All packed up

I love crossing things off my To Do list and tomorrow, when this parcel is handed over to the shenanigans of Australia Post, a big line will be ceremoniously drawn through the task that culminated in sticking down the flap of this very parcel...

names have been deleted to protect the innocent...

This whole thing started when Susan, of Canadian Abroad, decided to host her very first swap - a Modern Christmas Tablerunner Swap (MCTS for short) - and I decided it'd be a good idea to join up, along with 50 or so more from across the globe.  

Susan, as swap mamma, provided a fabulous framework in which to participate and every one of this wonderful group of ladies (yep, all women, no blokes) embraced the spirit; providing support, adding suggestions and comments, and not all neccessarily to do with Christmas Runners either *smirk* !!

 This swap was just so much fun that my appetite is whetted to probably join another swap in the future - and I beleive Susan is planning another so I'll definately be on board for that.

So from being provided with my secret swap partners name, to checking out her likes and dislikes, to creating an inspiration mosaic for the one making a runner for me, to drawing, and practicing, and unpicking, and sewing, and quilting...

it's done - and it finished at about 14" x 50" (give or take an inch or 2)

The runner is quilters 100% cotton fabric, linen, perle thread, wool/cotton batting. 
The little ornaments are a felt birdy with perle thread stitching and sparkly eyes and a paper bauble

I really love how it came out and I really hope my partner does too - so now I get to stalk the postie til mine arrives......

Quilties v.1.2

Lucky for me that Sandie had a photo of my quilties...

The theme was buttons, so I had a think about their function and their form.

From the left:

"Boys will be boys" - this came from seeing the results of a wild night out - red wine, lipstick, unexplained tears and holes in the shirt - I obviously know some wild boys!  The front of this quiltie is an old business shirt and the back came from a suit.  The quiltie was raw-edge finished with lots of loose threads and general chaos.

"The Weed" - I had just come indoors from a day in my vegie patch, weeding - so weeds were definately on my mind.  I remembered that someone once told me that any plant can be deemed a weed if it grows unexpectedly, even the most beautiful of flowers - so after sewing  lots of flower shaped buttons and seed beads onto a 'crazy patch' green background, and filling in with straight stitching and rice stitch, I fashioned the big pink rosey shape from some ribbon (The weed).  This quiltie was zigzagged around the edge to finish.

"Snookered" - the noughts and crosses game became the focus here.  The background was hand pieced to create the 'board'.  A rusty washer, a found button and some bugle beads became the game pieces.  In this game, it's 'noughts' turn to play - but no matter where they place their piece, they can't win - they're effectively snookered.  I printed the definition of 'snooker' onto some tape and ironed it on the bottom left.

So that was my little bit of artistry..........and yesterday I received some artistry from other swappees:

The one on the left is from Sandy Rowe - she didn't give me details of a blog or an email address - but the 'Pink Ribbon' is definately dear to my heart, so thank you Sandy - the quilting on this little sweetie is beautifully done.

The one in the middle is by Marilou - the fun fabric is by Mary Englebreit and Marilou has added some special buttons which relate to the theme of "Well ain't you somethin'?"  She also added a crocheted border in red (my fave colour) - thank you Marilou, love it.

The one on the right is 'Flower Fairy' and was made by The Queen of Dreamsz.  This one incorporates a gorgeous ribbon flower with crocheted sparkly wings and lots of buttons - just spectacular.

All in all a very interesting exercise - and gives me plenty of material for my Diploma of Textiles starting next year.  Thanks Sandie for organising the swap - I had a lot of fun.

Quilties!

Back in September I took up a challenge by Sandie to make and trade 3 quilties with a button theme.  The teeny quilts are made to finish 4" x 6" and can incorporate many techniques - much like an Artist's Trading Card, they're miniature works of art that can be traded, swapped, displayed etc etc.   I'd never made anything like this before, so I thought to myself, "Why not?"

So, out came the journal and the colouring pencils and I faffed about with a couple of ideas.  Once I sought of knew what I wanted to do, I started making them - none came out as I originally planned - but that's the beauty of this sort of medium - you go where your quilties take you!

It was my intent to show you the ones I made to swap - but I can't find my photo's anywhere!  They're obviously a victim of my recent computer change over - aaagh.  I cleaned up all my photos prior to transferring all the files (which took over 16 hours using the 'easy transfer'  method) so it's quite possible I've deleted them in error - damn!!

So, I was then going to show you the ones I received yesterday - all of which are fantastic and so full of clever elements that I see something different each time I look at them.......and my camera is out of juice!

So, maybe I'll come back later in the day and try again........

I'm linking up with Lynn at Lily's Quilts at the Small Blog Meet - be sure to leave a comment so I can return the favour.  Cheers!!

Half time, 50.45%, downward slide, etc, etc

I have been doing a little farming this last week and made 4 blocks - which now means I am just over half way to becoming the ultimate Farmers Wife.  56 blocks are now completed, leaving 55 to go - half of me feels just a bit excited and the other half thinks, "meh, I've still got to make 55 blocks...."!!
So, in the bag are: jack-knife

loved how this came together - points met, right size finished - awesome!!

kitchen woodbox

looks fab-o on point

linoleum

obviously needs to be replaced with slate, or tiles...

maple leaf

in homage to my canadian friends

I still go to fabric shops and look at red fabric, thinking, "ooh, that'd be good for my farmers wife" - I think I need to wean myself off that now - I've got enough red fabric for 12 Farmer's Wives - maybe I should start a red Dear Jane quilt along (although I'm sure there's already one out there), or a 'better red than dead' quilt along - aaah, the possibilities.

