crossing the line

 

My quilt Crossing the Line was selected for the Lines challenge run by Aotearoa Quilters. 

growth

 

AQ Brown challenge: Growth

finished!

Finished!
On reflection, I realise it is 3 years since I last finished a quilt - Iggy's second birthday quilt. To say I'm not very productive is an understatement. No wonder there are so many things I forget. Eventually, it comes back to me but it can take a while - like how to adjust bobbin tension when machine quilting this quilt. There's another one to go and finish now - hopefully a bit faster this time.

fabric.com

I'm not usually a promotor on retail outlets but am excited to discover fabric.com as it has this amazing design wall feature. If you sign up you get to keep your design wall. You can add fabrics to it and them move them around to see which goes with what. Extremely handy tool when shopping for fabric online and just a place to play with colour generally.

reunited

I have just been reunited with an 'old friend' - a quilt I made apparently in 1991! Just seems like yesterday. I collected purple and brown fabrics for two years to make it and still love the colour combination.  I haven't actually seen it for 13 years as it got left behind when I left. Have often wondered why I did that?
Anyway with my ex's passing, we have been cleaning out his house - that's a whole other story. I really believed it was gone but... in the last box in the very last corner - there it was. In good condition other than in need of a good wash which has been duly done by hand in the shub. I knew I kept that shub for a reason. And it has dried in the warm autumn sun.
Welcome back Tyrian. Approximately 150 fabrics, wool batting, hand quilted.

other people's Kaffe conundrums

It is reassuring to know others struggle with Kaffe fabrics as well. Two examples of Kaffe's Ice Cream quilt below in different colour-ways. Each row is a fabric choice and a tormenting decision. Maybe more wine is needed.
The first quilt is on show at Still Quilting in New Plymouth and the second is a work in progress of a friend, Paula. Waiting to see it finished. Our lack of summer weather may bring this eventuality about sooner rather than later!

celebrating kaffe

Today I wandered out my front door to find a parcel of Kaffe shot cottons that had arrived, all the way from America.

Any then my friend Paula, completely out of the blue, sent me a link to a Kaffe video. It must be a day for celebrating Kaffe.
This is the link she sent me.


Then I explored Vimeo for some more movies and found these two:


Kaffe 2014: The Colourful World of Kaffe Fassett from Animated Magic on Vimeo.


Meet Kaffe Fassett on Creativebug from Creativebug on Vimeo.
It just makes you want to get out all your fabrics and start playing!

I have finished!

I began this quilt in January 2010 - see post I have started!
Wow, it took me 4 years to complete. I have made two other quilts in that time but it certainly shows just how unproductive I am. It sat for several years waiting to be quilted and actually I really enjoyed machine quilting it once I got started. And of course there's the issue that I began this quilt when in a very traditional phase, and now I would have preferred something less traditional.
Note to self - plan, make and complete a quilt within a year of beginning!
However it does look nice on the sofa.

birthday quilt....tick

The 'I Spy' quilt was finished in time for the early birthday party. Quite an achievement considering I only started the quilting the weekend before. It's been a while since I whipped up a quilt that quickly.
Nice to know I can still do it.

Dealing to the stash

I used to collect fabric. Now I tend to buy what I want for a quilt and have a minimal amount left over. But once there was not that great a selection of fabric around so I tended to stash it. Now I have to store all this fabric! I'm not quite ready to get rid of it but 'using it up' would be a good option.

A holiday project was to deal to the stash so it was tidy and accessible. Some money and a bit of stress later - reorganised if not quite sorted.  I made up a kit-set large cubby-hole shelf (IQ test) and bought a considerable number of hobby boxes.

Progress...

All blocks quilted and laid out. Now to join them together.

Squares

Nice big 10" squares are easy to cut out.
Gave up on the crochet and cut out the squares for the raggy quilt.
Lately I seem to be very good at buying the stuff, but now I  have to do the making.
The baby is half way made and blanketless!