Cheese & Mustard

Scrappy Bow Ties: 2021  (Started: 2020)

There’s nothing better than putting together all those odd scraps that are too good to throw away but just never seem to be "just right" when planning a new quilt.  I certainly needed to find something to suit a bundle of squares I’d cut ages ago that were sitting idly in my scrap bin.  Enthused by Bonnie Hunter’s scrap philosophy, and the amazing results she achieves, I launched into her Cheddar Bow Ties pattern (2011).  

All I needed were 3 x 2 ½" squares of each fabric to be able to cut sufficient bow ties to make blocks for a decent sized quilt.  Bonnie used a cheddar fabric as her background. Yellow cheese is very popular in the US.  (US-ians like their butter white, too!  We think it’s a real hoot since we’re partial to white cheese and our yellow butter!).  Back to background choices…for some mad reason I went for a caramel colour (Dijon mustard, anyone?) which looked fine with my individual blocks but somehow became Doctor Strangelove and took absolute control when the top was finally pieced.  It was too late to make any changes, so I just had to go with the “flow” and try to make the best of a not-so-appealing background.  

This was supposed to be a “quickie” but I guessed machine quilting was not going to do anything to soften my background choice, so instead settled on hand quilting and using a thick perle cotton thread.  Deep in my thread box, I discovered some skeins of sashiko thread; a nice variegated red through green with an acid green/yellow as well.  I needed a crowbar of a needle, no hoop, miles of masking tape and lots of patience; but it’s finished at last.  The lines are ½” apart and I worked out each one took about 45 mins or more to do.  At best, I managed 3 rows a night, with regular breaks to rest sore fingers.  I’m holding off doing some Japanese boro work for a little while now.  Although I NOW have to confess to loving the look.

I tidied up the edges with a wild Aboriginal design full of colour and movement.  It’s Shirleen Campbell’s “Women Dancing for Rain‘.  It’s an unusual choice for me for this type of quilt but came about after (fabric) shopping with my quilting buddy, Yvonne.  It really does help to step back sometimes and consider other people’s opinions.  

Just for the Record:
Quilt Finished Size: 169 x 169cm 
Block Sizes: 10” (made up of 4 x 5” bow ties) 
Cut in: 12 Apr 2020 (started)
Pieced: 22 May 2020
Basted: 18 Jun 2020
Quilted: Hand: 28 Sep 2021
Quilting Thread: Japanese Sashiko Thread x 2 skeins
Quilt Type: Traditional 
Quilt Finished: 30 Sep 2021
Exhibited: 
Collection: Home #073
Pattern Name: Cheddar Bow Ties
Pattern Source: Bonnie Hunter, 2011
Fabrics Purchased: From the Stash…
Fabric Design: Prints, Stripes & anything to hand really
Fabric Style: Old to Bold
Materials Type: Printed Cottons 
Wadding Type: Cotton
Backing: Pieced using left-over remnants 

TideMark

Tidemark: 2021  (Started:2019)

I just love scrap quilts and after a rather too-long hiatus and an overflowing scrap bin, I felt the urge to search the net for inspiration.  Thanks to viewing an “extreme” (well, for me) quilt collection makeover by Pat Sloan, dying of envy for Jeni Baker's (In Colour Order) organised stash and suggestions by my friendly quilting buddies to check out Bonnie Hunter for her scrappy quilts, I present to you my take on Bonnie Hunter’s 2014 leader & ender challenge quilt.

Bonnie’s original design inspiration came from an old quilt named “Stained Glass”. It was made in 1890 by Frances Clarke Westergren of Boston and can be found in the book “Massachusetts Quilts, Our Common Wealth”.  It looks just fabulous as it is but also serves as great design to mess about with and to add your own personal touches. 

My scraps were not so much scraps but fabrics from a Moda Metro Mixologie Layer Cake pack lying dormant in my “Collections” box just waiting for the right moment to present itself.  I wanted a modern look, and if anything, thought using this selection of fabrics might lead to the quilt looking a bit too samey-samey (bland!).  Perhaps to rescue it, I decided on a black and whites for the corner blocks.  Not wanting to waste any of my Layer Cake pieces, I modified Bonnie’s block to suit, i.e. larger pieces.  Now that took some math effort! 

