Tail Feathers

Tail Feathers is finished.  I'm tickled pink with it.

Some close-ups of the quilting - I'm not a fan of quilting over the top of stitcheries but too many large-ish areas would not be quilted enough if the quiltig didn't go into the stitched blocks.

Feathers over the log cabins:

I really wanted to use the green damask print for the binding and thought I didn't have enough.  In the end I joined the strips using a straight seam rather than bias seam and I had 8" to spare.

Patisserie would be up there with my favourite fabric ranges of all time (along with Nancy Halvorsen's True Frends and 3 Sisters' Paris Flea Market) - I have plenty leftover to make another quilt or, maybe, two.

Labels

Little stitcheries to use as labels for Tail Feathers

Quilting is not quite finished - no stitching/sewing over the weekend - maybe next weekend I'll finish the quilting and sew on the binding.  Baby Tail Feathers was born at 2.15 am yesterday - first Mothers' Day baby in the Illawarra.  He's doing well and I hope to visit him and his mother tomorrow.  I've decided that the quilt looks too girlie and will make him something else.  Jenni and I went shopping for fabic at lunchtime.

Found out over the weekend that I will be a great-aunt two more times by the end of the year so I'm sure Tail Feathers will find a home with one of those babies (I hope one is a baby girl - we have one niece, 7 nephews and one great nephew).

Quilting with my Mum

Over the years Mum and I have made some quilts together, mostly with Mum doing the embroidery and me doing the piecing/quilting.  Our first quilt was "Hearts and Checks" made in 2002 from a very early Australian Country Threads.

We made another quilt from ACT designed by Bronwyn Hayes - not sure what this one is called (I'm pretty sure "Country" was in the title somewhere).

In 2004 Mum made a whole stack of hexagons for Bouquet Garden from Homespun No 21 (2004 YearBook).  Being the not-so-good daughter, these hexagons have sat in a cupboard along with all the cut borders (9 of them), waiting to be joined together to form the centre medallion.

The medallion was finished over the weekend, except for pressing and removal of some of the papers.  Mum, bless her heart, even made half and quarter-size hexagons for the edges and corners - these will need the seams pressing out so that they can be sewn in the first border seam allowance.  The top and bottom edges will be appliqued onto the border fabric.  There is another bag of hexagon flowers to be appliqued to border 4 along with some appliqued swags.  I'm hoping this quilt will be next on my list.

"Tail Feathers" is on the doover and quilting will, hopefully, be finished tonight.  Still undecided about binding fabric other than it will be a Patisserie fabric.

Again, I could not envision the finished size of this quilt and it's turned out too big for a cot, even with leaving off the outer border.  Patisserie has to be one of the loveliest fabric ranges ever.

Calendar Girls

Last night Mum and I went to see Calendar Girls in Sydney.  We laughed so much and there were a few tears.  Jean Kittson as the down-trodden wife with the cheating husband was outstanding - her photo-shoot was the funniest thing I've seen in ages.

Last Tail Feathers blocks are finished

and I've sewn the rows together and added the first border.  Log cabin border to go and I can start quilting.  Baby Tail Feathers is due in 10 days - here's hoping no early arrival.

The Old and The New

Tuesday last week our dear old car

decided that

428,615 kms was enough and she wasn't moving from her warm spot in the sun outside our house.

We had an inkling that the car was on its last legs and John and I have spent the last few weekends checking out cars and going for some test drives.  What an unbelievable car the Tarago has been - 20 years old and 2 minor mechanical repairs until last week's issues.

Today we collected our new car.

I have really liked this model since I first saw one a few years ago parked outside Camden Quilt Show (must have been a sign) and never thought we would own one.  It's a dream to drive.  Looks like 2010 is our big year for upgrades - sewing machine, car - wonder if John will want an upgrade on his wife?

Block 8 Tail Feathers is finished and I stitched 1-1/2 corner blocks on the train to Sydney today.

Was hoping to finish Block 9 over the weekend then remembered I need a birthday present for Wednesday - I'm going to make Melly & Me's Matryoshka Dolls from Homespun No 64.

And now for something completely different

I am Tail Feathered out - on Tuesday when the stitchy girls came over I felt like doing something different so I found my knitting bag.  In there was one finished and one half-finished sock.  The second sock is now complete and the socks have gone home with Jennifer.

I bought the sock wool 3 or 4 years ago and started knitting immediately, so the unfinished sock has been hanging around for quite some time.

