the Sewing kit is packed…

image of MAQ block

I have been busy tucked away in the studio last night and all this morning  drafting and preparing three more blocks for the Maltaville Album Quilt.   I had one already as a work in progress so that is four blocks to take to NZ with me to sew…an excellent achievement.

image of MAQ block

This is the work in progress... an intriguing block, is it trees or coral? Maybe Bugs...I'll look in to origin of this one when I get back.

image of birds

A very folky bird block, there's enough glued down for now, I'll add the leaves etc later.

image of corner block

This is another of the corner blocks, in keeping with the original I'm sticking to Prussian Blues and this is one of Margo Krager's Dargate Prussian Blues (often teamed with Brown)

image of flower

A Flower block in traditional Red and Green, I never tire of it and I'm glad the Maltaville used plenty of blocks in this combination.

A little while ago I subscribed to Quiltmania magazine and this morning my first edition arrived by post,  I have put it in my cabin bag and I.am.not.going.to.even.look.inside.it.until.I.get.on.the.plane ~ honest~ well maybe when I get to the departure lounge. And of course this now puts my plan to tidy my laptop’s photo’s in jepoardy.

image of quiltmania

I swear I have not even peaked inside... that's my laptop bag, it's going in there

So I have some nice reading and some sewing to do to while away the evenings whilst sipping local NZ wines.

My evenings will be spent at my Brother’s farmhouse in the beautiful Pohangina Valley, where Pinot Noir grapes abound mmmmmmmm,mmmm.

I’ll photograph and blog while I am away, the area he lives in is stunningly beautiful and is worthy of sharing.

Til soon…

Maltaville BOM…a preview of March’s blocks

Image of bird block

Here’s a look at what is coming in the March e-mailout, scheduled for March the 22nd.

I’ve selected another four blocks, the gorgeous Bird Block is coming and because there is a bit of work in that one I am combining it with 3 simple blocks which shouldn’t take too much effort.

Image of bird block

G4

I’ve started the embroidery on this block but there is still a little more to do, so please excuse the ‘floating’ fruit and especially the eyeless bird…at least it’s not legless anymore.

image of starburst block

H8

image of cross and crown block

C4

image of oak leaf and reel block

A7

A favourite of mine, the Oak Leaf and Reel block in classic Red and Green.

It’s still possible to join in the journey, details are at the top of this blog under the tab Maltaville Album Quilt BOM.

I’ve got a busy day drafting today so I’ll get to it,

Happy Stitiching

Ebay links to Smithsonian Fabrics

image of RJR Groom's Quilt fabrics

Yes, amazingly they’re still out there…and I’m using quite a few in my Maltaville Album Quilt.

I’ve been in touch with the seller of these fabrics on ebay and she has some Smithsonian fabrics still available for purchase.  I have purchased from her several times and she is a 100% trustworthy seller whom I am happy to recommend.

I’ve photographed the fabrics I have used in Maltaville and a few that I may use in the blocks to come so this may help in any shopping you’re wanting to do. However I cannot guarantee that all these fabrics are still available but I know that some definitely are.

Starting with the Groom’s Quilt

image of RJR Groom's Quilt fabrics

Groom's Quilt fabrics, (L to R) pattern Honeysuckle colours Olive and Terra Rosa; pattern Arbor colour Bottle Green; pattern Queen Anne's Lace colour Crimson.

Link

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Smithsonian-GROOMS-Cotton-Quilt-Fabric-/320581856551?pt=US_Fabric&var=&hash=item76bf11a5d4

Copp Quilt

image of Copp Quilt fabric

RJR Copp Quilt fabric (L to R) pattern Willow colour Terracotta; pattern Copp Vine colour Sapphire; pattern Autumn Petals colour Indigo

Link

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Smithsonian-COPP-Cotton-Quilt-Fabric-/250688365840?pt=US_Fabric&var=&hash=item800f4ecf5a

Rising Sun Quilt

Image of Rising Sun fabrics

RJR Rising Sun fabrics (L to R) pattern Teardrop colour Madder; pattern Rainbow colours Blue and Madder.


