Long Time Gone

 "Long Time Gone" is a wonderfully colourful, scrappy design by Aussie Jen Kingwell - I love her designs and have another underway with a couple of patterns waiting to be made.

My version of the quilt started with this bundle of Alison Glass fabric that Elizabeth and her family bought for my birthday present in 2018.

On Monday, I picked up the quilt from Jenny of AngelC6ake Quilting and quickly added the binding and hanging sleeves (after I finished binding Checkerboards and Stars).

The quilt was finished on Tuesday night and I couldn't wait to hang it in The Parlour so it is the first thing anyone sees when walking through the front door.

Jenny's custom quilting is stunning and I'm so appreciative of her talent and patience - the quilting really adds so much to the overall design/look of the quilt.

So happy with everything about this quilt.

Checkerboards and Stars

What a big weekend - the three little sweethearts were here for two days (Gulli went home to sleep and came back Sunday morning).  Lots of fun with them and the visitors who popped in.  My friend Robyn came to pick up some towels I had machine embroidered for her grandsons.

On Monday night I finished stitching down the binding on "Checkerboards and Stars", a FigTree and Co design, which I've made in FigTree fabrics.  I love FigTree's taupes and neutrals.

I sent the quilt up to Karen for quilting with "Filigree", a design I often choose because it's pretty and doesn't overwhelm the patchwork.

I've had the "Ring Cycles" pattern for a few years and have been collecting 1-1/2" strips to use for the nine patches while searching for a larger red spot for the joining triangles.  I found some of the fabric a couple of months ago and bought 10 metres because I have another couple of designs I want to use it with.

"Ring Cycles" is made with Jack's Chain blocks and they are a little challenging to make but will look very effective.  Made a trial block on Sunday night and when I sprayed the block with a watered-down starch, the red in the spots ran in the triangles either side of the pink nine-patch.

I haven't had this happen before and it was such a fluke that I sprayed the fabric, so I'm very grateful that this happened before I'd started the quilt proper.  On Monday I washed the red spot fabric 7 times before a colour sheet was almost clear.

I let the fabric dry in the sun and then sprayed it again before ironing a section.  I was relieved to find no more colour run.

Working from home again this week and I'm having a few days off next week - time to wake up without the alarm and visit Jenni on her birthday.

Stripe Me Lucky

Sewed the final stitches in the binding of "Stripe Me Lucky" last night.

I LOVE this quilt, especially the Flying Geese border.  I bought some stripe fabrics and black spot fabrics for the quilt and the rest is from stash.  Such a great Michelle McKillop design - a wonderful Australian quilt designer.

Karen (Quilting on the Coast) and I decided on Abstract Butterflies for the quilting.

Still working from home but not sure for how much longer - noises are being made about our staff returning to the office.

Quilting

Karen (at Quilting on the Coast) has been busy quilting some of my quilts.

"Stripe Me Lucky"

Checkerboards and Stars:

Gelato:

and today they arrived home.

More masks have been made.  This last lot brings the total to 36.

Think I'm over making these.  So in awe of the people who've been making hundreds and hundreds.

One of Jenni's friends recently had a baby boy.  Jenni asked me to make him a quilt and today it went up to Karen for quilting.  I've used some of my precious "Guess How Much I Love You?" fabrics.

Backing:

Tree-making is coming along.  Not too many to go and I can start sewing the forest together.

The weekend turned out to be very social - lunch with The Schoolgirls on Saturday, Sunday afternoon tea with other friends and then dinner with Elizabeth, Matt and the two little ones - just lovely.

Schoolhouse Tunic

Last night the final rows were added to another "Cakewalk" Quilt.  This Thimble Blossoms' design makes up very quickly and is great for the scrap box.  Waiting for some backing to arrive then it will be off to the quilter.

Darling daughter-in-law is having a birthday this week and she loves the Nerida Hanson May Gibbs fabrics - I wasn't able to buy her favourite print but I'm hoping she'll like this gumnut baby print with the pretty blossoms and flannel flowers.

I've made a start cutting out "Santa in the Trees" - will sew some trees tonight.  I think there will be 121 trees all up for the quilt and cushion I've been asked to make.

Had a lovely Saturday visiting Jenni and Kurt - thought I should visit in case NSW goes into lockdown again.  Dinner with Lynell on Saturday night and we watched a couple of fun movies.  A bit of shopping on Sunday morning then my brother came over to take measurements of my veranda - he's going to replace the decaying rails with pickets.  We ended up washing the outside of the house - it's so sparkly in the sunshine.