Back to normality (fingers crossed),fabrics, quilts and machines

The post title really says it all, after a difficult few weeks it seems that all is settling down, slowly!

Today began with another beautiful sunrise -  a good omen I hope.

I feel I have achieved something since my last post by finishing up my Lego quilt top, and I'm happy with the result.

Some of the strips are wonky - no problem, I took whatever came to hand from the bag sitting by my machine.

The bright border fabric, full of delightful four legged friends, has been sitting in my "to use one day" basket, bought many years ago when Laurel Burch was at the height of her popularity.  Placed directly against the lego blocks the whole top didn't look as magical as I thought it would, luckily I remembered the quilt made by Julie who added a narrow inner border to her Dumpster Diving  12 - Confetti top - thank you Julie! Hunting around trying quite a few fabrics and Mirage Stripe was the winner.

Here's a close up, better shot of the stripe.

During the week this book arrived in the mail

from Quiltfolk.  In February decided to join Quiltfolk - Break The Rules BOM, one live stream (2 hours) each month for nine months, a variety of speakers. Yesterday along with the two presenters was Roderick Kiracofe who gave an amazing talk on the history of his quilt collecting, also in depth information on quite a few of the quilts themselves. The book was given to the first 500 folk who registered, I was one of the lucky ones. This is the second edition with additional quilts added.

Now, you may remember from my last post the first few words in the last paragraph were 'NO more fabric buying', but I did have a small package arrive this week ordered some time ago so I'm saying that this fabric doesn't count!!

A few of the fabrics from a quarter yardage pack of Trade Winds by Kathy Doughty, I have a specific quilt on my mind, more later.

The exciting finish to my week was the collecting of my Featherweight after her visit to the 'spa', such a treat to have her back and now usable after new cable and plug, sorely needed as the original (70 yrs) had perished and was dangerous. I don't usually name my machines, this one is different, she just had to have a name.  

Athena -  named after the Greek goddess associated with wisdom, warfare and  handicrafts. The Parthenon on the Acropolis of Athens is dedicated to her and having been lucky enough in 1962  (we were sailing to New Zealand) to spend a day in Athens, explore the Acropolis and be privileged so see the Parthenon in all it's glory at sunset, the city of Athens below us, was a magical experience and still so clear in my memory today. In those days visitors could just walk along up there and explore the ruins, but now I see photos of steel steps and rails, barriers, thousands of  visitors and the creamy golden columns of the Parthenon being patched with white stone, I can understand that restoration would be needed but it does take away some of the magic.

A note here, I am happy with Athena's  association with wisdom and handicrafts - NOT the warfare. 

Happy Quilting until next time

Maureen

Back in my Happy Place!!

Computer issues sorted and new blogger working OK for me,

so yes, here I am in my happy place

ready to look through my Kaffe books and re-visit quilts flagged

as possibles to make some time ago, my patchwork notebook from my husband for jotting

ideas, a Laurel Burch mug gifted to me from a local

patchwork shop many years ago, packed with pens and pencils and last,

but not least  my beautiful bright mug rug gifted from 

Wanda at Exuberant Color

a little while ago. She said she thought I would like the colours and she was so right!!

I have all the books by Kaffe apart from two, my first love when I came to quilting 

were Amish quilts, then I discovered KF fabrics and books and my fate was sealed!

However, I'm also a fan of other designer fabrics and above a few new ones

 from

Kathy Doughty

and the top three from

Heather Ross

I'm still making progress with Green Diamonds and my Postage Stamp squares

and also using up some of the strips shown in my last post I've made a start
on a Lego quilt, three blocks only right now.

In the planning stage is a quilt from this book

by Kathy Doughty

this particular quilt has the title 'Madness'

and you can see why

there is no pattern but ideas for

materials, preparation, elements to include and assembly.

On the subject of books I made a purchase last week of the book below

by Sue Ross

first glance at a review had me thinking it was going to be totally focused on
applique/broderie perse

but looking at the few photos shown there I was wrong. 

I have now added four more quilts to my waiting list.

It's an expensive purchase  published by Quiltmania but I''m sure

it may be possible to check with your local library, they may have it on their shelves soon.

Apologies for this long post, I think my mojo is back again and you are all

suffering the consequences in this post.

Following a a medical appointment on Monday at the surgery

 husband and I called in the delicious book shop in the main street,

we are regular visitors and customers but our intention that day was to just browse,

plans are sometimes made to be broken, mine were because heading back to the exit 

I came upon the most beautiful book I think I have ever seen.

Adriana is a botanical artist and each page not only

has a particular flower but the opposite page is given over to a wealth

of information about the plant.

The cover just gives you a tiny hint of what you find inside the book.

I think I had better disappear now but I have two more photos, one of a camellia 

and one of a naughty tuxedo kitty who is very curious and decided to

spend a little time in the laundry room

and this is what I found!

Don't worry, she wasn't in any danger,  no power connected

and I am always very aware of checking out the dryer and washing machine doors

before using. This is the first time I have ever seen her do this.

