Back in the saddle

I actually haven't been out of the saddle, but haven't been blogging for a very long time... Shame on me. How am I supposed to keep a record of my patchwork quilting if I don't actually enter my creations.

Its been such a long time I can hardly remember what I have finished.

LOG CABIN: I finally got it quilted by a professional. There was no way on earth I could do my 85" bedspread in my machine.

Corner detail

Love that professional quilting look

The complete package

Rolled log cabin quilt with some visitors

PILLOWCASES: One of the ladies in my Wednesday session went to a class on making pillowcases. Now the whole group are making them in their sleep! It consists of three fabrics, 65cm, 25cm and 10cm.

My first pillows

MY NEW CUTTING TABLE: My bestie's bestie made me a cutting table to order!!! Gotta love ya mates! It stands approximately 90cm and at present has one shelf (which roll out), but have requested a second. It comes complete with an expandable extra length for when I need to pin a large quilt. I am so impressed and get so motivated when standing before it, it's almost like a shrine!!

TEAPOT SET: My first attempt at making small objects. The photo below shows my excitement at beginning it and the wading for the teapot to the left. I have nearly finished the set, but the cup and saucer do not resemble the photo, ha! Once finished I will upload the finished project.

The set includes teapot, 2 x cups, 2 x saucers

CHICKEN QUILT: My best intentions are there! I thought after finishing the log cabin I would tackle something easier, so I cut some 10" squares for readiness. I will link the blocks with some interesting chicken wire fabric, which I have yet to choose, thus the reason the blocks are still on the design wall (i.e., hallway!).

Chicken blocks on the wall and toy mouse in the hallway...

BARGELLO: I finally located the extra batch of fabric required to finish off my bargello, but as yet have not cut and attached it to the finished top. It came all the way from the United States, so thank you very much America!! Will load piccie as and when I complete the top.

That's all for now, happy stitching!

Those last touches to uncompleted projects

You know how you get real excited by starting a quilt and then the momentum slowly fizzes out...? Well last weekend I completed my odd backing for my log cabin and sent it away to be quilted on Wednesday. I said to my quilter, "I have no idea what I want quilted". She is going to look at my top design and come up with ideas.

I sewed two backs on my cushions, sewed one set of buttons on only. One of the cats saw the shiny buttons and thought they looked nice to chew. I still have two more cushions to do the backings and stuff them all with inserts.

I started a gift for a friend two weeks ago and have just the binding to hand sew; a very small project, but one with a message. I am actually deciding what to take to this week's sewing group...

I completed my third elephant at the weekend on my mystery quilt which I begun last March. It was supposed to be six month project, but hey! The final part I hope to begin soon, perhaps I could begin it at my sewing group, what a great idea! I realise it involves making a fourth and final elephant... I will have to take some snap shots to give you an idea on how it is progressing.

I managed to sign up for Broadband, but I have yet to connect to it. Hopefully then loading photos will not be such a chore.

It took two big efforts to tidy up my sewing room, plus the fact that I had to buy another trolley to put all my "stuff" into. Lordly, lordly, I guess I should stop buying fabrics....

Bits and Bobs

Not a lot to show for the last month... I got a phone two weeks ago to say that my place in the quilting queue is finally here, but I don't have the backing ready, eek! This is for my log cabin. Basically a case of, oh my gosh this quilt is so huge how am I going to tackle a backing and put some charm into without just stringing along a couple of large pieces of fabric together.

Footnote: This is backing I did in the end for the logcabin. My first for such a large quilt.

Apart from that I have also tackled some button holes using that fancy botton-holer on your sewing machine :)  These will be for three cushions I have practising triangle points on. I did attempt to clean up my sewing room, but never more to report, ho hum!

Added at a later date: Images before I cleaned up my sewing room

Under the pile on the right is my printer...

Run out of room

Oddly enough I did find somewhere to put this "stuff"

In time they will reach the ceiling

Log cabin top complete

Well I completed the top of my log cabin quilt back on the 18th March. I put the borders on one night in a marathon sewing frenzy. I guess finishing quilt tops can send your emotions in all directions and for me I was a blabbering mess. When I am making any of my quilting projects I feel very connected to how the person whom I am giving it to will feel when they see the end result. In this instance the receiver would be my Dad and Step-Mum, Billie. Unfortunately Billie passed away at Easter on Good Friday so never got to see the finished quilt top. Knowing that she would never get to see her quilt, I took lots of photos and sent these in the post with every single fabric that I used. The quilt has yet to be quilted and when that is complete I am sure I feel emotional all over again.

In beloved memory of Billie Judson, 4 July 1931 - 29 March 2013
Mother, wife, grandmother, friend, adventurer, super cook, super baker, crossword queen.

Log cabin picket fences

Because I made my log cabins bigger than the instructions said (I wanted a bigger quilt didn't I!), the house borders required additional blocks. In the end each block contained three big houses, four smaller houses, two trees and an additional block I made up in my head... I decided to go for a picket fence, very basic, and then got two fabrics, one with flowery detail and the other with butterflies. I appliqued the three fabrics onto the block and then added them to the rows of houses. This was my first attempt at machine blanket stitch too! It was fun! Here are some pics of the picket fences.

My attempt at a picket fence template

Pickets at the ready

Sewn into the border

Borders on the log cabin

Slowly, but surely my borders are coming together. I finished the 16 smaller outhouses and have begun on the narrow borders for either sides of the houses. They are in baby pink and blue, how sweet! I'm not a big pink fan, but they do look good together. I really have nothing else to say.... but I promise to load some photos soon!!

