Almost Christmas!

There has been a mixture of hand and machine stitching here in the last few weeks. Some piecing and some applique.

Slowly but steadily my lone star is growing. Half way there now!

Its getting huge!!!


I finally finished November's Noah and Matilda blocks.

Here is my completed Flower Wreath block from my last post. The yellow flower centres are french knots.

This next block looked a bit daunting at first!  I began by making the centre section.

Then appliqued it over the rest of the block.

Rose Beauty complete:

All three November blocks complete:

There are 4 blocks again for December. I've prepared the freezer paper templates and chosen the fabrics, so its almost stitching time.

A couple of nights ago I finished the latest Chester Criswell block.

CCCQ Block 27 Susanna Criswell.

On the machine I have been making purses and bags.

I used Cotton and Steel fabrics for this little purse. On the outside I stitched cross stitch with pearl thread over the little crosses printed on the fabric.

Inside....

Dumpling Pouch pattern and tutorial at Michelle Patterns blog.

I have plans for a couple more different pouches using metallic zips.

Next a completed and now gifted Christmas gift.

I hand pieced the flowering snowball block for the outside pockets (one on each side).

More pockets on the inside. And more Cotton and Steel fabrics.

Love the button!

Pattern from Annie's Quilting Fat Quarter Shuffle. (photo of book at the end of this post)

Today I started cutting out another of these bags.

Only 2 more sleeps till Christmas Day.
Remember the reason for the season.

Merry Christmas!!

How can it be almost the end of November?

This year has flown by!!! It feels like it should be about August, not almost December.

This month has been particularly busy for me, so there has been a bit less time for stitching.

My priorities are my 2 BOM subscriptions.

We are up to Block 26 with the Chester Criswell Quilt. I love the design of this block!!

Block 26 Elizabeth Cummins:

So far I have completed only 1 1/2 blocks for Noah and Matilda.

Stars:

Current progress on Open Flower Wreath:

I will get another photo up when its done. Take a look at a photo of Dawn's version of the block here. I love this block!!! I think this block would make a wonderful centre for a small medallion quilt!

Here is some of what has been keeping me busy;

My daughter has started making and selling clothes and accessories for babies and children, concentrating on boys clothes, but not forgetting the girls.  A couple of days a week I take care of my grandson while she sews. Her business is young and she has started doing some craft markets as well as having a webpage, a Facebook page (Krome Butterfly) and an Instagram account. (@Kromekids) If you are on or near the Mornington Peninsula tomorrow we will be at the Point Nepean Craft Market at Portsea.  Come and say hi if you visit.


I'll be back soon with more stitching. There are a few more things I have been sewing. :)

Have a great weekend everyone!!

October finishes

The boat quilt for my grandson is finished. This quilt will be for his cot.

It is quilted simply with stitch-in-the-ditch around each boat and a wave shape on each alternate block.

I used a fabric with all over boats for the backing and I even found a preprinted label with a boat.

All soft and crinkly after a wash.

This months CCCQ block looked deceptively simple....

Block 25, Sarah Stubbs' block.

All those curves took a while to stitch.

I'm looking forward to making Block 26 this month; Love the pattern of this one!


I just managed to complete my Noah and Matilda blocks on the last day of October! There were only 3 blocks this month and the first 2 didn't take me too long.

Cactus Vase.

Mexican Rose.

I procrastinated over the third block! lol

Pineapple.

Not perfect, but done.

Dawn has posted photos of her blocks for November. I'm looking forward to making these. The 3rd one looks a bit of a challenge.....but  I love a challenge!! :)

Mid month also brought my next installment of Cotton and Steel fabrics.

(only 11 fabrics here. Somehow I left one out after admiring them all!)

I've started cutting out hexies from some of these fabrics. I need about 100, so a little way to go yet. These are 2 1/4 inches. The top and bottom fabrics in the left column are Maze and Vale fabrics. I think they make perfect partners for Cotton and Steel.

Yesterday we had a visit from a dear friend who has just come back from several weeks overseas. She brought back these books she found in a small town in Sussex, England.

Perfect reading for a cold and damp Sunday.  Looks like there is lots of inspiration behind those covers. :)

Have a great Sunday, everyone! :)

Quilts In The Barn 2014

What a beautiful quilt to greet us at Quilts in the Barn this year!! This brilliant version of Homage to Sally-Ann was hand appliqued and machine quilted by Helen Hayes.

