Urban abacus from start to flimsy

I recently had a commission request from a family member for a teenage girl.  Of course pink was one of the requested colours, along with mint green and blue.  I had been quilting for so long I was busting to do some piecing.  But I wanted simple easy piecing and this pattern is certainly that!

Pattern is Urban Abacus by Sew Kind of Wonderful - made using the large quick curve ruler.  Simply the quickest quilt I have made in a long long time.  Blocks are 6 x 8" unfinished and whole quilt finishes at 50 x 67".

My fabric winnings from the guild show are unashamedly very pink!  Now I don't really like florals, so I find it hard to decide on floral prints for other people.  But the super large rose print looks like more of an ombre print when I cut it up. 

And in order to achieve the required nine prints for the pattern I dug through my stash and came across the Tilda fabrics I won for viewers choice at my local groups show in 2015.  This was the first time I had won a prize for a quilt and I was chuffed...but fabrics were very pastel and very very floral!  My friend Ann from Periwinkle Patchwork had donated the prize and it was very generous amount of fabric, but she knew it wasn't to my taste!  Sew its great to have a reason cut into it and use some of it in a quilt someone will love. Ironically I purchased this pattern from Ann and she also taught me how to use the Quick Curve Ruler in a class.

Super happy with the outcome.  I definitely think I will be using this pattern again.
Happy quilting Sue.

Sea Glass finished

Ta da!  Made from fabrics purchased at Periwinkle Patchwork, pattern is called Sea Glass from a book called Mini Wonderful Curves by Jenny Pedigo and Helen Robinson for Sew Kind of Wonderful - who make the mini curve ruler.

On display in my backyard while the sun was shining and the wind blowing.  Its winter so I cannot complain, just grateful for the rain!

I FM quilted this myself with three long swirls to cover each clamshell, in matching thread.  This pattern was suggested to me as it looks good if you don't manage to quilt back over the stitching line exactly it still looks good.....which was a great idea as my FMQ is still a WIP!

Bound in a grey Cotton and Steel fabric, I am very pleased with this finish. Its is to be gifted to a friend who needs a quilty hug. 

Super pleased our gazebo now has a roof but still waiting on the electrician to put in lights and plumber to hook up to the storm water.  Hubby is going to attach wood slats to the west end and around each side to semi enclose from the weather.  That process has commenced (varnishing wood) but paid work has to take priority at the minute.

Happy quilting Sue.

Sewing in Dunkeld part 4

When I arrived at camp (not having been last year) there was a bit of chat about "I hope the lady with "down the rabbit hole quilt" is back!  And she was...with the stunning quilt and on a mission to attach the binding.  I think this is a Sarah Fielkes pattern.  I think I will be forever remembered as a quilter who sewed her instructions to her bag!

Which is what happens when your tired and sewing after a glass of wine!  However the bag did get finished ;)

Just magnificent!

This clamshell quilt was only a few rows when she arrived and was finished in the weekend.  Cut out using templates (my pet dislike) it was all machine pieced.  I was in awe at the speed and the thought of the dent this quilt could put in my scrap collection.  

Now I have been cured of my fear of sewing curves, I might aim to tackle this quilt ....on the proviso  I can get a Go clamshell die to make the cutting easy!

Happy quilting Sue.

Sewing in Dunkeld part 3

This quilt story and owners name, I have forgotten but I love string quilts so wanted to include it!

Julie brought this completed quilt for show and tell, she had made it as part of a medallion challenge.

This is Ann from Periwinkle Patchwork!  She made this bag over the weekend.  The top of the bag has a wire frame so that it opens nice and wide.  Just love the fabric Ann chose.

Ann made this table runner using the Quick Curve Ruler.  

A small quilting project for the weekend.

These tiny blue and aqua hexies were of course hand stitched, but destine to be a table topper, not a quilt.  A  project, not something to be rushed, but slowly savoured.