This is the first star block sewn together.  So many great Moda fabrics in that stack - Chocolat, Roman Holiday, Shangri-La, Poetry, Vienna Nights.  I have finished two and another two are set up on the design sheet.  Bec called it my "big adventure" - I think that's a great name.  I wish I was brave enough to put all the squares into a bag and just sew them together as I pulled them with regardless of which colour goes where.

Back to Tail Feathers tomorrow night.

The birthday boy blowing out his candles last Sunday.  Jenni made the cake for him - buttercake covered in chocolate ganache and crushed hazelnuts - v e r y nice.  A view of inside the cake:

John's favourite colour combination is blue and green.

Little Birdies

Block 7 Tail Feathers and two corner blocks are finished - starting to feel the anticipation of a finish.

A few months ago I came across this picture on Red Pepper Quilts' blog.  RPQ's quilt was inspired by this photo.  I have a stash of large-ish pieces of older Moda fabrics and thought they would look nice in this design, so out came the pencil and paper to work out the maths.  I have made about 500 of these squares.

About half are trimmed.  This has been an ongoing project for the last few months and will be for quite some time - it's great for when I feel like just sewing.  The fun will start when I'm ready to sew the block components together.

The Right Chair

Mum and I went back to Ikea on Sunday so that I could pick up the correct chair

John and I put it together last night - very happy with it and the back cushion Jenny made me for Christmas a couple of years ago fits well.

Also bought a new lampshade for the sewing room

Block 6 Tail Feathers is finished

and I made the log cabin blocks for the outer border

Looking forward to putting this quilt top together.  2-1/2 blocks to stitch.  Baby Tail Feathers is due in 4 weeks.

Bullseye

Bullseys is finished!  I'm tickled pink with how it's turned out.

 

 (Might have to hire a new quilt model.)  The quilt measures 66" x 84" and sits nicely on a queen sized bed.

I'll sew the labels on tonight then it can be wrapped up for the wedding tomorrow - I hope the weather tomorrow is as beautiful as today.  Plans are for the wedding to be outside.

Block 5 Tail Feathers

I'm hoping to piece blocks 7, 8 and 9 today then trace the stitcheries.

Quilting

Block 4 Tail Feathers

Presents

Progress has been made on Bullseye - finished sewing the strip triangles on Saturday afternoon just before John and I went to see "Avatar" 3D (which we both enjoyed, although I had my eyes shut quite often).

Yesterday, after ironing etc, I sewed the triangles into squares and trimmed them.

The blocks are sewn together and some of the bullseyes have been machine blanket-stitched - haven't had a machine that sews blanket-stitch before and I love it.  Tonight I'm hoping to finish sewing on the bullseyes and start on the borders - narrow black/white spot border and then lime green piano keys.

Our on-line group's first swap opening for 2010 was last Friday - the theme was Leanne Beasley.  I was lucky because I received my beautiful present from Jenny when I arrived in Kingaroy.  Jenny made me a basket liner (which I've always wanted) and there was another surprise when I arrived home - Jenny had sent me a basket.

Jenny liked the design so much she made one for herself.

My other partner was Bec and I combined two Leanne Beasley patterns to make her a block keeper - "Flowers for Erica" for the stitcheries and LB's block keeper pattern from Homespun No 28.

Finished stitching Block 3 of Tail Feathers last night

These blocks are so sweet - Baby Tail Feathers is due in 7 weeks.

The Hills Are Alive

For Christmas, Elizabeth bought tickets for Mum, Jenni, Jared, herself and me to go to "Singalonga Sound of Music" - we went as the Von Trapp children in the "Do Re Mi" scene - dressed in curtain material.  It was such a fun night - we were hoarse from all the singing - there's some very high notes in "Climb Every Mountain".

The movie was shown in the beautiful State Theatre -magnificent chandaliers all around the dress circle and this huge chandalier in the middle of the ceiling.

"Tail Feathers" Block 2 is finished.

Tail Feathers

My "at home" stitching for the last couple of weeks:  "Tail Feathers" Block 1 by Natalie Lymer - all of the designs are so sweet and I love the variegated thread in the birds' tail feathers (dmc 4120).

This quilt is for my dear friend Sharon's first grand-baby - due in May (on my birthday).

Girls Day Out

Stitching is finished, so after trimming all the stitchery blocks, I'll be all set to sew all the blocks together at Kingaroy next month.  So looking forward to this trip.

Started stitching the first "Tail Feathers" block on Monday night - this is for a baby due in May - and I'm working on a new lime green/black and white spot scrappy string quilt.  I'll take a photo when a few more string blocks have been sewn.  Except for the backing, I'm hoping to make all of this quilt top from my scrap drawer - lots of lime green leftovers from the "Funky Advents" made a couple of years ago.