Fall into Fall Giveaway ( or Spring?)

I haven't had this blog for very long but I saw this Fall into Fall Giveaway over at Quilting With Debi and thought why not join in.  If you click on the scarecrow image it will take you to the Fall into Fall Giveaway site.  Do go over and have a look yourself, you also might decide to be a participant in the giveaway along with an enormous lists of others.  As per the rules I'll post my giveaway details on 1st October so keep an eye out.

In the quilting department I've been busy putting together some blocks left over from a workshop I did with Judy Hooworth a couple of years ago now.  The workshop was based on the book Quilts on the Double (this link gives a great preview of the quilts in the book which you can make with this method) written by Judy and Margaret Rolfe, two very clever Australian ladies.  The method is based on sewing two contrasting strips together and then cutting quarter square triangles from the strip sets.  It's very clever and simple. See the photo.

You can see below the result of one set of strips put together from a selection of Kaffe's lovely pinks and greens with a contrast of a Jinny Beyer deep blue/purple and pink spot for the border.  One set of triangles became the quilt I finished with the pink spot for the border (quilted when I'd just got my longarm  :o !).  I've spent today on the other set of triangles which I've paired with a really bright pink Kaffe fabric my DD (18 yrs) chose and a little lime green batik that was left over from her birthday quilt.

I've also included a picture of a quilt I made out of everyones scraps left over from the workshop(they were going in the bin!!!)  I asked if anyone minded if I rescued the fabric scraps and they were all quite happy for me to take them home with me so "Kaffe's Scraps" was created.  I still have some small 1/2 square triangles left over from the workshop, probably enough to make a cot size quilt if I buy a little extra yardage.  This method in Quilts on the Double is perfect if you need to make a couple of quilts fairly quickly without too much stress.
Bye for now,
Rowena

A Perfect Pocket bag and How Did You Become A Quilter?

Here's a recent finish from an Indygo Junction bag pattern called Pocket Perfect . It was really quite simple to make with good instructions.  The fabric I used was a French General (stripe) and a Robyn Pandolph (floral).  I lined it with some Les Olivades fabric a friend had left over after making curtains.














When I was tidying up I found a silk embroidered heart I made a long time ago.  The boullion roses are done with Madeira Silk Floss which is a four strand floss that I have always loved to use.  I tea dyed the lace.  I used to teach embroidery and smocking at my LQS years ago and this was a sample.

The Attic Shirtings I ordered arrived in the mail today.  I'm going to use them with the repro's I posted a picture of last week.  Like most quilters I have more ideas for quilts than I have time to make but I sure have fun trying!

I was thinking about how we come to be quilters, I'd love to hear from you.  My Mother hates sewing but always had lots of unbleached calico (natural muslin) for me to sew on my Nanna's ancient Singer. Thats where it all began for me.

I used to be a dressmaker and collected fabric for making clothes.  During my 4th pregnancy I started doing handwork because I was in no shape to be trying on newly made clothes and I didn't need anything for the baby because I was convinced I was having yet another boy.  I fell in love with embroidery and cross stitch and satisfied my need to create by embroidering a baby's blanket.  When my one and only daughter was born
I was so thrilled to finally have my own little girl to sew for, I started the day I brought her home from hospital!  However the really special item I made her was a quilt for her cot.  What a wonderful thing this quiltmaking is I thought to myself as I chose the fabrics, perfect for a fabric addict such as me, Not only do I get to play with fabric but I get to play with LOTS of different fabrics!!!  That was a really great moment and I've never looked back!

Hope you are all having fun with your fabric and quilting, bye for now, Rowena.

Attic shirtings & more paper piecing

Some purchases

I recently ordered 20 fat 1/8's of Reflections of an Era Past from Autumn Rose Quilting.   I also picked up a few extra fat 1/4's and some yardage from my LQS  The photo shows the yardage from a Blackbird Designs range, Garden Party, the fat 1/8's and the fat 1/4's.  I'm waiting for some shirtings to arrive.  My intention is to use the yardage for the setting squares and triangles and the shirtings and repros for some 9 patch blocks which will be set on -point.  I'm itching to cut into this collection but I have a couple of projects I'd like to finish first.  Today I'm stitching some hexagon flower blocks onto some corner pieces for my Roebuck quilt.  I began this quilt some years ago in a class with Lynn Alchin and would like to finish it this year!  So back to needle and thread.
Bye for now, Rowena

Pickle Dish and Pincushion

first pickle dish block

Here is a picture of the centre block for a quilt I'm making in a class with Chris Jurd.  I've always wanted to make one of these and Chris was doing a paper piecing class in Bathurst at Anni Downs lovely shop, The Home Patch.  I've been to two lessons so far and love the paper piecing technique,easy and accurate..right up my alley.  The pattern is a variation of a pickle dish quilt by Chris with some applique in the corners.  I'm planning on leaving the applique out so I have nice big areas for some pretty feather quilting.  I have plenty more piecing before this one is finished!

The other picture is an oversize pincushion I made from a tutorial I found on a kind lady's blog (I'm ashamed to say I can;t remember which one).  If I do find the tutorial I'll post a link because I just love this pincushion.  I find some small pincushions are so light that I end up chasing them as I attempt to put the pins back in especially when I am madly piecing as fast as I can go.  This one is approx. 8 inches across, a serious pincushion that goes nowhere!  I've shown the underside as well so you can see the 6 pointed star that makes the top and bottom, the sides are hexagons.  There were instructions for both hand  and machine piecing, I chose to machine piece.

It's really late so I'd better try to get some sleep,
bye for now, Rowena

Quilt for 18th and birthday book

Quilting from the back.

Close up of the quilting. 

Today I thought I'd post a couple of pictures of a quilt I recently made and quilted for my daughter's 18th birthday.  I picked up the fabric for an amazing $2 per metre!  It's quilted with a variegated King Tut and has a wool/poly batting.  My daughter says it's so warm and quite light even though it's a fairly large quilt.  I made the backing from left over pieces of the fabric.  The quilting design is one I did freehand after doodling with heart ideas. I'll have to improve the way I post pictures, I always find it tricky to get the pictures and words in the right arrangement in relation to each other!

It was my birthday yesterday and my children gave me a book by Barbara Brackman that I have always wanted.  See photo. I'm going to make a cup of tea and have a good read and see what lovely projects I can dream of making ( to add to the list!).

I have a couple of children's knock about quilts to do for a customer, they are a bit unusual as they are tied in the centre of the quilt and I am only quilting the border of each one.  I have finished the boy's quilt and will post pictures when I have finished the girl's one as well. 

Off to make my tea and enjoy my present.

Bye for now,

Rowena

Quilt for Mum

 This is a quilt I started for my Mum when she had her first hip replacement and finished after her second!  I did the quilting a couple of months ago and am pleased with the result.  The yellow in the floral print is a bit washed out in the picture.  It was from a really pretty range called Reflections.  I knew my Mum would love it so I planned this quilt.  The pattern is by Julie Wallace from Quilters Barn, Loch ,Victoria, I found it in an old Australian Patchwork and Quilting magazine.  If you google Quilter's Barn you'll find her website, gorgeous fabrics.

My new venture

Two years ago I bought a longarm quilting machine with the view to one day turning my love of quilting into a business. Well a couple of months ago I finally had business cards printed and took the plunge. The Quilted Finish is open for business! Eek!

I intend to post about my personal quiltmaking as well as the quilting I do for others. I am a great blog reader, let's hope I can be a reasonable blogger...mm.

cheers,Rowena