Williamsburg Bugs (Curious?)

 Waltzing in Spring: 2022  (Started: 2021)

The Curio Collection designed by Betsy Olmsted was another super bargain I purchased at the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum Gift shop (Williamsburg, Virginia) in 2019.  So good in fact, I toyed with the idea of getting a second bundle.  Now that I’ve finished this quilt, I’m rather glad I didn’t.

This collection is so distinctive and I am so used to “scrapping from my stash”, that it took me ages & ages to decide on a pattern.  My challenge to myself was to work with only the collection fat quarters and not to add any “blendables” from my stash.  I also didn’t want to cut the pieces too small and ruin all those gloriously bright bugs and butterflies.  Once I found the Fat Quarter Fancy design by Caroline, SewCanShe, in Tula Pink’s wild fabrics, I knew this block, in version II, would work for me.  True to form, it sewed up easily and fairly quickly.  I even managed to make up some smaller squares from the left-over triangles – more fodder for the downsized but still dreaded scrap box! 

Waltzing in Spring out on show at last

But good old Bertie Bernina played up and refused to cooperate, so construction took a little longer than I planned.  Of course, we were still in Covid lockdown during this time too and the repair centre was well outside my LGA.  Such a dance; such a performance!  Dame Nellie Melba could not have done better.

Finally, all blocks were completed.  Not without having to add a few extra fabrics to make up the necessary block numbers, but I think they blend in well with the original collection.  I then spent some time arranging these blocks and finally settled on rows in colour order rather than random placement.  The colours are quite strong and range from blacks to bright colours, so rows seemed the best way to contain all that colour contrast and energy.  The backing was also an interesting decision to make and I finally settled on a bottlebrush design (bright red flowers on a black ground) by Jocelyn Proust then partnered this with a black and white modern print. (Photo when it comes off the wall!).  I quilted this one with a medium stipple in variegated thread.  I rather like the way it reflects the watery theme of so many of the fabrics.  Looking at this quilt seemed to me to be looking into tidal pools, the way we did when we were kids, looking for shells and other exciting bits of sea-life or flotsam. Above the pools, butterflies and dragonflies dance to their own music.  (Check out Heather's amazing collection of rather attractive bugs on Pinterest!)

A few close-up shots

The finished quilt is one that you might either love, or not!  It is quite modern in design, very bold and holds the strength of the fabric design and distinctive colours very well.  I loved the challenges of making this quilt and the opportunity to experiment and grow my own design and quilting skills.  Limiting myself to work with a single collection was a very useful learning experience.  Yes, it was a certainly a moment, and one that I will say I’m glad I had, but doubt I would repeat.

As an afterthought, I’ve finally realised what was bugging me (ha ha!) about the quilt.  It’s modern, fresh and appealing but it really is ALL about the fabric, which is highlighted further by a pattern that features large pieces.  It's not about me, and perhaps not in my style - only time will tell.  It also highlights one of the problems for quiltmakers.  Each quilt takes a great deal of time and effort - from planning to construction.  It’s hard to get to the end and find you are not quite so happy with the result.  Still, it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve unpicked a top to “re-imagine” it!  So, in all an interesting learning experiment and one that took me on a journey outside of my colour-mixing, pattern selecting comfort zone.

Just for the Record:

Quilt Finished Size: 153 x 191cm
Block Sizes: 20cm (8 inch); 7.5” finished
Cut in: 6 September 2021
Pieced: 24 October 2021
Basted: 1 November 2021
Quilted: Machine 27-29 Nov 2022 over 3 full days; 2 reels Gutermann Sulky 30wt 4023 (Natural Taupe) using 12 bobbins (Gutermann 50wt 618).
Quilt Type: Modern
Quilt Finished: 9 December 2022
Exhibited:
Collection: Home #129-2021
Pattern Name: Fat Quarter Fancy II, Free Pattern
Pattern Source: SewCanShe.com**
Fabrics Purchased: From the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum in 2019.
Fabric Design: Curio Collection by Betsy Olmsted (See Link above to her Collection)
Fabric Style: Brights; Bugs, Butterflies, Eggs & Corals
Materials Type: Printed Cottons
Wadding Type: Cotton (Warm & White, needled cotton)
Backing: Pieced; 2 fabrics

**SewCanShe by Caroline is a fantastic resource & one that I hope will, over time, help tame that overwhelming stash of mine.  (We can all live in hope!!)

