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.

Mum's Xmas Quilt completed

Just completed Mum's Xmas quilt, including the label. Feel happily accomplished.

Pressies for my Patchwork Friends

My little patchwork group had our Xmas lunch on Tuesday and swapped lovely pressies. These are the bonbon pressies I made for my friends. Inside a rolled piece of cardboard hides a colourful mouse pin cushion and the bonbon is made using a fat quarter (naturally) in a fabric I thought each friend would love and use, tied with ribbon from my ribbon stash.

Binding for Mum's Quilt

Just finished making the binding for Mum's Xmas quilt. Am picking the quilt up tomorrow from Sky Bay Quilting. I love binding - it means the quilt is nearly completed.

Love Letters quilt no finished

Last night I finished the binding on my Love Letters quilt. I bought the kit from The Patchwork Teahouse in Warburton, and had it quilted by Sky Bay Quilting in Werribee South. As it was a project without a deadline I have thoroughly enjoyed it, being able to work on it when I pleased, slowly enjoying every stitch. Bliss.

Stashing the Fabric

I have been trying to clear my sewing area, but it all ended up on the floor for quite a while. Finally, yesterday I washed all the unwashed fabric purchases and ironed half. Today I completed the ironing and have a beautiful stash of fabric that I now need to store somewhere. My space is limited so I have a problem. Guess the answer is to get sewing and turn it all into quilts. =)
Am having a good day. Sold 30 books to Angus and Robertson, Knox store where I am doing a book signing tomorrow from 11:00 am. Sold another 30 copies to DA Information Services and then to put some icing on my happy cake, I received a phone call inviting me to be a guest speaker next year at the Australian Quilters Association. The date is 7 March. Am grateful for the day's blessings.

New Fabric always fun to get

I never used to like paisley at all, in fact hated it with a passion - but that was in the 1970s. Taste does change over the years. Or maybe I have become more tolerant as I age. I love the movement in this fabric. It swirls and flows, like the ocean. That's very appropriate for Mum's Xmas quilt for her house by the sea.

Sewing Room Mess

Life has been so hectic preparing for our daughter's move interstate (and first time away form home) that my sewing corner has become a dumping ground. In a last minute rush a CD case was needed for daughter's movies so my genealogy discs have been unceremoniously tossed onto a project box. My recent birthday increased my stash with some lovely new fabrics that are now sitting in a pile on my desk waiting to be washed. Even some books I received for my birthday are still sitting on my ironing spot.
Well - it's sewing day today. Let's see what I can do.

Book Signings at A&R - Living the dream

 Signing some books for the Glen's store manager. The place was awash with posters of varying sizes advertising my presence.

 Putting price stickers on my own books in a real bookstore. Wow. That was a buzz!

A break in the traffic allows hubby to take a nice shot of me living the dream.

Book singings at Angus and Robertson

I was sent a sneak preview of the posters going into the Angus and Robertson store at The Glen Shopping Centre, Glen Waverley (Melbourne) and wanted to share it here. It is a very big leap forward for my career and I am keen to meet lots of new people on Saturday when I am at the store to sign books. My upcoming signings for The Caroline Challenge Quilt are:
The Glen, Saturday 13 November from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Forest Hill Shopping Centre, Saturday 13 November from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Eastland Shopping Centre, Ringwood, Saturday 4 December from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm
Knox Shopping Centre, Saturday 18 December from 11:00 am to 12:00 noon
All three books in the series will be available. Hope to see you there.

Fairy Penguins

I had a fantastic weekend. Scrapbooking all day Saturday with old school pals, non-stop chatter, followed by a night out in St Kilda with daughter and a young friend who took us to Mamma's Soul Cafe near the St Kilda Baths. It was vegetarian which was an unusual experience for us meat lovers but extremely good food that we thoroughly enjoyed. We also had fun watching all the young people drinking and laughing and dancing in the courtyard below. The music was different for us too, but good. I was sad to see how many young people smoke, knowing how hard it is to give up eventually, and how damaging it is to one's health. But they were having such a good time and I didn't see any unpleasant behaviour at all.
Being so close to St Kilda pier it was inevitable that we took an impromptu stroll down said very long pier. We nearly didn't go all the way as my husband suggested turning back but I pulled him along a little further - much to our delight. We found the fairy penguins at the end of the pier. They are so lovely. We stood about one and a half metres from a little fella who did not seem frightened of us at all. Plenty of people were making their way down there, and I hope with all my heart that the penguins are never harassed by humans, but treated with the respect they deserve. We stood very quietly and quite still for a while, then left them in peace.
It was something I had on my private bucket list to see those penguins, and I am so glad it happened through serendipity rather than planning. It made me very happy.

