Machine quilting again!

After a few weeks off after the quilt show, I am quilting again. 
I have done some crocheting, attended a midwifery conference and tidied my sewing room! So its full steam ahead for me!

quilted postcard

quilted postcard

I have been making some quilted postcards, just a little fun, this is such a simple design, enhanced by some iron on sparkly chrystals.

detail of japanese suit

My son was given a  great suit by a Japanese exchange student he knows, the fabric is divine, so soft. I think it could be pyjamas, the detail above is on the sleeve.

my son in his new Japanese suit.

I am trying the BSR on my Bernina 820, its interesting, I l keep on going too fast and it beeps at me! This is  a quilt I am trying hard to finish, the brown spaces are hard to mark so I have made  freezer paper template to iron on then trace round with a chalk marker, it is sewing quite nicely which I am pleased about. The ditching took forever and was quite difficult as I missed a few places and had to go back and fill the gaps!!

I am really happy with the quilting design, simple but effective. Thanks to my aforementioned son who helped with the choice of design.

Shame to be sitting under the air con quilting ! but it is good therapy for when you are tired  and there's a G20 thingy on and everybody has either skipped town, or also staying at home, the kids are out and husband away working.

block with freezer paper ready to draw then quilt

more of this quilt!its very brown...

Experimenting with paint

Postcards

 A little stitch experimentation 

followed by 

some paint experimentation. 

paring it back 

to a simple scroll vine

 Some braille paper

courtesy of Kathryn

stitched 

and 

then

 painted

 Hmmm maybe I should paint the scroll at the bottom?

This is an A4 page

Its fun to experiment sometimes.

Giving myself time 

and

 brain space to experiment,

 I am not really good at painting and need a shove to use the paints I have collected

having fun is my goal

and am

 really enjoying

the simplicity

trying to not make it hard!

Funky Feathers and show quilts

I have spent 3 days at the recent craft and quilt fair demonstrating machine quilting- free motion machine quilting that is!

I won a prize at the show- Best Modern Quilt,

 it is based on a sewer drain picture that my husband took,

 he has a collection of sewer pictures form around Australia, 

Spain  and France from when we were there last year. 

I am basing my new series of work on these pictures.

Best Modern Quilt

drain picture

This quilt is called "30 Years Later", I started it in about 1984, it is hand pieced, not appliqued. It did start out with pink instead of yellow small wedges, the colour change came about earlier this year and I am really happy with it. It could almost be a "modern quilt". As part of the Queensland Quilters Modern group, I am still a bit dismayed by some of the newer modern quilters who think they are doing something radical and new! it is only a term used to describe a style, many older quilts can be described as "modern" even though they are many years old. Much of Nancy Crow's work could be called 'modern'. The same came about with Art Quilts a few years ago- they are all quilts, if they need to be categorised, all good and well, but in the end we are all quilters.

I make quilts in any style I want, I make what is pleasing to me -

 traditional, art or modern- or in between.

I do not want to be categorised as a particular type of quilter -

 except perhaps a fun quilter!

Stones in the Ocean, going to my niece for a wedding gift

String 21, made a s a birthday gift for my son, who wanted a scrap quilt.
Many more scrap quilts to come I think as I really enjoyed the process.

Tea for Two- this was made form an old tablecloth belonging to my mother in law

It was great fun to make and I am on the look out for some more tablecloths to rework.

 At the show I did some work on some Linus quilts for Queensland Quilters and mostly did some very funky free motion feathers on black fabric with fun bright thread.
 This was fun, I had many comments about the type of thread I use, any bright colour is good! I do not use regular sewing thread, but a good quality thread, and in a fun colour, orange always seems to sew better than white or cream in my opinion.

inspired

I have just spent 4 days in Adelaide at the Australian
Machine Quilters Festival!
What fun.
Meeting old and new friends!
Absorbing some great ideas
and
spending time with a few much admired quilters!
Catching up with old and new relatives.
Found an old friend from long ago!

Having withdrawals from my Bernina.
Home today to spend 3 days demonstrating machine quilting at the Queensland Quilt Show!
Oh dear, then back to paid employment.....
Pictures later

Preparations underway

 There is a lot to do when you are planning a holiday then a craft fair! The Brisbane Craft Fair Friend came in the post this week, I feature in a  vague sort of way! I am doing some machine quilting demos on 3 of the 5 days. So I need to have some pieces to demonstrate on. I have lined up some Linus Quilts as they are small and are for a very good cause.

This black and white is the background for a collection of place mats that I will also quilt, they need some bright appliqued flowers ironed on yet. The applique will be stitched down by the quilting, just a bit of fun, which may also involve some bobbin work too! I decided to use up some scraps and the black and white jumped out as a good background.

When demonstrating it helps to have something smallish sometimes as then you can talk and sew... and we all know I love to talk!

Below  is a quilt top made by Kate, I was given it a few months ago, it is perfect for the demonstrations as it has lovely cream spaces to quilt, and they are not too big. I have starched it and its back which is bright, sadly the colour in the picture below is not quite right. I am about to  pin baste then do some "ditch quilting" to stabilise it and give the reels some definition. I find this really helps when quilting and gives the overall quilt a much better look.

All this when I am preparing to got Adelaide for the AMQA Festival and take some classes with expert machine quilters!

