busy....

Working full time is really interfering with my sewing time. I have been getting some things done though -



This is a baby quilt that I started the blocks for a while ago - I put the blocks together and then gave them to a friend to finish because she liked them. I've finished the quilting off for her and put the binding on. Such a simple pattern (it was in a magazine of baby quilts, the name of which escapes me at the moment) but it is so pretty.

I've also been quilting like crazy to finish this for the RNA show. I've struggled with the quilting on this for a long time - so it has been unfinished for a few years now.

I came across Patsy Thompson's quilting - feathers, hyperquilting, lots of colour! Just the inspiration I needed. I think I'll try to find an Australian supplier for the DVD's - they look like a great investment.



So this is my first try at feathers on a proper quilt - I've done them on practice pieces and been less than happy, but I decided to go ahead with them anyway on this quilt. I'm not a big fan of marking, so the only marking has been for the spines - all the feathers are free hand. Surprisingly, they look symmetrical and even.
Hyper quilting is what Patsy calls adding another thread colour and adding another element to the quilting - I've done the feathers in a purple thread, then added pink and orange swirls on top of it. I like the effect of the multiple threads, but I'm not sure if I like this quilt any more. I can't decide if it's good, or if it's just ugly. Maybe i'm just tired of looking at it. (plus I have a migraine, so maybe my judgement is affected).


sThis is my fancy, jerry-rigged quilt hanging system. You need to get quilts vertical to get a decent photo (for show entries) so I have a pole on my lounge room wall and use trouser hangers to clip things up. You can use the pole to hang things on a sleeve if the quilt has one. I usually add one to my quilts, even if they're not going in a show, in case I want to hang it up one day.

Dolls need quilts

I read about this project over at Craft Hope to donate dolls to children at the Casa Bernabe Orphanage.

I'm sending these girls off tomorrow to live in Nicaragua. I'm sending their little quilts with them, too. Dolls need quilts.



These girls will be going to Victoria, as a contribution to Handmade Help. Each doll has a little quilt, mostly made from leftover bits and pieces from quilts I've made over the years. Those little pieces went a long way - there are 13 little quilts in that pile. I had some assistance making the dolls from my sewing friends - they've never made dolls before, so it was quite an experience.

The quilting is progressing - I'm quite enjoying it now that I've started. The plan is to enter both quilts in the RNA Quilts Across Queensland show this year. Entries close June 26th, so they have to be photo ready by then. I'll have a couple more weeks after then to fully complete them.

And this is what the inside of my sewing machine looks like after a couple of hours quilting. I clean my machine frequently - a cotton bud is better that the little nylon brush you get with the machine, and I put a drop of machine oil on to help pick up the lint. I remember hearing that the cleaning/oiling recommendations that come with the machine are based on usage of about 30 hours dressmaking per year. Obviously, my machine gets a lot more use than that.

Overtime

I'm going to work.

On a Saturday, after I've been home all week on holidays.

I just want to stay home and quilt - I think the quilters block is mostly cured.

Maybe I will console myself with a visit to Spotlight on the way home.

Paisley is the answer!

I was trying to cure my quilter's block when I saw a picture of paisley fabric. I love paisley, it so curly and loopy and gorgeous.



So now I'm madly googling images of paisley (line drawings) and I'm going to do a sampler/practice quilt to see if my idea will work.

I don't like to mark quilting - I think it is harder to follow a line on the fabric than it is to just freehand it. But you do need to "learn" patterns so they are in your head and you don't get stuck while you're quilting. I'm thinking that I'll quilt the paisley in colours on the dark background and then kind of McTavish the rest of the background.

I'll let you know how it works out.

quilters block

This is a quilt that I started a while ago - the pattern is Circle of Life by Jacqueline de Jonge. I've started the quilting - all the ditch "foundation" quilting has been done, but I've been stuck with what to do next. So it's been folded up and waiting for it's turn.

Next in the quilter's block pile - this (unamed) one. I designed this on EQ5, finished the top and ran out of puff when it came to the quilting. I should just get started and do something, instead of over thinking it and not doing anything. (The purple background is quite dark, the flash has made it look really bright).

This is a friends quilt that I am finishing the quilting on. Fifi offered her assistance by sitting on my lap while I was trying to quilt.




See that bulge under the U for Umbrella?


Coco was testing out the quilt for cosiness - she sat there for hours, so I think she approved.

I don't know what cats in non-quilting households do for entertainment - mine get a lot of fun out of playing under them - I have to make quilt tents for them to sit in, and they always test them out when they are lying on the ironing board.

Back to quilting.....

Jelly Cakes - part one

I made a start on the baking. First up - Jelly Cakes. They are really just round, pink, lamingtons with a bit of cream in the middle. Or they will be when they're finished.

I don't make these very often - they are a bit of a business if you try to do it all at once. But they must be making a comeback, because I saw a Greens cake mix for them at the supermarket today.

Essential items: Gem Irons



I love these - they are cast iron and really heavy. Also a complete PITA to clean - they are not non-stick cookware.


Not Essential but-nice-to-have: Sunbeam MixMaster



According to the instruction book, this MixMaster was born in 1969. I bought it for $20 (I know!!!! Score!!!) a while ago. I love how you can be mixing the butter and sugar and walk over to the pantry and get the vanilla, makes me feel just like Martha Stewart.

Semi finished (naked) Jelly Cakes
I'm going to freeze these now and assemble them on Saturday afternoon for Sunday. They need to be trimmed to a level hemishere, joined together with cream, dipped in raspberry jelly, and finally (finally!!) rolled in coconut.

Labour intensive, but people love them. I'm quite fond of them myself.

tea party

I'm having a tea party on Sunday, and made these invitations - I bought the plain cards and wanted to add cupcakes to the front. Running seriously short on time (had to finish them that night), I ended up using vliesofix to iron on little fabric appliques - I used my clover iron to attach them to the card. The cherry on top is a little dot of paint.

I worked 6 days in a row last week, so no sewing was done during the week. By Sunday I was itching to sew something - anything! - so I got back to the doll quilts. Finished 6 little tops and then sandwiched them and started quilting.

It's hard to sew in a straight line you get head-butted an attention seeking cat.


All the straight in-the-ditch quilting is done, I want to add a little bit of free motion loop-de-loops to them next.

Still need to work out a menu for Sunday. So far I have decided on:

Dainty sandwiches
mini quiches
Cream puffs
Jelly cakes
Passionfruit cake (this will depend on the availability of passionfruit in the backyard, because I just looked at the price of them in the supermarket and there is no way I am paying $1.70 for 1 passionfruit.)
Scones with jam and cream

I'll have to make a few of these things ahead of time, because at this stage I will probably be
working on Saturday.

I also want to go to the Stitches and Craft show this week - but the working/tea party is cancelling that out unless I can switch a day off during this week.