Applique

USA

May 15, 2012 by Margaret

It’s said that all good things must come to an end,

I’m not sure if that’s always the case but my wonderful trip to the States ended yesterday when Irene and I arrived back in cold Melbourne.

We had the BEST time, over the next few weeks I’ll be posting about the things we saw and did.

But first a big big thank you to Jenn who did a blog post by proxy for me, thanks Jenn you are a champ.

There were a few problems with the blogging while away, I thought everything would go to plan but hadn’t counted on very slow internet connections when using ‘free’ hotel WiFi (well you get what you pay for as they say)

Coupled with the photoshop program not loading properly on Irene’s travelling computer, it seemed to be a conspiracy against both Irene’s and my best intentions to blog.

So we made sure we spent the time out and about seeing things instead so that there’ll be something to show you now

I’ll do a bit at a time and try to keep it chronological.

We are pretty excited at this point, quick stop in Sydney then next stop San Francisco.

However San Francisco was another quick stop en route to Texas, San Antonio to be exact.

I really liked Texas, a lot.

Texas State Flag

I can’t wait to go back, I know I will get back there.

We stayed with good friends Sherry and Darwin whom Jenn and I have known for a couple of years.

After just a few too short days in San Antonio Irene, Sherry and I headed to Paducah.

We decided to make it a bit of a Road Trip especially wanting to see some of the Natchez Trace Parkway which Linda Collins had recommended

It really was a highlight of the trip, we drove it between Natchez and Tupelo Mississippi

At the start of the Trace, Natchez Mississippi

We took a leisurely four days to get to Paducah, travelling through Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee.

I have just today started on loading *all* those photo’s on to the computer and reliving it all.

It was such a treat to be able to spend time in those States.

I will try to post a little more about those later but I would like to show just a couple more pics, taken in Paducah.

Meeting new friends ~ Cyndi from Cyndi's Quilts Oklahoma, Me, Gerald Roy and Sherry.

I made a few exciting (read antique) purchases in Paducah and one of them was from Cyndi,

1849 applique quilt

And this is it,

it comes with a good amount of provenance, enough to get a head start on some further research.

Next post I will put up some pictures of Paducah quilts, the fun we had in Paducah and the quilters we met.

It will take me a little while to work out which quilt photo’s to post as needless to say

the quilts on display were all incredible !!

til soon

Margaret

2 Comments

Filed Under: Antique Quilts, Applique

A Facebook page

April 15, 2012 by Margaret

You may have noticed the new Facebook icon under the Quilt Station header logo

Yes Quilt Station is on Facebook so if you’re a facebook user, please click on the icon and have a look.

I’ve only done one post so far, it’s about a new quilt Jennifer and I are doing together.

I think this will be a great way for me to post and keep in touch more instantly while I am away, but I will still be blogging in the States.

I’m meeting up with a few of you and I’m really looking forward to that

I’ve organised my sewing projects for the trip.

I wanted to get on with making another Banyan Tree Medallion Quilt, so at first I thought I’d prepare the Hexagons for one of the borders,

even tho I haven’t finished the centre yet.

I spent an afternoon choosing and cutting all the hexagons required and then bagged them in to the 24 blocks.

oodles of hexagons

Then I even started to create a few and that’s when I thought

“keeping track of these fiddly bits while I’m away is going to drive me mad”

so I went to plan B

Banyan Tree Medallion centre block

I figured I should “just get on with the centre block”

so I gathered the appropriate threads ~ the colours I only need a little of I wound on to cardboard. I have an empty floss container for a thread cutter on the plane, so that’s ready to go in the cabin bag.

The new quilt Jenn and I are doing is another Maltaville Album Quilt, but this time much smaller.

It’s only 25 blocks and it’ll be Red and White, as we hope to have it finished for Linda Collins’ Quilts in the Barn exhibition later this year

Jenn came over last week and we made some more decisions about it.

image of Red and White Maltaville Quilt planning

Further planning for the new Red and White Maltaville Album Quilt

We had previously done a couple of mock ups on EQ 6, with blocks that represent blocks in the quilt, really just to see we had a balance of block types.

