Proof of Life in the sewing room...

Just popping in to share a little bit of sewing with you...
Samantha needed a Banner for her Grade 6 Confirmation at school the other week so I was "forced" out of semi retirement for a couple of days!!
It felt good... really good... Here are a few pics to prove life still flickers in the sewing room...

I was very happy with my efforts and Sam loved her banner!!

At least I know I can still sew!! I am looking forward to making a big comeback... Stay tuned!!

I'm still here...

A heartfelt thank you for your lovely comments, concern and messages... They have not gone unnoticed... We're getting there... Slowly but surely... These things just take time. Lx

Life is a journey...and sometimes it sucks!!

Twists and turns... Highs and lows... They say it's all part of life's journey. Life for us as a family unit has hit a hurdle and subsequently, I find myself headed down an unfamiliar fork in the road... and so, a new journey begins... I tell you... lucky I was good at orienteering at school!! Seriously though, I don't believe blogger is the place to be airing "dirty laundry" and that is not in my nature to begin with, so, you will understand my reluctance to elaborate on my story. Having said that.. unfortunately, blogging and dare I say it, sewing have taken a back seat for the time being... I'm still passionate about both and I'm missing my "nina" terribly, but my heart is just not in it at the moment... I will be keeping and eye on what all you talented people are up to though... So, don't worry!! I will be back... Bigger and better than ever... I promise!! Lx

"Lolly Logs" an update...

"Lolly Logs"

Yep... that's what I've decided (in a complete whim) to call my latest wonky log cabin quilt...

It's coming along nicely... 16 blocks down and 4 to go... gee they take time I tell ya!!

Then all I'll need to do is add the white sashing and borders before I can stipple stitch the panels (Quilt As You Go style again!!)

I'm hoping to get the top finished by the end of the week...

School holidays begin on Monday and if I'm done.. I'll take it down to AVAREST and hand stitch the panels together...
YEAH RIGHT!!

OMG... I just realised how much work I really have to do before I can even contemplate taking it away for finishing!!

Dream on Lee-Anne!!

At least this latest post is evidence of life in the sewing room!!

Wonky Log cabin update...

I must say... after a bit of a hiatus, it is good to be back in my sewing room... doing what I love best!! Making a mess while (trying) to be super creative is such good fun and relaxing!!

I am having so much fun making these wonky log cabin blocks... they are very addictive.

Stay tuned...

Proof of life...

Proof of life... In the sewing room...

Finally... Evidence of some sewing!! YAY!!

And the winner is... another Wonky Log Cabin!!

These are gonna be whopper blocks again... just like the Blue Squares quilt.

Stay tuned!!

Ooohhh... I know!!

Really... I know!! I'm terrible, terrible, terrible!!

I promise (fingers secretly crossed behind my back) this is it for awhile.

I have quite a stash going on in my cupboard but really... when is too much fabric ever enough??

The challenge now, is to stop procrastinating and get on with it...

I'm thinking perhaps a nine patch? Maybe another wonky log cabin? An improv? Or what about another square in a square? Oooh... my brain is too full!!

Retail therapy...

I know... I'm terrible!!

2 books and 4 metres of fabric... all on sale and because I deserve it!!

TaaDaa... Drum roll please...

It's been a long time coming... considering I actually started this quilt last year!! But... today, I finished it...
My "Blue Squares" quilt has been laying around for almost 2 weeks now, waiting for me to finish (Well, start!!) the hand binding...

I had to wash it a couple of times... due to a slight dye run... but all is well that ends well...

I absolutely LOVE IT!!

Quilt as you go is definitely the way to go for me from now on...

You can see on the back where I have quilted it in panels... If I had used blue panel strips, you wouldn't even be able to tell!! I however, like the contrast of the white strips.

Here it is... all washed, and dried and ready for a snuggle... Oooh... crinkly goodness!!

Beyond words...

OMG!! Please people... if I ever get this bad, please, please, please, just put me away!!

Heh heh... hilarious!!

I'm almost done!!

I wasn't going to post these pictures until I had completely finished my "Blue Squares" quilt, but felt I was somewhat neglecting my blog, so here's a quick update...

The Quilt As You Go method does take extra time, but it's so much easier for me to handle and I think is worth the extra effort...

The stipple stitching just go on and on and on...

Here are the panels, pinned together and ready for joining... I roughly pin them together using quilters safety pins and take them out as I go...

The safety pins help to keep the panels together and reduce shifting, as I zigzag them together...

The most time consuming part in the whole process...

The joining strips are all hand stitched on the reverse of the quilt...

What a week...

OMG, what a week it has been!! A week of mixed emotions... some happy, some funny, some terribly sad and I've had some "wow" moments too!! Catching up with old friends and chatting til the wee hours... just brilliant!! The power of the internet... PRICELESS!!
Having said that, not much time spent sewing but still lots going on!!
The "Blue Squares" quilt panels are all sandwiched, pinned and ready for quilting...
I have fallen in love with the new Bamboo Batting... I used the 50/50 Bamboo/Cotton on this one. It quilts beautifully and the drape... just gorgeous!! If you haven't tried it, I'd recommend giving a go next time you are buying Batting.

Oh, and I spent a little time in retail therapy too..

YOU'RE TERRIBLE MURIEL...

How's this for some awesome shades of green?

I can feel another wicked scarf coming on...

GREEN... I like Green!!

A very sad day...

Life and girlfriends are very special...
For some things, there are no words...
We can give only shoulders to lean on, hands to hold and hugs to comfort...
Rest in Peace sweet baby Audrey Rose...

It's nice knowing your work is appreciated...

Miss Molly...

Just LOVES my Gelato quilt...

Lucky she happens to be the most beautiful dog in the whole world!!

Blue Squares Quilt... revisited...

Remember my Blue Squares quilt?
I blogged about way back here...

http://leeannegilbert.blogspot.com/2008/09/from-little-things-big-things-grow.html

and again here... http://leeannegilbert.blogspot.com/2008/10/blue-squares-quilt.html


Well, it's making a big comeback and am in the process of dissecting it on my cutting table... let's call it Quilt Surgery...

It measures about 75" x 60" and I've come to the realisation, it's too big for me to handle in one piece...
Rather than leave it sitting in my stash cupboard, where it has been since I finished it last October, I've made an executive decision to strip it back to 5 sections and quilt it in panels...
a 'la Quilt as you go method... as I described back in this post...

http://leeannegilbert.blogspot.com/2009/03/this-is-how-i-quilt-as-you-go.html

I'll let you know how I get on and in the meantime, I'll be busy working on my scarf from last night... it's looking good too!!
Have a great Saturday Night my friends.... Lx

I'm enjoying a little something on the side...

Oooh, do behave... I am, of course, talking about knitting...

No sewing tonight... just playing around with a basket of gorgeous yarn... it's turning out to be a wicked scarf!!
I like it!!

All done and feeling great...

My Square in a Square quilt is all done and let me tell you... it feels great!!

It's been a busy week (when isn't it??) but I have forged on and managed another finish.

I'm really happy with how it has turned out...

Finished size is 65" x 48"

Perfect as a lap quilt...

I love using white for the sashing.

I reckon it brings any colour to the fore...

And here's the back.
A little bit of improv piecing...

My "signature" label...

And it's ready for a chilly night on the couch...

Now... let me check my stash... what's next???

It's been a busy week...

I just thought I'd pop in and let you know I am still here... just been busy that's all...
I am making good progress on my current quilt... the "Square in A Square".
I have taken photos along the way but thought I'd wait and post them all at once.
It's all quilted and I am in the process of sewing on the binding as I type... well, not literally of course... that would be a little difficult!! Hopefully I will have some finished photos to post tomorrow night....

Making progress...

