Today I have a bit of a question...

dark next to light

I thought since there are a few of you lovely ladies coming over from Lynne's that I would take the opportunity to ask a question - or get some thoughts... I have these quarter square triangles that I have cut from strips (I actually used well saw a pattern in the AP&Q that I had to have a go at :)) You can see from the various layout photos that they form crosses and squares - I don't want these to be prominent so I'm not matching my fabric up. I want it to be more random and the focus to be the mass of blues and greens with the hint of purple. Sorry rambling. My question is should I;
A) Blend the fabrics completely to loose the shade diference
B) Keep the shade difference but make it randomly change intensity across the quilt
C) Go for a structured shade change from corner to corner or outside to inside.

I am as of yet undecided - the project has been put aside for more urgent work, and I'd love your thoughts :)

even distribution of shades

dark and light in foreground and medium behind

This block is about 18" square and hand sewn (yes I need to add those final white bits oops ) I drew it up on an architectural drafting program, and made it not quite symmetrical so the angles change slightly as it moves out. I am unsure whether to make it the central star in a crib or bassinet quilt, or a cushion for a rocking chair - please feel free to give your opinion!

I have to do an inspirational post because I found this...

How awesome is this quilt!.... You can find out all about it and the lady at Pings and Needles

Small Blog Meet

A Big Hello to anyone who may drop by... 

I joined this last month, but a bit too late lol! I have to say wow, between last night and this morning 33 people have joined - that's fantastic!

I hope that you are all having a fantastic crafting journey - I know I am :) I can't wait to hear your feedback and suggestions and to see what you've been up to...

If you've got the time please check out this post... Redlands Quilt Extravaganza  it's some photos of a local clubs exhibition and well worth a peek :)

Take Care

Katie

Sew Fresh Sewing Day - Another AP&Q Charity Block Competition

I need to add an aside here -  anyone who visits and has time please visit this post as I'm i a bit of indecision over which way to go and I'd love your feedback - many Thanks!

Well its been a little while between blogs as I've been a bit busy with another set of fun random blocks for competitions - I have to say that competions are lots of fun but they to take a lot of time (of course that's only for those of us that are perfectionist in persuasion - which wouldn't be many crafters would it ;))
The most inspirational thing I did was go to the Redlands Quilt Extravaganza click the link to go to the blog and see some of the quilts..
However I thought this would be the best thing to show and tell in the sew fresh sewing day, as it did take me a good few hours out of last month!

Ok so the theme this time was spring and florals (still in a 61/2" square block...), so I used spring colours and delicate floral fabrics - but then I went and did this to them lol...

and just a couple of space fillers to add to the collection...

My canTeen bandanas have arrived!

I've been wondering for a while now where and how I would integrate charity and sewing...

A week or so ago I was sorting through our camping gear, and found George's red canTeen bandana. It made me think about using the bandanas to make quilts to donate back... Loads of fun - so of course I googled it and it seems there are several lovely people already making this happen.

So the next day I called our state office (Brisbane) and chatted with Jen, who kindly sent me a detailed email with all the available patterns - it was just like fabric shopping lol!

So now as National Bandana day is October 28th, I'm hoping that a few of you will get inspired to buy some bandanas and help out too. They use quilts a lot for sitting and snuggling in group sessions, for one on one counseling. I'm sure that bandana bags would be appreciated as well. Please keep me posted on how you go, I'd love to see pics :)

CanTeen

A gorgeous stack of colour and pattern

Here are all the different designs in their packets... such a variety of patterns and colours!

a wonderful gift....

Now just before I went away for a weekend (my first in a long time) I got this parcel in the post...

It was beautifully packed and such a treat...

 My Friend Vicki ( who I always refer to I know... so as an aside check out my other super creative friend Anthea ).. anyway Vicki thought EPP (english paper piecing) would be a novel new thing to try and roped in a few people, she asked me what sizes I would like and I thought lets try small... yes feel free to laugh at my expense it didn't sound that small when I said it!

Amidst it all this gorgeous Holly Hobby wall ceramic - who can't remember her...

Small blog meet

Hi, I decided to follow my friend Hitch and thread's Lead and join Lily's small blog meet - it seems like a fantastic idea to get circulating a little bit more! Hopefully I'll get to meet a few new people and share their thoughts as well as mine.

Take care for now x

The Redlands Quilt Extravaganza

This last weekend (including Friday) 9-11th September was the Redlands Quilt Extravaganza. By chance I was flicking through this months AP&Q and glanced in the whats on section - realized that it started the same day and excitedly changed all my plans to fit it in ;)

My friend Vicki (Hitch and Thread) wished she could come too... so I took a few snaps and thought the best way to share them would be on here!

The standard of work was fantastic and the range of standards was equally good - all in all a wonderfully stimulating experience from a creative point of view... Not only that but the ladies were so pleasant to chat to and I've made a few contacts with groups that I really hope to join in with to help keep the creative energy moving. 

Obviously its over for this year now but I would strongly recommend a visit next year or for any other exhibition they put on, alright enough of me - here's the pics... (several are in half as there just wasn't space to get back far enough - too many quilts :) )

One last general apology - since I originally got the photos for private viewing I wasn't diligent with names and quilt names, if you do happen to recognize feel free to let me know if you want it identified.

I've admired this pattern having grown up with the golly's - and the quilt was even more intense in person! Category - from a pattern or kit

This one is sweet, category - entirely hand sewn and quilted - lot of work including the embroidery

This one I loved the use of colour and the design is clever too - details photo below

Loved the use of colour, simple yet striking

How cute is this animal quilt

Category - Art quilt by a professional quilter, second place. Some interesting links with beads and the flowing coppery river appears to be hand sewn beads also.

