Collection 31 - Where Did That Name Come From?

Collection 31	Sugar and Spice the colours suggested a little girl of yester years in a time when girls were described as being sugar and spice	C31 Sugar and Spice
Floating Star was such an obvious name at a time when I was definitely not feeling very creative :-)	C31 Floating Star	There were so many pieces in this blocks that is suggested the Tinkle of the Keys
C31 Luca	Luca was a young girl that brightened everyone's day whenever she crossed one's path.	C31 Tinkle of the Keys
I know that it looks nothing like the hammer and sickle but the asymmetric setting just reminded me of the Russian flag	C31 To Russia With Love	Absolutely no idea where South Street is nor what is so great about number 16 but it seemed like the perfect name when I thought of it.
C31 Lady Liberty	The Statue of Liberty has influenced many designs since its construction and this is yet another.	C31 16 South Street

BOM 31 - Exploding Star

This star was made at a time that a person special to me was venturing out into the world. Their world was going from a protected environment to one where others would start to see and perhaps evaluate them.

Oh he was successful, although still preferring a closer world.

New Wedding Quilt Border

Well have been working on the border of the wedding quilt again. Must say if nothing else my Illustrator skills have improved :-) it still needs more work but I think I am heading in the right direction.... well I like it and that's a start.

Hmmmmm ... wedding border sewn

Well I have now sewn three 'eggs' for the border of the wedding quilt and must say that I don't like it. I had sewn one of the eggs with the coloured sections being single pieces but it was a definite failure. This one took a few more blocks for me to make up my mind. Apart from the colour I don't like the fact that they won't flow. Rather they will be like eggs on a rock and that is definitely not the look I'm searching for. Oh well back to the drawing board.

100 Blocks Cover

Well doesn't the cover of the upcoming Quiltmaker 100 Blocks look great? I know it's not the clearest but trust me it will be a great magazine to have. 

From the past magazines I have made several of the blocks and even blew one of the designs up to full cot size and made a baby's quilt - from just one design. It was Gertie the goat by Sue Marsh from Whistle Pig Creek Productions and she has had a design in every edition of the magazine. Check out her designs here and you will understand why she is so popular.

Anyway if you want your own copy of the magazine check back here on 5th May and then join in the blog hop being run by Quiltmaker. Every blog you visit gives you a chance to win a copy of the magazine or one of many other wonderful prizes. Mind you make sure you have some time to spare as you will lose many hours checking out the blogs.

Photographing Your Quilt

I have been a bit slack today and not feeling like quilting at all so spent some time surfing the net. I thought it was about time that I improved on my photographing skills. I am able to crop etc quite well but figured that if I spent more time photographing correctly in the first place then I would need to spend less time cropping and fixing later. 

In case anyone else wants to improve their photography skills in regards to quilt photography not other types of photography here are some good places to start. Both of these blogs are for the average person using normal camera not whizz bang expensive can do anything type cameras. Hey there is even explanation on using a phone camera. 

So grab a coffee and off you go...

1. The first stop is Quilty Pleasures a blog run by staff from Quiltmaker. This post is by Shayla who loves to photograph quilts. Her tips are a perfect place for the beginner to start with.

2. Another fantastic blog is by Holly Knot on the blog Shoot That Quilt! Holly has been offering tips to quilters for many years now so check it out also. Holly covers everything you need to consider from camera, lighting, closeup and even a gallery of wrongs :-) 

You will also find links to some great resources.

Wedding Quilt Border

Have been designing the borders for the wedding quilt off and on   .. well more off than on in truth ... for a few weeks now. This doesn't look too bad. Must try making it up and see how it looks in real life. Mind you the corners aren't right yet but will work on that ... soon. 

I really  must get stuck into this. The wedding is in two months. I suppose the problem of deciding that I couldn't finish it in time is that now I don't see the urgency to get if finished but must get back on to it.

My Block is in Volume 11 of Quiltmakers 100 Blocks

It's hard to believe it but I just received an email telling me that my latest submission has been accepted into Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks series. Isn't that exciting. Looks like I will be receiving another mug. 

I can't remember what the block looks like, as it is so long ago that I sent it in, but if you want to win a copy of the magazine so that you can check it out yourself then stop back here on the 5th May as visitors on that day will have a chance to win their own copy.