The Caroline Challenge Quilt

Everything is changing, whether the quiltmakers want it to or not. Nothing stays the same as the group of friends continue to take up the challenges presented by the Glenvale Patchwork and Quilters Guild. Isabel makes some changes in her life by choice, but the others are presented with difficult times as they learn to cope with new phases and forced adjustments to their lives. Their president, Jane Campbell has to deal with the biggest change of them all. But what does any of this have to do with squatters and shipwrecks? As The Australian Challenge Quilt Series continues with The Caroline Challenge Quilt the five friends learn more about their Australian history, taking their lessons of the past to find ways of managing in the present. A warm story in which the values of friendship are cherished.
Now available direct from the author, Margaret A. Rowe. Contact me by email rowekeys01@optusnet.com.au.

Blue and Yellow Quilt together

It didn't take long to put this together. It is the disappearing nine-patch, which began as 6" squares sewn into one large nine-patch that is then cut vertically and horizontally to create 4 blocks. These smaller blocks are then turned about different ways to create the pattern. Now that this much is completed I think I need to add a border to it. Have been looking for fabric that suits and decided on blue.

Mum's Xmas quilt

Here on my design wall is the beginning of Mum's xmas quilt. Her house is all blue and yellow, which determined the colour scheme, and she once admired a quilt with birdhouses on it, so that's where the theme came from. Now that I have the stitcheries a certain measurement I will be filling in the gaps with disappearing nine-patch blocks. I saw the idea in a magazine a short while ago and thought it perfect for this project, however, I am actually flying by the seat of my pants with this one, and am not sure how it will turn out. Keep posted to see! Could be fun.

Bucket List Brigade

With much help from my daughter I have put up a little picture of a bucket for The Bucket Brigade. If anyone would like to join me on this adventure, please do. We can all support each other, inspire each other, share ideas and be winners. Copy the pic if you wish, and put it on your own blog site. If you have a list of goals, put them on your blog, then work your way through them one by one. Before you know it you will have obtained your goals and YOU'LL FEEL GREAT.

Love Letters

Here is the completed quilt top called 'Love Letters'. I bought the kit at The Patchwork Teahouse in Warburton, after first seeing it on the Fabric Frolic when I frolicked with a friend in 2005.  I have had a lot of fun making this quilt because there has been no time line, no desperate need to finish it by a certain date, so I have plodded along with it as I please, enjoying the process. Instead of embroidering the lovey dovey sayings according to the pattern, I chose to address my 'letters' more personally. One has my maiden name and childhood address, another has my husbands name and childhood address, and the third is addressed to both of us at our current address. I found a fabric with stamps on it, albeit U.S. stamps, cut them out and blanket stitched them in place. I had to make my own monograms too, which I dud using Derwent pencils to colour in the letter and embroidered around the letter with floss, finishing them off with a couple of embroidered flowers. Since doing that I have learned that the pencil will probably wash off.
Now I will send it off to be machine quilted, then I will have to complete it with a prairie point binding.

52 Week Bucket List

I've wasted 15 minutes trying to get this photo to stay rotated and refuse to spend more time on it so here it is, albeit sideways. This is my 52 week bucket list all worked out. It has turned out to be more of a 'finishing' plan for the nest 12 months, after which I should feel pretty good about myself. I think what is holding me back at the moment is the large number of unfinished projects I have. They make me feel guilty, so dealing with them all will clear my way to move forward onto bigger and better things. I feel good about the list.
Now - to work out how to put the list on this blog properly.