Pretty Flowers all in a Row

   Well it's been a while since my last posting, I've been busy with work, studying and just life in general. My arm has not been good lately but I decided that I wanted to do something creative as I am at my best doing just that.

     This material I bought almost two years ago and I was looking for the ideal pattern to make sure all the flowers where properly framed. I was at my quilting group and I saw the exact thing I wanted hanging on the clothes line. so I borrowed a book by Lynette Anderson and used her snowball pattern for this quilt top.

   The above three pictures where trials in what way the blocks of nine should go and as usual I decided on the first one I tried. Isn't it always the way...well it is with me it seems.

 This is the middle of the top, I just love the peacefulness( if thats a word) of the colours and the beautiful flower motifs. Who ever designed this fabric has done a beautiful job.

   Any way thats it for a little while, resting the arm, but I also need to decided on borders. I thought of a couple of small width borders then possibly more squares or rectangles mmmmm we will have to see.
Thanks for visiting and enjoy your day


Alison

Cobweb Cottage Quilt by Tangled Web Quilters

        The group was talking one group day about doing a quilt as a new project and some how I was given the job as supervisor, not sure how or whether I just fell into it but I Did it

        So this is what has been keeping me busy for the last few months. I have never been involved with a group quilt before, so this was my first.  I thought at times I was a bit of a control freak but I like to have deadlines for different stages which at times I might have pushed the girls a little hard for that I apologise but you can now see the results....

The Original Design

The Finished Quilt

Weaving the web ( actually stitching the web )

            So now you can see why I haven't posted or sewn much lately. I hope you like it.

Easter Break

              Well .......HAPPY EASTER Everyone......All Chocoholics are happy......
Well I have had a productive break, my poor hubby has been working all the break, so I have tried to keep busy, all the houseworks done including the ironing. Pin cushion has been completed for the Tangled Web Quilters Easter Pincushion  Swap ( thats a mouth full if said too quick ) pictures later on that. I have also completed 6 blocks on a project Im doing with two girlfriends its the Cottage Sampler by Somerset Designs.

 Here are some pictures of them

            I have used some rather unusual colours and patterns, they arent my usual colour pallette at all. But I am trying to be abit experimental dont know if I will pull it off but its a sampler.

And for the rest of the afternoon I will be doing a little gardening and picking up pony poo....Yes not a glamorous job but someone has to do it. Here are Bo and Amber in Diet camp again, Im sure they could get fat from eating thin air.And Bear will be looking on from the warmth of the house as usual.

 Its hard being a dog in this house....Dont you agree Bear.......

Sorry for not posting

             I am sorry to all that are following my blog but I have been extremely busy changing my working Life. It has been one hell of a couple of months.  I have started a Bookeeping Course and a new job as Office Manager for a Sound Company called Alpha Audio.     My brain is in overload learning a whole bunch of stuff from number crunching to leads and amplifiers. But its a challenge and I'm enjoying it.....So Far.

            Though I have still been stitching if only slightly,  I have been working on a little project with the Tangled Web Quilters for the up coming Island Quilters exhibition at the end of April in Launceston.  A group quilt entry, check it out at the Craft fair and let me know what you think. Feedback is all ways a good thing, you can learn so much from it.

              I am very pleased with the outcome and everyone has done a beautiful job, I can not post any pictures as yet but as soon as I can I will. It definitely got everyone out of their comfort zone thats for sure.
 

        Enjoy your day

12 Days of Christmas

               Well I seem to be on a roll finishing projects at the moment. I finished the binding on this wall hanging, designed by Anni Downs from Hatched and Patched, this afternoon. I enjoyed it but I would have tackled it differently and if anyone is going to do it, I would recommend starting at the bottom at 12 drums a drumming. That way by the time your coming past the half way done mark, it isnt as daunting doing 5 rings, 4 calling birds etc as it is 9 dancers dancing, 10 lords a leaping etc.
              Hope you like the pictures,

Its so long its difficult to get close enough

                Now I will pack it away until December....

Girls Day out

            Well its finally finished, binding down and buttons sewn on. If any one remembers back on November 3rd posting I showed you it quilted plus my friends versions as well. Shelley ( blue one) finished first, then me and now we are waiting on Lisa but in all honesty she has been extremely busy with the business and moving house so I think thats a feasible excuse...Dont you
            Here are some pics.

