Progress

At last some progress has been made on a couple of languishing Phd's (Projects have done...) (I love saying I'm working on my Phd....)

It takes the thought of a quilting retreat/camp coming up this weekend to get a move-on.  Whoever thought of going to a retreat and not having something to work on!

Remember the blue and brown hexagon quilt I had started?  Well now I have completed the applique borders and them tacked them down to the hexagons in readiness to applique them on. The outer hexagon border is also completed, but I haven't tacked it down. That is happening later today. Once completed then all I have to do is to add a narrow border, sandwich with batting and backing, quilt, then put the binding on.  No big deal!  I can do this!  Although I won't be quilting it this weekend, but at least I will have it to that stage.

I have also completed some of my diamond hexagons for the Martha Washington quilt I am replicating.  Not in her colours as it is too hard to match up, but using what materials I have in my stash.  IF, and I mean IF, I have completed what I plan to do this weekend, I will work on some more of these diamonds.  I am loving them. They are 5/8" hexagons, not quite 1/2" but still small.  I love working with small pieces and love handwork.   I find it very therapeutic.

I guess this comes from all the stitching - embroidery; cross stitch and tapestries I used to do before I found quilting.  If I have the time I prefer to hand quilt rather than machine quilt.



These are some of the single rounds awaiting their final round.

And here are some with their final round applied.


No more rounds - they need to have the neutral hexagons in between.  For these I'm using a mixture of creams, beige, cream on cream, and some very very light patterns on cream.

When sewn together they will form larger diamond shapes, which also form a 'star' so you get a secondary pattern in your quilt.

Till next update, enjoy your weekend - are any of you planning on retreating this year.  I would love to know where/what you are planning with friends.

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.

A couple of small things

Now that we have just finished having a record stretch of hot days for March - 10 days in a row over 30 degC with nights not going below 20 degC - it has at long last cooled down, well to 27degC today.

Not a lot of sewing got done in these days - I don't have aircon where I sew.  But I did have time to do a couple of small things - the first was putting together this material book for my little GS who will be a year old in May.

I also finished off this cushion cover - an applique pattern that I bought while over in the US in 2009.  Originally I was going to put this as the centre of a quilt, but decided my lounge needed some updating - the cushions that are there now look a bit worse for wear.  I worked out they are over 15 years old - been washed numerous times and a tad faded.  Will make another one but will reverse the colours - green where the red is and red where the green is.

Two beautiful books

Last week I went to the Wyndham Quilters (in Werribee, Vic) Quilt-In.  A great day with friends Jenni, Judy, Wendy.  Corliss Searcy from Threadbear in Castlemaine was the speaker and she bought along some of her fabulous antique quilts from her family's collection.  Such eye candy, unfortunately my camera wasn't working very well and the photos didn't come out.

Corliss also had her 'shop' there and of course I had to explore!  I purchased these two absolutely fabulous books -

This first one 'A Schoolgirl's Work' is a collection of embroidery samplers worked by (of course) school girls spanning the years from 1710 to 1841 and the girls' ages are from 7 - 19 years.  A stunning book if you like antique stitcheries and samplers, together with a little bit of history about the girls.

The second book 'When the Cold Wind Blows' is a collection of beautiful applique quilts.  The authors show two variations of each quilt.

Both of these books were written and produced by Barb Adams and Alma Allen of Blackbird Designs and are beautifully presented and printed.  Wonderful treasures to have in one's library.