Another UFO finished (not quilty!!)

Today I received a phone call from the picture framers that my cross stitch of 'Little Women' was finished.  I have been working on this for quite some time - like 3 years!!!  When I retrieved it from the 'UFO' bin all I had to do was the backstitching.  While I had some time sitting down with my foot up (doctor's orders!!) I finished the stitching then took it to the framers.  I think they did a fabulous job and love the shape of the mat surrounding the stitching.

My UFO/WIPs are still overhanging the sides of the tub.

On the top you can see my hexagon quilt - I'm about 3/4 of the way through hand quilting this - I'm quilting around every hexagon.  Stupid I know.

Tomorrow I'm off to my local guild - Geelong Quilting Guild for our November meeting - another chance to do some hand sewing on a UFO.  Slowly but surely I'm making my way through that tub.

Till next time, take care,

Joy

Another one past the finishing line!!

At long last I've just managed to finish another UFO.  This rather large (Queen size+) is for DS1 and DIL.  I called it 'Bali Seas' - you have probably guessed it is made entirely from Bali Batiks and I have used mainly blues, with a touch of 'sea-greens' and darker 'reedy greens' to represent, naturally the ocean.  Both Cam and Sam love the sea and Bali.

The squares measure 10" and there is 10x12 squares.  Because of the size and also the design I decided not to put on a border, but did a wider binding.  The quilting itself is fairly simple as I didn't want to take away from the materials and pattern, so have crossed-hatched each square and then stitched ovals on the outside edge of each square and also I needed to be able to put it under my domestic machine.  With much folding and refolding I managed to do it.

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Well, after some time being absent I'm now back.  A couple of family traumas; 2 weekends away on retreats; and then a stupid debilitating allergy to deal with.  Fingers crossed, all is now OK.

I finally got around to taking pics of the last of the ATCs that I received from the International Swap - so here they are:

This very pretty one is from Joy S in Australia.  Some beautiful stitching and glitter.

This next one is from Beate in Germany with it's cute little heart and lovely lace edging.

This very pretty green card is from Margeeth in The Netherlands.  Margeeth has used some tissue and painted effects on her card.

The lovely daisy card is from Jo in the UK.  Jo has used raw applique technique on this card.

The delicious looking icecream is from Kelly H in Minnesota, USA.  Kelly has used hand dyed fabric with metallic thread in the stitching.  Yummy.

The next card is from Susana in Spain - lots of lovely threads have been used on this card.

Another card from Australia - from Andrea H in Tasmania.  Have a look at the absolutely beautiful scenery of the area in Tassie where she lives.  Stunning.  Her card is felted with woollen materials, ribbon, and scrim.

The last one is from Leah (colorfulartgirl.blogspot.com) in the US.  It is one of her 'Fortune Cookie' series, freemotioned stitched and put onto card stock.

Friends in Print

Some time back I told you all about the friends I met on my trip to the US last year who have a quilting shop in Queensland and that Frances has had some of quilts featured in Australian Patchwork and Quilting magazine.

Well this month they are both featured - Frances with her beautiful quilt called A Summer Place and Peter has an article on the 'shed' he built in their backyard for their quilting - yes, I said 'their'.  Both Peter and Frances run the Cairns Craft Centre and he is a hands-on male - he also enjoys designing and making quilts.

The shed is some shed - a tad bit bigger than your average garden shed!!!

If you can't get a copy of the mag here is a link the France's blog where she writes and shows the quilt.  Congratulations to them both.

Fab blog on Threads

In my quiet moments in the wee small hours when sleep is beyond me I often sit here at the computer and 'surf'.  Last night I came across what I think is a fabulous blog on threads.  Everything you want to know is there - what thread to use for what project; how it is made; how to use different threads etc etc.  The latest posting is about using threads in the bobbin - great tutorial.  The blog is called Practical Thread Magic and you can click on here to see it or go to my side-bar and click on there.  If you go through the archives - and a warning here - you need lots of time(!) there is heaps and heaps of information.

This is one blog I'm definitely keeping an eye on.

At last some more ATCs to show you

Well after my little break I'm back to show you more ATCs that I've received. 

This first one is from Pauline B in Leongatha, Vic. Unfortunately the colours are not very true it is a more deeper purple.  Pauline has used a variety of techniques (I think) on her ATC.  She didn't say, but I'm guessing some felting, mixed media in the background and free-motion on the top and couching.

This next one is from Pauline C in the UK.  Pauline has used some beautiful colours in her felting background and embellished it with crystals.

This next ATC is from Marja M in The Netherlands.  Marja has used mixed media collage technques in her card.  Her painted flower embellishment is beautiful.

This beautiful envelope and card came from Doreen G in Canberra, ACT.  Doreen has free motioned her background and added embellishments.  I adore the tiny dragon fly.

The next card is from Cindy in Chester VA, USA.  Cindy has used a very pretty lime green background and she has free motioned and added sequins, beads and a lace flower.

This card is from Sheila S in the UK.  Sheila has made a pieced background, added machine stitching wire and beads.  Sheila and I have exchanged many cards, both ATCs and Postcards over the past couple of years and I always enjoy receiving her cards.

This cheeky card is from Kathy D, in Laurel, MD, USA.  I love the way Kathy has depicted the ocean and the fun loving times one can have by the sea.

The last card for this posting is from another Aussie, Penny C in Victor Harbour in SA.  Penny made her with card layers, FMQ, burnt background, metal cut outs and beads.  The card she sent with it is a Gelatin Print.