Happy quilting Sue

Sewing in Dunkeld part 2

Anne also made this quilt, which I am sure is called Periwinkle block.  But this is not Ann who owns Periwinkle Patchwork!

I think this is Yvonnes quilt but my memory is not reliable!  However I am 100% sure she made the top that weekend.

More lovely quilt tops - this one is all the old world romantic florals.

Baby quilt that was made over the weekend. 

Bedford Mystery quilt - some South Australians will recognize this quilt, as was a fundraising kit, but was extended by her own personal stash/scraps.

And a beautiful octopus crochet for premie babies to grasp instead of pulling out their tubes.

Happy quilting Sue.

Sewing in Dunkeld part 1

Dunkeld is a small town on the southern side of the Grampians National Park in Western Victoria.

 I stayed in a school camp in the National Park, a short drive north of the town for the weekend.  The camp was organised by my friend and patchwork shop owner Ann.  The company, food and views were magnificent.

I worked on a number of projects including this very old UFO - Temecula Mini Monday sampler that was supposed to have a border, but had been in the sin bin so long I forgot that and just went ahead and quilted it.

My roomie Annette machine appliqued the start of this beautiful quilt.  I didn't know anyone at camp apart from Ann and her mother Barb.  It is so nice to make new friends!

Donna and I sat next to each other and she worked on this great hunting/4WD quilt for her son.  Correction she made the top in the weekend!  The four little stitcheries were all 4 wheel drive utes - which I thought were great, because I assumed it was impossible to find male themed stitcheries!

At this point I have to confess to forgetting  details, which annoys the heck out of me - especially when I had been given the back story on some of these tops!  This is Anne's quilt top  - and it was made with reproduction fabrics.  But I don't remember if this last quilts is Anne's or her friend Helens.  

It is always nice to see other peoples work....and then find out they have been quilting longer then you! LOL! These last two quilts intimidate the heck out of me and I endlessly admire those brave and skilled enough to master them.

Happy quilting Sue.

Modern plus quilt is finished

Ta da, a finish! The simple plus sign pattern I worked out with help of my expert quilting friend and quilt shop owner, Ann from Periwinkle Patchwork. Ann has lovely fresh modern prints and colours in her shop, which I love, but don't have in my stash - because I am a reproduction kinda girl!

-

Having said that I really enjoyed these fabrics, especially the neutrals, when making this quilt.  The only hiccup was the binding. I purchased a stripe, but it ran across the fabric and I didnt think to cut it length ways :(  Still it added a quirky element to the quilt?!!

A close up of the quilting pattern, long arm quilter Vicki Jenkin helped me choose...which I love!

The backing, a Jodie Carlton fabric, seagulls....colours are just perfect for this quilt.

Modern Plus Quilt 59 x 59"

Happy quilting Sue.

French General Moonlight - sounds like the name of a race horse!

Ta da ... I am finished!

Made with French General fabrics (more then one line) and using the Moonlight pattern by Gerri Robinson, from her book A Cut Above.  Quilted by Vicki Jenkin.  (78" x 78") 

This is such a fun pattern, made with squares and stripes it was very easy to cut out and make.  All the time I was cutting through I was worried that with the beautiful patterned fabrics I wouldn't get a good contrast.  However I am delighted with the end result.  I love two coloured quilts and red with cream is a great combination.  

My favorite part of this quilt is the pieced border!  My friends know that I normally use a 2 + 6 " combination border...everytime!  I cannot think of another quilt where I actually pieced a border, so I am very pleased with myself.  Although it felt odd to not be putting the big stars into the centre of the quilt!  To ensure I didn't change the pattern I made the stars first!

The other reason to celebrate this quilt finish is the fact that it used lots of lovely gifts - my friend Ann gave me the book, Sharryn gave me a layer cake of French General and my mother gave me some FG yardage.  

Happy quilting Sue.

Sew Together Bag

I brought the Sew Together Bag pattern from Periwinkle Patchwork .... dont remember when, but hoping it was only last January!