But because months can go by without doing anything on it, we’re always trying to figure out which block is what and where we were up to.

We’re a bit hopeless and impatient when it comes to too much preparation, well I am anyway.

Red and White Maltaville block

I prepped a couple of blocks and will try to get them done while away

Red and White Maltaville

There’s only 2 full days til I leave tho,

eeeek better get a move on if I want to prep another block.

til soon

Margaret

3 Comments

Just a bit of a (long) catch up

April 4, 2012 by Margaret

I was going to say “where do the weeks go. . .”

meaning my US trip is approaching at an alarming rate (2 weeks til departure day and still a lot to do)

However as I was preparing some photo’s for today’s post, it suddenly felt like

“where do the years go?”

as my gorgeous boy child

is gettin’ hitched, his words, just a few days after my return. I wish I were exagerating.

So in addition to the items on the ‘to do’ list was a worrying “when will I have time to shop for the wedding?”

Well the wedding frock gods were shining on me the other day. I went to the Essendon Quilt Exhibition (always a fabulous show) and timed it with some errands I needed to do in the area. Wedding shopping wasn’t on my mind for that day.

But I chanced upon a shop that looked promising and found something. It’s the complete opposite of what I had in mind (which was a long silk shirt over trousers)

wee bit glam

Only need to decide which shoes to wear.

However, after a nose bleed inducing amount of hours flying back from Boston, I am probably being optimistic about either of those shoes.

“I have been sewing”

Oh boy oh boy have I been sewing!

Last time I posted I had three Maltaville blocks to draft/sew and a couple of pesky calyxes to add to the centre.

Drum roll.

Block B2

I seem to have not taken a photo of its neighbour B3 (don’t know how or why that happened)

But the final block I drafted and sewed was G7

Block G7 in progress

This one took some time, not one I could prep in one hit

Block G7

but finished now none the less.

I have trimmed the Centre block

If ever there was a case of the maxim measure twice, cut once this is it.

Of course I measured a lot more than twice LOL.

Then continued with the assembly of blocks

and just yesterday sewed the last seam

And now realise I’ve photgraphed it upside down

But that’s as much as I will do on it til I get back,

I will worry about any embroidery and border treatment, not to mention the quilting, later.

I have started prepping some pieces for my travelling sewing, but will show that soon.

I will have my LQG Raffle Quilt to quilt as soon as it comes to me, which I know is imminently.

Here’s a sneak peak as we were assembling it last week

image of Goldfields Quilters Raffle Quilt

They look pretty pleased with themselves don't they

Apologies for the colour, there is wierd overhead lighting which is great to work by but does awful things to photo’s

I am going to be updating some pages on the website this afternoon, I hope, hope, hope you don’t get swamped with emails about updates.

I’ve been a bit scared to do anything on it in case.

But I apologise if it does happen, I’ll be ready to bin the page if it happens again.

til soon

Margaret

2 Comments

Filed Under: 1800s Reproduction Fabrics, Applique, Design, Maltaville Album Quilt 1847, Reproduction Quilts, Smithsonian Fabrics, Travel

In one short month I’ll be on my way. . .

March 17, 2012 by Margaret

so it’s time to put the suitcase on the spare bed and start throwing things in its general direction as I think of them,

lest I forget something very important.

"Can I come?"

Whenever a suitcase appears, Maisie is in it.

I am working very hard to get the Maltaville quilt finished (just the top of course) before I leave next month.

Even though I have three blocks left to draft and stitch, I spent a couple of hours the other day sewing as many blocks together as I could.

Pretty happy with that if I do say so myself

Of course I found that I never did get those last two calyxes sewn on the centre block, so that will be tonight’s job. . . they’re a bit fiddly.

