Travel prep

image of Benjamin Biggs block 4

Isn’t it great that we can take our stitching with us when we go gadding about.  I just wish I could sew in the car though, I know many can but not me…makes me feel a tad squeamish.

Before first light tomoro I am off to New Zealand for what we now jokingly call the annual pilgrimage. As always it will be a busy time racing hither and thither and as always I am prepping my sewing for the trip.

And as always (ever the optimist) I have prepped *Heaps*.

I have decided the Benjamin Biggs block will be a nuisance to sew on the plane as it’s a bit ‘crisp’ with the Freezer Paper method I used this time.

image of Benjamin Biggs block 4

So Benjamin Biggs is out of the cabin bag, but will be in the suitcase.

Onboard sewing is now back-basting of the last three corner blocks for the Pomegranate Quilt…too easy, no scissors and should be pretty quick.

image of Applique Back Basting prep

Roll these up and stick 'em in my handbag ;-)

I had already marked the back and *lightly* glued the blue fabric to the background so this is all good to go.

One corner block is already back-basted and ready for appliqueing.

image of Applique Back Basting prep

This morning I made all the remaining outer pomegranates (Red) and since taking the photo have made the remaining middle section (orange Cheddar),  I’m now making the uppermost elipse (Red).

image of Applique prep

To see how the Pomegranate blocks are looking so far click here

Now for a little bit of eye candy.

image of Antique Quilts

My ladder of Antique Quilts (and assorted pieces)

I bought a ladder to display my antique quilts but they don’t all fit.  I have had fun arranging and rearranging as you can imagine.

The top quilt you have seen before, it’s a dated 1849 quilt from Cannonsburg, Pennsylvania,  made by June Orr.

And you know what? I’ve just discovered I haven’t blogged about as I thought, I just went back to find the post and there isn’t one.  So as soon as I get back I will do a post but there is a pic to whet your appetitie  here.

The next two down (the Prince’s Feather and the Red & Green Applique) were purchases from Houston in 2013 so I will do those too.

And as a postscript to the last post…all that lovely Autumn foliage.  This morning I opened the kitchen blinds to see a lone rose.  I happen to live in an area that has a very long rose season… and I sure planted plenty.

So with only nine days until the start of Winter please enjoy this, especially if your rose season is shorter than mine.

image of Alchemist rose

Last rose of the season, Alchemist by David Austin.

But I’ve tricked you (or I’ve been tricked) because there is one more *last* rose just spotted as I was coming back to the studio after lunch

image of roseI’ve been wracking my brains for the name of this one.  It is a David Austin and I do know it but it’s just down filtering down today.

I have to go finish my last little pile of elipses.

til soon 

Happy Stitching

Margaret

An Ohio Star Strippy, more Maltaville …and something modern, eeeek.

image of Ohio Star Quilt

Friday was bleak here in Central Victoria and moving my sewing stuff out of the studio and in to the living room in front of the fire seemed a very inviting proposition.

I cut and sewed like a woman posessed and finished this….

image of Ohio Star Quilt

I am really pleased to get this finished (well the top)

You may remember it in progress from here

Just to re-cap this quilt came in to being because I needed to make a quilt based on the Ohio Star block for the Vic. Quilters Showcase in July this year where my local quilt group is being featured.

Originally I had planned it to be a straight set quilt ~ maybe with a narrow sashing in the plain white ~ but it has morphed in to a strippy.

image of repro reds

Forty blocks, some of the really fave reds have two blocks and some just one.

On Friday (when I moved in to the living room) I had all the blocks already made,

it was the 400 half square triangles that have taken the time.

I thought it might be quicker than making more blocks.

Jury’s out on that one.

image of Maltaville Centre

Now that the Ohio Star is as good as done I can get back to concentrating on the Maltaville Quilt centre block.

The vine is all sewn and I will prepare more of the applique pieces this week.

A friend and I are going to the Phillip Island Quilt-in this Saturday and I want to take this with me to work on.

