Brrr.... it's cold outside

Now that Winter seems to have overtaken Autumn here in the southern part of Australia, I thought it prudent that I get out my knitting projects.

Here is the first knitted project for this year:  A keyhole scarf with large leaves for the ends.

The pattern is a design from By Lynette and the wool I used was Utiku Merino/Possum blend.  I purchased the wool and pattern as a kit from the Craft and Quilt Fair about 3 years ago.

So soft and light, but oh so very warm.  This scarf will really keep the winter chill away every morning when I have to brave the frosty outdoors.

I sewed the ends of wool in just now, hence the indoor photo.  My MIL was keeping us interested with old family history and photos of my husband's great uncle in his full regalia as a leader of the Light Horse Brigade.  When I was working on the Honour Quilt, I had no idea of the history of that side of the family.  A truly remarkable way to end what has been an emotional and poignant weekend.  This story helps in some way to make my Honour Quilt even more honourable for our family.

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.

3D Fun Aussies

A very short post this week about a bag.

Love, love, love this bag.  And, it's huge!  3D Fun was the name of the pattern I used.

The bottlebrush panel and the small gumnut pieces have come from the Under the Australian Sun fabric ranges.  The rest was made up of bits'n'pieces from my stash.

Making the little 3D leaves for the side panel was very time consuming.  However, once I started to get it together - wow - it was really fun to make.

There is heaps of room inside for lots of shopping, or it will fit a yoga mat and towel for that all important exercise session.

This very Aussie flora bag was also on display at the Australian Exhibition at the Cranbourne Gardens, just like the quilt in my previous post.

The pattern for the bag is available from here.

Aussies! Oi!

Great Australians.  Just love 'em.  Where would we be without our well loved marsupials and trees which shed bark instead of leaves?  Without quilting inspiration of course!

And... the clothesline (Hills Hoist) was the perfect place to hang my Aussies! quilt from, with gum tree trunk and dry summer grass in the background, as well as a Blundstone boot peeking out from the bottom of one of the photos.

Every year Chandler's Cottage organises an Australian themed exhibition which is held in the function rooms at the glorious Australian Gardens in Cranbourne.  The theme for the exhibition must be Australian, and I got as Australian as I could with my fabrics and patterns.  

The background and binding fabrics were from Leesa Chandlers designs/fabric range.
The green fabric for the two gum-nut and leaf appliques are from Reece Scannell.
The applique patterns are designs from Susan Matthews and were published in Australian Patchwork and Quilting Magazine in 1999.  Hmmm, 1999, last century.  Personally I am glad I have kept all of my old magazines, they are so full of ideas and inspiration!

This year, the Australian Exhibition just blew my mind.  It went over two levels and the variety in quilt types, knitted, felted, embroidered and beaded items was sensational.  It was fun, quirky and awe inspiring.

I feel very proud to have taken part in such a fun event.  I am already looking forward to next year.

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. 

Whole-cloth Running......

About 2.5 years ago I purchased 3 FQ sized pre-printed whole-cloth panels to make a QAYG table runner with. 

One year ago - oops, upon checking, it was actually Two years ago that I quilted the panels, trimmed them and then set to putting on cover strips over the seams and the binding.  I didn't think about the cover strip size, I just cut it a 2.5in and attached it.  I was so unhappy with the appearance of the cover strips and how they seemed to overtake the quilt, that I put the whole thing aside in disgust.  

Last December, I set to unpicking the cover strips and the partially sewn binding.  Unpicking was all I achieved.  I was determined that during this month of January I would get my runner finished.  I re-cut the cover strips to finish at the same width as the binding and then attached them. 

Detail photo, showing the backing fabric.

I am so happy now with my completed project, that I am wondering why I didn't fix it up sooner.  For such a small project, it seemed to cause me a bit of grief for a while.  

There's no mistaking the wonderful feeling, my first completed or "done-done" project for 2015.  

The completed runner

Stats:     Size - 54in x 18in  (145cm x 45cm)

              Yardage used – 2.25yds (2.0m)

              Quilting – by me on my Domestic Sewing Machine with Rasant Threads

Very excited – I have a new runner for my table to go with the lovely new cloth that I purchased a couple of days ago.