Quilts in the Barn is a wonderful 3 day event held every year by Linda Collins and her many helpers who make the day a huge success. All proceeds go to breast cancer research.

I had a day of quilts, friends, meeting new people from here and overseas, and sharing of food, fun and lots of laughter.

Lots of photos following!!!

After a quick tour of the quilts I went to meet one of Linda's international guests and one of my quilting heroes.

Me with Brenda Papadakis, of Dear Jane fame!!

I started my Dear Jane in January 2008, at a time in my life where hand sewing saved my sanity. It was an absolute delight for me to meet Brenda and have a chat with her.

Brenda signed one of my Dear Jane blocks:

I also purchased Brenda's new pattern.

Once around the barn is never enough, so off I went to have a more detailed look at the quilts. :)

Gracedale Doves. Hand appliqued, machine pieced and machine quilted by Louise Lott.
Pattern by Max and Louise Pattern Co.
I love the dove blocks on this one.

Ohio Medallion Quilt by Sharon Duffy, machine quilted by Kaye Brown.
Pattern by Judie Rothermel from her book "Reproduction Quilts From The Civil War Period 1850 - 1863"

A close up of the centre...

This next quilt has some beautiful fabrics...

Churn Dash Fancy. Machine pieced by Linda Collins in 2014. Machine quilted by Katrina Wilson.
The quilt is made from swap blocks from an online group and was inspired by many antique quilts.

I love the reds in the centre of the 2 blocks below.

A small section of a Baltimore quilt.

From Balitimore to Beaumauris - Every Quilt Tells a Story by Lynne Mills.  Needleturn appliqued.

A close up showing a beautiful variety of fabrics.

Zutphen is a large quilt. Hand stitched by Jenny Bear and quilted by Karen Terrens.

Below is the interesting story behind this quilt.

and a some close ups of the blocks. Look at that quilting!

Some hand quilted quilts too!!

New York Beauty.

Made by Judy Newman. Hand quilted by Judy Newman.

Minis by Marion Edwards. Hand quilted by Marion Edwards.

Linda's other international guest is Patty Harrants. Patty is well known for The Wickersham Signature Quilt.

I first saw a photo of this quilt many years ago and I was entranced by it!!! I fell in love with this style of quilt! Unfortunately I couldn't find that photo again, so I couldn't make the quilt. I was very delighted to find out Patty was coming to Quilts in the Barn and that she was responsible for this stunning quilt!!
The original quilt is in The State Museum of Pennsylvania. Patty made exact drawings and notes and all the blocks were made by friends of hers. The quilt was hand quilted by an 87 year old lady in just one month!! Even the quilting is an exact copy of the original.

Patty had discs for sale. She even signed the cover for me!!

The cover block is my favourite block.

Patty also gave me a personal lesson on back basting. I'm eager to give it a try.

Patty and Brenda took classes and gave talks while they were here with Linda.
Patty's class was for this quilt.

Rebecca Kohler Quilt is a crib quilt. The original is also in the collection of the State Museum of Pennsylvania. This quilt was also hand quilted.


Yesterday I met a group of four ladies who are all making Dear Jane together. They have finished al the centre blocks and are working on their triangles. We had a lovely chat while talking with Brenda, then shared a cuppa together.

More friends from yesterday...

Dorothy, Leigh and Anna, all fellow quilters from The Friday Girls at Somerset. Great stitching friends!!!



Unfortunately there wereno signs on the quilts behind us. If anyone knows who made them can you let me know please, so I credit their creators properly.

Edited...The quilt on the left is a pattern by Sandra Boyle. The quilt on the right is Museum Medallion, Pattern by Judy Newman.  (Thank you Susan and Dorothy)Th

Just a little story about the first quilt in this post. I first saw Homage to Sally-Ann hanging in Di Ford's shop, Primarily Patchwork, in 2005 or 2006. I had gone to the shop to learn how to quilt and I was taking a class for a hand sampler with 5 other ladies.  When I saw Homage to Sally-Ann hanging in the shop I fell in love with that quilt. I said to myself, "when I'm good enough" I want to make that quilt!Well, 8 or 9 years later I have bought the pattern, chosen fabrics, changed ny mind on fabrics, chosen more fabrics................and that is as far as I have got!!!
Do you also have a quilt like this, hidden away in a cupboard, waiting for the right time to be made?