It's a block party!

Blocks, blocks and more blocks!  During the 'down-time' that is the week between Christmas and New Year, I discovered that a "block party" was going to happen during the year.

The lady running it is local to me, which is very nice and it's fun to be able to catch up with some of the other participants from time to time.

I am such a sucker for a sampler quilt.  I really didn't want to buy anything for this project, so I pulled out an untouched bundle of Fat Quarters and background fabric that I had purchased for a different project, gave them a wash and got started.  Thank goodness I washed the fabrics - there was quite a bit of colour run from some of the darker prints.  eeekkk....

Chosen fabric pack + grey sashing/border fabric.

Some of the blocks are funky and modern, others more traditional.  I'm loosely following the colours announced by the Rainbow Scrap Challenge each month, with the aim of having a nice colourwash across my quilt top.

January Blocks - Blue

These blocks are fun to make and at 6in finished, they are a nice size and not too fiddly.  

February Blocks - Pinkish

I decided not long after starting this project that I would set my blocks with sashings and cornerstones.  I cut all of the sashing pieces in the first week and the cornerstones are being cut from left over block fabrics.  So far, as I have completed the full set of blocks each month, I have immediately attached the sashings and cornerstones, which hopefully will speed up the final construction when it happens.

March Blocks - Green

The colour for April is purple and I am yet to start the April blocks.  I usually wait until the last weekend of the month, make them all at once and then put the tub away again.  I have found that this works for me and frees my mind to work on other things in-between.

What types of quilts are you a sucker for? 

A Sampler!

It all started [in Jan 2017] with being bored and not really wanting to face up the prospect of having to move house and live in a Caravan Park until the next house was ready.  You know the scene, scrolling, procrastinating, not wanting to face reality, "I really want to start something new"...  all those wonderful excuses we give ourselves?  

As I was scrolling, I came across the 182 Day Solstice Challenge - a fun, sampler quilt with blocks of all sizes jumping into the mix for the fun of playing together.  

The blocks I've made so far, laid out on a bed sheet.  The large centre block is my own design.

I started with a beautiful piece of French Linen, some shot cotton and a background.  The rest of the bits coming from my stash.  

At the time, I took my little travel machine and sewed while sitting in the "budget" cabin at the caravan park while my boys started at their new school and my DH went to work.  This project was a bit like a saving grace for me.  We were in a new town and I was looking at starting all over again with getting into new groups, finding work and so on.  It gave me an excuse to go and check out the local quilt shops and have a focus on something other than moving house.

And, after the move?  I worked on it for a little while until I lost 1 single solitary triangle from the centre panel.  Yep, you guessed it - this project has then sat in it's tub, patiently waiting in the cupboard until last week, when it jumped off the top shelf and into my hands while I was looking for something I could cut out and prepare for Friday Quilt Group.

When I opened the box the blessed lost triangle was sitting on top looking at me!  Seriously!  After huffing and puffing at myself (grrr) about the triangle, I sat down very calmly and put the block together, framed it and voila!  I LOVE that big middle block.

After making 4 blocks last Friday, I just felt happy.  It is so good to have a focus for this project and to see the direction it is heading in.  Once the blocks are completed, there will be some filler sections to make, but they can wait.😉

Today, I got all of the remaining blocks cut and they are now in plastic sleeves with their patterns, ready for tomorrow's quilt group gathering. 

**  The blocks from the 182 Day Solstice Sampler Challenge can be found here.

Small Sampler Quilt

This is a quilt that I started in April 2009.  Yep, that long ago.  I was gifted the original pattern Golden Memories Sampler by Lori Smith a few months earlier for Christmas and I chose a fat quarter pack of fabric a short time later.  I started making the blocks, but wasn't "in love" with them, so I put the whole project away.  And.... it stayed away for a very, very long time.

Fast forward to October 2020; I decided to pull this particular project out of hiding and take a look at where I was at and assess what to do with the blocks I'd already made.  In the end, I decided simplicity was my friend.  I ditched the original pattern and joined the blocks together with sashing and cornerstones.

A very conventional setting, but very effective.  A trip to the local quilt shop for the lovely denim blue linen narrow border and binding, plus the purple border fabric so that I could get the quilt top completed.