I’m normally fairly lazy when it comes to cutting – lulled by the ever-accurate rotary cutting instructions in Judy Martin’s books, so this came as quite a shock for the old grey matter.  Never-the-less it worked out and my math held up, until after a loooong break in proceedings, I inadvertently cut my remaining corner squares the wrong size.  Back to the drawing board, hi ho!  I now cut shapes then store them in sandwich bags; all clearly labelled with sizes.  

I’d planned to make this for a friend’s 60th (it did take a wee bit longer though) as the colours seemed to suit those chosen for her house renovation.  And the modern design, highlighted by the black & white corner blocks, looked great.  To me, it was very much in keeping with her outlook on life.  She loves the water, and as the quilt looked rather like tiles in an exotic swimming pool, I chose to finish it off with a medium stipple (or meander) pattern.  

For those interested in Pat Sloan’s stash management process, here is a link to her blog post.  Pat offers a quick and easy approach to sorting out the bags, boxes and suitcases full of scraps into functional scrap sizes. Now all I need is the time to be so organised - ha ha!   

The garden is a bit too shady to show the quilt colours at their best

Just for the Record:
Quilt Finished Size: 159 x 190cm
Block Sizes: 4.5 x 8.5” rectangles; 2 ¾” squares (incl s.a.)
Cut in: 17 Jan 2019 (started working out pattern size)
Pieced Started: 21 Mar 2020; Finished: 28 Dec 2020
Basted: 2 Jan 2021
Quilted: Machine: 15 Mar 2021
Quilt Type: Modern
Quilt Finished: 24 Mar 2021
Exhibited:
Collection: Home #071
Pattern Name: Lozenges
Pattern Source: Bonnie Hunter 2014 (PDF pattern here)
Fabrics Purchased: Moda Metro Mixologie layer cake…
Fabric Design: Prints, Stripes & Dots
Fabric Style: Brights
Materials Type: Printed Cottons
Wadding Type: Cotton
Backing: Pieced using left-over remnants
 

Progress underway in 2020

Zesty Lemons and Zippy Bees

The Queen's Honey Bees, Osborne House:  2019  (Started: 2019)

Well, I’m still on a mission to use up my existing stash and after a somewhat unsuccessful bash at “re-creating” my black & white version of Circles of Fun, I decided to check out the yellow box.  In my other “collection” box I found some small pieces called Crow Hill Apiary Garden that held promise of making the yellows interesting.  Now for a pattern…

Initially, I had thought of a quick & easy snowball à la Kaffe Fassett.  It just seemed too simple.  After all, Kaffe’s quilts sing because he uses his strong and colourful fabrics.  I wanted a bit of design complexity (without all the hard work) that would give my yellows a more modern touch.  After all, some of these fabrics have been sitting in that box for nearly 30 years! 

So, it was with some relief that I happened upon an interesting old quilt in my favourite Nancy J Martin book.  It's a design called Paths & Stiles and was a pattern made famous by Nancy Cabot.  Martin’s instructions are always so reliable, so I happily cut away, making a few changes here and there, then assembled enough blocks to make a decent sized queen bed topper.  It wasn’t until I had stitched up the top that I realised I was sewing another version of Monkey Wrench (or Churn Dash).  This was the pattern of choice for my blue box project from last year, and a single, lonely quilt made in 2018.  Oh dear!  Twilight Zone music plays…

With the Cap’n away, I managed to find time to baste and machine quilt, quick smart.  I cannot tell you the sense of achievement I felt when it was all done.  I’d even noted in my diary “finished top! – happy, buzzy lemons.” At least one quilt finished for 2019 and a very happy, and thoroughly re-inspired stitcher. 