Whatever, here's to no. 56 block and let's get on with no 57.

cheers

Another leap (or is that 'Once more into the breach...'?????)

Well, I've gorn and done it now - I've listed an item in Etsy - my very first quilt, for sale, on Etsy - not the first quilt I made, you understand - that's on our bed in the camper trailer - it's also very suss in terms of construction and block placement - but this first is 'the listed on Etsy' first.

artistically draped over the barby

So, following my bliss:

• give up work in the finance industry - check
• provide long-arm quilting service - check
• teaching patchwork and sewing - check
• enrol for Diploma in Textiles next year - check
• selling my hand made items on Etsy - check

Now all of the above just has to start providing some sort of income over and above what I spend on fabric and my world, not to mention my dear husband, will be a happier place!

I love it when a plan comes together...

Another opportunity....

I'm linking up with Amy's Bloggers Quilt Festival because the opportunity to again roll out 'Jewelled Promise' was just too hard to resist - I know I'm hammering this quilt but I still look at it and can't believe I made a quilt by hand.  Apologies to those who have heard this story before ;>

I was never all that fussed about the craft - I'd sewn for years, mostly clothes and curtains - and I used to think my SIL was daft as she sit and sewed by hand, "where's the fun in that?", "it's too slow"....I was all about finding a pattern, buy the fabric and get it made ready to wear that night....

But then, one Easter - about 5 or 6 years ago -  while we were away camping, I really liked how she could get out her sewing, pretty much anywhere.  So, in a nearby town, we paid a visit to the LQS and I bought my first quilting fabric.  Robyn said she'd sew a quilt top for me, by machine (patience isn't one of my virtues) using the fabrics I just bought (I still wasn't anywhere near ready to sew one myself - and certainly not by hand).  While the fabrics weren't exactly awe inspiring (think those dull country colours), she duly made the top and it sat in my UFO box for several years.  It's finished now (I bought a Gammill long-arm and it's one of the first quilts I loaded) and I love it because Robyn made it for me - and she lit the fire.

Every time Robyn and I got together, we visited quilting shops, or shows and my interest (and stash) grew - the fabric ranges got more diverse, more colourful (I fell in love with Kaffe Fassett), the patterns less fussy and twee - really started to see the possibilities.  Quite a few machine pieced quilt tops ensued.

Fast forward to May 2010.  Lloyd (my husband) and I planned a 4WD camping trip across the Nullabor from home to Western Australia - so I needed a project I could do by hand, as we weren't always guaranteed powered sites - notwithstanding my dear husband flatly refused to allow me to pack my sewing machine.  So I cut out all the pieces using a template - lots of Kaffe and other brights from my stash (like Fossil Fern), as well as a vanilla background, and packed them all in the trailer for the trip.

I think I made maybe 2 or 3 'melon' shapes while we were away and I thought it might lanquish in the
UFO box for a while.  However, within a month of our return I had the opportunity to transform my life - which gave me lots of time to get this beauty finished. 

The quilt is hand pieced, hand quilted and the binding (proper bias binding!) is both hand dyed and attached by hand.  The only parts sewn by machine was piecing the back (2 large pieces of fabric, straight down the middle) and sewing the binding together.  I love it - and smile every time I see it!

Thanks for stopping by.

WIP Wednesday #9

I'm linking up with Lee at Freshley Pieced - thanks agin Lee - great job - and I love reviewing what others have got up to - keeps us honest!!

I'm trying to remember what I did this week - it's all a bit of a blur really - I do remember cleaning out the chook shed, and doing some hand sewing - we also bought a new computer so there''s been a bit of faffing about - and I know there's more faffing to occur - it's just finding the time....

So, without further ado:

I finished one more hexie

rotten photo - *sigh*

I finished my Modern Christmas Tablerunner Swap plus a couple of ornaments - just needs to wrapped and posted on the due date..

I actually quilted a top that's been together for oooh, at least a couple of years - and in my UFO tub -  it was on my Winter Summer stitching list so apart from binding and a label, it's about done - and I've even cut out the binding....

*sigh* - another rotten photo - I'll take a more decent one when it's bound

I've got a couple of charity quilt tops to quilt, a commission I received this evening and another I'm discussing on Friday - so I'm going to be very busy!

Summary then, (cos I'm soooo tired - need to go to bed...)

Finished:

MCTS - woo hoo

Quilts in Progress:

Blanket Box Hexies - made another 1

Cut out patches for Block 53 of FWQA - not together as yet

 

Whirleygig II - quilted - now needs to be bound

No action at all:

Class Sampler quilt - all blocks completed

UFOUFN's:

Psychedelic tartan - who knows??
Double diamonds - still needs something......
Which way to go - needs quilting
Dancing with the stars - needs quilting
Kimono mini - needs binding
Sashiko qayg - needs finishing!
Red and white challenge - needs properly starting

Please click on Lee's "Freshley Pieced WIP wednesday" button on the right to see what others are up to .....