I finished piecing the "square in a square" quilt top tonight... and I'm really liking it!!

Please excuse the fact that it looks like it hasn't been pressed... I can assure you, it has... but it's past midnight and I'm almost ready for bed... so this, my friends... will have to suffice!!

It is not very big... Turned out to be more of a baby quilt... shame I don't have any babies coming up... well, definitely not with me anyway!! ... anyone having a baby??

Perhaps I could add another border?? Let's call this one a W.I.P... I don't think I'm done yet!! Back to Spotlight tomorrow I think ....

edit.... I re took the photos this morning... I think they look much better, but still not perfect...

Creative therapy...

That's what I call quilting... CREATIVE THERAPY...

It keeps me calm and makes me feel good... that can't be bad can it? Like they say... when "Mum's happy... the whole house is happy"

Sounds good to me!!

On another note... I have recently discovered... FACEBOOK... whoah... The power of the internet... Now there's a whole other world... I am loving it!!

Progress report...

Now... those of you who have never tried quilting may ask (as I did, not so long ago)... why is it that we quilters buy perfectly good fabric, only to bring it home, slice it into a stack of pieces and then painstakingly sew it all back together again?

I say... Try quilting just once and you'll understand!!

Oh yeah, by the way, I decided that I'm going with the square in a square pattern... or should I say style, because I'm notorious for making things up as I go along... Truth be known, it's probably more a case of me not wanting to follow rules!! heh heh

A little retail therapy...

Ooohh... You're terrible Muriel!!

I'm thinking... a square in a square pattern for my next quilt... Or perhaps I'll go improv??Procrastinating a tad at the moment... You know, mulling things over and planning my attack...
Bear with me though... I'm getting there!!

Time flys when you're having fun...

Ahhh.... school holidays.... Love em... Just back from 12 days down at AVAREST with the kids.

I'm feeling refreshed...

Late nights, sleepy mornings, good food, great wine and long walks on the beach...

Here's what else we got up to while we were away...

Molly did lots of this....

The birds (and possums) got fatter with all the hand feeding... Don't you think this Rosella looks fat? heh heh

A few quiet refreshments were had by, well, me... (glad there's no timestamp on this photo)...

A little light reading...

And some not so light reading...

Baking... I love to bake while I am away... I made over 160 of these biscuits over the past 2 weeks!! Yummm!!

Oh, and last but not least, I managed to start this scarf too!!

It's always great to get away, but as they say, it's nice to be home!!

The kids are back at school on Monday so hopefully by then, I'll be back into the swing of things and creating again in my sewing room!!

If I can only get through the multitude of washing and ironing that has piled up in my absence!!!

Just for fun... patchwork tea towels

Something a little different... patchwork tea towels. I really wanted to pretty up some white ones but for the life of me, I could not find a single white tea towel ANYWHERE!! If anyone (local) knows where I can buy white linen tea towels or just white linen for that matter, please, please let me know!!

Having said that, these coloured ones don't look too bad, were super quick and a breeze to sew.

They will certainly brighten up my kitchen!!

Proudly presenting, Quilt As You Go... "GELATO"

Only a fellow quilter could possibly get excited looking at this photo... heh heh...
Oooh, crinkle crinkle, my pretty...

"Gelato" is all done and I have to say, I really enjoyed making this one... the Quilt As You Go technique was so easy and the hand stitching really wasn't that bad...
I guess because hand stitching for me is a novelty, I don't mind the binding process... once I get started that is!!
My fingers are a tad sore though... I really must get used to wearing some kind of thimble I guess!!

I have made a label for the back, but in my desperation to deliver you this post, I decided it could wait until I have a few minutes later on to sit down and sew it in place...

Don't you just love those crinkles and wrinkles...

See... they can be a good thing... Well, good on a quilt anyway!! heh heh

If I knit fast enough, does it count as exercise?

School holidays are almost here which means less time spent with Nina... and less time spent blogging!!
I am a big tea drinker and when I can't sew, I love to knit and have been known to dabble in a bit of crochet... nothing too technical though, just easy scarfs and beanies...
I saw this mug the other day and thought it was perfect!! Pretty cute hey?

Needlecase...

I've been busy hand stitching the binding and joining strips on the "Gelato" quilt and I realised I had loose needles floating around everywhere... not too safe when you have people running around without shoes and a fluffy dog that insists on "helping" with the sewing...
I made myself a simple little needle case...

Things were going great guns until this happened... OMG!! What a goose!! Has this ever happened to you? I really must tidy my work space!!

Anyway, it was easily fixed... and this is what I ended up with...

I covered the button using a small piece of the main fabric...

And stitched a plain piece of felt onto the inside...

This is how it looks open flat...
Very easy, very happy... I like it!!

"GELATO" The Quilt As You Go Project now has a name...

I have really enjoyed making this... Quilt as You Go project ... which shall now be known as... The "GELATO" quilt... because, well, that's what it reminds me of!!
All the blocks have been sewn together, hand stitched into place and now I am ready to finish off hand stitching the last 2 connecting strips. That just leaves the binding...
Nearly done!!

To be sure, to be sure, it's St Patricks Day...

Winners Are Grinners..."Summer Sorbet" has arrived... What a pattern, what a name!!...

Look what I found sticking out of my letterbox today... Woo Hoo!! I won I won!!

Yeah, yeah, I know... I already said that here... http://leeannegilbert.blogspot.com/2009/02/australian-quilt-convention-and.html

but seriously, this is the first thing I have won since... well, I can't remember!! Thankyou to Emily at Carolina Patchworks... http://carolinapatchworks.com/blog/

What a great pattern... and may I say... what a great name!! heh heh... I love it!!

This is how I Quilt As You Go...

Several people have asked me about my Quilt As You Go project and wondered about how I am going to put the blocks together. I have taken some photos along the way and here is how I do it... not saying it's the right or wrong way... just how I put it all together...

Please bear with me... I've never attempted a "tutorial" before...

Here goes...

Ok, all my blocks are quilted and trimmed to size and I'm ready to join my blocks together.

I cut 2 joining strips the same length as my block...

Strip 1 is cut 2 and 1/4 inches wide and folded in half wrong sides together..

Strip 2 is cut 2 and 1/2 inches wide and folded in half wrong sides together..

The covering strips need to be stitched to the edge of the block now...

Place strip 1... raw edge to raw edge and right sides together to the front of the block...

At the same time, place strip 2, raw edge to raw edge and right sides together to the back of the block... pin together through all layers...

and stitch through all layers, using a 1/4 inch seam allowance using a walking foot..

This is what the front should look like..

And this is how the back should look...

Ok... Now, take the next block working left to right (as is... no joining

strips) and butt it up to the block we have just sewn the joining strips to..

Make sure both joining strips are still to one side and out of the way,

and using a walking foot, (great if you have one) zig zag both blocks together using a big, wide zig zag stitch.

Don't over lap the batting, just butt it up... you don't want any bumps..

Make sure you keep the zig zag stitches within the 1/4 ince seam allowance we have already stitched.

This is what it should be looking like so far...

Still with me??

Ok... Once both blocks are zig zagged together, I flip the joining strip on the front of the block over and stitch it down in place... Be careful not to stitch through the bottom strip... it should still be folded back out of the seam allowance on the back...

The front of the block should be looking something like this...

This is what the finished block looks like on the front..

And then, all there is left to do is turn the block over, flip the back joining strip over the seam allowance made from the front strip and hand stitch in place...

Now... must get back to finishing my blocks... I hope this has helped!!

Here's one row all done... Easy!!

Quilt as you go update and the Stiches and Craft Show...

Been busy quilting these 22" whoppers (should come up with a name I guess!!)... and now I have a stack (9 to be exact) all ready to be pieced together (quilt as you go style)...

