Turkish Delight

Hey check out the cover of the next issue of Down Under Quilts.  Yes I realise this is a brag but I couldn't figure a tactful way of saying they like my quilt and have put it on the cover!! It will soon be on sale in shops and newsagents.  But if you want an early edition then sign up for a subscription either online or hard copy..... both land in the hands of subscribers, before they hit the newsagents.

This issue has the first part of the instructions to my Turkish Delight quilt. It is made of hand-dyed fabrics in a medallion style with a series of different borders making it up to quite a large quilt. But you can stop before completing all of the borders I did! 

Check it out and let me know what you think. Pick up a copy at your local newsagent or patchwork shop or go online for your free subscription - visit www.creativelivingmedia.com.au and sign up now. 

Plus, there are lots of other great projects, fantastic quilts and interesting stories too. 

PS Take a look at Down Under Quilts' facebook page too!... but I've lost the link... you should be able to pick it up at the creativelivingmedia website.

Isobel's Flight

Well I don't know what Isobel will actually call this quilt but Isobel's Flight is what I have named the block. Yes this is the actual quilt that the block was originally designed for. I love the continuous path.. you follow it hoping to find the error..but there is none:)

Didn't she do a top job? I think she is making it for one of her grandsons. I can't wait to see it in the flesh... hopefully she enters it into the Sydney show this year.

Blog Tour Winner

Well thank you to everyone who particiapted in the blog tour.  It was lots of fun although extremely hectic as my modem died on Monday night and it wasn't until today... and four modems later... that I have been a ble to reliably connect to the innternet from home.  Luckily I was able to keep up to date with what was happening in the blog tour from work, but most days time was limited.

Now for what everyone wants to know...my husband chose number 85 as the lucky number and the winner is Susie Rhodes from Fortville IN, don't know what IN stands for but that is no problem as the people fromQuiltmaker are sending her the magazine direct and they are US also:)  Thank you again to everyone who entered the tour and the competiton.  Looking forward to actually seeing the magazine.  It is due to   hit the newsagents November 16th in the US, but I don't know when for us in Oz.

Project - Braided Rag Rug

Well here is another project which I intend to make in the near future.  

I actually made a rag rug about ten years ago.  It was lots of fun and I have been meaning to make another one since. Found these instructions and they show an easier method than my previous attempt so I will hopefully get around to making one of these in the near future also.

For instructions click here.

100 Blocks Blog Tour - my day

Tuesday already!  I can't believe how quickly today has come around.  My blog and website are one of those being featured today on the 100 Blocks Blog Tour.

Now if you have arrived here through the main link, you already know about the blog tour and are here for your chance to win your own copy of this fantastic issue.  

The first issue was a total sell out but is now available as a digital download for anyone who has decided they would like to check it out.  There are another two issues in the planning. So if you buy all four  you will have 400 new original blocks from both established and new emerging designers.   


Ok so back to today's entry.  To be in the running for your own copy of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Volume 2 simply check out my website and  then come back here and tell me which pattern you like the best or which version of Isobel's Flight you prefer.  You will need to leave two comments.... the first is the pattern you like best and the second is your contact email so that I can contact you if you win. Please don't put them both in the same comment as I don't like to publish people's emails.

Isobel's Flight

Well here it is my block from the Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks collector's Edition Volume 2.  Funny in the small image it looks very higgledly piggledy but in real life it flows really well.  I designed this block for a friend Isobel who wanted to make a quilt for her grandson.  She wanted a design that would flow across the entire quilt.

Several years ago I had made another quilt Trails which Isobel had loved and it was the first of my quilts that she decided to make.  Anyway Trails was also the first really complicated pattern that I had ever written and as I later discovered many people wanted extra directions for joining it together.  The circles were easy enough.  The paths were easy enough but several people found that they wanted more instructions for joining the paths to the circles.  After writing these for Isobel, and the people who contacted me, I learnt that what may be obvious to one person is not necessarily obvious to someone who is not inside my head..funny that:)

Last year when Isobel wanted to make Pathways she contacted me to find out if it was easily modified for a different size.  I replied that it was easily made in any size but if she wanted a different design I had one in my head and no time to make it.  Isobel's Flight came from that idea.  

Don't you agree the full quilt version looks a lot better than the single block version:)

I have worked out a few colour variations but am desperately looking for time to make what would be to me the best... a completely scrappy version... one day.

100 Blocks Blog Tour

WOW today is the start of the 100 Blocks blog tour, which will be running for the entire week.  Every day there will be new blogs featured at this link, so head on over and see which blocks and blogs are featured today. 

