Thursday 22 March 2007

My Favourite Quilts Part 1

Here are some of the photos of some of my favourite quilts I have kept over the years. Alexander and Cameron were very helpful holding them up! Japanese Blues (from a Judy Hooworth Seminar) Storm at Sea Quilt (from a Kaye England seminar...my favourite quilt and my favourite pattern) Zebra stripes on the Sahara (from a Judy Hooworth Seminar,learning to sew striped fabric) My favourite colours together...yellow and purple (from a Judy Hooworth seminar)

My favourite Quilts Part 2

A Quilt Sitter Challenge, "Bird's Nest"block. (this was a lot of work, and well worth the effort!) A Quilt Sitter Challenge, using whatever fabrics I took out of the stash. Gretchen (from a Kaye England workshop)....one of my favourite scrappy quilts A Round Robin Quilt (made with Quilt Sitters Group at Oatley Cottage - it is enormous, and it's the quilt the boys fight over to snuggle under when we watch a movie on Friday nights

Tuesday 20 March 2007

#10 Angel complete...almost

Horray.....this is the 10th angel finished....well almost finished! When I was uploading the photo, I realised I had not completed the blue border between the angel's wings. 

Saturday 17 March 2007

My oldest quilting UFO

Stashbusters topic of the week was to admit to our oldest UFO. Actually I am not too embarrassed by this one, although at some stage in the near future I will actually get it finished and it will go on our bed. It is a double wedding ring quilt. I did a course with Oatley Cottage in Sydney, May 2001. When I originally told Phil I was going to do the course, I said it was the only double wedding ring quilt I will ever make, because I don't really like working with curves. His response was "Well, you should make a big one then" Why did I listen to that response? So, here is the bigger than king size quilt. I enjoyed making it, and enjoyed finishing the top. Then it sat as a top for a few years. When we decided to come to Germany, I asked my quilting friend Ellen to quilt it for me on her long arm machine. Ellen did an amazing job on it. This is only a quarter of the quilt. I don't have enough space to lay it out, and the photo wouldn't show the detail. Below is a more detailed picture. When I chose the 6 fabrics for the rings. I didn't realise they would all read as one fabric when you look from a distance. I know the idea of this pattern is to be able to read each piece as a single unit, but personally I'm not too fussed. Now I just have to bind it. I have the binding all cut out, ready to go, but somewhere in the move I lost the instructions on how to bind a curved edge....so this has been the reason it is still a UFO. I have tried to Google binding instructions to complete it...with no luck. I mentioned it to the stash buster girls, and someone came up with some detailed instructions on "scalloped edges"...I just needed a different word. So, perhaps this will get finished before our 12th Wedding Anniversary next February....or maybe not! The other UFO question was "How many UFO's do you have?" Well, I am not pulling them out of the box to check....'cause I don't want to feel guilty about it...but probably about 10. That is a vast improvement if you had have asked me back in 1999! :)

Friday 16 March 2007

Green Scarf

This is the scarf I started while we were in Austria. In the afternoon when the boys were all skiing, I did a bit of knitting.
I had hoped to finish this while I was in Austria, but didn't get much of it done. I didn't go skiing in the afternoon, as my lessons were only in the morning. I was not confident to go by myself. My logic is that if I am with an instructor and I get in trouble, the instructor is obligated to get me down...somehow. If I am by myself, then it is up to me. I felt safer with my instructor. So, I was happy to drink coffee, and knit for a couple of hours.
I finally finished the scarf last week....and typically, the weather has changed, and I have put away the winter coat....and this scarf will be great for next Winter!

Hobby Day at School

Sorry no photos. Mr Day took some video, I told him strictly only to video quilts, not me!
I had a 20 minute talk with the Year 3,4 and 5's to talk about quilting. I took in about 7 of my quilts, some of the designs on graph paper, and a sample of wadding. Alexander and one of the Year 5 boys helped hold up the quilts for me as I talked about them.
I talked about how I had been quilting for about 17 years, and how I went from a simple drawing from a sheet, to the final product. The kids asked some really great questions, and I really enjoyed talking about my quilts. One of the teachers later asked me if I would teach her to quilt, and she said some of the other teachers would be interested as well. So, I need to think about this one a bit more, and see how many would be really serious about it. Below is one of the quilts that I did take along with me. As a thank you gift, I was given a box of Quality Street Chocolates...yum! :)

Learning to knit socks on 4 needles

Knitting socks is a trendy thing to do in Germany. I strive to be trendy (although it doesn't seem to work). Anyway, I like the idea of knitting with 4 needles, and have to give it a try.
This is what I have done so far....not quite looking like a sock yet. I have to continue this knitting until it is about 8 inches long, then I can start on the heel.
I like knitting with 4 needles. I am glad I wear glasses, otherwise I think I would have lost an eye by now!