Seriously, I am having a blast with this.  I am not sure the relative costs of quilting vis-a-vis meth amphetamine but this quilting process, while clearly addictive, is uplifting, exciting and generates a real outcome. Here is a slightly blurry photo of the progress to date.  (I must have been shaking with excitement).  And look who knows if this quilt is actually good, whatever that might mean, but the process of just letting go and not over thinking things has been great.  The fact that you get a quick result also helps keep the motivation levels up.

And I guess I am also more relaxed for not having to work full time.  I have had time to do some stuff around the house, visit my dad, take #2 boy swimming at the beach and do some gardening.  Here are some of mum's hydrangeas from the garden in the Blue Mountains.  I just love that colour of blue.

Can't wait until the 20th to see what everyone else has been up to. Take care S x

The mojo is back

I don't know whether it is just that I have finished off a few quilts lately.  Or whether it is the change of season and spending time at the beach.  Or even if it is that I don't have much consulting work on at the moment.  But whatever it is, I am LOVING the quilting.  I am even enjoying the hand sewing.

This new project with Sue Ross, get results up on the design board fast.  So fast I have opted to do two quilts.  I figure what doesn't work on one, will work on the other.  And, at the serious risk of challenging Kimbo for the position of teacher's most prolific pet, I am even contemplating a third to surprise you.

So in class I had cut out my two main quilts.  The first with barkcloth from a holiday 10 years ago in Hawaii, and the second with a piece of fabric from the remnant table at Kim Bradley's shop which was $3 per metre.

Now girls, can I just tell you that IF you were planning to embark of heavy use of barkcloth in your quilts, you might want to have a chat with me.  Because that stuff is seriously less stable that your average quilting fabric.  I may also have not been as accurate as I thought in cutting out those diamonds, but the process was a mite more challenging than I expected.  (But in my new "everything is awesome ..." mode, even that was OK.)  Two of the points are a little bit shy of pointy, but I have channelled my inner Gwen Marston and ignored that.

As someone pointed out in the last class, the centre gets messy when you have so many large scale prints happening.  So it needed a centre.  And here is a little Anna Maria Horner number I whipped up from the stash.  I like it.  But I also made an alternative, just for fun.  (I told you I had the mojo going.)  I like the AMH best, but won't set it on until we have moved a little further down the quilt design track.

By contract, my $3/metre fabric was a dream to sew, and I have 8 nicely pointy points.  As you all predicted, the centre really stands by itself.  The seams even match so I don't have to cover it over.

So for the next few weeks I am trying to finish the border around my stripey star quilt and get together a few bits and pieces to use around the outside of the ones in the photos here.  As part of this, I have even resurrected the tiny lone stars.  I am also thinking about dresden plates.  Told you, I am on a roll.

More soon from the manic quilter ....

You know you have a problem when….

You know you have a problem when you start recognising fabric by the thread left on the design wall…..

It's a piece of thread from Tula Pink's Parisville fabric!

And you know you have an even bigger problem when you start using your bathroom vanity as your cutting table!

A little progress here in Crows Nest. I have been very good and have only been sewing outside of work hours, during the day time I have been spending my time looking for gainful employment.  But in my lunch break I might do a little binding…. the fabric selection has raised a few eyebrows but I am loving it!

A little "quilting haircut" in preparation for some binding - yes it was in serious need of a haircut as you can see by the amount of threads I collected it took forever, like ages and ages and ages, like four hours of snipping threads…. the joys of sewing with shot cottons!

Plus this evening I have spent a bit of time on my design wall continuing to play with this little project.  So far not a stitch has been sewn but it has been fun (and frustrating) playing with the placements.  I am  trying to decide if I like the big black circle in the top left corner???  Feel free to add your thoughts.

Happy sewing ladies, ciao

Kimbo

Belated Class Post

What a great class last week, I think I was mentally exhausted for a few days!  For those of you who couldn't make it here are a few snapshots from the day.  

I have been admiring all the Mark Herld stuff for the past 12 months and I might have been in at Cottage Quiltworks on Saturday and if you checkout there blog you will see another amazing version f this fabo quilt!  Completely different look.

Kate's lovely background for a special project, sorry I didn't take more photos of her other backgrounds as they are equally beautiful.  I can't wait to see the next stage of appliqué not these backgrounds.

Elizabeth's Gee Bend quilt top - looks amazing.  There was great debate about the colour options for the border, sorry no photos.

For those of you who weren't in class this month, Sue is offering us a challenge of mixing old and new together.  If you would like to participate, please dig deep into your stash for about 1.7 metres of "old material" - old being the style.  In Sue's version above her star is old upholstery fabric she had laying around the house (literally).  If you don't have any old upholstery fabric then just something old fashioned would do.  Sue is also doing another version with the "old fabric" being used in the corner squares and also half-square triangles.

And a little project that I am working on.  I had a stash of Mercia Derse fabrics which I got in the States about 3 years ago.  I have to say I am not a big fan, well actually I hate batiks etc, and these fabrics have a batik feel to them but they are AMAZING - my new love love project.  It's inspired by Bumble Beans wedding ring quilt challenge.  Naturally it won't be a "little" project.  Stay tuned.

Also big thanks to Stephanie, Kate and I forgot someone, for another delicious lunch.  There was talk about a group cook book from our year of lunches - please feel free to email me them and I will co-ordinate.

 

Happy sewing everyone.  Ciao Kimbo

What a great day

Even though it was sunny outside and I don't think we even glanced out the window, I had a crackingly good day.  I had lost a bit of the quilting mojo and yesterday turned me around.  Lovely chat, great cake and some good progress.  I rang my older sister yesterday (actually her cat accidentally called me by lying on the hands-free, but anything works....) and I was talking about yesterday's quilt which is for her 25 yo son.   And she said to me,  "I do like talking to you, when you are in love with what you are doing."  And she is right,  it makes a massive difference.

So while projects are still to be completed, I headed up into the attic for a rummage through the "stash that it rarely touched" which is distinct and different from the regularly trawled stash.  I found the Tahitian ladies.  And here they are.

And then I spotted an old piece of hand-printed homespun style cotton, with a border print.  Ici .....

So what do you think?  The homespun would be easier ... and seriously I bought it (or rather Mum did) when we lived in Perth in 1984, but it is almost too contemporary, except for the colours which are a bit dated.

Those ladies might be hard to work with, especially directionally, but then it is a challenge?  I do love a challenge.  I plan to trawl Mum's stash, or even the sister's next time I am in the Mountains, but food for thought in the meantime.

Thanks for a lovely and inspiring day.

Squares ... and more squares

Not great photos but there are a few stars centres from the stripey 5 pointed star we've been working on with Sue.  I love these.  So much to do, so little time.  Can't wait to play with these on the design wall in a couple of weeks.

A problem child finish

I am estimating that this problem child has been in progress for around 6 or 7 years.  I LOVED the Kaffe background, and I had a pile of bright prints that I LOVED too .... oh and I LOVED the Lecien houndstooth that was the alternate block.

However, I LOATHED the Demoyne star .... too much bias!  And I came to also LOATHE the pattern, which was riddled with mistakes.  So much so, that this was just a part of the unpicking ....


 And below is a photo of the quilt with all the stars in place.  Not a very good shot for some reason, the colours look washed out.  I a bringing along to class to decide about the border.  Or whether I need a border at all.  It is 84 inches square so a reasonable size .... I'll be seeking advice!