Bloggers' quilt Festival

I just received a reminder that today is the final day for entering the Blogger's Quilt Festival so that is why I have finally organised myself to upload my entry. 

A couple of years ago I used to dye my own fabrics, but after a relatively short time period I worked out that I could either dye fabrics or make quilts there was not enough time to do both and so I gave up dyeing.  

About the same time I decided I really should learn to applique and so enrolled in a class to learn how to do it properly.  After a relatively short time period I worked out I could either applique and have no enjoyment in my quilting or return to hand piecing and enjoy quilt making and so I gave up applique.

When I started to make the quilt that I hoped would use up all of my hand dyed fabrics I looked for a fabric that would add some strength and colour to the  quilt and although I hated black muslin it was the perfect colour for the quilt. After a relatively short period of time I worked out that I hated the black, hated the applique and was also definitely onto the path of hating the quilt..... noticing a pattern here?

In an attempt to get rid of my hand dyed fabric, my appliqued quilt with the black muslin background I knuckled down and finally finished the quilt, only took about five years.. it could have languished in the UFO pile for an eternity.  

I ended up entering it into a competition and won a prize for Best Use of Hand Dyed Fabrics.  It is quite a dramatic quilt but one must remember why I used so many fabrics in this quilt.... to get rid of my hand dyed fabrics so that I could give away all of my hand dyeing materials and simply get back to enjoying quilting.

So what did I win?  You guessed it $250 of dyeing products:(  I figured dyeing silk scarves had to be less messy than dyeing cotton and so purchased some silk scarves with my winnings.

 Several years down the line I remembered the scarves and last weekend a friend loaned me her silk dyeing dyes.  Voila!  Silk scarves dyed, dried (with the hair dryer) and blowing in the wind.  

Perfect finish to my dyeing and appliqueing attempts.

Details for my Blog Festival entry are

The finished quilt is huge, a big queen size, of about 100in x 100in.  If you want the pattern it is available on my website I would love to see what it would look like in other fabrics. 

What category am I entering in?  

      Well I would say it is definitely a ROYGBIV (colour wheel quilt), that was one thing I wanted to achieve and I think I was successful with. 

        Plus although I don't like the black I do have to admit that it does look good on the wall,so wall hanging is my second category.  Lucky we have 13 foot high wall:)

Go and check out the other entries in the Bloggers' Quilt Festival.... and vote for mine too if you like it.

Different Layouts

Raconteur Pricing

Cobargo Retreat

 Well I have finally finished the block.  Here it is in Civil War Reproduction Fabrics.  Doesn't it look different.  I have included another of the collections from Raconteur so you can see the change.  The blocks from Snippets, the one just here to the left were put together to show how different a collection would be if there was a stronger focus on dark colours.

I hadn't intended initially to add the white sashing but, unlike Raconteur, the blocks clashed when they were laid side by side and so the sashing was needed.  I have always loved scraps and so adding the log cabin corners was the perfect way to bring the seven hexagons into one collection.  The different coloured borders carried the scrappy feel right through to the edge.  

Since finishing this collection I have been playing with how to finish off the whole thing.  If I leave it at just one block then what you see is all that there will be but I have found a great way to join several of these collections with what appears to be a spiral.... so if the interest continues you may in some time in the distant future see another development... or then I might simply move on and finish some other quilts.

So why did I call this post Cobargo Retreat?  Well because that is where I will be teaching this class.  I can't wait to see what combinations other people will choose, both in colours and fabrics.  Also in blocks as at the retreat they all start with the same four blocks but then they can choose up to three different blocks to complete their collection.  It should be interesting.

More pairs

 I thought I would upload a few more block pairs from Raconteur so that people could again see the difference that colour makes to a block.

Although the first two blocks aren't identical you can see that they are almost the same.  Doesn't the dark frame add a class to the block. Or perhaps that is because, being civil war reproductions it was a more serious time and the fabrics reflect this and are more sombre.  Whatever the reason the change gives a different feel to the block.

The second pair or blocks are both at odds with the rest of the blocks in their respective collections.  This block, Crystal Dreams, appears quite soft when made in the pale green of the civil war fabrics.  It will most likely be in the middle of the collection being the 'odd man out' of that collection.  