Also check them out to see what you need to do to win your own copy of the magazine.  Each and every blog is giving away one copy of the magazine.  On the main link there is also the opportunity to win other great prizes... Top way to spend a few hours.


My feature day is Tuesday.  Now I'm not sure if this is supposed to be Tuesday their time or my time but suspect it should be US time... which fortunately is behind Australia so I intend to post my entry Tuesday Sydney Australia time (+10 hours GMT), but if I am running a little late it should still be up  before Tuesday US time :)  So head back here on Tuesday for another chance to win a copy of the magazine.

Blogger's Quilt Festival

This quilt is called Bubble and Squeak and I made it a couple of years ago when I was into a clean up my scrap pile stage.

If you look closely at the individual blocks you will see that they appear to be crazy patchwork style but this is not correct.  In actual fact the blocks are made using an improvised four patch technique which I have been utilising quite a bit lately as it is perfect for when I feel like doing brainless sewing and when I want to use up scraps. 


If only I could throw out unwanted fabric it would make life so much easier.  

The leftover scraps were randomly sewn together  to form large pieces of fabric which was then cut into the squares and rectangles.  Unfortunately I was a bit brain dead at the time that I started to cut and didn't allow correctly for seam allowances which is why most blocks have a double border on two sides.. never throw out an error when you have a chance to experiment as they say.  It is one of my favourite quilts. 

If you want to try the technique I have used it in two projects which are being featured in Australian Patchwork and Quilting. The first was in last month and the project was called Dusting Crumbs and the other will be in a few months in a project called Starry Cabins. Dusting Crumbs uses a few different improvisational techniques whereas Starry Cabins only uses two.

If you would like to see more entries in the latest Blogger's Quilt Festival just click on this link and it will take you to the central blog with all of the links.. great way to spend a few hours surfing :)

Caring for your Quilt

Found a great site today with information on quilt care and storage.  Check it out.

Link for 100 Blocks Blog Tour

November 8 -12 is the Quiltmakers blog tour.  This is a great opportunity to check out many of the blogs of numerous international and new to the international stage designers.  While cruising on the tour... it's free by the way and can be completed totally from the comfort of your own home... you will have many opportunities to win your own copy of the latest Quiltmaker 100 Blocks magazine.


I am still waiting to find out which of my blocks made it into the magazine so am looking forward to this as much as everyone else.  If you click the link above each day during the tour it will take you to a list of all of the day's highlighted blogs.  when you go the blogs you will have the chance to win a copy of the magazine.... no idea how or anything else at this stage but hopefully things are clearer by then


If you click the link today you will see the marvellous cover of the magazine and a selection of some of the blocks from inside the cover... mine is not there but it is inside somewhere... I am excited!

Friday Flaunt - Lost?

Late last year Paul and I went on a trip to the US.  Great trip and saw lots of wonderful things but that isn't the point of this post.  

After returning home I went out in my car one day and when I looked in the back seat of my car I was quite surprised to find this large lap sized quilt... almost big enough for a single bed. 


So why was I surprised to find a quilt there you may ask?  Well the thing was I couldn't remember ever seeing the quilt before.  Now I know I am forgetful but I was positive I didn't make it so I took it with me to all of the various quilt groups which I meet with but no one owned up to having either seen it or made it. 

So there I was with this dilemma... new quilt and no  owner.  I was trying to clean up my place and organise which quilts would go to charity and which ones would go for gifts and which quilts would go elsewhere.  In the midst of this DUQ did a call for quilts for a few themes and I thought let's give it a try.  Sent off the picture and surprise, surprise... they liked it.  

 
So if you would like to make this starry quilt for someone the instructions will be in this month's edition of DUQ (number 144).  

If you don't get around to making it and you would like to buy a ticket in a raffle to win it let me know. Tickets will be $2 each and the funds will go to sponsoring hearing impaired primary aged children to attend camp.  For many of the children this is the only opportunity they have to meet other hearing impaired children and discover that they are not alone.  

We have a different quilt,  Summer Whispers, for this year's raffle, along with three other prizes for accommodation at various places around the Goulburn area. 

Spring Explosions will be next year's raffle quilt and I will remind anyone who comments that they would like a reminder.

Free Project - Key Chain holder

Found this cute little key chain holder while killing time today.  

Instructions and patterns are provided here if you are interested in making it.  

Seems simple enough.

Friday Flaunt - Shirt Quilt

Earlier this year I attended a retreat where the challenge was to make a quilt using only recycled flannel shirts.  A friend of mine donated a pile of unwanted flannel shirts to the project and from twelve of these I made this beauty?  

