Velvet, RB&W and a Candlewick Quilt - not all together

 This quilt was made by Judy - she doesn't quilt - it is an absolutely fantastic effort.  I like it as it reminds me of tartan for some reason.

 She picked an edge to edge pattern called "Popcorn" which looks like clouds and a dark blue thread.

 The back was stunning - Judy had chosen a dark blue velvet.  I was hesitant to quilt it and said I would try.   After the first little bit I could see it was going to look great.  It loved the stitching.   It was pretty yucky to put on the quilt machine and I had a few headaches....but it was worth it.

 A little Red Black and White quilt from Sally ... who doesn't love RB&W quilts?

 I used a red thread on both the front and back ... look at that back ....yummy.

 And a Candlewick quilt which has now winged it's way back to Queensland.    I had carte blanche to quilt this, as long as I used my feathers.   I chose to do each block with the same four feathers, fitting into the candlewick pattern.  I have also stitched around the candlewick to give definition and make it pop.   The lace was also quilted down.

 One very happy owner = one happy quilter!

 Some obligatory cat photos - Jet snoozing on my Thousand Pyramid Quilt that I call the "Red Herring".  I quilted it with an edge to edge pattern of fish with a varigated thread and changed the colour out for three of the fish to make them red - hence "Red Herring".

I know, I know - a bit mad!  Jet likes it though.

And Merlin found another spot to sleep - a Queen sized bed was not big enough for two of them!

This week I have on the quilting machine a lovely stitchery quilt ... I am able to give my undivided attention to ...loving it!

Happy quilting for now .... Jane x

Happy Easter Holiday

This is a beautiful little quilt that I quilted for Sally at The Quilt Patch (St John Street - Launceston).  The girls at The Quilt Patch have the patterns for sale and if I had a girl I would have had to make it .. I was very tempted!   I have no affiliations and there is no brown paper bags here - lol - it is just that I think it is beautiful and I enjoyed quilting it for Sally.  I don't often get to see the quilts I have quilted finished and bound.

 Look at that centre ... how could you not love it!

 It is by Leanne Beasly "Down in the Garden" ... very very nice!

 Here is another little quilt I have recently done - edge to edge quilting with hearts and four leaf clovers as requested - very cute.

And I had to show you this ... Merlin (the cream coloured cat) and Shadow (my black moggie girl) together alseep on my lap.  Shadow absolutely hates the boys and hisses and spits when they come near her usually, but was not about to give up her place on my lap - she totally ignored Merlin when he came and pushed in ... amazing.  They have been as close as they can get to me for weeks now since we got home ... I don't think they like us leaving them behind.

Okay ... I hope you all have a lovely Easter holiday break ... get lots of quilting done (or not)!  I will be off line until I return from Melbourne where I am doing a number of workshops at Michelle's Sewing Basket - looking forward to that.   I hope everyone enjoys the Tasmanian Quilt Show - I am sad that I will be missing out as it is when I am booked in Melbourne :(
Happy Quilting for now ... see you all soon!

Welcome to the New Year

 Some of last year's quilts ... I love Maisy - this was a quilt that I was asked to make up from some Maisy panels - isn't it cute.

 Another edge to edge pattern - Angel Wings.

 This is a Tasmanian Brown Trout - very yummy.  We went fishing in the Highland Lakes region in Tasmania over the New Year ... very relaxing.

 Of course we took our kitties with us ... Merlin loved the wood pile.

 Jet preferred the bucket - any bucket will do.

This was the view from our tent - directly overlooking Lake Arthur - 'twas beautiful.

So ... welcome to the New Year - I know we are a fair way into January already but better late than never!   

I am looking forward to a wonderful quilting journey again this year ... and to start it all off I have been asked to be a guest speaker at the The Australian Quilters Association later this year ... now that is an honour and I am looking forward to it immensely. 

Happy Quilting for now ... Jane x

Do The Zentangle at Australian Machine Quilting Festival in Adelaide

This is just some of what I have been up to  ... I can't show you the whole thing because it is for my class at the Australian Machine Quilting Festival in Adelaide - only 15 days to go - I can't believe I will be there so soon.

If you are going to Adelaide between the 1 and 4 October make sure you head on over to Mawson Lakes and visit the show - it is for all quilters and will have a wondeful display of Machine Quilted Quilts - this part of the exhibition is by the Australian Machine Quilters Association.

I can tell you a bit about my class though.   It is called "Do the Zentangle" - I know I could have come up with a different name, but this is kinda cute - yes?

If you have always wanted to learn how to draw Zentangles, then I can show you how.  But I am a longarm machine quilter and I wanted to bring the two together... I have made fabric journal covers with Zentangles, fabric coasters and boxes with Zentangles, and I thought what do machine quilters do?   Machine quilters make patterns on fabric with thread ... so I played around with the patterns as background fillers, I also used some well known background fillers as Zentangles so it works both ways.    You will remember my green table runner a few posts back ... this was quilted with Zentangle patterns.    The portrait I am making here will be quilted with Zentangle patterns and I have also made some of  these above ... just to show you how it can be done with thread.