The final block is the same one from Raconteur. By the time I came to make it I was fed up with all of the soft wishy washy backgrounds and decided to add some life.  

Funny when I was looking at the separate fabrics there appeared a stronger contrast between the two fabrics.  Another lesson learnt that in miniature it is important to look at every piece of the fabric.  I still liked the finished block although others haven't been as keen on it... but then again it is my quilt.

Memories

The title Raconteur -  A Storyteller's Collection comes from the fact that all of the blocks within the quilt are named and each represents either an event that happened or place that I visited whilst I was making it. A few blocks are named after something significant that happened previously in my life. 

The central block in this collection is called "I Remember", which I wrote for my mum. Mum unfortunately has dementia. when I made the block she had been suffering with it for about three years and by that stage although she could remember that I was a significant person in her life she no longer remembered who I was.  Although there are six children in the family  she had not seen most of the others for quite a time and as such they were total strangers to her. 
The writing, which fades as it approaches the middle, reads
I remember Mum use to smile.  She loved music.  She loved knitting, but most of all she loved us.  Sometimes she forgets.

Unfortunately now she remembers nothing.  I am luckier than my siblings. I at least had the advantage of spending time with her in the past few years while she could still remember.

What a Difference Value Makes

Snippets is yet another version of Raconteur, actually it is my fourth version but I haven't yet uploaded the other two.  They are all so very different and when I get around to uploading them..... which I will do as soon as I have finished enough blocks to show anyone :) 

The blocks in Snippets are the same size as those of Raconteur but in a different range of fabrics and values.  In the original Raconteur all of the backgrounds were light and the outer borders were the same, whereas the main design sections were pastels, or what I saw as pastels.  For Snippets I have decided to border the block in the same fabric as the main design.  As is obvious from just this block the change is quite dramatic.  

I have had to add sashing between each of the blocks in Snippets since unlike Raconteur without the sashing the different blocks clash.  I am still working on finishing the outer edge of the block and will upload the entire block when I have done so.  Hopefully in the next week or two.

Cathedral Windows

Well I have finally finished.  I have for many years wanted to make something using cathedral windows but figured my attention span wasn't in for the long haul.  

Actually about five years ago I even enrolled in a class with Megan Orr to learn how to do it properly.  Unfortunately only one person enrolled in the class... little me... and so it was cancelled.  I had been so keen to do the class that I had purchased the fabrics and was set to go.  

Well the fabric became a PIG (Project in Grocery Bag) until last year I met Megan at the Sydney Quilt Show.  As we started talking I told her about my fabric and plans to 'one day' make something small.  Megan was wonderful and explained how to do it.  She even had samples there to show me the different stages.

So armed with fabric AND knowledge I started my runner.

I made this one shorter than usual as the table upon which it lies is only small but I like it.  I have also been working on a normal length one using Australian flower in the windows and boy has that taken a long time.  With the help of a few friends I have now finished the top and now only need to quilt and bind it.  Hopefully should be finished soon.

Raconteur - Feathered Star

 Tonight I drew up the foundation papers for my feathered star...isn't it cute!  And yes before you ask the block is the same size as the applique ones I uploaded a couple of nights ago... 2.25in after the border has been added. 

As you can see  there is even some space around the star to allow it to float in the background before it reaches the border. This was added when I was planning just in case my block turned out too big.  There is no way I wanted the points cut off and neither did I want to have to remake the block.  

Definitely perfect for those small scraps you have been saving for just one day.  Mind you it is necessary to have a lot of those scraps. From memory there were only 142 pieces in this block.

I was in a real feathered star phase when I designed this one.  I had recently returned from the guild's Quiltaway weekend at Jamberoo where Jane Gibson was making tiny feathered stars and I knew I just had to try it.  I had never made anything so small and so I went looking into what would be the best way to do it and that was foundation piecing.  When I made this I figured I would simply make it the usual way, a square but have extra fabric around the edges so that I could cut the hexagon from it.  

