Battings tested

A fellow quilter here in Aust, Linda Steele, has written an excellent article on the comparison on quilting with different battings.  You can read about it on her blog here with some surprising results especially with the thread that she used for the examples.  I generally use a cotton batting, but will now think of changing to a wool/poly mix.  Thanks Linda for taking the time to do this.

New Blog and a give-away

My friend Sharon from Two-Bits Patches has started a new blog and is having a give-away.  If you click here it will take you to her blog.  Sharon has an on-line business mainly dealing with I-Spy type materials and has some great packs and other stuff that she has available.  Please go and have a look at her site.

A blog for lovers of textiles

I haven't posted for a while - have been busy with family stuff - but I could let this one go by without letting you know - I have found a great blog for those who love doing textiles.  You may already know about it - has been going for some time.  Liz Kettle whose blog it is, is part of the team that have the website Textile Evolution - she also has a give-away going at present - so if you are 'biting at the bit' to get there here it is - click here - hope you like it as much as I do.

I'll be back soon,
Take care...Joy

Memories of New York

I have just recently completed this little quilt in honour of my two visits to New York City (in 1999 and this year).  One of my most favourite places in the world to visit (haven't been to many, but love New York...)  I wanted to put something on my lounge room wall to remember this vibrant city.  Don't know if I will ever get back there.  Maybe one day.

I called it 'Postcard from New York.

Daisy Chains...

I used to love making these when I was a kid.  This is a delightful little park a block away from granddaughter's house.  Unfortunately there weren't many daisies with long enough stems to make a long chain.

Picking the Daisies





Making the first slit





Starting the Chain



Out of the archives...

come a couple of small wallhangings.

This one I made for Warwick (DS3) who loves his fishing.  The idea was dictated by the material I found for the sky.  You just see the fish (a button) which is near the end of the fishing line.  It is the 'one that got away!!!'

This delightful little quilt is 'Winston' - who is not little (a Ridgeback), loves his bones and kennel and now lives in Metung, near Lakes Entrance in Victoria.  A big, softy, and loveable dog.

Mystery no more

The blocks of the mystery quilt I was doing are now all sewn together with borders.  This was such as easy one to do I am thinking of doing another (wont be a mystery!!) in some batiks I have, or maybe I may use some Japanese fabric I have,......or........???  Who knows what I will use - got to still make it a mystery!!  The quilt top will now go in my basket of tops waiting to be quilted.

I am one of those quilters who has a lot of tops, not many quilted or finished, but this year I am getting through some of them.  Some just need the binding - isn't it the way you get so far and then onto something else.  This year I decided (all by myself.....) to not purchase any more fabric, only what I absolutely require to finish an already started project.  So far I have been good.  Next year - will wait and see.

One completed star block

Yesterday I cut some white triangles to put around my star blocks.  Sewing the 'Y' seams wasn't too hard at all.  It's just the stopping and starting each seam that is a bother.  But I will keep going as I like what I see and having already sorted out more reds and blues from my stash to make a quilt (I think...)  The templates I sized from EQ6 all work together.  A bonus as I didn't want to draw them myself.

I love stars

Many of my quilts are based on stars of some type.  I love them.  I have been fiddling around with EQ6 lately and managed to work out how to draw up a 6 pointed star.  These are 5 that I have sewn up. I still have to add the set-in pieces to make them into a hexagon shaped block.  Not looking forward to that - I might like stars but not sewing set-in pieces.  This will test my maths skills and if EQ6 turns out a good block. 

A project for a quiet day I think.

While I'm on the subject..

of winning. 

Many years ago ( I entered two of my large embroidery works in the local Geelong Art & Agricultural Show. 

They are shown here - the Roses won 1st Prize in 'Surface Embroidery' and the Iris's received 2nd in the same category. 

Both these works hang on the wall above my bed.  I'm very proud of them as they were also my own design which I took off a couple of photos in a gardening book.