Khanam's Surprise by Joy Cook

Khanam's Surprise by Joy Cook

An advantage of having so many friends who also quilt is there is usually someone who is willing to make up a quilt design. Khanam's Surprise is a block which I designed for Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks series. 

I made it but wasn't fussed on some of the colours I chose. Joy saw it in the magazine and wanted to try a new technique I have been encouraging my friends to try and so this was the perfect project to learn it on. The technique is where you print the sewing and cutting lines on the back of the fabric using your inkjet printer. After printing it is then a simple matter of cutting along the dotted lines and sewing along the solid lines. 

Joy had some difficulty with the method as we were unable to find the settings on her computer to set the printing for 100% but once we overcame that it was full steam ahead. 

If you like the look of this pattern it is available here. 

Collection 30 - Where Did That Name Come From?

Collection 30	We have all had to make that choice as to which path to follow as we progressed through life. Some Choices were good while others...well we all learn something from each situation.	C30 Choices
Isn't WinterGrass just so lush and soft on your feet?	C30 Winter Grass	When you don't know what to do, do you ever just wander along and listen to those voices speaking to you. Voices from your past and voices from your friends or even Voices in the Stars.
C30 Marmalade	There are many things that you and I remember but it is such a cruel world when we watch our loved ones succumbing to the ravages of dementia. I always thought if a person had to have some ailment inflict them that dementia would be the best. They don't suffer even though all those who love them do. After watching my mother in the earlier stages I now realise how wrong that belief was.	C30 Voices in the Stars
Marmalade, loved by one and all... even special bears.	C30 I Remember	The threat of nuclear war was ever there in the 70s and 80s and even now war threatens to explode in many places around the world and in times like this what do our politics do.... Increase the spin rather than action. Yes History Repeats.
C30 Story Entwinded	I just love a good book where you start out with one idea and it changes continuously as each Story (is) Entwined in the next.	C30 History Repeats

BOM 30 - History Repeats

The next free BOM is called History Repeats. It is a foundation pieced block which you can fly through in no time at all. 

The centre reminds me of the sign at the centre of nuclear warning signs. The outward pointing arrows suggest future times and the same design repeating unfortunately reminds me of the possibility of such dire times repeating. Not everyone learns from history.

New Centre Designed

After much humming and haaaa......ing I have decided that the wedding quilt centre does nothing for me and so have finally designed a new centre. 

I'm a lot happier with this and can't wait to sit down and actually sew the new rings. 

First up will have to pick the colours. I'm tending towards multicoloured as I feel that will blend in with everything else. Can't wait to see how it turns out.

Turkish Delight is travelling

WOW Wouldn't it be great to be a quilt. Travel the world and check out new hanger ons at each venue. Received notification that Turkish Delight is off to Chicago. How exciting. Prior to this the only thing I knew about Chicago was it had lots of mobsters. Wonder if it still does? 

Who cares? If you are in the Chicago area and have some time to spare drop in to the quilt show. You will surely be amazed! Oh to be rich and have lots of time to spare. 

Doris' Teapots

Well do I have clever friends .....  or do I have clever friends?

Doris is one of my quilting friends although you sometimes wouldn't realise this when you look at the wonderful things she creates in other craft areas. She has knitted tea cosies for a number of years now and I thought you would love to see some of them. Aren't they great!

Change - Yes / No?

In between making more eggs the inner frame options keep popping into my head.  I'm seriously considering remaking the inner frames with yellow/mustard against the inner circle then red and blue for the taller blocks, with a pale white based outer ring. This quilt definitely won't be ready by June, it hasn't even made it to the longarmer for basting yet! Oh well at least I have plenty of time to keep working on my free motion ditch stitching.

FMQ - Skipped Stitches

Well my FMQ is definitely improving but there is still room for improvement as they say and so I greedily devour everything and anything that might help me. 

A few weeks ago one of the women on one of my online forums posted this link to a site that is just brimming with useful information about FMQ. The blog is written by Cindi Souder, a quilt artist, teacher and lecturer. 

Her post covers many things about FMQ including reasons for slipped stitches, thread, needles and machine preparation. Well worth the time checking it out.