On another note... I went to the "new" Stitches and Craft Show at the Melbourne showgrounds yesterday. Anyone else go? Love to hear what you thought!!
Wasn't many people there... and next time there will be one less... I will give it a miss.
It was moved from Caulfield Racecourse over to Flemington this year... new organisers!!
If it weren't for a nice lady I met coming home on the on the train from AQC the other day, I would have turned up at Caulfield!! The only advertising I have seen or heard about the show was in the car... on the way to the show yesterday morning!! After an hour and half (give or take a few minutes) I arrived and could have come straight home... I did the whole show in about half an hour!!
At least I got to catch up with my friend Carole who is always good value... Hi Carole!!
If you are at the show, or any of the other shows, stop by and say hello to Carole at the Bernina Stand!!
Anyway, I digress... Of the reported 200 plus stalls there, I would say at a guess, only half a dozen or so were quilt related!! What a waste of time!! For me anyway!!
The only good thing about yesterday's show was the fact that I didn't spend a cent on purchases... How is this good I hear you ask?

Well.... today I went out and splurged... 2 new books and 4 metres of fabric... sorry Stitches and Craft show... you had nothing for me... my locals got your money today!!!

Anyway, enough on the soap box... my glass is empty and those books are a callin me...

Check you later on!! Lx

Quilt Qua... A new list of quilting blogs...

There's a new Quilt Blog listing over at

http://www.quiltqua.com/

I'm always one for promoting great quilting blogs...

So I thought you might like the link...

Stop by and take a look...

Quilt as you go update...

A quick update on my (as yet un named) Quilt As You Go project... 2 blocks down and well under way... Oooh... I'm loving this... Quilting a 22 inch block is soooo much easier than a big full sized quilt.

There will however be a lot of hand stitching involved in joining the blocks later on, but hey... it'll be something to do while I watch t.v at night!! I'll keep you posted...

My latest WIP... A quilt as you go experiment...

I have been busy piecing this quilt top over the last couple of days/nights...
It actually started out as a bit of a "test" to see whether I would like the block or not and well, I love it, so it has grown somewhat!!


I love piecing and I really love the machine quilting process but lately, my shoulders have been struggling with anything too big and heavy (arthritis). One of the first quilts I ever made was a quilt as you go... I posted about it way back here ...

http://leeannegilbert.blogspot.com/2008/10/star-bright-quilt.html

Anyway, I thought with a few design changes, "why not give it a go again?"

I've made these blocks a whopping 22" with white sashings (so I can disguise the joins better this time).
I'm more or less ready to start cutting the backing and batting pieces...
Hopefully, quilting it this way will make things more managable for me. Only time will tell...

Another Bag...

I made a "few" minor alterations to the pattern... Well, I guess it's completely different actually!! Those dressmaking skills sure come in handy in times like this!!

I lengthened the body of the bag and straps by 4 inches, redrew the pattern pieces for the front and back to include a yolk, I added pockets inside and out for my obligatory lippy and trusty mobile phone and this time, I bulked it up with batting and some stipple stitching...

It's lined with a really nice gold shot dupion silk look alike!! I couldn't get a decent photo of the inside though... Just wanted to get this post done and published so these pics will have to suffice!!

This one, I really do like!!

Australian Quilt Convention and a surprise!! ...

Took a train ride into to the the Australian Quilt Convention this morning... Ahhh, the beautiful Melbourne Exhibition Buildings.. inspiring place, inspiring people....

Of course, I indulged slightly... What can I say?? I'm a sucker for beautiful fabric and it's been awhile!!

When I got back onto my computer tonight and checked my favourite blog updates, I had a very unexpected surprise... I realised I'd won a quilt naming competition over at Carolina Patchworks... OMG... What a thrill!!

My name was the winner... "SUMMER SORBET"

Here's the link so you can take a look... Thankyou Emily!!

http://carolinapatchworks.com/blog

A really quick bag pattern...

I came across a bag pattern yesterday (Burda 8560) that I quite liked...
I decided to make it up using some fabric I found deep within my stash... it's not really my style but I wanted to see how it well the pattern stitched up...

It went together in no time at all... very, very easy... Because it was just a tester piece, I didn't worry about stabiliser... but it definitely needs some. The pattern did not include lining, so I added that... Next time I will probably substitute the snap closure for a zipper and add an inside pocket for my mobile and lippy!!

I will definitely be making this bag up again, but in "MY" colours next time!! In the meantime, it can hang around my sewing room somewhere!!

Baby quilt, all done...

It's all done... the latest baby quilt...

I used a few snippets of leftovers and pieced them into the back...


My "trademark" free motion label on the back... I love making these labels, binding and all...

All washed and crinkled, ready for gift giving...

Finished size is 42" square... Small yes, but great size for a baby!!

Baby Daniel and the Woof Woof Quilt...

This handsome young fella is Daniel... First born to my friend Rajfa and her husband Sam
What a gorgeous little babe... Welcomed into the world Boxing Day 2008...

Too cute for words...

and I must say... that quilt he's laying on isn't too bad either!! heh heh
Love the photos...it makes everything worthwhile, knowing how much it is appreciated.
Thanks Rajfa and congratulations to both you and Sam... You clever people!!

And now... back to some sewing...

Made some progress on this little quilt today... I am making it for a little fella due to make his way into the world any day now...

All basted... Oooh I hate basting!!

And all quilted... I love this part!!

Tomorrow, I will try and get the binding on and it'll nearlly be done!!

My washing line is looking somewhat brighter this morning...

I am coming to terms with the fact that fabric dyeing really is a wait and see process... These are the 1 meter pieces I started off yesterday and they are turning out very different to what I had expected... I like them though... very much!!

A new batch of hand dyes...

It's been awhile since I played with my Dyes. I needed to do something to brighten my mood and so this is what I mixed up this morning... Looks like a mushy mess at the moment, but just you wait!! The proof will be in the washing... and drying... and ironing... and... eventually... it WILL look good!! Well, I hope so anyway!! Stay tuned!!

My heart bleeds...

Sam the Koala wins hearts as life emerges from fire...

11 February 2009 07:12:13 PM Source: Reuters

Local CFA firefighter David Tree shares his water with an injured Australian Koala at Mirboo North after wildfires swept through the region. (AAP)

A bewildered and badly burnt koala has emerged from the ashes of Australia's deadliest bushfires, a small beacon of hope after days of devastation and the loss of more than 180 lives.
Volunteer firefighter Dave Tree came across the stricken koala, affectionately named Sam, cowering in a burnt out section of a forest at Mirboo North, some 150 km (90 miles) southeast of Melbourne.
As a colleague filmed him, he approached the koala and offered the terrified animal some water, gently talking until the koala put a paw on his hand and began drinking from the plastic water bottle.
"Things do survive the bushfire. There's a koala here. You alright buddy?" said Tree in the video which was posted on the video sharing website YouTube.
"This guy has survived. He's looking pretty bewildered."
The koala, who turned out to be female, was taken to the Southern Ash Wildlife Shelter in Rawson while photos of Australia's beloved marsupial, taken on a mobile phone, spread quickly across the globe.
Carer Jenny Shaw told reporters that Sam had suffered burns on her paws and was in pain but on the road to recovery.
The story was reminiscent of another koala named Lucky who survived the bushfires that destroyed about 500 homes with the loss of four lives in the capital of Canberra in 2003.
Lucky became a symbol of hope as people rebuilt lives after the fires and was cared for in a nature reserve, dying recently.
As the fires subside, animals of all shapes and sizes who survived the fires have started to emerge from the charred bushland.
The Australian Wildlife Health Centre at the Healesville Sanctuary, located an hour's drive from Melbourne, has been taking in increasing numbers of injured animals.
But director John Gibbons said so many of the animals were so badly injured that they had to be put down.
"We had a joey today, an eastern grey of about 8 to 10 months old, but we could not save it," he said.
"We expect the workload to increase in coming days as the fires abate and roadblocks are lifted."
Wildlife workers said they had several weeks of hard work in front of them to save as many animals as possible.
Anne Fowler, spokeswoman for the Australian Veterinary Association, said wildlife likely to be affected include koalas, ringtail possums, kangaroos, reptiles and echidna.
"For those animals that can be treated, we treat the wounds under anaesthesia then protect them until they start to heal," she said. "This can take from two weeks to greater than four weeks depending on the severity of the burn."