Two weeks ago, I quilted this quilt with a lovely soft, variegated purple thread on my domestic sewing machine.  I quilted cables in the border and did 'stitch in the ditch', combined with tumbling leaves for the blocks and sashing. 

For quilt that I wasn't sure I liked, I have ended up being blown away by what I achieved with this one.  I'm so very happy.

On the 1st of October, I gifted this quilt to one of the most beautiful 'old' ladies you could ever meet.  At 87, she is so active and on the ball that she is inspiring.  She was a member of my local quilt group, but gave up all crafting and disposed of her craft items approximately 12 months ago. 

What I wrote on the label is why I specifically finished this quilt for her:  

A couple of years ago you asked me if I could make you a quilt and I said yes – so here it is with purple and a few other colours thrown in for a good measure.  This is to keep you warm in winter and for comfort if you ever need a hug. 

Finishing at 40in x 48in, she is absolutely chuffed and says she will use it every night when watching TV.  

 

Diligently sewing ...

I've got 3 projects on the go at the moment, and it's leading to lots of productivity but also lots of mess!

New York Beauty blocks.  I was working on this one and making great progress, but kept on feeling that some of the colour and scale of print balance in the fabrics was not quite right.  After a few days of contemplation,  I ordered some more fabric to even out the patterns in the 'fill in" squares.  The fabric arrived last Thursday and it's provided the look I was after.  I am not sure if I will get back to that this week coming or not.

A sneak peak of one of the blocks.

Until I started this project, I had completely forgotten how much I enjoy foundation piecing  I am loving the use of some really old fabrics being combined with brand new fabrics to come up with something that is very unique.



Modern Quilt  I am in the process of putting the quilt top together.  I pulled it out to complete the blocks while waiting for the fabric for the New York Beauty to arrive.  I completed all of the blocks and was merrily cutting and sashing away until I realised that I had cut ALL of the long sashings too short by 1in.  In the moment of realisation of my error, I may have said some unladylike words.  Because I am intending to exhibit my modern quilt later in the year, I am being particularly fussy with things being 'just right'.  Off to the quilt shop this morning and I was able to purchase more of the same fabric so that I can re-cut those sashing strips. 

Here's the made up blocks, ready for assembly into the quilt top.

***  I'm sorry, but I cannot share any photos of this quilt until after it has been exhibited - those are rules from the entry conditions.




Specky Stars is a local quilt shop pattern for using up a jelly roll or scraps.  It was a workshop we had on 17/05/2019 at  the Friday group I attend.  The class was the day I turned 50, so I was an absolutely hopeless class participant because not only was I doubting my fabric choices, I was far too excited at the prospect of being flown to an island later that day for the weekend to celebrate.

Partial blocks.  I'm assembling them 'log cabin' style and
adding the same strip to each block for easy chain piecing.

During January, I decided to rip (unpick) all of the parts I had sewn - same error in every block -  and then I cut all block parts for the entire quilt and put them in labelled ziploc baggies.  Since then I have been working diligently on that project each Friday at quilting bee and have 2 sides left to sew on each of the required 48 blocks.   I have pressed the parts and trimmed the flipped triangles on the remaining parts ready for next Friday.   I hope on 28/02 to have all of the blocks completed.


Of course, all of this work means that my sewing room has become very, very untidy.  It's time to go in there and put some things away.  My goal is to be able to quilt one of these quilts next week, and that takes up space for basting.  Plus all things need to be cleared off the sewing table so that I don't  end up with stray bits of fabric attached to back of the quilt accidentally!

Now I can share! - 1718 Simplified

Ahhh, the major exhibitions are over, for now and I can finally share my 1718 Simplified Quilt story.....

My excitement which I shared last year can now be shown as photos and I can tell the whole story of my own amazing personal journey.

The 1718 quilt had been a “want to make” quilt for me for many, many years, after I first saw a photo of it almost 20 years ago.  The chance to make my own version of the 1718 Coverlet and to travel to the UK from Australia with my quilt to visit the original quilt was truly a dream come true.