Finding something to bind this quilt was a challenge too!
I ended up with a slate blue Bali Batik that seemed to suit.

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

A Sunshiny Day

 Summertime: 2020  (Started: 2016)

This quilt was something of a mis-adventure.  I just loved being able to paper-piece these wonderful Sue Ross circles and so, for quilt #3 in this design, decided on using a selection of blacks and whites I had acquired over the years.  Yes, including a stash of FQ’s purchased from Keepsake Quilting in 1999.  So, in early 2016, I began piecing up my B&W Circles of Fun.

I kept at it for a while but something was just not working and so it was stuffed, forthwith into the UFO Box.  Fun it was not.  March 2019 must have been a watershed moment because I don’t often unpick a quilt to basics.  But this one needed it. 

Thus, after lingering for another 12 months, it assumed priority as a project to complete during my “early pandemic” therapy.  I really just wanted this B & W monstrosity finished and off the books.  So as to speak!  Its rebirth took most of 2020; I trimmed down the size, removed those hideous pink circles, and turned the border into the backing.  And voilà, all ready for quilting.  By 25^th December 2020, I had another long-term UFO finished.  I added a final touch of bling with some of my grandmother's black buttons to tone down the little yellow centre circle. In honour of it's December finish and bright vibe, it was named “Summertime”. 

A holding photo until I can get a better shot - I'm learning lots about photographing quilts too!
And now that I look at it, I think that centre yellow circle may have to go too...

View the top pre-makeover.  All I can say is, that at the time, it was getting there.  Where-ever "there" is.  Now, I know for sure it’s not the best thing I’ve ever done, but at least its finished and was fun to make.  A foray, if you will, into the world of modern quilting that de-railed a bit but as it’s often said, “the next quilt is your best one”.  That’s rather like “free beer tomorrow” offered at your local.  We’ll see.  

And if you want to share some sunshiny too, here's Jimmy Cliff.

Just for the Record:
Quilt Finished Size: 131 x 131cm
Block Sizes: 21”
Cut in: 13 Feb 2016 (started)
Pieced (1^st try): 8 Apr 2016
Still in Work Box: 24 Jan 2017 (not loving it)
Reconstruction: 26 Mar 2019
Top Pieced: 20 Feb 2020
Basted: 25 Feb 2020
Quilted: Machine: 20 & 22 Dec 2020
Quilt Type: Mostly Modern
Quilt Finished: 25 Dec 2020
Exhibited:
Collection: Gifted 3 Oct 2023
Pattern Name: Circles of Fun
Pattern Source: Sue Ross
Fabrics Purchased: The Stash & B&W Medley purchased in 1999…
Fabric Design: Prints, Stripes & Ethnic prints
Fabric Style: High Contrast B & W with a dash of yellow
Materials Type: Printed Cottons
Wadding Type: Cotton
Backing: Pieced using left-over remnants of original borders

Louisiana Charm

 LeMoyne Stars: 2020  (Started: 2020)

By April 2020, I’d realised that living with COVID was going to be challenging.  I belong to a (non-quilting) group with a small membership who had been unable to meet but we hoped to have a Christmas gathering in order to raise funds for those more deserving.  I thought a simple quilt would make a suitable auction item and help out a bit.

I settled on a Lemon Star pattern from Jenny Doan, Missouri Star Quilts (her fab tutorial 28 Feb 2020, is here) and a nice subtle colour palette of pinks, maroons, greens and creams.  It became my first introduction to making multiple HST’s (half square triangles) which worked out simply and easily, especially with being able to watch Jenny closely and learn from her tips & tricks. 

With little fuss, and seemingly in no time at all, I had a nice top ready to quilt, with time to spare (just) before the gathering.  I normally take at least 2 years to make a quilt, so I was actually rather worried about meeting my deadline.  It all worked out well in the end.  The quilt found a lovely home, a tidy sum was raised, and my stash is slimming off…albeit rather too slowly.

