A Fabulous finish

I was delighted this week to have not one but two quilt finishes this week. But there is such can be too much of a good thing so I'll hyst  blog about one today.

Judy's Bluebird Quilt
I've been working on this quilt for a couple of months. It started when my sister Joy asked me if I would like a set of 12 embroidery blocks that she had completed 7 years before but had not done anything with. The blocks were from a BOM that my sister-in-law Christine (from Bluebirds and Bumblebees) had designed in 2008. Each block represented a different month and featured bluebirds. I had already made 2 quilts from these blocks that my mother had embroidered in the months following my father's deaths so had some ideas of what I could do with them.

I decided that I would make the quilt for Joy's daughter Judy. I asked Judy what her favourite colour was and she said blue. I raided my stash for a variety of blues which I used to make square in a square blocks both on the embroideries and also other blue based squares, including some lovely fabric with large butterflies. 

I arranged the blocks featuring the embroideries along with the blue square in a square blocks alternatively, 5 to a row in 5 rows. I sashed them with pale lilac.

I constructed piano key borders for the outer border with pinwheel cornerstones and that finished the top off. 

For the backing I used a blanket I had bought for another project but which proved too small. It was long enough but not wide enough so I made a panel out of some of the left over pianokey borders which I had to extend. I inserted the panel down the centre of the blanket but it still wasn't wide enough. I made another strip using various squares and pieces of leftover fabric from the top of the quilt and inserted it into one of the halves but it still wasn't wide enough so I made a 3rd strip and inserted it into the other half and it was finally just wide. 

When I pinned it I found that in places it really was JUST wide enough. I thought that I might have to join a bit of wadding in but I was able to make it work. Because the blanket was very stretchy I had to pin it really well

I stippled the quilt all over apart from the embroideries which I left clear and just echo quilted around the embroidery block.

For the binding I used  two tone blue aboriginal print which has framed the quilt beautifully. I machined the binding to the front and Joy, who has been visiting me for 10 days, has done the hand stitching both with the binding and the label. 

It was finished off today, just in time for Joy to take it home with her tomorrow to give to Judy when she sees her.

Linking up with Amanda Jean at Crazymomquilts.blogspot.com

WIP Wednesday

This week I have been delighted to have my sister Joy visiting with me. We went to Carnarvon Gorge for 2 days at the end of last week and out to Longreach for one night this week. Its been rather disruptive as far as blogging goes BUT I have been able to get a bit of quilting done. My sister goes to bed early (8 pm) so that has left me plenty of time to work on things plus she is a crafter herself so happy to give me time to work on a couple of "must do" projects.

I was able to complete my part of Judy's Bluebird Quilt. I got it pieced, quilt and the machine part of the binding done. Joy is doing the hand stitching on the binding and will take it back home with her when she leaves on Saturday to give to her daughter for whom I have made it. I still haven't made the label for it... whoops. Must get that done in the next couple of days.

My other project has been assembling the Anzac quilt that I am making in conjunction with my daughter Fangirl to enter into our local agricultural show. There is a special section this year for a craft project reflecting the centenary of the landing at Gallipoli. Fangirl has contributed two lovely cross stitches and I made 4 embroideries and we printed off 2 photos of my 2 great uncles who died there one day apart. They were 19 and 24 at the time. Such a tragedy.

Finding the fabric sheets to go in the printer was an undertaking in itself. I was sure I could get some in Melbourne but the couple of shops I went to there didn't have what I was after. They had the sheets that you could iron onto t'shirts but I didn't want those. Eventually I found them at a shop whilst I was in Sydney but they only had a packet of 5 A3 sheets, which I ended up buying but its cost me $40 and I needed half a sheet!! They will come in handy for other projects I know - I hope!

Then they wouldn't go through my printer, they kept getting stuck. Fortunately the sheet went through Fangirl's printer so I was able to get the photos done... whew.

I had great delight using my Australian wildflower fabrics in the quilt to sash the various blocks. My only disappointment with the quilt is that I didn't print the labels for the photos but hand wrote them instead. My writing went crooked. I was in too much of a hurry to wait for Fangirl to print them out. I was working on a tight timeline, getting the quilt top made during the space between when we got back from Carnarvon on Saturday afternoon and when we left for Longreach on Monday morning. (As well as piecing the top we had unpacking, washing, church, a lunch out with friends to celebrate a birthday and dinner out at Fangirl's, which is also when I finally got the photos printed) 

I got the top finished Sunday night late. I went to bed at midnight and we left for Longreach the next morning at 6AM!

