Christmas but not Fabric

Haven't finished anything this week have binding to sew on Emma's Tree and add some charms,  Have a set of ATC's to finish and more work to do on my Art quilt.  Here is grandson with Santa he had a lovely time not afraid of anything.

Take 2

The wall hanging  is called Emma's Tree. I got the pattern and the story from another group I am on.  Emma passed away aged 29 from breast cancer her mother made this tree while Emma was having her treatment for her 2 little girls (aged 5 and 6 this year).  Miriam is allowing anyone to make this tree as long as they put Emma's story on the label.  I have the pattern and Emma's story if you would like to make one and Miriam's permission to pass it on to quilters in Australia.
The Christmas Stars are the ones I won in last years VicScquilters Carrum Downs Christmas raffle, I finished the top on Tuesday the day before our Christmas lunch I hope to have it quilted before Christmas Day but the way the hours are flying by I think thats a pipe dream

First for December

This week is Christmas things the blue angel block is for VicScq Carrum Downs Angel swap and the Jester Bag is one of 2 I have made to put little gifts in.   The red and white box is another one for gifts it is an easy one to do as it is 2 x 12 1/2' square blocks and a 11 3/4' square of medium cardboard.  The red angel is the 2nd block I did to put in the swap.  I have another top finished have to photograph it yet so another flaunt later.

My flaunt for this week is a bag I made as a Kris Kringle gift.  The pattern was in Down under Quilts No 134 designed by Fay Kitto,   It is a quick and easy bag put together in a afternoon.

This weeks flaunt is not quilt related I am flaunting a wedding photo from DS#2 wedding at Brickendon Longford Tasmania on October 31st,  I made his surcoat and one for the best man also Allans cloak and velvet pants for DDIL's sons It was a wonderful wedding the words of the ceremony were beautiful and different.  I bought my dress from America then had to take it in because of the weight I have lost.

2nd week of October

These are a few Christmas decorations I have made for the bushfire survivors. They are hexagons for the Christmas Tree and a star. There were other decorations made by the members of Vicscquilters Carrum Downs group, a lovely collection of decorations, machine embroidered bells, stars, wreaths angels.
Felt angels on dolly pegs, fabric gingerbread men, a wreath with fabric tied to the circle cut with pinking shears, stuffed birds, 2 squares of Christmas fabric with wadding in the middle with a hanger, so many different things. I took photos of them all I think Helen is putting them up on the scquilters blog look out for the link later.



I have finished the logo for DS#2's surcoat for their Celtic wedding. The join down the centre has been oversewn and now its not noticeable. Started to cut out the 2 coats today and found that instead of 9 m the 'person' serving me had cut 5m I was spitting chips until I found that she had missed charging me for it, the items on the docket were 2 different lots of thread, pattern, interfacing and Hemsilk and no velveteen. A visit to the local fabric shop entailed where I bought better quality velveteen, so a win/win for me.

First Flaunt for October

This weeks flaunt is a PHD beads need to be sewn on to represent shells on the beach then it needs backing and finishing off. I am working on the wedding outfits and time is drawing near. The flaunt is for http://aroundtheworldin20quilts.blogspot.com/ of which I am a member. We challenge each other to do small art quilts every 3 months to a set theme this one was where land meets sea I have reproduced a photo I took of The Grotto here in Victoria go to the site and check out the other quilts.

Bag nearly ready

To answer a question I have a certificate in Fashion and Design did 3 years study and learning to pattern make, draft, design etc. Did this as an income supplement for years making clothes and costumes from drawings/sketches to peoples measurements. One thing I did in the late 80's was to make up for a designer 20 dresses for the staff at the resort at Uluru never got to fit them only had each person measurements, non were sent back for alterations, wonder if they are still in use.

I have finished piecing the hexagons for this bag the next step is to back them with pellon and hand quilt the two pieces. Still have 4 weeks to get this done before the workshop on construction.

This is the braid I have been machine embroidering for the front of son's surcoat for his wedding on Oct 31st. He lives in another state so its emails and photos to keep in touch plus phone calls, woke him up this morning as I needed the correct centre front length for the panel, he is a shift worker at a call centre. The next step is to embroidery the Celtic design for the centre back then make the coat, it is sleeveless and mid calf length in black velvet with silver embroidery.