My home state of Victoria is in mourning...

Victoria is experiencing it's worst bushfire in Australia's history...
So far, over 130 people have lost their lives, over 750 houses have been reduced to ash and twisted metal... Complete towns have been wiped out.

I am in shock... I can not believe it... The town of Kinglake... wiped out... deaths in St Andrews...
I grew up in a small town nearby and went to high school with many, many friends who lived in and around Kinglake, St Andrews and surrounding towns... I am hoping they have since moved away...

North Eastern Victoria and further down in Gippsland, there is even more devastation... The entire town of historical Marysville... Gone...
There are fires everywhere. Our beautiful state has been left a blackened mess...

The worst thing... many of the fires have been deliberately lit...
Our Prime Minister Mr Rudd this morning was uncharacteristically lost for words and became quite emotional when he referred to those responsible as mass murderers.

Our deputy PM Julia Gillard summed it up this morning when she said...
"Saturday the 7th of February 2009 will forever be remembered as one of the darkest days in Australia's peacetime history"

I personally just find it incomprehensible... and so, so sad...

And now, for something completely different...

The kids are back at school and I am back in the sewing room!! I promised myself I would try something different, and so, these blocks have come to be. They are very much a work in progress and this is only a sneak peek... I'll keep you posted!!

My "Believe in Angels" quilt...

It's been too bloody hot here to do too much in the sewing room... it's been well over 40 degrees Celsius (that's around 105 in the old scale!!) for the last 4 days straight... HOT HOT HOT!!

I figured an old quilt photo is better than no quilt photo, so here goes...

I found this little quilt tucked away on a shelf last night and I thought I'd share with you, the 5 minutes of "fame" it gave me back in 2007...

It was the very first pattern I had ever tried and when it was done, I sent it into APQ magazine with the following letter... It ended up winning me a 6 month subscription prize...

I nearly fell of my chair when I opened my magazine to see it there... heh heh I was very proud of myself!!

As for the here and now, I have set aside my blue and green zigzag quilt for "a rest" or until I can get enthused with it again, and when this heat dies down, I plan on making a scrappy (COLOURFUL) project... anything but blue and green!!

HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY!!

It's Australia Day... and that means sun, sand, beers and lamb on the BBQ!! In honour of our national day, I have included (over there on the right) a very funny You Tube clip of Aussie comedian Adam Hills... doing his best Barnesy version of our national anthem...
Enjoy your day my friends!!

Ahhh... Nina, I've missed you!! ...

It's sew (pun intended) nice to be back in my sewing room!! 4 weeks without sewing is a long time!!

TB took the kids to the Australian Open (tennis) today, so I have been sewing ALL AFTERNOON!! OMG... What a treat!!
The table runner I started working on before Christmas has grown somewhat and is fast becoming my next quilt... although I must say, I am over the whole Green and Blue thing... Don't get me wrong, I love it, but this will be the last for awhile!!
Can't say too much yet, but I think it's going to be given away anyway!!

Thank god for design walls... I think I spent just as much time this afternoon re-arranging my layout as I did sewing it!!
I'm thinking I'd like to add a splash of another colour (hand dyed??) but not sure what I'll do yet... perhaps in the binding or border?? What do you think?? Any suggestions??

I'm baaackk!! ...

Happy New Year everyone...

The kids and I have been away for 3 beautiful weeks and I'm back home for a quick pit stop... I am off again on Monday for another few days... Yeah, I know... lucky ducks!!
I will be flat out while home though... You know... I bought home all the washing (tank water only at AVAREST and it's been dry, dry, dry), dinner with friends, Cricket games, pick up school books and of course I am so hanging out to check in on my blogging buddies.
You guys have all been busy... I have so much reading to catch up on!!

Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and a Safe and Happy New Years.

OMG...it seems like ages ago now doesn't it?

We had a fantastic time away and we were quite busy with visitors this year...

Here's a photo of one visitor who "lobbed" in the front yard for a couple of nights...

He wasn't too bothered by us at all...

I was only a couple of feet away from "him" when I took these pics... Gosh they're funny things!!
Never seen anything so relaxed, chilled out and laid back... well not for many years anyway!! heh heh

Koalas... What a life!! Hanging out in the trees munching on gum leaves all day...

I was sure he was going to fall out at one stage and was having visions of Keith Richards falling from that coconut tree last year!!

The kids have named him "Phil" Don't ask me why... I have no idea!!

I'm not sure!! I think he shall be known as Keith... Yeah Man... Keef!!

Merry Christmas...

A very merry Christmas to all my friends in blogland... love you all... Lx

Another Table Runner...

I've been "hanging out" (that's a distinctive Aussie term!!) to try a zig zag quilt for ages...

I figured, in keeping with the "AVAREST" theme, what better way than to make another table runner!! It will go nicely with my blue and green already down there!!

Still playing around with the layout, but it doesn't look too bad at this stage!!

Good enough to eat...

Mmmm... Now tell me... what do these colours remind you of??

Hand dyed strawberry, vanilla and chocolate perhaps??

Played around and made another little zippered pouch tonight... quilted and all!!

And a nice contrasting "spotted" lining to match... Too easy... too much fun!!

Neat Zipper trick...

No quilting, and super simple, but I thought I'd share this with you...
When it comes to my sewing, I'm a bit of a neat freak!!
For ages I have tried to master a neat corner on a zipper insertion when making pouches...
You know... those "dickie" bits at the end of the zipper... I hate them!!
Well, the penny finally dropped tonight when I read this tutorial...

http://isewblog.blogspot.com/2007/07/zippy-zips.html

I made a simple zipped pouch to hold my paint brushes...
I used a piece of hand painted (splattered) fabric for the outside and a piece of hand dyed for the lining...
Here's the closeup of the zipper insertion... pretty neat... not bad for a first attempt and ten times better than those "dickie" corners I usually end up with!!

Some Christmas Humour...

These never fail to amuse me...

Phewww... are we there yet?

Geesh... how crazy is it? I mean this time of the year!! It's been absolutely mad around our house.
We had JB's grade 6 graduation on Tuesday night... 7 years of Primary school... all done!! What a milestone... what a lovely night.
We are very lucky to have such wonderful, dedicated teachers at our school... well done everyone.
Dad and I are very proud of you JB!!

I thought I'd finished my Christmas shopping, but well, you know what thought thought!!
I decided last night I needed a little something extra to add to a present.
So, as you do, I whipped these oven mitts up!!

Once again, I used test blocks I had stashed in my cupboard...

I've been using the previous ones I made... they work really well... no burns!!

I like the quilting on these... Simple freeform lines using a walking foot...

And a hand stitched binding... Here's a closeup...

It's begining to look alot like Christmas...

Not much sewing this week... it's been very busy. Lots happening at school with JB's graduation next week and well, I've had lunches with the girls, shopping, school excursions, BBQ's and more lunches... doing it really tough!! I hope to get in a bit of sewing tonight... with any luck!!

ONLY 12 SLEEPS TO GO... OMG!!

Advent Calendar... All done...

