Simple Beginnings

This block

Is the first of 64 that will go into this year's show quilt.
I have never made a log cabin quilt and decided it was time to try.
I've made 4 of the 64 blocks now, in a quite involved pattern that I've mapped out on grid paper.

I have very few funds at the moment, so I asked for the cream and white fat quarters for Christmas (I went and bought them myself of course :) ).

I'm scratching around for enough purples of the right shade to make up the rest of the purple blocks, and then I'm making blue and pink blocks as well to form the pattern on the quilt.

I will have to wait until next pay day until I can buy some blues that fit in with the tones I've picked ... so it will be a few weeks before I can start those blocks. But in the mean time I'll be doing some of the all white and cream blocks that make up part of the borders.

I've never completed a quilt this way. I usually start in the middle and keep building outwards until the top is done. So it will be interesting for me to work in this way.

I'm sure I'll have the top done by the March deadline of entries for Sydney Quilt Show.

OK, now I'm off to do some sewing but I though tit was WELL PAST time for me to post.
Jennidee

Jenni Herring Rose and Feathers

Yesterday I finished quilting this rather large quilt by Jenni Herring.
She chose the art nouveau roses as an edge to edge for the center and feathers for the border.

I popped it on my bed to take some photos ans also so that you could see the size. You can't really see it in the photo but it hangs well over the end of the bed even when over the top of the pillows.

 I hope the lucky recipient is very pleased ... and I can't see why she wouldn't be. It's a wonderful quilt.

And now on to the next one which is another why from Jenni. This one has motor bikes features on the material and will be quilted with flames.

See you again soon
Jennidee

Art Deco Hats

I'd like to introduce my newest quilt which I have called Art Deco Hats.

It is now on display at 'Down Patchwork Lane' in Penrith (NSW Australia) and I hope to start classes to make the quilt at the end of March.
As long as there is a minimum of three quilters interested in taking the class it will run on the last Thursday of the month from 1:30 to 4:30.

The pattern will also be available in my ETSY store at the end of the week.
The quilt will also be on display at the Springwood quilting show at the end of April.

I really hope we get enough interested people in taking the class!
Jennidee

Pam Bono Butterfly

I bought this pattern nearly a year ago to try out Pam's patterns.
Yesterday I finally got around to trying it out.
I enjoyed the process and learned a few things along the way, and here is the result.

Of course the pattern calls for at least 8 butterflies and there are many other elements that make up the absolutely beautiful quilt.

One day when I have more time I'd love to make the whole quilt ... but this was always going to be an exercise in learning a new method of piecing.

And now on to other things.
Thanks for reading

Question ... Have you ever

had a quilt or quilt block framed?

This isn't my work ... I grabbed it from Frame works of Sussex http://sussexframes.net/services which isn't anywhere near me
(but I liked the quilt and I needed a picky ... can't have a blog post without a picky, that's boring! LOL)

I imagine if you had done a more artistic work, or used unusual fabrics, or it was a bit smaller it would work well. I have used canvas frames with some textile art, but never sprung for proper framing. (oh look - another picky - this one IS my work).

 

So anyway, I'd love to hear from anyone who has framed, or considered framing quilts or blocks,
Jennidee

Donation Quilt Finished and posted

I began this quilt in January for Aussie Hero Quilts

http://aussieheroquilts.blogspot.com.au/

It's an organisation who send quilts to Australian service men and women who are on a tour of duty overseas. Lots of the pictures they send back are from very desolate places, and so the people who make these quilts aim to bring a bit of colour and comfort to the lives of the men and women while they deal with some pretty stressful conditions.

I was going for a green and gold look. Just about everyone who saw it said it look a bit feminine to be going to a soldier. But luckily it went to a lady captain in the Navy.

I hope she likes it. I was trying my hand at the braid block (or strip I suppose) and I do like how it turned out, but I'm not sure I'll do much of it in the future as it is a little time intensive and you have lots of off cuts (which I suppose you could use in a scrap quilt, but I don't make many of those either).

 

It's quilted with a spiral pattern that in places looks like wave, appropriate for the recipient.

 

I will be making some more of these donation quilts - in between paid projects like this one was. If you want to try making one, head over to the site and check it out. Thousands of quilts have already gone out, but requests for more come in all the time.

 

Jennidee

First Australian Patchwork and Quilting Publication

I'm so excited to be in the applique special of Australian Patchwork and Quilting. I always wanted to be in this mag, and now I've made it for the first time, and hopefully not the last.
The issue number is Vol 22 No. 6 and here is how they styled my 'Breeze' applique wall hanging;

I remember how excited I was to finish this applique as it was my first large design. I still think she is lovely though. She is the start of something wonderful I think.

On other news, I've been blog crawling these past few days looking for other Australians on line. It's nice to ' meet' other people who are a little closer than America, the UK or Canada who I might one day be able to meet up with in person and have some creative time together.

I'm thinking of creating an Aussie blog link type page ... what do you think? I'm not really sure I want the extra work though. :)

I hope you've had a happy Easter. I've finished off two gorgeous new stitchery quilt tops (which don't currently have a home in a magazine, so I'll offer them up as soon as they are quilted .... so sorry, you'll have to wait a while to see them. And I finished the Arabian Night Top ready to be quilted later in the week.

We had visitors twice over the four day weekend, so I think I've done pretty well to get as much done as I did. How was your weekend?
Jennidee

On The Design Table

Just thought I'd share a photo of the quilt I'm working on at the moment. I won't be able to post a photo of it finished until it is published.
It's called Arabian Nights and I'm loving the way it's turning out.