Scrappy stars, pretty in pink (hanging from the "sail loft")

To my mind, the finished quilt had a bit of a French air about it.  The traditional LeMoyne Star block is thought to have originated about 1834 and is named after the Le Moyne brothers who settled in the French Colony of Louisiana in 1699.  Later, in 1718, they founded New Orleans.  The State is home to the Mississippi River, wet-lands called bayous, shrimp boats and oil rigs.  Think vibrant jazz and foot-tappin’ zydeco.  And alligators.  Let’s not forget the ‘gators. 

Out in the garden with that cranky helper, again... 

Just for the Record:

Quilt Finished Size: 190 x 190cm 

Block Sizes: 10” 

Cut in: 17 Apr 2020 

Pieced & Basted: 22 Oct 2020

Quilted: Machine: 1 – 11 Dec 2020

Quilt Type: Traditional

Quilt Finished: 12 December 2020

Exhibited: 

Collection: Home #069

Pattern Name: Lemon Star

Pattern Source: Missouri Star Quilts Tutorial 28 Feb 2020

Fabrics Purchased: From the Stash…

Fabric Design: Traditional Prints & some Stripes

Fabric Style: Soft

Materials Type: Printed Cottons 

Wadding Type: Cotton

Backing: Pieced using left-over remnants & blocks

Underway & trying to find the right balance
of colour for the borders..as you do!

Out of the Box...At Last!

 Antique Toys#3: 2020  (Started: 2006)

Well, thank goodness this quilt, be it ever so small, is finally out of the UFO Box and on the Quilt Bed with all of its other buddies. Started in 2006, when I was confined to home with a broken leg, this seemed the perfect something to keep me busy.  And off my feet.

There’s not a lot to tell other than it was quite obvious that once I started this quilt, I regretted taking it on.  Not so much for the blocks; even the applique was quite enjoyable and finding a suitable border to contain it all was not so difficult.  I stipple quilted the blocks and achieved that finish in two days, so I can only say it was perhaps an “allergy” to embroidery that caused this project to sit for so long…well, it sounds a likely tale.  The good news it is finished.  At last!  An embarrassing 14 years UFO.

Not lavished with too much embroidery...

Just for the Record:
Quilt Finished Size: 130 x 160cm
Block Sizes: 12”
Cut in: Prior to 2006 (some blocks started); Work continued from 21 Aug 2006
Pieced & Basted: Blocks worked between 2006 - 2011;
On Design Wall: 2011; Needs Quilting & Embroidery 2013
Quilted: Machine: 4-5 Jan 2014
Embroidered: Hand: Autumn/Winter 2020
Quilt Type: Traditional
Quilt Finished: 31 Jul 2020
Exhibited:
Collection: Home #068
Pattern Name: Antique Toys
Pattern Source: Cindy Taylor Clarke, 1983
Fabrics Purchased: From the Stash…
Fabric Design: Prints, Stripes, Mixed
Fabric Style: Vintage look
Materials Type: Printed Cottons
Wadding Type: Cotton

Backing: Pieced using left-over remnants 

View of the back & the Drum signature block

Previous posts about this quilt design can be found (somewhat embarrassingly) in 1988  and  2006.

Beyond Super-Slow

Windom Variation: 2020  (Started: 2013)

(Warning: I’ve included dates just to emphasise, to myself more than anything, how really “slow” this quilt was in the making!)

In 2012 we visited the Southern Highlands Quilt Show held at the local RSL and after, dropped in as you do, to our favourite shop, Timeless Threads.  I purchased a charming “Windom Quilt” pattern along with a Moda Charm pack that just could not be left on the shelf.  Sadly, Timeless Threads in Mittagong, closed in March, 2013.  (31/3/2013).  Our group had, over many years established quite a tradition of visiting the Southern Highlands to work our way along a quilt/craft shop “trail” that included visiting the villages of Berrima, Mittagong, and Bowral.  We tried for Moss Vale too, lunch and coffee stops permitting. 