It was a lot of fun  and quite a quick quilt.  I could have made it as a QAYG but when I started it I had no idea what I would do ..initially it was to be a square in a square but i found this too boring after adding just four or five pieces.  Also I didn't want it to be a project that I needed to stress over.  So although the principal is square in a square the process is nowhere near as accurate.

The separate blocks were quilted and then it was put together using a second hand pair of men's pyjamas for the sashing in a QAYG method.  I am really enjoying the freedom and ease that the QAYG process allows and am actually improving.  My latest quilt you can't even tell it was QAYG as there is no sashing on the front nor the back.

Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks

Well it has gone to the printers!!!  What you might ask? 

Well the second issue of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks from Today's Top Designers.... check out the cover here!  None of those beaut blocks on the cover are mine but they show you some of the variety that will be inside.

Yes I know it sounds like a brag but I am just so thrilled to actually be in the magazine that I had to tell someone.  Lucky you? I submitted two blocks for the magazine and don't know which one will be in the magazine so can't wai.

The magazine is due out  early November and at that time there will be a blog tour where you can win copies of the magazine, so be sure to check back here.  I don't know yet what the requirements will be to win but it won't be too hard.

Raconteur

Well I have been busy sewing and have almost finished all 287 hexagons for my next quilt.. only ten to  go and then replacements for any which I don't like the fabrics.  

So hopefully all of the individual blocks will be finished by the end of the month.

Then I need to make the  half blocks for filling the side gaps and then work out what to do on the borders.  

I hope the finished product comes together. Should be interesting if/when I work out what to do:)

Email Tags

Well another week over and last week's tag, for those to whom I didn't write was

It's hard to be nostalgic when I can't remember anything.

A new tag has been added to my emails for the next week. It  is fun finding new ones for each week.  I wonder how long I can keep it up?

More Quilts

	Well at first glance you probably won't believe this but both of these blocks are the same. Well not exactly the same but the same principal. These blocks were made by ? at the recent Jamberoo retreat. The quilt was a mixture of Dresden Plate blocks and each one looked so different that you need to study it for a while before you realised that they were really the same block.
Isn't it amazing how different they look when you make just a few changes here and there. The first block uses plain fabrics for each spike where as the second alternates between a plain (red) fabric and top and tails of a piece of strip pieced fabric. Now you may be wondering where the similarity is that I spoke of first up.. well both blocks are made using the Dresden Plate rotary template.

One Week One Thing Challenge

 

Well this week I have decided to join the One Week One Thing Challenge. At this stage I think one thing a week is about the most I can complete. My target for this week is to finish the binding on my guild challenge quilt... so here's hoping.

If you are interested in joining in just click on the link here and if that doesn't work then try the link in the side panel.

Jamberoo Retreat

A couple of weekends ago I went to the Sydney Guild annual Quiltaway at Jamberoo and saw some amazing quilts in progress.  These two blocks were made by Shirley Gibson whose work has to be seen to be believed.... my photos definitely don't do justice to her skill.  

These two blocks are reproductions of a quilt in the book which accompanied the recent display at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London..... and here I am planning on visiting in a few months.. which unfortunately will be several months after the display has well and truly finished..phooey!

I don't know how fast Shirley works but I suspect that this quilt will be on display in next year's Sydney Quilt Show so if you attend be sure to look for it.

Email Tags

I have over the years enjoyed many tags that people include at the bottom of their emails and have decided that I am going to try to find a new one every week.

For the past few weeks I have been using -

If pain is natures way of telling you you’re not dead yet,

I’d much prefer an email or even a quick SMS

this one was sent to me by a dear friend Bruce.... some days are not so good while others are just plain bad! 

Have changed the tag over...will update next week in case you didn't receive an email from me this week.

Where does the time go?

Well today is Richard's 21st birthday?  
Where did the years go?  
Richard is my baby and he is studying in the US.
Here is a photo he recently sent us of his trip to Norway.  Isn't he good looking? 
No I'm not biased in the least.

Just two days ago he began the second year of his masters in biostatistics at Harvard.  He is now living with some friends in South Boston - crime central for those of you who don't know the area:)  

To celebrate his birthday he planned to spend the first few hours on the phone talking to us, his brother in England, his girlfriend in Norway... it's a different world these days isn't it.  