In the second photo you can see the block when I was part way through making it.  Yes that is a bobbin in the corner and that little piece of paper beside it has seven pieces sewn to it... see I told you it only needed small scraps.

Raconteur - inspiration

A couple of years ago a friend, Isobel Lancashire, asked if it was possible to modify one of my patterns which had appeared in Down Under Quilts.  She wanted to make a large single bed quilt from what was originally a king size.  


The original design was based on New York Beauty.  At the same time I had this idea floating in my head and persuaded her to make it instead, even though she could only see what one block looked like rather than an entire quilt.  

 
Above left you have what it looked like part way through.  I am positive that Isobel was wondering what she had let herself in for at the time:) but she persevered. 

From this  came Jarrah's Track,on the right,  which was hung at the Sydney Quilt Show in 2011.  Looks great doesn't it.  And her grandson, Jarrah loves it too... he was heard asking if it was to ever return after Isobel had loaned it to me for photographing for Australian Patchwork and Quilting wanted to publish the pattern.
 

A short time later Quiltmaker called for entries for its new magazine 100 Blocks and so I thought why not.  Made a quick sample, and accidentally made an error with the arrows but the block was still successful and appeared in Volume 4 under the title of Isobel's Flight... her own block. 

 

While making Raconteur I wanted to include blocks from previous quilts that I had designed and so this was the inspiration for Isobel's Flight Too.   Interesting the original block was 8in in Jarrah's Track, the next was 12in in Quiltmaker and my latest was less that an 1 1/2 from one side to the other of the arrows.. a bit of a change.

Raconteur - applique

 I have been writing up my patterns for Raconteur and have been working on the applique patterns lately so I thought that I would share some of the blocks with you.  There wasn't much choice in what to feature here as I have only five applique blocks in the entire quilt.  Not bad considering there are 363 blocks altogether.  

I initially intended that there would be no applique apart form one by Merelyn.... a common held belief is that if a quilt doesn't have applique then it can't succeed at various quilt shows.  Applique has never been a technique which I enjoyed and so I seldom use it.  Merelyn was happy to make a block for me.  Can you guess which one she did?

Ok so it really is a no brainer... the star within the heart is my usual applique... fused and machined.  The travelling moons are my second kind of applique... a bit puffy and almost smooth.

 

Merelyn never does applique like this due to the fact that she always has points which are pointy, curves which are smooth and so little seam allowance that when you handle the fabric it feels as though there is only one layer of fabric... and she hadn't cut away the backing fabric... plus you can't see her stitches.  

No wonder she wins all of the competitions and everyone wants to learn from her.  

Mind you I still think my idea was the best... get her to actually make the block. I am positive my eyesight would go before I would have the hand skills to even pretend to be pretender!

Oh by the way the size of the blocks in Raconteur are only 2.25in AFTER the border has been added. This may not seem too small, particularly with applique blocks but wait until I upload some of the pieced blocks.

Raconteur

Well I know I have been lazy with this blog but there is a reason for this.  Well a few reasons.
1. I am lazy
2. I have been working
3. I had to finish Raconteur for the quilt show
4. I have started writing up the patterns for Raconteur.
5. I have started another blog just to do with Raconteur.
So there you have it. there are many other excuses but I think the biggest one is time or lack thereof.
If you would like to see what I have been doing blogwise check out my other site by clicking the link to the side or just here.

Copyright Infringement

Kathy Brown recently emailed this to an online group to which I am a member and I thought it was worth republishing.  Read and enjoy.
The story you are about to read is true. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent.  

Thursday, January 12th. It dawned a clear, cold day. As I (lowly pattern designer) began my day - looking forward to a good day of filling orders, painting a new fabric line, and writing new pattern directions, the phone rings:

LPD (me - otherwise known as lowly pattern designer): Hello, The Teacher's Pet

IC (otherwise known as irate customer): Who?

LPD: This is The Teacher's Pet, can I help you?

IC: yes you can (angrily). I got this damn pattern at a quilt shop and it's all wrong. Why did you write something that is not right?

LPD: (holding the temper in check) Can you tell me which pattern you have?

