Quilt Tops.....

At present there are 12 quilt tops (finished) in my cupboard awaiting quilting .....  and I would like to get them done..... especially since I have others in progress, and still others as kits, and still others that I want to do.... hmmmmm

This is a folder that youngest daughter gave me at Christmas (I think she may be psychic)

This is a scrappy rail fence quilt.... 

I used fabric I bought in Bali for this curved ruler quilt....

this is a sweet Natalie Bird design quilt.... just loved doing all those little stitcheries

These churn dash blocks were from a Block swap group a few years back....

My Sylvia's Bridal sampler us Tuesday girls each made in different colours...

and Splendid Sampler which again us Tuesday girls sewed together....

My scrappy stars made in Papillon fabrics, one of my all time favourite ranges and I wish they would bring back ...

I have already made one quilt with my 9 patch from a swap a few years ago... this uses up the last of the blocks....

this was a sweet 1930's style layer cake.... I made mistakes with my cutting but it is still a pretty quilt....

chevron made with scraps from a range... or maybe charm packs... anyway it is sweet and happy....

Natures Journey done in a Stitch-a-long..... done in French General (not sure which range)

... and my sweet Alphabet bear (bear designs by Michelle Ridgeway).  I had 5" strips of this pretty range (no idea what is was called) 

So there we go.....  now I've put these out there I hope that will make me get them done....

Will you show us yours???????

Righto, Gotto Go... off to make blocks with the Tuesday girls... for another quilt!

Busy week.....

This week I decided to sort my quilt tops.  I am hoping to do some of my own quilting over the holiday season....

I bought this bolt of wadding a couple of years ago and this is the first time I have opened it!  I like to get a bolt although it is pricey but then I can cut to the exact size I want.  Also any left over pieces are all from the same quality and kind of fabric so I can join them.

I also had a stash of backing fabrics - having bought metreage when I saw some on sale - again some time ago!!!  Some of the quilts already had their backings with them.

Out came the quilt tops (you know some of them have been in there so long I had forgotten I had made them!)  It's like greeting old friends!

I am a bit embarrassed to admit there are 13 quilt tops there..... but one step closer to getting completed as they all have wadding and backing put aside for them

There is not much left of the bolt of wadding now.  This includes a couple of Christmas quilts - I aim to do one of them this coming week!

Mr Postie visited with this beautiful card and ornament from Karen.... thank you so much - I do treasure my handmade ornies more than any others I have.... 

I was so excited to see a finger lime on my little bush..... can you see it - its almost black its such a dark red....  I'm looking forward to it ripening up a bit (it's about 4cm long)  .... lots of flowers so I hope next season it will be loaded with fruit ..

We are expecting an extra two little boys for Christmas (our two grandieboys from Melbourne are coming up with their Dad)

So this week I made up a couple of Santa Sacks to sit at the end of their beds on Christmas Eve....  I need to purchase some cord to tie the tops...

I usually favour buttonhole stitch but this time I free motioned raw edge in black - It gives a scribbly look I quite like - but most of all it was ultra quick!

These are freebie designs from talented (and generous) Toni.  The reindeer is from a few years back but the Santa can be found HERE .  There is also a summer version Santa with a surf board!

Thank you Toni - I do love your patterns and these were exactly what I needed at short notice!

 Treadle and I had a play and I now have 50 x 4 piece diamond shapes ready and waiting.  I now need to cut bigger diamonds to go with these.

My youngest daughter (widget's mum) turned 30 this week.  Gosh.  She is a strong and generous person and a wonderful mother (and daughter).  This was at a yummy dinner out together the night before her birthday.  Widget left the next day to go and meet other side of his family in New Zealand.... wonderful.  I'm sure he will come back with lots of stories.

Righto, Gotto Go..... I am going to pin a quilt! 

Have a wonderful weekend.... xx

Visiting some quilts....

It was fun seeing some of the quilts I had made and given away when I went visiting....

This is one I made my son and daughter in law.... It was done using Quilt As You Go method and the blocks sewn together with the black sashing.... (I made a smaller one with the leftovers a few years later and there is a tutorial for this HERE)

I backed each black and white pieced block with different Japanese fabrics so it is a totally reversible quilt....

As you can see I did this one in 2008.....

We had lovely warm weather when we were in the UK and whilst on the farm this was the quilt we used....  One of the black/white colours has faded but all the others have held their colour well...

This is one I made for my Mother-In-Law

It's actually one of my favourites - I love the colours and fabrics and the piecing and applique in it

I was just learning free-motion- quilting and though I am happy with what I did I can see how I have improved over the years....

It's easier to see from the back....

Mum always introduces me as her daughter in law who made her quilt (rather sweet isn't it?)

