Grand Illusion Step 4 now completed

This was quite an interesting one to do - although there is a lot of sewing and trimming to be completed.  In Bonnie's instructions she suggested to do an extra step not included in the actual mystery step.  That is, when sewing squares onto an oblong or larger square to make a half-triangle in the corner, to always sew another seam just a little over 1/4" away from the original seam and then cut between these two seams - you then get an extra "1/2 square triangle square" - I have always done this - it is surprising how many extra squares one gets.  I finished up with 96 pairs of pink/neutral and 96 pairs of blue/neutral spare half square triangles.  I plan to do a 'half square triangle quilt one day......hmm, planning that is....

These were sewn individually then sewn together in pairs.

I chose not to complete Step 3 at this time as it involves the green/neutral squares.  If  I decide to use them I will complete Step 3 then.

Steps 1 and 2 completed...for Grand Illusion

I have been cutting, cutting and cutting;  plus sewing, sewing, sewing all those 2 1/2" blocks that Bonnie loves.  I have to say here, that I also love cutting and sewing lots of small blocks.  I would rather make a quilt with a zillion small pieces than one with just a couple of dozen large blocks.  I love the process and often wish it would go on a lot longer.

So - here is Step 1 - 2.5" finished pink/blue triangles, with the navy and yellow 2.5" squares.

 Here they are sewn into their blocks - they don't look very scrappy - that is because I didn't have many actual small scraps to use, I only had larger (fat 1/8th or bigger) pieces in my chosen colours.  Also the different materials are very much in tune with each other colour/hue wise.

 Step 2 was supposed to be 2" green and neutral 4 patch squares, but I made them 2.5" squares. My reason for this - I wont be making many of these as I'm not sure if I will actually use them and if I do I can cut them down;  if I don't they can be used in other projects more effectively if they are 2.5".

Back to the sewing room for me for Steps 3 and 4.

To Do or Not To Do......Bonnie Hunter's mystery......

How many of you are doing (or have done) Bonnie Hunter's mystery this year?  It's called Grand Illusion, named after a hotel in the US where she taught some classes earlier in the year (2014).

I thought, and thought about it.  I have loved her mysteries in the past, but didn't think I would sew it this year.

A couple of weeks ago I went to my monthly GTG of the CBD group of Scquilters in Melbourne and two of the girls (Vireya and Jeanette) had their nearly completed mystery quilts for Show and Tell.  I quite liked what I saw, although I still think it is a very busy quilt with nowhere to rest your eyes.

This one is Vireya's.  She decided to make it smaller - which I like.
















This is Jeanette's - Jeannette has made it full size.  She hasn't got the borders on as yet.

Comparing the two - it does look different with the borders on.  Hope to see Jeannette's with hers at our next meeting.

Apologies here - for the table and (I think) Vireya's hat.



I went through my stash (before it started) and found most of what I would need.  Changed the colours slightly - I'm substituting Royal Blue for the Black, as it's not a colour I like very much in quilts and I don't have very much of it - used a lot in the Orca Bay quilt. Not sure if I want to use the yellow Bonnie is using -  I am taming it down a bit - have quite a stash of yellow, no problems there, also have a huge amount of green, as well as the pink - mine is more of a darker dusty pink; but the lighter blue or aqua is a problem - not much of it in my stash. Plenty of neutrals, but I'm sticking with creams/cream-on-cream.

Now that I have seen the finished quilt, I know I can make it smaller and therefore will have enough of the aqua material to finish it.  I am thinking of double bed size not the large queen that she has made. Bonnie's is 5 x 5 large blocks with sashing.  Vireya's (above) is 3 x 3 - I'm thinking 4 x 5.

As I sew happily along I will post what I have achieved at each stage.  Having collected all the steps I will be able to work through them - and of course, typically, there is a lot of cutting, sewing, cutting, sewing.

Following Bonnie's instructions is very easy - full of explanations and photos.

Back to the sewing room - have completed all the cutting, cutting, cutting. Will post the first step very soon.

Take care,
Joy

I am truly blessed...

I have just spent the last few days in Melbourne with my grandchildren.  DIL went to Gippsland to visit her mother who is in hospital having a rather big operation.

My beautiful granddaughter who is 8, put this basket with its contents on the table next to the bed where I sleep. She has been told over time that when Nanna (me) or Grams (other nanna) comes to stay she must make sure the room is tidy (she often plays in here with her girlfriends to get away from the little brother...) and not to leave anything that we might trip over.  Usually she places a glass with some flowers in it from the garden.  But this time I got the basket with a couple of mags, some shampoo and soap etc; plus some 'treats' - a couple of packets of sultanas and a container of fruit with spoon.  "Just in case Nanna', she said, "I'm sorry but we don't have any flowers".

Isn't that just the best - made my day.  I felt very special.

2015 Word for the year

FOCUS.

That is my word for this year.  As most of you who read my bog know I don't make resolutions - they are too hard to keep and too restrictive.

 I choose a word for the year which I use to help me FOCUS on what I need to be doing.

Last year with moving house, a family wedding and other stuff that happened, I kind of lost my focus on what I was doing (or maybe I should say - what I planned to do...)  Of course, as usual when this happens, one tends to go off in a tangent and no matter how hard you work, nothing gets done and you are back to square one!