I was able to get the quilt top pinned today when Joy and I went to Patchwork group. Joy worked on the binding of Judy's Bluebird Quilt whilst I pieced the batting then pinned the quilt. We only stayed till midday as there was more things we wanted to see and I preferred to quilt at home. I got the quilting done this afternoon and tonight have machined on the binding, made the label and the hanging sleeve. All I have to do now is finish hand stitching the binding and the label and tidy the threads off the quilt. 

I have been working on my knitting looms whilst we have been driving in the car. Fangirl requested and received a beanie in Ravenclaw colours. I made another one in those colours (blue and white) and will send it home with Joy as her husband's football team, his beloved Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldog's colours are also blue and white. 

I finally sent off the beanie I had made to Gamer Girl - I'd made her a long green one like Link's,a character in her favourite game. After she had let me know it had arrived I sent her a text asking for a photo of her in it which she immediately obliged with... and she was at uni at the time so I was tickled to know that she was wearing it that day.

My gorgeous Gamer Girl

I also made one for my son in Melbourne's girl friend (Haven't got a nick name for her yet... maybe Beauty, as she is a beautician. My Melbourne son was known as Massage Man but since he has ceased to pursue his study in that direction I need a new name for him. He suggested Toothless since he had 4 wisdom teeth out... but really? No. Maybe I will call him The Beast that way its Beauty and the Beast. He is particularly hairy atm... he has a beard and is growing his hair which is very thick and curly!

Anyway Beauty liked her beanie too... well at least she says she did... she sent me a picture of her in it and she did look cute in it.

Funny thing is that my boys are protesting that their girlfriend's or brother's girlfriends are getting beanies and not them. I shall have to get busy :) The Beast posted the above photo to facebook with the tag

 

That awkward moment when your own mother makes a beanie for your girlfriend and not for you...

 — feeling rejected 

Boyo stole Gamer Girl's hat and sent me this photo saying "It's mine now"

 

WIP Wednesday coming to you on Saturday

I had every intention of getting more regular with my blog posts again this month - or at least back to my regular schedule but things have been a bit crazy busy with stuff going on and me going places. And not really doing much as far as quilting and patchwork goes.

Finally this week I got down to some quilting. Yay. I got the borders put onto Judy's Bluebird Quilt. I had made piano key border before I went to Melbourne but hadn't had time to put them on. I had thought about paper piecing the corners to make the keys go around the corner but ultimately decided to make some pinwheels.

Pippin cat was very helpful whilst I was sewing... sitting on my ironing board

For the backing I used a furry blanket that I'd bought for another project but not used. It wasn't quite big enough though. I had some of the piano keyboard border left over which I extended and inserted into the centre of the fabric. It still wasn't wide enough. I had some fabric left over from the front of the quilt that I made into two more strips and together they made the quilt just wide enough for the backing. And looked pretty cool too I reckon.

With the borders on and the backing made I was able to get the quilt pinned out on Wednesday 

and then started quilting it.

 By working very hard I was able to get the quilting completed Thursday morning and the binding made and attached to the front side. My sister Joy arrived Wednesday afternoon and she is going to the hand stitching on the binding. The quilt is for her daughter Judy.

I do have to make a label for it too. Oops forgot about that bit.

Apart from the quilt I have been working on I have also been making some more beanies on my knitting nancies. (assisted by my grandcat Skimbles)

I had started this post on Wednesday but didn't get it finished (with all the pressure I put on myself to get the quilting finished and the binding made and on) and so didn't get it posted... then we went away for 2 nights to the beautiful Carnarvon Gorge. Its a lovely place... but no internet access so I didn't get it posted. We got home from there tonight and so at last I have managed to get it finished and posted. Just in time for me to write my Sunday Stash Report tomorrow 

Hopefully by tomorrow I will have downloaded my other photos and can show you some of the beautiful scenery of this fabulous part of my country and state

WIP Wednesday a day late

I am away from home for 10 days at the moment. My 27 year old son doesn't own a sewing machine here in Melbourne. How rude! And inconvenient. I am here with him till Sunday (I hope) and then will fly to Sydney to see my 92 year old mum. She has owned a number of sewing machines in her life but now that she is in a aged care hostel she doesn't have one of her own. There are a few in the complex apparently but perhaps NOT designed for visiting daughters to do patchwork on.

