Zentangle

http://janemonkstudio.com
Jane does lovely Zentangle design and teaches workshops, visit her web site to check these out.

Farewell gift

We have a Malaysian carer who has been working with Timmi while she has been studying medicine.  She has graduated and early in the NewYear will be returning home.  I have made this bag with permission from Leesa Chandler of Chandlers Cottage Beaumaris.  I used a Gum Leaf fabric from Leesa's Australian prints range and also her studio bag pattern.

November Flaunt

I actually finished this in November but as it was a challenge and swapped at Vic Scquilters Carrum Downs Christmas lunch I couldn't post a photo of it last week.  Now it has gone to its new owner I can put up the photo.  It is a Christmas table runner my own design machine pieced and quilted.

Friday Flaunt

I have been busy finishing UFO's this months total is 3 finished and about 30 to go.  I had listed about 20 UFO's for the MelbCBD Scquilters group but I found more.  I was looking through boxes for cream on cream fat quarters which I know I have about 20 of when I found another heaps of UFO's I had forgotten about.

The first UFO is my version of Country Times by Cathy Stevenson of Canberra I had this quilt machine quilted by Sue Morris of Cotton Top Quilting in Waterways here in Melbourne, I am very pleased with Sue's quilting and the quilt I cut the quilt out when we were in Tweed Heads in 2007 from fabrics I head taken with me on our caravan trip.  I bought 1 fat quarter of Sage Green in Tweed Heads and the backing I bought at the Gold Coast Craft and Quilt Fair 2007 Cathy Hodgkiss helped me spend money at the fair pointing out different gadgets that were a must have.
13/1/11 Looking through my blog and noticed that this quilt is being held up the wrong way will have to rectify that soon.

This UFO is the Mystery Quilt I designed for the online MQ group mine is 50 X 50" Christmas wall hanging.  I machine quilted this on the second try, the first lot of machine quilting I froggy stitched and started again using a meandering stitch from top to bottom.

The final UFO is pattern and fabric from Oz Dye Art girls Ami Hillege and Michelle Steele.   The Pattern was in AP&Q Year Book Vol 7 No. 2.  This quilt is a wall hanging .

Froggy stitching

I was half way through machine quilting my MQ 11 when I decided I didn't like the quilting as it was too dense.  Now in the process of froggy stitching the centre of this quilt.  Thank goodness for Leesa Segele's technique of unpicking with a scapel it's a lot quicker.  The quilt is a lap size.

No Friday Flaunt

I am waiting on a quilt to come back from the professional quilter then I can do the binding.  I have basted a small wall hanging to quilt myself haven't decided whether to machine or hand quilt.


It's school holiday time in Victoria DH and I have the grand daughters 2 days this week and 2 days next week.
 We cooked on Monday made the Tiger cup cakes from Coles Spring cookbook.   Chloe cut up all the licorice for the tigers whiskers, I helped cut up the jubes then the cup cakes were decorated.

here are a few of the cakes.  Chloe did a good job with the decorating.
   Tuesday we went out for lunch as it was grandad's birthday.  Not sure what we will do next week depends on weather.

July Flaunt

This years challenge at SCQCBD Melbourne it to finish of UFO's.  In January participants had to take along a list of their UFO's and give them to Jan the keeper of the list.  Each month we are to endeavour to finish one or more UFO's on our list.
This 9 patch was a swap where each lady bought an identical strip of  2 1/2" which Lillian had chosen, we then made 16 X 9 patch blocks and handed them into Lillian who then sorted the blocks into groups of 16 and we received the blocks back.  I made my top adding 4 extra blocks. This swap happened in 2005.  The chosen fabric is the dark red centre of each 9 patch, I added 2 borders.  I used 2" spaced cross hatch machine quilting.

Bit of this, dash of that and a smidge of what the heck

On Facebook yesterday I described a yummy meal I had cooked in the slow cooker.  Lindi asked if I quilted as I cook - make it up as I go -   here are a few quilts I have made that way. 
 This is the first unplanned quilt I made, started with a collection of cat fabrics some with large cats that could be cut around for applique, button holed them onto Quilters Muslin backgrounds in a variety of shapes, some of these fabrics were swapped with other quilters and some were given to me.  The next steps was to make 6" nine patch squares then I laid the squares and appliques out and arranged them in the best layout, some of the applique pieces have borders added to them to make them fit added borders and machine quilted it.  In amongst all the cat fabrics is one little square of Dalmatians.