Border Eggs

Yes the borders are progressing. I wanted a curved border with spikes and after much designing came up with this. 

I have to make ten eggs plus the corner sections and then float them into the border fabric. The green looks great here and I keep vacillating between that and the one below. The photograph below doesn't do justice to the red and black option below but that is my choice - green inner and purple outer or red & black inner with purple again as the outer .... hmmm looking at these photos I'm still not sure that I like that purple and red in the middle. 

I think I will simply go off and make more eggs and leave the worry for another day :-)

The Darwin Awards

The Darwins are out!

I am always amazed when these awards are announced each year ... Oh for anyone not knowing what the Darwin awards are these awards are given to people who are helping to improve the gene pool by departing from it through unbelievable methods.

Here is the WINNER:

1. When his 38 caliber revolver failed to fire at his intended victim during a hold-up in Long Beach, CA would-be robber James Elliot did something that can only inspire wonder. He peered down the barrel and tried the trigger again. This time it worked.

And now, the honorable mentions:

2. The chef at a hotel in Switzerland lost a finger in a meat cutting machine. He submitted a claim to his insurance company. The company, expecting negligence, sent one of its men to have a look for himself. He tried the machine and also lost a finger. The chef's claim was approved.

3. A man shoveled snow for an hour to clear a space for his car during a Chicago blizzard. He returned with his vehicle to find a woman had taken the space. Understandably, he shot her.

4. After stopping for drinks at an illegal bar, a Zimbabwean bus driver found that the 20 mental patients he was supposed to be transporting from Harare to Bulawayo had escaped. Not wanting to admit incompetence, the driver went to a nearby bus stop and offered everyone waiting there a free ride. He then delivered passengers to the mental hospital, telling the staff those patients were very excitable and prone to bizarre fantasies.. The deception wasn't discovered for 3 days.

5. An American teenager was in the hospital recovering from serious head wounds received from an oncoming train. When asked how he received the injuries, the lad told police he was simply trying to see how close he could get his head to a moving train before he was hit.

6. A man walked into a Louisiana Circle-K, put a $20 bill on the counter, and asked for change. When the clerk opened the cash drawer, the man pulled a gun and asked for all the cash in the register, which the clerk promptly provided. The man took the cash and fled, leaving his $20 bill on the counter. The total amount of cash he got from the drawer.. $15. [If someone points a gun at you and gives you money, is a crime committed?]

7. An Arkansas guy wanted some beer pretty badly. He decided to throw a cinder block through a liquor store window, grab some booze, and run. He heaved the block over his head at the window. The cinder block bounced back and hit the would-be thief on the head, knocking him unconscious. The liquor store window was made of Plexiglas. The whole event was caught on videotape...

8. As a female shopper exited a New York convenience store, a man grabbed her purse and ran. The clerk called 911 immediately, and the woman was able to give a detailed description of the snatcher. Within minutes, police apprehended the snatcher. They put him in the car and drove back to the store. The thief was then taken out of the car and told to stand there for a positive ID. To which he replied, "Yes, officer, that's her. That's the lady I stole the purse from."

9.. The Ann Arbor News crime column reported that a man walked into a Burger King in Ypsilanti , Michigan at 6 A.M., flashed a gun, and demanded cash. The clerk said he couldn't open the cash register without a food order. So the robber ordered onion rings.  The clerk said those weren't available on the breakfast menu. The robber, frustrated, walked away.  [*A 5-STAR STUPIDITY AWARD WINNER]

10. A man attempted to siphon gas from a motor home parked on a Seattle street by sucking on a hose. He got more than he bargained for. Police arrived at the scene to find a very sick man curled up next to a motor home near spilled sewage. A police spokesman said the man admitted to trying to steal gas, but he plugged his siphon hose into the sewage tank by mistake. The owner of the vehicle declined to press charges saying it was the best laugh he'd ever had.

In the interest of bettering mankind, please share these with friends and family....unless of course one of these individuals by chance is a distant relative or long lost friend. In that case, be glad they are distant and hope they remain lost. 

For more Darwin awardees check out here 

A Bright Winter Secret

 When I was in the midst of making Raconteur I would sometimes travel and wanted a project that didn't depend on having lots of little bits of fabric close at hand. I then had a brainwave that I could make a stitchery and so Winter Secrets evolved. 