OOh and I have won a prize at the Queensland Quilters show in October. Just waiting to see which category and which quilt! 3 more days to work......then some holidays

Did you know that a family pack of Clinkers can turn a lovely bunch of night shift co-workers into energy filled 'almost manic' great work companions? maybe it was sugar overload?
 So privileged to work with such great people!

Doing the time warp!

That's me stuck in a time warp! so I want to stitch Traditional quilts, but wait, I want to stitch Modern too!

Oh and I want to do some hand applique and some funky machine quilting... and I want to do some machine quilting/couching- but I need a new foot for that!

So much to do and so little time, I do feel as though I am in  a time warp, managing to scrape together a few minutes here and there to stitch AND enjoy it!

Oh well, and another birthday looms, surely I can't be that old? 

maybe I can do the time warp dance?

 New thread that arrived in the post! some excitement after night duty! such fun colours

 The back and binding of one of my exhibition quilts, hooray ! I was just stitching the hanging sleeve on! so close to being finished.

 The inspiration for the above quilt!, my friend Sue says I should work in a series, this may be the start of said series....thanks Sue

Hmmmm really bad colour reproduction, but a sneak peek at one of the quilts I have just finished.

I am really looking forward to a few weeks holiday and some rest time soon, I am a little weary.
But not to complain, I have some sewing machines, a great husband, 2 kids who could cook every night if they tried.....and of course some new babies at work....caught one the other night!  just standing in the right place at the right time!
So its off to think about a magazine article and some more fun stitching!

Hamster

I spent yesterday running at work like a hamster in a wheel! Jus couldn't seem to get off!!!
 So busy!
Now suffering with a sore throat! Oh no I can't get germs now, have been loading up on vitamin c! And sleeping in today!
Almost finished the exhibition quilts! But the Bernina 820 bobbin has jammed again! Grrrr had some trouble with thread now this! Not really sure what problem is ? Lucky I have another Bernina or two as back up!

A deadline looming!

 Ok this is not the deadline, it is Caloundra, a wonderfully relaxing and fun weekend with friends. Such fun! and I had a swim in the ocean! So great..

  View from our house for the weekend, I could really live here.

                                                            I think this sums it all up really! me at least...

 The off cuts from  my latest creation, I am really enjoying the creativity with this piece.

 A new blade in the cutter.

 Oops my glass is empty

Binding ready to put on!

Two bindings and a motorbike

 Life has been full steam ahead, not stopping at all, busy fun and full of go go go moments...

2 bindings and one back, not for the same quilt!

This is my bible for the moment, I am on a deadline to finish the quilts for  the show, never mind that work has been ultra busy, must have been a very cold night 9 months ago, we have had so many babies born! Thank heavens they do not come home with me! did you know that newborn babies can feed up to 12 times a day! I must have been a bit crazy to have 2 close together!

Some crocheting, good for a plane trip to Tasmania a few weeks ago, keeps me busy, soft cotton and so nice to use. A great little break to visit some friends and my mum.

The other love of my life apart from my husband (and my Berninas) learning to ride his new motorbike! 
A little scary for this mother.......

A project published

I have had another project published this week, its in Love Sewing Australia, by the same publisher as Down Under Quilts. Its a cosy knee size quilt. I had this lovely large print fabric, that needed a snowball block design to show off the large flowers. It works well. I had enough leftover corner cut offs to make 2 generous cushions.

new issue

 Drawing of the block layout by my clever daughter.

Some small templates for another quilt, its a challenge piece, and needs some small  3 inch orange peels! hmmm maybe they are a bit fiddly....
I have been madly trying to get some quilts finished  for the August deadline for Queensland  Quilters exhibition, it will be a close shave but I think I will do it, some thread winging its way to me from Superior Treads and some fabric delivered today helping me get to the finish line.
Oh and more of that paid work stuff to get in the way of my true creative genius.....

Juggling

At the moment I am juggling work- paid work that is- and quilting- which, while unpaid financially is extremely rewarding and has a much needed feel good quality abut it, is taking a lot of time 

there is so much to be done

and 

I work best to a deadline 

shame  the deadline is closing in soon......

BUT 

I am inspired and it is making the designing and quilting so much easier, no more night shifts for a week or 2 which makes life easier too

Off to Hobart for a few days soon to visit my mother and a birthday party for an old friend. Shame most of my quilting is machine work, might have to resort to some relaxing knitting while I am away.

 Some blocks waiting for trimming

 the cast offs, not wasting a drop of fabric!

 the design wall

 The latest project, a sheep on the back

and a sheep on the front, soon to be posted to its recipient

Dreaming and planning

Lying in my bed under my colourful quilt, loving the quilting and colour..... dreaming and making plans for the next few quilts.
So much to do and so little time. Quilt show deadline is looming.
Really this work for wages is good and does pay the bills but it does eat into my creative time! especially night shift, but it does give me good dreaming time.....

This is the quilt in the machine at the moment, I am loving the Bernina 820 now that I have the tension troubles sorted out, thanks to another quilter who suggested some ideas, wonderful to have it stitching so well, and loving the wider arm space.

 This is the next quilt- needs to be circles and applique to fit the criteria laid down by my friend Kim- its a challenge and also the quilt show category, running to the last minute as usual, but my dreaming time and some innocent web surfing when I should have been asleep have helped me plan it.! Planning to start cutting tomorrow or Tuesday!

Detail of above mentioned quilt on our bed, fun feathers!
Also planning to attend some 60th birthday celebrations this year!