Of course, I didn’t manage to get a photo before I leapt on the plane for warmer weather, so that’s a chore to follow…eventually

If you want to find more Nancy Cabot patterns, then here’s a few inspiring sites to spend time browsing:

• A Flicker Group organised by “Fresh Lemons” with a thoroughly Modern twist on Nancy Cabot designs…just stunning!  I hope the group is still going since Flicker’s new (& fee demanding) ownership.  Let’s see.
• A Nancy Cabot Sew Along Group
• Illinois Quilt History – Nancy Cabot
• And to finish, one of many Pinterest sites with Nancy Cabot (Chicago Tribune) patterns

Now for the Apologies:  I know I measured this quilt before I took flight, but that sticky note is lurking somewhere, with the details of its name, hiding who-knows-where.  All this, including a photograph session, and a name, will be rectified once I hit Aussie turf again, soon, maybe…

Just for the Record:

Quilt Finished Size: 170 x 170.5cm
Block Sizes: 9in
Cut in: 14 Jan 2019
Pieced: 30 Mar 2019
Basted: 5 Apr 2019
Quilted: Machine 17 May 2019
Quilt Type: Modern-ish
Quilt Finished: 24 May 2019
Exhibited: No
Collection: Home #057
Pattern Name: Nancy Cabot's Paths & Stiles
Pattern Source: Nancy J Martin's 101 Fabulous Rotary Cut Quilts p.159
Fabrics Purchased: From the Stash…with maybe just one or two newbies
Fabric Design: Various
Fabric Style: Fresh Yellows & Crow Hill Apiary Garden pieces
Materials Type: Printed Cottons
Wadding Type: Warm & Natural Cotton
Backing: Pieced using left-over remnants
Thread Use Machining: 1 reel
Thread Use Quilting: 24 Bernina bobbins (1 reel) and another 1 reel
Thread Type: Gutermann natural cotton

Moody Blues

Not quite sure what I had in mind for this section, perhaps it is just as well to start off with quilts started in 2017…  So here we go - the only one (sigh!!).

Pandora’s Blues: 2017  (Started: 2017)

Having been absent from my quilting lair and suffering somewhat from being overly fixated on scrap quilts, I poured my time into looking for a “fast fix”.  Meaning of course, that I sat in front of my computer and day-dreamed about what I could be sewing instead of actually taking myself off to my machine and just getting on with it.  Still it was fun (& don’t you just love web sites that point you in the direction of free quilt downloads_try this one, Quilt Inspiration) and I managed to unearth a design, from Cotton & Steel that got my heart beating – and eventually the Bernina humming, again. (The pattern’s a freebie to download. Link HERE. Isn’t that nice of them!)

This is the first_ Pandora's Blues

Back of Pandora's Blues

The result is slightly smaller than the original and certainly more colourful as the quilt became something of an “empty the fridge” type mix, and my box of blues looked almost in danger of becoming empty.  There is nothing like a stash buster to make one’s machine sing and lighten the mood of someone with “quilters block”.  In fact, I madly cut away (and even consigned to the bin smallish pieces not suitable for applique) my churn dash shapes without really thinking about how many I would need – my mood was not on a precise setting.

The result was enough blocks for two not-quite-single bed quilts.  I played with the blocks for a while on my design wall (a flannelette sheet) until I had them suitably assigned and set about sewing them in rows – no sashing.  My quilting was even more spartan, just a couple of lines in-the-ditch.  These were no show ponies.  One now resides on my bed in my home-away-from-home and the other has been gifted as a snuggle rug to my soon to be grandchild #2 – who incidentally will have a passion for blues even if the baby turns out to be a girl.  Just like her grandmother!!

Nothing quite like a breaking drought is there to bring back a bit of the old creative drive! 

And this is Pandora's Blues_Remix...
enough left-over blocks for a second quilt

Back of Pandora's Blues_Remix 

Just for the Record:

Quilt Finished Size: 160 x 182cm
Block Sizes: 20cm (8") 
Cut in: Apr 2017
Pieced & Basted: Aug 2017
Quilted: Machine Sep 2017
Quilt Type: Modern Scrappy
Quilt Finished: September 2017
Exhibited: Never
Collections: Pandora's Blues Gifted to William Burhmann,“Old Bill” March 2025 &

