GRRRR!!! Why is blogger spacing out my photos all funny? It looks perfect when I write it and then when I hit publish it goes all elongated and full of blank bits! I haven't got time to work this out but it's bugging me!!

Read more...

Here's my new bedroom, the walls painted a lovely
greeny gold instead of the metallic blue green limewash they were before-erggh!

The quilt is a Kansas Dugout based on a quilt I saw on ebay years ago. That one had a red border too, but this gold fabric was lying on the top one day, and it suddenly seemed like the perfect finishing touch. I listen to what my quilts say to me, so the red border was abandoned and the gold sewn on.







The quilt on ebay had a strippy back of indigo and cream, but I didn't have enough of the blue fabric so I added the russety brown, and I liked that effect even more.












Each octagon is quilted in a different pattern, and I had
fun inventing them. I wanted it to look like a welsh quilt so there's a centre motif and welsh spirals in the border. It took me months to handquilt, but I really like the effect. I'd do a lot more by hand, but I just don't have the time.











This photo was taken before before it was completed, which explains the baggy area on the right.
And the fabric is my haul from the trip away, I found the bag yesterday, and as I hadn't looked at it since the day I got back it was like buying it all over again! I do love a good gloat over new purchases, but I've been too busy in the last month to do anything involving quilting. It's starting to get to me, but the carrier should move the last of Mum's furniture next week and then perhaps things will settle down. And I can start posting regularly again and replying to comments, I feel like I've neglected everyone terribly. When the computer is moved to the new place I PROMISE I'll do better!

Read more...

I've been away for a few days with some patchworking friends, and had a little break from the house. We went to a friends 'shack' on the river Murray at Blanchetown. I'd never been there and we arrived in the dark so it was a surprise to wake in the morning and find this view outside the window.













The river is literally at the back door, and although it might seem small the distances are deceptive. The little line of scrub at the foot of the cliffs are actually full size gum trees, so it would be quite a drop from the top.

We went to two exhibitions, one on a paddle steamer at Mannum that was very interesting. The local patchwork group meet once a month in the steamers dining room, which would make a lovely sewing room, windows on either side and lots of tables, with the river flowing gently past. Very pleasant.

I of course had to buy some fabric at the shops that were set up in marquees, what's the use of going away on a patchwork jaunt and not getting any fabric to show for it! My camera has lost it's batteries so I couldn't get any photos, but trust me, I got some nice stuff.

We stayed a second night at a caravan park in the Adelaide hills and the caretaker was most interested to know what quilters got up to on holiday. I told him it was 'Secret Quilter's Business" ( You'd have to be South Australian to fully appreciate the joke in that), and he was even more intrigued. But we only played cards and had show and tell of all our purchases.

We went to an old chocolate factory as well and so we had plenty of munchies and bags of goodies. It was fascinating to see the old equipment that they still use today, but the chocolate coated peanuts and other lollies were just rolled around in ordinairy cement mixers. Never used for anything else of course, but it looked a bit funny.

I haven't been doing any sewing, but the sewing room at the new house is ready to be set up as soon as I can move my tables into it. So there's no photos of anything quilty, but here's some treasures of Mums.

This is and apron my great grandmother made, and it must have been from a pattern because I found another one just like it in an antique shop. The satiny background material is rotting away but it's still beautiful, and as I'm not an embroider's bootlace I really appreciate the work that went into it. The colours of the silks are still vibrant and shiny, so I don't think it's seen the light of day much. Love of textiles definitely runs in the family, I have a piece of material from my great- grandmother's stash, and I treasure it too much to use it. When I feel guilty about my yardage I look at this piece and think "Oh well, it's genetic, I can't help it"

Read more...