Remembering Duncan......

A day with Kaffe and Brandon..

...yes, THAT Kaffe and Brandon!

Yesterday I was lucky enough to attend a whole day workshop with Kaffe Fassett and Brandon Mably at Amitie here in Melbourne.

The room was filled with many lovely ladies (and a 3 gentlemen!), anticipation, colourful fabric, music, lots of chatter (and some singing!), yummy food, laughter, inspiration, learning and discovery.

There were a couple of familiar faces there! :)

Cathy from Cabbage Quilts and Andi from Patch Andi.


We all worked on our own version of Kaffe's  Bordered Diamonds quilt from his book with Liza Prior Lucy, Simple Shapes and Spectacular Quilts.

The friendly staff at Amitie were kept busy cutting fabric, making endless cups of tea and coffee and provided us with delicious food.


Even though most people chose to use predominantly fabrics designed by Kaffe Fassett, Brandon Mably or Philip Jacobs there was a huge difference in the look of each quilt.
One lady chose to use all Liberty fabrics, another used florals with metallic highlights and a couple of others used quite different fabrics.

I had never used a design wall before. Here is the beginning of my quilt.

The beginning of my design.

An extra row of diamonds added.

With some of the borders added.

I chose a pallete of blues and greens with a hint of pink. I usually procrastinate over fabric choices and I feel intimidated by colour, especially saturated colour such as in these fabrics.
Both Kaffe and Brandon walked around the room offering advice and fabric suggestions.


We worked very quickly and almost everyone had the fabric chosen, cut and placed for their quilt by the middle of the afternoon. I chose the colours of my borders by picking the fabric I would usually least likely chose.
 

By the end of the afternoon I this is what I had.

During the last hour of the day Kaffe walked around the room and critiqued each quilt. Often the most unexpected combinations of fabrics worked the best.

Kaffe also stayed around to sign books.

Me and Kaffe Fassett!!

We all had a wonderfully inspiring day. The room was full of energy. I was exhausted by the time I got home, but I came home with a brand new confidence in my ability to work with colour!
It was a great day! :)  I feel very lucky and priviledged that I had the opportunity to learn from such masters of colour!

A finish and more progress

 I have finished the Folk Art Fantasy wall hanging top.
On the vase I used reverse applique, a technique I haven't used for a long time.
The quilting will be done by machine once I have chosen a backing fabric.

Here is the next block of Tailfeathers. This is
such a fun project! I just love all those cute embroidered birds.
I have block 7 started.

 Finally, I have caught up with Barbara Brackman's  Civil War Quilt blocks.
These 2 are block 6, Richmond and block 7, Log Cabin.

I made this tote bag today. I used a coated fabric.





Soooooo excited about tomorrow!!!!

Chat soon..........

Catching up..

Midnight Stars Progress.

  I am making slow progress with Lori's Quiltalong:  Midnight Stars. Two blocks are finished and 2 need the outer sections added. All the small units have been prepared, they just need to be sewn together. I have had second thoughts over the background fabric I had chosen, so its back to the drawing board for that one!                                                       The completed blocks measure only 5 1/2 inches (unfinished). I challenged myself to make these blocks by machine, so there has been a bit of frog stitching to get them to line up properly!  I am much more used to hand sewing tiny pieces of fabric.  Some of the fabric I used in these blocks was left over from the Morrell Quilt......hmm...... still need to prepare all those triangles for the border on that one!

 One day last week I was surprised by a pink package at the door. My dear friend Ranette sent me a beautifully stitched wool pin cushion, note paper and card and seam ripper. The handle of the seam ripper was hand turned by the husband of a quilter Ranette knows! The card Ranette sent also has a great quilt design on it. Thank you Ranette!

While I was in Canberra I worked on the stitchery for this Tail Feathers block. I finished the borders yesterday. The next block is well on its way.

 I have finished 3 more blocks from Barbara Brackman's Civil War  Quilt blocks. (the wobbly stars might get stitched again!!!) I still have one more to make to catch up.

 I have also been busy preparing all the papers and fabric ready to make the little quilt pattern I won from Jeanneke. It will be all hand made using English Paper Piecing. (see previous post for a photo).
I have worked on the Folk Art Fantasy wall hanging too, and I only have the vase to do now.
Lots of projects, but only a little progress on each.

Close ups of flowers from my garden. The flower below is an agapanthus. I don't know what the other 2 are.
Does anyone know?? The top one is a bulb. The plant has thin, strappy leaves and is about 25 cm (10 inches) tall. It has bloomed amongst my spring flowering bulbs.
The last flower is from a bush that is about 150 cm (5 ft) tall.

Thinking of all my fellow Australians who have recently endured hardship due to weather extremes. In both Queensland and Victoria there have been floods, cyclones in Queensland and on the outskirts of Perth, Western Australia there have been bush fires.
Stay safe everyone.

I am using a new version of Blogger for the first time.....there are a few changes to get used to.