Inchies - Last Set Swapped

This is the last set of inchies swapped. Thank you to Marilyn who swapped with me after the swap had finished. I had made two extra sets so I could have nine sets. This is great and really compliments the other sets I already have received. I will now have to mount them in a frame!

Dear Jane Siggy Swap 2007

I have finally put together my 2007 Siggy Swap blocks into a quilt. Thank you so much to everyone who swapped with me and to those who made extra siggies so I could reach my 169 block goal - especially Rosa who made so many for me and swapped husband, son and cat blocks with me.

I have tried to stick with the around the world colour way - but obviously didn't have enough of each colour for the most part and each corner is a different colour way, the centre is mostly my blocks and Rosa's blocks - then I have gone black, yellow, green, blue - then onto the corners - pinks, reds, browns and orange/purple/grays. I love it. I will be putting a muslin border on and quilting triangle patterns with my long arm - then scalloping the edges. (A sort of practise for the real Dear Jane quilt I am making).....and after all the talk on the DJ list - a black and white DJ sounds and looks great...but I had better finish the blue and white and the civil war reproduction ones I am making!!!LOL!

Thank you so much to everyone who participated in this swap - I have been pouring over the blocks with my Atlas.... they are lovely and I have really enjoyed this swap.

Melbourne - Pat & Lorraine & Pussycats

When I was in Melbourne - I arrived at my hotel and got into the lift - who should have been going "UP" but Lorraine - you should have seen her face when I said "Are you Lorraine?". I also got to meet Pat - who makes some absolutely gobsmacking embellished quilts (I call them art quilts because they are works of art - fabric, beads, colouring, tassles, big time BLING - and she has one that should come live with me - I have the perfect place for it in my hallway!!)






While I was in Melbourne - Pat presented me with a pair of pj's with pussycats on them and the word "Purrfect". I wear them a lot - even as I sit here typing. So when I got home, my sister and I were being two silly nuts and this is just one of the photos. James' childhood teddy is sitting in the corner with his hat pulled down - can't bear to see all the sillyness - but then I guess he is an "old" teddy!

A big thanks Pat - I really appreciate all the support you have given me in my Newbie state as a machine quilter. You really do have a heart of gold!

Melbourne - Australian Machine Quilting Exhibition

This is my wholecloth quilt - done on Cotton Sateen - I entered this into the AMQE in Melbourne in July 2007 - You can see that when you send quilts away for showing - they don't really like it because they don't hang right with all the fold marks. Never mind though - most of us girls were in the same boat as far as that was concerned - fold marks that is.

The pattern is one by Hermione Agee of Lorien Quilting - she does come up with some lovely patterns.



Here I am with my lovely quilt - I am having some nice hints from different people how this quilt should go home with them!!

This one is the Winner - well sort of - it received a "Highly Commended" And I was over the moon about that. You really can't see the pattern in the quilting very well at all - but it is "Brittany" by Hari Wallner. A very nice one if I do say so.

And last, but not least - here I am with two of my sisters - Karen, Florence and then Me!

Karen came to Melbourne with me from Tasmania and Florence came all the way from Adelaide. They are such sweeties - so thank you my lovely sisters, for your support.

Florence suggested some footballer would like to buy this quilt - Sydney Swans perhaps. Well it is yours if you can come up with $2,000.00

ATC's - Artist Trading Card Swap

These are my first attempt at Fabric Artist Trading Cards - ATC's for short. I loaded a long strip of black patterned fabric onto "Penny" (my long arm machine) and then outlined the 2.5 x 3.5 inch boxes and filled them in with gold metallic thread. I then bound the edges - fiddly at this size and I must try to do a better job next time. I then added jewels with my bejeweler - they don't show up too bad here - but look better in the flesh. I can't wait to get the ones mine are swapped with.

I guess these are really - mini quilts. They could be quite addictive.

Inchies - My First Swap

These are all the lovely inchies that I swapped with the Australian and New Zealand Art Quilters Yahoo group. The little one all by itself is from the swap coordinator. (Thanks for that - cute). I was pleased to get some from a fellow machine quilter.

I made nine sets but we swapped only six - I arranged a further swap with a lady and her set is at the bottom right hand corner.

I just love these inchies as they are put together in so many interesting ways. Now I just have to find a nice box frame to put them in.

Silly Computers & updating blogsite

I was going to update my blog this morning - but my computer will not let me upload photos - which is a shame. When I get to another computer or sort this one out I will post about the following things:

Inchie Swap - The Artist Inchie Swap is now complete - I have swapped 7 sets and they all look fantastic - can't wait to put a photo up.

Artist Trading Cards - ATC's. I have made 8 fabric ATC's which are 2.5 x 3.5inches. I actually quilted them all on my longarm (in one big long strip) and then cut them up and bound them. I had a lot of fun making them and will do it again.

I am also intrigued by ATC's - but paper medium - I have drawn since I can remember - and I have started to make a few of these to get myself back into drawing .... each one can take hours or as in my case at the moment - a few minutes! I now remember why I draw - it gives me sanity and respite from the everyday world which I find overwhelming at times.

Australian Machine Quilting Exhibition - Melbourne in July 2007: I was lucky enough to get a "Highly Commended" for my red and white striped quilt and from the critique sheets, my white wholecloth was not very far behind. I am over the moon to be given this award.

Shopping at the Melbourn Quilt Show - July 2007 - wow, I think I have spent more than enough this year! lol!!! I didn't go over my allowed funds though ...although there was a thing or two I could have been tempted with... Anyway I will post some photos of my purchases later.

Quilting: I currently have two lovely quilts to do - one for a lady in Singapore and another for a lady in Victoria. It is just amazing where quilts come from and what they look like, how they are made etc

Movies and Bikes - you wouldn't think they have anything in common - but....my husband and I belong to the Ulysses motor bike social group (people over 40 who love to socialise and ride a motorbike) - I have a Harley Davidson Dyna Superglide Custom 1450cc motorcycle and love it - when I get to ride - especially when my husband and I can spend the day together just being a bit mad and having fun! Anyway - I digress - movies...we all went to see Fracture with Sir Anthony Hopkins. What a fantastic movie, if anyone gets the opportunity to see this, it is well worth it. I could probably watch it another few times yet. The boys chose the movie and it is not the type of movie that I would usually watch - but fantastic!

So that's what I have been up to for the past month - I will post some actual pictures later. Thanks for reading my blog!

Oh....and also - I have been swapping signature blocks (siggies) with ladies in Europe and they are just fantastic - I will take photos for posting on my blog.