 
 This is the second quilt I made making it up as I went, started with the blue/green background fabric that reminded me of a pool in a wooded area, added the sky fabric then added the bush, next came the reeds centre front then the gum trees and Australian Flora added some tea dyed cord to represent fine branches added 3D gum leaves machine quilted and added 2 little frogs sitting on a log in the pool.  Freehand machine embroidered the flowers, trees and background, plus beaded the wattle This one is a wall hanging

The one below is a quilt I made for Bayside Quilters 'Quilts from the Heart'  I was given 1m of the floral fabric added the Yellow and black made 1/2 square triangles laying the squares out as they were completed until I had used all the fabric joined the squares together, added a narrow black border then a yellow one then machine quilted.  This quilt is a large single bed size.



The small wall hanging below was for a challenge "Stellar" I discharged dyed a terrible fabric, stiff as a board dark blue/black with silver glitter.  Got an interesting effect then I added about 4 different glittery Angelina fibres bits of silver organza machine quilted these bits onto the backing then added the silver stars and beads.  The binding is 2 layers of organza 1 black the other silver.

Other quilts I make by following patterns almost. sometimes I change the layout of the blocks to put my interpretation on the quilt.

Flaunting Flannel

This week my flaunt is my Scquilters retreat Challenge.  A quilt made completed from used flannel shirts.  Several of us ladies scoured Op shops around the Eastern suburbs of Melbourne and found enough flannel shirt to create 4 quilts.  Mine is a simple pattern of half square triangles with plain squares on the back.

DH has claimed this quilt for his  armchair it will be well used.  As a retreat 'Virgin' I had a wonderful time did a little bit of hand sewing, I stitched 7 little hexagons together to make a flower.  Socialized a lot, put faces to names that are seen regularly on the internet, caught up with Anne from Canberra who was generous with her time when DH and I visited Canberra in 2008.  My how time is flying by 2 years since our caravan odyssey.  It was lovely to meet Sally from Hobart I love her art quilt work we had a show and tell on the deck before lunch and Sally's work is amazing interesting techniques she uses, eager to try some of them when I finish rebuilding this computer.  Hard Drive died so new one had to have everything loaded onto it and it takes forever no wonder techies charge so much, lucky DS's made sure I knew how to do this myself.

Last for April

This week I made a little bag for Timmi's new sunglasses, used horse fabric of course. Timmi loves the bag and her new sunnies with bling.  The other sewing I have been doing is secret womens business for the Scquilters retreat.   You may see what I have made on another persons blog and I will post pictures in 2 weeks time of my swaggies outfit and recycled flannel mens shirts quilt.  Only my packing left to do.

Hard to Iron

On Monday I was ironing a few metres of fabric that had been washed and wondered why it felt heavy as I was re-arranging it on the ironing board.  Here is the answer.

First for April

This week I finished a challenge as part of the Online Art Quilters group the theme for this one was Flora.
To see my 12 x 12 quilt go to http://aroundtheworldin20quilts.blogspot.com/ 
scroll through to find Flora Oma and look at the other members work.  Also listed is the plan for our next challenge which is going to be very challenging as we are out over 3 countries.

Last Flaunt for March

My flaunt for this week is of a quilt I first made in 2004.  When it was finished there was something wrong with it!!!!   A textile tutor from University of Tasmania pointed out my faux pas.  This is a photo of the original  'Wild River' which I nicknamed Foo,

I removed the binding from the top part of the quilt, took out the 2 pieced rows, removed the big white bits then pieced the rows with smaller white pieces and joined them back up.  Next I added white wool for felting mixed with Angelina Fibers and felted these onto the top and wadding. The final step on the sky part was to daubed with white paint and tease out the fibers.

After completing this part I removed the gathering and rocks in the river section and resewed this area across the quilt to follow the flow of the water.  I placed some rock shapes back into the river then sponged white paint onto the river to give the impression of white water.  This is the finished 'Wild River'.

Still not happy with finished result but its better than it was.

Head shaved X 2

Son and daughter in law both had their heads shaved for the Leukemia Foundation Shave for a Cure last weekend.  D-I-L opted for a very short cut and colour to match her eyes.  Haven't found out how much they raised as yet.  Here are the before photos

Laura




                               Simon










after photos

3rd week of March

Where are the days flying to???   My first posting for March was of the fabric for a babies floor quilt.  Preston was born last week and the quilt is nearly finished only a little of the binding to stitch down.  The pattern that I used was one that Tony Sullivan from Victorian Textiles showed the SCQ Carrum Downs group on the first Wednesday of March.  The pattern is from Hoffman Fabrics featuring a Christmas range of fabrics it is called Snowglobes and can be found at www.hoffmanfabrics.com look in their Free Pattern section.
I have altered it slightly as I did not have enough I Spy fabrics to do the fancy border.  My stash of I spy fabrics is now a little bag of small scraps looks like more shopping for fabrics at the Bathurst retreat.