Link

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Smithsonian-RISING-SUN-Cotton-Quilt-Fabric-/250687846887?pt=US_Fabric&var=&hash=item800f4d5feb

Little Sister’s Quilt

image of Little Sister's Quilt greens

RJR Little Sister's Quilt (L to R) pattern Jasmine colour Clover Green; pattern Maze colour Green Grass, pattern Plume colour Olive Green; pattern Rosehip colour Bottle Green.

image of Little Sister's Quilt fabrics

RJR Little Sister's Quilt fabrics (Lto R) pattern Rosehip colours Tobacco and Midnight Blue; pattern French Tulip colour Cherry Red.

Link

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Smithsonian-LITTLE-SISTER-Cotton-Quilt-Fabric-/320581782649?pt=US_Fabric&var=&hash=item76bf10f54d

Good luck with your shopping.

Maltaville Album Quilt

Vintage Sampler

I feel I ought to announce something profound here, or maybe break a bottle of champagne over my laptop… but for once in my life I’m a bit lost for words.

So I’ll just say it’s ready…there’s a page on the top bar for Maltaville Album Quilt BOM, it’s released and ready for sale.

If you haven’t visited it for a while, the Maltaville Album Quilt blog has a few new pages too and a new post to show what’s in the first e-mailout.

Here’s the most recent pic of blocks, but since I took this photo I have finished a block to fill that ridiculous space (what was I thinking taking that photo) and nearly finished another.

image of Mlataville Blocks

I’m looking forward to getting back to ‘regular’ blogging, not just as in frequency (although I have now put Post On Blog Today reminders in the diary for Mondays and Fridays) but also about other quilt projects … I have quite a few post ideas in my head but was mindful of not wanting to disappoint if it wasn’t a Maltaville post, silly I know.

Anyway it’s too early for champagne…but I make an excellent coffee if I do say so myself so that will suffice. Then it’s studio time.

Maltaville countdown

P2110729
blocks

Finished Maltaville Blocks ...or nearly finished

I know you’ve all been so patient, waiting for news of the Maltaville Quilt~ Block of the Month patterns.

I’ve been drafting and stitching madly for the last few weeks and learning all sorts of things about computer stuff (retaining some of it is proving harder than I thought but never mind…practice makes perfect) and thank you to everyone who wrote with paper sizes.

Apart from being indebted to Jennifer at 5foot1quilts for all her techy help I am also grateful to Michele at Betwixt the Betweens who patiently printed off the same appliqué pattern over and over as I tried to clarify in my mind how to write instructions to make sure the pattern pages aren’t shrunk to fit printer margins.  It took a few goes but we got there :-)

The release of the Block of the Month is virtually ready to go, I just need some final assistance in adding the shopping cart to this website (and that is this weekend’s job) so if all goes according to plan I anticipate the release of the pattern by 22nd February which is a little later than I had hoped but I under-estimated how long it can take to get all that other stuff ready.

The release of the Block of the Month will contain all the BOM program details… Cost, Time Frame, Block Placement Map, Fabric Scans to help with your fabric choices and Instructions for signing up to the Maltaville Album Quilt blog.  I have been busy over on that blog too adding extra pages but they’re all hiding in the wings waiting for the pattern release.

It would be an understatement to say I’m thrilled to have now sewn fourteen blocks and have a further four drafted.

Tomorrow it is the Castlemaine Appliqué Group (CAG) and I have a Maltaville block basted and ready to sew, it’s the first CAG for the year so it will be lovely to see what everyone has been doing over the summer hol’s and to spend a relaxing day with friends.

I hope your weekend is a good one too…

Not a post, just an important question…

Doing ‘techy stuff’ on Maltaville today and I have a question…

I know the United States has a standard letter size of 8 1/2″ x 11″, but what is the standard printer size paper in the U.K. and Europe? Is it the same as here in Australia and New Zealand which is A4 210mm x 297mm or different again…help please if you can.

Thanks in advance, Margaret :-)

Maltaville Album Quilt 1847, an Update and History.

Just a short post today because  I want to do a quick update  on the Maltaville Album Quilt Block of the Month.

My drafting and sewing is coming along and I have completed another couple of blocks and drafted three more.