My kids woke to find their new advent calendar this morning... all stuffed and ready for pillaging!! YAY!!
There are a few chocolates missing... the elves must've come by late last night...
Not buying it??
Well... I figured I deserved a treat at 11.30 last night when I managed to finish it!! So there!!

Advent Calendar...

The kids have been at me to get an advent calendar for them... before Christmas is actually over!!
I have one... somewhere... but for the life of me, I can not find it... anywhere!!
So... tonight, after school, I pulled out a panel I happened to have in the stash cupboard (as you do!!) and well... I made one!!

It was really quick (except for ironing all those little pleats between the pockets!!).
All that's left to do is sew on the binding... if I'm lucky, I might get that done tonight!!

A weekend away...

I took the finished Table Runner, Coins cushion and Half Square triangle quilt down to their new home on the weekend... I think they look good!!

I like the crisp white against the Baltic pine...
Looks nice and fresh and lightens the place up a bit!!


The runner fills in the table top nicely...

Ready for my closeup... Lots of stipple stitching, a good wash and then into the dryer...
I love that crinkly look... and because it's so densely quilted, it lays nice and flat on the table top...

This is what the back looks like...

I love making these little free motion embroidered quilt labels...

Starting to build myself a nice collection of quilts... ready for the chilly nights on the couch next winter!!

Simple cushions...

Simple, but fun... The blue one is for me (surprise surprise!!) and the others are Christmas presents for a couple of young Thomas and Dora fans I know...

My babies are growing up...

It's been a really busy... shock to the system week!! My babies are both growing up... too fast!! JB had a weekend interstate (Adelaide) with his dad and 2 uncles... so lucky!! A day off school and 3 days of international cricket!! First ride in an aeroplane... a real boys weekend... well kinda... he is only 12 after all!! He loved it!!

Sam and I had a 'girls' weekend... not much sewing, but lots of eating chocolate and other 'naughty' comfort food!! We did the craft market on Saturday (a great confidence booster!!) and watched movies and just 'chilled'... Loved it!!

Yesterday, JB had orientation day at his new secondary school...
I swear he came home a different boy... kinda grew up even more in the 5 hours he was there!! Spent the rest of last night struttin his stuff in his new uniform...God he looked good in it!! Soooo handsome!! He tells me now he needs a mobile phone... you know... to go with the uniform!! Bloody hell!! heh heh

The blazer is "fully sick" apparently!! It had want to be I tell you... buying that uniform yesterday has put a real dent in my 'fabric' account!! heh heh I am really excited for him... secondary school is the start of a whole new life for him... sooooo much fun!!

On Monday night, Sam had her annual art exhibition...
She's been having 'casual' art lessons with a fantastic teacher friend for 3 years now...
This year, I think she has really excelled...
I was totally blown away when I saw what she had been working on all year...
She obviously gets 'it' from my Mum (she's also an artist) because I certainly can't paint like that!! Well done my darling!! Well done!!

I thought I would share some of her paintings with you... there are quite a few more, but here's a sampling...

Here are her Crimson Rosellas... this one might end up on the wall at AVAREST...after all, it does feature the locals!!


Her Dolphins are "mesmerising"... just look at their eyes!!...


And the Cherry blossom... Picked straight from the backyard...

Not bad for a 10 year old girl is it? Not bad at all!! You rock Sam!!

Table Runner...

I know, I know... it's blue and green AGAIN... but well, I like blue and green and I thought it would go nicely with the half square triangle throw... so there!! :-)
It's a simple disappearing nine patch using my hand dyes...
It measures 21" x 60" before binding.

All done...

Finished... Yay!! It measures 45" x 55"... a great size for the couch!!

Two extra blocks for the back...

Crinkle, crinkle... Oohhhh... so soft!!

And a little free motion embroidered mini quilt for my label...

Half Square Triangle Update...

I've been busy working on my Half Square Triangle quilt...
The batik fabric (Blue and Green) was given to me AGES ago in a pile of fabric that was to be thrown out... YIKES!!
The remainder is from my hand dyed stash... A good match I thought!!
I enjoyed piecing this... Those pesky, messy little triangles with their dog ears are good fun.
I'm pretty fussy, although I didn't "stress" too much if I happened to be a millimeter or two out... the QUILT POLICE aren't allowed in my sewing room!!
MY QUILT... MY RULES!!! heh heh
I pin basted it and got a thigh workout to boot last night... C'mon Lee-Anne... Bend Your Knees!!

And I quilted it this morning...

Here is how it looks before I stitch down the binding...

All I need to then, is add my label to the back...

I'm looking forward to getting stuck into the binding and label tonight...

Yes... really!! I just won't be able to move my fingers tomorrow!!

If all goes well, and I can feel the keyboard... I will post finished photo tomorrow!!

Half Square Triangles...

Half square triangle droppings... Gees... they're bloody messy little buggers!! Not quite house trained...

And here is from where'st they came...

Still need training... I'm trying to get them under control and add to the brood before night ends!!

After the Rain...

We had some very welcomed rain here tonight and are expecting much more tonight. When I went out to lock things up for the night, I found this enormous rainbow... Isn't it beautiful!!

Here it is looking to the left...

And here it is to the Right...

Now.... if only I could see where it ends...

Oven Mitts...

I have been thinking again about all those "test" blocks I have stored away in my cupboard.. I decided, after yet again burning myself on the oven, I would sew up some oven mitts... This one started life as a wonky log cabin block...

All lined, with some nice striped binding to finish it off...

This one started as a simple strip pieced block...

I like the quilting on this one... simple but effective...

And here's the binding... I used a plain calico on the inside lining this time...

Quilter Blogs...

For all my quilting friends... Check out this new site...
http://www.quilterblogs.com/

Improvisational piece... All done...

Remember this? I finished the binding on the Blue and Green Improvastional piece and here it is... All done!!
I mounted it onto a canvas and hung it over my bed down at AVAREST... I like it!!

Here Comes Another One... Just Like The Other One...

My baby decided she wanted to sew this afternoon... nothing new really... I mean... she has "done" it before, although today, she said she wanted to ..... wait for it... QUILT!!!!!!!

OMG... Poor TB!!

"OH GOD... ANOTHER ONE" he said... Eyebrows raised and hand firmly on back pocket!! I just said... "CMON DARL... WELCOME TO THE OTHER SIDE..." Heh, heh...

Pencil Case...

I stopped into Office Works this morning (my other favourite non sewing store!!) because I needed some stationery... I have a thing for pens and pencils... What is it about a freshly sharpened pencil and crisp, clean sheets of paper on which to scribble ideas?? Anyway, I digress... I made my purchases and then came home and made a little pencil case in which to "hide" them from the kids...

I used a "test" block I found in my stash cupboard, made a quilt sandwich and then gave it a good going over using Nina's BSR foot (good practice)...

Then, it was a simple zipper addition and voila...

There it was... my little pencil case...

Please remember though... DON'T TELL THE KIDS!!!!

Busy Busy...

I can't believe a week has passed since my last post. Time really does fly when you're having fun!! It was a long weekend here in Melbourne... well, Tuesday was Melbourne Cup day and us being Aussies... well, we usually try to add on a day off whenever we can!!
Monday was a school closure day for the kids, so Sam and I headed down to Avarest for a 4 day weekend!! Noice!! Just us girls and Miss Molly (who by the way, turned 13 on Tuesday... HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOLLY!!). A very relaxing weekend was had by all.

I had a bit of a tidy up this afternoon (believe me... this is tidy.. I found my cutting table under a huge pile of crap and discovered I actually still owned an overlocker!! Gee, maybe if I tidy up my computer desk, I might actually find some space there too!! You never know!!)

and I tried to get in a little sewing... Not always easy!! Look how close I am to running over her tail!! Geeeshhh!!