Additional: I now have photos to show of the complete house borders and the pink/blue narrow borders.

All the house borders laid out before sewing

Pink/Blue borders added to the houses

Tree detail

Log cabin progress

I finally finished the first lot of 12 houses, the ones with windows and two matching chimneys! I soon began on the other set of 16 smaller houses, no windows or chimneys and finished them off this weekend. Before this border is complete it needs four trees. These are appliqued onto a background fabric. I haven't taken any photos of my houses yet, but when I do I will post a couple of pics. As these are my first houses, they are pretty crap. I mean, how else are you supposed to ensure 12 pieces of fabric fit together to make a "pretty" house. In a real house your roof fits on and lines up with walls... but in my world nothing lines up, but I had sooooo much fun making them!!! Surely the trees will be aced...

All ready to trim up

Trimmed to a T

By the way I started again on my mystery quilt I began last April. This is the one that I had to order extra fabric from Australia to complete part 5. I was finally able to cut out the 16 required circles necessary. Who would think 2" circles would hold up progress for six months... I also appliqued the toenails of the part 4 elephant!

Round up of last two months

Just like that, two months fly by without me tapping the keyboard to add any updates of my unpicking skills! I have three lame excuses, (1) lack of motivation to turn on the laptop; (2) the thought of waiting for dial-up to load my blog page and (3) being on hols in a place where the dial-up is even slower than at home... All that might change soon as at long last my beach community finally have access to Broadband. I now need to "contact my provider"!

On the quilting front:
The bargello quilt - haven't touched it since November... needless to say my parents received alternative Christmas presents.

The log cabin quilt - slowly, but surely I am making process. I have finished the initial 12 houses. The next smaller 16 houses (or out-houses as I like to call them!) are in the cutting out stage.

The mystery quilt - is still that, a mystery!!! I printed out the last set of instructions without looking at the printer, so it's still a mystery as to what it will look like. I did briefly begin appliqueing the second elephant.

Molly in the Garden wall hanging - all the essential bits are appliqued on, but then I got stuck on my flowers. This will need to be taken to my UFO classes to get some guidance.

My first bag - COMPLETE!!! I gave this to my sister at Christmas for a belated July birthday gift. She loves it. It turned out quite nice, can't wait to make another!! Find some pictures below to prove that someone who has never made a bag before, can! (even though it took a really, really, long time...). The beautiful print is of course from the French General range, just divine.

I shall be returning to my UFO classes next Wednesday. Can't wait to catch up on all the goodies the group have been making. Happy stitching!

Building houses

For the past week I have been cutting out the shapes for my houses which will complete the border of my log cabin. I am starting on the big houses first, all 12 of them. I began by making all the windows with doors. At my sewing group I attempted my first roof detail with chimneys, what a mission. I attempted to put my first house together, but have found that the sizing of the window/wall detail is not the right size (what's new). I may have to cut out some new templates and begin building again... No doubt there will be some unpicking to do.

As for my bargello, I haven't touched that one since I found out the last triangle wouldn't line up. It has been a little frustrating to think that I have come this far and now find myself hitting this hurdle that is holding me up, grrrr...

Progress on bag and cabins

Whilst down in Geraldine I sewed the bottom and sides of my bag together. Once I turned it inside out it looked like a real bag, how exciting, my first bag! I started on the two pockets at my sewing group. I have decided to go with one of the pockets having a zipper. Eek, I already am looking at this option as the spooky option, but then I reckon I would want a zipper in my bag if it was for me.

As for my log cabin quilt I finished off making all my blocks last weekend and yesterday I measured and cut my blocks to equal size and then sewed them into rows. I'll load some pics in a day or two.

This is a before shot, with all 36 blocks lined up before sewing

I'm going to check out some other quilt blogger's now!

Stops and Starts on log making

I am on a week's holiday at my parents place in Geraldine. Loaded the car up with all my sewing gear and managed to find spaces for two cat cages with cats inside! I've achieved a lot cos was able to cut the remaining 18 blocks of my log cabin out on a bench that was the right height for cutting. I would have had them sewn up had it not been for the fact that I left the starting square fabric at my place, what a dill pickle... Went down the street and brought some template plastic to make a start on the houses. I want my houses to look somewhat realistic so alas all my solid fabrics are, you guessed it, at my place... Somehow I can't see a house painted with pink swirls. I know at times you are supposed to think outside the square, but that is too far out of my square for me. So, for the time being the log cabin has been put on hold until I get home.

Pink cabins

Luckily for me I brought a second project with me, for those, "just in case I finish the first one" moments. It is my bag that I am making at my Wednesday sewing group. I have since unpicked a tad of the braiding where it became too wobbly and I will attempt another restitch to form a nicer natural curve.

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.

More of the same

The weekend brings a chance to unwind, relax and sew! With only two weeks before my friend's birthday I thought I had better get on and try and finish off the cushion I am making her. The detail of the front has the applique done in needle turn. I've never tried my hand at needle turn before and boy do I need to practise some more! I quilted the cover after adding the detail then tackled the back which has an insert that the cushion inner goes in. The last touch will be the binding.  Once done I shall take a piccie and add it here, but that probably won't be till next weekend.


In the meantime I am hand appliqueing Part 4 of the my mystery quilt, sewing on 32 circles..... And because I constantly want to start a new project long before I have finished the last, I have already begun to select colours out for my next project, a queen sized quilt for my Dad and his wife, in shades of green and pink. I have decided to do a log cabin design even though I haven't done one before. I wonder if I can get it done in time for this Christmas?