Christmas Stars finally finished!

 

For those of you who happen to visit in search of some crafty news, I have finally finished my version of the Audrey & Maude Christmas Baubles quilt! This has been a work in progress for nearly two years and has been my handwork project for the past 18 months. The largest quilt I've made yet, it's entirely handquilted in perle cotton in a wavy pattern that I happily made up as I went along.

The quilt hung on the wall last Christmas (where the myriad safety pins looked like extra decoration) and will again grace the walls but this time finished! (And you know it's not long till Christmas when the department stores start setting up the Santa photo stands!) Thanks again to Helen, who gifted me the pattern a couple of years ago - I got there in the end!

I have really enjoyed seeing Christmas Stars evolve over time and am so pleased I stuck with it although at times all that handquilting seemed tedious and never-ending. Of course now I need a new project to keep my knees warm at night...and it's ready and waiting all sandwiched and basted. I'll show you a sneak peek in my next post.

Hopefully it won't be two months between now and the next post - I am counting down the weeks until I change jobs, which will happen in mid-December (all going to plan) - and I hope to be doing a little more crafty goodness than I've managed over the past two years.

Polka dot pencil skirt

I've been eyeing off some lovely skirts around town lately - there's something so very stylish about pencil skirts, but they can also be a lot of fun. I have baulked at the prices, however, not to mention felt a little guilty at all the wonderful fabric sitting in my stash just waiting to be made into something wearable. So I decided to get me a pattern and have a bit of a crack at one myself.

I wanted my skirt to be fitted and lined with a back zip and kick pleat, so I hunted down a great (read: easy) pattern from Vogue (it's on sale!) and went to work using some left over Michael Miller spots (grey on black) I used as backing for my Allan's Lagoon quilt.

I am pretty pleased with my effort - only one mistake (that I've noticed so far) and that was sewing one of my darts the wrong side on the lining (and no one will ever see it!). I did sew the zip a bit too 'high', but it turned out fine and meant I could omit the hook and eye (fiddly little buggers). I also omitted the faux welt pockets and tabs - maybe I'll tackle them another day, but I didn't want to over-complicate what is my first skirt in a couple of years. I lined the skirt with some pale blue acetate - it looks lovely through the kick pleat at the back. And best of all? The skirt fits fantastically. Woot!

I have another couple planned, but it's unlikely I'll get to them before October. I have so much work on and will likely be travelling for most of September. However, my stash has waited for me this long and it's not going anywhere, so I am not worried. Oh, and I also started another proejct! (V1303 which is also now on sale!! I paid full price for the pattern. Wah!) It's good to have one on the go, no?

The Lemonade Quilt

A friend of mine was diagnosed recently with bowel cancer - she is only in her 20s so this came as quite a shock - especially for her! Fortunately she is smart as a whip and was straight onto it - so was her doctor. She had surgery just about straight away and is now recovering, with the wonderful news that the cancer hadn't spread. Talk about a close call.

The cancer has come on top of a very hard seven years for her and I just could not believe so much bad stuff could happen to one person, who just happens to be one of the loveliest, smartest women I know. She is taking it all in her stride (although I am sure she has her moments - don't we all?), albeit metaphorically at the present, as she is still a little sore from the surgery. I couldn't do anything material to support her (she's in Brisbane, I am in Canberra), except, to make a quilt! (A little fabric pun in there for all you stashaholics!)

I recently bought this ace book by Alissa Haight Carlton, and was inspired by the cover quilt to make a lovely lemony quilt for my friend.

I used up some yellows from my stash and paired them with some Kona Snow to create a monochromatic modern minimalist quilt (how's that for alliteration?). Instead of repeating the darkest yellow for the binding, I thought it would be better framed in a battleship grey and found the perfect shade at my LQS, Addicted to Fabric. I quilted it with double wavy lines and it's backed in a bright sunny spotty fabric I bought at Spotlight.

While I really wanted to call it the Gin and Tonic quilt, I thought she might want to share it with her gorgeous kids, so, instead called it The Lemonade Quilt (because when life gives you lemons...reach for the gin and tonic...er, make some lemonade).

The quilt is now living on my friend's bed and I hope it makes her happy.