IT'S HALLOWEEN...

BOO!! Happy Halloween to all my blogging buddies in the US... We don't really celebrate it down here in Australia, but I thought this picture was cute... Have a great night guys. Sleep tight and don't let the bed bugs bite!!

Meanwhile... I am off to finish hand stitching the binding on the Woof Woof quilt so I can give it away as a present this afternoon. It is the first quilt I have actually made and given away.... I know!! I can't beleive it either!! I really love the way it has turned out and have mixed emotions about handing it over. Silly I know!! Do you know what I mean? It's like... "will they love it as much as me? Will they take care of it?"... it's like a baby you have "grown". Silly, silly girl Lee-Anne!! I will take the finished photos and post them later today if I get time...

Edit.. OK... Here they are...

Finished front...

And the back...

The label...All washed and crinkled... ready for delivery this afternoon... Oh, I hope she likes it!!

Woof Woof quilt... Update

Made some progress today.... the housework will just have to wait!!
After all... I do have a deadline remember!!

All quilted and ready for the binding... tonight!! Pheww!!

Woof woof... baby quilt...

I started this little quilt on the weekend and finished piecing it today. It's a simple square in a square block... I had planned on piecing the backing tonight, but I got a little side-tracked with other stuff (such is life!!). It's looking quite good... Can't wait to get stuck into the quilting...

It looks much nicer (and straighter!!) than it does in this bottom photo, but I wanted to show you the whole quilt top so I quickly "hung" it up on my design wall. I'm trying to get it finished by Friday... Oooh... A self imposed deadline... I hate deadlines!!

Wish me lots of "free time" quilting luck! Yeah right!! And maybe throw in a fairy godmother who's a whiz at free motion too!! Heh, heh. Life's so busy at the moment!!

Oooh... You're terrible Muriel...

"Blue Squares" is all pieced... The backing fabric is "cooking" in a dye bath... I've worked hard... I deserve a reward... So then, what's a girl to do? BUY MORE FABRIC OF COURSE!!

How cool does this look? I just hung up a huge piece of batting on top of the roman blind in my sewing room (yes, yes I know I am very lucky!!) and laid out the blocks in preparation for tonight... with the sun shining through from behind, they look like 18 stained glass windows. I had 2 extra blocks so I only need to make 2 more. Just thought I'd share that with you!! :-)

Blue Squares Quilt...

Yes, I think that's what I'll call it... Blue Squares!!
I 've been working hard on this quilt top over the last couple of nights.
But, you know how it goes... just as I thought I'd finished piecing the blocks (Molly thought it was finished), I decided that if I make just one more row, I will have a quilt big enough for a single bed!! Lucky for me, I am finding these blocks addictive!! Gee, guess I'll have to open another bottle of red and finish it off tonight.... the quilt I mean... not the red... otherwise the Blue blocks (or Molly) might end up purple!! Ahhh, it's hard work being creative!!

Tie Dye TShirts...

The grade 6 kids at school made some funky TShirts last week... We used the very same (most excellent) procion dyes I use here at home, so they turned out really well. I offered to bring them home and do the washing!! I think they look fantastic... Far out man, like wow, wipe out!!

Confirmation Night...

As promised... here is a picture of JB's banner on Confirmation night. It's not the best of pictures but I think it turned out ok!! I made a last minute "design" decision though... the hanging sleeve on the back wasn't quite right so I pulled it to the front and slipped the dowel through at the top instead...

Split Nine Patch is done...

All washed and dried... crinkly and soft...

And on the reverse... A mini quilt label... binding and all!!

I'm seeing spots, lots of spots...

I saw this fabric awhile ago and fell in love with it... Well, it was half price the other day so it came home with me!! Not sure exactly what I will make with it, but as we quilters all know... it will keep the dust off my shelves until then!! Oooh, you're terrible Muriel!!

Confirmation Banner...

Taa Daa... It's finished!! Here's JB's Confirmation Banner... Ready to take to school.

JB chose the colours... All hand dyed to his specifications, he chose the design and layout and I stitched it!!

RAW EDGE APPLIQUE... I love it's rustic imperfections, and the freedom you have when you just let loose!!
I pieced the backing, hanging sleeve and binding...

I'll try and get a good photo of it hanging in the Church next week and post it later on...

Which Tarot Card Are You?

I took the test...

I am The Empress
Beauty, happiness, pleasure, success, luxury, dissipation.
The Empress is associated with Venus, the feminine planet, so it represents, beauty, charm, pleasure, luxury, and delight. You may be good at home decorating, art or anything to do with making things beautiful.
The Empress is a creator, be it creation of life, of romance, of art or business. While the Magician is the primal spark, the idea made real, and the High Priestess is the one who gives the idea a form, the Empress is the womb where it gestates and grows till it is ready to be born. This is why her symbol is Venus, goddess of beautiful things as well as love. Even so, the Empress is more Demeter, goddess of abundance, then sensual Venus. She is the giver of Earthly gifts, yet at the same time, she can, in anger withhold, as Demeter did when her daughter, Persephone, was kidnapped. In fury and grief, she kept the Earth barren till her child was returned to her.
What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Split Nine Patch Update...

Remember that baby quilt I started back in July? It's just been lying in my cupboard ever since I decided I didn't like it. I spyed it on Sunday night and it was crying out to be quilted. Well, you know what? I kinda like it a lot more now!! Funny how a good quilting gives even an ugly duckling a new lease on life!! The ironic thing is though, I started this for either one of 2 friends having babies (both have since found out they're having boys) so I still have 2 quilts to make... but not in pretty pinks!! Oh well.... onwards I go again... any excuse will do!!

Meet Scrappy Batik...

While I'm on a roll, I thought I would share with you, another of my early quilting adventures... This one I call Scrappy Batik. Soft and cuddly, the kids use this one on the couch at night.Again, it's just made up as I went along. Each block measures 16" and I added bits and pieces to

make it grow!! I first tried out my free motion quilting on this one...

It was my first practice piece and needless to say, was finished before "Nina" and her amazing BSR came to live with me!! All hail BSR!!

Star Bright Quilt...

I forgot about this quilt... I bought it home with me on Friday for a wash!! I think this was the first quilt I made. Not sure what the block is called... I just kinda made it up as I went along. Each block is 16" square and I made it as a "quilt as you go" quilt.... It made all those lines and lines of quilting simple!! I used a woolen batting on this quilt, but back then, I had no idea what I was doing and it was a "cheap and nasty" batting which is a little stiff. The quilt is ok... I mean, it gets used... but it's not really my style these days!! I guess we all have to start somewhere and my first effort wasn't too bad in hindsight!!

This is what the back looks like... Lots and lots of quilting!! In fact, I stitched in the ditch every seam... Pheww!!

And a simple label on the back...

I'm back...

The kids and I have just returned from 12 days down at AVAREST... my favourite place to stay!! The weather was great, the sleep-ins were fantastic, and I think fun, was had by all!!
Both kids had their friends come down to stay and my 2 besties came for a couple of nights too!! Even Miss Molly had a friend come for a sleep over!! The possums were back, along with a sneaky fox who waltzed past my window one night. No sign of Punter this trip though... perhaps he's gone to watch the Aussies in India!!

When I learned to quilt, I forgot how to cook...

I saw a great quote the other day... can't remember where, but it was good!!

"When I learned to quilt, I forgot how to cook!!"

Well, not really true (anyone who knows me, knows how much I love to cook) but geesh... It's been awhile since I had a good cook up session... TB and JB have been out and that means I get to put on my music and "Play It Loud OK!!" I mean apart from breakfast, lunch and dinner (we RARELY have take-away). I've spent ALL afternoon/night cooking. Home made Lasagne, meat pies (an Aussie favourite) mini pizzas and Fried rice (all from scratch) was next but I need to sit now and take stock!! Kids are on school holidays from tomorrow and I am getting organised!!

