellow nine patch quilts onto the frame and have started quilting. Most of my quilts get an all over pattern, some have been more intricately quilted. These I am keeping to the blocks, which is a different way for me! I hope to have something to show you soon :o)

Happy Quilting!

Chilford Hall Autumn Quilt Festival - Part One

Yesterday I went to Chilford Hall Autumn Quilt Festival, something I'd been looking forward to for some time, as I had missed the International Quilt Festival in Birmingham back in August and the Harrogate Quilt Show back in September. It's a very small venue that can only be described as intimate, but it had a lovely atmosphere and well worth the visit. The vendors are always wonderful, and getting there on the first day (something I'm not normally able to do) made a huge difference to availability of the all important retail therapy!

This is the view into one of three main areas the show takes place, this one housing the quilts on show in the centre and vendors surrounding them. It's a tight squeeze :o) There was a wonderful display of quilts by Joyce Dawe of The Contented Cat entitled 'Quilts from My Princess & the Pea Bed'. So called because she keeps her many quilts laid on a spare bed flat and not folded.

This was my favourite quilt at the show, 'Sheba's Meadow' by Joyce Dawe.

Another of Joyce's quilts 'Around the Bend', which used striped fabrics in the appliques.

'Celtic Cameos' by Joyce Dawe.

'Starburst' by Joyce Dawe, made completely with triangles including the background!

'The Ever Circling Seasons' by Joyce Dawe. There were several quilts at the show, that immediately made me think of V over at Bumble Beans and her 'Stones' quilt. This was one of them.

'Paintbox' by Joyce Dawe, and challenge between Joyce and her daughter Joanne resulted in this beautiful quilt.

There was a display of quilts called 'It's and Illusion' by students of Purely Patchwork.


'A Taste of Teal' by Mary Wilson, Edinburgh, Midlothian.

'Illusion' by Claire Wenham, Torphichen, West Lothian.


'Trial and Error' by Morag Ogston, Falkirk. Her first major quilt project.


'It's an Illusion' by Margaret Linkston, Linlithgow.


'Free at Last' by Wendy McFarlane, Edinburgh, Midlothian. The background fabric in this quilt was a lovely subtle soft lime green, although it's not very clear in this photo. I tried several times, but the light was terrible.
I've got more pics, to follow on from this post ....
Happy Quilting!