Saturday 25 August 2012

Bargellos, bags and cabins

Crikey, the month of August has just flown by. I almost haven't had enough time to scratch my bum!

I've been pretty busy trying to get my bargello together to resemble looking like a quilt. I finally sewed together all my 16 blocks the other weekend and then arranged them on my bed to see what the end feature would look like, and I must admit I was pretty blown away by the effect it is going to make. My next assignment on that quilt will be to sew the rows together.

All 16 blocks assembled ready to sew together

At my sewing group I started making a bag with the rest of the troops and am progressing slowly, but surely. Two of the group finished theirs last Wednesday and they are absolutely smashing. It is great to see their faces on completion, huge beaming smiles and wops of delight and satisfaction. I sewed my braid on, very wobbly I might add, but nevertheless it is now on. I did the detail on the straps and next week will start sewing them onto the top of the bag. I should take a photo of my progress so far, but that will have to wait till it is daylight again!

In the meantime I got encouraged to start another quilt. This one will be for my Dad and his wife. The colours they love are green, blue and pink. After turning the pages of several magazines to get some ideas I finally, yes finally, decided on one called 'Home Sweet Home' by Lee Avard. It is from 'Australian Patchwork & Quilting', vol.3, no.4. I have cut and sewn six blocks already and today cut out six more. I've come to realise that cutting out is one of the most time consuming bits of making a quilt.... and unless you have a cutting table at a height that doesn't involve bending, you end up with a sore back, Gordon Bennett!! I am cutting my strips for cabins wider than the instructions say cos I want the quilt to end up bigger. I shall add a photo in a day or two of where I'm at. At least I'll be able to look back at this blog one day and tell myself, "Gee, you did that!?" I really want to start sewing my blocks together tonight, but I having taped Coro Street for the last two nights. The Street wins out, ha!

Happy, happy, joy, joy.

Tuesday 7 August 2012

Shopping for elephants

Well, not the real ones of course, but that darn marbled grey fabric that I run out of that makes elephants and couldn't find for the life of me in any local shop. I had another look at Quilters Quarters and blow me under there was just a tad left so I brought the remains off the roll. Now I can complete Parts 4, 5 and 6 of the elephants I require to complete my mystery quilt! Yes, Part 6 came out on the 1st August and yes, another elephant. I wonder if there are other people making this quilt thinking the same as me, "why an elephant, why couldn't it be a cute teddy bear or rabbit!!!". Yes, life's a challenge, roll with it! I still have to order my Vanity Fair fabric from that Australian on line site to complete my circles. God certainly loves a trier when you run out of your fabrics after you make boo boos that shouldn't have been made in the first place, lordly, lordly!

At the weekend I tackled Part 5 of the scalloped strips and alternated with my bargello blocks. Eight are now sewn together, eight to go! I didn't go to my sewing group last week, but intend on taking my bag bits and pieces along to tackle some more. Happy stitching!