Friday 18th a day early

My flaunt this week is not quilt related but it is sewing.
This is the cloak I have made for Allan to wear to sons Celtic style wedding dressing up in medieval costumes is encouraged. The cloak is fully reversible made in brown and purple homespun it took 20 metres of fabric.
My dress is a medieval style has to be taken in will post more photos after wedding.


side view reverse outer

Hand Fasting Marriage Ceremony

Here are two links explaining the hand fasting ceremony. Son and future daughter-in-law are having a celebrant perform the ceremony and it will be a lasting one.

http://www.religioustolerance.org/mar_hand.htm

http://www.aweddingminister.com/celtic.htm
(cut and paste to view links)

There are two conflicting beliefs about the history of Handfasting:
"Handfasting" was the word used by the ancient Celts to describe their traditional trial-marriage ceremony, during which couples were literally bound together. The handfasting was a temporary agreement, that expired after a year and a day. However, it could be made permanent after at that time, if both spouses agreed.
"Handfasting" was the word used throughout the once-Celtic lands of Scotland and Northern England to refer to a commitment of betrothal or engagement. It was a ceremony in which the couple publicly declared their intention to marry one year and a day in the future. In 1820, Sir Walter Scott used the term to refer to a fictional sacred ritual that bound the couple in a form of temporary marriage for a year and a day. He wrote of it in his book "The Monastery:"
"When we are handfasted, as we term it, we are man and wife for a year and a day; that space gone by, each may choose another mate, or, at their pleasure, may call the priest to marry them for life; and this we call handfasting." 1,2

This weeks flaunt its a top

This is my version of a disappearing 9 patch made from fabrics bought at a sale of the late Pauline Sisson's stash. It will be a special quilt to remember Pauline by. I will have it quilted later as for the next 5-6 weeks I will be busy with sewing for DS#2 wedding on Oct 31st. I have his coat and the best mans to make plus a cloak for DH and alter my dress (medieval) embroider designs for the back and front of DS coat the wedding is a Celtic one and guests have been invited to dress in medieval style I have never been one to refuse an invite to dress up in whatever style. DH has decided on a cloak rather than a monk's habit to wear to the wedding.
I will do a post about the Celtic hand fastening wedding when I find out more information about it, DD and SIL did the hand tying in their wedding 3 1/2 years ago.

This weeks flaunt

This is my hexagon bag so far - one side and the bottom piece are finished and 2 rows of the second side. When that it done I then take out the papers, iron each piece onto pellon and quilt each hexagon this has to be done before 9am on Oct 17th when the class is to show us how to stitch them together and make the bag.
In between doing this I am digitizing a design to go on the back on my son's wedding coat. He asked for his belt buckle reproduced onto the back of the coat. The wedding is going to be a Celtic hand fastening ceremony and the bride and groom will be dressed in medieval clothes, I have bought a dress in the medieval style to wear and have to make DH a monks outfit to wear. Luckily the wedding is on Oct 31st.

WIP for Flaunt

This is a WIP for a workshop I will be doing in October. It will be a bag made from 219 hexagons. DH reckons this looks like a face in its present form hopefully when I have all of the hexagons sewn together it won't be a face.

This week's Friday Flaunt

The blue star is a Christmas decoration a few groups are making Christmas decorations for the Bush fire survivors, started with the quick and easy hanging
The polyhedron star or Victoria's star is one 1 started 2 1/2 years ago and finished last Sunday. The pieces have travelled all round Australia with us but I couldn't find it, the packet had slipped down the back of the wheel cover under the seat in the caravan, found it when we unpacked the van. Over the past month I have tutored 2 workshops to make Victoria's star. The star was first made as a pin cushion about 4" high, the pin cushion was a memento to celebrate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee as Queen it is made from 60 diamond shapes.

The hexagons are a WIP getting ready for a workshop in October not sure of the lay out yet as this is our homework, the finished item is a bag.

Friday Flaunt a day early

This is a top I have completed today. The quilt will be a Quilt from the Heart for Bayside Quilters in Melbourne. The fabric with the yellow birds and thistles was one from BQ selection of fabrics for members to use for the QFTH quilts the others fabric were sourced from my stash. Now for the backing and quilting, not sure whether my machine quilting is good enough for this quilt have to think about that.
This quilt is one of those quilts that sort of come together as you make the blocks. It ended up 53.5" square. The design was governed by the amount of the feature fabric I had -1 metre. I found 2 fat quarters of the Wattle fabric added some black and yellow, sewed 1/2 square triangles, cut 6 1/2 squares. first border is 2" with 6 1/2 strips of wattle fabric second border is 4" finished with 1/2 square triangles as cornerstones.

Friday Flaunt 31st July

This weeks flaunt it this cushion I have made for my daughter's new rocking chair. James made the chair for her to sit in while she feeds the baby. The cushion that she had in the chair was the old quillow that I made her years ago in Essendon colours.
The cushion is in her favourite colours of purple as is the rocking chair. I received 9 patch blocks in a swap through Scquilters.

Friday Flaunt

I have sewn the binding on this quilt so now it is finished. The quilt was machine quilted by Susan Moroney and is made from fat quarters I swapped with QDU'ers and scquilters from Australia and America. This shattered 9 patch quilt is for the lady we live with as night time carers. The panel on the back I bought from Logans at AQC and the other fabric was swapped with a lady in America who bought it especially for me from Joanne's I sent her an equal amount of Australian flora and fauna fabrics as well as some aboriginal prints. If you recognize a fabric you swapped with me please let me know as I have misplaced the list of swappers I kept.

Oscar's quilt

Now I can post the photo and in time for Friday Flaunters here it is Oscar Willem's floor quilt. Mum and Dad both loved the bright colours.