Strip quilt...

Yay!! It's finished!! I sat down and stitched on the binding last night (my fingers are crying as I type this post... It takes great skill to hand sew with a fluffy Maltese on your lap!! I feel a bit like a pin cushion... ouch!!) anyway, enough of the whining, I am really happy with it... I love the "antique" crinkly look you get after it's been washed and dried. I think it makes the quilt smile!!

Falling Ivy...

It seems that I have sooooo many projects on the go and nothing is ever finished (goes with the quilting territory I think!! Anyway, finishing is highly overrated!!) So i thought I would post a pic of one quilt I have finished!! I loved making this wall hanging. I used many different techniques on it (see label). The 3 large leaves are stamped (using real leaves), over painted and then raw edge appliqued onto the bleach discharged background... It's hard to tell from the pic, but they almost look like leather!! The smaller leaves were just stamped directly onto the background and then free motion embroidered. This was a fun and very time consuming project!!

Confirmation Banner...

The grade 6 children at our school will be making their Confirmation next month and in honour of this, each family are making a Banner to display in the Church. I can't show you too much at this stage (it's still very much a work in progress) but thought you might like a small peek... I will post a photo next month when it is finished. Needless to say, I am using my hand dyes so it will hopefully look nice and bright up on the Church wall!!

From little things, big things grow...

It's growing... 9 blocks down... Pheww!! Lx

What's that "Followers" thingy over there on the right?...

Blogspot has a new option called "Follower". Mine is over on the page to the right... Just click on "Follow this Blog" and it will add my blog address to your "Follower" list... It will then let you know when I have posted a new message... Pretty cool huh? Lx

Dancing With The Stars...

OMG.... PAUL LICURIA... HOT HOT HOT!!! Go Pies!! Lx

Free loaders...

I've just returned from visiting my Dad for Father's Day and look what I found taking a dip in the pool... A couple of free loaders!! Heh heh, actually, they've been visiting us twice a day for the last week or so. Very cute!! They're not the same 2 ducks we've had over the last 2 years though... Not sure what happened to Con and Marika (that's what we called them... They never did come back with their family... Roula, Toula, Soula, Voula and Agape!!...) Perhaps these two are the by-product of Con and Marika's amorous interlude here last spring!! Lx

It's Father's Day...

Happy Father's Day to all the wonderful Dads out there... Have an excellent day!! Lx

Wonky Log Cabin Blocks...

I have been playing around making these Wonky Log Cabin blocks... They are 15" blocks (whoppers!!) so it shouldn't take me too long to whip up a single bed quilt top... heh heh, famous last words I know!! Not even anywhere finished yet and I'm wondering how I should quilt it?? Any suggestions? Lx

My stash is lookin' good...

I have been busy building my fabric stash and adding to my collection of dye pots too... I bought another nice green, a red, yellow and another blue yesterday. This is a photo of the batch I dyed this afternoon... 1 metre of each colour...

Here's what I have sitting in my cupboard so far...

And even more...

Improvisational piece...

Here's a sneak peek at my first improvisational piece... I'm really happy with it. I love the freedom that comes from this "easy" piecing method. I will post more pics once I have it quilted and ready for display.... Who says Blue and Green should never been seen?? What do they know?? Lx

Footnote: 11pm... And here it is... quilted and ready for the binding... What do you think?

Quilt for the Car...

I needed a new quilt to throw over the car seat for Molly, so I "whipped" one up over the weekend!! Of course, I used my hand dyes... I had bits and pieces left over so I mitred them all together and made a multi coloured binding out of them.... Not bad!! Lx

An addition to my sewing room...

I am sooooooooooooo lucky... Look at my new extension table... Ask TB an ye shall receive!! I wanted an extension table... something that I could pull out from underneath my existing bench top and then push back if not required...(It's on lockable casters) I can pull out the bench, giving me a total of 50" in front of the needle and 50" to the left of the needle.... ABSOLUTE HEAVEN!! Please note... if you are not "into" quilting, these are exceptionally fantastic statistics!! It means I can now tackle much bigger quilts without running into the wall behind "Nina".... Basically, I have doubled the space behind and to the side of my machine... I so happy!! :-) Lx

Update on the strip pieced quilt...

Well, I decided on blue fabric for the backing so I dyed some white homespun last night and here it is... All quilted and ready for binding... A fast quilt is always a good quilt I say!! Lx

Here is the front...

And this is what the back looks like...

I'd Like you to meet My Personal Trainer...

After a few weeks (too many) off, I have started running again (well, walking really fast.... really, really fast ok!!) and I love it. Ipod dialled up to the max (Just play it LOUD OK!!) and no interruptions... well that's what is supposed to happen... So, picture this... well umm... actually, prob best if you don't picture ok.. erase that from your mind... anyways, I'm out there on the tready working out, ipod dialled up, struttin my stuff... feelin really cool but lookin allot like Peter Garrett tryin to stay on the treadmill (legendary Aussie lead singer from the band Midnight Oil... look up one of their film clips.... you'll see what I mean... shave my head... and that's who I look like!!), and there's a knock at the door... bloody hell I say....well, actually, I said worse but children may be reading this... anyways, I disconnect myself from the tready, unplug the ear plugs and stagger to the door to let in... none other than my personal trainer!! OK, well as they say, there's no Punch without Judy... I put my "personal Trainer" up out of arms way (no that wasn't a typo... remember Peter Garrett!!) and I get on with looking and well, at least feeling hot!!

I must say, she wasn't all that impressed... perhaps it was my rendition of countless ACDC songs or maybe she is just not a Midnight Oil Fan... Go figure?? Needless to say, she stuck it out.... A true professional!!

Pleeeease stop!! Enough of the Marcia Hines....stop waving your arms like a madman... I want my chicken... I want my (ummm I mean your) bed....

Footnote....
As well told by the great Billy Connelly....
"I'm a big fan of the Mars Bar Diet.
You don't eat the Mars bar, you stick it up your arse and let a rottweiler chase you home..."

Strip Pieced Quilt Top...

I just finished piecing this small quilt top (finished size will be about 36" x 54"). Super easy, can hardly call it piecing... it's just straight sewing... and look... I've used my new hand dyes!! Now I need to dye a piece for the backing and buy some cotton batting. I'm thinking perhaps a nice pale blue for the backing??

Painted butterfly...

I love playing around with my fabric paints (I use Pebeo textile paints) and as you probably know by now, I also like to tinker with Free Motion Embroidery and fused machine applique... Here is a little piece (12" x 12") I put together which incorporates those techniques... I still have a long way to go (practice, practice, practice) but I am fairly happy with the end result...
The green background fabric was painted (more like dyed I guess only using my paints not my dyes). Using a mechanical pencil, I drew the butterfly (which was loosely based on a Laurel Burch design) onto white homespun and then painted in the colours (again using the Pebeo paints). When I was happy with the design I free motion embroidered the Butterfly (using tearaway stabiliser behind). I used lots of different rayon threads to fill in the details and when I thought I could embellish it no more, I applied fusible webbing to the back, cut the whole Butterfly out along it's edges, and fused the whole piece down onto my nice green background fabric (green, I like green!!). Finally, I added the antennae and raw edge appliqued (by machine of course) around the whole outside edge of the Butterfly. The 3 circles above were completed in the same way.... So that's it... That's my Painted Butterfly.

Quilted pouch...

I needed to make a new pouch to keep my camera in... I found I had some gorgeous Laurel Burch fabric in my stash and so I quilted this little carry case... Super simple but very effective. I used a gold rayon thread and stitched around each doggy... just like tracing!!

Cute as a button...

