'Bout Time For A Catchup

Its been quite some time since I last posted, I have just been through my photos to post and I have quite a few so maybe crab a cuppa or even better a glass of medicine !!!

I am still working on the 'sheet' , it is taking quite some time to fill up the centre but I have really enjoyed adding shapes and playing with favourite (of the moment) fabrics and even little cross stitches.

I have left the centre for the moment, I have added the next border which is triangles and some appliqued circles. I will need to come back to the centre obviously as I need some sort of flower or fruit arrangement in that basket. Maybe even a bird or two.

Think I may need to add some eyes to that Mary Jane Hannaford angel under the hexagon star.

Just a little close up of the inner border , out from that is a wider border using some of the old sheet and appliquing some whirligig type circles , trees and baskets.

As you can see there is still a way to go but I am starting to feel quite comfortable using the needleturn applique method.

This forms the basis for the top and bottom border , the side borders are different.

There is still another border after this so it is important that I remain focused. After all I did have a little break and made the 'B' quilt. That top is now completed and ready for hand quilting. I will show that in the next post.

Do you want to keep going? I have some photos from the girls in our class and what they are up to

First up is Lesley, Lesley is making her version of the Sundial quilt, keeping it reasonably traditional just adding a slight nautical theme as sailing is what Lesley and her husband enjoy doing.

She is also adding a little Australiana to it.

Aren't the fabrics Lesley has used lovely.

Blogger does not want to behave, I am trying to line up 3 pics in a row and it does not want to play ball :-(

The hexagon madness continues, a couple of the girls are doing Marg's 'Come Fly with Me' bird quilt so they are making their hexagon stars

Vanessa has been very quick to finish her first complete star

 

Sharon has quite a selection ready, now she needs to select a fabric for the outer hexagons, not sure what she will choose

Next up is an oldie that Barb has bought out of the cupboard, Marg encourages us all to bring our relics to class , better to be brought out and given a modern update

Just realised this has uploaded on its side, however Barb is going to applique this hexagon centre onto this lovely bright spot, she is also going to add a small check border with lovely bright diamonds and squares. One of the lovely things we do in class is share our scraps allowing us a little piece of our shared friendships in our quilts.

Kate has had a little sojourn on her gorgeous Jane Pizar quilt, she wasn't convinced her choice of fabric for the outer border was right. Marg convinced her she had made the right choice and so between them they auditioned some fabrics and shapes to fill in the border and this is what they came up with, I think it is a winner

I can't quite work this blogger out, it just flips my photos at whim, hopefully you will get the idea. I think this will be a stunner. Watch this space.

Now onto something not quilt related.

I thought I would do a few book reviews.

Just recently I was lucky enough to attend a book launch for a very special Australian cook.

Her name is Maggie Beer, Maggie is a real hero of mine. I have many of her books . Maggie featured in a TV show here in Australia Called 'The Cook and the Chef ' Maggie's new book is using her beloved Verjuice. Many of her recipes have called for this ingredient, I have often wondered about this but after using it I am now a convert.

I urge all lovers of Maggie Beer that this is a book worth purchasing, there is not one recipe in this book not worth trying.

I was so lucky to join Maggie at her table for lunch, the meal we enjoyed were recipes from this book.  I felt so honoured to be in her company and she is as lovely in real life as she comes across in her TV shows.

The venue for the book launch was 'The Four Seasons' hotel in Sydney , the flower arrangements around the hotel were spectacular , and that lady you can see on the lectern is my sister, she introduced Maggie, hence my special invitation.

Next book is another recipe book

This book is amazing especially if you like making desserts

Step by step instructions

Great quotes

Delectable recipes

This is a must have in my humble opinion

Next up is

I have posted a picture of this book around Christmas, it is now available in Dymocks as are all of the previously mentioned books.

This book is a mixture of recipes, interior decorating and lifestyle

A really worthy coffee table book

If you have made it through this post you have done well, it has taken me ages, I am not liking blogger very much this evening, maybe I should look at Typepad or better still maybe shorter posts more often :-)

It has been great to catch up again, I hope you have enjoyed catching up as much as I have.

 Until next time enjoy your sewing

j

Wishing You All A

I'll be back tomorrow with a post, until then enjoy your Easter with friends and family

j

Sew and Tell, Sew and Tell, Sew and Tell

Yesterday was the first day back to class with Marg Sampson-George at Material Obsession.

Everyone seemed to be very pleased to be back and were very quickly focused on the projects at hand.

Barb began the show and tell with her lovely quilt. Barb began this quilt some years back in a former class with Marg . Marg encourages her students to bring in their 'antique' UFO's and helps bring them back to life with the addition of some more of the modern day fabrics.

Barb must have worked extremely diligently over her Christmas break as she completed all of the broderie persed birds, and the hexagon rosettes, appliqued onto the border and the borders sewn onto the centre.

Next up was this masterpiece made by Kate, isn't this quilt just amazing, it has that aged feeling to me , (museum worthy) I think she has done the most amazing job and let me tell you this girl is focused. Oh how I wish I could be like that. ( I get distracted by covering paper shapes :-) with fabric)

Kate has added this wonderful Dutch Chintz border with the scalloped inset , suits it to a T.