Here’s the blocks I have completed since Christmas

With only three blocks to go, I think I can return most of these fabrics to the shelves now

It probably ought to be a little bit ceremonial I think

But for now I’m going over to the Maltaville blog to do a post, the next mail-out is in a few days time so I’d better let everyone know what they’re getting.

Jenn has updated/added another couple of pages to the Quilt Station website and unfortunately subscribers are getting notification of them, which shouldn’t be happening.

I really apologise if you’re getting these unecessary emails. Everything that should be disengaged while working behind the scenes is disengaged, but they are still getting through. We are stuck as to why, very frustrating.

til soon

Margaret

Gorgeous basket blocks

February 19, 2012 by Margaret

for a gorgeous lady.

Work in progress, a Smithsonian fabric basket block

My friend Irene whom I mentioned a couple of posts back is having a special birthday this year.

Irene decided to plan her own birthday quilt project, how organised is she!!

So a request was sent to me to please make a 6″ basket block and write a message on it.

Of course I wanted to give Irene a block made out of my Smithsonian fabrics, cos they’re special and so is she.

I had fun making up this basket block, choosing the fabrics and stitching it by hand.

I was worried the message wouldn’t show on the background fabric so I appliqued a leaf on to it, what you see is the wrong side of the background fabric and wrote my message on that

Smithsonian fabric basket block

As well as our trip to the U.S.A this year, Irene and I are involved in a few projects together so I felt this Maori proverb was perfect.

Like all good proverbs the literal translation is only hinting at the deeper meaning of the words,

With my basket and your basket the people will live

or let’s combine our ideas and resources, good things will happen.

After I had made this block, I realised I still had something important to tell Irene so I made her another block.

"you can't go past a good paisley"

That’s a message that needs no explaination

happy stitching

Margaret

2 Comments

Filed Under: 1800s Reproduction Fabrics, Applique, Musings, Paisleys, Smithsonian Fabrics

A little more applique

January 24, 2012 by Margaret

I’m happy to have made some progress on the applique cradle quilt which I started back in October.

It’s inspired by an 1826 Cradle Quilt from New Jersey in the collection of the Michigan State University.

I know it was October because I wrote the date in the book.

A very good habit to get in to.

See where I’ve written ‘started with 75cm’ of the Windham True Madder.

mmmmm… it’s not really very much is it.

In my defence I often start quilts in this way, I just want to get going and worry about minor details

like having enough fabric!

later on, if and when it becomes a ~~problem~~ hurdle.

Anyway once the quilt got to look like this

Cradle Quilt centre block

I started thinking I’d like to try and get some more of that madder if possible.

The range is a few years old now and I haven’t seen any on the local shelves for a long time,

but Laptop quilts in the US came up trumps with the last piece, possibly.in.the.world, just shy of a yard.

Had to make the postage worth it of course so I also grabbed 4 yards of another oldie but goodie.

Colonies Vintage Browns #16841 and True Madder #20327

Phew, just in time for Christmas.

While waiting for my fabric to arrive I had ummed and aahed about what to applique in the setting triangles.

From the start I had planned to do something different to the three tulips which are placed in each corner of the original quilt. I had some ideas which were discarded then replaced with other ideas, which were also discarded.

Then I got to thinking there would be a reason the maker had put tulips in her quilt, don’t know what it was of course but I’m sure she had one. Maybe she had several reasons.

And I hadn’t come up with a better option so one night about two weeks ago, with an hour and a half before a movie I wanted to see started, I came over to the studio on a mission.

Paper-cut a tulip and see if I like it as nothing else is coming to mind that I can settle on. And it’s only paper…nothing lost.

I had to paper-cut two tulips to get one I was happy with

Trialling tulips

Yep, that’s good… a single tulip in each corner.

I had time to prep one tulip and baste it to the background in readiness for watching my movie,

Vicki, Christina, Barcelona

but the picture shows a couple of days later with two tulips sewn

I prefer to applique the pieces on to a square to avoid stretching the bias.