Sydney Guild Challenge entry

Well I would love to say here is my entry for this year's guild suitcase challenge.... all finished and da dahh!!! But and this is a big but I muffed it.  Made the star months ago.  Finished the quilting about two weeks ago.  Bought the binding. Cut off the excess.  Sewed on the binding.  Found the entry form and started to fill it in..... read the challenge guidelines.. reread them.. went looking for the original entry form... read those.... OOPs  

My delightful quilt, which I struggled to find an extra piece of fabric when I was short one 2in square in the making is a well balanced 16in by 18in which makes it just a mere 6in TOO SHORT!

Phooey!  Oh well no rush now to finish the binding off is there.  Unfortunately I think it is also too small to go into the regular show as it isn't a miniature... win some you lose some.

At least I now know how I will need to modify my colour placement for my feathered star bed quilt which has been in the planning for only six/seven years!

Quiltmaker 100 Blocks

Well I know this is a brag but hey this is my blog and if I can't brag here then where can I brag?  I have just received an email from Carolyn Beam the editor of Quiltmaker saying that one of the blocks I submitted for their next 100 Blocks magazine has been successful!  Woohoo!!!

I don't know which block it was but  am over the moon.  Both blocks were designed for friends/students who wanted to make quilts for family and couldn't decide on a design.  I had designs which had been floating around in my head for ages and didn't have time to  make them so a deal was struck.

My friends make the quilts and I get full publishing rights on the finished product.  Wait till I tell them their block will go international with their name.  One block was Yvonne's Mystery designed as a mystery block for none other than Yvonne; while the other block is Isobel's Flight designed for Isobel.  I will have to find a photo of the blocks and upload it.... I don't know if I ever organised myself about photographing the blocks... shall see.

So when will the magazine be on sale?  November 16th.  I don't know if that is the date for Australia and actually suspect that we will be later than that but I am really looking forward to it.

To accompany the magazine publication Quiltmaker also organises a blog and website tour over a few weeks to coincide with the release.  Will have to get organised on my blog and website and actually update them a bit more.  Mind you that has been a bit difficult with going back to work.... oh for a lotto win :)

Friday Flaunt

Well I hadn't realised that we had reached the end of the month until I checked the emails tonight and discovered everyone was flaunting. 

My biggest flaunt has to be Turkish Delight.  Although I have flaunted it before my flaunt is the fact that it won an award at the recent Sydney Quilt show, for best use of hand dyed fabrics. 

I used almost 300 different coloured fabrics and all except those in the outer row of stars were my own attempts. 

Some might say shows what mastery that I was able to get so many different colours.  Personally I would say shows what skill that I could repeat my recipe numerous times - exactly and yet obtain a different colour each time :)

As for actual sewing this month, well last month, I have actually had a productive month although not a lot is actually completed.  

 My tie quilt, which is one of my 10 in 10 targets would have been finished except that I have now decided it needs a border... so back to the WIPs pile it goes.   I have since taking this photo though added another row and joined all of the blocks together using red strips, looks quite smart.  Hopefully it will be finished this year.

I also finished two baby quilts.  One you can see here, while the other I posted to my nephew on Monday when he announced that Bailey Kate had been born. 

They were very impressed that I was able to whip up a pink quilt so quickly.  I did mention that although it was an easy quilt the only reason they received it before the child's first Xmas was because I had made two, this blue one and the other pink one.

Other than that all that I can flaunt is approximately 2,000 1/4in hexagon papers which I have cut in preparation for my next long term project.  I didn't photograph them as it really was depressing when I worked out how many I had... my calculations are that I will need at least ten times that many for the project.

Friday Flaunt - Feathered Star

Well I would love to say that I have finally finished my feathered star but alas that is not the case.  However I have finished most of it and so figured I would post a picture with requests for quilting ideas.


As can be seen from the photo (hopefully) I have echo quilted the inner sections but I am unsure as to what to do with the outer sections.  I have drawn several lines trying different ideas but haven't been happy with any.


Now as may be seen from the quilting I am slightly, ok let's be honest greatly, restricted by the fact that I couldn't free motion quilt to save my life or even yours.  Thus the quilting will need to be something that can be completed with a walking foot!


What do you suggest?
PS just noticed that I have posted the photo sideways it should be in portrait setting with the two part lines going across the bottom :)

Friday Flaunt

 
Well it has been a while since I flaunted but I have been busy.  I know you will find this hard to believe, but I have now finished four of my 10 in ten projects.  

Over a month ago I finished the quilts for the twins so 5 and 6 were gone;  I completed a calendar quilt a couple of weeks ago so there goes 9; and the biggie of them all is Turkish Delight, number 3, which I will finish today.... I wrote this post last night and by the time that this post is uploaded I should be finished ... or well on the way to finishing it.  