This photo is from the quilt pattern showing the finished quilt

Timeless Threads had a sample quilt made up in the Windom pattern and I just loved the scrappy design.  I immediately imagined it useful for my many aging left-overs!  In the main, most of the blocks were small, 4” squares.  This appealed as a highly portable project, easy to take to group meetings, either the shorter evening sessions or even our longer monthly meetings.  The central medallion, a tree, did not suit me though, and I eventually decided to make good use of a semi-finished applique block that had been sitting in my UFO stash (since 1988, gasp!) for rather too many years! 

This applique block has a story all of its own – one of those dreadful blue marking pen stories.  The pen lines had heat set on the fabric (from sitting in my car on a rather warm summer’s day) and refused to budge.  In order to save the nearly finished block, a sampler block from Elizabeth Kennedy’s class at the 1989 Armidale Symposium, I embroidered over the lines and added a few decorative flourishes around the applique, including a few of my grandmother's buttons.  Pleased with my efforts, I felt the block did rather need a wash.  Well, my tub of Vanish took those blue lines right out!  I still shake my head to think of it.  This “magic” became a discussion point of our next (October 2014) meeting. 

Meanwhile I kept working on the blocks for the Windom quilt during both 2014 & 2015 even managing to take some away with us on holidays.  I had enough blocks for a photo shoot on my design wall in March 2015.  Aren’t mobile phones sooo handy!  Anyway, after fiddling around with the colours and preferring a pale colourway, I removed most “strong” or contrasting blocks and had the top being sewn up & basted by April 2016.

It took another 2 years to get that quilt machine quilted and bound.  Don’t think it was finished with me yet, though!  The central medallion still caused me grief and hand quilting seemed to be the only solution.  A pattern on the BeBe Bold packaging lent itself to an interesting quilting design.  One that took another 2 years to finish.  Joy of joys, I finished my Windom Variation on 14 June 2020, only eight years later.

Not the best of photos as light was fading from my verandah
& the holder was complaining. Windom Variation: finally finished 2020

Just for the Record:
Quilt Finished Size: 178 x 178 cm
Medallion: Cut in 1998; continued in Feb 2012
Block Size: 4”
Cut in: Mar 2013
Pieced: 2 Dec 2015
Basted: 13 Apr 2016
Quilted: Machine: started 15 Mar 2017
Bound: Jul 2018
Quilted: Hand: started 30 May 2018 & finished 8 Jun 2020
Quilt Type: Vintage
Quilt Finished: 14 June 2020
Exhibited:
Collection: Gifted 3 Oct 2023
Pattern Name: The Windom Quilt
Pattern Source: Timeless Threads, 31 March 2013
Fabrics Purchased: From Timeless Threads (a Moda Charm Pack) & my Stash…
Fabric Design: Mixed
Fabric Style: Soft
Materials Type: Printed Cottons
Wadding Type: Cotton
Backing: Pieced using left-over remnants 

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

Butterflies & Birds

Butterfly Garden: 2018  (Started: 2016)

A certain amount of dithering went on with this quilt.  Firstly, what to do for a first grand-daughter?  Then finding myself selecting a heap of charm squares in “just the right pinks” and finally, wavering between, not one, but three patterns.  Well, I was struck by the ever-so-cute quilt in Quiltmania (see info below) but found a fantastic tutorial by the ever-so-productive and ever-so-scrappy red pepper quilts.  From this RPQ tute, I was directed to Mrs Schmenkman Quilts and proceeded to cut merrily from all three directions.  This explains why some of the blocks are a little off.  Not to worry, it all went well once I had my nose firmly planted on the grindstone.  As one must when a 4^th birthday is close at hand…

Proof of a Start - taken 17 Mar 2016

2016 turned out to be not such a happy year for us as a family, so it wasn’t until the end (September) of 2017 that I finally pieced up all the blocks and added a border.  Once again, I just took sooo long to decide on a suitable border arrangement; finally settling on setting the blocks on simple white sashing to make the butterflies dance and a light green and yellow floral border - so fresh and citrusy.  At this same time, I also resolved to add something meaningful on the quilt and found the perfect solution in another Quiltmania Issue (details below).  Even if it meant more embroidery!

