Quilt As You Go

I’ve been working away on these blocks for some time now. A project one of my sisters commenced and handed over to me to complete for her. Japanese fabrics. It will fit the top of her double bed.

The blocks are a bit fiddly to make. The effect of reversing the alternate block really adds some appeal to the design. I really felt quilting was needed on the blocks and quilted a Japanese motif which I really like.

 

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Red Delicous Quilt In Progress

After a very busy 7/8 months I decided I deserved a prize and started another project; Esther Aliu’s Red Delicious Quilt. Her online shop is here. Esther has a Yahoo Group you can join if you are interested in her designs. Unfortunately the free BOM (Oma’s Blues) for this year has already begun but you can purchase components if you’re interested.

I’ve been trying to make some of my blocks with the Brother Scan’n Cut I got for Christmas but I have to say it’s been a steep learning curve and probably would have taken a lot less time if I’d tried to complete the blocks the old fashioned way. I will say I’m glad I didn’t have to cut some of the blocks the old fashioned way though, the machine definitely makes a difference on the tricky cutting once you get things sorted.

I’ve been working on these blocks for quite a few weeks now and of course I’m never satisfied to leave things alone and have changed some of the components!

I have a few days work coming up in the next few weeks so I’m expecting progress to be slow for a while.

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Feathers

Been practicing free motion feathers, quite pleased with them.

 

This is why I’ve been practicing. This was a long-term project I started years ago and I got sick of the pieces lying around my work room so I decided to make it into a small baby size quilt, possibly for the hospital or for a future family addition. It seems the pull of other projects was always too strong and this one just got pushed further and further down the list.

 

Just sewing the binding on now – woohoo – I’m calling this a success! Love it.

Quilting feathers is a skill I’m always working towards, I have pages and pages filled with varying drawing attempts over the years.

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My Week

 

 

 

This is the view as I walked up to my car from work on Wednesday afternoon, those long autumn afternoon shadows are very distinct. The rain was just spitting a little bit and it was also very windy.

Next are some teaching samples I made this week.

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Sashings

This last week I’ve been working on quilting gum leaves in my sashings. I’ve almost completed them and have started working on a quilting motif for the blocks.

 

There’s still a fairly large area above the kangaroo without any quilting but I’m still tempted to run with it.

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Australiana Quilt

Today I’ve been basting in preparation for quilting tomorrow. This will be a gift for friends overseas. It is a simple design meant to showcase the different Australian themed fabrics. I’ve only got a couple of months to quilt this and another larger quilt as well. I’m very, very busy, busy, busy!

 

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Orca Bay Strings

I’ve been working on my larger string blocks for the sashings of my Orca Bay.

 

They look really good but I need to make so many, many more.

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Orca Bay Progress

I’m working away but I’m sure things would move at a much faster pace if I stopped making units that look like this

 

Or this one at the front, the ones at the back are correct. Still around another 80+ to go.

 

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Missing In Action

A couple of months ago a friend, Marilyn, gave me these. I think there might be almost a quarter of the stars and larger sashing pieces required.  Honestly I did resist, but she said if nobody wanted them she would throw them out, so at the second asking I said yes I would have her unwanted and unloved Orca Bay pieces. Marilyn decided this quilt just wasn’t for her so aren’t I a lucky girl?

After several fabric shopping expeditions to locate some black with white, white with black, some reds and some of the same blue fabrics and a few others, I have started sewing. You will note Marilyn decided to reverse the colourway and I’m happy with that.

I’ve been sewing away madly like a patchworkmaniac, lol and can’t resist the lure of this quilt design. Every spare moment I seem to be sitting at my machine or cutting or trimming something, I don’t have any of the fancy rulers so it is probably taking me a little bit longer. I have decided to run with a 7 x 9 block design and have about half of these red units completed for the sashing intersections.

I’ve made dozens and dozens of these half square triangles  for the other sashing units which still have to be stitched and I have almost finished the border units as well.

I’ve made many, many star blocks

I’ve started playing around with the layout, it helps keep me inspired to continue with this extremely time consuming project! It looks really good, in fact I’m loving it.

Now back to the machine!! lol

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My Blue Gum Mystery/Challenge/BOM Step 2

Not quite sure what to call it really, it is a mystery, the steps are provided monthly and oh boy is it a challenge lol!

Steps 2 calls for diamonds. I would have liked to use a small spacer before my diamond border but I’m not even sure if I’m allowed, so I decided to run with something open but with dark running around the outside to mark the finish of this step. Of course  I draw it up in EQ first to see how it would look and I trialed several corner options before I was satisfied with this one.

As I said before, I am trying to use some of the scraps from my quilt for Amy. I did buy a little extra to play with but I certainly won’t be able to make a large quilt without more purchases. Colours are still showing a little deeper/brighter than they actually are.

Now I’ve

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