I had parts of it professionally quilted and then added extra bits which I felt  it needed and all in all I am now very pleased with it.   The pictures that I have here are of the back which shows the quilting up beautifully I feel.  

So four down and only six to go. 

Friday Flaunt - Highways

 

 

Well I have finally done it.  

I have had numerous requests for this pattern on my  website but when I explained that it was king size and not easily modified people asked if I could design a similar quilt for queen sized beds.  Here it is  - Highways!

Well actually the photo is still of the original king size quilt, Trails.  I must admit that although I have finished the queen sized pattern.. and had it checked over I am still in the process of actually making the sample.

Highways has only 16 circles and 24 paths and so it has to be quicker to make than the  original.

  

I am hoping that one of the people who buys it, works faster than I do.  If I am very lucky  when finished they will also be happy for me to use their quilt photo on the website.  We will have to see.

Anyway even if you don't want to buy a pattern check out the website.  I like it!

New Website

Well in case you haven't seen Christine Abela's latest email about her newest website the news is "it's mine!!"
Christine has been working VERY hard to iron out some 'small' (well big really but I hate to admit it :) errors which I somehow incorporated.  After a few very late nights.. thank you Christine, my web site is now live.

If you have some time to spare, check it out and let me know what you think. Personally I love it AND I am totally unbiased, well maybe a little bit.

I still have a lot of patterns to write up and so am planning on uploading a new one at least fortnightly but hopefully weekly until I finish.  I really should have put my head down last year and done it while I had the time off but the year just flew by.

By the way if you are thinking of having a website made I recommend Christine completely. She is very professional and works to what you want.  Very helpful and prompt.... hey you know she is one of those people you like to work with.
 

So go and check it out... http://www.cinziawhite.com

Friday Flaunt - Yvonne's Mystery

Once a month I teach at the Quilters Garden in Albion Park and one of the students has been doing a variety of my quilts throughout the last 12 months.  Anyway last month she selected one of my Flying Geese designs.  However,  I felt it would be too simple for her and so offered to design a mystery quilt with Flying Geese for her and she was quite happy to go with that.  This is the first block in the quilt.

Yes I realise you can't see any Flying Geese there but they will come I promise... in the border!

Oh forgot to say the twins were born Wednesday morning sometime between midnight and 2am!  Both are healthy and happy and mum is going well

Friday Flaunt

Well this should have been my flaunt last week but I was too flat out to upload it in time.  Finally finished two of my 'ten in 10' resolutions, numbers 7 & 8.  The other quilt used the same calendar panel but was framed with different fabrics.

As of Tuesday, when I wrote this blurb and set it up for automatic posting, the twins are yet to be born.  They are now at 39 weeks, which is phenomenal  since both look like being well over 6lbs a piece.  The doctor intends to wait until labour starts naturally and Sara is really huge and uncomfortable.

Fabric Needed

Hi everyone,
have just started to work on my quilt for this year's guild challenge and have discovered that I am a little short on fabric.  I need one 2 3/4in square if anyone has any to spare. 
Please leave a comment below, with your email address, if you have some and I will get back to you.   I won't publish your email.
Thank you

Poem for the New Year - no time to flaunt

Just picked this up from one of my online lists.  It was posted by Jeni Kift.. not sure if she wrote it or found it but it seems very appropriate for the time

T'was the month after Christmas, and all through the house,
Nothing would fit me, not even a blouse.

The cookies I'd nibbled, the chocolate I'd taste
At the holiday parties had gone to my waist.

When I got on the scales there arose such a number!
When I walked to the store (less a walk than a lumber),

I'd remember the marvelous meals I'd prepared;
The gravies and sauces and beef nicely rared,
The wine and the rum balls, the bread and the cheese
And the way I'd never said, "No thank you, please."

As I dressed myself in my husband's old shirt
And prepared once again to do battle with dirt...
I said to myself, as I only can,
You can't spend a summer, disguised as a man!"

So, away with the last of the sour cream dip.
Get rid of the fruit cake, every cracker and chip.
Every last bit of food that I like must be banished
Till all the additional ounces have vanished.

I won't have a biscuit, not even a lick.
I'll want only to chew on a long celery stick.
I won't have hot biscuits, or corn bread, or pie.
I'll munch on a carrot and quietly cry.

I'm hungry, I'm lonesome, and life is a bore...
But isn't that what January is for?
Unable to giggle, no longer a riot.
Happy New Year to all, and to all a good diet.