Cute pram quilt finished

A friend from work had a baby girl in May - another friend had already made a gorgeous play quilt, so I decided to make a little pram quilt! I am super happy with this tiny little quilt :) Measuring 20 x 30", it'll be a perfect fit for keeping a newborn nice and snuggly on the freezing days we're having in Canberra.
I love the innovation (not mine, but a great idea, nonetheless - Milly makes them this way too) of a 'foot muff' for the bubba's feet - click to enlarge the above image - you can see the line of the foot muff/pocket along where the label is stitched). It'll not only keep her a tiny bit warmer, but should stop the quilt from riding up and covering her face.

This tiny quilt didn't really need the full label treatment, so I stitched one of my labels to the muff and voila!

And look at these gorgeous lillies! From my father-in-law to help celebrate my non-birthday this week. Carl, the kids and I have all suffered through gastro on top of a head/chest cold, so it was really a non-event this year!

Baby season is here

It's baby season again! No, not me, but babies seem to be popping up (out?) all over! Two friends have had/are having babies, so I thought I'd whip something up for each of them.

As I'm so pressed for time these days, simple designs are king. I wanted something striking though, so I googled 'strippy quilt' and found oodles of quilty inspiration. The photo that really kicked me off was on Flickr, from Bubbachic, who had a similar dilemma and lovely scraps!

I went through my stash and found some gorgeous soft pink left over Amy Butler (from 'Marina's Midwest Modern' quilt), which is now snipped and sewn into a top for a pram quiltlet. A friend at work has just had her third girl, and another work friend made a play quilt. I thought one for the pram might be a good idea, especially now winter is really here - it's been cold and raining for two days straight!

(Measures 20 x 30")

I also had some left over Park Slope from the 'Funky Chicks' quilt, which is now doing double duty in a cot quilt. A friend of mine, who I never get to see because she lives so far away, is having a baby - a girl - and I'm just so happy for her. My friend has been dreadfully unlucky in love and has finally found a man who's right for her, so this baby is extra special! I love how this quilt is coming along. I'm going to use a stripey binding in chocolates, pinks and purples, which I think will bring it all together. The baby's due in a couple of weeks.

(Measures 40 x 40")

Both quilts will get the all-over stipple treatment, with the pram quilt to have a built-in foot muff, so I'll 'birth' that one to integrate all the layers. Never done it before, so it should be interesting!

I'm hoping to have both quilts finished by Thursday night in time to take them along for show and tell at the Canberra Quilters meeting this week, alongside the Hungry Caterpillar quilt (see previous post).

And here's one of Romily - wearing my clothes (the hat is now a permanent resident in her dress-up box). She thinks she looks like a grown-up in this outfit!
For long-time readers of my blog, can you believe Romily will be five in just a little over two months? Crikey!

Dot's Bouquet is finished

I am really happy with this quilt I made for Car's aunt Dorothy! Number one, it's finished (and don't we all love a finished quilt?!), and number two, I am happy with all my choices. The fabrics, colours, pattern and quilting all seem to work together. (See the previous post if you want details about where I got the idea for this quilt from.) The fabric is from the Timeless Treasures Kiwi Mama Mia range.
I had to piece the back, after discovering my backing wasn't quite long enough - I even like how the back turned out! I'm pretty sure she'll like it - she'll appreciate the gift, even if green isn't her favourite colour!
Now that I've made quite quite a few of these comfort quilts and feel much more comfortable free motion quilting, I feel like I can tackle some 'keepers' for us. It would be nice, wouldn't it, to have something to show for all this quilting? I only have one quilt here that is made by me! The very first sampler quilt I made for Romily way back in 2006.

And just because, here's a photo of Mr Trista! He is wearing a deflated ball as a hat. Why not, I say?!

Shhhhhhhh! There's been quilt making going on around here!

I know, it's been a while! But I finally started piecing the next comfort quilt on my list - this one for Carl's only aunt, who's been having a rough time with her health lately, including a long stay in hospital. She's home now, but taking things slowly. As the weather starts to cool, what better than a snuggly quilt to keep your knees and toes warm? I've pieced all the blocks, and hope to stitch them together tonight. I'm hoping I can baste and start quiting by Monday - a public holiday here in Canberra. (Edited to add that I was very neglectful in mentioning that the pattern isn't mine - it's based on a pattern called Highlights that my friend Helen used in a quilt last year. I loved hers, so based my blocks on the general ratio used in the Highlights blocks. Mine are quite a bit smaller and I don't have so many different fabrics. I've also made only 'A' blocks and changed the layout to get the secondary pattern of squares of the main fabric.)
The weather has certainly turned here; we're still getting warm days, but it's noticeably cooler in the mornings and we're starting to get a bit more rain. So guess who has some new gumboots to go with the rain? Tristan loves his first pair of gumboots - Roary the Racing Car boots, replete with 'headlights' and 'wheels'! They are so cute, although not so cute as their owner!

