Fresh Start

Hi All

Its been a long while since our last Hello. So much has happened in our World since then, on the homefront & Globally; sew I'm just going to start afresh with a photo update. 

Grab your Beverage of Choice and Enjoy!

Update from Linda xx 

Mother's Love Rose

Josephine, my "Convict Challenge Quilt" of years ago was finally Quilted & 

I couldn't be Happier

EMMA MARY - a Judy Newman Design top is Finished and now waiting to be Quilted. 

She is very big, my 2 boys had trouble holding her up!! Emma is hand pieced.

ADELAIDE FLORAL SAMPLER top - a Michele Hill design is another finish and joining the to be quilted list. I had plans of this being a wallhanging and made it smaller, as no black bed quilts with Angus in the house! 

Adelaide is machine raw-edge appliqued.

GARDEN AT EDERVEEN top - a Susan Smith design. We girls attended a workshop a few months ago and were able to choose which quilt we started. I've modified mine considerably to be a small wallhanging; Ederveen is needle-turn applique. This can be found in Susan's Book: Quilts, Somewhat in the Middle from Quiltmania.

 

I made this little cushion, a kit from Cutting Cloth, which used gorgeous Liberty prints and a crochet edge. The second photo being in its home on my  Granddaughter's bed.

"Remembrance" - a spur of the moment decision to make this for my Brother in Law. I used the panel Remembering Gallipoli, and crafted the border from fabrics in the range. 

He was thrilled and had it hanging the very next day.

Now this one might look familiar to you. Little Sparrow another design by Susan Smith.

Finished the top in 2017 but not the border. I decided it needed to be finished properly so got to making the hand pieced sawtooth border consisting of about 400 pieces.

I love this quilt, its another for the To be Quilted List. 

And what's a post without Angus - it isn't a post of course!! 

I got to making a batch of candles over the weekend; mainly refills for me.

Have called myself Crown Jewell Candles

JulieAnn & I managed to catch up last week, at long last, if only for a few hours. 

It was very good for the soul.

Update from JulieAnn xx

Five Sisters top Completed with needleturn applique

JulieAnn LOVES little squares and has recently made this top while working on another.

Sweet Pea

Jane Austeen (a Di Ford-Hall design). Gorgeous in Pink

WhirlyGig Quilt Completed using QAYG technique.

A UFO top completed as well

Well thats about it for now, hope you enjoyed it

Thankyou for stopping by

Love Linda

xx

More Morris

Hi Friends
A completed Expression of Morris. This photo is without binding, however it is all done and now on the spare bed. I'm just needing help to take proper photo's.

Angus has given his paw approval of the new quilt

It is Spring now in Australia, which is lovely except the hay-fever has already hit with a vengeance which is bad sign of the season to come. And the start of Spring also means unsettled weather with great variances in temperature. 

I only had 3 tulips this year, but they were lovely. 

I'm really looking forward to my roses blooming

I decided needed a change of view and have started a new project and yes it's another Morris inspired quilt.

Adelaide Floral Sampler by Michele Hill

I bought this from Berrima Patchwork many years ago as a block of the month in the Black version.

I've already decided to make it a wall hanging and not one for the bed - you've seen Angus!!

So its having some minor adjustments to make it smaller

This is it - Adelaide Floral Sampler

Well that's all for today, thankyou for dropping by.
JulieAnn has been on a roll with her quilts - we'll have another catchup soon so I can share some photo's with you.

Also, if you'd like to comment I've had to place a "moderation email" thing on (hoping it works) as I was bombarded with Spam comments on many posts - fingers crossed I've deleted them all!! Such a shame these things, and these people try to ruin it for everyone. 

Til next time
XX
Linda

Loving My New Start and Glad to see the bindings on others.

So it has been a while since I posted anything. My question is how can I have a computer at work, a home laptop and an I-pad, and the only thing I seem to be able to blog on is my husband's laptop? All have a different layout and this is the only one I seem to be able see the Dashboard. Putting photos on is also a nightmare. So lets see how this goes! Finishitis is continuing. I have finished La Naissance. It is currently residing on my bed and I love it.