It was a picture, a very small picture inside the front cover of a patchwork book.  Interesting shapes and designs, seeming to be both logically placed and then random at the same time.  A conundrum.  One that I wanted to solve.  It was 15 years from when I saw that first little photo until I could start to make my own quilt.

During 2014, I chanced upon a brief advertisement, the quilt I had been coveting in the picture was being faithfully reproduced and a book was to be published.  In early 2015, I became the owner of that very newly released book...  The 1718 Coverlet:  69 Quilt Blocks from the Oldest Dated British Patchwork Coverlet by Susan Briscoe.

Getting there....

For a long time, it seemed like I wasn't really getting anywhere with the blocks.  I would prepare some applique blocks, put them into a zip loc sandwich bag and take them in my hand-bag for filling in waiting time or while on travelling.  When sewing in small stints and then changing to the next block, I lost where I was up to.  It wasn't until I laid all the blocks out on the floor, that I realised how far I had progressed.

I would often have little machine sewing sessions where I would make a group of blocks, say, all the square in a square, then maybe the hourglass blocks.  I found by doing this way, I could match things up a bit.  The 1718 Coverlet is symmetrical from left to right, but not top to bottom.  This was something I did not realise by looking at the book, but only picked up on when I was laying out the blocks.

There were many techniques used in the making of this quilt, including applique, piecing, english paper piecing, templates, fussy cutting and more.

Adding in the centre

A true labour of love - taking 3 years to make, with lots of hand and machine work.  Each block was carefully made, pressed and trimmed to the correct size. 

Completed centre panel.  Just love it!

I used a very, very fine wadding, called QuiltLite.  It was like a fine interfacing, but with a bit more give in it.  With so many seams and lots of applique, I wanted my quilt to hold and have a little bit of body to it because I wanted it to hold up to handling and hanging during the exhibitions.

Detail showing quilting with 100 weight invisafil thread and a 60/8 needle. 
The thread is a fine line, about the thickness of hair running down the needle shaft.

I used a very fine #100 weight thread to quilt each block to closely mimic the "coverlet" style of the original quilt, which it to make it look like it has no quilting over the patchwork.

Blocks after quilting before trimming and assembling.

Assembled blocks after quilting

Detail showing how the quilt as you was assembled without cover strips.

The method I chose for quilting allowed me to use a whole piece of fabric for the backing, with some stitch in the ditch on in the seam lines to attach it to the front with no sagging.

Not all blocks were easy to make, but all were very rewarding.

Ta Da!  A fully quilted, bound and labelled quilt.  Totally elated!

The coming together of this quilt was a complete joy.  Every block was wonderful to make, except the ‘cockerel’ (the block must have known that I don’t like chooks in general!!!).  My quilt has been called ‘1718 Simplified’ because I did not piece the applique backgrounds, allowing the unique shapes to be highlighted.  I used modern piecing and quilting techniques.

In June 2018, I was notified that my quilt had been accepted as part of the 1718 Exhibition at the Festival of Quilts, in Birmingham - a huge event that is well renowned on the world quilting calendar.  Of course I had to hand deliver it!  Off I went, with the quilt carefully packed into my hand luggage.  An incredible experience where I got to see the original 300 year old coverlet -WOW - attend lectures about the 1718 Coverlet; meet others who made their own versions of the coverlet and get my book signed by the author.

At The Festival of Quilts

1718 Simplified has been exhibited at and appeared in:

• 2018 - Festival of Quilts, Birmingham, UK - part of the special exhibit celebrating 300 years of the original quilt.

• 2018 Nov - Axedale Antics (local paper).  Article I was asked to write, telling my story of how and why I made the 1718 Coverlet.

• 2018 - Quilt Mania magazine - issue 128 Nov-Dec 2018- Celebrating 300 years of Britain's oldest dated patchwork coverlet article.

• 2019 January to May - with Grosvenor Shows, UK, as part of a travelling exhibition highlighting the 1718 Quilts throughout England.  Newark 18-20 January;  Ardingly 25-27 January; Harrogate 22-24 February; Duxford 8-10 March;
  Exeter 29-31 March; Quilts UK Malvern 16-19 May.

