Quick post

No Photos - but I have been busy this week doing a workshop with Ken Smith - Textile Artist - who does some amazing things with freehand embroidery - will post pics later next week.....in the meantime - check out his web site. He is a funny and informative tutor - a great week and I can't wait until next year to do it again!
http://www.bennett-smith.com/

Retreat Quilting

A few weekends ago I went on Tas Scquilters retreat to Camp Clayton - a lovely place to have a retreat - did lots and lots of quilting and made three tops on my new sewing machine which is like a dream to sew on. Lots of good company and quilty stuff - absolutely loved "show and tell" - there are some amazing quilters out there. Even saw Jill's partially completed quilt as you go "Dear Jane" quilt - beautiful work.

These pictures are higgledy piggledy - the red/black/white quilt is one I put together on retreat a few weekends ago (1 of 3 tops I did) but it still needs it's borders put on.









I have also been doing some more ink art - which I love to do. I have been cutting an A5 sheet of medium weight acid free drawing paper into 4 pieces and then drawing a picture that goes over the whole 4 pieces - looks good when split apart (if this makes sense).











This is not a quilter - but I had to take a picture of my lovely DH James painting the house - the house will look lovely with a fresh coat of paint - it's been awhile!









This quilt is now finished off with a lovely pale green binding and is SOLD! Yay.










Very bright quilt - this is before I pieced it and added sashings - I will post another picture when I have it quilted and bound.







More ink art - this one needs to be trimmed and placed in protective plastic sleeve so it can be mounted on the fridge (just put a fridge magnet in behind the picture in the sleeve and it's ready to go) I do like the messy unfinished edge look though - and will be a shame to trim it up. I think I might like to do some that are the whole A5 sheet and not cut them up. Amazing what you come up with really.











More ink art - duck and elephant have appeared in these two 4x4's....definately have to work out a way to utilise these in my art quilts - I will have to try to print them onto fabric with the printer. Have Bubble Jet Set - just need time to play.

Did I show you this?

The Cat fabric quilt has been quilted with Cat Paws pattern. I made this quilt at the last Launceston Patchwork Quilters Group retreat - a very fast and easy quilt - from Bonny Hunter's Quiltville site.




This is the cat surveying her domain!

A few more finished projects

My batik quilt made from a pattern by Karla Alexander in her book Stack a New Deck - this one is called "Sushi" but I made it with Batik rather than Japanese fabrics - I like the look of this and how some of the blocks blend into each other.

I have to get moving and finish binding this one.

So it is not quite finished.










This obviously is not a finished project.... it is the weeping cherry tree that my mother in-law gave my husband for his 40th birthday - well it was his 48th birthday last week and the tree was well and truly out in flower for him - it is absolutely georgeous for about three weeks then we have little cherry blossom petals all over the yard - still pretty though.







This is a finished project - I made this portable cutting table and block keeper for doing my Dear Jane quilt blocks ... it is really very handy - but I will have to add a pocket so I can keep blocks waiting to be done.













This is a nice sized quilt that I peiced together without a pattern - I had a real green day when I was going through my stash looking for something to do. It really went together very quickly.








If you look closely you can see the middle fabric of each block is actually one piece - pretty tricky - fabric that already has strata!



I quilted it with an allover pattern "Trellis Vine" - the effect is really very nice.

A few more finished projects

I made this cushion from a kit I purchased from "The Quilted Crow" in Hobart http://www.thequiltedcrow.com.au/ - it is lovely and easy to make. I just loved the Civil War fabrics, and I am a sucker for hexagon shapes.










This little lovely is from a Charm Pack and Jelly Roll - there were still some strips left over from the jelly roll. I just made this up to fit the charm squares - easy peasy - no pattern.




































This is the backing fabric - just love that too!

It's been a while!

Remember this from last year, or was it the year before?








Well, it went from lengths of fabric to itty bitty 1 inch hexagons - thousands of them



Then to this..... all laid out on a sheet just for the pussy cat to run and play on - lol!










And almost finally to this....

Now I have just a few hundred more white hexagons to add to the top and it will be ready for quilting - it is my own configuration with the small hexagon flowers making an almost squared off border for the flower garden.




I think I will call this "Jane's Blue Garden" as I have made it during a very difficult and trying time of my life. I am so lucky to have a husband who is totally supportive of me and very very patient - so I will have to dedicate this quilt to him. Of course I will have to finish it also!'

Cheers for now
Jane xx