(Photos to follow when I find them - having cleaned up, they're momentarily "lost")

Found my photos at last however they are sadly in need of editing as the
colours are washed out (in the strong sunshine) or too dark (in the shade).
Hmmm! Who said life wasn't meant to be easy.... but they'll do for now!

However, before embroidering anything, I needed to baste the quilt.  I initially chose a natural shade but very quickly unpicked all my work when the whites in the quilt took on a yellow cast.  Hmmm!  Not clever.  My one day job turned into two and I re-basted on a white cotton batting.  Much better. 

Machine quilting also seemed to take forever, as it does on a small domestic but finally it was ready for me to add birth sampler details and of course, that lovely sentiment from another Quiltmania project in Issue #100:  “Having someplace to go is Home, Having someone to love is Family, Having Both is a Blessing”. 

Sadly, I seem to be in quilt limbo again.  Blame Spring and an urge to clean up that dreadful, disorganised mess my photographs have become over the years.  Weeks later and I’m only starting to surface from a bit of a high-tech (well, for me at least) frenzy.  So, everything’s nearly sorted.  And I'm hoping my photos of this quilt will appear soon.  To lift the spirits though, Mrs Maggie is warbling each morning, the Plovers are busy protecting chicks on the bowling green and all our Jacarandas are about to bloom into a perfect purple haze. 

Just for the Record:

Quilt Finished Size: 150 x 168cm
Block Sizes: TBC  (but using 5” charm squares for a set of wings)
Cut in: Feb/Mar 2016
Pieced & Basted: by Jun 2018
Quilted: Machine Jul 2018
Quilt Type: Fresh & Modern
Quilt Finished: 25th July 2018
Exhibited: No
Collection: Gifted #018
Pattern Name: Mimi’s Butterflies p53
Pattern Source: Quiltmania #52 2006
Fabrics Purchased: From the Stash and maybe a few little extras…
Fabric Design: Pinks and anything fresh
Fabric Style: Brights
Materials Type: Printed Cottons
Wadding Type: White Cotton
Backing: Pieced using left-over remnants
Embroidered Quotation: Quiltmania #100 2014 p54

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)

Memory Lane

Memory Lane: 2017  (Started: 2015)

Hanging over my stairwell

For quite a few years now I’ve been besotted with the notion of finishing things and naturally, using up scraps.  Boxes of ‘old fashioned’ fabrics seem to multiply in my Garden Shed, almost before my eyes and to be honest, I was getting a little tired of it!  Especially when there are so many beautiful and colourful fabrics of offer – and on such a regular basis.  I’m tired of resisting…as you can understand!

Imagine my delight when in mid-2015, a fantastic and colourful scrap quilt by Jen Kingwell graced the cover of Quiltmania (of which I'm also a big fan).  Yahooie!  I’m Triangle Crazy too…  It was a perfect opportunity to get over my fug, warm up the machine and use up lots AND lots of scraps. 

After much chopping of left-overs, I decided to head off to rummage through a couple of patchwork shops for some kind of background to suit the scraps, which could at best be described as an exotic mix.  I finally settled on white with a pale green spot.  My Mum had saved some dress fabric scraps too, from a dress I’d made and long since discarded.  Perhaps it might now be even be considered vintage apparel.  Happily, there was enough to wiggle out some sashing strips.

I started piecing the quilt in October and had it basted by December (2015).  Not bad going.  I knew the delay was going to be in the quilting, but that’s another story. 

Appliques made by my Grannie in the 70's
(possibly from a Woman's Weekly pattern)

When the time came to make a signature block for the back, I used up a couple of appliques made by my Grandmother for an apron she was making.  I had a wonderful time going back down memory lane remembering my stay in her tiny but none-the-less jam-packed sewing room and her awful machine that used to try its best to regularly shock me (until I got wise and wore sandals).  Ahhh, memories!  That’s essentially how I chose my quilt’s name and why it’s dedicated to her.

There’s a lot of detail I don’t have access to right now, so at least I can share a photo or two (finally taken in 2017 after I'd finished it).