Saturday, September 20, 2014

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!






Thursday, September 4, 2014

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!