Jane Austen & Barbara Brackman

A few posts ago (26 Jan 2014), I mentioned Barbara Brackman was going to publish a quilt recognising Jane Austen this time, instead of Civil War.  There have been a few postings with general information, but she recently posted on the Jane Austen blog (Austen Family blog) the first block.

While I loved her previous postings and general information, and I also like this block, I have a feeling it is going to be very similar to her Civil War quilts - in that they can resemble a 'sampler' type of quilt.  I am a tad disappointed, but may still do the blocks (or as few/or more) but only of the ones I truly truly like. Not sure what I was hoping to see, but will keep all the information and photos (which are great).  I have printed out Barbara's other BOM's and BOW's that she has designed in the last few years and have them in folders in my sewing room.  (I'm a bit of a history buff and when it incorporates quilting, I'm in heaven...)

While I have been unpacking and putting stuff away I took out some materials I thought would be suitable for this quilt. I like the parsley with the florals, but I think I need to find a smaller print.

I am hoping there maybe some blocks that I can use the larger prints for. But we will wait and see - of course if I choose to only make a few blocks I could use these larger prints for connecting blocks.  I don't have enough of the one material for borders.

Tomorrow I'm off to the Australasian Quilt Convention (generally known as AQC) for the day.  It is one of the best and biggest Quilt shows and convention in Australia and always attracts overseas tutors as well as the best of Australian tutors.  Hopefully I will be able to get some good photos to show you. The lighting in the old Heritage listed building is not that good for photography, but I will do what I can.

I was supposed to be going today, but life got in the way.......I was going by train and set my alarm to make sure I got up early in catch the 8.45 am train, buuuuuut I set it for pm instead of am.  Since I retired I'm not used to setting alarms (or that's my excuse anyway).  So I reset it properly this time and will be going tomorrow on the 8.15 am train.  Just as well the convention is on for 4 days!!!!

Till next time,
Take care, Joy

Updates, late (better late than never...)

It has been a couple of weeks since my last posting.  My time being taken up with some family stuff.

But I did manage to get "some" sewing done.  The first lot of photos here are more of my blocks from Barbara Brackman's Grandmother's Choice BOW, that I have called Votes for Women.

 Another project I'm working on is a hand sewing one - to take along when I go to Guild and my local sewing group.  The centre is an appliqued quite large square surrounded by hexagons.  I have chosen to keep with a colour scheme of blues/browns for the hexagons to compliment the centre square.  I have sewn the strip of hexagons down yet - I need to trim the centre and measure the next strip of hexagons to make sure the fit the sides.  But you can see how it will look.

When the surround is finished there is another round of applique finishing with another round of hexagons.

Votes for Women next set of blocks

I have completed another set of 8 blocks from Barbara Brackman's BOW acknowledging the strong women of the Suffragette movements around the world. Please excuse the edges as I'm not trimming until all the blocks are completed, so at the moment they look a little ragged, poor things!

I'm really pleased with my choice of sticking with the original colour scheme that the Women's Movements at that time had chosen for their message. With the addition of gold/cheddar which the Australian movement and some of the American women used it's adding a bit of 'zing' to whole scheme. I'm starting to get a tad excited about this quilt and want to work on it all the time.

At the moment I'm having an enforced rest from machine sewing - my dear Pfaff is at the doctor's - not well at all - the motherboard needs to be replaced. She just ran out of puff while I was sewing the other day and just stopped.  Just as well I had finished what I was doing and went over to the iron to press, came back and found the machine had 'turned off'.  Tried a number of different plugs and, nope she wouldn't work.

For the next couple of weeks it is hand sewing for me - and do I have a lot of that!!! 

New Block of the Week

Barbara Brackman has done it again!  Another Block of the Week has started - on 1 September 2012 and will go for 49 weeks.

How many of you followed her Civil War BOW?  I did, but unfortunately didn't keep up with making the blocks although I have saved them all on the computer!  Another 'to do' quilt on my never ending list.

This BOW she has called 'Grandmother's Choice' and will be relating stories of the Suffragettes and Women's Rights in those early years.  Barbara has started another blog for you to follow and get the patterns.  I have put it in my Blog List on the right or you can click on any of the links in this posting.  This is one project I really really want to do.  I feel very strongly about the rights of women and the abuse some suffer in other countries (and here in the 'civilised' society as well - mostly within their family units).

Not sure how I want to make this one.  Do I use the colours of the Suffragette movement, purple (for dignity), green (for hope) and white (purity);  (if I can find enough reproduction fabrics in these colours, it might be the way to go).  I have always wanted to make a red and white quilt, (which by the way was the English women's colours);  will I chose this option?  Australia's Women's Right Movement chose the colours green, gold and white - another good option.  I could just go with scrappy and use my civil war and reproduction fabrics that I have.  But to honour these women I feel I should use their colours.

Decisions, decisions.  Which way would you go?  When I have made my decision I will let you know.