Marilyn's Quilt

A big thank you to my lovely friend Marilyn for sending this picture thru.

Do you remember when I made the original of this quilt? Well, lucky for me, my friend Linda's favourite quilt store ordered a bunch of the patterns and kitted them up for the Pacific International Quilt Festival. Imagine how surprised I was to learn that the kits sold out on the first evening! I think it was all my friends that bought them :-)

Anyway, Marilyn has made her quilt up, and doesn't it look sensational! Her piecing and applique is just lovely, and the quilting is beautiful too. Thank you so much for sharing Marilyn!

Fabric Fun

A few random fabric happy snaps here for you today - witnessed - received - purchased and organised. Not necessarily in that order :-)

First up - a happy snap from the Pacific International Quilters Festival. Linda's favourite fabric store Golden State Sewing Center had purchased a huge number of my patterns before I went on holiday, the Sisters Choice Medallion being one of them. They cleverly created this very cute quilt from the pattern and kitted it up. How I wish I'd come up with such an adorable colour combination. The kit sold out very quickly - how fun!

And here is my fabric stash after I spent the morning folding up and putting away all my fabric purchases and acquisitions. I had to find new homes for my bins of strips as I needed the shelf space, and I did a little sorting to get the fabrics somewhat into colour groups. It's looking so much healthier than it did last time I shared a picture, but still not nearly as impressive as the stashes of some of my USA friends!

This adorable collection of green fabric was sent to me by our wonderful friend Karen. Thank you so much, it is greatly appreciated. I'm always looking for the perfect green, and I love all of them. Isn't it fun to have mail arrive from the other side of the world?

Last of all is a kit I ordered shortly before we headed off on holiday. I saw it in the Hancocks of Paducah catalogue, and I was mesmerised by it, I called Linda to discuss it with her, only to find that she had been coveting it also. I cannot wait to have the opportunity to make it up.

I should be able to share more holiday pictures as I have the chance. Marty bought me a new laptop on Wednesday, and it seems to be so much happier to communicate on my terms (somewhat technically challenged terms). It's so shiny and new and fast and slick - I'm still finding it a little scary, but hopefully I'll be comfortable with it soon. Talk soon :-)

Sisters Choice Medallion

Just a quick heads up - because many of you were interested, and not able to get your hands on the magazine - my Sisters Choice Medallion pattern is available for sale on my website.

I'll only have it there for a limited time, and remember, if you subscribe to Australian Patchwork and Quilting, you'll be seeing the pattern in February.

On Sale Date ...

I had meant to mention in my last post regarding the Sisters Choice Medallion quilt - but of course being flaky I forgot - that the on sale date for the Australian Patchwork and Quilting magazine is February 22, 2008.

I am thinking I may make a pattern available at my tazziequilts.com website if anyone feels they just can't wait that long, or if AP&Q is not available in your area. Email me privately if you'd like me to explore this option.

Thank you again for the wonderful response :-)

The home stretch ...

Can you see me doing the happy dance? Surely the ground is shaking the world over! I just wanted to share that I'm on the home stretch now. The final touch will be to hand sew the binding to the back of the quilt. Yay!

The next steps are to write the directions and make a few 'in progress' pieces. We have a long weekend, so I'll definitely have a little time to myself to work them up. My deadline is for the quilt to be in Sydney on Tuesday (which would mean I'd need to post it Friday), but my editor has kindly allowed me to actually put it in the mail on Tuesday - I'm always a bit antsy about having a quilt sit around in a post office over the long weekend.

Thank you to everyone for your kind words and good wishes for Cameron. Kids bounce back so quickly. He's happy and chirpy again, and I predict back to normal very soon. Talk to you all soon! x o x

Oops!

Oops! I lost a day! I usually manage to write something at least every other day, and had planned to yesterday, but it just passed me by. I was super worn out, and ended up going to bed at 10pm. That's just unheard of for me.

Just something smallish to share - I've started quilting on the Sisters Choice quilt. I doubt you can see much in the picture. The only real evidence is the quilted line down the middle of the leaves.

The thread I'm using is this really cute Mettler one, it's a variegated rayon, which shines just beautifully. It goes from a cream to a gold to a brown. It's really nice. Perhaps a little subtle for my extremely limited photography skills.

