Quilty Resolutions Update

At the beginning of the year Sandy from Quilting for the Rest of Us challenged us(encouraged us... there was bribery involved :)... well rewards anyway) to come up with three quilt related resolutions for the year. (actually they were quilting monkeys on our backs)

My Three were

1 Make a quilt for my great nephew Lukas. He was born in August and I was overseas and since I got back just haven't managed to get to it.

2. Sort my stash to get out all my little bits out of the stash and into my scrap bins cut into the sizes that I use

3.Sort through my 2nd hand fabrics or repurposed fabrics and get them into usable piles.

I am very pleased to be able to announce that I have fulfilled all three of my resolutions.

Actually when I did my first quarter update in late March here I had already completed the first two resolutions and I had started on the 3rd ie getting my repurposed fabrics sorted. I completed that not all that long after I wrote the post.

Having completed the three of them I am thinking I should come up with a few more. I did try writing goals for the next month a couple of times. I should do that again. Since its the end of June on Monday its a good time to do it. I

My May goals were

May Goals

1. Finish Not So Sombre Stars for Derek

2. Tidy my sewing room (photo of the current mess will be posted here soon)

3 Make the Curtains for the Spare Room

4 Empty Scrap basket again

5 Order Tea Room Pattern (my Mothers' Day gift to myself perhaps)

6 Do at least one of my Craftsy Classes

So now its the end of June how did I go?

1.  I finished Not So Sombre Stars for Derek. Waiting for the signature squares from other people held me up a bit but eventually I got them in and got the quilt put together and quilted. I gave it to him last Sunday in church. I wish I had taken a photo of him with it. ... might have to go visit him to get that.

II 

2. I tidied my sewing room at least once but it  has deteriorated somewhat and needs it all again.

3. I made the curtains for the spare room. Got these finished early May and I am very grateful for them now as Fixit Guy  and I are currently sleeping in there whilst our en suite is being remodelled. Means the builders can get in there a bit earlier and can leave their stuff in there etc

4 I emptied my scrap basket again but it is full again. I will have to have a day cutting them up and putting them away 

5. I have just ordered this pattern. It will be good to have a hand project now that my Fixit Guy is about to retire and we might be doing a fair bit of travelling in the near future. I will be taking my little Platinum Gem with me but can't actually use that whilst we are driving along. Not sure how long it will take to get to me as it is coming from the UK (From Puddleducks, the shop I bought the original pattern from and then lost. More information on this blog post

                                                             

6 Craftsy classes. I haven't completed any although I have watched most of 2 of them. I haven't done the projects. The two I have watched most of are Wendy Butler Bern' Machine Quilting and Caro Sheridan's "Shoot It" I have found myself applying some of the stuff I heard to my quilting and my photography but I do want to do them properly. Sandy sets a high standard as to what she has to achieve before she declares a class done and I want to emulate her... I just don't seem to reach there.

So... for the next month (or 2) what do I want to achieve? What will my goals be. 

July Goals 

1. Finish the top for my Disappearing into the Blue quilt and make the backing. I am going to piece it from leftover fabric I got for the top. Then send it out to get quilted. Its going to be 90"x100" and too big for me to enjoy working on. I'll probably send it to my friend Kym at Professional Quilting Service

2. Trim up the half square triangles and start assembling my Black and White (with a touch of red) trip around the world quilt. (waiting for my special ruler to arrive)

3. Make Gamer Girl's Christmas Stocking (She's my son's partner and she doesn't have her own Christmas stocking at our place. We currently use one of the "spares" for her but she definitely needs her own special one) I want to have it done well and truly before Christmas!!

4. Finish Teddies and Pinwheels quilt (top and back made. Needs pinning and quilting)

5. Finish Twist and Disappear (Disappearing 9 patch with a twist quilt) Needs pinning and quilting.

6. Finish the two Craftsy Classes I have almost finished. Do some of the projects/exercises mentioned in them!!

7. Start Teashop wall hanging when it arrives.

8. Make seasonal wall hanging from the stitcheries my mum made for me

I had better stop there before I get way too adventurous and over commit myself 

Sunday Stash Report

This week I have had one finish. I quilted and bound a baby quilt that incorporated some of my mum's embroidered teddy bear panels. This will be a baby quilt for a future great niece or nephew - my mum's great grandchild. There are none on the way at the moment (that I know of) so it will go into the cupboard for the moment. It was 130cm square and used 4 metres of fabric.