Pandora’s Blues - Remix, gifted to new baby Grandson Dexter on 16 Oct 2017

Pattern Name: Indigo Dash (a Churn Dash block)
Pattern Source: Cotton & Steel_Web link HERE
Fabrics Purchased: Selected from the Blue Stash…
Fabric Design: Varied
Fabric Style: Varied Collection over many years
Materials Type: Printed Cottons
Wadding Type: Cotton
Backing: Pieced using up even more of my blues

Making good use of my Pandora's Blues quilt in my floating home until it was 
re-homed with "Old Bill" in his new cabin, Deltaville VA
(the one underneath is a cheapie to hold the fort until I have both time & energy)

A Grand (Purple) Idea

Moroccan Mosaic: 2016  (Started:2011)

When it’s finally done, I think I’ll have to call this one the “Will I or Won’t I Quilt”….

Source: Quiltmania #68, p21
Now I look back, my quilt doesn't look anything like this at all!

It all started as a grand idea – an inspiration stemming from an old quilt (19^th c_Piece 67) I’d seen in a QNM, then again later in a 2008 Quiltmania mag (#68 p21).  After lots of sketching and thinking, I gave up the idea of circles on squares (but not before cutting out a heap of fabric circles) and went with another idea I’d sourced from a new Kaffe Fassett book^^ I’d picked up in Camden ME (11/9/10), land of the real windjammers.  Kaffe’s quilt design is called Tilt and it’s a delicious field of colourful rectangles.  Those rectangles spoke to me.

So, with the few leftovers from my already cut circles (damn!), I managed to scrape together enough pieces from my Purple Patch collection plus a few little extras from the stash to put together an interesting background  of rectangles.  The circles however looked insipid on it and I was really searching for “Something Flashy” so it was back to the drawing board for a (long, long) while. 

It was those wonderful paper pieced circles made from scraps (Circles of Fun) pattern that jolted me back to this quilt.  Some of the girls were working on a COF quilt in late 2013 and that inspired me to make scrappy but colour controlled circles which would float on top of my restrained rectangles.  Wow!   It worked and saved the quilt from being wholesome, predictable, and a tad boring even. 

So here we are in early 2015, still piecing this top.  Only the borders to go now!  On reflection, isn’t it rather odd that I’ve yet again decided to branch out on a design your own quilt based on grandmothers fan.  Ring any bells?  Why yes, it’s those still unfinished silk stumbling fans….still crazy after all these years.  Perhaps I should rush out and buy a lottery ticket.

^^(Kaffe Fassett’s Simple Shapes Spectacular Quilts, Tilt p46.)

So here we are in March 2016 and finally I can call this one finished.  I used bamboo wadding and whilst it needled beautifully, it also fluffed a bit and needed fairly close stitching.  Not sure I'd go for it again.  For the record, I quilted this one using Perle #8 in three colours; a lush fuchsia, a rich dark purple and a cakky green (yes, that’s cakky! not khaki & I realise there’s a joke in there somewhere). 

Just for the Record:
Quilt Finished Size: 134 x 191cm
Block Sizes: 11.5 x 6.5”rectangles; 14” & 8.5” circles (diameter)
Cut in: 19 Feb 2011
Piecing Began: 14 May 2011
Pieced & Basted: 3 Apr 2015
Quilted: Hand 2015-16
Quilt Type: Interpretation of Traditional Quilt
Quilt Finished: Mar 2016
Exhibited: No
Collection: Home# 052
Pattern Name: Own Design
Pattern Source: Background - Kaffe Fassett & Wheels - Sue Ross
Fabrics Purchased: Purple Patch
Fabric Design: Purple Patch Collection & Kaffe Fassett
Fabric Style: Modern
Materials Type: Printed Cottons
Wadding Type: Bamboo
Backing: Pieced using left-over remnants

Eighty Stars

Ice Kacang: 2004  (Started: 1999)

Essentially this story is the same as “Soda Pop to Hip Hop”.  Both were made at the same time.  I loved the ease of putting the blocks together. For this one, I chose to make Stars in the Sashing.  (I just love that Hopkins & Martin patterns make cutting and sewing so, so, so easy!)  I also loved the 3D effect of this design and was inspired to look further into transparency and depth using colour. 

