Decorative Touches

Hussif: 1998

I made this “hussif” in a workshop with Literary Guild girls in May 98.  A hussif is a portable case to keep all your regular stitching things together.  Being quilters, we would be best suited to either one really big one or lots of them!  I was serious enough about sewing kits at the time, a left-over interest from my Tamworth days, so chose to make this one up in one of my favourite fabrics.

I’m not sure who our workshop leader (16/5/98) was as my pattern notes seem to have “left home” of their own accord.  I did make the hussif up with all its little extras, including a mini felt bear, to have it ready for an exhibition of work by the Bondi Evening Group at the Embroiders Guild in 2003.

Inside view with various pockets and additional accessories
including Mr Bear

Blue cord ties the "bundle" together

Getting into the Groove 1998

Sydney 1998-2002

Up until 1998 my quilting life had been somewhat “held back” by work and study.  The year had promising beginnings with mixed outcomes (I was retrenched) so I wondered about the usefulness of all that study I had done.  Luckily I managed to pick up another job almost immediately and to end the year, the good Cap’n was offered work in PNG for a four months. Yeah!  Think of all that sewing time! 

I had free week-ends now to go away to Quilt Camps and managed the odd lecture or two at the Quilt Study Group, an offshoot I think, of the Quilters Guild.  One inspiring lecture was given (1/7/98) by our own Quilt Historian, Annette Gero, and we followed up our interest in historical Australian Quilts at an exhibition at Elizabeth Bay House.  (I’m not sure if I kept the information from these sessions but there’s still a mountain of stuff to go through, so you never know what will surface!)

I had a particularly productive 1998 & 1999 but things started to slow down in 2000.  My job intensified with Sydney’s fervour for hosting the Olympic Games, I also decided to go back to uni and of course there was the devastating attack on the USA, which hit home closer than I would have cared with the loss of a friend.  This was the year that changed our lives in many ways.

Japan Textile Tour 2000

The year was not all work however and (thanks to my MIL) I managed a trip to Japan.  The Quilt Study Group held an exhibition of antique Japanese textiles prior to our departure so that got us all salivating.  I brought back rather too much fabric from Japan (as you do!) and still have quite a bit left over because if I use it….  You know, that old trap!   I’m currently writing about my Japan Textile Tour experiences over on TextileTourist – part of the process to digitalise my photo albums and travel/quilting life.  This year was also the year that we purchased our home on Dangar Island – a significant event and one that we’ve never regretted.    

How amazing to see this quilt dedicated to those who lost lives in 9/11

After 2000, life became a blur of work, study and quilting with the UFO box growing at an alarming rate.  Many quilters were starting to have their tops professionally quilted but somehow that option didn’t appeal to me.  I had enjoyed my machine quilting class with Lee Cleeland (Jun/Jul 1995) and as a result decided to shout myself (on laybuy in 2002), a brand spanking new Bernina with the intention of machine quilting my own tops.  The learning curve was steep but I never regretted spending the money on that machine (even though I lusted after the BSR which came out a year or so later!).  Bertie is still going strong especially as Ernie Elna was retired recently (1973-2011). That’s not to say I don’t miss my blue top Elna.  Ernie was very good to me!

Finding Braidwood

Airing of the Quilts 1998

Braidwood, with its historical country town presence, offered  a weekend of quilting activities including a spectacular Airing of the Quilts.  A couple of us Literary Guild girls decided to make the pilgrimage.  Braidwood is "close" to Canberra but from Sydney it would be quite a long day trip.

The organisers did a great job and we certainly had little trouble putting in a whole day.  Better still, we could surround ourselves with quilts, enjoy a day without adding to our UFO box yet find some wonderful craft shops & galleries, including a very, very busy patchwork shop!  Who wouldn't want to come to Braidwood again...

This summer quilt celebration has been on our "Wish List" calendars since 1995.  Braidwood is a heritage listed town and lovely to visit at any time.  To find current information about this event check Braidwood Quilters on their Facebook page.

I will most certainly have photos to scan but where they are located is now the question.  Until then, this post rounds out a busy 1998. On another end of year note, and in the blink of an eye, 2014 is upon us.  So I wish you all the best for this new year and "may all your quilt seams line up  precisely"! 

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.