Carolyn Ashbrook - from 'The big book of Building Blocks' by Sara Nephew. Category - Made with the help of a commercial quilter

Not necessarily my style but I love the way that this is executed, it is beautifully done!

Category - A quilt entirely hand constructed and hand quilted, this was just that little bit different and at least queen size.

This one because its effect is appealing, but if you look closely the colour combinations are not what we would naturally go for..

Category - A quilt entirely hand constructed and hand quilted, first place. 'South Carolina Friendship' - Myra Alder. Apologies no full photo of this one I was focusing on the detail and the size of the stitching

Again I focused on a part - the central panel, done by machine in a needle turn style with the pieces appearing to abut - details below

details for quilt above

I think that this was a first time I've entered a quilt in a show category.

Category - Quilt by a professional, 'Little Blossoms' - Elke Malony. The panels are all machine embroidered and looked sweet.

Category - A quilt made with the help of a professional quilter, 'Dresden plates in the 1930's' - Heather Willett. Who wouldn't love the pretty pastels of this one, there's just something about those '30's colours...

Category - the first quilt I have ever entered into a show, 'Lazy days of summer' - Susan McDougal. A lovely bright cheerful first time entry - there were a few first timers inspiration to us newbies!

Category - A quilt designed, assembled and quilted entirely by myself on a domestic machine, 'Come on, This way' - Anthea Twigg

A close up of that gorgeous duck - at the bottom of the pic you can see how she is constructed of feathery layers.

Category - A quilt with the help of a commercial quilter. For those lavender fans, a nice mix of piecing and applique.

Category - An Art quilt by a professional, information below. This one I really loved, not surprising as it has elements similar to my 'thread sunset' I did for the silk finish competition lol - for a non-red gal I'm loving them at the moment...

A small quilt, simple yet beautiful colours take you away to the ocean.

Category - A quilt by a professional.

Best in show - need I say anymore? The embroidery is hand done and the simplicity of the colours make it sing.

Warratah detail from above

Last but not least my choice for viewers favourite - I believe its an original design, all hand pieced and hand quilted. Its not technically perfect, it clearly doesn't sit flat, but the use of colours is exciting the design stimulating and it was the quilt that said to me 'I'd keep you warm and make you smile' lol and isn't that a big part of it?

National Silk Finish Entry.... who'd have guessed - I won!

Ok I have to add a little insert here as I found out yesterday (12-9-2011) from Michael C at SSS that I had won first prize! I have to say the shock of it is still sinking in.... Many thanks to the judges, SSS and McCall's for the fab prize pack! Michael informed me they are planning to make it an annual event - so please look out for it next year, it was heaps of fun! To check out the other winning entries follow this link.

 

Well by the time the second AP&Q Leutenegger Competition came around I had already decided that I liked competitions lol and had found this one to enter into. It started in early May and I didn't even find it till almost mid July - no problem I thought, I'm at home I have the time...

Then I thought up my design, I wanted to make it entirely out of their thread - that was the competition to use the silk finish thread - typically with fabric! I'd do a wall hanging and the maximum size was 21"x 42" - mine is (as she dashes for the tape measure lol - realizing she mailed it having no idea on the final size) 18" x 35". The reason for the size all came down to the size of the balsa wood...

I think that my 'design' is best described through the wonderful medium of pictures...

My idea was to create a fabric from the thread by weaving it together. Simple enough except I had no loom, and I decided I wanted it to look chunky - so each 'strand'  is made up of 50 strands of thread in a continuous loop. Making these alone took hours and hours! To hold it all together while building it I made a balsa wood frame (the timber length was 915mm hence the length and the width is half that ;))

For the colour scheme I was in a bright pinks reds and oranges mind, no actually I wanted bright vibrant colours that would really sing against the almost blacks and these were the ones that spoke to me, I think I ended up with about 80 warp threads.

 This is a sample size that I did because I wanted to check and see how the thread would react to being sewn through with the dissoluble stabilizer.

 Also a quick shot of the stabilizer dissolving...

 This photo shows the beginnings of the weft threads, these each took a lot longer to do than the warp as although they were shorter I had to carefully weave them through.

To hold the treads together I looped the leading end through a binding hem/hair clip it worked really well and of course more cheap pins to hold them in place at either side.

The single piece of balsa wood beside the frame is what I used to wrap the threads on (two nails at appropriate spacings) it was the easiest and simplest method I could think of - but my shoulder did get sore :)

 The weaving was almost complete a few more rows to go. In the end what with a weekend away and the other competition piece it was just like a uni project where every last hour counted right down to mailing day...

Next I used blue painters tape to stop the edges from getting all messy like in the sample, then put a layer of dissoluble stabilizer on both sides.

I also made up half of the black hanging sleeve and pinned this in place so it got 'quilted' to the piece as I couldn't find an aesthetically pleasing way of attaching it afterwards (remember its not fabric).

You might be able to see the swirls I drew on the stabilizer? These were continuous and done in an almost blue black thread.

 Sorry about the quality - iphone photo! This is the weave after it has been 'quilted' and dissolved in the bath... it then got to dry overnight on a bed of towells.

I need to add that I finished this bit at 9.30pm and it had to happen that night for drying time, this was Tuesday night and mailing was Thursday for a Friday deadline.

At the bottom of the pic - the attached part of the hanging sleeve.

 The finished product with the front raised swirls completed and the tape just removed.

A detail of the middle swirl part way done

Lastly the neatest little parcel that it went into, carefully rolled around a cardboard tube and inside another for mailing.

The best bit is that George (husband) wants to make sure its returned so it can go on the wall lol.

Overall I had lots of fun and without sounding like an advert the thread is lovely to work with, it doesn't fluff and fray as easily as other pure cottons. Also I absolutely loved the sheen - it made it for this project.