This is Margaret Foster's version of it using her own hand dyed woolen threads. Isn't it gorgeous. If you would like to buy some threads or do a workshop where you learn how to dye your own thread her details are here.

Collection 29 - Where Did That Name Come From?

Collection 29	Doesn't the pink fabric in the background remind you of a young girl's Rosy Cheeks?	C29 Algae Blooms
The triangles suggested people sitting on the edge of the space, all scared they would be the wallflower of the occasion.	C29 Rosy Cheeks	Algae Blooms Definitely a springtime block. Are you able to picture the stagnant creek beds where mosquitoes and algae thrive.
C29 Wallflower Fears	The slanted triangles definitely suggest Cats' Eyes.	C29 Cat's Eyes
The chubby baby would peer out from his Baby Bonnet in days gone by.	C29 Baby Bonnet	Flowers bloom and fill our gardens with many delights Before the Autumn.
C29 Fields of Heather	In truth I grew up with fields filled with Patterson's Curse but Fields of Heather sounded a lot more romantic.	C29 Before the Autumn

BOM 29 - Algae Blooms

C29 Algae Blooms

And so we have reached the beginning of yet another month and so our next free BOM. This month it comes from Collection 29 and like all of the other blocks from this collection Algae Blooms is hand pieced. What a relaxing way to spend an evening. Even though most people don't like algae blooms you must say this is one of the prettier ones you have seen :-)

Joy's Central Block

Well I have finished my contribution to Joy's NYB quilt. The inner arcs were taken from the wedding quilt and the extra arc was designed to extend the circle from a 9in to a 13.5in circle. Should be interesting to see what fabrics Joy uses. 

One thing that did surprise me was the number of foundation paper sheets that were needed...24. That has to be the most that I have needed in such a small area. Although with the wedding quilt I did need two per block minimum which makes108 for the central blocks  and I'm still working on the borders.  :-)

What a difference a fabric makes - Joy's NYB

Well what do you think of this version of the wedding quilt? Joy has been making the New York Beauty blocks for one of her grandchildren for several months now. He has requested a quilt with paisley. Isn't it amazing what children ask for and what surprised her even more was that he actually knew what paisley was. She had searched high and low for something other than the traditional dull mud coloured paisleys we are all used to and one day came across the fabric in the background. Isn't it a beauty?

Joy had found a layout that she loved and wanted to substitute the NYB blocks for the circles in it. Only one problem with her original layout .... there was no where to showcase the fabric. So change of plans was called for. She decided that my wedding quilt layout would suit.... it also only needed another 12 blocks as opposed to her original design.

So a few days ago we sat down together to design the setting for her centre. Unlike my quilt, where I have many different backgrounds Joy has only one. We didn't want to bring in another to frame the centre and we didn't want just the feature fabric as that would leave the centre all lost and forlorn.

Joy chose four of my wedding quilt blocks and then I drew up various designs extensions to take the circles out to 15in. Thankfully it only took a few hours to draw ones that matched what Joy was looking for. Lucky she doesn't need them right away as I am flat out with other things I need to do, but if you check back in a few days I will put up the design here so you can see how different it is. It will probably take her another month to make the extra blocks and the centre then I will post that also.

Mind you after working on this design I'm considering redoing my wedding quilt middle...boy will I be glad when I get it finished and can't change my mind again 

Cafe Creme & Thoroughly Modern Topsy

I said I would show you the quilt that I practised my FMQ on earlier this month. Most of the blocks in this quilt, Thoroughly Modern Topsy, were made by people from Nowra Quilters when I was teaching them how to do QAYG. 

We decided to also add some life to the back of the quilt and as you can see from the photo here on the right the backing looks pretty good too. After making the blocks various people, me included, added some extra quilting ... just to practise. It was a good practise size as the blocks are just 18in by 22in.

I then had the fun of joining the whole thing together.

The photo here at the bottom shows Cafe Creme, the original quilt .... which still needs extra quilting added ... someday. Still ditch stitching along at present and this has improved out of sight ... mind you improving was the only direction I could go from whence I started :-)