I know I haven’t actually shown a photo of the whole quilt, because I only have a photograph in the book,

American Quilts, The Smithsonian Treasury. Doris S. Bowman,  Smithsonian Institution Press (1991)

ISBN 0-517-05952-5

and I won’t scan the picture and show it on the web cos that would be illegal (but if you have the book it’s on page 46)

However I can give you a link to an image of the entire quilt here

http://www.smithsonianlegacies.si.edu/objectdescription.cfm?ID=28

and I hope you like what you see.

I will be reproducing it as exact to the original as I can humanely get.

I have started a blog dedicated to the Maltaville Album Quilt and that is where members (those who sign up) can show their blocks as we all progress.

http://maltavillealbumquilt.wordpress.com/

but I wouldn’t be rushing over there just yet, you’ll only be dissapointed as there really isn’t much to see.

The quilt was made in Maltaville, New York by the women of the Presbyterian Church of  Maltaville and presented to

Mrs. Mary B. Hill, wife of the Reverend William Hill.

It features 60 appliqued blocks surrounding one large central appliqued block.

I’m still working towards a start date in mid February and it’s looking more possible each day, I’m very humbled by everyone’s interest but also you are all giving me the encouragement to keep at it, so a big thank you to all of you.

til soon…

Maltaville Album Quilt 1847

Oak Leaf and Reel

Well I’m hurtling along with this, especially after Jennifer suggested I ought to be a dozen blocks ahead just to be safe…thanks Jenn :-) I know you’re right.

I have spent some time drawing up a plan of the whole quilt to clarify how many different types of applique blocks there are (wreath/lone flower/four elements/eight elements/symbols  etc) and how many are variations of the same block or are exactly the same.   I’ve also been mulling over ideas of how many blocks per month will work etc and how best to select what participants get each month (some easy/intermediate/complex for instance) so that still has to be finalised but I’m making notes of all my ideas.

However, more importantly I’ve finished stitching the Saturn block, drafted and stitched an Oak Leaf and Reel block and drafted and nearly finished stitching a Starburst block and drafted another block ready for fabric choices tomorrow.   Phew…I need a drink and a lie down.

Oak Leaf and Reel

Oak Leaf and Reel block using two Smithsonian fabrics; Little Sister's Quilt, pattern Maze in Grass Green and Copp Quilt, pattern Willow in Terracotta.

I love the Oak Leaf and Reel pattern,  my DD is named Ayla which is Hebrew for Oak Tree and it’s on my ‘long term list’ to make her a quilt using this pattern…one day.

oak leaf in progress

Stitching late in to the night...

I decided to use the Back Basting method again… a little bit of work before hand but I like the method for these *cut as you go* blocks.

Starburst Block Drafting

Starburst Block,

After drafting this block there was a little bit of tweaking to get the scale right, you can see I had to take just a whisker off before I was happy with it.

This morning I decided I had better cut all the background squares (in the past I had been fighting with 6 plus metres of fabric whenever I made another block)…perfect opportunity as DH and DS were out for the dayand I needed to take over the dining table for this job.

cutting background

Progress

All the background squares cut, the centre square cut and (LtoR) Starburst, Saturn, Oak Leaf and Reel, Peacock and Feather Blocks.

Oh, while I think of it…6.9 metres of background (plus binding)  needed if any of you are getting your supplies ready in advance.   I used a Kona plain/colour Bone.   I really like the quality of the Kona plains, it’s nicely woven to provide a good base for applique.

Two nights ago my DS (nearly 22) brought in to the house a quilt I had made him years and years ago (he lives in a little s/c cottage on our property so sort of still at home but ‘out of the house’)  I spotted a veritable stash-full of Smithsonian fabrics in it and when I looked at the label I had started it in 1997, say no more…actually I am ashamed to say I had made the label out of Smithsonian fabric too…What was I thinking!