Challenge is bound and waiting for an important birthday.

Pies and Tarts is bound and complete.


My William Morris Sample is currently at the quilters. Arts and Craft Sampler by Michele Hill is together and waiting to be machine quilted......by me yeeks!!!!!! I hope it turns out. So far I have only machine quilted one quilt and that was stippled. It was also a memorable experience as I put the machine needle through my finger. The worst thing was that the needle broke and it was only new. Damn!! So all those completed and ready for use means I was entitiled to start something new.

This is what is on my Design Wall (which was lovingly made by my dearest Darling).

I purchased this as a BOM from Quiltsmith in Sydney. It is a pattern by Susan Garman called Sarah's Revival. I just love it. I keep the door open so every time I walk up the hallway, I can see it. 27 blocks done, only 9 to go. not bad considering I started in April and work has seriously interfered with my progress. Early next month I am off to Sit and Sew with the girls at Wodonga. I think I will take Sweet William and work on getting blocks organised. Seems the photos just want to do their own thing. I suppose some photos is better than none.

Happy sewing to every one.
JulieAnn

AHHHH THE SERENITY!!!!

Yes, I know it's been ages! 

I have managed to have a couple of weekends sewing in the last month, which has been wonderful.

The 2nd weekend in October DH and DS1 went to Bathurst to watch the Touring Cars at the Bathurst 1000.  That left Buddy (the replacement child) and I at home alone.........again!

What fun! Again the dining table was moved into the family room, the DVD's where lined up and away I went.

I had LOTS of cutting to do and I do mean lots......  I was woorking on My "Challenge" quilt.  I can't show any of it until reveal day.

Then a week later I had 2 weeks off.  One car had been sold and the next one hadn't arrived so I was pretty much confined to quarters.  That was fine.  Before I started on "Challenge" I needed to sew the last couple of rows on a scrap quilt I started about 7 years ago.  The rows were even pinned but for some reason they just didn't want to get under the machine and be sewn.  So I bit the bullet and got them done.  I found some border and backing fabric last week so I need to put that on but here it is so far.

Then I got stuck into Challenge.  I am proud to say by the end of the holidays, I had the top done ready for quilting.  Seeeew pleased.  There was a lot of sewing in it. 

Then last weekend I went to Talbingo Mountain Lodge again sewing with 5 other wonderful ladies.  A lovely relaxing, sewing filled weekend was had by all.  Laughs, wine, chocolate, sewing, away from home, and good friends, it doesn't get any better!  We even learnt how to play canasta.  Thanks Judy.xx  We did miss our absent friends though.

What was achieved you ask??

The very talented Trina was finishing the binding on her Feathered Star.  Here it is all done.  Absolutely gorgeous!  All hand pieced including the borders.

Here is a close up of one block and she had it beautifully quilted.

The she made (including the quilting and binding) a table runner for Christmas.

She also made a totally cute little hexagon bag, just big enough to hold her thimble, reel of cotton and small thread snips.  I didn't get a photo of that.

Judy got the top of her Double wedding ring done.  She started it at our April gathering and on the weekend got the last 40% for the blocks done and all the top assembled.  A massive effort Judy.  So striking in her different colour choice.

This is it with all but the last row of blocks made and laid out.

The first row is joined.

 Here is it hot off the press machine. The photo doesn't do it justice. A huge relief and a big sigh from Judy.  She also said :"Never again", but we will see.

A close up of the block and her colours.

Rozie was working hard on what she calls her Talbingo quilt.  She really got motoring but didn't lay it out for me to get a photo.  NEXT TIME ROZIE!!!!! No hiding! lol


Next was Di.

First she worked on getting borders on her "Girls Day Out" blocks.  She had it packed away before I got a photo.

