Colour and Free Form

I had a wonderful day out at my friend Jan's. First up the view from Jan's sewing room is to die for. To wake up to this each day and then to create and stitch with this scenery would be magic.

We had a creative time designing small free form quilts. There is a lovely story to go with the fabric used in the small quilts.. A group of us from Emerald lost our friend Robyn to cancer. Robyn gave a very large bag of homespun to Laurene  and she never new what to do with it all. After a workshop last year with Gwen Marston she come up with the lovely idea to give the fabric out to every one and they could make there own quilt in memory of Robyn. Jan and I have taken it one step more. We have made 7 small quilt for all the girls involved.

                                               2 quilts made by Jan on the day.

                                           3 little quilts I made on the day.

 
For the next few days I was busy making small quilts. I had a lovely time stitching and playing with all the colour and free form sewing. I do love the design fun and freedom you have with this type of stitching.

Time Flys

Were to start...
It has been so long since I up dated my blog..BUT   I have been very busy.
First I went down to Narrabri  NSW for a family birthday party. My aunt was 80 and my uncle 70.  We had a big family get together. The next day while all the family was still there we had Paul and Katherine's wedding. Plus a 21st was thrown in at the last minute.

                                                      Mary and Geoffrey's birthday party

                                                      Katherine and Paul's wedding



A few of us stayed together and went on a road trip to visit the ancestors. (the first Phelps to arrive in Australia)

 
 


Made our way to Mudgee first up. Next we spent the day driving around Ilford, Kandos, Rylstone checking out were the
family come from. Had the best time.

Lots of sight seeing and shopping.

 

It was time to head back to Toowoomba and do a bit of work. Lots of sewing waiting for me. I had a few weeks playing in the sewing room before I had to set off again. This time I was off to Casino to stay with Megan and Mykel. Getting ready for the big day. Their wedding on the 5th September.

 

 

It was the best day (even with the rain and hail) Once it was time for the wedding to start the sun was out and it was stunning. Megan was beautiful and Mykel looked pretty smart as well.

Doug and I were so proud. I had a tear in my eye all day. (all week really)

 

 

After such a wonderful wedding with all our family and friends it was very sad to say good bye.

 

But there is no rest for the wicked .Doug went back to work and I had a quilt to finish. One that I had started before I went away

 .

 

 

August I had a class at Crows Nest teaching "Palace Jewels" the first part of the class was making blocks. Lots of different size blocks. The lady's then had a month to make more blocks before we got together again to piece them together in to a quilt.

 

                                                       This is my quilt, still not finished

                                    The second part of the class was on the 11th September.

The Crows Nest quilters busy piecing there blocks together. Ever ones quilts were so different.

 This is the quilt I had been working on before I started all my running around. Finely got it finished and send off to the Qld quilt show.   
                                                   The start of the pieced background.

 The quilt was made for my nephew Jeremy's 21st. Yes I'm a bit behind (only a year)  Jeremy drew the owl and said he would like it on his quilt.

                                           A little sneak look at the finished quilt.

All done , up to date. Hope I stay this way. Well I had better go, my bed is calling. Big day tomorrow I have a new quilt to cut out.
Bye

Finishing off

 
 Its a great feeling when you finish a quilt.. I'm over the moon because I have finished two. WOW
A few years ago I started this quilt in Sue Ross class at Precious Times. The class was "Circle of Fun" I got to use a lot of my really old fabrics. When I picked the fabric Bev said to me "yuck what ugly fabrics" But !!! it all worked and it looks very nice now.    
 Ugly work in the right place.

  
The back of the quilt. Again I used up some old fabrics. You know the best thing about using up your old fabric is that you can go out and buy new ones to replace them.

 

 The second quilt I finished was  "Circle play" I made this quilt as a sample for my circle play class. All quilted thanks to Evol.

 


"Stepping Stones" the quilt pattern is by Judy Niemeyer.
 Just had the boarded to add and I run out of fabric, now I will have to make a trip to town to get more.
 I started this quilt as a sample for the Judy Niemeyer classes I was teaching at Peter Taylors last year. Great pattern. Think this would make a wonderful boys / mans quilt.

Well, I had better go. More quilts to start and lots more to finish. Slowly making my way to the bottom of the pile. Joke !! don't think quilters ever get to the bottom of there UFO's. When you think about it, it would be a every sad day when or if you ever did.

Winter days and quilting.

 I finely got busy and quilted my Bali Bed Runner (pattern by Judy Niemeyer) I have made 4 of Judy quilt patterns. Wonderful patterns to make up, but I have shied away from the quilting. Just not sure what to do on them. So after brooding for a while I bit the bullet and jumped in.

                                                          Feathers won out in the end.

                                                  All finished, now for the next one.

 Saw this lace wire fence on FB and I just had to shear it with you. Love it. Would look stunning in any garden.

I have been busy playing with a few blocks. Looking for new blocks for my sample quilt. Last year while we still lived in Emerald I had a class at "Peter Taylor's sewing center" teaching a once a month sample quilt. Now I think it time to freshen it up a bit.

Time to put away the blocks and start a bit more quilting. Trying to work my way through the quilt tops I have lined up before I start on a new quilt. Ha ha ( that is a laugh)

Going to have a few days off to go and see Megan. The wedding is getting closer so we will have lots to do. Its all very exciting.
 Our baby girl is getting married. Wow..... How the years fly by.

Future and past applique.

I had a trip to the Tweed Regional Art Gallery to see the Margaret Olley Exhibition. The center has  re-created rooms from her home and studio in Paddington. Great exhibition. To see her home and work area plus her art work was so good. Wonderful Australia artist.

 

 yyyyiiiiippppppiiii   I have finished all my applique blocks. (24 of them) I start this quilt at a Kim KcLean workshop at the  New Zealand 2013 Quilt Symposium .

 The pattern is "Flower Garden" by Kim McLean.   

The blocks have all been trimmed to size. I now have 1139  1" squares to cut for the sashings and boarders. Did I tell you that I'm a little mad, think you have to be to cut that many 1" squares. (sorry Kim)

 

This is the very first applique quilt I made. Think it was made around the 1970's my first years of High School. I have turned the edges under as I was stitching it down on the machine, so it's pretty bad. The fabrics I have used, are all left over dress fabrics. Lovely yellow bias to join the blocks and  a chenille rug double over on the inside with a sheet for backing. It is so heavy. I made it the same way mum and gran made Woggers. Great to look back on and remember days gone by.

 

                                                           Few photos that I really like.

 

           Display of Knitting and crochet at the Crows Nest Craft Shop. Very clever

Happy sewing every one, wish me luck with the cutting of my 1" squares.