I did a simple stipple all over the quilt centre, apart from the embroideries. 









On the borders I did a more open loopy design which sort of reminded me of strings of Christmas lights.





That was my only finish. I do have two tops ready to be pinned and quilted (although I have to organise their backs so maybe not that close after all) and another top that I have to put the border on. So in the near future I should be able to record a few more finishes which will be great. 

Today at church I gave our friend his quilt - Not So Sombre Stars. He was rather stunned. I didn't present it to him or make a fuss, just gave it to him quietly after church. He was rather stunned but pleased. It seems rather strange to not have the quilt with me any more. I had worked on it so intensely for a few months.

No fabric acquisitions this week. After my last blow out I am going to be in recovery for a long time. 

So my stats for this last week

Added this week                             0 metres
Used this week                               4 metres


Year to Date Used                     83.37
Year to Date added                   65.67
Net Used                                     17.70

Linking up with Stash Report @Patchwork Times

Sunday Stash report

Oh dear oh dear oh dear. I really did have a blow out last weekend. Not intentionally but I ended up with sooo much fabric

Firstly I stopped at Spotlight on my way through Rockhampton to go to the Patch'n'Peace retreat. I needed some more reds for my Black and White with a touch of red. I couldn't find exactly what I wanted but got a few different reds that I thought would work for the centre of the quilt and some more for the binding and borders. I also got some more white with black on it. 4 metres all up

I used up two of the white with back in my half square triangles before I took a photo. I didn't end up using this one as the white was a bit too creamy (3 lots of .2 m total .6m)

The reds that I got for the quilt, some for the blocks and other for the binding and borders 3 metre lengths and 2 x .2 m (one lot got used up before the photography took place) total of 3.2

Then at the retreat itself one of the ladies had brought along the Stash and UFOs of her sister in law who had died in the last year or so. The stuff was for sale, very cheaply with all money raised going to the Cancer Council. I found some black and white fabrics that I thought would go in the quilt I am making either on the front or in the backing. There was a metre of black and white gingham and 3.2m of some that was white with checkerboards on it. I needed some royal blue for the Disappearing 9 Patch with a twist blocks I was working on and there was a metre of it amongst the fabrics that I grabbed for it. There was 2.46m of a beige fabric that I thought would be good for a swap we have coming up for PnP next year. We are making bullseye blocks to swap and raggy hearts. Both require 10" square neutral backgrounds so this will be perfect for that. (I hope. I've not done bullseye quilts before)

Blue fabric I bought from the stall. 1m of the darker blue and 2 each of the pale blue spot and pale blue floral

One of the activities at PnP is a Silent Auction. Donated items are arranged around the room and each item has a sheet of paper next to it. The auction runs for an hour and during that time you can bid on the items. To bid you write your name and how much you are willing to pay for the item. The next person who wants to "bid" on that item writes their name below yours and then writes how much they will pay for the item. The amount has to be at least 50c more that the previous amount. At the end of the bidding time who ever has written their name down last on the paper (with the highest bid amount) gets the item (once they pay that amount) We all bring along items to go in the auction. People bring all sorts of things and frankly a lot of it is pretty junky. The lady who organises the items puts things together in groups so that their is usually something desirable in amongst the junk. I actually think that they would get more money for stuff if they didn't heap it together. A lot of people just didn't want to have to deal with the rubbish stuff. Then again... one woman's trash can be another woman's treasure. I always try to bid on everything at least once to push the prices along a little bit. Inevitably it means I get stuck with some stuff I don't want as well as some stuff that I do. I missed out on one piece of fabric I would have dearly liked (black and white) cause I had to go have my massage before the end of proceedings but I did "win" a number of lots. As well as fabric I ended up with quite a few patterns, books and old magazines

