All Stacked Up

 The moment I saw the beautiful Tula Pink "Everglow" fabrics, I knew they would suit Kaffe Fassett's "All Stacked Up" quilt.  My birthday was coming up so I treated myself to a fat quarter bundle.

Karen quilted this quilt with "Square Dance" - the design works really well with the stripes and spots.

I used a wideback for the backing and a scrappy binding from the stripe fabrics.

The quilts I've been posting lately were finished before Mum's last hospital stay (9 weeks+). 

Summer Days

Another quilt finished in April - "Summer Days" designed by Bonnie Olaveson (Cotton Way) and made using loads of Bonnie and Camille fabrics.  I added Sawtooth Star blocks and wider sashing to make the quilt bigger.

I love the Baptist Fan quilting Karen added to this quilt. 

For my birthday this year I bought myself a stack of Tula Pink's "Everglow" fabrics.  This is the first Tula Pink fabric I've used and the colours are fantastic.

I immediately knew which quilt I would make - "All Stacked Up" designed by Kaffe Fasset.  I've made this quilt before and thought it would work really well with all the stripes and spots.  The larger prints are beautiful.

Pretty trimmings.

This quilt needs to laid out as you go when putting it together.

I added an extra row to the width and two rows to the length.

The binding has been attached and will be stitched down soon.

All Stacked Up

"All Stacked Up" is a Kaffe Fassett design and has been made using mostly Kaffe Fassett fabrics.  A friend gave me two identical bundles of the Kaffe fabrics - I really like the stripes and a couple of the prints but am a bit unsure about some of the other prints/colourways.  I added some leftover Jen Kingwell fabrics and a couple of stripes to the mix.  The quilt is large lap size.

Karen quilted this with "Featheration" - I've used this design a lot lately and it looks good on this quilt.

I'd like to make All Stacked Up again using a different fabric range or enough stripes to have a stripe section in each block. 

A couple of weeks ago I cut into my Bonnie and Camille "Merry Little Christmas" fat quarter bundle. "Dwell 2" designed by Thimble Blossoms.

These houses are so quick to piece.  I cut out way more than I needed, so I'll need to spend a bit of time working on the layout - think I'll need another two stars.

I now have five bundles of blocks ready to be sewn into quilt tops:  Sewcialites, Swoon, Fireworks, Berry Parfair and Dwell 2.  Maybe I'll sew one together next week.

The other quilt I cut out is "Starlets" designed by Modernly Morgan.  I'm making this quilt with my friend Karen (@countrymum3).

Again, these blocks are very quick piecing.  The stars are very cute and there is no need to worry about cutting off the points with this method of making stars.  This will be small throw size so should come together quickly.

A Week Off

The University was closed last week and most of the staff had the week off.  As it was school holidays Gulli was with me during the day and T&H were also with us on Monday.  We had a great week.

Karen sent through a photo after she'd finished quilting "All Stacked Up" - Karen is coming to visit some time this week and will bring the quilt with her.

Elizabeth's cardigan is finished and she's been wearing it a lot in this very cold weather we've had lately.

So hard to get a photo of the correct colour in the winter light - the progress shot show the true colour.

In amongst the SAL blocks, I've been working on Blueberry Kisses - I need to make some more cross blocks (maybe 15).

Last week's Fireworks Blocks

and last week's Summer Swoon SAL blocks.

I've also cut up my Nantucket Summer fat quarter bundle to make two quilts designed by Emily Dennis of Quilty Love:  "Star Pop"

and a cot size "Happy Stripes".

Yesterday Mum and I went to see "Falling for Figaro" - loved it, especially Joanna Lumley.

Lots of progress in the room renovation - the skirting boards and architraves have been added and the painter is there today to do the room as well as the bathroom, laundry and 2nd toilet.  Next week the floor will be sanded and polished.  I'm waiting for the light fitting to be delivered to the shop then the electrician can come to install that and replace the power points and light switch and the room will be ready for use.

