Making Up...

While in Toowoomba last week I was fortunate to meet Majella from Kookaburra Cottage Quilts .  http://kookaburracottagequilts.com.au/ Majella writes and publishes wonderful patterns,  and over the past few years I've made up quite a few of her designs.  One pattern that I particularly liked is called StarStruck. I told Majella that I'd send her a picture of my quilt (not yet quilted - I'm hoping to get more practice before I tackle it as I really like the quilt), so I thought I'd also share it here.

It's actually too big to lay it on the floor and take a good photo, but you can see the design anyway.  It was fun to make using just strips of fabric!

(I'm having problems getting the photos to go where I want, so I'm giving up).

 

Also in Toowoomba last week I was really lucky to get out of class early enough one afternoon to have a look at the 1st Prize Winning Garden in their Garden Competition.  My apologies to the owner, I can't acknowledge your name (I don't know it), your garden is just stunning, the plants and plant selection is wonderful, the perfume from the flowers is almost overwhelming and there is so much to see that my eyes jumped from one section to another as if I was in a lolly shop but I especially loved two things - all the mosaics you've incorprated into structures in the garden, be it pots, paths or steps and the beautiful cloth made from yo yo's on the garden table.  Thank You for your generosity in opening your garden to so many of us, it really is inspiring.  Here's a couple of photos -

Have a lovely day, Bev.

Missing .....In Action

Hello

I know I've been missing from here for a while, it's not that I didn't have anything to share, it's just that I've been a bit busy.

First up, a much embarrased (from me) apology.  I was extremely fortunate to win a lovely little quilt from Christine - http://onceuponaquilt.blogspot.com/ about a month ago, right in the middle of a couple of family dramas and although I have sent an email to Christine to thank her I haven't yet shared my good fortune with everyone.  The quilt is lovely, it is an original design from Christine and has been hand quilted and is the most soft, huggable quilt I've ever owned.  Here it is here

and another so you can see the quilting and the beautiful scolloped border and a closer look at the wonderful selection of lights/darks used -

I love it and so does my husband who had the temerity to suggest that rightfully it is his quilt as I purchased a ticket in the draw in his name....he's got buckleys.  So again Christine, many thanks, this lovely little quilt has found a very welcome home.

Part of the time I have been away from the blog, I was fortunate to attend two patchwork classes at Precious Time in Toowoomba - http://precioustime.typepad.com/my_weblog/.  What a wonderful time I had, and I've come home desperate to find a bit of time to keep going with my projects and as always life interferes!  Not to be outdone,  I do have a plan in place for a bit of quality time, just me, my sewing machine and a ton of fabric in a few days time. 

The first class I attended was with the very talented and lovely Wendy Williams.  I worked on her "Growing Up" design.  The first day was spent putting together one of the applique panels ready for sewing, the next - because I couldn't help myself, fussy cutting lots of squares and the triangles for the connecting strips.  I forgot to take a picture of my work, so I will share it in a later post but here is part of Wendy's lovely quilt.

As you can see, it certainly is inspiring.  Wendy not only teaches but sells her original patterns, some with kits through her website (I hope this link works, if it doesn't do yourself a favour and google Flying Fish Kits) https://ssl39.chi.us.securedata.net/justimagine.com.au/flyingfish/kits.asp.  Wendy was also teaching her Pebbly Beach design at the time and one of these days I will get around to this fun design.  I also purchased 4 other patterns of her designs, they'll all wonderful.

Next class was with Sue Ross.  I met Sue last year when I attended her Circles of Fun class.  I'm not the best of students, however I did rush around the week before I went trying to get it done.  Here's my version, I decided I'd only make three circles, insert them and go for a contempory look with a small black border and then one other.

As you can see I haven't quite finished.  I still have to put another narrow border and of course I didn't get enough of the original fabric at the time, so I need to look around.  I've also got to find the right fabric for the centre of the circles, but it's nearly there.  I really enjoyed Sue's class, so this year when I read that she was returning, of course I had to be there.

This year we worked on the Pickle Dish block and I will admit that I enjoy foundation piecing, so this quilt will be just delightful to work away at (even if I'm honest here and admit it will take me quite a while to get it done.  Sue's patience, advice - particularly with fabric choices is invaluable.  I discussed the class with my friend Peggy - http://peggycreates.blogspot.com/ on the 8 1/2 hour trip home and decided Sue's classes could best be described as a class for the thinking woman.  Not to get too deep, Sue challenges you to do well and to work outside your comfort zone and I certainly need this every now and again.  Here is what I've done so far, not the best of pictures but you can get the idea.

I'll do a few more blocks and then place them on the wall, I like the fabric I've chosen for the main one (the solid bit between the pickle dishes), because it reminds me of an old eiderdown from childhood, but....

OK, that's enough for now I'm back to the vacuuming.  Cheers, Bev