Sorry its sideways

      It was a challenge this quilt, trying to get so many fabrics to blend nicely but I am happy with the result, nice and subtle is what I was going for and I think I reached that goal.. I love the buttons.  See how many you can pick there are 19 in total.

Rule Breakers

            Last week I received a book I have been eyeing off for a while, It is Rule-breaking Quilts by Kathryn Schmidt (AQS Publishing).

               Not only is this book very pleasing to look thru but the written text is wonderful to read. Kathryn is very clever with her writing and phrases..
               Well I decided to try out her method, well attempt it as she says there are no definite directions just ideas. I used 6 different fabrics cut at 4" x 21", divide lengthwise one fabric from the top moved to the bottom and then I joined the fabrics together to give me 6 strips back again. I know I am not explaining it properly but you hopefully get the idea... Then I divide the 6 strips widthways into 8 pieces, cut at different angles. Now you move the first fabric to the bottom of the first pile, second pile you move down 2 pieces to the bottom and so on. Then you sew the pieces back together to give you the 6 strips back again, join these strips in your desired pattern.                                                               Here are a few of mine on my design wall

              And here is my finished small quilt in which I am very pleased with, its been a long time coming for me to finish anything so quickly.

Finished size 15" x 19"

     

Up close to see quilting

Quilting on the back

Update on the Two Owls

                 Well I have raw edged stitched around it all and now I need to decide either to colour and then quilt or quilt then colour.. decisions decisions.   Kim has the instructions to quilt first then colour but I wonder if she only did that because of the thickness of the colour medium would make it hard to stitch thru. I just might do both colour some, quilt and then colour some more..... mmmmmmm.

                I want to enhance the drawing with the quilting not just fill in the spaces with colour,  I think I might do a sample first....good idea.. Yes I know I'm talking to myself but it helps the creative flow..Well thats my excuse anyway.

    Anyway here are pics of it so far, I will also post the sample at a later date or when I finished it

An Interesting Day

            I went to Tangled Web Quilters today and had a interesting lesson on the Westalee Rulers, pretty nifty I thought.   Judy was showing us some of ways you can use them, accuracy is the key point as well getting the most out of your fabric. But I was a bit of a pain asking a lot of questions I think but Im sure Judy didnt mind too much, cant wait to have a play with them

           I also received an email from the Snuggly Bug Rug Project requesting a 16" block for a 3year old girl, so I hope she likes what I have made.  Yes I painted the faerie and mushrooms or I should say drew with the inktense pencils on a glitter base. Here are two photos of it before I send it off to be included into a quilt.

                 Just love the bright colours, Im not usually a bright colour person but I think these are good match for a little girl. ;-) If they are all this bright it wil be a very happy quilt dont you think so....

Two owls waiting for a bit of colour

            At the Sydney Craft Fair in 2010 I found these Owls designed by Kim Bradley and fell in love with them and the new Inktense pencils.   So far all I have done is visefixed all the pieces down. As it was a bit larger than I remembered so ironing all the big pieces down was a bit tricky on a normal ironing board but after a few hairy moments it was all done. Now all I have to do now is give the Owls character with the Inktense pencils so hopefuly this week thats what I will be doing. Here are some bare pictures

                All the fabrics are all hand dyed , it gives so much structure and depth to the tree and the surrounding background. I just love using these fabrics you can use them in so many designs with surprising results.

A New year

               Well my year has started nicely really, I thought it was going to be terrible but it was pointed out that all the recent things that had gone wrong happened at the end of 2010 and now they are all being fixed this year.... woohoo....... what a relief that is..... :-)
               I have started semi retirement ( if not for a few years) until my arm heals so off I go into the unknown...... I was offered one day a week doing invoices for a lovely man who employes my husband, so that will keep me on the straight and narrow one hopes.. and to my surprise i was asked if my Cake from the "Bring a plate" challenge could be on the front cover of the latest guild newsletter.. I was chuffed. Already looking up...
             This week I intend to do some designing so if I'm pleased with it I might share next week????
                  I would also like to thank those who leave comments as it brightens my day..
                         So have a good week and enjoy

New Family Member

             I just received Nick and Tegans christmas pressy to me, it was delayed due to freight hold ups but that doesnt matter as it just extends the christmas period.
            Well here he is

                        Isn't he cute, his head wobbles. I have to give him a name mmmmmm.  
                                        We will call him SHAUN....