A little win and a very big weekend!

 First the good news, I won a prize this past week, third in the Modern category in the NSW Quilt Guild show. 

I am a  little excited, as it is such a big category with many talented quilters entering!

Thanks to the sponsors of my prize- Dayview Textiles, Berry Quilting Retreat and Sue's Top Finish Quilting service, and of course QuiltNSW.

The light was interesting at this show, however it did show up my quilting very nicely indeed.

I was in Sydney for the Craft and Quilt Fair as a guest of Bernina, doing some ruler work on the Bernina Q20 machine.

I had so much fun. Most of my samples were on the black fabric, although I did have some pieced blocks which were excellent for showcasing how easy the rulers are to use.

Below are some of my black samples, done using a Cindy Needham Ultimate stencil for the base grid.

Some zentangle style work using a straight ruler

Waiting to be filled with a fun free motion filler!

Border ideas

 My Farmers Wife has had a to wait a while this week while I have been recovering form my weekend and make a start on another quilt - yet to be revealed .

Block 58 came together very nicely, block 59 on the other hand needs a rethink and a restitch, there's not many that I restitch!

 Oops this is not going to lay flat - ever- no matter how much starch I use!

Farmers Wife blocks 55, 56 & 57 and some distractions

 I have been distracted this past week, a lot of busy shifts at work- a baby boom!

Planning for the Sydney Craft and Quilt Fair where I am one of Bernina's guest artists! demonstrating ruler work on the Q20- I am really excited and a little nervous!

Below is one of my sample pieces, a mandala style quilt, made for a competition where it did not fare well.... so it will be on display with some other works at the various craft and quilt fairs as part of the Bernina stand.

Below is a modern improv cross quilt, my husband decided that these shirts were too big and too old for him now, so I cut them all up and made a fun improvised cross quilt. I had a moment in the night where I remembered the yellow shirt, 

it was just perfect for some light relief.

The quilting is coming along nicely, and the back is so much fun. Another picture next time!

 Yesterday I made 3 blocks for the Farmers Wife. I dug a little deeper into the box for some different fabrics, it seems as though some days I just skim the top of the fabric selection. I really need to tip it all out and mix them up a little. I also need some more really light fabric, perhaps I will see some this weekend in Sydney at the quilt show!

 I often wonder if I am better to hand piece some of these blocks with many small pieces, then I think that - just get on and machine piece, its not too bad. I do use a fair bit of spray starch and find that I do get some shiny areas, they will wash out I hope.

 This has been a really good exercise in putting different prints together, I am usually afraid of choosing more than one print, so this project making me think outside my little square and be brave  in my fabric choice decisions!

 This block is a little fun, I just love the  black with red!

Hopefully I will see some old friends in Sydney!

I am really looking forward to 4 days of sewing, and hopefully some wonderful inspiration!

Accurate seam allowances- Farmer's Wife

Two blocks this week in my Farmers Wife quilt, I am at the halfway mark now!

 These blocks require precise cutting and piecing!

Hmmm, I am not sure about the fabric choices here!

I visited the Ipswich Art Gallery this week to view the Annette Gero  Wartime quilts, one of the most amazing things was the piecing accuracy achieved by the makers- mostly men. The fabrics were thick, the pieces quite small, yet the accuracy was quite amazing! 

Obviously they were hand stitched, no rotary cutters, and probably a paper or cardboard pattern- which can quite often become misshaped or trimmed unexpectedly to result in an odd sized pattern!

These quilts are quite amazing given the conditions they were made in.

Even with today's conveniences of stitching, many quilters - including me sometimes - are unable to achieve that repeated perfection with piecing.

Got my mojo back!

After a very busy week- again at work, I have been very tardy last week and did not stitch any Farmers Wife blocks.

I did, however make a small quilt for the Spotlight competition!

There's nothing like starting at the last minute and stitching like crazy till its done!

This week I have done 4 Farmers Wife to try to catch up with my own self set timeline.

With these blocks I am using some different fabric combinations.

Usually I just pull out a dark and a light and start cutting !

  

 There is always the question of whether one should press the seams open or to one side, I always have the quilting design in the back of my mind when I am piecing, I do like to stitch in the ditch a lot, so am very wary of pressing seams open. Every so often some blocks need to be pressed open to avoid bulk.

Back to the sewing room now, there are so many deadlines and quilts to be finished ...

Preparation for the Craft and Quilt Fair in Sydney later this month is my next deadline, where I am Bernina's guest artist on the Q20, doing ruler work!