Fresh

"Fresh" is a very large quilt designed by Camille Roskelley (Thimble Blossoms) from her book "Simply Retro".  This is the third "Fresh" quilt I've made - the first one was finished in 2015 made in FigTree & Co fabrics and the second was a lap-size quilt finished in 2017 made in Dena Designs fabrics.

This one has been quilted with a new-to-me design called "Meandering Feathers" - it looks really good in all the white spaces.

The backing is a pretty fabric from Bonnie and Camille's "Smitten range" with a scrappy binding.

This quilt is pretty big:

Wollongong Song & Dance Festival started last weekend so most weekends are spent there until mid-September.  Gulliver came to stay last Saturday night - he is always such fun company.  Loves to cook and help with dinner.  He told me he "didn't want to stay over for 10 nights but might think about 4 nights".

Spinning Stars

"Spinning Stars" was also finished last week.  It's another great design by Cotton Way (Bonnie Olaveson).  I've used loads of Bonnie and Camille fabrics for the pinwheels and Sawtooth Stars and didn't have any fabric repeats.  This is a great design to use up loads from the scrap drawers.

I had this one quilted with one of my favourite designs, Orange Peel.

Stitching at home the last while has been sewing down the scrappy binding on "Fresh" - almost 400".  "Fresh" is pretty big at 96" square.

Last night Mum and I went to see "Palm Beach" - I loved it - laughed and shed a few tears.  So nice to see a movie about people my own age (and a little older and younger).  I've read some reviews that weren't too kind about the script but there's loads to love about the film and I'd be very happy to see it again.  It reminded me a little of  "The Big Chill" - one of my most favourite films ever.

Binding

Lots of binding happening and more to come.

Picked up two more quilts from Karen last night:

 "Fresh"

and "Spinning Stars"

Hoping to sew the bindings on tonight for stitching down over the next few nights.  The "Fresh" binding will take some time to sew down as the quilt is 96" square.

Mum, her friend Nora and I went to see "The Keeper" on Saturday - this is a great movie; a true story about a German POW who became one of England's greatest-ever goalkeepers.  The movie is set in and around Manchester, where Mum was living at the time, but she didn't know any of the story.  Hoping to find time to see "Palm Beach" but it will be a bit difficult with my annual "community service" starting this weekend (the eisteddfod where I volunteer each year).

Sampler Blocks

Over the weekend I started sewing the "Happy Scrappy Baskets" together.  I was so happy that I had just enough of the Corey Yoda "Lulu Lane" large floral to use for the setting triangles.

By Sunday night the quilt top was together and the backing was made; ready to drop off to Karen on Monday night.

The main reason for visiting Karen was to pick up "Nine Patch Waltz", which was quilted last week.  It looks so lovely.  Might get around to sewing on the binding next week.

I've decided to make another Bonnie and Camille Sampler Quilt - this time making a block from each quilt I start this year as well as blocks made for the Aussie Bonnie & Camille Beehive.  I've made 5 blocks this week

"Moda Love"

"Nine Patch Waltz"

"Starry Starry Night"

"Summer Nights"

to add to the blocks already made.

"Lucky"

"Happy Scrappy Baskets" and "Spinning Stars"

Centre of "Fresh"

"Snippets"

It's a great opportunity to use up all the leftover pieces of background fabrics.

Last weekend was busy with little Sweetheart staying over.  We went to see "Toy Story 4" on Sunday morning and visited GG (Mum) before heading home to her place.

This weekend the stitching girls are coming over.  My son and his family are moving house next week, so Sunday I'll be packing.

Quilt Tops

Last Monday the Honeymooners flew out of Sydney to Amsterdam to start their European honeymoon.  Their first couple of days were spent in Eindhoven with family and they saw lots of places relating to the family.

Next stop was Brussels and overnight (our time) they arrived in Paris.

Cruising down the Seine

I had a fun start to the weekend - spending time with Gulliver while he assembled some of his birthday Lego.  He did it all by himself following the photos in the instruction book.

Saturday was lunch with the Schoolgirls - they've all been on long holidays:  Gail to South America/Europe/UK/Iceland; Lynell to Middle East/Scandinavia and Denise on a marathon caravan trip through Qld/NT.  Was fun to catch up with them after so long.

The rest of the weekend was spent in The Pink Room.  Thursday and Friday nights I sewed up blocks to make two rows for my Aussie B&C Beehive quilt "Christmas Cheer" (Sawtooth Stars and Chequerboard)

and then I sewed the lower four rows together.  The stockings were made by the Aussie B&C girls.  This quilt will be large enough to go onto my bed at Christmastime.

Saturday I sewed the "Spinning Stars" blocks into rows and by the end of the night I had a quilt top.

Plain white borders were added on Sunday morning and the backing and binding was made.

Then I started sewing "Fresh" blocks together - even though there are only 16 blocks in this quilt, it took quite a while to sew them together - lots of points to match up.

The backing has been made and the binding will be offcuts from the backing.  This quilt is huge at ~96" sq.

Don't think I have any more piles of blocks in the sewing room.   Might get back to some "Happy Scrappy Baskets" sewing - I'm halfway with this one.

While sewing, I've been binge-watching "Bed of Roses" - first watched this ABC series when it was originally on tv (2008-2011 or so) and I still love it.  Wonderful friendships, fun characters and a nice romance.

Another Start

In the lead up to last weekend's Quilt Market in USA, many designers have released new patterns and fabric ranges.  I've bought a few new patterns.  I've never made a Basket Quilt and when I saw Corey Yoder's "Happy Scrappy Baskets", I loved the scrappiness of it straight away - an opportunity to use up loads of Dena Designs/Coriander Quilts/FigTree fabrics that I've been saving.

There is a lot of prep work (sewing/cutting/trimming) to make the half-square triangles for each block but it's going to be a lovely, colourful quilt.

The "Fresh" blocks are finished plus an extra block centre to use when I make another sampler quilt.  I'll be in the mood to sew these together in a little while.

"Spinning Stars" is also coming along - a few more pinwheels have been made since the photo was taken.  Probably a bit over halfway with the 125 pinwheels now.  Won't be able to finish this off until another bolt of white arrives.

"Go Four It - Rainbow Rows" is on Sarah's frame today - can't wait to see this whopper quilted!

A Week Off

It's been a huge couple of weeks - Jenni and Kurt's wedding followed by a week off work during which I was hoping to sew and watch movies but plans changed (and that's not always a bad thing).

First up I sewed the "Dashing" blocks together.  This is such a great pattern - goes together very quickly and has a lovely secondary design.  The "Chantilly" fabric is so pretty.  I'm waiting for the backing fabric to arrive then it can be quilted.

I cut out the rest of the "Fresh" blocks.

The blocks are so big I can only fit four on my design sheet. 

Five blocks have been sewn together - eleven to go.

May's row for "Christmas Cheer"

and, as May is my month to receive blocks, the Christmas Stockings and Santa Hats have been arriving.

Re-made September's "Lucky" block so that each segment is out of a single fabric - the scrappy block can go into my next sampler.

Late last week Bonnie and Camille released their patterns to go with their new fabric range "Early Bird" - I bought a couple of patterns and had to cut fabrics to start the scrappy version of "Spinning Stars".  Think I'm going to love this quilt.

Been a while since I've had so many quilts on the go.

Lastly, I don't have many photos from the wedding - we're excitedly awaiting the "official" photos. This is one of my favourites.