So much to quilt- so little time

The New Year has started with a big bang- so much to quilt and so little time.
I have not have any holidays - yet so its full steam ahead working then coming home to rest or quilt, and loving the Bis Bash cricket on TV, havn't quite go t to a game due to my paid employment, but enjoying Ricky Ponting and his comments on TV so its a good way to entertain myself while quilting,
I have so many projects on the go at the moment, but not as many as some, I have discovered- that's lucky!

We had a lovely sewing day the week before christmas with some friends, lots done by some,I spent a lot of time searching for a piece of fabric required for a challenge- I did find it and it has continued to cause me some grief as I have stitched it- so much fraying.....  grrr

The current projects are for exhibition, some just because, its the age old problem of what to finish first! Oh and of course, we are having another day today, do I take my machine and do some serious piecing?, can't do quilting as my machine sits down in the table and to quilt out is a hardship- maybe i need on of those portable tables that your machine can sit down into!!

I subscribed to Superior Threads thread club this year, what a  treat!, I did get the mixed box of thread as I couldn't decide which particular style to choose, I get6 different reels each month, lovely yummy colours and a range of different weights. Oh and of course I added some extras along the way. Maybe more work and less time off to help pay the way!

Ready for a day out sewing...

The start of one of the latest pieces, its Cactus silk- frays like crazy, but is interestingly soft and fun to work with.

A new year, a new quilt!

Some quilts finished and some about to be started! this is how I plan to work through the year- finishing, oh and some starting.

The blue and white is finished.

The blue and gold is ready to quilt, I am just doing some ditching first before I tackle to hard stuff.

Might start a Dear Jane as I have run out of hand work and am having a holiday soon where I might need some hand work, and I have enough knitted garments and the climate here is not conducive to jumpers.

But what sort of fabric do I want for my Dear Jane? scrap sounds good at this stage, but it needs to be cohesive, hmmm, might have to think a bit harder about this one.

Have been spending some of the hot horrid weather inside perusing blogs, and am very inspired to get on and finish some of my quilt tops that have been lingering waiting for some diving inspiration. So many ideas so little time, especially if I am wasting it by reading blogs- but wait! that is not wasted time - it is research.

Xmas gift from lovely husband

OOh another xmas gift! lucky me!

About to be quilted, maybe some musical motifs?

Sneak peek! finished at last! the colour is not quite right, it is very blue!

Happy New Year

The xmas tree is down, the decorations almost put away. Time for a new year with a  new start.
Santa did bring some gifts, and I must say that the EQ7 program walks all over EQ5! So much better, easier to use- even for this computer  idiot!

My lovely son ordered some yummy fabric which arrived this morning, and an added gift voucher- lucky me.

I have been madly machine quilting a project piece, just up to the binding- hooray! now to get some other projects finished, one for a belated birthday gift and the wedding quilt, maybe not in time for the wedding itself, but soon!
Life as usual is busy, I lost the address book and along with it my birthday remembering this year, so lets hope next year is much better.
Just loving sitting inside in the cool and checking out all the amazing blogs with inspiring machine quilting.

Celebrating new years eve early tonight as I am too old to stay awake- unless I am being paid to work, remembering fondly the night I worked 1999 new years eve- interesting- no the world didn't end, and we all survived the night. A great way to spend new years eve cloistered in a ward with people who you will never see again- mostly!
Bring on 2014-!

A little tidying found me these in my sewing room, OK now to keep them safe until I need them

Sneak peek at blue and white quilt almost finished

Quilt ready to have border sewn on and pinned and quilted, 3 weeks and it needs to be done!

A little table runner, some funky fun quilting, just trying out some ideas

Dear Santa

Dear Santa,

for Christmas I would really love- in no particular order

* more hours in the day
* less days at my proper paid job ( which I love but really don't need to love it so much!), and more at home to quilt
* a box of basting pins- I just used them all up
* something that sounds like Gammill
* limitless designs in my head, sometimes I get stuck!
* another overseas holiday.