I named this quilt after a Malaysian dessert – a favourite refreshing ice snack – that I could never quite resolve whether it was sweet or savoury.  However, it is really tooth-achingly sweet!

Given its vintage qualities, it seemed appropriate to give this quilt to Dad for his 80^th Birthday.  I asked the family at his birthday bash to sign their names (in fabric pen) to mark the occasion.  Pretty sure Mum won’t let him use it though…. 

Just for the Record:
Quilt Finished Size: 152 x 195cm (60 x 77")
Block Size: 4 ¾” units
Cut in: 1999
Pieced & Basted: Machine 2001
Quilted: Machine 2003
Quilt Type: Personal Choice
Quilt Finished: 2004
Exhibited:  No
Collection: Private
Pattern Name: Stars in the Sashing
Pattern Source: Hopkins & Martin, 1998 p214
Fabrics Purchased: Keepsake Quilting
Fabric Design: 1930’s
Fabric Style: Cotton
Materials Type: Cotton
Wadding Type: Thin Cotton Batt
Backing: Cotton

Lessons Learned:
I just had fun being bold with bold colours, especially the plains, like bubblegum pink & that gakky, mustard colour that went with the 1930’s (Judie Rothermel, Aunt Grace) collections. I must add however that the cotton wadding I used for both these quilts is exceptionally heavy.  I could certainly not have hand quilted through it!  This experience did make me more aware (& more careful) about future choices of batting.

(Well, it will have to be a photo next time I visit.  How it escaped me & my trusty camera makes me wonder but I'm realising how the road to record "history" can be a bit rocky & full of holes - even when it's your own!)

Photos - not the best but at least its a start

Fresh from the 1930's

Soda Pop to Hip Hop: 2004  (Started: 1999)

Looking very sunny on a cloudy day

Somehow life seemed full of work and no play, so during a holiday break in 1999, I “went nuts” cutting up fabrics for two quilts.  I wanted to try a few patterns from Hopkins & Martin’s book, (101 Fabulous Rotary Cut Quilts, 1998 - my favourite pattern source) to use some 1930’s prints I had ordered from the US.  Let me digress...  Everyone was so keen on Keepsake Quilting!  We purchased fabrics quite easily by mail order and had their catalogue included in the box of delights sent back to us!  We would read those catalogues (or dogalogues depending on your bent!) for hours and hours.  I think I still have mine put away for a rainy day…   Fabrics, patterns and clothing – all things on offer were far more exciting than those available at home. 

Back to the quilt!  I chose a lemon background, a bold choice indeed, to go with my 30’s collection for a scrappy but fresh, bouncy look.  I was quite taken with the way the pattern “tricked the eye” into seeing a 3D effect.  I set about rotary cutting, machine piecing and covering my lounge room floor with blocks.  I kept a selection of left-overs for my backing which added a nice finish. Before long, I had a wonderful top, which was relegated to the UFO pile for a while.

A close-up of my sparse quilting.  I've just read
that Kerr & Ringle steam their quilts prior to a
show. Maybe I should have thought of that too! 

As I’ve previously mentioned, after purchasing my Bernina, I went on a bit of a marathon to finish some of my dreaded UFO stockpile.  I purchased a new machine because it worked out cheaper for me to quilt my own rather than send out for long-arm services.  I must admit that I also find great satisfaction in completing the “creative process” by choosing and applying my quilting design.  For this quilt, I wanted to keep the quilting subtle and in straight lines, mostly using the walking foot (showing my nervous beginnings).  This choice however, does allow the colours and patterns to shine, especially the 3D effect of the white pieces, which seem to float above the rest of the quilt when seen from a distance.  Hence my choice of title!

I was inspired by the works of dynamic quilting duo Bill Kerr & Weeks Ringle, and also Melody Crust who use simple shapes and quilting for great effect.  As I look back, I can see the beginnings of the modern quilt movement in their work. 

 

(Weeks Ringle also has her own blog, Craft Nectar, which is worth time exploring.)

Left-overs floating on a Monet inspired backing fabric
(framed by a nice view too!)