I have chosen the next four blocks for the Maltaville mailout this month…

image of block A8

Block A8

Image of Block A2

Block A2

image of Block C1

Block C1

image of Block C5

Block C5

In this bottom one (C5) I have sewn it like the original with its little mishap… I like it this way but have no idea if it was indeed a mishap for the original maker or if this is how she intended it to be.

Last week Jennifer kept me company on a trip to one of my suppliers.

It was her job to find a couple of quilt shops we could visit on the way and she found shops specialising in more contemporary fabrics.

I bought these…

image of Contemporary and Snazzy fabrics

Contemporary and Snazzy

…had to get a Paisley in there didn’t I?

When I was in NZ last month, good friends gave me (and DH) an unexpected and fabulous gift so a quilt idea has been buzzing around in my head in the last few weeks.

A traditional, antique style quilt is just not going to be their ‘thing’ but I think they will like these fabrics and I will have fun working with these.

Not at all what I usually buy, but I really like them.

why, oh why, do we keep starting new things?

prussiansWR

Hope you didn’t get a shock… I just wanted to make some changes.

My studio space and office table have been a hive of activity this last week or so.

What started the office activity was me deciding I really needed to finalise my new business card design because I wanted a more consistent ‘look’ to…well everything.  So with oodles and oodles of help from  my Design and Technical Support Team Jennifer (5foot1quilts), an image has been designed and colour theme chosen.

This has brought about the new colour for my sidebar and tabs which I am hoping you will see as a 19th century Cheddar and not a 1970s Burnt Orange!!  It did have to be mellowed a bit for the web though so as not to be too hard on the eyes.  Then of course the photo clashed so that had to be changed, this new one will have to do (even though it’s a bit greenish) until  Jennifer has time to make the logo fit in the space without being pulled out of shape.  There are still some changes I want to  make but I hope they will be minor (and so does Jenn!!!).  I’d welcome any comments about whether you like it or not, truly…be honest.

My Prussian Blues which I ordered from the States a couple of weeks ago arrived yesterday…please, whoever is filling the Aussie dollar with helium, you can stop now- I am going broke.

Prussian Blues

Dargate Prussian Blues by Margo Krager for Windham Fabrics. L to R. 24413-1, 24412-1, 24411-1, 24408-2

These are ‘oldies but goodies’ I found and had to have, I blogged about the other Prussians I have over at What Fabric is That.com

True Madder

True Madder from Windham Fabrics #20327

This one came in the same parcel and was one I was down to the last little pieces of and was happy to be able to get more from www.laptopquilts.com

The activity in my studio was prompted by my forward planning for a little time off over the Christmas break, I got to thinking about a UFO or two (3,4,5…) I could get finished and pulled out this as a posibility…

Nebraska Basket

Nebraska Basket Quilt c 1850

I have 30 basket blocks sewn and have several ideas that need finalising before proceeding…

…but I needed wanted a little hand project to do at the Love and Friendship meeting last Saturday so ‘whipped up’ another Morrell block to work on.  I don’t actually require any more Morrell blocks I just felt like incorporating some Smithsonian recently added to the stash, you know how it is.

Sarah Morrell Quilt

Sarah Morrell block using RJRs Smithsonian ~ Rising Sun Quilt 'Potpourri' #2200-1

And then, as often happens when idling around the studio on a wet day, before I knew it I had started planning a new quilt…

And then started drawing, choosing, oh-oh cutting and …might as well go with it, stitching.

Maltaville Album

Inspired by the Maltaville Album Quilt 1847, Smithsonian Institute.

The Maltaville Album Quilt is one I’ve admired for ages…I’ve still got the embroidery to do on this block, but am planning the next block already, those Prussian Blues are going to come down off the shelf.

And finally…yes there’s more

Ohio Star

Ohio Star Variation

Inspired by Kathie over at Inspired by Antique Quilts (yes Kathie I’m enjoying watching the progress of your Red and White quilt) I made a quick trip in to Threadbear this morning to grab some Kona Plain (bone) because I wanted to make a start on this Ohio Star.