So I need to am going to give it a wash before I photograph it and show it to you but it got me thinking about my other quilts which have a fair share of these most beloved of my fabrics.  Here’s one for today…(I have quite a few and I’ll try to show you one every few days)

Fair Isle

Fair Isle

Fair Isle is so named because it reminds me of the Fair Isle knitted jerseys  my mother knitted for me. (translate…Jersey is a New Zealand word for Pull-over/Jumper/Sweater)

Mum and Uncle Pike

Mum and her older brother (was she knitting for him too) about 1948

My quilt label says 2004 but that would have been when I finally finished the hand quilting (a job which took several years of intermitent quilting)  I started this in 1997 when the backround fabric was released.

Fair Isle detail

Fair Isle close-up. Background is my fave pink. I have heaps of the Green Smithsonian left; Copp Quilt pattern Berry Leaf in Avocado but would give my eye teeth for more of the red.

Like the Welsh Quilt I got my inspiration for Fair Isle from a British decorating magazine.

Fair  Isle inspiration

They're probably telling me what bedside lamps to buy but I only noticed the quilt...sorry about the sticky tape through the page.

10 pm, time to do a little stitching before bed.

Thanks for visiting…

I’m off to ‘quilting’

Malatville Album Saturn

Do you just refer to your local quilt group as Quilting… I just yell to DH from the door “Ok I’m off to quilting…see you” even though I don’t actually quilt there.   I belong to quite a few different quilt related organisations and always refer to them by proper names, it’s only my fortnightly Wednesday group (The Goldfields Quilters) that has lost its moniker.   Do you do the same?

Anyway tonight is quilting, the first one after the Christmas break, and even though the rain is pouring down (and thunder has just started) and the roads will be yuk I will be steadfastly going because I can and many of my quilting comrades in Qld and NSW can’t go anywhere due to devastating flooding, so I’m going for you guys and will encourage everyone to go through their stashes to help you replenish yours.

After my last post a couple of you asked about the Maltaville Album Quilt being a kind of quilt-along or pattern.

Well, Jennifer (my technical support and  5foot1quilts ) had suggested just that very thing last week so your queries were very timely, thank you.

After talking with Jenn about it again and working out how best to do it, I can say that yes I will be doing a pattern which people can join in and download the patterns each month.

I do just want to get another block or two ahead before I start though and I’ll have to spend a little time learning how to do downloadable patterns etc, and there’ll probably be a blog to go with it that participants can post their blocks on too.  Stay tuned and I hope to get it happening in the next few weeks.

In the meantime… I have spent the morning preparing some hand stitching ready to take to ‘quilting’ tonight and my next Maltaville block is one I’ll be taking.

Malatville Album Saturn

Maltaville Album Quilt ~ Saturn Block

This is now all tacked and glued down but I though I’d show you some of the process.   What I needed was something 5 1/4″ round to trace around…you know how hard it is to draw a circle.  My Perfect Circles templates don’t go that big so I started hunting around the studio then the kitchen where I spotted these…

Copper Pots

Gotta be something close in that lot

Circle

Perfect...it is 5 1/4" exactly.

Fabric Choices

Choosing the fabrics

At the last minute I decided to make the little moons out of three different Smithsonian fabrics for a bit of tonal variety so the bottom fabric has been joined by two more.   I’m really happy with how it’s looking and this one won’t take long to stitch (I hope).

However as this is going to now be a Quilt-along it may have been smarter for me to start with the centre block (doh).  At present I’m just doing them in any order that appeals but I should probably start thinking about a more orderly approach.

Connecticut Quilt

Connecticut Quilt

I spent a blissful Monday and Tuesday further planning and sewing on the Connecticut Quilt.  I have added the small Ohio Stars to ‘square up’ the quilt in readiness for the next border (red and cream squares).

I stared gung ho by making a little block and then rejected it

Reject

I really like this striped fabric and it certainly ‘went’ with everything else around it but when I put up on the wall with the quilt centre it lacked definition…

Ohio Star

That’s better against the baskets.

These blocks are tiny…3 1/8″ finished, so it was easier to make the units oversized and trim them down.Tiny units

And the light fabric is very fine so starching it helped to stabilise it for such small pieces.

Starch

I prefer the Best Press on the left (no residue) but had to resort to Crisp when I ran out

And just because there’s no time like the present to start playing around with something new (I am still en vacance after all) here’s another little bit of hand stitching I prepared this morning.

