Weekend Retreat and Class Quilts

I went to retreat on the weekend with our Tasmanian Quilting Guild group - what a wonderful venue (Poatina).   I had a great time and got a lot of stuff done.

This little quilt top still needs borders ... but I am happy to have it done as I am teaching this quilt to a beginners Adult Education class in Launceston in July ... can't wait.

Here is the same quilt in a different colour way - this time I have used charm squares in the centre of the blocks.

 I sewed all the centre bits for my Double Wedding ring quilt - that took a long long time.

Used my curved piecing foot to do the curved ends - this was so easy - no pinning and great curved seams.

Hand stitched a heap of my stars together - this is for a quilt I am making using Robyn Pandolph fabrics - I purchased a whole heap of left over scraps off the lovely Christine about a year or so ago and this project is progressing nicely.

I played with my embellishment machine - I was lucky enough to get this for mothers day and left it in the box to play with at retreat - what a great machine - I could go to town with this one ... I really slapped this piece together just to see what the machine could do ... the possibilities if I actually take time to plan what I wanted to do.   Fun fun fun.

It does some really cool scrunching of the fabric ... then I stitched all over with metallic gold thread to give it a lift.

I would like to add some beading and edging to the top of the journal cover still.

A few weeks ago I did a dangerous thing ... I picked up my old crochet hook - I haven't done anything like this since I started quilting in about 2002/03 - I could really get hooked into it again - pardon the pun - lol!

I made this easy scarf in about three hours one night ... my own pattern but it is just crocheting in the holes rather than in the stitches and a ball of varigated wool.  Very warm and snuggly.   I am now making a cowel ... no pic yet but it will be finished pretty soon ... got to do something warm on these very cold nights we are having.

And last, but not least - the Wedding Party - that was the theme of our retreat and a few people got dressed up - I conned the resturant manager to stand in as the groom - he was a lovely lad - great service manager.

Do you recognise any of these people - what about that bride - a few buns in the oven I think ... what a great retreat - lots of laughs and fun, nice food, warm beds, great company and lots of work done.

Okay ... off to do some work now.   Happy quilting for now .... Jane x

A Pinch and a Punch ....

A Pinch and a Punch for the First Day of The Month, a Kick and a Hit for Being So Quick ...did you used to say that when you were little - my goodness, we still do and it still makes my 17year old smile when we say it!

My "Life is Beautiful" quilt is home from The Quilt Patch .... I will now sew on those little pies - that will keep my fingers busy for a while in the evenings.

There are a few of them.

A cat in a box - "Jet" in his favourite spot.

On top of the outside fridge.

Two lazy boys , "Merlin" and "Jonathan" .  They were watching Ironman again, because the new movie is out - and you just have to watch the first one again before you see the new one!

I have decided to use the cream quilters muslin to do my wedding ring quilt - you can't really get a good idea here, but this fabric works much much better than the other fabric I was thinking of.

And, finally - some stitching that I did quite awhile ago - last year in fact .

I even lined it with pretty pink fabric.

Ta Da .... it's a fabric bag ... I just have to finish off embellishing it and it will look pretty in my quilting room.    There are a few people though who think they are getting it for their birthdays ... Not I say!

Happy Quilting for now ... I will not be posting until next weekend I don't think .... I have a busy weekend and week of longarm machine quilting .... starting in about half an hour (working on the weekends - great to be my own boss - slave driver I say)!

Hugs ... Jane x

A New Project in the Pipeline

Some time ago I decided I wanted to make a Wedding Ring Quilt - but not traditional colours - I wanted to use taupes.   But....I have also recently decided that I shouldn't buy any more fabric if I can use something I already have in my considerable stash.

Last year I got these yummy fat quarters from the Sturbridge Village Harvest by Judie Rothermel Range.  I really love the colours.   I just happened to have enough fat quarters (24) to make a bed sized wedding ring quilt.  All I need now is 4.5metres of background fabric - and I have this lovely dark creamy fabric with little flowers - the alternative is to use cream quilters muslin.   I'll have to think about it for awhile before cutting the background fabric.

This is my little project box with all the pieces cut out and ready to go.   I will be machine piecing this project.  A good retreat project I think.

And this is the pattern I will be using.  I like the way these rings are really round, not squashed like some patterns are.

Wish me luck ...  I think I will make this quilt for my darling husband ... I have never made him a quilt before, and I'm sure he will like the colours.

Happy Quilting for now ... Jane x