I also wanted to share a funny story with you.
My daughter was writing a story for school and in it I'm too busy watching 'The quilting channel' to help her with her problem.

My husband, who was in the room listening to the story as well asked what show would be on the quilting channel and we came up with;
Free Motion Challenge
Queers For Quilts (who go looking for special antique quilts)
Grand Designs (quilts that take a long time to make and are too expensive)
Quilt Make Over (old quilts that are taken apart and given a make over)
and
Quilt Road Show (looking for good bargains of quilts for sale).

The sad thing is, it's probably not that far from the truth. :) We don't get many quilting shows in Australia, but the odd ones that have been aired have been similar .

Until next time
Jennidee

On the Cover Again

I'm delighted to for my project to be featured on the cover of Patchwork and Stitching Vol 14 No. 2

And here is the wonderful styling they produced to photograph the quilt.

I love the way the projects are presented in magazines. You could use these as inspirations for decorating your home. It's not that obvious in the photo, but I quilted this one using an all over meander (or stipple) design. I haven't used that design in a while now ... interesting how we change!

 Once again, thankyou for following this blog. And with a few new followers on board, I'm curious to know how you found me. Would you please leave a comment below so I can find out?

Thanks,
Happy creating
 Jennidee

Busy Few Months

Hi everyone,

I have two very busy months coming up, projects wise.

This lovely crinolin lady (a detail pic, below) will feature in the middle of a lovely pastle quilt for Patchwork and Quilting magazine and it's due at the end of thise month.

I also have the Aussie Hero Quitl I'm working on, another quitl for P& S mag (due at the end of Februaury, a competition quilt (due end of February, early march at the latest) and a quilt for the Springwood show (due end of March). So it's sew, sew, sew for me. I'll update with as many pics as I can, but some of the quilts can't be shown off until after thier 'event', so it will just be detail shots or sneak peeks.

Anyway, just awanted to reassure you i was still around,
Jennidee

50 followers, thankyou

Hi everyone, and hello to my new follower. Thankyou so much for joining me.

Today I'm working on a braid panel quilt for the Aussie Hero quilt program. i'e just about finished the first panel.

 When I saw the braid quilt at Not So Fancy Nancy
 http://craftywench.typepad.com/knittingwench/2008/11/almost-a-finished-heather-bailey-quilt.html
I just knew I had to make one too. Mine isn't goign to be all braided though.

I didn't have a pattern or anything so I just made it up as I went along. As a result, my braid is probably much skinnier.

Mike says he thinks it's too flowery for a male soldier, so I hope there is a female soldier who has requested a quilt too. I was going for green and gold (the sahing will be a golden yellow) and these were the fabrics I had.

I'm not sure I'll have enough of these fabrics for two more panels, so I may have to rethink the green and gold theme, or go buy some more fabric. Who am I kidding? Of course I'm goign to go and buy more fabric. LOL

See you agian soon
jennidee

Chameleons

Hi Everyone.
I hope you saw the cross stitch gallery page I put up.
I'm currently working on a quilt which has confused chameleons on it. They got into my stash and didn't know what colour to change to ... so they went psychadelic.

There are 6 Chameleons in all different patterend fabric (you can just see the prurple and the pink one in this photo). And they are scampering around on a pieced background of 4 large blocks of different stars.
Today I'm quilting the layers together. It's coming up really nicely. I hope it will be published in April next year. It's kind of frustrating that it takes 6 months for things to make it out onto the news stands. But having put together an art book years ago (which took the best part of 10 months to set up) I understand all the organisation and work that goes on behind the scenes in the publishing world.

Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed this little preview. I made a vlog showing the stitching of the applique around the lizards. I need to compress it, but once my son has shown me how to do that, I'll post a link.
Jennidee

Butterfly Applique

A few days ago I finished this lovely little wall hanging that I've called French Butterfly. I've called it that because the fabrics used are from the French General series, the Pom pom de Paris collection. But you could use any lovely florals. The butterfly uses a store bought marbled collection. Again, you could use anythigng from your stash.

I used the iron on interface method and then satin stitched around the edges. It's really quick and easy to do.

The pattern and instructions are available on ebay

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/200801313165?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

Today I'll be working on a mermaid quilt until I go to work at Pinaroo (the child care center) by 3pm.

Jennidee

Dugga's Quilt

Last weekend my father in law turned 70. My mum (Sandra) and I got together to make him a quilt to mark the occaision. That's my mum on the left, then me, Dugga and Annalese (my daughter).

If you are wondering why he is called 'Dugga' ... when my son was a baby my father in law, Norman (Dugga) would go up to James ( my son) and go 'Dugga, dugga, dugga' like a plane coming in to attack and tickle him. Somehow James decided that this what what he was goign to say every time Norman came near. So he wasn't known as Grandad as we originally planned, but became known as Dugga.

The wording on the quilt refers to Dugga's origins. He is from Liverpool in England where the locals are known as Scousers. And the quilt is red and white squares to celebrate the colours of the Liverpool football team.

Each red square is actually a pinwheel block made of different red patterned material. Annalese sewed two of the pinwheel blocks and they are so good I lost track of which ones she had sewn. And the white material in between has little fleur de lis printed white on white.

On the back of the quilt I used polar fleece which is really soft and warm. It's only quilted in teh ditch of the square seams.

Dugga seemed to really like his quilt, though he said it could have done with pockets for his remotes!!!!

Now that Dugga's quilt is finished I had better hurry up and design some more cross stitches as my editor just informed me she used the last one I gave her in the next issue.