In the meantime I am trying to cram as much into every day as I can- but getting a little tired after work to sew, but trying really hard to achieve lots. I do not have any holidays over the Christmas period, mine start on Jan 27th- then its off to have a great rest and catch up with old friends. yay

 I bought this book at the Pompidou Centre in Paris, such inspiration, it is a colouring "book that says "Anti Stress on the cover! just excellent. There were 4 books but my luggage would only cater for 1 sadly, maybe next time. Maybe I might mail order some?

 A block from my QQ night group challenge, slowly evolving

 A quilters helper, a bit fluffy with lots of shedding going on.

What I am working on at the moment, actually trying to quilt 2 quilts simultaneously.

What to quilt?

I have several projects underway, all in different stages of construction.

Now I have finished the full time day work and am back to normal shift work, I am hoping to get a lot of work done!

Although Christmas is fast approaching- without warning I might add. I expect that I have to get some food organised and maybe a few gifts. Not much cooking for me this year as I am working in the morning 7 till 3:30 pm, so it will be a late lunch, as long as it is prepared the day before, lovely Peter will cook it all. Not that I can light he BBQ anyway.....

The first quilt pictured is  a "modern quilt" needing to be quilted, a little different to my normal quilting but then some is the same. A lot of negative space and a lot of ideas, but what to do? One suggestion would be to leave the pins in and bind it!

 

 This is my  "Counting by the Ocean' quilt that is a project in the new Down Under Quilts magazine. I made one for a friends baby a few years ago, this is a copy, and I am proud to see it published.

 When I was in Hobart a few weeks ago, mum and I went to the Botanic gardens, always a treat, I have many fond memories of walking and picnicking there when we lived in Hobart. The gift shop had these gardening gloves, however they are perfect for machine quilting- so I got 2 pairs! Just the right colours.

The return of my mojo

My thread stand broke some time ago, in the interest of saving the old parts, my lovely husband today resurrected it, and even made it bigger and better. It has many more spool holders, I did find though that the short reels needed another reel underneath to stop the thread from tangling on the top of the nail he used. It is wonderful and will suit my bigger spools of thread nicely.

 My mojo is returning- albeit slowly. 2 more weeks of this job- 9 days really, then back to my normal shift work.
I have been doing catch up on the Queensland Quilters night ladies 'doin the block' project. OK, so I have done the blocks for this month and have not really started the last 4 months worth, but now I have a theme and a colour palette I am on track.
I really don't need another new project, but this is small and easy and doesn't need a large amount of time or space to do, or much brain power to make it work!
It will be next years xmas tablecloth.

Theme- paper pieced

Theme- spiral- easy machine appliqued- I couldn't find the fusible web, so used some other stuff that worked well

These 2 are close ups of my Hawaiian delight that was at the last QQ exhibition, a little too small for the applique category, but I am so pleased I finished it as it was a long term project. I was really pleased with the machine quilting, it came up really well.
So now back with renewed energy and vigour to my sewing room.

Retarding my creativity

OK, this full time work is Ok, no night duty or late nights at work, however it is time consuming, AND every day, and it is retarding my creativity.

I have allocated meal cooking nights to the children, and gone out on  a few other nights.
I have been madly piecing a Modern quilt- that is I have started a new project even thought I have many waiting to be finished, however my passion is for this particular quilt - so it must be done.
No pictures yet, but maybe soon.
There are some other things that have been happening, a weekend at the beach, and tomorrow a quick trip to Hobart for a work reunion! 48 hours, carry on baggage of 7 kg- why is the bag so heavy. I am reading  a meditation book and also 'The War of Art' by Steve Pressfield- a good read so far, 2 x 3 hour flights and I am hoping to be well on the way with both books- unless I fall asleep along the way!

Happy quilting or even just living- have just seen About Time at the cinema- just wonderful, great soundtrack- lots of laughter and some tears, a great watch.