French Quilt

French Quilt

French Quilt

French Quilt

18 months ago I bought some very gorgeous fabrics when I was holidaying in the south of France (from Les Olivades in St Etienne du Gres near St Remy de Provence) and have been pondering possible quilts to use them in.   Last week I found a pattern for a variation on the Double Wedding Ring, the pattern was by Deb McArdle who is a designer and tutor from Ballarat (Deb was one of the quilters  whose work I noticed and enjoyed early in my quiltmaking days and in November I had the pleasure of being a judges’ assistant to Deb when she was one of two judges at the One Step Further Exhibition in Melbourne)

Deb has come up with this really interesting way of creating a Double Wedding Ring using a square and bias strips.

Bias strip

Making Bias Strip using fusible paper

Super quick and easy.

Now I’ve just got time to tidy up the mess I’ve made in the studio after all this morning’s activity before organising dinner for the family and heading out the door to Quilting.

To -do lists

melb-nightWR

Happy 2011 everybody.

I didn’t intend to have such a long hiatus from blogging but my little holiday break seemed to lapse in to a bout of computer laziness.

Christmas day here was lovely with family and good friends in abundance…and thankfully my children have reached the age where they can allow me to sit back (just a bit) and enjoy the day.

Ayla in the kitchen

DD, slicing and dicing; Mumsie no where to be seen but no doubt enjoying some of that Champagne.

DH and I had a couple of nights in South Melbourne at DD’s place early this week (cat and house sitting) so we got to do a few city things… balmy Melbourne evenings/sitting on the upstairs balcony/relaxing/restaurant dinners/G and T’s.

Melbourne Skyline

And during the rest of the summer break (which still has a week to go for me) I have thoroughly enjoyed taking the time to get back to some projects and to-do lists.

One quilt (top) I am really pleased to have finished is the Nebraska Basket Quilt.

You may remember this pic from an earlier post

Work in progress

Well now the top is finished and ready for quilting.

Nebraska Basket Quilt circa 1854

This quilt is one I started  a couple of years ago.  My inspiration was a quilt by Mary Novotny Lahowetz (1835-1907)

Mary and her quilt are featured on pages 20 and 21 of the book

Nebraska Quilts and Quiltmakers;

Edited by Patricia Cox Crewes and Ronald C. Naugle, University of Nebraska Press (1991)

Mary’s quilt features this unususal basket block whereby the piecing of the basket extends into the space usually left open below the handle.

Does spotting an unusual block variation get you rushing for graph paper and pencil too?

I have drawn up another block  for the Maltaville Album Quilt 1847 and managed to get that sewn over the break.

I decided to have a go with the ‘back basting’ method which I have seen on various blogs over time…I thought it would be perfect for this Scherenschnitte type block.

Maltaville Album Quilt 1847

Back-Basting in readiness for applique. Dargate Prussian Blue C. 1830, patt # 24413 by Margo Krager

Maltaville Album 1847

Back-Basting, reverse side shown.

Then I cut the fabric a little way ahead and unpicked just a basting stitch or two ahead of where I was sewing…Maltaville Album 1847
…turning the seam allowance under as I went.

I found the method worked very well, thank you to those of you who have shared it before.

Voila…Maltaville Album 1847

The Maltaville Album Quilt (1847) is in the Smithsonian Institute.

It contains 61 applique blocks (one large central block surrounded by 60 smaller blocks) and now I have finished two with another nearly drafted and ready to go.

The original features a lot of Prussian Blues so I am enjoying trialling different options from my stash.

The other bit of  ‘whimsy’ I’m frittering hours away on is my Drunkards Path.  I’ve no idea what this will end up as …a whole quilt or just a border for something, but in the meantine it’s a bit of enjoyable evening hand stitching or something to take to ‘quilting’ if I haven’t got anything else organised.

Drunkards Path Blocks

Drunkards Path Blocks

I’ve been cutting 5″ squares out of my stash including bits of Smithsonian, I need to add some Prussian Blues though.

Okay, one week left of the hol’s…Focus,

Connecticut Quilt, you’re next.