I’ve finished that part of the applique now and they are ready to be cut apart and sewn to the centre block.

So it’s coming along nicely.

til soon,

Margaret

PS Jenn has darkened the dark grey text to almost black here, and knows the yellowy colour and the deep red need work, we may even change the colour completely. Please continue to bear with us, it takes a bit of diary negotiating to fit in the time neeeded to do it.

6 Comments

Filed Under: 1800s Reproduction Fabrics, Applique, Cradle Quilt 1826, Design, Reproduction Quilts

Maltaville Matters

January 17, 2012 by Margaret

A few of you have let me know I have a quilt in the lastest Quiltmania magazine

I was thinking this post would be about that but, alas the mail delivery to my little country area of Victoria is a weeny bit tardy so I’m hoping it will be there when I go the Post Office tomorrow.

Cos I’m busting to see it!!

To keep myself from going insane with excitement and anticipation I’ve been busying myself in the studio.

I’m not sure what to show you first, maybe I will have to do a couple of consecutive posts so it doesn’t all end up a jumbled mess.

Maybe a little bit of Maltaville news first.

I finished this block at Quilting last Wednesday night so I’m happy about that

Block F6

Then I prepped another, and finished it.

Block B4

I also took copious photo’s of this one in progress because I have been using a product which Jennifer recently got me on to.

It’s called Appli-Kay Wonder by Floriani, and I felt a tutorial for the Maltaville Blog was in order, so that will appear soon on the

Maltaville Album Quilt Blog tutorials

In the original quilt the block bears the verse

The only amaranthine flower on earth is virtue

the only lasting treasure, truth

So this sent me on a trip around the web which lasted several hours,

to learn more about the author of these words, English poet and hymnodist William Cowper 1731-1800.

William Cowper, oil painting by Lemuel Francis Abbot in 1792. This painting is in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery, London

This verse is taken from his work The Task: A Poem, in Six Books published in 1785.

The only amaranthine flower on earth is virtue

The only lasting treasure, truth

But what is truth? ‘Twas Pilate’s question put

sorry, I just had to add it again, this time with the last line from that verse.

The maker of the block was a Mary something long starting with W, Water…y?

I’m hoping Fiona has better luck as she’s been great with the deciphering of names on this quilt.

Then of course I went off on another search for the Amaranth flower,

well there’s a few varieties to choose from but I just chose this because I like the look of it

Amaranth flowers

Amaranth are long lasting, so it seems a fitting flower to appear in verse, which it does… many times.

Today I prepped this block to sew tonight

Block H5

and I’m happy to be working again on a quilt that’s been on the back burner for a few months and I’ll share that with you soon.

Hopefully tomorrow I’ll be enjoying that Quiltmania magazine,

see you soon

1 Comment

Filed Under: 1800s Reproduction Fabrics, Applique, Design, Maltaville Album Quilt 1847, Smithsonian Fabrics

2012, i think it’s gonna be a good one.

January 8, 2012 by Margaret

It’s certainly started off well anyway,

Friends, quite literally, wandered in on a whim about 8pm New Year’s eve to see what we were doing…

Max and Benson,

…which wasn’t a lot, but we soon had something celebratory happening.

And it was 2012 when they left.

We have had very hot weather here during the first week of January, several days of temps around 36 to 40 degrees C (97 – 104F) so it was way too hot to be over in the cottage/studio.

Instead I decided to work in the house and get a couple of my own quilts quilted.

A quilt of many names and inspirations

Quilting this quilt top was on my Summer hol’s to do list after I finally embroidered the three pairs of legs and four eyes required to complete the quilt about a month ago.

I started this quilt back in 2008, it’s a Nonie Fisher pattern from a quilt she started in 1998 which she called ‘As Time Goes By’ after the (fabulous) British TV series of the same name starring Dame Judy Dench and Geoffrey Palmer. I’ve known Nonie for many years and she told me the quilt was based on the one which was always on the bed in this show, but you only ever saw the sides (masses of pinwheels) and not the top of it so we never knew what the whole quilt looked like.

