Autumn is nearly over… it is my most favourite time of year. Central Victoria is just gorgeous during autumn and this morning when DH and I drove in to Castlemaine to grab a few supplies I enjoyed seeing the poplar trees in a blaze of yellow.  The photo above was taken here at Quilt Station this morning, it’s one of the fruit trees we grow along the platform.

I’m heading over to New Zealand in just under two weeks time for a two week stay so when I get back it will be ‘officially’ Winter.

I’ve been ticking things off the ‘to do’ list and most aren’t even blog worthy, certainly not photo worthy.

eg. Making bags for the quilts I’ll be entering in the Victorian Quilters Showcase next month.

Sewing bindings, hanging sleeves and labels.

Re-doing the piping and binding on the Maltaville Quilt (never was happy with it…that’s what happens when I rush)

I’ve also made a start on pattern writing for my two newest quilts, ok at a pinch this could be photo worthy

It’s for this quilt which you’ve seen in progress…this is a bad photo, I haven’t had a chance to hang it up and do it properly for the cover yet.

I ummed and ahhed over the name for this quilt, I came up with many names and then discarded them.  But then Margot popped in to my head.  The fabric in the border is by Margo Krager… I could wax lyrical about her fabrics but I will just say “I adore them”. And Margot (with a t) is my Mother-in-law’s name. It just seemed right to go with the name but MK drew the short straw with the spelling and Margot the MiL won.

Speaking of Margo Krager though, oh my look at what I have found on recent on-line and in-store shopping…

 I was thrilled to find The Wild Rose Quilt Shop  which still stocks repro fabrics from long ago, many  thanks to Dorothy for telling me about them as I found all of the above except the pink ombre which I found locally.

Margo’s Dargate Indigoes, plus that pink which is a Dargate Divinity c 1830, will give me something to play with in this longterm project.

 A girl needs plenty of fabric to keep her options open LOL but seriously I think that Pink Ombre is going to get me moving on this quilt as I had been a little ‘stuck’ with it.  I’m assuming the pink is a very early design of Margo’s as it’s not by Windham but by Clothworks.  The shop I bought it from does stock ‘older’ fabrics.  I should write to Margo and ask her.

But I do need to keep chipping away at this before getting engrossed in the above.

However, I have already got a little sidetracked and am doing the Benjamin Biggs quilt which is generously being offered by Gay Bomers and Brenda Papadakis through Just Takes 2

I had a false start as I thought I would make it in ALL Smithsonian fabric, just an assortment of all colours really.

Here’s my first block

Then I changed my mind, and decided to stick with the more traditional (and original  colours) of Red and Green. I am adding a hint of  Cheddar in the corners and elsewhere if the block agrees LOL.

Of course I am behind already but here’s blocks one through three, I also changed the Apple Pie Ridge block (the Scherenschnitte one) to a different version.

I’ve also prepped block five to take to NZ with me, I used Freezer Paper underneath as I can sew on the plane that way…no scissors necessary.

I would normally do this type of Scherenscnitte or paper cut block using the back basting method, I hope the feel of the freezeer paper underneath won’t be a nuisance this time.

Block number four is printed off but that’s all, let’s not get in to that

Well it’s nearly dark outside and I’ll venture back to the house, so glad I made a big pot of chicken and veggie soup for lunch as that will do for dinner too.  I have sewing to do while watching telly tonight, ‘that dishy Martin Shaw’ as he’s known in our house is on in Inspector George Gently.

happy stitching

til soon

Margaret