This international group that swaps birthday ATCs is so talented, I'm in awe of them.  Kate North in the UK who started the exchanges doesn't ask for any particular technique or put rules on us - just that we do our best to post our cards to the birthday person in the month of the birthday.  If the cards arrive early or on time that's good, but not a requirement, only that we try and if we are going to be late then we post a message to group, so that the recipient knows it is coming.

You can read more about Kate's work on her blog here.  Please go and have a look and maybe join in with us next year.

Till next posting of the final cards, take care and we will talk again soon.

If you've been wondering...

where I've been.  My apologies.  Have had some computer problems - all fixed now (I hope). Went on a quilting camp/retreat, then spent a couple more days with a friend 'playing' with mixed media stuff.  Great time.  Also had family commitments, plus I had a really heavy dose of the flu.

All is well now.

This weekend is my granddaughter Jorja's 4th birthday, so hopefully between now and then will get some things done and get myself into gear.

I will have some more pics of the rest of the ATCs that are still coming in to my mail box.  Also hopefully have some pics of the camp to share with you.  The weather is not great here for taking photos - I like to take photos of texiles etc outside as the light is much better.

Have a good week and will be talking again very soon,
Joy

The next 6 ATCs

 Here are the next 6 ATCs to arrive in my mailboax - I love them all.


The first one is from Anne in the UK - the technique she has used is organza bonded onto a felt background, cutback and then stitched.  The amazing card she sent with it is, in her words "a bit of encaustic arwork'!!!  At bit - it is amazing work, the first of this type I have seen.  Thank you so much Anne.

This photo of the card sent from Julie in California doesn't do her work the justice it should - it is a beautifully pieced 8-point star which is small enough to fit on the size of an ATC!

 This next one is from Maria Clara in Spain - a delicate dragonfly made from fine tuille and beaded on a delicately dyed/painted lace background.  Much better in real life.

This next one came from Kathy in the UK which is applique, hand and machine embroidery, and she included some beautiful pieces of silk and tuille with it which will go into my 'play box'.  Can't wait to do something with this beautiful fabric.

Diana from NZ included a postcard with hers.  I love this idea as you can see the different places in the world where your swap partners come from.  It is something I have always done when sending an ATC or Postcard to another country and have always had positive feedback from it.  The ATC Diana sent is hand-dyed silk background with a piece of Paua shell and NZ stamp collaged on. Lovely card Diana.

Finally for this post the lovely birthday cake complete with candles, which looksis good enough to eat, came from Montse, another lady from Spain.

That's all folks for today, there are more to photograph and put up very soon.  I just love being part of this international swap.  The cards are so diverse with both style and technique and there is no huge demand of one's time to have the cards for each month ready and sent in time for the birthday girl as long as you get the cards in the mail in the month of the birthday and let the list know when you have posted them.  If some arrive before your birthday you have to try and not open till the day (a very hard thing to do -:) )but your birthday can last a whole month! It's great going to the letterbox and finding a little envelope instead of those horrible window-faced ones which mean a bill, ugh, hate those things.

Have a good week, be happy, create something, take care.....Joy

International mail

I had a birthday last week and every day for the past fortnight I have been receiving ATCs from all around the world as part of Kate North's International Birthday ATC swap.  Every single one that has arrived is beautiful and so many different techniques. I will try and post 6 photos a day so as not to make it too big of a posting!

This first one is from Kate herself and is a beautiful butterfly cut out in relief and is 3-dimensional.  She has also added stitching and beads. 

This next one is from Carol in Wales - painted pelmet vilene -

This one was received from Marina in Spain - not sure how she did her background,but it looks like painted and then enamelled and the ribbon stitched flowers are on canvas.  She also included a couple of crazy stitched hearts..

This card is from Anna in the UK - Anna has made long thin materials beads and put them on a metallic background

This ATC came from Simone in The Netherlands and Simone did a Transfer dyeing and stitched card.

And finally this one came from Gemma, also in Spain and she has hand stitched on a piece of printed silk

 Enjoy and I will put some more up very soon.  Have a good week and take care

...Joy

A small finish from Houston

 One of the highlights of my trip to the USA and Houston last year was meeting with Pokey Bolton of Quilting Arts fame and to be lucky enough to attend one of the Quilt-It Univeristy workshops.  The one I was able to get into was with Lesley Riley who developed the TAP product for using images in your quilts.
Here I am looking pleased with myself.

 It was  fascinating process and very easy.  The images come out so clear.  In our little kit we all received an image to use and some quotations along with the transfer paper, very clear instructions to use later, and iron-on webbing.

She had a humungous case of materials from which we could choose our background and any other bits we thought we might like to use.  In the workshop we managed to just finish doing the transfer and the iron-on bit.  The rest of the finishing was left to us to do later.  I had left mine as I wasn't sure as to how to finish it.  BUT I have been playing with a needle felting machine and having great time with it, that I want to needle felt anything that comes across my sewing table!!!

I got my little project out and did some free-motion stitching on the background thinking I might add some applique, but that felting machine was beckoning - so I searched my scraps of wool, found some I liked and felted some flowers onto the stitching. 

Did some round ones, long ones and a couple of leaves.  Rather like how it was looking, so rather than over do it I backed and edged my little quilt. For those interested it measures 10"x8.5".

Now onto more PHD's.  (I don't have UFOs!!!)