The front showing the snowglobes,














The back of the quilt using the leftover I Spy pieces some of which had to be joined to get the 8 1/2" squares.

First for March

Where are the months going?  March already!! seems like only yesterday it was January. 
Daughter in law's sister is expecting her second baby realized on Sunday it is due any day now and quilt not made. Last night I cut 20 8 1/2" blocks, plus 20 circles,  traced 20 vslieflex circles plus a few other bibs and bobs.  The photo is of the fabrics for this WIP.  I am about to iron the vslieflex onto the circles and other pieces and start buttonholing as its a long weekend hope to have it finished by Monday maybe before the baby arrives we know its a boy..

Last for February

My flaunt for this week is the Summer Challenge for Bay Quilters here in Melbourne.  In October we were asked to chose a card from a pack I got the 3 of clubs.  While In Launceston on our holiday I took photos of a selection of club buildings around Launceston. I chose these 3 Country Club Casino, The Northern Club and the Masonic Club.  The organiser of the challenge set the size of A3 and the border size.  The quilt was revealed at the February meeting of Bayside Quilters and here it is.

Hexagon bag flaunt

I have finished the hexagon bag I started making back in October.  The bag had to be ready for show and tell tomorrow at Bayside Quilters.  The only machine sewing  it needed was the pockets in the lining then making the handle finally stitching front and lining together.
I will put a press stud closure on it when I find them.  I also finished the Summer Holiday challenge 'Hit the Deck' for Bayside Quilters will post that next week as other members may see it before all the challenges are revealed tomorrow.

 

Ugly Fabric Challenge

My flaunt this week is a wall hanging for a challenge.  At the last meeting  for 2009 of my Monday group NQR Craft Group Helen the ideas person gave everyone a fat quarter of what she considered an ugly fabric.  The fabric was from the safari range mottled browns on a cream background reminded me of snake skin.
This is what I came up with I have used pencils to colour in some of the turtles back used machine button hole to attach snake and turtle and free hand machine quilted.  This was due to be revealed on Monday 1st unfortunately I couldn't get to the meeting so will reveal it this Monday.  This quilt is 18 1/2" square.

Flaunt for this Week

This weeks flaunt is a continental  pillow cover I made for Timmi's chair.  I used some of the left over fabric from her horse quilt so her bedroom is co-ordinated.  Have enough fabric left to make a bag as well, another thing on the to do list.
Quickly cut. stitched, ironed, measured and placed it in her chair 5 seconds before she came home Thursday. I have nearly finished one of the challenges I am doing only have to do about 20 cms of hand stitching and that is one done and one to go, actually 2 to go have to have hexagon bag finished by Feb 16th as well.

This Week

I have been busy sewing on a challenge today that has to be finished by Feb 1st.  Only the binding to do and the label and its all done.  At our Christmas break up for NQR group Helen bought along what she called ugly fabric, gave everyone a fat quarter to do something with.  I have done something which I like and have added touches with the Derwent pencils I got for Christmas.  Photos will be posted on the Friday after the 1st.

A Quilting flaunt this time

This week I finished a block roll I started last year.  There is an embroidered panel on it which I started around September 09 for a take along project.  The pattern was in a quilting magazine and is by Linda Haigh.

The next photo is a close up of the embroidery and buttons used for flowers.

I used flannel on the inside of the block roll so the pieces will stick better.  Now to go and trace of something else as take along hand work.

Saturday Flaunt not Friday

I made a lovely little bag with matching purse for granddaughter Sara. It is purple and Lime green with purple butterflies.  I can't find the photo anywhere I definitely took a photo but it has disappeared into cyber world.
We went to the beach yesterday to visit the family, they have our caravan at Somers Caravan Park. We had a lovely day and I enjoyed playing in the pool with the granddaughters, later in the day the other Melbourne family arrived and while they unpacked I got to watch grandson who is trying to crawl already, not 6 months old until next weekend, but as mum says he was born trying to move around.

New Year Flaunt

This is a bag I made as a last minute present for an unexpected someone who gave me a lovely gift.  It was a lovely surprise to receive a present from this lady and as pink is her favorite colour I ran up a bag for her.
I have put pockets inside for her diary, mobile phone, pen keys.  The bag pattern by Fay Kitto was in DUQ no 134 I have changed it slightly.