Better run, we have a big day - lunch at my Mum & Dad's, and tonight is the Netball presentation dinner. Should be a fun day :-)

Border found!

I did have a cell phone picture here a minute ago, but it was so bad I had to change it out. I just really wanted to share that I made a decision on the border fabric for the quilt. With the help of Cheryl and my Wednesday girls at the quilt store I settled on a border stripe, which is much less bold than the other fabric, and doesn't draw the eye immediately away from the applique. The binding will be in the purple fabric, so I'm much happier with the way the quilt is progressing now. I've only stitched one border in place so far. I had planned to attach it after spending the day at the quilt store, but I came home to a pattern order which is more important, so put that together instead. I'll get the border on, and hopefully get the backing fabric ready in the morning.

I got a lovely surprise at the quilt store yesterday. One of my students from my 'Faith of Friends' applique class from 2004 popped into the shop. She told me she had finished working on the project, and of course I was dying to see 'show and tell'. It was a somewhat scary class for me, it was only the second I had ever taught, and I learned that there was a guild member attending. Anyway, today we had another visit, and we were shown the results of her hard work.

I was just thrilled to see the quilt. It's completely hand appliqued and quilted, and the workmanship is just wonderful. This is one of my most special quilts, it was the first quilt I ever had published, and it featured on the cover of the Australian Patchwork and Quilting Diary in 2005. If you haven't seen it, here is a bit of a picture of my original quilt.

I better run, there is still a lot to do before bedtime. Have a great day! x o x

It's still growing ...

I feel like doing a happy dance - now that I've finished with the applique, the quilt is coming together so much faster :-)

And just quickly ... raise your hands if you thought there was no way I was going to leave the applique melon border facing the wrong way. You would be right *blushes*. At the time I was determined that I would leave it be, but while I was out that night, my mind would wander back to the quilt. By the time I got home I just knew I was going to have to fix it, and so that evening I did. My sense of order is restored *lol*

Up on the right corner there you can see I'm auditioning the border fabric. I am still not convinced. There will be a 1" purple border after the sisters choice blocks, and the binding will be purple. I'm just not sure if the border fabric is too overpowering. But even having said that, I have a feeling I'm going to use it anyway.

Just a quick mention of the charm square workshop I ran the other day. We made up the braided table runner. I feel it was a great success. It was to run for three hours in the morning, but the majority of the girls stayed on for most of the afternoon. The braid was a new technique for all of them, and I think a revelation that it's not as hard as it looks. I should be seeing most of them again on Wednesday, so I'll endeavour to take pictures of their work for you.

That's it from me, I'm heading into the sewing room. I may just work on something different today, and let that border fabric 'speak' to me for a bit. x o x

And some more Sisters Choice applique

As I said in my last post ... blow by blow ...

I see that I've attached the melon border on the right incorrectly, but you know what? I'm just not interested in picking the quilt apart to fix it. It can be my 'humility border'.

Have to head out to school chapel night tonight, so I'll check back with you all later. x o x

More Sisters Choice Applique

This applique is a time consuming business. It's taking a while to get thru it, so with a lack of anything else quilty to share, you're going to be seeing blow-by-blow pictures of my progress.

Having said that, I'm still loving how this is looking. It's one thing to design or envisage something, but it's another to see it come to life before your eyes.

I made a change from the original plan, I had planned to use a blue border around the middle applique block, and then there would have been several other blue borders, but I decided to use a repro-purple instead, and I think it looks better. Blue is always nice for a zinger, but it would have deviated too far from the colour scheme I have chosen. Today I don't have any 'children ferrying' other than school, so I should be able to get some more done. I'll be thrilled if I can get the next border on by the end of the day, but that may be a little ambitious.

In other news, I have listed some of my Thimbleberries blocks from last year's club in my Etsy store. I know I'll never get back to that project, so hopefully they'll go to someone who'll love them.

Well, that's it from me, I'm heading off to work on some applique ...

Sisters Choice Applique

Looky here! I've been working some more on my applique - this block is starting to really take shape now. I predict that I'll be finished it this evening. Then I'll get busy with the applique'd setting triangles. I've had to force myself to work on this project, but now that it's taking shape I'm more inspired to work at it.

I need to have the whole quilt finished and the directions written by 2 October, so I will really start getting a move on now. It's due to go into an issue of Australian Patchwork and Quilting that goes on sale in February next year.

