Tuesday 26 July 2016

Unpacking the mojo

I've had a self enforced break from sewing after we made a rather snap decision to sell our home of 30 years and find a place in the country. This meant converting my sewing room back to a bedroom, for enhanced saleability (I might have just made up that word) and packing away my design wall and all traces of sewing. After renovating and selling whilst working full time I was using the bus commute time to either catch up on sleep or to text and email agents, tradies, lawyers or bankers. No time to sew.


Unpacking the mojo
Anyway I have recently been able to unpack some of the sewing, spread the love throughout the house and finish all of the AWS blocks.

Antique Wedding Sampler
AWS Block #22

Antique Wedding Sampler
AWS Block #21
Sometimes I hand piece and sometimes I piece by machine, sometimes I even combine both techniques in the same block. I like the accuracy of hand piecing so I thought 'why not prep for machine piecing as per hand piecing?' So for this block I drew lines and pinned as I would for hand piecing.



Antique Wedding Sampler quilt

Quite a good result but I'm afraid this block didn't quite pass muster with the G'nT Sisters At 2am (after some wine) the leaves I had drawn myself were thought to resemble "reindeer on steroids" and it was too brown. It has now been renovated and admittedly it does look better now.

Antique Wedding Sampler quilt
AWS Block #12
I've really missed having the design wall, which is currently living with Judy. I do have visitation rights so I was able to lay out all the AWS blocks and get advice on their placement.

Antique Wedding Sampler quilt

Did you notice Judy's AWS on the spare bed? We were lying on top of it (ugg boots and all!) whilst trying different layouts. Now I 'just' need to finish the broderie perse for the outer triangles.

Antique Wedding Sampler quilt Broderie Perse

Last Saturday Judy and I dropped in to Linda's book launch in the Barn last Saturday. We purchased a copy of her new book Treasures from the Barn published by Quiltnania.

Treasures from the Barn quilts
Me, Linda & Judy
It was great seeing Linda and all the original antique quilts that the book is based on,this gave us inspiration for our current and future projects. We were both taken by the Little Boys Britches quilt behind us in the photo above and the first quilt below.

Treasures from the Barn quilts
Little Boys Britches

Treasures from the Barn quilts
Chocolate Mill detail
Treasures from the Barn quilts
Chocolate Mill border detail

Treasures from the Barn quilts
Unfinished block showcasing Linda's precise hand-piecing from Fireworks 


Treasures from the Barn quilts
Brenda's Bounty

Treasures from the Barn quilts

It was also a wonderful thrill to meet Marianne (DreamWeaver) in person. She has been a Dear Jane and design wall inspiration for me.

Treasures from the Barn quilts

And what would a blog post be without a Chester County Criswell block? So I'll finish with Block #24 that I completed last night.




Cheers
Carole


15 comments:

  1. Thanks for the update - good to see the mojo out of the box.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh my, selling a home is so taxing isn't it? I am happy to see that you have been able to fit in some stitching and it is lovely as usual. Happy times to you!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love living in the country. The air moves on hot days. I cannot begin to imagine what it would be like to move after living here for 45 years. No. Not going to think about it. Your blue AWS are beautiful. Linda will be in Shipshewana Indiana USA in November and I will be taking workshops with her. Can hardly wait to see her book.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Fabulous update Carole and congrats on the house sale. Your AWS blocks are just breathtaking up on the design wall! you and Judy truly are the Queens of AWS! Must have been lovely seeing all the old quilts in the Barn - a great setting. All the best settling in to your new country home :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Carole - The fabric switcheroo you did in the AWS quilt makes it look like an entirely different block. I had to go back and forth between the two to be sure that they were essentially the same. The darker fabric with the different leafs was a really good choice and it made for a gorgeous block. All of the blocks on the design wall look stunning!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Beautiful work and blocks, thanks for the pics of the antique quilts etc

    ReplyDelete
  7. Sounds like good news on the house sale. Does that mean you've found your place in the country too? Lovely blocks as always.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Nice to be able to unpack your lovely projects and set up once again. :) Most of mine is packed away for a shift but hubby has cold feet! The end room`s back as bedroom. Enjoy.

    ReplyDelete
  9. We would like to sell our home but I cannot face preparing it for doing that. I would have to rent a storage unit to pack away a whole room that is full of fabric, sewing machines, and all that goes with quilt making. The day is going to have to come though.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Beautiful work on all the blocks u were able to piece and appliqué. Moving away from the lovely new kitchen, huh. Keep in touch after the move!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Carole, your blocks are gorgeous! I haven't done much hand piecing, but I resorted to it yesterday to finish a wickedly inset seam on a FPP block from the 1930s Farmer's Wife book. Just felt like I had more control holding everything in my hands, 6" from my eyeballs, and taking it one hand stitch at a time.

    I love the subtlety of those barely-there broderie perse butterflies on your AWS block. I love the CCCQ block, too. It must be nice to switch back and forth between the complexity levels of those two projects. Hopefully your house is sold and your adventure continues!

    ReplyDelete
  12. wow Carole your work is amazing ,good luck with selling your home ....

    ReplyDelete
  13. Great to see you back sewing, How did the withdraw symptoms go not been able to sew for so long??? So much to see today, loved the basket quilt very unusual. Your number 24 block is perfect, how big is the block? Hugs Glenda

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hi Carole. We moved here 2 years ago after 25 years in our other house. We had to rent a storage unit for some of our things....a lot of it was my fabric and other sewing things. I used to go there for visitation, too. Your work is just beautiful! Hope things get back to normal for you very soon.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Oh I missed this! What an exciting development in your life. I have done that house selling thing before and losing your sewing space is horrible! Although to be honest I was so busy with the selling and moving that I didn't have time to miss it ... much.

    Your Chesters are exquisite. Your work is so beautiful. Mine just look lumpy in comparison! Lol

    ReplyDelete