Here is just a little close up

Just a little tutoring here for the next border which is going to be just as stunning, you will have to watch this space for an update or of course on Miss EF's blog.

I have been adding to my sheet, should  have been finished months ago had I remained focused but so many other things to attempt , time is running out  :-).

It is a true sampler with lots of different shapes, applique and piecing. It seems anything goes.

I am also adding a cross stitch sampler, surrounded by hexagons, this has not been sewn down yet, just a picture to give you a bit of an idea , along with the petals coming out of the basket, just a little fabric auditioning going on here.

Looking at the photo it looks quite sparse between the shapes and really it isn't as sparse irl.

Once I feel that the centre has enough shapes it will be time to add a border of triangles and circles before the next border of baskets and trees.

I have had loads of mail and comments asking me where I get my templates from for making my hexagons.

Kathy at Material Obsession now has the most amazing collection of templates for all sorts of shapes and blocks but this little pack just had to make its way home with me just so I could show you. If any of you want them please call or email Kathy and she will get them to you pronto  I am sure.

I have to say that the larger templates have a 3/8 seam allowance which I love. Snowball or Octogan shapes are also available along with Triangles , Diamonds and Squares, you name it.

Wouldn't you just know it, this photo will not load the right way up, but I am sure you get the general idea.

While I am on the subject of keeping you up to date with the goings on Quilty related, Brigitte Giblin is publishing a book, I haven't seen it yet Brigitte will be launching her book at the needle work show in Nantes, France in April but it will be a must have for the library I am sure. As you know I have taken classes with Brigitte and my hexagon sewing purse is a Brigitte pattern, Brigitte is a wonderful teacher , very generous with her knowledge and has a very quirky slant to her quilts. If you are keen to get your hands on a copy I think kathy is taking forward orders for Brigittes book.

You can follow Brigiite on Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/#!/brigittegiblinquilts

That's enough from me today

Happy Sewing

j

A test post from my iPad

Sometimes it would be really convenient to do a quick post from my iPad , I have this app but have never tested it so here goes.
Let's see if I can add a picture


Looks like it worked, these are some clamshells I have made to add to my sampler
I can see a few things about this I am not so happy with but hey for a quick post it may be ok

Happy sewing
J

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

A Very Quick Check In

To wish you all a very Happy, Healthy,Creative 2012
I have been on holiday since 23rd December and I am still on holiday until mid next week, it is going to be very hard to get dressed in office attire after nearly a month of very casual summer dressing.

I have managed to fit in a little stitching time but just enough to feed the addiction for paper piecing.

This time it is octagons not hexagons. I am going to use these for a border on a quilt that isn't even made yet, I cannot sit with idle hands, these little beauties don't take much brain power. Just lovely to use scraps of favourite pieces of fabric.

Just prior to Christmas I had a trip to Melbourne to visit the divine Miss Lizzie and Co. It was a really wonderful time catching up with the Melbourne girls. I did come home with a new project though, as if I need another one. Those of you that read Lizzie's blog will have seen her blooms quilt. It is even better in real life so onto the quilt bucket list it went. The blocks are really large and showcase some gorgeous fabrics, it is hand pieced and yes I know some of you will look at it and think 'Machine Piecing' but I am not a fan of machine piecing and sometimes it is just nice to sit and sew and not have to think too hard , this is one of those quilts.

I call this my 'B' quilt, Blooms, Bees and Butterfly

I have managed to get 6 rows together and it is only 11 rows by 11 blocks although I may add another couple of rows depending on how it fits on the bed.
I will sandwich it with quiltlite, it will be one of those quilts to snuggle under when I have a little afternoon nap. Nothing too heavy.

I am still working on my basket quilt and my sheet with the appliqued shapes, I will show you those next time.

 I was very spoilt at Christmas, this little pile of books will keep me busy for some hours, so maybe not too much sewing will get done.

I had a very busy end to 2011 , in October I celebrated 25 years service for the company I work for, it was lovely to arrive at work on the anniversary to find my office totally decorated with balloons and streamers

I was treated to a wonderful morning tea and received some beautiful flowers and a very generous contribution to a new computer.

Many of you that read my blog will know that I have done a lot of travelling in my job, this has been to train a lot of the staff member to use SAP. SAP is the software system our company uses now worldwide. I have used this system since 1999 when our company here in Australia and New Zealand needed to update in order to be compliant for the year 2000, remember  we were going to self destruct lol. In 2010 I was part of the project team that implemented the upgrade to our German parent company platform. I had previously completed a 'Train the Trainer course at AIM but felt if I wanted to take this any further I needed to be more qualified so last year I sat my Cert 4 in Training and assessment, I got my results in December and passed so now I can train people using SAP (SD ) officially. So who knows where this may lead.

It has been many years since I left school but I rather enjoyed this further education.

I think I said this was just a quick visit so it is time I left, hopefully I will have more time to blog this year.

I will leave you with this lovely picture of the beach we use during our stay at our holiday home.I took this picture yesterday, the water was almost turquoise and it was so warm, Mr L & R had to drag me from the water. This pic is more for those of you on the other side of the world that could be shivering through cooler weather. Not to worry summer will be around all too soon.

 Happy Sewing

j

Christmas 2011

Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas