How to not finish a quilt!

I have been crazily trying to get some quilts finished before a big holiday overseas, the quilt guild new guidelines say that the entry form must have  a picture of at least one finished corner- they have had problems with wrong sized quilted being entered! - the quilt magically changes sizes between the entry and the delivery of the quilt.
I have been guilty of sending a picture of a blank new unquilted / unstitched metre of fabric- and then quilted it, the size didn't differ, but boy were they confused!
So its head down and into the stitching, I have changed my mind a few times, but now have 3 or 4 quilts that will be ready. Luckily they have a small quilt category!

One quilt will have to wait til I get back, it is a wedding quilt and the wedding is not till next year, so its not on a strict deadline for this year, although it does fit the theme for the quilt show, but I am not fussed now.

 Ok, its  a little puckered, its a faced small quilt that needs a darn good press.

 Hanging sleeve half on, its a good idea to take them off bed quilts and reuse them for exhibition quilts. Bed quilts do not need hangers.

 Yes, well, this is the top, batting and backing ready to put together and quilt, I do have some days off next week set aside to do this.

Almost ready to bind.

See I am moving along, some pieces more advanced than others.....

 

 

 

 

Sewing like crazy!

I have been to Toowoomba- and no it wasn't cold.
I did a 2 day class with Gwen Marston, one day was Liberated Medallions- another day I will show the quilt. 
One thing I learned again is that all quilters do not think alike. The thing about small pieces is that the seam is about 1 inch or even less, the start and end thread lengths can be quite wasteful, I always use a " mouse" or  leader and ender piece, it is a small piece of fabric that you start with and end with, essentially never cutting the thread into long lengths,  except if it is tangled or you run out of either top or bobbin thread. I just keep sewing on and on using the mouse fabric  keeping the thread and needle in the down position, thus stopping the wastage of lots of thread, and also making much less mess on the floor. Interesting that quilters were asking what on earth I was doing! thread is to expensive to waste! Its  a bit of strip piecing, just using the same strip over and over again, I do know some quilters keep small squares next to their machine for this purpose and get lots of strips sewn while they are doing another project.

 Random parts of my quilts sitting on the floor waiting to be sewn together.

Today was based on her book 37 Sketches. Liberated small studies in colour and design.  a lot of fun, I made lots of small pieces, not joined together  as I couldn't get past the freeform piecing and fun! most ladies made a small 8x 10 " quiltlet. I have 2 speeds- stop and go! today the go was full steam ahead and I really worked hard. It was a great day, and along with a safe and really quick drive home in the dark on an unfamiliar road - I was very happy.
A good class, lots of inspiration and enthusiasm.

A very busy Sunday

We are not used to spending weekends at home together. Today because I am on night shift and it has been raining and therefore no golf etc, we are at home together!

 Me waiting for Peter to move the rest of the furniture out and start painting quietly so I can go to sleep before another single night shift!

 A little hand pieced quilt I made many years ago, it has been on the arm of the couch - which is going to be thrown out as its falling apart. The quilt is going too, it is beyond retrieval.

 A close up of the disintegration.

 The sewing room ready to have the carpet pulled up so we can have lovely soft new grey carpet this week. I have moved every piece of fabric and all the other sewing stuff I own! what a big task. I did do some culling along the way which was quite therapeutic. Now to do some reorganising when I put it all back later in the week.

Another view, this table can stay and just be wheeled around  so I can continue to sew all week, I am on a deadline and need to fill every minute with valuable sewing time.

What have I been doing?

Ho hum, painting bedrooms is not my true idea of fun, but we have done it, new fluffy and soft carpet laid, now to move the furniture back in (culling some clothes along the way). So now to get the office painted , then clear the sewing room- which is very full of my belongings and then get the carpet laid there too - 3 rooms- we are doing so well!
Sort of on a roll. Need to get it done before the end of June.

 Bedroom with some furniture, waiting for bed to be made, might have to make a new quilt - for me! Thinking about a fun soft bedhead, just thinking, will do some measurements and see if I can get some board cut and make a padded cover.








The office/ study getting stripped ready fro painting, look at all those books to move- twice- might cull some of those too!

 
 



Fabric waiting to be made into fish for a bright kids quilt, think I can sneak past my husband into  the sewing room while he works?

A change of pace

 My latest quilt, in the piecing stage at the moment, it will be a queen size master piece! I hope. Sashings done and 1/4 of the big blocks, just got to clear the migraine and the mind and get to it. I am on a pretty tight deadline for the Queensland Quilters quilt show this year, and have several other things on the go as well - just to keep me honest.

 This is a corner of a quilt I  have quilted for Judi, of River City Sewing Machines, it is a charity quilt. I really enjoyed quilting it as the colours are particularly pleasing, my daughters bedroom features this green and purple.

These books are Fast Back- which means you have a week to read them, a little foolish to take 2 at once, but I really enjoyed reading them, actually I really enjoy reading, but have the thought in my head that a book must be started then finished in almost one sitting! makes it hard to get on with stuff like dinner and work etc. But it is a mark of a good book when you can't put it down.

The Beloved is by a Brisbane author, and won a premiers prize.

A busy day ahead for the mad quilter

 

This week we have decided to paint our beige bedroom- to a much more exciting Antique White, yes I would prefer colour, but I have been over ruled. A nice bright print or quilt might suffice, its strange to see the room bare. Hopefully it will be heaps lovelier  not beige! what possessed these people to paint every and I mean every surface beige!

 

soon to be white and crisp

 

I have been madly quilting my Row by Row quilt for Queensland Quilters,  just a bit of added sparkle needed now in the form of a bit of funky coloured quilting in a few places. This is the back, I have been experimenting with colour and quilting designs for this one- on the front!- - the feathers are because I just had to have some! it has been a fun journey, however twice I have found myself undoing the backing where it has been caught in the quilting, luckily only a small bit of undoing.

almost done! if you look closely enough there is a small bit of unpicking required
 

I attended the Mad Quilters Gathering in Brisbane yesterday, as the original mad quilter, I was a little disappointed, no exhibition except for some lovely antique sewing machines. Lots of shops, some old, some new, some unnamed, most maybe internet or maybe country Qld or NSW. the new look Down Under Quilts and the team were there,  I have some pictures of my work in the new one  and will hopefully have a quilt project in the next one.
I made a block with the lovely Coorparoo Quilters at their stand- some charity quilts in the making, which is what they do very well.
Ran into a few friends, then had to make a runner to pick up my daughter- and buy her some new shoes- black boots- plain and boring not like my sexy new ones!
Looked for the Modern Quilt Guild stand, but they weren't there.
Overall I am not really sure who the MQG is aimed at, or what the purpose is, exposure for some new or smaller shops maybe?


Postman

The postman came at 7:30 am today- with a much welcomed parcel.
I ordered these books several weeks ago, a discounted day at C&T publishing, shuold have ordered more really.
A nice day to sit and read and just absorb some new ideas, that is after I have done 2 hours of on line training for work- yuk, and you need 100% pass on some of the tests! no fun with some and no luck with one, oh dear, back to the sewing machine to unscramble my brain.
I am really happy with the machine quilting on my row by row quilt, yay!