The beige/grey on right I bought from the stall, the other two I ended up with at the auction

The white and the red on white I won in the auction. They were fabric I was going after. The two black and white ones I bought at the stall

 And then there were the gifts. On Saturday night we had our retreat dinner and all got dressed up to fit the theme "Bedazzled" We sure sparkled. There was a gift exchange too and I ended up with a parcel containing 2 fat quarters of very sparkly fabric and 3 lovely cotton fat quarters. And lastly on our last day the organisers presented us each with a little gift bag containing one more fat quarter.

The rolled up fat quarter was my gift from the organisers of the retreat. The other fabrics were my gift from the exchange

All up I took in a whopping 27.23 metres of fabric. Ouch

Then there was the rest of my loot!

                                                      

The books and magazines that I scored in my auction wins. I have given Fangirl the book of fairy tale cross stitches

Some of these patterns I bid on deliberately, some were part of a bundle and some were given to me by other participants who ended up with patterns they didn't want in their bundles

Apparently you can knit this stuff into scarves. I don't knit. I wonder if I could crotchet it?

This was my most intriguing purchase. Apparently it was so you could do quilting on your machine without a walking foot. I have never seen anything like it but will investigate it some more and report back

4 glass dishes I bought cause I like all things apple. 

As to Fabric out report. I washed all the fabric I got from the stall or the auction and the white with the red print on it ran terribly. I washed it again with run remover but then some of the red went orangey. I gave it another soak in hot water and no more dye came out so its probably safe but have decided not to risk it but to give it to Op shop

Then the grape pattern fabric is just too unsuitable for quilting... too light and flimsy and I just don't think I'll use it so that is off to the Op Shop and someone else might be able to use it. So that is 4.6m gone for a start

I have used about half a metre of the dark blue fabric in the Disappearing 9 Patch with a Twist. I have also used up .4m of the white in the half square triangles along with a about 1/4 of the red fabric I bought... maybe a bit more. The white and checker board fabric will go into the back of the Black and White with a Touch of red quilt and I have ear marked the beige so a lot of it will go... but I just have to get a few quilts finished to be able to count them

I have had a couple of finishes this last fortnight. I participated in two one day workshops with my own local group and finished off a gorgeous little bag with Tumbling Blocks Block. I love it although I haven't worked out what I shall actually use it for! Total fabric used .66m

My other finish has been the Not So Sombre Stars for Derek. I got it quilted yesterday and finished off the binding and the label today. I'm not overly pleased with the quilting. Having pieced back as well as front... having two important sides - two tops really it was hard to quilt. I decided to just ignore the signature squares and to quilt the Stars side. Probably should have just done an all over design but instead I quilted each star individually, choosing different designs. My style is not sophisticated... naive might be a polite way of describing it. Anyway... done is better than perfect and I just wanted to get it done. Not sure when or how I will give it to Derek. Not sure if I should do a presentation at church next week so everyone gets to see the finished article or give it to him privately. Will think about it. Dimensions of this quilt 192cm x 192cm Total fabric used 8.46m

Not So Sombre Stars for Derek - Stars

Messages for Derek Side

Continuous stars for the border and 

So my stats for this last fortnight

Added this week                                                27.36m
Used this week/given away                                13.72m


Year to Date Used                     79.37
Year to Date added                   65.67
Net Used                                     13.70

Linking up with Stash Report @Patchwork Times

WIP Wednesday

Not a lot new to report from yesterday in Tuesday Museday - Patch'Peace retreat Report  but for the benefit of all the blog hoppers that are going to flock to my blog today.....

Disappearing into the Blue
Haven't touched it for 2 weeks now with the workshop last week and I didn't sew at all today at Patchwork.

Teddies and Pinwheels
Needs borders. Will have to audition some stuff from my stash. I think I will just do some plain borders although maybe will do a pinwheel in each corner as corner stones. That will be pretty.