A quilty finish - for Robina

Only six weeks later than I'd hoped! Ah well, I'm sure it will be appreciated by Robina, who has been a professional seamstress for 60 years - fortunately she is no quilter, so I don't feel afraid that my standards won't bear up under her scrutinising!It's a lap quilt (37" x 40") made it to help celebrate her 80th birthday and made to match the table runner I made for her for Christmas. It's a Denyse Schmidt pattern (Hop, Skip and a Jump) from Denyse Schmidt Quilting - you've seen it on my blog before - it's been a favourite! The fabric is mostly Moda Porcelain. I quilted wavy lines in King Tut variegated blue thread and the quilt includes my first attempt at piping in the binding. It is a bit wonky, but I'm hoping that people will think it intentional to meet the wonky strippy piecing! Lesson learned: don't do piping unless you are 100% sure your edges are straight and that you can sew straight. Apparently they weren't/I can't! (Sorry about the appalling photography - it was late in the day and the light levels were not good.)It's nice to get this finished. Uni starts back this week so my crafting time will be reduced, although Romily has two long sessions at playschool this term, which might help my productivity levels!

[Edited with improved photos! They're still not great, but are better.]

Exhausted

We're back tonight from our week in Melbourne, happy to be home and utterly exhausted after a marathon two-day drive home. Without kids, you can do the trip in 7-8 hours (with minimum stopping). With kids and roadworks combined, it's more like 12-13. Since Carl couldn't come on this trip and as Tristan is still not sleeping the night through, I knew I'd be too tired to manage it in one day, so we did it in two in each direction, staying the night in a motel (an adventure in itself for the children) in Albury.

A minor miracle, we all managed to stay healthy this trip! This meant we were able to catch up with friends and family we missed at Easter. Romily just adores her four boy cousins and they like seeing her. It was great seeing them all playing so well together. Tristan was watching with eyes agog, and you could tell he was working out whether he could join in! He had a very exciting time playing with Grandma and Huppa (my parents) and has learnt to speed crawl. He loves nothing more than 'crawly chasy' - especially with his big sister.

(Rom looking like an angel with a halo at my parents' house)

(Tristan after Huppa sneezed loudly and frightened him - excuse the pink sleeping bag - it was Romily's when she was a bubba!)

I attempted to finish Robina's quilt in time for our visit to Bendigo, but our trip was brought forward by two days, which just did me in. It unfortunately still isn't finished, although I only have one side's binding waiting to be stitched down. I encountered some problems with Grandma's sewing machine, which saw many stitches being skipped on the front side of the binding. I ended up having to go around twice. Anyway, it's looking good, and I hope to finish it over the weekend.
Here is a photo of the finished top before it was sandwiched, as well as a photo of the basted sandwich. I hope she will like it.

While watching Romily and Tristan engaging with their grandparents was an absolute highlight of the trip, my initial reason for going was to see Pink! When I bought my ticket she wasn't coming to Canberra. Of course, Canberra concerts have since been announced. Ah well, we were due for a visit down south. I digress. Pink was fabulous! The venue has its challenges - it was the Rod Laver Arena, which is the main court for the Australian Open - including dodgy sound, but after the first few songs the techies managed to fix whatever was going wrong. What a show. I won't spoil it for those who haven't seen it yet, but for those who have or don't plan to, let's just say it was world-class and the girl could sing underwater (and just about does!). I had a great time.

It was very hard to say goodbye to my parents yesterday. They're so good with the kids and the kids adore them. We don't get to see them often enough and poor Romily was bereft last night, wailing in the back seat of the car "I want to live with Grandma and Huppaaaaaaaaaaa". She gets the drama queen from me, by the way! Hopefully they'll be able to get to Canberra in the not-too-distant future and we might sneak down again in September, depending on how things are going.