• 2019 July - Victorian Quilters Showcase, Melbourne, Aust. - entrant in the mainly pieced, amateur, single person category.  Received an Highly Commended Award.

• and is slated to appear in one or two more exhibitions during 2019.

Quilt Hanging in Melbourne at Victorian Quilters Showcase

My winning ribbon!

And.... would I make a second one?  Yes, I would.  

1718 has been the most interesting, at times challenging and
most delightful quilt that I have ever made.  

Thank you to those who supported me for your faith in me,
especially my Aunt Libby, who just "gets it"
and my husband Baden for his never ending patience and love.

Exciting News!!!

I am very excited to report that my version of the 1718 Coverlet has been accepted into the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham, UK, for August this year.

My quilt will hang with others from around the world as well as the original piece from 1718 during the Exhibition.

I am super excited!!!!!!!!!

Photos to follow in the next few days.......

21/10/18 - Unfortunately no photos until after it has finished being exhibited!  This quilt has been accepted to be part of a travelling exhibition in the UK from Jan - May 2019, and then hopefully an exhibition here in Australia (July 2019).

Please keep checking back for updates!   Excitement continues!! :)  

Another Sampler Quilt!

I just can't help myself - as soon as a new sampler quilt challenge or sew along makes an appearance, I simply have to start it!  I LOVE sampler quilts.  To me, they epitomize the skills required to make many different blocks and layouts, as well as using many techniques.

This new one that I've just started, '182 day solstice challenge', is being hosted weekly by Pat Sloan over at I love to make quilts website.  It is her cheerio to get from the Northern Hemisphere Winter Solstice to the Summer Solstice.  (Summer to Winter for us here in the Southern Hemisphere).

Here are the fabrics I've pulled from my stash to start the project - an unused FQ, a background that I changed my mind about from a previous project and some gorgeous woven check, plus a linen floral print and a linen red that I simply had to have.....

Fabric selection - yum...

I got stuck straight into making the blocks, the first seven blocks, shown here are all 12in finished.  The block sizes will be changing as we progress through the quilt.

Block 1 - Churn Dash

Block 2 - Day into Night Star

Block 3 - Tide Pool

Block 4 - Cobblestones

Block 5 - Gramma Anna's Basket
- no basket, but a fussy cut flower instead -

Block 6 - The Crosswalk

Block 7 - Tidy Rows

Each week when the blocks are posted, there are options shown for making an entire quilt out of the blocks as well as some extra challenges along the way.

I really enjoy the little stories of how and why Pat Sloan is choosing her blocks, making this a personal journey with little glimpses into her life.

Winter Solstice Challenge info can be found by clicking here.  

Honouring Our Heroes - part 2

ANZAC Day is almost upon us.  In a week's time the commemorations of 100 years since that fateful landing of Australian and New Zealand soldiers upon the shores of Gallipoli begin.

The Honour Quilts which myself and other members from Kilmore Quilters have made, will be on display at the Kilmore Memorial Hall on Sunday 19th April as part of a larger historical exhibition.

As posted previously, each participant received a few blocks per month with the name and history of a soldier attached.  You could use those names or research your own family friends/members.

My version of the completed Honour Quilt.

Such a significant part of the Australian history, and such a small showing of the impact on the lives of many.  And as I have mentioned in other blog posts, this has been a somewhat poignant journey as I learnt more about the soldiers, their families and the impact of war on the world as a whole.

During the past week, my Husband and I took our children to the Melbourne Museum.  There was an exhibition of WWI careers (for want of a better word).  Victorians were featured.  Profiled were soldiers, nurses, women factory workers, surgeons and then of course, there were weapons and prosthetic limbs.  The topic which sparked the most questions from the children were about the plaster face masks/moulds and the before/after photos of the soldiers who were disfigured by ammunition.  The exhibition was very confronting and emotional.

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Quilt #4 of 12 for completion this year.

Bali Stars - part 2

Another finish!  I seem to be on quite a roll with finishes this year, which is making me very happy.  Part of my New Year's Resolution was to get 12 (already started) quilts quilted and bound, irrespective of size.  So far, so good.  This is number 3 of my planned 12.

