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.

painting a bird

Yesterday I met my friend Kim from Hobart, fortuitously she was here quilt show weekend. Off we went after some inventive last minute driving round an improvised tourist route!
We did some heavy duty shopping in the end. Quilting patterns for her, fabric for a dual challenge, and a new light for me and some books.
Lots of lovely quilts to look at, some great fabric, but in the end we were very restrained!
We did do a short fabric painting class with Judy Coates-Perez. Mm I have not really had a huge success and do have a small stash of paints. In the end I was quite impressed with my little bird, I learnt that there is a product called paint extender, not to be confused with seafood extender..... It made the shading so much easier and the paint more manageable! So watch this space, when I have cleaned my room I might have another go at it- even if its to use up my paints. He does have a funny blob on his head, but that will be quilted over.
Off again today to do some demo work at the art quilt table, then its the big pack up. And home to work on next years quilts.

Cute bird, pattern by Judy Coates-Perez

Fabric for new challenge, I have lots of quilt challenges for the next few months to keep me out of trouble and off the streets!

Quilt show demo

I have been at the annual Queensland Quilters quilt show, as part  of the art quilt off
shoot I have been doing some demonstrations. we are called 2QAQ as Queensland quilters is affectionately called 2Q, so its QQ art quilters. or 2qaq (2quack) if you say it fast enough!
This is great fun, I have so many people amazed that I am doing freeform work, inspired  by Rayna Gillman and Gwen Marston.
This is very much using solid fabrics with some hand dyed thrown in for some fun. Its cut and sew then cut and sew, if you need more colour or bigger add some, then cut and sew to your hearts content. Some things don't work, but that's half the fun to do something different , they are going to be placemats as our dining table is soft Huon Pine and needs some protection.
I have 3 quilts in the show. Am happy that with my silly year of illness that I actually achieved that.
No prizes this year, but am happy that my challenge piece with its blue ribbon is there (from March this year).

oops a sideways row by row quilt, more on this another day

 An old log cabin block about to be reworked. There are a little family of these in my cupboard needing to be reworked!

Part way through the reworking, some cutting and adding being done. I was cutting randomly with no ruler mostly

A little further along in the process below, needs some more work, but I had to pack up and go home. I will work on this some more tomorrow when it is my turn to demonstrate tomorrow, pleased to be going today to view the quilts, hope I can have a proper look.

Another block in the making, this one started as some strata units and was built using narrow strips, just a little fun, its interesting to see how the colours change the look as each new strip is added.

One of my entries, I will take some close up shots today of the machine quilting which if I say so myself is pretty good! Just  a little too small for the applique category, and couldn't find any more fabric to my liking to make it bigger. oh well if only I was a bit more organised and had got started earlier!
Of course, this working full time is curtailing my creativity, so tired when I get home in the evenings, and then getting up at 5:20 am doesn't help as I need to go to bed early...