Then she worked on this striking Black and white braid.  We were auditioning different colours to use as a joining strip.  There was also purple, lime green and orange tried.  What colour will she choose???  We will have to wait and see.

Di then was working on sewing blocks for her "Whirly Gig" quilt which she also got packed before the camera was out.

Then there was Deb.

She was working on putting together her Sue Daly top "Faith, Hope, Love".  She just has the corners left to do.

Her second project was a layer cake and a flat roll and a bit of an idea as to what she would do.

She cut it out one night and the next day it was wrooom wroooooom on the machine.

The quilt that grew in a day.

Amazing what you can achieve with an idea and a day.  Beautiful!

So what of me you are asking.  Well compared to these girls,  it doesn't seem so much.

My Michele Hill Arebesque was on its third trip to Talbingo.  Finally all the blocks are appliqued.  To help get through it I was timing to see how long it took to go around some of the pieces.  For the 4 blocks in the centre the yellow eathers took 1/2 hour each and there were 16 of them.  Phew!!!!!  Just realised that's where 8 hours went.

And as would have it, when you go away, you always forget something and yes I left the set-in-triangle cutting instructions behind.  Thus no triangles were hurt in the making of this top.....so far.  I have the designs all cut and ready to go, so that will be my next available weekend project.  (Note to self..........where did you put the cutting instructions if not with the fabric, best find them!)  Here are the blocks all laid out.

Then for my next Michele project, The Arts and Crafts Sampler.  I had three blocks already prepped and 1 sewn.  All that remained was the next 6.  When you do one every month (as you are suppose to) you don't notice how long it takes to prep.  Well this is a good part of a day involved in the last 6 blocks and then the first month, 2 blocks of the next one.

Here is Arts and Craft all done, ready and waiting for the TV.  Just right for the coming hot weather.

Well that's it for now.

I hope you have enjoyed seeing what we have been up to.

Take care and Happy sewing.

JA

(JulieAnn)

My Time at Home Alone.

For 2 weeks over May/June I spent my very first time alone for longer than 3 days .  I had gone from living with my parents, to married then married with children.  Never in 50 years have I had more than 3 nights by my self.  Wow  is it different!  DH and DS No 1 went to England to visit DD and DS No2.  I stayed home alone.

So what did I do?  Anything I wanted!!

Apart from going to work, time was my own.  I made it my mission to try to get some of my quilt tops that were almost done, that much closer to being done.  ( I can't use the F word).

My first quilt top was La Naissance, a quilt by Susan Smith from Wodonga. I had all but finished it 2 years ago.  I wanted a Fresh, bright summer quilt. All it needed was 20 small hexagon flowers.  I found the fabrics and off I went.  It did take me a week, (slow going, I know) but I got them made.

Then it took 3 days to sew them onto the top.


Here it is ready and waiting for it's Flowers

All the flowers ready to go.... at last.

Mmmmm Is this how I want them????

Sewing the last stitch.....

Taa dah!!!!!!  Done!

It is now ready for quilting.  It is a large King size so there is no way I will be quilting it. 

Next on the list was the scrolls on My William Morris Sampler By Michele Hill.  It has been awaiting its scrolls for about 4 years.  So I spend 4 nights tracing and cutting them out.

Then another night was spent positioning them and ironing them into place.  If I thought tracing and cutting took some time, it is nothing to how long it takes to blanket stitch around them.  I am almost done but life and family have delayed the process .

I even did some stitching in the "No Patchwork Allowed" place, our new pergola.  It did take him a while to realise I was sewing while we watched the Football.

When this one is done the next is another Michele Hill top, just awaiting the last 4 corner blocks to be sewn.  More on it when this current one is done.

Last Saturday Linda and joined a bus trip to Canberra to the Craft and Quilting Show.

A couple of Patterns purchased from Somerset

Some templates

and a book I am very pleased to have bought.

Thanks for joining me on my journey and I will try to make more regular updates.

That should spur me on to keep achieving......

........

.........

shouldn't it?????????

Happy stitching to All.

JulieAnn