So Nonie drew up the centre from the 1818 Ann Daggs quilt and placed that in the centre of her pinwheel quilt.

Fast forward to 2008 when I was doing a class with Nonie, and she very kindly gave me the pattern sheet for the centre of this quilt and a photo of her quilt for reference.

My quilt then evolved just a little bit more as I took out two of the birds from the Ann Daggs quilt and replaced them with the Peacock and Elephant from the 1858-1863 Bird of Paradise quilt top in the collection of the American Folk Art Museum. I had been in Rajasthan, India in 2008 and was looking to have a reminder of that. The Peacock is the State symbol of Rajasthan and, well the Elephant needs no explanation, I saw plenty of those on the roads.

So at last my quilt is done, after I’ve stitched the binding down!!

Name…? it’s working title has been The Rajasthan Quilt but I’m not sure that now feels right. I’ll ponder it a while.

Next on the list was this…

Le Rouvray's house quilt

…which I talked about back here

Quilting in progress

I had fun quilting this, randomly choosing between bricks for the houses and trailing vines

Le Rouvray House quilt

Today it’s a bit cooler so, after lunch, I am heading off to the cottage/studio to complete the two half drafted Maltaville Blocks which are lying in wait for me.

Look at this though…I have made sure I’ve remembered to “slow down, smell the coffee“

Coffee, Central Victoria style

4 Comments

Filed Under: 1800s Reproduction Fabrics, Applique, Machine Quilting, Reproduction Quilts

Happy Holidays

December 28, 2011 by Margaret

Season's greetings from my house to yours

My wish is to have time to relax on that sofa with some hand sewing, and something festive to eat and drink.

I know that won’t happen on ‘the day’ but Boxing day will do.

The studio is taking shape and I have been over there doing some work, but I’m still in that transition stage, where whatever it is I need to put my hands on…it’s in the *other* building.

I’ve noticed a few of us are enjoying new spaces at the moment…

Sue from I Sew Quilts

And Sally from Feather on a Wire

I’ve not yet moved my fabrics over, I need to work out where I want my shelves. And I just know I’ll change the furniture around a couple of times before I settle…and even then I’m likely to change it again.

Maybe it’s a Libra thing.

I do know it’s a DH thing to want to put shelves up just the once

So here’s a pic of the studio looking a bit more lived in.

Ahem,

That was all written last week…and I’ve only just sat down to blog again.

And the first thing I did was pop a new header photo up top…it’s a fabric I got on ebay.

Never saw this Margo Krager Dargate on our shores, at least not at any quilt shops I frequent.

However I don’t think it really ‘goes’ with the other colours and unfortunately I can’t find the previous blog header photo. It’s possibly in the folder that Jenn made, it has sub folders and each one she has marked *don’t touch* mmmmm

When she comes out next I’ll smile and ask her to put it back how it was…please.

I hope you all had a super Christmas, I have to do secret shots of my family because we’re all a bit camera shy.

I managed to snap this one of them relaxing after making short work of the antipasto platter.

Christmas 2011

DH has his back to the camera and I have caught my two kiddies chatting away like the happiest of siblings that they are.

Christmas was a small affair this year, which was very nice for the cook, moi.

Since then, I have been catching up with hand sewing so my Christmas wish did come true

I had a few Maltaville blocks earmarked to F.i.n.i.s.h., they had been hanging around way too long in various stages of completed-ness, so they went to the top of the ‘to do’ list.

Block A5

Block A5 was pretty straight forward… four small stars and eight little hearts. Tick

Block H2 in progress

Block H2 was another matter entirely. I had in fact progressed beyond this photo and months ago had sewn the centre shape…

but horror of horrors, the middle bit of it where the blades come together looked lopsided, even tho it looked perfectly symmetrical on the pattern sheet.

Well that was how it has stayed all that time but this week was the week to get it off the wall and deal with it.