So I am left with hand work.

This year is the centenary of the ANZAC landing at Gallipoli, in Turkey on the 25th April 1915

1. Anzac Day is one of Australia's most important national commemorative occasions. It marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War.

Our local show in June has a special category in the handwork section for "Handcraft item, any medium with the Anzac theme. Fangirl and I are going to collaborate to make a wall hanging. She is cross stitching 2 pictures on the theme and I am going to do a couple of stitcheries and we will combine them into a quilted wall hanging.

I went looking for some embroideries on the theme and I was surprised that I couldn't find any on the Anzac theme. There were a number of machine embroidery patterns but none for hand embroidery. I did find a couple featuring poppies but  none of some of the other iconic emblems of ANZAC notably the slouch hat or the Rising Sun, the emblem of the Australian Military Forces. I did have one already that was designed by my sister in law Christine of Bluebirds and Bumblebees. She has one in her BOM embroidery collection. Her design for April has an Anzac theme.

This meant I had to design my own. I first searched for images on line of both the slouch hat and the rising sun. When I found ones that were suitable I copied them to a word document and fiddled around with them till I got the size right. I then printed them out and using my light box transferred the design to the fabric. I realised after I had started that I really should have transferred the design to paper to check it was clear enough but I was working to a deadline (I needed them done to bring away with me this week as my hand project) When I get home I plan to redo them on paper and then put them up on the web as a free down load for other hand stitchers who might be looking for iconic Australian emblems to stitch. 

As well as the slouch hat and the rising sun emblem I also wanted to use an Australian flag. I found a lovely picture of one that was flapping in the breeze which appealed to me more than a stagnant one all laid out flat. Trouble was when I blew it up to an appropriate size the stars on the flag were fuzzy and out of shape. I was trying to work out how to fix this and had decided I would combine the two images (I had a flat flag) by... just cutting out the stars, pasting them on the other picture and scanning the image. Fangirl rescued me by combining the two digitally (I think she used Paint but I could be wrong) so I had a clean image to work with.

So I had them all prepped and ready to bring away with me to work on whilst I don't have my sewing machine to get on with other projects.

At this stage it looks like we will have 9 blocks in our wall hanging - the 2 cross stitches Fangirl is doing, the 4 stitchery blocks - flag, slouch hat, Rising Sun and April BOM, 2 photo blocks of my great uncles who were both killed at Gallipoli (aged 20 and 24) one day apart. And then a centre block. Not sure what I will put on that - maybe another stitcher with Anzac Day or something like that on it. I might try to incorporate the New Zealand flag into it too since it is a combined commemoration.

I stitched on the plane flying down - but only just. I forgot to pack a needle. Fortunately I had one of those motel sewing kits in my bag so had a needle after all. Meant I got some sewing in for those hours on the plane.

On the plane I took the opportunity to watch a Craftsy class. I watched Colour Play for Quilters by Joen Wolfrom and it was a very interesting. I hope to do some of the exercises when I get back to my stash. In the meantime I bought some paint and hopefully I'll get I got to some of the painting ones whilst I am away.

On the flight I saw the most glorious sunset out the window and so much of it fitted with what was being said in the video class about colours

Since I've bee here in Melbourne I've finished off the first of the embroideries and am very happy with how its turned out

I've been looking for the special photo fabric to print the photos out on but I've not been able to find any. I will have to look for it online


Before I left home I worked on Judy's Bluebird quilt. I got the blocks put together with sashing and I have made the piano key border for it. 


       
    
I had hoped to get the borders attached but my Saturday disappeared with the embroidery design project. They are all hanging on my design board waiting for my return

I did manage to get this weeks POD (Project of Doom from Fandom in Stitches) block completed before I left Whilst not super tricky it did have almost 50 pieces in it. Of course another one was released today so I am  ehind again.

As if I didn't have enough projects on the go I bought a knitting loom whilst I've been here in Melbourne. Its lots of fun and I'm hoping to make a beanie as my first project.




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