Just for the Record:

Quilt Finished Size: 181x 181cm
Block Size: 7 ½” set on point
Cut in: 1999
Pieced & Basted: Machine 2001
Quilted: Machine 2003
Quilt Type: Personal Choice
Quilt Finished: 2004
Exhibited:  Australia Day 2011
Collection: Home# 036
Pattern Name: Churn Dash or Monkey Wrench
Pattern Source: Hopkins & Martin, 1998 p81
Fabrics Purchased: Keepsake Quilting 17/3/99
Fabric Design: 1930’s
Fabric Style: Cotton
Materials Type: Cotton
Wadding Type: Thin Cotton Batt
Backing: Cotton

Lessons Learned:
I needed a quick fix and this was one of those easy “I need to get back into quilting” quilts. I am still fond of simple geometric shapes and quilting that adds personality to a quilt. I often refer to Lee Cleeland’s book, “Quilting Makes the Quilt” 1994. This is a fantastic resource for checking out various patterns; not only patterns but how different a quilt can look if quilted with alternate patterns. If I had my time over with this quilt, I would have been braver, adding a little more quilting.

Show Pony

Quilted Jacket: 1997

I wanted to update my wardrobe with a little bit of patchwork fashion and had fallen for Mary Mashuta’s book, "Wearable Art for Real People", 1989.  I chose my favourite design, found a pattern and selected fabrics with pink & black roses as a starting point. Later I added a batik, a nice soft, fine cotton, for lining and sandwiched pellon inbetween.  The main fabric was hand dyed (discharged dyed) after folding it shibori style.  (This actually jogs my memory about a class I did with Deborah Brearley and the Geelong Quilters Guild- 4 Jun 1988- some years before.)  I've been dabbling with dyeing (procion dyes & bleaches) every now and then ever since.  

I loved this jacket, even though I hardly wore it.  I had made the sleeves ¾ length and I found that a bit annoying in the end.  Somehow solutions to fix it only seemed to make it worse.  And by then of course, such dramatic pieces were no longer fashionable...

The jacket would look better if it was on a model but
one can't take photos & model at the same time!!!

Learning New Things

Stars & Angels: 1997

I made this mini wall hanging in a self-help workshop with the RLI girls.  We decided we wanted to learn the “new” & fashionable fused applique technique.  The girls had just emerged from a series of classes for a traditional Baltimore-style applique quilt, so this fast, finish-in-a-day sample (sure! ever hopeful...) seemed a bit of a release. 

Being so close to Christmas, we worked with that theme in mind and chose this pattern, although I’m not sure where it actually came from.  We fused on the angels and stars, then blanket stitched around them.  The result was a bit folk-arty for me.  I used up lots of Christmas fabric scraps (many were rather old designs, even then….but waste not, want not!).  I used even more left-overs for a random patched backing.   It all worked quite well with the folksy theme.

Just for the Record:

Quilt Finished Size: 65x 78.5cm
Block Size:”
Cut in: 1997
Pieced & Basted: Machine 1997
Quilted: Hand 1997
Quilt Type: Workshop
Quilt Finished: 1997
Exhibited:  No
Collection: Home# 028
Pattern Name: Unknown
Fabrics Purchased: 1980’s
Fabric Design: Christmas prints
Fabric Style: Cotton
Materials Type: Cotton
Wadding Type: Cotton
Backing: Cotton

Lessons Learned:
Whilst I enjoyed spending the day with the girls, I think I was beginning to understand that I wasn’t getting much joy from slavishly copying other people’s quilts. Having said that, I do think it’s important to try new techniques and experiment a little (or a lot!).  All this helps define your own style.  

Using up every last bit of scrap

Scrappy Shoo Fly

Shoo Fly Star: 2004  (Started: 1997)

We made a Shoo Fly Star pattern in a workshop with Joy Dixon (Feb & Mar 97) arranged by the RLI girls.  This one was to be my second pink & grey – perhaps I had so many left-overs from the previous quilt I needed to do something with them.  I only made a sample or two of the blocks (it was a new method for sewing flying geese) as I couldn’t make all the lessons.  Eventually in 1998 I resorted to a pattern in Nancy Martin’s Book “Rotary Roundup” p97 to get on with constructing the top. That book was a real help too as I’ve always found the Hopkins & Martin books very accurate when it comes to instructions eg. rotary cutting measurements.   