IC: I don't know. The lady said it was the easiest pattern she's ever done and she was wrong too.

LPD: I'm sorry but I cant help you if you cant tell me which pattern you have.

IC: It says Teacher's Pet.

LPD: Yes ma'am, but that's my pattern company. Each pattern that I produce has a name. Can you tell me the name of the pattern? It will be at the top of the directions.

IC: Well hold on (aggravated) Here it is. It's Take 5.

LPD: OK now we're getting somewhere. Can you tell me where you are having a problem?

IC: Well if I knew that I wouldn't have called you now, would I?

LPD: (temper still in check, but getting strained) Ma'am, if you can't tell me where you are having a problem, then I suggest you take the pattern back to the quilt shop where you purchased it and ask them to help you.

IC: Purchased it?

LPD: (light bulb going off) Yes, you did buy the pattern from a quilt shop, didn't you?

IC: I would never have bought a pattern so incomplete as this one. No I didn't buy it. A lady that was buying fabric in the quilt shop - she gave it to me. She said the pattern was easy. And it's not. I keep flipping through these pages and nothing makes sense.

LPD: (light bulb flashing furiously) So you have multiple pages of directions, and they do not make sense?

IC: That's what I said. Are you hard of hearing too? Yes - I HAVE THREE PAGES.

LPD: (more than a little testy now, and counting to 10). Ma'am, what you have is a pattern that has been illegally copied and distributed, and you have not even been given all of the instructions. That is why nothing makes sense to you.

IC: (in a huff) Well how do YOU know it's been copied? YOU don't even know this person that gave me the pattern. How can you accuse her?

LPD: Because the original pattern that I have printed is formatted on 17"x22" paper, front and back. NOT individual 8 1/2" x 11" sheets of single sided paper. So the pattern has been illegally copied and given to you.

IC: (silence - about 10 seconds pass - it feels like an eternity). So what am I supposed to do now? Are you going to give me a free pattern so that I can make this quilt? I bought the fabric and I'm ready to sew.

LPD: (who thought she had seen and heard it all after 17 years in the quilt industry) No Ma'am, I'm not. I would suggest you go back to your local quilt shop where you can purchase the pattern.

IC: (angry again) Well YOU must think I'm stupid. I'm not going to waste my gas money to drive all the way back to the quilt shop when YOU can just TELL me how to make it.

LPD: (incredulous - but with an odd sense of peace slowly flooding over her). No ma'am, I don't THINK you're stupid - but I can ASSURE you that I'm not stupid either. You have a nice day, ma'am. Good bye.

As the phone gets placed down, the LPD slowly gets up, pours herself another cup of coffee, grabs the bottle of Advil, and prepares to start her day over again.

Kathy Brown
The Teacher’s Pet
www.the-teachers-pet.com
www.theteacherspet.typepad.com

Why?

Friends have asked me why I made the hexagons so small.  Well there are several reasons for this

1. I am a scrooge economical and didn't want to waste too much fabric trying out my new idea.

2. I am a scrooge loathe to waste and wanted to use as much of the piece of paper as I could.  Six hexagons fitted comfortably onto an A4 sheet of paper.

3. I wanted a portable project.

4. The tin which I was given at the Sydney Scquilters retreat was only small and so the blocks couldn't be too big if they were going to fit.

5. I thought my first sample was so cute I decided to keep all of the blocks that size.

6. I was only going to make a few blocks for a wall hanging for the Sydney Quilt Show.

The next question was then why did I make such a large quilt.

1. One of my first few blocks had only seven pieces and I was told that they were too big to be really classed as miniatures so I decided to make a lap quilt.

2. After making a few, well ok after making many, I decided that there was no way either of my boys would want a quilt like this so I may as well make it a usable size so queen size it may as well be.

3. 300+ blocks later I calculated that I had made too many blocks for a queen sized quilt so may as well make it for our own bed.  We have a king size bed.

Before and After

 Here is a photo of one of the blocks which I decided to machine piece.  Doesn't that look cute?  If you look carefully at the autumn coloured piece of fabric near the bobbin you will see a pin .. this is a clover applique pin which is only tiny.