Last photo, the first Camellia Japonica to flower in my garden this Winter

and goes by the name of Dr Clifford Parks.

To those of you who have managed to make your way to this point without

falling asleep enjoy the rest of your week.

Keep safe and well.

Maureen

More blocks and a Block of the Month adventure

Five more blocks done for UANDUQAL, I would have had them all sewn up by today had

it not been for developing tendonitis in my left forearm!!!

Here are the latest five

I need to get all the blocks sewn so far up on the wall and find a good balance before

making a start on the last seven.

The inspiration quilt had mixed strip borders but my border idea is a little different

and I've already decided on the fabric, I think.

You see there is a Block of the Month mentioned in my post title, I hesitated for ages

before deciding to go with this.

Kathy Doughty at Material Obsession

always has a stunning choice of BOM projects by different designers.

Deciding to try something outside of my comfort zone I went with

Flying in Circles

by Sue Rose

Block 1 below

lovely movement in this block and the idea of a hexagon flower in the

centre appealed - then the envelope arrived with fabric and pattern and the

papers for the hexagons 

and gosh are they tiny!!

Hopefully if my arm is more comfortable I can make a start this coming week.

So, it's been a quiet week for me on the  sewing side but I've been catching up with reading and

re-watching my Downton Abbey series before going off to

see the film tomorrow. I'm a huge fan!

Gardening has been a no-no of of course but I had a wander around
the garden and took a few Spring photos.

The Japanese Maple is just breaking into leaf

and we had a trip to the local garden centre, I spotted something I had

been hoping to have in my garden for ages. 

Michelia Gracipes

Delicious scent, Winter and Spring flowering and just look

at the colour of the cover on the new flower buds, they feel like silk.

Such a delicate flower

I'll post a photo of the plant in the ceramic pot I bought to
plant in when I next post.

Got to dash now I'd forgotten I had a programme I really needed to watch on TV

so see you soon!!
Happy Quilting

Maureen

Red is a Neutral for AHIQ: Improvisational Utility Quilts

When I began this challenge I had in mind a throw sized quilt, but I stalled.

I really wasn't happy with it, I thought of sashing to break up the red and

various other ways to stop the red overwhelming everything else.

Yesterday I almost took the blocks down off the wall to throw them in the bin!

After mulling things over I decided I had to finish, so I've gone with the small number of 

blocks on hand and found a border fabric which

I thought seemed to contain things a little.

Even now this still plays havoc with my eyes, and no doubt
with yours, and I have very mixed

feelings on it, but at least

I have a top, which is best viewed from a distance!!!!

To give myself a break from it yesterday I spent some time

reading the book below which arrived in the mail.

Stunning photographs of Victoria's quilts and

paragraphs on her early life, her history in

art and how she came to this point in her life as a

quilt artist.

So very interesting.

I also received an order of fabric by Kathy Doughty

of

Material Obsession

her latest range is 

Seeds and Stems

I am three missing out of the range right now, I'll order those tomorrow.

My favourite is this one below

and that's all from me tonight, tomorrow

I'm going to put time in for planning future projects and
deciding the order of quilts needing to be quilted.

A quick rose photo to finish.

Her name escapes me at the moment but her scent

doesn't - it's divine!

Happy Quilting

Something Old and Something New

I have a finished top with Chain Link Horizon (the new) and posting

photos of two quilts from waaay back (the old) and a couple of garden

photos added to the mix.

Chain Link Horizon is a pattern by

Kathy Doughty

at

Material Obsession

and

I've played with my own colour scheme

by using quite a lot of FK Collective fabrics in my version.

Measures 60" x 72" so quite a nice size to handle.

I found it a super quilt to cut and sew, large half hexagons make

things much easier and I'm intending to make another one later this year

as a gift for eldest grandson, I'll be using more masculine colours in his.

The old quilts next - I opted out of a joint exhibition with

my husband who paints - but at the last minute there were two empty

walls so I hunted these two out.

Java Moon

 I made around 1993 following some time spent in Jakarta,

I fell in love with the traditional batiks, came home with quite a stash!

This is my own design.

The left hand side strips  are actually perfectly straight, I took three photos
and each one was off kilter.

Jungle Fever

I can't remember exactly when I made this one but I used commercial batiks,

Hoffman I should think, and I did have a pattern but unfortunately

can't locate it in order to give credit to the designer. 

To add more colour to this post I have two photos of gladioli

flowering right now. I brought a few corms home from my Dad's garden after

he passed away in 2003, they're now invading certain spots in

our garden, but I love the colour.

Here they are mingling with a few shrubs

and here's a close-up below,  I love seeing all the detail in the

individual flower. Stunning colour.

I'm heading off now to cut the binding for my large blue hexagon

quilt, a corner shown below.

The pattern is from the KF book

Quilts in Morocco

and it's a large quilt

80 1/2" x 84 1/2"

I'll post when the binding's on.

Happy Quilting

Maureen