This one is made up from two blocks, a shoo fly star and a sawtooth or evening star. Ready for basting in late 2001.  Eventually, I gave it to mum for her spare bed although I’m not sure of the year.  No details confirmed until I next visit…….

Just for the Record:
Quilt Finished Size: 168x 208cm
Block Size: 8”
Cut in: 1997
Pieced & Basted: Machine 2001
Quilted: Machine 2004
Quilt Type: Workshop
Quilt Finished: 2004
Exhibited:  No
Collection: Private
Pattern Name: Shoo Fly Star
Pattern Source: Joy Dixon
Fabrics Purchased: Colour Collection
Fabric Design: Prints & Plains
Fabric Style: Cotton
Materials Type: Cotton
Wadding Type: Cotton Batt
Backing: Cotton

Lessons Learned:
I was finally beginning to relax a little with the machine quilting technique and although still doing straight lines realised that was ok as long as the design was used effectively, improving on the look of the quilt. (This was before the rage for large quilting machines and at a time when I’d just purchased my new Bernina in 2003 – but more on that later!)  

A  few notes embroidered on the back to help me remember?

An Aside:  I'd quite forgotten that I machine quilted this in Delhi and bought the stripe fabric for the bindings from a tailor's shop in Khan Market.  The funny thing was that they did not believe that I had actually sewn the quilt myself...  They must not have met too many (fastidious) quilters! 

Red Stars & Green Checks

Red Stars: 1998 & Green Checks: 1998  (Started: 1997)

These quilts were constructed following a shopping trip with the RLI girls!  I can remember stitching them frantically while we were still living at Watsons Bay.  Even Sue from the Bondi Evening Embroiderers can remember my frenzied efforts, which she kindly reminded me during our 2008 Art Quilts classes!  Not clear what became of J’s quilt even though he did take a fancy to it; I don’t think it survived its little holiday down in Ulladulla – and hasn’t been seen since!

This is the "missing" link; probably wrapped around
a surfboard somewhere.  Block 15" & finished size 170cm square

Both quilts were made in flannel, popular at the time as they produced a “cuddly” quilt, but were rather poor quality material.  I machine patched them and then tied them with buttons rather than quilt them.  Regrettably, the flannel did not appear to be wearing well, so I stitched them both in Perle (#5?) in matching colours (navy & dark green) to hold them all together, finishing this task in 1998.  This was the first time I had used Perle thread for quilting and I was rather pleased with both the effect and the fact it stitched up fairly quickly.  The combination of checks and plains did make a colourful, if not somewhat dark, boy’s quilt but I have never touched flannel again!  Great for PJ’s but not quilts when you consider all the work you put into them!

Shown finished to the RLI girls at our regular Saturday Randwick meeting on 18^th April 1998.

Pre-digital & sharing with "not so lovely" washing...

Just for the Record: A’s only
Quilt Finished Size: 119x 152cm
Block Size: 12”
Cut in: 1997
Pieced & Basted: Machine 1997
Quilted: Tied & Hand 1997-98
Quilt Type: Family
Quilt Finished: April 1998
Exhibited:  No
Collection: Home# 027
Pattern Name: Nine Patch on Point
Fabrics Purchased: 1997
Fabric Design: Checks & Plains
Fabric Style: Flannelette Cotton
Materials Type: Cotton
Wadding Type: Thin Poly Batt
Backing: Cotton

Somehow the colours are not "real" in these two photos
Here is yet another lesson in photographing quilts....

Lessons Learned:
This was most certainly a big lesson on fabric choices and fashion fads. Whilst flannel quilts were certainly cuddly, they did not stand up to wear & tear, even in their first year, hence the need to quilt them.  Even though they were meant to be “everyday” quilts, there is so much work involved (not to mention expense) that I now would prefer to choose quality fabric every time.