Also looking carefully you can see on the foundation paper the markings for three feathers.... they are also very cute.

And here you can see the finished block... a feathered star.  I couldn't resist trying it after seeing some unbelievable feathered stars made by Jane Gibson a couple of years ago at the Jamberoo retreat. 

If you blow up the picture until the outer edge of the hexagon, the outer edge of the border around the hexagon that is, is 2 1/4in you will be able to see the block full size.

For anyone curious about the numbers this block has 138 pieces.  It should have only been 134 but I had to add four extra strips on the edges as I made it a tiny bit too small.  btw there is another block with more pieces...it's cute too.

Quilt Show Surprise

Surprise! Surprise! Surprise!

Found out a few days ago that I have won Second Viewers' Choice at the Sydney Quilt Show. Rhonda Pearce won first prize with an amazing applique and Raconteur came in second. 

Well today my parcel arrived from the guild and not only did I receive a gorgeous ribbon but also some beautiful fabrics from Charles Parsons. 

The fabrics are called St. Ives by Sarah Fielke and will be my next challenge. I have never worked with designs such as these. It will be interesting to see what I can come up with. 

As you can see from how I have laid out the fabrics there are two  baby quilts already in the planning.  I have a niece who is hoping to have a baby in the not too distant future and so will make a couple of quilts ready for the day. People think a baby quilt only takes a day or two. It probably does if I can stay focused that long:)

We will see

 Well here it is my ribbon.  Doesn't it look great.  Oh I still find it hard to believe.  

Besides the ribbon Charles Parsons donated 28FQs from the St. Ives range by Sarah Fielke for the  prize.  I think it must be the entire range.  I have absolutely no  idea what I will do with these as they are so far out of my comfort zone but I know that I have to start making a baby quilt for a niece who likes modern things and so I suspect that these will be the highlights. 

What a great day!

Second Viewer's Choice

Woo who!! Just found that I received second viewer's choice at the Sydney Quilt show.  Can't believe it.  First entry was this stunner of an applique quilt by Rhonda Pearce. I could say that one day I will make a quilt like that but that would simply be a complete and total lie with absolutely no chance of my even thinking of starting it,let alone putting needle to thread and fabric.

Applique is generally a favored technique in the Sydney Quilt Show and so I even included some in Raconteur. 

My first attempt was the tried and trusty buttonhole version but I knew that wouldn't cut the ice in the professional category..even though my stitches were perfect and exactly the same size throughout.  I suppose that was the problem machine buttonhole isn't really that difficult to manage these days.

So for my second attempt I tried needle turn applique and even choose a difficult circle.  Ok so a circle doesn't have many points as such. Well yes when you put it like that I do have to agree that it doesn't have any points but isn't that why I chose it? and I did turn them over some cardboard, using a needle.... and tack them then iron them to size and also baste them into place before appliqueing them onto the background fabric.

Then finally in an attempt to include some 'real' applique I decided to do broderie perse, as a friend who once tried to teach it to me said, 'It is a great technique as no-one knows where your piece should start or finish.'  And so I ventured into the broderie perse exercise.  After several attempts I realised why I hadn't spent much time doing it previously...no matter that someone might not know where it should start or finish it wasn't that easy if everything looked like a great big blah!!  Now I know you will say but it looks good and I must admit without a shade of blushing that in real life it looks fantastic.  

So why the fantastic result after such a dismal effort. The reason, which I will reveal shortly, is the same reason that my next block is also super fantastic.  I have to admit that there is no short cut to precise points, both inward and outward bending, nor to curved curves.  It is just practice, practice and more practice.  Many years of it I must admit.

I suppose while I'm admitting things I should also admit that Merelyn Pearce did both of these lovely little blocks for me.  So if your applique skills are as good, or more precise atrocious, as mine simply find a friend.

For those non-Australians reading this let me just say that Merelyn does unbelievable applique and has won Best of Australia with her applique quilts a record three times, she generally doesn't applique anything as simple as this... it was my design choice and her skill...perfect match?

Not Another Error

You won't believe this but if you look closely at the cover for the previous post you will see that I have misspelt my own name  in my email addy. Just for fun I think I will redo all of the covers tomorrow. Phooey!