Back to the drawing board, making sure the centre was a circle.

Start again

And while I was at it, I decided to sew the star using Barbara Brackman’s method of a star from a circle which I mentioned a while ago, here’s Barbara’s method here

I had made a couple of hasty trials (with bad results) in the past but for this one I calculated I needed a 4″ star with 1″ cuts. That should give me the star shape I wanted. I know I’m missing the point of this being a ‘free-form’ star aren’t I!

Free form star

Nope…I can’t live with that. I know it’s a satisfactory replica of the stars on the original quilt but I just am not happy with the way it looks. I know they are supposed to be ‘imperfect’ and template free and I know I am missing the point of it all completely but it’s not how I want my quilt to look…not my Maltaville anyway, maybe on another quilt it’d work for me.

I think the ladies of the 19th Century were just plain better at doing it sans template than I am.

So for this quilt I’ve gone back to the other way ~ an eight pointed star cut from a template.

Block H2, last star being sewn down

This block is now finished, so H2 done. Tick

C3 The Iris… this was a block that required only four Dark Blue pieces and a clayx added to it.

Of course, the reason I procrastinate over a block (and I’m sure we’re all the same) is that I’m just not happy with it and I’m not sure why yet…but it will come to me if I leave it long enough LOL

As I added each of the last four Dark Blue pieces, The Brown became less and less Okay until it just had to go.

I know the block would have originally been much stronger tones and probably a purple, but I liked the way it has faded to a warm brown. But it wasn’t looking right in my version. So now it is Purple.

Off with the old, on with the new!!

And while I was at it, that free form star is going too cos I’m not doing them like that now.

I love that Smithsonian fabric but it’s just a bit ‘flat’,

Out

C2 finished. Tick

Block C2

And one more block to show, truly all this done since Boxing Day.

Block C3

This one has been drafted for a while but I hadn’t had a chance to do any more with it, but now finished. Tick.

I’d like to get a little more quilting done on the Welsh Quilt too but someone has other ideas.

In our house a cat can sleep peacefully knowing they will never be moved.

til soon

5 Comments

Filed Under: 1800s Reproduction Fabrics, Applique, Design, Maltaville Album Quilt 1847, Musings, Reproduction Quilts, Smithsonian Fabrics

I’ve been just a little bit preoccupied…

October 11, 2011 by Margaret

I have had several posts swimming around in my head and two have even made it to drafts.

And now a month has got behind me.

At least it wasn’t ten years that got behind me like the Pink Floyd song ‘Time’

but I have felt like their lyrics

…and you run and you run

to catch up with the sun

but it’s sinking,

racing around

to come up behind you again…

could have been written for me these last weeks.

Yes, I just wish there were more hours in the day, or that I could function on four hours sleep a night…that’d do it.

One of the posts that made it to drafts was a sort of ‘Ten things you may not know about me’

But then I thought if I told you those things you might wish you still didn’t know those things about me and it might ruin a beautiful friendship.

So I will tell you just one… I think this one’s safe.

Here’s a clue.

Love it !

I know it’s not fashionable but I’m a bit of a Train Spotter

Out of respect and admiration for all the dedicated Train Spotters around the world I will say that I am not as totally commited as they are…Basically it’s got to come right past my door, but when it does…I’m excited.

Over the years I’ve lived in a train station I’ve seen lots of these come through, but I still rush out and wave like a lunatic (much to DH’s embarrasment but I don’t care) when I hear that whistle blow, and the distinctive sound of a steam engine.

I'm taking a photo of you taking a photo of me taking a photo of...

She’s got to make it up Tunnel Hill so she’s under full steam, the sound is awesome.

My Dad was a truly dedicated Train Spotter, his dad was an engine driver (naturally in the age of steam) so what can I say…it’s in the blood.

I think of you Dad every time I see one of these and I’m waving feverishly on your behalf.

So, what have I been doing other than waving at Trains?

