Patches of Cats: 2018

Friday 13 July 2018

Painted table runner

My neighbour said, hey, you want to come over and paint some fabrics? Not one to say No to anything new I took up the challenge!

This was my first time painting fabric. We (Dianne, Karin and I) did a lot of experimenting with different items to use to paint our fabrics. At the end of the day I came away with a fresh outlook for fabric and how in one moment your attempt at painting one piece of fabric could be incorporated into an end result of something fabulous.

I must admit when I first started to paint on my 12" squares I was more "drawing" shapes rather than thinking about what I could use with the fabrics when they were completed. This fun activity was completed in the summer up Dianne's driveway. I sure hope we get to have a fun afternoon again!

Here are some of my firsts at this fun activity and what it became (thanks to the inspiring ideas from Dianne).

My 10 finished squares

Drawing shapes

Began layering colours

The end result and Bella

The Maze table runner - designed by Julie Weaver
from Quick & Easy Quilts (Quilter's World), Spring 2013

Sunday 25 March 2018

Delectable diamonds

I chose this pattern from Patchwork & Quilting (Vol.16,No.5) because I had a real pretty border in mind, 'Wild Rose' from Marti Michell. I had never done diamonds before and they were certainly a mission to cut out. Unfortunately I mis-read the instructions for the template and didn't allow for a 1/4 seam. I had to cut out my setting triangles again to allow for them to actually fit. This is first real flowery quilt I have made. Now I need to pick out a backing.

Saturday 10 March 2018

Longbourne: What to expect

Again, this is from 2016 when I went to a two day class, but the previous evening prior, Katrina Hadjimichael gave a talk about her quilts. Boy oh boy were there some beauties! If you don't like hexies, look away now! She talked about her series of quilts based on Pride and Prejudice. You can check out the complete collection on her blogspot.

Pemberley

Longbourne

Katrina showing her quilts

Friday 9 March 2018

Longbourne: Hole punching

Back in August 2016 I went to a two day quilting course tutored by Katrina Hadjamichael. She has designed some gorgeous quilts based on Jane Austen and the houses out of Pride and Prejudice. This particular quilt I am putting together is Longbourne, where the five sisters lived.

The quilt is very busy and complicated. After the two day course I didn't touch it for about a year, but now I am back into it again and swimming along!

A friend gave me a tip of hole punching my templates so they can be easily removed when the time comes. So here are my hole punched hexagons!!

Tuesday 6 March 2018

Sweet Sue tops the tree

This is what happens when you don't take into account for that extra 1/4 seam allowance when cutting out your paper templates... I decided to "complete" it even though it was a huge balls up. I wouldn't mind trying it again because it was a pretty block.

If the instructions don't mention the 1/4 seam then my head goes into auto pilot.

This is where I should have thrown it in the bin, but I carried on

Sue topping the "deformed star" on the tree!!!

Sunday 4 March 2018

Stag nation

I started this quilt in October 2016. It is still a work in progress, but I have now constructed the 27 blocks required for the head/antlers. These were all put together by adding random pieces of fabrics together.

Above are two of my first go's at piecing together in different directions. I slowly got more adventurous and made my blocks very busy indeed.

It took till March 2017 before I had all 27 completed.

Here are a close of my favourite ones:

Finally, I sorted out the placement ready for the stag head and antlers to be placed so that the most busiest blocks could be detailed. I then sewed all the rows together.