This year to help me FOCUS I have put together a ring binder with dividers for things like - My Garden, Quilting, Sewing General, Computer, etc. Into this binder I (hope) will write down the different tasks, perhaps what I wish to purchase, etc for each of the divisions.  I'm not putting in a timetable (only if there is a time frame, ie if say, a quilt needs to be made as a gift), and I will jot down my progress as I work through the folder.  Sometimes I will add things, hopefully I will be crossing most out. 

 After all, that is the reason for having this folder!!

What is your word for this year 2015?  Do you have one or do you make resolutions.  I would love to know.

51 Weeks to go......

that is, to next Christmas! 

It is a tradition is most country towns in Australia for Santa to visit the suburbs via a Country Fire Truck - just to make sure all the kids are home and still being good!!  This one was parked outside my home and he visited the park next door to me.  I didn't know there were this many people who lived in the streets where I live!!!!

 

And, of course we have to put out the lettuce and carrots for the reindeer, with Fraser supervising his older sister Jorja.  Note, this year, one plate, not 7 that she put out last year!!!!

What a year it has been!  Settling in to a new home and getting to know the area where I'm now living.  Plus a myriad of other things that have kept me occupied and not being able to get much sewing completed or blogging as much as I would have liked.

In November we had my niece's wedding on the beach at Point Addis, which is near Anglesea, Vic.

It is nearly time for my 'word' for the next 12 months.  This year I have quite a few that I could choose from - just have to find the appropriate one for MY year. Will follow up in the next few days.

Take care,

Joy

A great day of fun at The Patchwork Teahouse

The CBD group of Scquilters had their annual Christmas luncheon at The Patchwork Teahouse in Warburton - just outside of Melbourne in The Dandenong Ranges. An absolutely delightful place to have lunch and a coffee surrounded by quilts and the other goodies in the shop.

Some random shots of the girls enjoying the lunch surrounded by the quilts and other magical stuff.

Shirley and Fran bought along some Show and Tell -

First, we have Fran with her lovely quilt.

The embroideries on Fran's quilt were a Block of the Month from Willowberry Designs which she started as a take-along project in 2010 and finished it October 2014.

The next 3 quilts are Shirley's, 

This quilt with hearts, was actually designed by Fran and was a mystery quilt for her Scquilters' Mystery Group.  It is MQ No. 13. and is an original design by Fran Cox.
Finally, another lovely quilt by Shirley - unfortunately there was a fourth - but my camera must have had a couple of little gremlins in it when I took the photo - only half of it came out.  My apologies Shirley.

A visit to Quilts In the Barn

A couple of weeks ago I and a couple of friends (Jenni S and LeeAllan) visited 'Quilts In The Barn' in outer Melbourne where they were having their annual show of Quilts in the Barn'.  This year's show the emphasis was on reproduction and older quilts, with some beautiful vintage ones which had been sent over from the USA by Mary Koval. Mary was supposed to be there in person, but unfortunately her health dictated that she stay home.

Patty Harants and Brenda Papadakis were there with their amazing quilts, plus they also gave lessons and lectures.  Alas, I didn't get the opportunity to attend either of these events.  But they were both very generous with their time and spoke with everyone who was able to 'get a word in'.....

Here are just a few of the amazing quilts hanging in 'the Barn'.  Hope you enjoy seeing them.

Winners are Grinners

And I am grinning........

A couple of weeks ago I entered a prize draw on Maggie Grey's Workshop on the Web Facebook page.  A few days later I received an email telling me I had won one of the prizes - a book by Elizabeth Barton!

Yesterday the book arrived in the mail (all the way from England).  I am absolutely thrilled with it.  At first I wasn't sure if I could use this particular book.  But after looking through it last night there are heaps of ideas and exercises in the book that I could relate to and put into some of my quilts.  Even though a lot of the photos etc are a tad 'arty' the actual ideas and the way of looking at things around you, relate to all types of art and craft whether you are a traditional crafter or an free form artist.

If you would like to know more about Maggie and her Workshop on the Web click here.  

It's nearly October already....

Time does fly.........

October is only a few days away and  I've realised I haven't posted anything since August....Dear me, I have been slack...

Do you ever feel you have lost your mojo for a while?  I did, but hopefully all is coming back gradually.

I finished sewing the top of my 'Blue Rhapsody' quilt - you know the one with all those blue and brown hexagons and now have it tacked ready for quilting.

My apologies for the clarity of the photo but the sun was shining right in the window and I didn't realise it till posting the photo.  The quilt is now at the machine and I have started quilting it.

I have also been very busy with hand sewing.  After all the years sitting at my machine I am really loving hand sewing and of course hexagons. (What else...)

This quilt started off being a copy of Martha Washington's Flower Garden in which all the flowers are shaped as diamonds, not the traditional flower shapes.









After sewing quite a few of these together - see some of my previous posts labelled 'hexagons' - I was playing around with them (as one does...) and I really liked what I saw when the diamonds were placed into a star pattern with a 'flower' in the middle.








This is now what I have decided to do with these diamond hexagons. Here are two that I have finished sewing.  What do you think?