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.