In not so good news - our fave football team lost the final yesterday. It was very hard to watch. They led most of the game, and in the last minute a goal was kicked that put them behind by three points and then it was all over. It's sad - especially for die hard fans - but in a way I'm glad I won't have to stress and get nervous over the three remaining finals. There's always next year.

Hope you're having a great weekend - I'm getting ready to do some chores ... and then I'm settling in for some more applique!

More applique ...

This project is starting to take shape now ... and from this point on is going to be kind of slow going.

I'm appliqueing the border pieces, the one in the foreground is about two thirds done. I wanted to cut out all the larger melon shapes before I set to cutting out all the smaller leaves for the middle block, just to make sure I had enough larger pieces to go round. I'm working with scraps of fabric now - all the larger pieces have been used in the sisters choice blocks. (you can just see them all there in the background)

So you can imagine where I'm heading ... the centre block will have a narrow dark border, then the setting triangles will be appliqued in a similar way to the centre block. Then another narrow dark border, followed by the sisters choice blocks. Another dark border, and then a leafy fabric for the final border from one of the Jo Morton ranges.

A start on the applique ...

Here's what I was working on yesterday. The beginnings of the centre applique block for my Sister's Choice medallion. I used one of those bias maker tools for the first ever time, and I have to say, I'm impressed! The bias strips I made are 1/4" wide. I got a great tip from a friend - use thin pieces of leftover fusible webb to attach the strips to the block, and then go crazy with your favourite applique technique. I'm sold!

Ohh, and pay no attention to the placement of the leaves - they're just where they fell as I cut them out ...

I actually became so consumed with the bias strips that I was almost late picking the kids up from school. I just 'lost time'. To park in the same postcode as the kids schools I have to leave home almost 30 minutes before school gets out. I knit in the car for a little, then amble over to Cam's classroom, and then we head back to the car and wait a further 20 minutes for Amy to appear. It will be so much easier when they're in the same school next year. Yesterday I was only 10 minutes late leaving, and I was very lucky to get a park. Whew!

Before starting the applique, I finished up the last of the Sister's Choice blocks - I needed a total of 16, and I also started cutting out the applique pieces for one of the borders. I really hope I have enough of the fabrics I'm working with - I'll see how I go.

On the netball front, Amy's school team had a big win last night 37 - 7, and this morning her club team had an amazing win, against a team that had beaten them soundly on two previous occasions. I don't remember the score but the margin was around 10 points. I'm one very proud parent. The balance of this weekend will contain more Flyladying in the study, and as much quilting as I can pack in. I'm lovin' it!

More Sisters Choice blocks

Twelve Sisters Choice blocks down, four to go. They're all cut out and ready to sew. I just need to find a few spare minutes to put them together.

I really love the cream and black plaid fabric in the corners of three of the blocks. I'm going to try and find some more - most of the fabrics I've used in these blocks were only small pieces.

Once the blocks are done, I'll start work on the applique centre panel and the first applique border. I'm loving how this project is coming along!

Today (and yesterday) I worked all day at the quilt store. Today was really fun, I did some work on a quilt for a customer. It's a lovely Sunbonnet Sue project, the lady did the applique, and she's unwell, so we're putting the rest together for her. I wish I took a picture - maybe next week I'll remember. It's made with the most lovely pinks and the applique is something to see!

Better run - it's time to take Amy to dancing. I promise to post something more newsy soon! x o x

Sneaky Peek

Here is a quick sneaky peek at what I've been working on this morning. This is a start toward a medallion quilt I designed a little while back, and since Sisters Choice blocks are among my favourites, why not give them pride of place.

I had planned to start working on this quilt long before now, but you know how life and other projects can get in the way. It's also the quilt that Australian Patchwork and Quilting requested last month but I just couldn't manage. I now have a new deadline for October, which is so much more achievable right now.

Something else I need to think about is whether or not I will put an entry in our guild show this year. The show is in November and I have entered every year for about the past six years, so I'm feeling like I should, but I'm not sure what I'd like to enter. I have until next month to think about it, so I'll pop my thinking cap on. Last year I entered the miniature, so maybe I'll do another one. Decisions decisions ...

Almost time to pick up the kids from school and take Amy to the physio ... better run, see you soon! x o x