Thread size vs fabric vs design scale

The August Sew Cal Gal challenge, done in a bit of a hurry, this is almost a perosnal signature design, a little hard to replicate, but can be made your own with a little tweaking. I like the swirling lines and the peaks, unexpected in their irregularity, but regular enough for repetition.
I used a 100 wt Invisafil thread on a heavier fabric, the scale of the design is not pleasing to me due to the heaviness of the fabric and the scale of the design. It can be remedied by a thicker thread, or a more delicate design scale.
On a more productive note, I have one quilt almost quilted (2 1/2 small borders to do), another has been blocked and ready to face, and the applique nearly finished on another.
However I need to go to paid employment for a few night shifts- then 3 days off- hopefully to sew like crazy!

Sneak peek at a madwoman's life

 The quilt exhibition entires are due this week, I have one more month to get them finished. All four to be precise, all at different levels of being finished.
The first pic is the 2m x 2m quilt top almost ready to be sandwiched- then quilted.
It will be done, not entirely sure how I am going to quilt it, but it talks to me when we are together so I think it will be OK.
We have 2 birthdays in the next weeks, my husband's , then one with a 0 and a 5 for me, so a bit of celebrating and a lot of quilting. A lot of quilting- what do I want for my birthday?- endless days to quilt and not other stuff -like housework, paid employment which is a bit of a nuisance at times- new parents- "the midwife cannot teach you everything you need to know in a 2 day hospital stay- do your research before you have the baby!!"

This is a blurred sneak peek at another piece that is almost done, I am queen of the last minute and will use my time wisely- going to the gym amid the chaos to loosen the shoulders and free the mind.

Off to quilt-.....

A commendation

I had a lovely letter in the post - this quilt has won a commendation at the local show- that is an agricultural show! in Brisbane it is called the EKKA- short for exhibition- a lot of words are abbreviated in Queensland - not sure exactly why - 'ekka' is as long a word as 'show'. Never mind, its a show where other quilters who are not necessarily member so the QQ enter their work.  So a different group of entrants and judges makes it interesting.

I am off on Monday to do Quilt Hostess so will be able to see all the winners.

Now to work on this years QQ quilts- so little time and so much to do.

Work- that is paid work gets in the way...we did have a record number  of babies on my night shift earlier this week, so I have earned a rest I think- or maybe not- bck on night shift tonight- lucky I have a bag of red frogs in my bag to keep me going!

Mojo back

Have been sick then busy at work and in a haze about a few projects. Now it is on, I am inspired by the Row by Row challenge and have started afresh, need to make the first months row again, but now I know what I want to do it will be easy.

 This is the new fabric, well some that is years old that I found in the cupboard, it will be sort of Modern Quilt like in its style, of course unable to reveal the final row till next Tuesday. The rows will all feature this grey fabric and a few others like it that have been lurking for some time waiting for the right project.

Am working on the bundle project too, computer not happy to dowload picture today, so next time, the contents of the bundle are in the sun drying.

Blue feathers

This is the latest SewCal Gal challenge, took a bit of time as I have been sick and then busy at work, and it is a bigger piece- about to be made into a cushion. Its a piece of hand dyed fabric, with a 'tile' like design, I decided to try to fill all the tiles with feathers, at first I tried small pebbles, but the challenge to myself of filling the  spaces with the same design paid off.  I did unpick the pebbles and one other sqaure- so time consuming.
I wish I had done some simpler feathers with wider spines as they look effective, I do have some thread build up in the spines, but it was a good thing to try to have as a sample.
The tutor for this month is Angela Walters.
The threads are mostly rayon embroidery threads which have a lovely sheen with Bottom Line in the bobbin.

 Oh dear, for some reason that is my mothers hand holding that ruler! wonder how it got there! maybe a sign of my ageing not her sewing.....
To do the straight lines I used a 6" ruler to hold against the foot to make sure I was going straight, even with a drawn line it is hard to get a straight one sewn but the ruler with the non slip back on it works wonders, I have watched long armers use one and thats why I gave it a try, so easy and effective.
Not sure if my "grout" lines are a bit wide? mabye for another project to make smaller ones.

Postcards tutorial

I have been doing the Queensland Quilters Teacher accreditation course this year, an interesting time. I have to do a short- 2 hour tutorial and chose hand/ neeedleturn applique - a Christmas tree postcard. This has involved a lot of work to make instructions etc and samples amidst being away on holiday, sick for a week and of course my paid employment.
The resulting cards are OK, but I am ready to move onto the next thing already. I did a Myers Briggs course a few weeks ago- I think its part of my personality to go onto the next thing before I have finished with the current one.

I discovered that you can iron on the small heat set sequins- the battery operated device I bought does ot really work, but a few randomly placed sequins on the cards and some Glad Bake and they all set really easily.

Oh well, now for the next SewCal Gal quilting challenge, hopefully tonight and it will be done.

Row by Row project

As part of the Queensland Quilters night group I am managing a challenge called QQ RRRR (roosting robin row by row) this is a project where you make your own quilt but within the row challenge themes set each month. Size is at your peril!

The first month the themes were- 1. paper pieced, and 2. 1" squares! I should have taken the harder ones out till later on in the proceedings...

I have lots of scraps and want to use them for this project. Doesn't help that I have a nasty cold/viral thing and feel very ordinary.

  I have chosen some farbic and cut some squares to sew together, have also trawled the internet and my boks for paper pieced patterns to use, as the scraps are small I need a small pattern, I have chosen this one from EQ5 as a 4" block.
Not sure if this grape vine floral will be a feature fabric and the connection between the rows? Maybe this quilt will be for me, maybe we will buy a caravan and this will be its quilt??
The first row needs to be finished by tomorrow night.

 We have been travelling- to Melbourne and back- by car, a long drive, went through lots of pretty towns, saw lots of long stretches of road, and just when you got bored- a view like this comes along. Amazingly still water. Knitted almost a whole sock along the way- not really helping with my quilting, but did keep me entertained while husband drove.