Signs of Winter - giveaway!

Well winter is truly here in Melbourne. 

A sign of this seasonal change that I don't like is leaving home in the dark for work in the morning and arriving back home at the end of the day in the dark.

 However, every season has its charms and these are some winter ones that I do enjoy:

eating porridge for breakfast...

wearing boots (well worn but very comfy)..

wearing gloves

seeing the sun shine through spiderwebs on bare tree branches...

...and being cosy indoors just sewing. 

CCCQ block #6

I have finished all the borders on my Morrell (yay!). I managed to improve getting the points together on the keystone blocks with some great advice from Patti (thanks again!)

So now to look at backing fabric and binding.

I have chosen a fabric from Judie Rothermel's 'Pine Tree Lodge' range. I only have a small amount of the red stripe so I hope I can find more to purchase for the binding.

This morning I also went over the quilt top removing any stray threads, I tried to do most of this when I was piecing the blocks together so there weren't too many. The curved manicure scissors are great for avoiding snipping into the fabric.

And so to the giveaway...
I am making Leanne Beasley's 'The Comfort Quilt' and when following the instructions in her #3 Vignette magazine there were some errors for the cutting measurements. When I wrote to Leanne she explained that an amendment had been printed as a separate sheet, which for whatever reason I didn't have.  As part of her apology she kindly sent me a mini pincushion kit and her 'Pretty Stitches Doily Collection' pattern.

I'm more than happy with my old apples that I've had for years...

and my dead bird who loves to travel on the bus...

...so I'm giving Leanne's kit and the patterns away. 
If you would like to win these just leave me a comment (or send me an email) about what you like about the current change of season in your part of the world. I will post overseas and the winner will be randomly drawn next weekend.
Good luck!
Carole

Ramblings

This past week (or so) I have finished Block #10 of my CCCQ quilt. 

I really like the Fleur de Lis pattern, it is one of my favourite blocks in my Morrell quilt.

Our 'Spot the Caravan' quilt was thoroughly road tested by baby Z and came through with flying colours.

We also went for a ramble down to Venus Bay to visit friends last weekend. 

There are a lot of cows in Gippsland...

... and green rolling hills ...

... and lovely towns...

We were very lucky with the weather, considering that winter has begun, as we had blue skies and sunshine. The surf beach at Venus Bay was pristine and practically deserted.

I've almost finished putting the borders onto my Morrell quilt, only one more side to go! 

And finally I had a great first week with my new job and yes, I still get sewing time on the buses (many thanks to those who've asked me how it went).

Cheers

Carole

CCCQ Block #8 Vincent Stubbs

I've finished Block #8 'Vincent Stubbs' for my Chester County Criswell quilt - yay!

This block wasn't so difficult, as so often in life the thought of it was far worse than the reality. I did do a lot of 'stab stitching' in and around the curves and I deliberately chose a 'busy' fabric for the flowers to take the focus away from any potentially wonky curves.

The original quilt block had the cockscomb flowers as quite spikey with sharp points so I'm glad Sharon's pattern was curvy - just like a real cockscomb flower and easier to sew.

Google image

If you have also been procrastinating on this block I would encourage you to get it out and give it a go!
Cheers
Carole

Change of Direction

This has been a week of change for me because I have left my job and will be starting in a new position at the beginning of June. 

Cute card - thanks!

After a hectic week and a wonderful farewell on Friday evening I came home to two parcels in the post containing....

What great timing Australia Post! 

After nearly at the finish of Di Ford's Morrell quilt I was thinking that I wouldn't attempt another of her patterns as it just seemed all too hard but after reading  her 'Primarily Quilts'  there are at least two or three that I might just have to make. Also lots of inspiration in the Minick and Simpson duo's 'Quilts & Rugs' - just love the blue a white creations and decor.

Speaking of the Morrell, those pesky keystone blocks have still not been cooperating. This is despite Patti's excellent advice in a comment on my last post which for some reason I only half followed. So this quilt remained on the ironing basket this weekend. I remember reading somewhere that it's better not to fold a quilt (in progress or in storage) but to just leave it in a pile, anyway it's better than looking at un-ironed clothes!

So as well as changing direction with my career, this weekend I changed direction with my sewing away from the Morrell to finish binding the baby quilt that my sister and I designed and worked on together. I like to cut my binding strips 3" wide, fold in half (but not iron) and then sew a half inch seam on with my walking foot, using the edge of the foot as the guide.

 I don't use any pins but just move and hold the fabric as I sew. I also don't use any pins or clips when I hand sew the binding down, even when mitering the corners. I like the flexibility and it just seems to go together naturally. When hand sewing the back I pick up every machine stitch.

This method gives me a 1/2" binding with a neat finish on both sides.

Here is the finished quilt, any relatives in Western Australia, please look away now!

I like to call it 'Spot the Caravan'.

Feature blocks up close...

Don't they look great! 

I can't take any of the credit as my sister designed and pieced these blocks.

And finally the art shot (not!)...

I also went back to the CCCQ quilt to work on Block #8. I've been avoiding this block because of the curvy/spikey cockscomb flowers in the pattern.

As I was doing these leaves I was thinking how similar they are to the ones in Block #5 

I wonder whether it was the same designer?

Bye for now

Carole

Brain freeze

I have been working on the dog tooth borders for my Morrell quilt. 

I am doing it by machine using the freezer paper technique. 

I have done this technique for many of the block borders in this quilt, with some having a double or  triple dog tooth border so you would think I had this down pat but it still manages to do my head in - brain freeze!

Because it's kind of upside down and facing away I keep making errors, especially around keeping the right sides of the fabric together. 

Spatial relations is not a strong point of mine so I even managed to be-head a bird. 

I was going to leave it as one of my 'Amish moments' but then I had an email from Mayleen, hoping that I had enough fabric to fix it, which made me re-think and re-do it.

Much better now...

I think I've refined my steps as to when and how I cut the fabric so hopefully the rest will be more trouble free and I won't to do any more un-picking. 

My motto should be 'look twice and sew once'.

It's been fun getting out all of the red fabrics. I was considering whether to add some other reds but then decided just to stick to the ones used in the quilt.

I have also been hand piecing the keystone blocks but my points don't go together very well in the centre. I cut the pieces carefully on the bias and do half the 'circle' and then sew the two halves together. 

Any tips for getting the points to come together nicely?

Cheers

Carole

Come together

All my Morrell blocks have now come together - yay!! 

What a nice treat for Mother's Day.

It was difficult to photograph but I'm not going to complain about the lovely Autumn sunshine this morning.

Now to make the borders from red and cream (same as background fabrics) triangles. These will be machine pieced using the freezer paper method. Its fun getting out all the scraps of red fabric that were used in the blocks.

Someone kindly gave me the border freezer paper from the classes we originally took with Di Ford at Kaye's 'Needles and Pins' in Warrandyte. 

I think it was Dorothy? Anyway, many thanks.

Carpets of Autumn leaves in Melbourne's Fitzroy Gardens

Happy Mother's Day!

More Morrell Progress

I have spent most of the weekend slaving over a hot sewing machine putting together the many blocks for my Morrell quilt. 

Happily some Autumn sun came into the sewing room and provided some natural light.

 The quilt has grown a lot and is now struggling to fit on my sewing table.

I have only got two more rows to go so hopefully this pile will be a finished top by the end of next weekend (sans borders).

I have been so focussed on the Morrell ( a good thing!) I haven't prepared any CCCQ blocks for hand sewing whilst I'm travelling on the bus next week ( a bad thing!). 

Oh well back to removing stabiliser from the Morrell broderie perse blocks instead (boring  but necessary!).

Have a great week.