Post for Thursday the 10th

 My calendar is reminding me that I had marked down Monday as post day
but that didn't happen!!

It's been a slow couple of weeks on the quilting side of things, all I have to show
from my time at the sewing machine are six more Lego blocks below

I'm enjoying stitching these and using up strips collected over the years.

I've spent time tidying up a few fabric baskets and drawers which were bugging me,
 I had far more solids in my stash than I realised

                                                                                    

                                and compared to the other colours I seem to have very few yellows                                   in this basket

and lots of reds in this one.

My older collection of Hoffman fabrics from years ago, plus a few other ranges,
are now in two drawers - see below.

I wasn't getting very far with trying to decide how to use these,
the Hoffman fabrics are delightful small florals.
Looking through patterns, both in books and purchased as pdfs
from online stores, I found three patterns which I thought
would work. One of them is London Fields by
Frankie and Ray.

Still a little undecided it happened that a post came up from 

quiltdivajulie

showing her London Fields quilt all finished and it's
a beauty - decision made! Do click on the link and visit. 

A list of projects planned for next year is underway, some culling
will definitely be necessary here! I think I'll take on an RSC after 
a few years of missing. There will also be a new AHIQ for the first
six months of 2021.

After a number of years tucked away in our shed I brought inside the house
a beautiful  Indian cradle/cot (teak I think) bought years ago from a local
antique shop. I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it.

This treasure was brought back from India I was told by a
?army officer, who had been stationed there and left India 
along with other Britains in the mid 1940's. Correct me if I have the
date wrong here.The iron rings for hanging the cradle are still in place.
I intend using it to store quilts in the bedroom. You can see it has been well used
if you go to a close up view.

A post from me always, or usually, closes with something from the garden,
today is no exception, so first up one of my canna lillies just opening.

 Look no further for a quilt colour scheme, the greens,
shades of yellow, a little almost apricot splash and
a fine streak of lilac - beautiful!

My gladioli also has my ideas whirling around

and again we have yellows,  a lovely bright green stem
and all that beautiful pink.

And that's it from me folks until next time.

Keep safe and well.

Maureen

Note - thanks to Wanda for the tip below in her comment, never realised that the setting was on, just checked and wow, the image size is fantastic!

Something Old, Something New and a Finish

Something old begins with me sorting through

a huge box of scraps with pieces going back some 25/30 years!

Here was this small piece

 from yardage of a Hoffman fabric around, I guess,

1989/1990, it's showing darker than it truly is on this photo.

Around that time I made a few waistcoats using Hoffman

fabric and strip piecing.

The main Auckland newspaper had an Arts section and

 approached a local quilt shop as they were gong to run a feature on clothing made
using Hoffman fabrics, did she know of anyone?

Yes she did - me!

Did I have anything special on hand, no not at that moment

but I had just gotten hold of a Turkish Coat pattern, how would that work,

yes please, when do they want to photograph - in THREE days!!!

  Front

Back

Front open

showing the fabric lining, all these panel seams were covered in different

strips of fabric hand sewn to hide the raw edges.

This is still hanging in the closet, I have worn it twice, but as you can

see it's not the sort of coat you wear out regularly!

Something new is fabric, I couldn't walk away from these

two

I had picked out a soft light aqua rather like the Grunge fabrics, 

 and then spotted this brilliant magenta colour, straight under

my arm and heading off to pay I walked

past the KF Collective display and here was this magnificent

Philip Jacobs Japanese Chrysanthemum - how had I missed this before??

You can see the pops of rich turquoise green and a little 

yellow peeking out on the fold there.

I feel there may be a squirrel on the loose in my studio!

A Finish

Rainbow Blur is now back from  

Leeanne at Quilt Me Kiwi

and I finished binding yesterday.

Sorry for the rough photo I'm trying to balance on crutches whilst

getting the whole quilt in the photo, missed some of the edge off.

Measuring 60" x 74"

Cotton batting

Quilting pattern by Leeanne is Yodel - double click the photo
it's a great geometric design.
Binding is Anna Maria Horner Source Code.

Time for an afternoon cuppa, I hope all who celebrated
the 4th July had a happy day and enjoy the weekend.
See you soon.

Maureen

Cross The Drunkard's Path Quilt Along Week 1

The thought did cross my  mind that maybe I was mad to say to Vicki at Field Trips in Fiber to count me in with the above Quilt Along, however I decided to carry on regardless but knew the only way I could get through this was to get hold of an Accuquilt Die for Drunkard's Path ( herein referred to as DP by me). 

I eventually tracked down one shop in the South Island of New Zealand who stocks the dies and she was just finishing packing  to go up country for a big show but very kindly, when I said I just HAD to have a DP die, she hunted it out of her cases for me!! I was pushing it a bit when I asked how quickly she could get this to me - overnight courier and I had it within 24hrs. So this was yesterday and all I have to show so far is below.

I have now decided after pondering all day that I'll work with my huge stash of blacks, patterned blacks mostly by Hoffman from years and years ago but what to go with them? I have a basket with the full original Jinny Beyer Colour Palette range - problem solved!!!!!

So

Some of my black collection, grabbed a piece out of here at random then picked out a JB fabric which would pick up some of the colour in there

lovely raspberry pink

became

the first cut with my die

but haven't yet decided on a layout, I need to put more time in thinking all this out over the next few days.

I'm off to link up now with all fellow "Drunkards" so please follow me over and have a peek.

Busy week ahead and FQA

I have just realised what I have to pack into the week ahead!

 An appointment with an orthopaedic specialist to try and find out what the heck is going on with my left leg, a  hand therapy appointment, visit to the vet for Seamus and Daisy, have our grandson over for a morning, two other grandchildren after school on Thursday and in-between all this I will be gathering my fabrics together for the Fractured Quilt Along. Actually I have already started on the fabrics, happy with the lights all 56 of them and next week will take care of the darks.

We also have a busy weekend ahead, my husband celebrates his 70th birthday on Monday so this Saturday we are having a family and friends gathering at our place, tomorrow will be spent getting things together for Saturday.

Having a tidy up around my cutting table I found at the back  a brown bag which had fallen down and wedged behind a few curtain sample books, don't remember missing these fabrics!

 Some years ago I had a "thing" about blue and yellow florals and Hoffman had such a great range at that time so whenever I was in a quilt shop I would collect quarters. I had forgotten all about them,  I had seen a lovely nine patch quilt in a magazine using these florals and hd intended to make one, I really don't want to go down that track now so I think I'll just cut each quarter in half and keep those and cut into strings, cut the remaining piece in half again, put them into two packets and if anyone would like a packet just send me an email,  I am happy to pop them in an envelope and mail them to the States.

In my last post I was waiting for a Vireya rhododendron to open, the one with the huge buds,  at last is has and I love it!

Watch out for postings when we start on the Fractured Quilt Along!

Maureen