Churn Dash Quilt

Chookyblue is hosting a Churn Dash-Along for bloggers (now closed) and the goal for June is to choose fabrics and make 8 blocks.  During last Saturday's zoom chat Chooky was cutting out and sewing up Double Churn Dash blocks - these look fabulous but the block is too big for this quilt design.

I had a look online to find instructions for a tiny 3" finished churn dash block that can sit inside the pattern's 9" finished block and made a sample block last night.  It's not perfect but is good enough to show me that this idea will work.  The pretty dot white-on-white flower Bonnie and Camille fabric will be the background.

I thought I'd like to make the quilt pink and white so had a look through my Bonnie and Camille fabrics and have enough to make the quilt - 2 blocks from some fabrics and 1 from others.  The pink rosebud fabric will be the border setting triangles and the darker pink cross/rosebud fabric will be the sashings and binding.  I'm looking forward to starting this quilt.

Last night I finished assembling the "All Stacked Up" quilt top.  The Kaffe Fassett fabrics are so out there (for me) but I think it's turned out ok.  I had a bundle of 21 fabrics and have added a few from my stash.  I can see a couple of spots where I'd like to exchange blocks but I'll think about that for a while.  Need to buy fabric for backing.

Going to see "Top Gun:  Maverick" tonight with some friends.  We've been waiting for a long time for this movie to be released.  I think we first saw the trailer when we saw the last "Star Wars" movie in January 2020.

New Start Soon

Not much to show for the last week - I've been knitting H's jumper and am hoping to finish it in the next couple of weeks.  Halfway up the first sleeve now.

Three rows of "All Stacked Up" are together and hoping to spend a bit more time on it over the next week or so.

This year's Stash Buster Group SAL quilt is Tula Pink's "Butterfly Quilt".  Once again I'll be using my Alison Glass stash with a couple of solids added.  I think this will be a fun quilt to make and I'm looking forward to starting later next month.

Went to Sydney on Saturday to have lunch with the family.  The little ones were in fine form and enjoyed the playground at the club where we met up.  We also had a lovely afternoon tea at Jenni and Kurt's place.

After I arrived home, I picked up my knitting and joined Chookyblue's 10th Birthday celebrations for the Chookshed.  Was lovely listening to the chat and taking part.

Sunday was a big housework day - washing, cleaning bedrooms and The Pink Room etc.  Such a cold day and the chill is going to last for a while.

Lots of Colour

Seems that I am sewing with lots of beautiful colours at the moment.  I belong to an online Scrap Busters Group.  The first year we made Jen Kingwell's "Gypsy Wife" quilt and "Boho Heart" was last year's quilt.  I've used mostly Alison Glass fabrics with loads of low volumes for the backgrounds and the long background strips.

This is the backing for "Boho Heart" - same as I used for "Gypsy Wife".

This year's quilt is Tula Pink's "The Butterfly Quilt" and I'll be using my Alison Glass again.

A dear friend gave me two identical fat quarter bundles of 21 Kaffe Fassett fabrics.  I opened one of them a few weeks ago and decided to make Kaffe Fassett's "All Stacked Up" quilt.

The pattern has very specific cutting and fabric placement instructions, which are a great help.

The blocks sew up very quickly.  The above photo shows all I can fit on the design sheet - there are two more rows to add to the width and length of the quilt.

Last Friday the Wollongong International Women's Day event was held - it's usually in March but Covid has mucked up many plans this year.  It was such a fantastic event - Olympian Emma McKeon was the featured speaker (so gracious) and Mahalia Barnes provided entertainment (such a powerhouse voice).

Tania, in the photo below, is my immediate manager at the University and she is also Wollongong's Deputy Lord Mayor.  She is such a wonderful advocate for the Illawarra (and a fellow lover of musicals).

When Michael was a baby I made him a set of crochet granny square overalls (no idea where they ended up).  Made another set when little T was on the way and they were also worn by her brother and now little Vinnie is wearing the overalls.  The photo of T is from a video of her dancing at the Sydney Quilt Show in 2016.  She kept her audience well entertained.

The weather was awful over the weekend - can't believe how much rain is still falling.  The only good thing about it is staying inside to sew.