Back in October last year I put up a post about a quilt that I had been teaching.  This is this quilt, completely finished, including a label and hanging sleeve.  

It took me a very long time to find a quilting thread which would complement both the white background and the multi-coloured setting triangles and, wouldn't overtake one or the other of the fabric colours used.  Finally, I found that yellow worked very well.  I used King Tut thread in both the top of the machine and in the bobbin.  Very smooth sewing.  

My hubby loves this quilt because of the bright colours!  I love this quilt because of the stars.

I will be teaching Bali Stars again as a two part class during May and I'm looking forward to the classes very much.  It will be better this year, because I will be properly prepared and there are many happy vibes coming off the quilt.

CCQ - Central Panel - B13

If anyone had asked me as little as 3 years ago if I would contemplate hand-appliqueing a quilt, I would have told them that they were crazy - me? - hand applique? - never!  I was a machine person through and through. 

About 2 years ago, I found myself unable to sit at my sewing machine because I broke some ribs.  I could not use my machine for several weeks until the ribs healed.  In my boredom I did what all bored quilters do - I spent my time searching the web to see what was going on in the quilting world.   That was when I stumbled across the Chester Criswell Quilt.

There was some explaining to do on my part when my local fun group questioned my sanity as I announced I was starting a hand applique quilt, with every intention to complete the entire quilt.  I then promptly asked them to teach me how to hand applique properly, since I didn't really know how to get nice edges on my needle-turn.

Now for some showing off, bragging, or whatever you like to call it - here is the central panel of the Chester Criswell Quilt.  Just finished last night, I have been staring at it a lot, not quite able to believe that I hand stitched it.

Wow!  It's still blowing my mind.

I have completed several other blocks since I started CCQ in Jan 2013 and I'll be showing them off here over the next few months.

CCQ = Chester Criswell Quilt

The pattern for Block 13 of the Chester Criswell Quilt is available from here. 

Honouring Our Heroes

Over at Kilmore Quilters, one of the Members has set a challenge for the 100 years of Anzacs next year.  She got to thinking during late last year and came up with the "Honour Quilt".

Not to leave any stone un-turned, she has researched soldiers from Kilmore, so each month we receive some block patterns and the history of a local soldier from WW1.  

I had fallen behind with my blocks, but have been working very diligently on the blocks since the September school holidays and am now much closer to being completely up-to-date.

Here is my work so far:

Being part of the Honour Quilt and learning more about WWI history has been an interesting and at times poignant journey as I have started to look at my own ancestors involvement as well.  

The August 2014 issue of National Geographic has an incredible article with photos of the tunnels and trenches in France, which are still there from 1915.  It is well worth a read and to see the pictures sculpted in the walls of the tunnels.  The National Geographic article, combined with what I have learnt so far with the Honour Quilt, have heightened my awareness of what soldiers undergo to ensure we have a peaceful life.

There are plans for all of the quilts to be hung at exhibitions during 2015, including the Kilmore Quilters Quilt Show (Oct 2015).  When I have details of the quilt shows, I'll add them to this blog.

Traditional Tuesday - Pt 4

More gorgeous blocks from Jenifer Dick over at 42 Quilts Blog.  Take a peek, there is only eye candy in my book!

Block 30 - Square

Block 31 - City Streets

Block 31 is actually the second block from making Block 29, it is simply a reversal of the log cabin squares.  

Block 32 - Double Pinwheel

Block 33 - Illinois Road

Block 34 - Checkerboard Unskew (unequal 9 patch!)

Block 35 - Kansas Dugout

 Another block which is a bit ho hum by itself, but when repeated and rotated can make an amazing quilt.

Block 36 - 4H

4H - The 4 H's stand for Head, Heart, Hands and Health.  There are 4H clubs in America.  They are not here in Australia, so I googled to find out what the significance of  4H is.  4H clubs sound like a great thing for youth to belong to with a focus on traditional values so often lacking in our modern world.

Block 37 - Birds in the Air

Block 38 - Contrary Wife

Block 39  - Dragon Fly

I'm a little behind with my stitching at on this particular project and I can't wait to start sewing the July and August blocks.