If you want to know more on how you can incorporate this style into your quilting ... come and do one of my classes ... there are two on offer at the AMQF ... one on Friday afternoon and the other on Saturday morning.   It will be fun!   You will learn something I'm sure!  You will go home with the knowledge that YOU CAN DRAW!  I love shouting that as much as I love exclamation markes! lol!

Now back to serious matters ... the obligatory kitty picture ... this is Jet this morning being a layabout catching the morning sun. A very handsome cat to be sure!

And a sneaky peek at my other little burning project ... don't you just love how the darker piece of fabric underneath the leaves gives depth and dimension ...  Anyway the sun is out and I have washing to hang out this morning then getting back to work in the Quilt room here.

Happy quilting for now .. Hope to see some of you in Adelaide ... Jane x

Pretty Girly Quilts

A little bit of pretty ... I don't have a daughter so I don't get to make pretty ... thankfully my customers bring me pretty quilts to quilt - this is just beautiful and I love the colours.  Made by Helen, quilted by Jane - thanks Helen for the lovely colour in this quilt it was a joy.

Just look at those colours - Kaffe and Brandon's fabrics I think.

And more pretty pretty pretty ... love the green and pinks together - they make a great combination in this quilt.

Mmmm ...

And a beautiful back on another quilt ... This fabric is georgeous (from Widebacks).

 Merlin on the weekend after a visit from two friends ... too much excitement in one day for a little cat!

And Jet waiting for Jacq to come back and play - he did have some fine jumping opportunities with his favourite toy.


Happy quilting to everyone for the week ... I am head down busy quilting again this week.   I am glad it is school holidays and I don't have to drive my son to classes ... at nearly 18 he is happy entertaining himself during the holidays - his last as he finishes year 12 this year.   We are doing the driving lesson thing which hasn't been too bad at all really. 

Oh and only 19 days until I am teaching at the Adelaide Machine Quilters Festival 1-4 October 2010 - very exciting ... they have a lot of classes on offer and have recently added a few more  - go on over and have a browse if you are going to be in Adelaide.

Hugs ... Jane

Early One Saturday Morning

Well ... early yesterday morning at 4am I arose to send off my husband for a day of trout fishing (incidentally - he didn't catch one fish!)   So not wanting to go back to bed I decided to embark on a little project that I have wanted to do for a long time.

I made a needle keep.  Now this embroidery is my first time at this style ... I have done simple back stitcheries but nothing like this before - so be gentle with me - lol.

I used all DMC threads and a bit of silk ribbon that I had.  Those bullion flowers needed to be bigger and the leaves as well - but I am happy with my first attempts.

The whole picture!

The inside - I made it a bit different to the pattern as  I used 100% cotton batting for my needles rather than felt stitched onto the lining.

I also wound on a few skeins of DMC threads that I had sitting in a bag ....

Doesn't this look much better than a bag full of threads.   All neat and tidy.

And a little box for the varigated ones.

To keep it catty ... Jet lazing in the sunshine

Shadow waiting to go outside to play...

Merlin quite happy just being Merlin really.

And to add some quiltyness ... this beautiful big quilt is destined to be a raffle quilt to raise funds for a home that caters to Cancer patients in Hobart ... when I have more details I will post them here ... the raffle is expected to be drawn in April 2011.

These photos really don't do this quilt justice - it is beautiful and the colours are luscious.

Okay ...  a reminder that in 4.5 weeks I am teaching at the Australian Machine Quilting Festival in Adelaide 1-4October .... they have added another class on Friday - so if you wanted to do my class but it clashed with something you were doing on Saturday - you can now do a Friday class - yay!

And then it is only another week and I am off to Massachusetts USA to do a class at the home of Zentangle with Rick and Maria - I can't wait for that either.

Happy quilting for now ... Hugs Jane x

Baby Quilts and The Lure of Television

This is a little baby hexie quilt one of my customers made for her grandchild ... the daughter in law asked for black and white - isn't it wonderful.

Very cute indeed - but I am partial to hexagons!

Another little baby quilt

And ... another baby quilts .... must be the time of year for baby quilts.   I do like the colours in this one - very soft with that dash of red.

And yesterday was spent at my Mum's place - with my brother and my husband starting to put up a covered back pergola - this will be a great space when it is finished with laser light roof.   It was bitterly cold yesterday and they worked pretty hard to keep warm.

And Merlin has discovered Television - he sits and watches very closely at times - especially if there are birds on.

But these Meerkats were almost too much for him ... we couldn't keep him away from the TV - he was fascinated.


Happy quilting for now ... hope you all have a lovely week.    Jane x