Update on Owls

Here are my owls again, with the borders finished, and taken with my new camera. Now I have to decide what to do with these critters. I showed them to MIL and SIL today, and they loved them. SIL suggested I make them into one of those 'day/night' pillows or wall hangings, where you flick it over to display the appropriate side for morning or evening. I like the idea, and am wondering whether I should go to the trouble of appliquing or stitching the words 'good night' on the pink owl and 'good morning' on the purple owl. What do my readers think?

Owl applique, busted camera.

I bought two small kits at the Waverley Patchworkers show, and started one of them as soon as I got home. It has three Owl designs, and I did one on Saturday, and started another the following day. The second kit will have to wait. It isn't an owl, you see. These photos were taken on Sunday when I'd got this far with the applique, but even though they are nearly finished now I haven't been able to take any more photos because I dropped my camera on the hard floor of an opshop I was in, thus rendering said camera useless....

Waverley Patchworkers Exhibition, May 2012

I have just posted 46 photos to my Needlecraft Shows Blog, showing some of the quilts at this exhibition.  It was mind-blowing stuff - the quality and variety of quilts was superb.  
I bought two little kits there, and was so inspired I started on one the minute I got home.  It is just a simple applique block, and I should have it finished and photographed on here by Sunday night.   Watch this space!

A temporary diversion.

Now that I've finished the quilt top which has now gone off to Jan, and the Tartan CQ block is close to being finished, I'm taking time out to catch up on my sketching and painting. You can see it here if you like.

On Saturday, I will be going to see the Waverley Patchworkers exhibition, which is always well worth seeing,so I hope to have some photos to post over the weekend.

Tartan quilt top finished.

Thank goodness for that! When I first started this quilt top I thought I would have it done in a week or so, because the pattern is quite simple. But I kept stuffing up measurements, and it has ended up a lot bigger than what I'd planned - it is supposed to be a single bed quilt but look at it here on our Queen size bed! Still, if it goes to a man or boy who is on the tall side, he'll have plenty to tuck in at night.

I keep a record of the details of my quilt tops - how much fabric I used and how it was cut up. Yes I do follow patterns, but as all quilters know, sometimes things can change...So if I decided to make this one again, it won't take as long. But I've got some other quilt patterns I want to try using the tartan fabrics, so this one won't be repeated for a while, if at all.

In the mood for Tartans!

I was out with the MOTH for most of today, so didn't get any work done on the quilt top. But tonight after dinner, I wanted to make a start on my CQJP2012 block for May, as I haven't had a chance to do anything with it yet. My theme for this one is "Scotland The Brave", as I have a dozen tartan ties in my ties stash, and thought they would make an interesting change from the usual silk and polyester ties I've been using for these blocks. I had the ties already deconstructed, washed and pressed, so all I needed to do was cut them to the sizes I wanted, and sew them to the foundation fabric. But once I got started I couldn't stop there, so I picked out ric rac, ribbon, and other bits for the embellishment, and laid it all out to see how it looked.

Tomorrow I plan to finish the quilt top, and only then will I feel free to continue working on my May block!

Wagga quilt top nearly done.

Just the border to do this week, and this one will be off to Jan.

Tea Cosy Tales at Bundoora Homestead.

I had a free afternoon yesterday, so it was a good opportunity to drive over to Bundoora and see the Tea Cosy festival.  The organisers were happy for me to take photos, and they said that half the cosies had already been sold and taken away.  There were about 500 cosies donated!  Mine weren't the only patchwork cosies - there were quite a few others among all the knitted ones, as well as embroidered ones.  I might go back before they finish on the 27th, and if any of the ones that I liked are still there, I will buy one.  The ones I liked are all about $25 to $30, but it's for a good cause.

 I was tempted to buy one or two - love the owls on the blue spots fabric!

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New additions

I found this cloth at Janet's Jumble Collectables shop today. She only wanted $10 for it, and threw in the vintage crinoline lady hand towel below for no extra cost.

The stitching is tiny but perfect.

Doiley found at an opshop recently - $1 or thereabouts.

Wagga quilt blocks laid out

Getting there....next step is to sew the sashing between the rows and around the edge, then add the border, which will be using more of the same tartan fabrics. 

The correct photo of my April block

This is the finished block.  I posted a pic of the unfinished block a few days ago;  you must have all thought it looked rather uninteresting for a crazy patchwork block!

Blocks cut for Wagga quilt top.

It was cloudy and cold today in Eltham - just the right weather to stay inside and do some sewing. Well, cutting.
I cut out all the blocks I need for the Wagga quilt top, which is my next one for Oz Comfort Quilts. It will be a real 'boys' quilt - nothing 'pretty' about it, as I am using up some of the brushed cotton tartan fabric that was given to me recently. But Jan said she needed not-so-pretty quilts for guys, and I'm happy to fill the bill, seeing I have so much of this fabric, and it is a fast, simple design. I hope to get most of it sewn together tomorrow.

April CQJP block

A few days late, but better late than never as they say. My CQJP block for April is finished. My theme for this one was Autumn, using a yellow, orange and brown colour scheme.