Anyway Ann was on her way to town, bringing her shop for our local quilt show....and a pattern I had requested from her.  And the lovely fabrics I had purchased at Quilters Harvest were staring at me!

SEW I knew that I had to get that pattern made up!  Plus I had finished all the boring stuff (binding, quilting, hanging sleeves) for the quilts going on display.  So I deserved a treat.  

 I was warned this isnt the easiest pattern, but I didn't find it too bad.  The pattern its self is really really well written but you have to have your thinking cap on - I made it over two days, which I think really helped - making this in a rush would be a recipe for disaster.

 I was lucky in that I also only used interfacing (thank you Lisa for introducing me to the joys of interfacing!) and not wadding.  Mind you I still broke a needle :(  when I was sewing it all together.  I do not like machine sewing binding on, but I did do it on this project - because there was no nice soft wadding to make hand sewing easier.  It went OK, not fantastic, but acceptable.  I like this bag so much I am thinking about making another one ;)  
Happy quilting Sue.

Red and White Dresden quilt - finished!

This quilt kickstarted in June 2015 at a camp in Bordertown with my Adelaide stitching friends.  Ingredients were a store homemade red "jelly roll" and a Moda Primitive Gatherings jelly roll for the neutrals.

This pattern came from a class I did with quilt teacher and friend Heather Ford (Adelaide).  You make lots and lots of pieced blades and then make the Dresdens. 

Then you dither for months about buying a fabric to use as the center circles.

Then spend an hour in Quilters Harvest (Warracknabeal) pulling out every bolt to find the perfect background fabric - thank you Dell!

And then slowly hand stitch them down to the background fabric.
Allow to mature in the cupboard, until taking top to Periwinkle Patchwork (Warrnambool), to find the perfect red for the border/binding - thank you Ann!  Mind you it matured a bit more before I got the border sewn on.

Then bundle off to Vicki Jenkin, long arm quilter extraordinaire, and allow her to work some quilting magic.  I wanted some thing fancy but edge to edge, so Vicki recommended these feathers.  I have never had feathers before and love them :)

Yeah my first finish for 2017!  

Happy quilting Sue.

January purchases

SEW I do not make a habit of attending the Boxing Day sales.  

However I have had two BIG spending sprees this month!  

The first when Lisa and I went to Gails Patchwork Emporium, Ballarat.  Neither of us had plans for resisting temptation and both of us had a list of things we needed to buy!

I need sashing for these churn dash blocks I made out of a Midwinter Red layer cake (pattern by Missouri Quilt Co).  I loved the floral, but the spot worked better as sashing.  

So I brought the floral as well to use as corner stones.

I need to make a cot quilt.  These cute sheep were perfect and the mint will be sashing.

Lisa gifted me this bag pattern for my birthday.  She spotted the fruit print on linen, and I remembered to bring the bag pattern = perfect!  The stripe was purchased on sale at Spotlight later as lining.  But I still needed to find an accent fabric for pockets...perhaps a solid?

A week later and I went to Warrnambool to see the Southern Right Quilt Show and visited Periwinkle Patchwork, where I found a much nicer fabric for lining and front pocket  (Cotton and Steel aqua)  and a lovely polka dot for the handles and binding.  Ann has the best selection of dot fabrics!

 I also brought this bright yellow repro, brown strip and shirting on the left from Periwinkle.  The brown print on the right was a gift from Lisa out of her stash.  The green is from Joy's.

At the quilt show I picked up 50 cm each of these lovely repro's from Joy's stand (the Portland quilt shop).

Oh la, la!  Some lovely bright reproductions (fat quarters) from Elm Grove's  stand (Nullawarre 25 minutes from Warrnambool) selection at the show. This year I can see me making a big pieced reproduction quilt.....hmmm January is not even over and I am already making plans to break my resolution to finish up some UFO's first!

Happy quilting Sue.