Another favourite of mine was this scrappy one which I made more recently

I have shown more about it on my blog HERE.

It was on our bed at my daughters house and I nearly took it back!!

So fun going to the houses and seeing the quilts being used....

Righto, Gotto Go.... I've got some crushed walnut shells to play with......

Quilt Backings....

Last years big project was the finish of Sylvia's Bridal sampler which I did in Reproduction Civil War fabrics....

I've done a few quilts in these fabrics so I had gathered up quite a lot of smaller mixed pieces ... so I decided to make a heap of different blocks and use them for the backing....

Gosh - it took ages with no pattern.... measure cut sew trim repeat again and again....

But finally it's done and I love it..... I had some real backing in a green which was perfect to finish off and make it the right size -  

I don't make up all my backings but I do love it when I do....

This is one of my early quilts made from a layer cake..... Marina mentioned she had some pieces from the same range (I've forgotten what it was called but I just love the fabrics in it)

... so I made lots of different size pinwheels and put them together with some cream background....

It makes a lovely summer quilt on this side, and a winter quilt on the other side!

Another of my early quilts I made for practice when I learnt redwork.  This was a free design (Raggedy and Friends) from Kaaren at The Painted Quilt.  Kaaren is no longer blogging but she has generously left her blog and freebies available.....

Again there were pieces left over so I put them together and made up this scrappy backing....

When I am doing it I think I am mad... but when it's done I am thrilled with it....

Here's another view of my latest one....

What about you?  Do you do this?

Righto, Gotto Go...... Quilts to pat.....

Progress ......

Shingles....

I am over them now but had my first dose the last few weeks.  Not nice.  And it's meant I have not been doing much commenting of blogs - my favourite part of blogland is the interaction.

At first I thought I had spider bites - which really made me cry that a spider (I am very scared of spiders - even tiny ones) might ravage me in my sleep - so it was actually a bit of a relief that it was shingles and a couple of weeks of gentility would ease it all.

(No pictures - lucky you!)

My small quilt is now a flimsy and in the queue to be quilted...

Some pretty fabric swatches I just cut into squares and gave them some sashing and corner stones.  I was thrilled to find some border fabric which was a perfect match and added a little blue peeper, and with which I will bind the quilt too.

It's simple, but sweet.

I've also been doing some of this Leanne Beasley design stitching - and actually made up a gift - but you can't see it until later this year!  I just hope I don't forget the safe place that I've put it????

Last year I made up a Sampler Quilt using Reproduction prints and I had quite a few left over so I have slowly been making up odd blocks with the pieces....

My design board is growing with them and soon I will be joining them up so this will become my backing for the sampler quilt.....  

I am of course beginning to think it was a silly idea and taking up more time than I have but I know I will enjoy the two sided quilt - and I will have used up loads of left over pieces .....

And I have done the last of the blocks for The Splendid Sampler.... all 100 of them are done and half a dozen bonus blocks...

My sashing is chosen and I will be using some of the left overs from this quilt to make corner stones to go with it... It's all in soft and pretty and will be a totally different look to the other sampler quilt.

Righto, Gotto Go.... before I can cut sashing I need to press the fabric!

Happy Christmas everyone....

I'm a bit late wishing Happy Christmas - but the love is there!!!

There was lots of last minute stitching ....

Twin Tawny FrogMouths were born to us ..... I only have my phone camera so it is not clear but I assure you these babies are very sweet... and so good.... not whiney or noisy or demanding at all!!

They are an Australian native bird and if you google it you will see much better pictures....

We are having fun watching them - they are moved from branch to branch each night so part of our morning ritual has been looking for them..... often mum and dad are there too....

In this picture mum is sitting with the twins

.... I finished the Wild Things quilt for a grandson.....  I rather love this one....

... as the pictures are big and bold I used monofilament for around all the applique and then echoed around each Wild thing..... then some wobbly geometric shapes in the border....

The superheroes quilt was also finished..... I rather love this one too!

... In this one I also used monofilament around the applique and then some wiggles and circles in the backgrounds....

Both these quilts were made from Toni's book Happy Quilts

.... then there was more birthing it seemed in our house..... looks like a breach delivery????

... and a superhero was born....

... and so was a Wild Thing....

I've only done a couple of stuffed toys before and this time I used felted woolen fabric - a little bit bulky but also forgiving for the shapes....

... here they are placed under the Christmas Tree for Jack and Blair.... whose Dad was with us for a few days over Christmas...

I spotted them all packed in the backpack ready to take to Melbourne for these little men....

I can't wait till I hear how they respond to them...

The best thing about making quilts is them going somewhere to be used and loved isn't it?

Righto, Gotto Go.... Christmas is over, house is empty .... I really don't like the after feeling so perhaps I will find some sewing to occupy me!