The Amelia Challenge quilt block

This is the first completed block for The Amelia Challenge Quilt, the next book in The Australian Challenge Quilt series. As you can see I have chosen redwork to give me the detail I wanted. Applique would have been too hard. I want to make a decent sized quilt so I will need 13 of these blocks. Better get cracking.
I will be at the Loch Festival on Sunday 6 February from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. You will find me in the CFA building with all the quilts from the Australian Challenge Quilt series. At some point I will give a talk and I will be signing books all day. Hope to see you there.

Mum's Bag

Finished at last! This is the bag I wanted to make my Mum for Xmas but I only finished it yesterday. It is the 'Every Day Carry All' pattern from Blue Willow Cottage. With 3 compartments on the inside and 4 pockets on the outside, it should carry whatever Mum needs to tote. I'll save it for her birthday in July. [One more thing marked off my bucket list]

Optus Fails

My husband and I are completely fed up with our Optus TV service which has been playing up for weeks now. FOUR TIMES the Optus repairmen have been out to fix the problem, but it still doesn't work. We start enjoying a show, then it pixilates, screeches, and at times drops out all together. They will receive yet another call on Monday.
They don't provide the service but they still charge us for it !! Not good enough.

Now I'm Wiser

Oh Blogger! Not the desired outcome at all! But at least I know what doesn't work. I have joined the ranks of those who knew the transfer would completely cover the image area with a plastic coating. This is no good at all for my purposes. Back to the drawing board.

Experiment about to Happen

I need to repeat my pattern onto blocks 13 times for the planned quilt and the idea of having to hand draw every piece using my window as a light box does not appeal in the least. Even if I owned a light box I wouldn't be looking forward to it. The brain has been working overtime. I cannot print the pattern directly onto the fabric using my printer because the block is 10" wide. So I am going to attempt a transfer. I have faded the pattern so it is quite pale as I do not want a dark black line permanently printed on my fabric. But I'm not sure how the transfer will affect the sewing. Will give you the results when they are to hand.

The Amelia Challenge quilt Pattern

I thought I might start sharing the journey a little more. Now The Caroline Challenge Quilt has sold so well, I have turned my attentions to the fourth book in the series, The Amelia Challenge Quilt.  I need to make the challenge quilt myself to experience what my characters are going through. Here is a photo of the pattern for one of the blocks.

Craft Diversion

After finishing 3 quilts in the last two weeks of December I felt I needed a craft diversion. I have been working on my scrapbooking, finishing albums started years ago but not quite completed. It has been very rewarding to do so, and I am nearly done. It will make working on my next album feel a whole lot better as I don't have to feel any guilt about incomplete albums on the shelf. And soon I will be marking another thing off my Bucket List.

Daughter's 21st Birthday Quit

This was my best kept secret.  I have been working on this quilt since May 2010, waiting for days that were free of other commitments and when my daughter was not home in order to create her a 21st birthday quilt that would be a complete surprise. It was finished 11:30 pm the night before she came home for her birthday, which was the following day. We had a wonderful time together on her special day, and she loves her quilt. Jacob's Ladder is the pattern, a symbolic gesture on my part to remind my daughter to climb the ladders in life that she wants to in order to achieve her goals.