Quiltopia!Design 2010 Closure Quilt

Here are the first blocks of my Quiltopia!Design 2010 Closure Quilt, stacked up like fabric pancakes! Each finished block measures 4 3/4 inches.

I made them out of this:

This is the mass of tangled fabric strips I cut off from the beginnings of bolts in my shop. Every fabric bolt that started with a ragged or uneven edge had a strip taken off to even it up, and the strips were collected over the cupboard door handle. There was quite a pile by the end of 2010!

This is the sewing machine I stitched the blocks on:

This is also the sewing machine I learnt to sew on in 1970's. It was second hand then and belonged to Mum. She recently downsized and I kept her sewing machine, not used now for many years. I had it serviced and it sews like a dream. This particular Singer model was apparently Australian made. It was/is a lot of fun to sew on!
You can see the blocks taking shape. I decided on a liberated Log Cabin style I constructed them in a liberated manner on a calico/muslin foundation so each block could later be cut down to a uniform size. After making quite a few blocks, I wished I'd chosen a larger size!
I tried out some different layouts and I decided on the very traditional Straight Furrows design - it seemed to show up the subtle lights and shadows best. Sometimes it was quite difficult to find enough darker fabrics.
I began to notice that the blocks tended to use certain colours in their light half and I organised them so the colours flowed diagonally up the quilt in stripes of yellow, pink, blue and mauve.

Then I stacked them into piles of their rows and took them home to continue over my Christmas break. It has been a fun exercise.The challenge I set myself was to:

use only fabrics I'd had in my shop
make small improvised blocks
finish by the end of the year 2010

I succeeded in the first two, but the third? I'm still going...although I have finished the quilt top!

I will post some more photos of the quilt's progress next time. In the meantime, you can follow its progress on Quiltopia!Design Facebook page if you'd like.

xo xo Ann.

Miscellaneous

Here is the photo of my quilt, Wuthering Heights, which you will see in August/September issue of Down Under Quilts. The digital version is out now and the real magazines will be in the shops next week... I think. DUQ has started a Facebook page, so you can keep up with them there. I just checked it out, and it looks pretty good.

I really like the quilt hanging on the line with those weathered boards in the background.

The other day I lashed out on some Colin James ice cream. How good it looks on on our blue African tablecloth. The flavours are cherry, vanilla, blood orange and chocolate and it tasted delicious.

As I was sneaking a quick spoonful before stashing it in the freezer for later, I looked out the kitchen window -

an echidna (spiny anteater) was bumbling along fossicking in the earth for ants. They are the cutest, funniest little creatures with their long leathery snout, just right for sticking into the ground, and slow waddle. I decided to get a bit closer to photograph him, but he wasn't having any of that! He hid so effectively with his head in the grass and his spiky back to me. I've tried to touch them before and those spikes do protect them very well!

Patsy dropped into the shop with her finished French Collection Quilt. She stitched all the blocks, then set them in an attic windows style with a background of French map fabric (Moda's Patisserie by Fig Tree Quilts) which was perfect for the theme. These quilts are truly an achievement in effort, concept and skill.

Finally, at the bottom of this grab bag of a post, is my Rose quilt called. I started collecting fabrics for this when I went to Barcaldine with some beautiful ones from Sandy at The Silver Thimble. I used a huge range of rose print fabrics from Kaffe, and Philip Jacobs to some of the very first patchwork cottons I bought at Spotlight when I started quilting. I threw in a cute pack of coloured dupione silks by Moda from a new pre-cut range called Crazy Cuts. I wanted to see how they would go, and I quite liked the effect... they make a nice scrumply sound too. So, with the roses and silks and swish, I called the quilt "Gypsy".
Does anyone know how to get one of those little Facebook thingies on their blog? (Not the big badge, but the little one with an f on it. I've been spending a bit of time on my eBay Store, quiltopia!design, where I sell all sorts of Moda pre-cuts and I want to get more savvy with all the little code things and badges so I can be better at networking.)
Happy sewing, till next time -

xo xo Ann.

Show and Tell

I was looking through my photos yesterday and there were so many I realized I have not yet blogged about. So many activities, projects and ideas... so little time.
I felt I really must show you some recent work of friends and students. Firstly, here's Jill with her finished Lilly Pilly. I showed you some other photos of this one here. I love the aquas, greens and raspberries in this one and her individual border, too.

Jill hand quilted her quilt all over with leaves to echo the applique pieces. It looks wonderful - what a labour of love. Her daughter in England is a very lucky woman.

Yii Mei has been learning patchwork with me. She recently moved to the area and decided to take up the hobby and I think I'd be right in saying, it's become an obsession! This is her first quilt top completed. She's now learning how to machine quilt and doing a fantastic job. It's great welcoming new patch workers and quilters into the fold.

Finally, Sharon joined my French Braid class and brought in her finished quilt recently. She chose to use all Bali Batiks in these unusual autumn tones, and was rewarded with a beautiful result. She also hand quilted her quilt and it looks absolutely stunning and warm.

As for me, I've attended three local quilt shows as a stall holder last month, so most of my energy has gone into preparing for, and being at, them. I have started a couple of new quilts and I joined the Process Pledge - you'll see the button on my side bar. So I've got a few projects and ideas up my sleeve...
I've also upgraded my blog to a new blog design. I'm working on the pages feature, but time is always at a premium.
As the end of the financial year approaches, I've scheduled a 20% OFF SALE in my eBay Store, quiltopia!design. It starts around 5 PM today and finishes at 11:59PM Wednesday 30th June. (You can also visit quiltopia!design by clicking the button in my side bar.)
Why don't you drop by and grab a bargain if there's anything you fancy.
Happy stitching, dreaming, and shopping,

xo xo Ann.