In my defence, the Ohio Star is being made for a reason (well, a reason other than I just felt like it…which is plenty good enough reason), next year The Goldfields Quilters (my LQG) is being featured in the Victorian Quilters Showcase and about 18 of us have commited to each providing a quilt to hang in the Exhibition. In order to make a cohesive display some of us are doing Ohio Stars.   Mine is going to be different Turkey Reds and plain White…I wanted a more solid look, hence the variation to the traditional colour placement, then I wanted it just abit more open so added the applique circle.  I think I’m happy with it but I may make the applique circle a bit bigger, that will mean another quick trip to Threadbear to buy the bigger set of Mylar Circles…

And of course I didn’t just leave with the Kona plain this morning did I…

Garibaldi

Garibaldi #7017-8 by Sara Morgan for Blue Hills Fabric

Why do we start new things? I don’t know…but a few in blogland have been pondering over the same thought recently.

Is it because if we start it, it’s now something tangible and therefore can’t get lost or forgotten.

Or do we just need to keep on creating…and creating…and creating.

All I can say is I’m glad a vacation is coming up, I’m going to need that time.

Ciao for now…

Fabric, fabric and more fabric

RJR Smithsonian Fabric

I didn’t get back to you about my weekend of super organisation a while back and my snazzy new label maker.  I had promised to post some photo’s of my fabric shelves and now that I’m getting more confident with Photo Shop it’s all getting a lot easier.

As you know I’m a great fan of the Smithsonian fabrics which RJR released quite a few years ago.  Most of my Smithsonian fabrics I’ve kept from all those years ago and they are still some of my most favourite…I can’t imagine I’ll ever tire of them. I keep them separate from my other fabrics, I don’t know why I do…I just do.  Maybe because it makes them easier to be admired and of course they just go so well with each other.

RJR Smithsonian Fabric

My favourite fabric stack...but if only it were taller (sigh)

However, about a third of my Smithsonian fabrics I bought about 5 years after they were released here in Australia and I found them in New Zealand, just in a small town’s quilt shop.  There were still bolts left and so I was able to pick up a bit of meterage.  And some I bought online just a couple of months ago on reproductionfabrics.com so it pays to keep looking.

Smithsonian and Vintage fabric tub.

The leftovers go in here, along with scraps of vintage pieces.

You also know how crazy I go over 1800s repro fabrics and after several years of studying Quilt History I have a developed a keen eye for the different styles of fabrics and where they fit into the time line of fabric production.  So I stack Turkey Reds, Indigos, Cheddars, Chrome Yellows and Poison Greens separately from Reds, Blues, Orange etc.

Turkey Red shelf

Love these Turkey Reds, they were in vogue after 1840.

I don’t use much green in my quilts…just not a fave colour so my regular green stack is hardly worth photographing… but I do have a reasonable stack of  Indigos  and I’m always on the lookout for Prussian Blues, good ones are hard to get.  Dyeing of Prussian Blue dates back to the early 1830s but  was popular in quiltmaking and clothing in the 1840s and 50s.

Indigo/Prussian blues

Love the Prussian Blue on the top, from reproductionfabrics.com

And this last photo shows one of my much loved stacks of French Fabric.  I have two stacks, one  for French fabric I have bought or aquired over the years and the other is this stack…

French Fabric

Fabrics bought from Les Olivades in St. Etienne du Gres, Provence.

Last year I visited Provence and was able to go to Les Olivades wharehouse/shop and showroom in St. Etienne du Gres.  They are reproducing fabric in the Indienne Style produced in Marseilles in the mid 17th century and are well worth the visit, either in person or online.

My DH and I drove  half way across the bottom of France for most of the day (we somewhat underestimated the distance involved) and we didn’t arrive in St. Etienne du Gres until 4pm even though we had left ‘home’ in the Midi Pyrenees at 8.30am, but of course the day did include the obligatory 2hr French lunch!!

I’m so glad to have been able to purchase some of these gorgeous fabrics that I keep them in their own stack…I have lots of ideas about what I want to do with them but I haven’t settled on one idea yet so for now they just remind of an enjoyable but long day out (we got home at 1am but had also managed ‘to squeeze in’ a trip to Pont du Gard at sunset…beautiful)

’til soon,

thanks for visiting…