Cover Completed

Well here it is my first cover.  Personally I think it's great but that is a totally biased opinion from a person who has worked really hard on this for way too long:)

It's funny but I finished this a few days ago and it was only last night while I was talking with my son on Gvideo, similar to Skype but with less interference.  Anyway as I was talking with him I was trying to upload this onto the net when I realised that I had an error in it. 

I had written the edge length for the small hexagons but the length across the longest middle for the large hexagon.  Wouldn't have been so bad but I have been busy scaffolding my patterns for the past week and that part was already set up in ALL of the blocks.  Oh well gave me something to do this morning....copy and paste the samething many times.  Hopefully I don't run across another repeated error.

Anyway what do you think of the cover layout?

Collection 1 - not yet

I have been writing up my patterns when I thought someone might ask why didn't I call the first collection, Collection 1. 

Well the reason for this is that when I made Raconteur so as to not muck up the  placement I numbered every collection left to right, top to bottom... including the corners and half blocks.  So as you can see Collection 1 is a corner block.  

If I manage to get around to marketing this pattern I think people will want to start with full blocks rather than corners and so I figured I would start by writing those up first.  Secondly I will do the half blocks and then finally I will do the corner blocks.  I think I will put all of the half and corner collections together into one collection, but I will worry about that when I get there.  But for now I will simply work on the full blocks.  

Mind you this was one of my favourite blocks.

The Story Begins

Raconteur - The Storyteller's Collection. 

Well I have finally finished it. Only six years in the making but it is finally over and done!!! 

Lots of numbers to please the mathematicians among you. There are 49 full blocks, 8 half blocks to fill out the sides and 4 corner blocks to taper the corners. 

Each small hexagon, called a block, has a side length of 2 1/4in AFTER the borders are added. Put seven blocks together and you have a collections. Add a frame around all of those to make it into a larger hexagon with sides of 7 1/8in. So you can see we are talking about big blocks.. well they are big when they reach the collection stage. 

I counted the pieces and came up with 13931.. a palindromic number. To confirm my numbers Paul then counted them and came up with 14,281.... close but not really. Anyone else want to count? 

I must run now so check back in a week or so for further info if you are interested in how this darling quilt came to be.

Raconteur - The Storyteller's Collection

Ok I have been very quiet for quite a while now but there is a good reason for it. I have been quilting. Now isn't that reasonable. 

I have been for the past six years making a king size miniature quilt. That doesn't make much sense does it? Well what I mean is, it is a king size quilt but it is made of miniature blocks. That is probably why I can't seem to take a good photo of it. You see the reason it appears to sparkle in places is because each of those blocks is only a miniature and most people take photos of miniatures close up. However closeup you can't see the whole quilt. So therein lies the problem. Anyway I am now going to try to write up the patterns for this quilt. So the fun begins.

What more can one say?

Isn't the web a wonderful resource?

Student's Quilts Success

As I have been flat out lately I haven't finished anything so when AP&Q did a call for possible projects for 2012 I did the only thing possible..... submitted quilts made by some of my students. Well the good news arrived today that they want one of the projects for which I had submitted three different versions.

This is Judy Newton's quilt which they want for the project instructions.   This is only her second quilt and she has even practiced some free motion quilting on it.
	Here is Elaine Sawkins' quilt and even though it looks nothing like Judy's the difference is due to the layout but the technique is the same.  Elaine still needs to finish her quilting and is expecting a busy Xmas break as the quilts are due in Sydney Australia Day.
And last but not least is Judy Sheehan's quilt.  Yet another layout but again same quilt.. mind you Judy did use a layer cake whereas the other two quilts were made with six inch strips of fabric.

Isn't it amazing how different they all look.  I can't wait to see them in the magazine... I think it will be the June magazine.

All three students were over the moon... particularly as I had simply asked for photos of their quilts without elaborating as to why I wanted them.... simply said I needed to photograph them...... Just love trusting friends:) .