Twisting About (New name for my Disappearing 9 Patch with a Twist)

Needs borders. Probably just do a dark blue border same as is featured in the quilt and then a multicoloured binding.

Not So Sombre Blues for Derek
Today at patchwork I used our big tables and got the quilt pinned. Didn't check it properly though and I'm a bit short with the backing on one side. I can either unpin and repin (which is truly what I should do, I know) or patch in a bit of the back fabric, or cut down the front of the quilt a bit. It has a wide border so could do that. Stay tuned.

Things are in a bit of uproar at my place now and will continue to be for the next few weeks because we are having some renovations done to the family bathroom and our en suite (bathroom off our bedroom for those not used to that terminology) Its going to be great when they are done but in the meantime... uproar.

On Monday the asbestos removal guys were here and basically gutted the family bathroom. pulling off all the walls and the ceiling panels. They didn't do the floor but apparently it could be asbestos product too and our builder has been advised not to drill into it (a pain cause now he might not be able to move the floor drain like he wanted to)

Tuesday the builder (a nice guy named Darrin) was here with his apprentice and they removed the floor tiles, the bath and the shower wall frame. Then he fitted the new bath (carried it upstairs on his own cause his apprentice went home sick) and made the frame for it... well he put it in place but its been moved for the plumbing work and the walling stuff to go in. Actually it is now sitting in the middle of my bedroom. And he fitted the new heat/light/exhaust fan unit ready for the electrician to wire in. and the ceiling.

Wednesday - today as I type this I have the plumber, the builder and the electrician all competing for space in the not very big bathroom. That is why the bath and some of the tools are now in my bedroom. I can't shut my bedroom door so I hope they aren't too messy today or I will have dust and crud through my bedroom.

I was going to tidy my bedroom yesterday in preparation for when they start on the ensuite but got busy with other things (buying the exhaust fan thingy for one and coffee out with friends for another and updating my blog....) and so its still needing to be done and of course I can't move around in there very easily today.

This is the old bathroom. The tub is next to the vanity running from the wall to the shower.

Monday asbestos removed

Tuesday tiles, old bath and shower removed

new tub positioned

 

Tuseday Museday... My Patch'n'Peace Retreat report

Home again after a great weekend at a quilting retreat I have been going to for the last 12 years. Well except for the years that I don't go. Have missed it 4 times over the years. Whenever we go overseas it seems to include this June long weekend. (Airfares to Europe and the US go up over the summer months but if you go before the end of May you get shoulder fares... a bit cheaper than the summer ones)

Anyway. I had a great time and will try to get some photos up of the quilts I saw and the ones I made (well worked on anyway) Suffice to say it was a lovely creative time. Some of the ladies there I knew before I started to attend and others I have known since I started and a couple I met this weekend for the first time. We all had a really lovely time.

I didn't get to do a Stash Report this week since I was away over the weekend so will catch up next week. Its going to be quite a blowout. I stopped on my way through Rockhampton and bought some fabric for my black and white quilt. Then my gift at our gift exchange on the Saturday night included 5 fat quarters. The organisers gave us all a fat quarter and then there was the stall at the retreat. One of the ladies had bought her SIL's stash. Her SIL had died during the last year and had a huge stash and heaps of UFOs. They were selling it off quite cheaply with the money going to breast cancer research. I haven't actually measure the fabric I bought but it was at least 4 bundles and they were all a metre plus. We also had a silent auction and I ended up with a number of wins there which included more fabric. Oh dear. Maybe by next Sunday I will have measured all the fabric I got plus have had a finish or two and will be able to claw myself out of the hole I am digging myself into.

What did I work on over the weekend?

Well I got 7 more  "Disappearing 9 Patch with a twist" blocks made to bring my total to 12 and I put them together. It needs a border. Wondering about using more of the dark blue or perhaps a green and then the blue. What do you think?

I finished off the quilt that I had on my design wall last week with the embroidered Teddies on it. I think I will call it "Pinwheel Bears" I made up a lot of the pieces in the quilt using them as leaders and enders - first time I've ever really needed to do that and it sure got the blocks done in a hurry. My machine would unthread if I didn't have something under the needle for some reason so I really had to do it. I got the centre of it finished as well but still have to do the borders.