The last week I was at the computer…for the entire working week.

I had set aside some time to convert one of my patterns to a digital format. I think that’s the correct term these days.

(And ended up basically re-writing it in the process, cos you know…things can always be improved)

It was just part of my Business plan/forward planning, waaaay too boring to go into.

By midday Monday (yep only four hours in) it became blatantly obvious that I didn’t have the skills to pull this off all by myself.

I think I wasted a couple of valuable hours muttering under my breath and getting extremely angry a little bit frustrated with myself.

Hasty phone call to techy Jennifer who dropped everything and came to my aid…She knew I was on a time limit with this one.

I have learnt *So Much* in that week.

One little sentence that doesn’t even come close to expressing what I (we) have accomplished.

Total immersion…that’s the only way. Like learning French.

Thanks more than I can say Jenn, you’re a totally brilliant teacher.

I’ve also been to Linda Collins’ Quilts in the Barn…Always a fabulous display.

There’s a nice group photo in Linda’s post, part of the joy is meeting up with old friends and meeting new ones.

I caught up with Linda again just week before last and she happily OK’ed me posting some close up photo’s of her old quilts along with the reproductions of the fabrics in them. As you know, the fabrics are my special interest. I’m always the one with the camera about two inches above the quilt, people must think I’m incredibly short sighted (or long sighted, never quite sure which is which)

So I promise I will post about those old and new/old fabrics very soon.

As well as enjoying the day, I bought some fabric from the Quilted Crow while they were at QitB.

I bought these for a quilt I have been planning since my last post.

This one … click here to see it

I have decided to progress with that quilt and develop it in to a Strippy, probably, unless I come up with another idea.

I probably should have broken this in to several posts because it’s getting very long, but…well I might as well keep going or another month might get behind me

Next.

As I am not in the least bit sporting minded…

“yawn, boring…why would anyone want to watch people chasing around after a ball, often in the rain“

…I am astounding myself by watching (and enjoying) the World Cup Rugby that is being hosted in my home country across the Tasman.

I check the RWC website and the TV guide, prep some applique in readiness and sit down in front of the Telly on Saturday and/or Sunday for a few hours of sewing and rugby watching.

Maltaville Centre

During last weekend’s matches I nearly finished the Maltaville Centre

I would have finished it except I mucked up the second to last calyx and didn’t want to miss any action by cutting out a new one.

So I went on to finish this block instead

Block G2

But there’s still more I’ve been doing…

On Friday night,

when I probably should have been resting my eyes after five full days of staring at a computer screen

and stretching my brain to the limit,

I started this

Banyan Tree Medallion Quilt mark II

On my ‘to do’ list for a while has been to make another Banyan Tree Medallion quilt as the last one was raffled and I didn’t win it.

As I have produced a pattern for it, I decided I needed to have my own quilt.

A little while ago I had bought some very lovely cream sateen which I thought would be perfect.

I hope it won’t be a you know what to sew.

And by Sunday I had it looking like this, but I will still add a bit more to it I think…not too much

Banyan Tree Medallion

Here’s what the first one looks like…

Banyan Tree Medallion mark I

…and the new one will be pretty much the same.

But of course the centre has been revamped because of the fabric choices I’ve made this time round.

So that’s what I’ve been doing…

There is actually more, but my fingers are just about bleeding LOL, so I will leave that for another day.

Not a day too far away.

Later this week I’ll choose the next four blocks for the Maltaville BOM and show what I’ll be sending out.

Thanks to the Rugby there’s a few to choose from.

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Filed Under: 1800s Reproduction Fabrics, Applique, Banyan Tree Medallion Quilt, Broderie Perse, Design, Maltaville Album Quilt 1847, Musings

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Just a bit of a (long) catch up

In one short month I’ll be on my way. . .

Gorgeous basket blocks

A little more applique

Maltaville Matters

2012, i think it’s gonna be a good one.

Happy Holidays

I’ve been just a little bit preoccupied…

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