Cobbled Nines

In 2008 I took part in block swaps of 9-patches and cobblestones. It was fun to send off your blocks and receive surprise packages in return.

In 2012, I took part in a class, 'blocks on parade', where the aim is to use up your odd blocks and pieces of fabric.  I found it hard to focus with this particular project at the time due to some other issues going on in the background, which is a shame because the Teacher on the day was nothing short of amazing with how she could put the oddest pieces together and come up with a cohesive quilt.

With everything being made from black and white, I put the three projects together into a zip-lock bag and then added a good dose of of zero inspiration, simply because I could not figure out what to do with them.  

From humble beginnings way back in 2008 and some extras being thrown in from time to time, the "pot" or rather zip-lock bag was shaken up and stirred around the sewing room a few times.  Eventually a quilt top had to come out.

Here is the result of a recent burst of creativity from the percolating zip-lock bag.  The blocks, after breaking the seal on the bag, spilled themselves out over the lounge-room floor and jumped around for a while.  When they settled down, they then demanded I sew them together, to make "Cobbled Nines".

Not quilted, but pieced "Cobbled Nines" quilt top.

Thankfully each of the projects used 6in (finished) blocks, so they all fitted together nice and snug.

The males who reside in this house love it.  The quilting buddies also like it.  And, I found a fantastic fabric for the backing in a red spot sale bin, which is washed and joined ready to go.  

The binding is already made, using left over batik fabric from when I made my knitting bag.

I've chosen a silver metallic thread for the quilting, which I think will work really well.  Using plain grey thread in any shade was just a bit too dull when I laid it/them on the quilt top.

It feels good to put 3 projects together with some extra bits and make one funky quilt out of it all.  

Work Christmas Gifting

At the beginning of 2014, I started working in a secondary school, which was completely new to me, in a role that was so far removed from anything I had ever done previously that I wondered what the heck I was doing at the end of the first week.  I am completely indebted to the person who took a chance on me after I went through the application process. 

After starting the job, I went 'back to school' to get a qualification.  I was thrown completely in the deep end while working and studying at the same time, but with some gentle guidance, I got through.  The team I work with are amazing.  I feel that they all supported me (and each other) 100% and I wanted to make a gift for them so that I could say 'thank you', without commercialism or being over the top.

Here's what they received - hand-stitched cross stitch bookmarks, with Australian Natives on them.

Dampiera, Wattle,Wax Lip Orchid and Isotoma

Grevillea, Flannel Flower, Emu and Rhododendron

Unfortunately, the mental list in my mind missed one person, so she will receive her gift when we start back at school/work after Christmas.  Yes, I did have a sinking feeling moment when I realized my error.

One present I didn't take a photo of is the hand-made bottle opener made from bicycle chain which I gave to the 'cool dude' of the team.  He received a different present because a cross-stitched bookmark for a 21 year old footy player would be a little too weird.

** Patterns for the bookmarks are from Danico Designs, Australia.

Florentine Notes - bragging....

In a moment of thinking 'I can do that'  and really liking the fabric, I decided some time ago to take part in the Rotary Textile Challenge which is run each year at the Tasmanian Craft Fair on the Melbourne Cup Weekend.  The challenge is sponsored by Chandlers Cottage. Here is an excerpt from an e-mail I received yesterday from Chandlers Cottage: "This week I’m excited to let you know we are having the 12 finalists from this year’s Rotary Textile Challenge in the shop – woohoo! These include this year’s winner, Barbara Mellor from Tassie with her sensational Peacock, and our own local VIP customer Andrea Hall with her magnificent Florentine notes."  Leesa Chandler

Photo taken by Andrea Hall To say that I am excited would be an understatement!  I am totally over the moon by this.  It is an absolute honour to have my quilt chosen among the quilts to spend the next 12 months travelling around Australia. I would also like to say Congratulations to the winner - Barbara Mellor - whose incredible peacock quilt can be seen here.  The Rotary Textile Challenge raises awareness (and funds) of the incredible work Rotary Clubs do to support local communities.  So please, click on the links I've provided within the text and support those who support our local communities - volunteers are the most important people around.