I made all the half square triangles for my Black and White with a Touch of Red Trip Around the World quilt. I'd cut a lot of the 7" squares I needed for it before I left. 2 of the 7" squares would make 4" finished half square triangle blocks. Also I had cut fabric too small for the 7" squares into 5" squares. I still had to cut up the fabric I bought on my way through to the retreat. I'd gotten some more red and a bit more white. I made over 280 (I think... I did calculate it but didn't actually count them individually)

 I haven't yet squared up the hst blocks or ironed them as I am waiting on a special ruler that I only just got ordered. Its by Quilt in a Day. I first read about it on  Amy Smart's Diary of a Quilter's blog. She gave this link to it but I couldn't order it from there as they don't let Australian's shop there... have to use the Australian Amazon site. I found it on some other US websites but they were going to charge so much for shipping I wasn't impressed ($15 to send something which was small enough to go in letter envelope) I also found it on some Australian websites but they were sooooo expensive (try 5 times the price).  I asked one of my US friends if I could order it from a US site, have it shipped to her and have her ship it to me and she was happy to do that (Thanks Sandi of Quilt Cabana Patterns) When I went online to find it to order an Australian website came up in my search that had it on 60% off special with free shipping. So I didn't need to take her up on my offer. Now I have to wait a few weeks for it to get here... cause they are shipping it from the US!!)

Lastly I did a little bit of applique on Derek's quilt - stitching on some butterflies to the Emmaus block to represent Chrysalis. (see here for an explanation of Emmaus and here for Chrysalis)

It was at this retreat last year that we started the shirt challenge that I called the SOMB, Shirt off my Back, challenge. I was in a group with 4 other quilters Betty, Karin, Sandy and  Susanne.  Only Betty and I had our quilts there on the weekend. Karin and Sandy hadn't finished theirs and Susanne had hers with her. She is off on a 6 month trip around Australia. There were a couple of other groups too. We had the reveal at the retreat. Some of the other quilters didn't add any other fabrics and others added just a little. There were some amazing awesome quilts. The ladies at the retreat were so creative. We hung the quilts around the room after the reveal and got to enjoy them all weekend.

Betty's quilt. She was in the same group as me. Her largest blocks were 12", the medium 8" and the smallest 6".

 The 4 quilts below were from the same group of swappers

These two were from another group. There was a 3rd one from this quilt that I didn't get to photograph.

We always have a theme for our weekend, a charity to which any fundraising goes, some swaps to participate in and a gift exchange (based on the theme usually). We decide on the theme and the swaps for the next year at a meeting we hold during the weekend (usually straight after the special dinner that we have and at which we have our gift exchange). This year's theme was Bedazzled. We dressed up in our most glittery gear.

Sandy shows us her very sparkly bedazzling jeans

My table at the dinner. You can see our sewing area behind us.

I wore a beaded top and heaps of rings and necklaces and sparkly earrings. I also gave the fur that I inherited from my Aunt its first outing since I've owned it. Not sure how old it is but probably at least 60 years old.

Next year the theme is going to be based on the 100th Anniversary of the Gallipoli Campaign  Because we thought that the fashions from back then might be a bit hard to replicate easily we have extended it to a war theme to include both world wars. We have incorporated the "Mend and Make Do" theme and so our outfits can be recycled ie bought at Op Shops. Our gifts too we have decided have to be recycled or repurposed so can be something we already own, something we have bought at an op shop OR made from something we have bought.

I am quite excited about the theme as it was my suggestion. I had 2 great uncles who were killed in the Gallipoli campaign, within days of each other. It fills me with horror and such sadness to think of losing two of my sons within only a few days. One brother survived long enough to bury the other one before he too was killed. We are going to have a memorabilia display and I am going to take photos of my great uncles as well as a photo of my Dad from WW11 and any other bits and pieces I can find from my family history.