It was lovely to arrive home this afternoon. And even lovelier when Carl got home from work. We all missed each other enormously. Back to reality tomorrow. Carl will take Rom to her swimming lesson and I'll get some crafting done. Got to get some things made for Rom's fast-approaching birthday party...I can't believe she'll be four in three weeks!

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And some excellent news awaited me upon my return home - I received a High Distinction (90 per cent) for my course mark. Woohoo! Yeeha! Got to be happy with that. I must have done pretty well on the exam after all. Thank god!! One more unit of coursework to go before I transfer to the coursework/research program, which will mean a 75,000 word paper, to be written over 2-3 semesters (part-time). I need to get cracking on my research proposal, as well as start reading for this semester's course - Strategic Management. The things we put ourselves through!

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And finally, here are a couple of pictures of my handsome boy after his first real hair cut. It was pretty tricky trying to cut his hair - he was a moving target - but I don't think I did too bad a job!Clapping hands! What a clever boy :)

Plum Cobbler

Finally! Our computer is back. My files are back, and, after a bit more twiddling and tweaking and new software (ouch $$$), my emails are back. Phew. Enough said!

Anyhoo, I can finally show you the 'secret surprise' that's on its way to Margaret. It's a miniature quilt, about 20" x 20" and I'm calling it 'Plum Cobbler'. I am really into purple and white at the moment and I had quite a few lovely purples in my stash calling my name. I love how this little quilt turned out and I hope Margaret likes it too. It looks like it could be quite at home in the monochromatic challenge round of the Four Seasons Quilt Swap, of which Margaret is the swap mama.The border fabric is a lovely, dark, plummy purple from the Jinny Beyer Palette range. Yum.

And here's the label - more of my learner's embroidery!

Pretty blues

One last Christmas craft post. I managed to put this table runner (using mostly Moda Porcelain range blues) together on Christmas Eve (with Carl, Romily and Granddad out of the house for the morning) and stitched the binding down on Christmas Day. I quilted it with wavy lines across the width - they look very effective with the slightly curved edges of the strippy piecing - and they had the added bonus of not having to tie in any ends! It's for Granddad's companion Robina. He delivered it to her upon his return to Bendigo. I haven't heard whether she liked it yet, but Granddad remarked that the fabrics I'd chosen perfectly matched Robina's fruit bowl - so I'm guessing it's now on display in her home!Granddad seemed to love the one I made him - he commented that it would match his decor perfectly. Hoorah!

And still with my head swelling from my new-found fame (hahahaha), the photo and story about our special Christmas visitor will be published in a forthcoming edition of Talking Birds. What a laugh! I am a micro-celebrity in the world of twitters!

Strawberries & Cream is done and dusted

(Click to enlarge)

Don't you hate those people who finish their swaps before you've even started yours? Makes you feel guilty doesn't it? Well not any more for this little black duck! I have finished and posted Strawberries and Cream and it's on its way to Europe (ouch to the postage charges!). It was remiss of me not to say how big this quilt is! I managed to confuse a couple of you! It finished up at 19 3/4" square. The QSTs finished up at 1 1/2" - all 81 of them!

I am very happy with it - I ended up going with the diagonal cross-hatching for the quilting, using Gutterman sulky thread. Thanks for the suggestions. Here's a photo of the backing fabric - too cute! It's from the Strawberry Lemonade range by Moda.I love it so much that I used it to applique two onesies and make a bib for a girl in my online mother's group who's just had a baby girl. The bib pattern is from Nested. Of course I changed out the velcro tabs for snaps. Have snap machine, will use it!
I was also very lucky during the week to receive the French quilting magazine I won on Nicolette's blog giveaway recently. The very generous and totally sweet Nicolette also sent a gorgeous onesie for Baby#2 as well as some stickers for Romily from the same artist who did the design on the onesie. Thank you Nicolette!All well here. Had a quiet and relaxing weekend. Took Romily down to the lake again and she and Carl had a great time rambling around the castle playground together.
Then we fed some ravenous ducks and went toadstood hunting. There are lots about at the moment.
It was the most gorgeous day...of course since then the weather has turned and it's been windy, raining and freezing the past couple of days. Winter is here with a vengeance! Good thing we spend most of the time inside with the heater on these days.

We have our final ultrasound scan tomorrow - it will be nice to see the baby again before he comes out in about 6 weeks. And nice to see who's been poking me with his toes!