TAST again

Well I would love to say that this little seahorse is mine but that would be a humungous lie.  I just pinched him from Sharon B's blog Pin Tangle and if you click on him it will take you there.  Now why did I flog him and am I sending you there you may ask?  Well the reason is obvious.. there is something fantastic happening over there!!!

Starting January 3rd Sharon will be hosting  a stitching program called Take a Stitch on Tuesday (TAST for short).  In case you don't already know about Sharon she is a superb embroiderer.. the little seahorse is just one of her fantastic samples you can feast upon if you go to her site.  Anyway in an attempt to spread the enjoyment one gets from embroidery Sharon is going to be introducing a new stitch every week for a whole year.  She not only shows you how to  make the stitch she also shows you some variations and from her blog you will find links to many other people who are also joining in. what inspiration. 

I started TAST a few years ago and so am already up to lesson 11.  Yes I know that isn't even three months in but this time I will make it further.  Anyway click on the link and join in.

On my Mind

Well I have decided to join in on another blog activity.  Rhonda whose blog Down to Earth is just full of home made solutions for everything you can think of has an activity called simply 'on my mind'.  Every Friday.. or any Friday that you can get around to it you simply take a photo of something which is on your mind and write about it. 

So today on my mind is this little scissor fob which I made about a year ago.  I have felt like getting back into stitching for a while and although my stitching is only simple I love it.

Richard and by lines

My youngest son, Richard has a delightful sense of humour and it is always interesting to read his by lines from his email.

This poster is his latest.  I don't know why he chose it but it makes me smile.

World Capitals

Yes I must agree with what several visitors to my blog said.  It is amazing how poor our general knowledge is of other places in the world.  When asked what was the capital of Canada, I thought, "Nasty!"  Why?  Because of course I had no idea.  I am the same as many of the visitors to my blog and simply assumed that the capital must be the only large place that I knew in the country.... Vancouver.... and I was of course WRONG.  The capital of Canada, is in fact Ottowa.

My knowledge of the world has improved over the past few years, no thanks to my own research or the net but thanks to the fact that I have two sons who are studying overseas and who have traveled extensively... but it is sadly still lacking.

Thank you to all of you who had a guess at our capital.. which is Canberra and which was chosen  for the fact that it wasn't Sydney or Melbourne and in fact was built about halfway between those two major cities and placed in its own territory just so that it didn't lie in either of the two major states of the time also... good reasons...hmmm!

Blog Tour winners

Although I am still waiting for the Australian blog tour winner to respond to my email I have received a response from an excited Janis Truesdell   from Oregon who was the overseas winner.
Congratulations Janis and thank you to Quiltmaker for their generous support with sending Janis her own copy of the latest 100 Blocks magazine.  I am certain Janis will enjoy it as much as I have already..hopefully she does more than simply oogle and hope to make some of the wonderful blocks,which is usually all that I achieve :)

Yvonne's Mystery

Yes here it is my block from volume 4 of Quiltmakers 100 Blocks, Yvonne's Mystery.  Yvonne is one of my students who after making several of my quilt designs wanted to make of Flying Geese.  Figuring this was too easy for her I offered to design her a quilt which incorporated the Flying Geese.  

Her first lesson was paper piecing of Wild Goose Chase, which is simply four rows of Flying Geese all flying into the middle or out to the corners of a block which is placed on the diagonal. After successfully completing those blocks I then showed her the next part of the design.  Although I had planned it to be as per my block Yvonne preferred more blue in her design and so we changed some of the value placements, resulting in a more traditional Feathered Star.  Next was the simple sashing and the cornerstones of nine patch were Margaret's idea.  

Hasn't the whole quilt come up beautifully? And pretty good for someone who has only been quilting three years.

Now there are two copies of Quiltmakers 100 Blocks Volume 4 to be won. If you live in Australia simply leave a comment with your name and a guess as to the closing date for entries in Quiltmakers 100 Blocks Volume 5..... one clue it has already past... yes there will be another of these great magazines being published in six months... what a top resource if you have them all.  
Btw you are still able to buy copies of the previous issues from www.quiltmaker.com
If you are non-Australian please leave a comment to the post below.
Good luck and thank you for visiting my blog..