I picked up these little badges at the Craft and Quilt show the other week... aren't they cute??

Slow and steady wins the race...

Well, that's what they say anyway... Can't believe it's been a week since I sat down with Nina... Here's an update on the Hand Dyed piece I've been playing with. Still making it up as I go along but getting into it now...

This is what it looks on the reverse... not sure what I think yet...

Adding some nice green varigated thread might help... Green... I like green!!



But Molly is not amused... WTF!! You woke me up to show me that??

Getting warmed up now...

See... I am working... Making it up as I go along... have no idea where this is going...

Procrastination no more...

Ok, I've developed what we call here in Aus, "the Yipps"... or is that just a term I use?? I don't know!! Anyway, I've now got all this gorgeous fabric I have been dyeing and now I'm not sure what the hell to do with it... So here goes... this IS the piece I will be working on tonight... I need to give myself a good talking to and tell myself... IT'S ONLY FABRIC LEE-ANNE... YOU CAN ALWAYS BUY/DYE MORE!! ... NO MORE PROCRASTINATING!! Gotta go, my glass needs refilling and Nina is calling... Lx

To this...

I'm having a ball with my new dyes... This photo does not do the colours justice... they are really bright in "real life"... I am really quite pleased with the colour saturation this time around. I bought 5 more colours today, along with another 6 metres of homespun... The housework will have to wait... At least with all the extra fabric around, it'll keep the dust off my shelves!! heh heh Lx

From this...

Green... I Like Green...

Here's a closeup of the Green and Raspberry piece from my first Dye batch... I think I might give it a "good going over" tonight with "Nina"... Oooh, the possibilities are endless...

Hand Dyed Fabrics...

Well, I have been playing around in my Laboratory (aka Laundry!!) I'm having lots of fun and as yet, I haven't changed the colour of my bench top which is a good thing!! I'm still getting used to the procion dyes I purchased on Thursday but they are pretty easy to use. Here is a picture of my first "batch"... All pieces are around half a metre... I'm pretty pleased... I will have to test, test, test to find the right balance in the saturation of colours though!! Overall, not bad for a Dye Virgin I guess!! heh heh Lx

Craft and Quilt Fair in Melbourne...

Love it, love it, love it!! Shopping, fibres, fabrics and quilts... what more could a girl want? I spent a few hours yesterday at the Fair in Melbourne. I sat in on a couple of interesting seminars. One with Prudence Mapstone.... OMG she does the most amazing stuff with free-form crochet and knitting, and one with Cecile from Unique Stitching, where I learned about using procion dyes. I had wanted to try my hand at "proper" dying for ages... I have experimented and used textile paints quite allot but I really want to get into dying my own fabrics... Why pay someone else to have all the fun!! I picked up a few packets of dye and I am just starting to use them today... I feel like a scientist (a mad one at that) and well, my laundry is starting to look like Dr Jeckyl's laboratory... or should that be Mr Hyde? raahhhh haw haw haw.... Sorry, think the powders are getting to me... (Only joking, I am being most careful!!) I will post some more photos when my fabrics are ready!!

A quick update on the baby quilt...

I grabbed TB's camera tonight and took another (closeup) photo of the baby quilt. I don't think the last photos showed how beautiful the fabrics really are... I think this pic is much better!!

I knew there was a reason I learned to crochet...

A man and woman had been married for more than 60 years. They had Shared everything. They had talked about everything. They had kept no Secrets from each other except that the
little old woman had a shoe Box in the top of her closet that she had cautioned her husband never to open or ask her about.

For all of these years, he had never thought about the box, but one day the little old woman
got very sick and the doctor said she would not Recover.

In trying to sort out their affairs, the little old man took down the shoe box and took it to his wife's bedside. She agreed that it was time that he should know what was in the box. When he opened it, he found two crocheted dolls and a stack of money totaling $95,000.

He asked her about the contents...

'When we were to be married,' she said, ' my grandmother told me the secret of a happy marriage was to never argue. She told me that if I ever got angry with you, I should just keep quiet and crochet a doll.'

The little old man was so moved... he had to fight back tears. Only two precious dolls were in the box. She had only been angry with him two times in all those years of living and loving. He almost burst with Happiness.

'Honey,' he said, 'that explains the dolls, but what about all of this money? Where did it come from?'

'Oh,' she said, 'that's the money I made from selling the dolls.'

...... A Prayer.......

Dear Lord,

I pray for Wisdom to understand my man

Love to forgive him

And Patience for his moods

Because Lord, if I pray for Strength,

I'll beat him to death... I don't know how to crochet.

Baby quilt...

I started a little baby quilt over the weekend (I know a couple of girls expecting at the moment). I had these cute charm squares sitting in my stash and decided to have a play with them... I experimented with spilt nine patches and then just added here and there from my stash... No pattern, it just grew!! It's about 45" x 34" unfinished. Still no camera, so I have taken the quilt pic with my mobile phone... sorry about the quality.

My Baby turned 12...

Last Friday, my baby JB turned 12... My how time flys!! Part of his birthday present was to take his mate (a Kangaroo supporter) along to the Magpies V's Kangaroos game at Telstra Dome. The Maggies lost the game by 18 points but we all had a good time. When we got home, the game was being replayed on Foxtel and there we were... on TV!!

Art Quilt "Jester"...

This is a small (14" x 12") piece, based on a free stained glass pattern I came across online... (Sorry, I can't remember exactly where from) I thought it would look great made up in bright fabric instead of glass... I don't do glass!! I only do fabric!! I transferred the pattern onto fusible web, cut out the pieces and then ironed each piece, one by one onto my chosen fabrics. When I had all my pieces fused, I then cut out each piece and reassembled the "puzzle" onto the black homespun background, ironing each piece in place when I was happy with the positioning... It was a bit like doing a jigsaw puzzle, great fun. Once the pieces were all fused down onto the background fabric, I made my quilt sandwich (100% cotton batting and black homespun backing) and stitched around each raw edge using coordinating threads... I made and applied a simple binding, signed my name (free motion embroidery) and voila!! It was finished!!

Daffodils...

Based on a Caroline Sharkey design (machine Embroidery Magazine) ... I just love her work...

My first "framed" piece... Completed last year, but I thought it was worthy of a showing here on my new blog!! All the flowers are hand painted and fused to the layered background. I then went to town with free motion stitching using variegated green and yellow threads... Not the best of photos but I am minus a camera at the moment, so this is the best I can do for now!!

Hope and Joy...

I think we can all do with a little hope and joy in our lives... Some more than others!! An experiment in fabric painting (the base fabric started out as plain white homespun), layering (tulle, organza and fabric snippets), free motion machine embroidery (in variegated purples and greens) and free motion quilting...

AVAREST...

Ahhh... My favourite place to be!! I just love our little place down in Gippsland... The house has aptly been named AVAREST... and well, when I'm down there, that's what I do!! The kids and I have just returned from 10 days holiday... Had a great time, although being the middle of winter, it was very cold and wet. I swear it almost snowed this time... Well, not quite... that's a bit of an exaggeration, but it did hail!! Brrrr!! Had one of my girlfriends and her 3 girls come visit for a couple of days (missed you Princess!!) so the kids were well entertained... and I got thrashed at Boggle!!

We also had our regular visit from "PUNTER" the Kookaburra.... JB named him after Ricky Ponting (Punter is the nickname of Australia's Cricket captain who incidently uses a Kookaburra brand bat!!... Pheww, JB just made me explain that whole story in full!!)... Anyway, he dined on hand fed meaty morsels each morning and again each evening... Much to Molly's disgust... some days I gave him HER chicken!! WTF??

She managed to seek out the pieces he dropped. By the way, it should be noted.. I am calling "Punter" a "He" but I haven't actually lifted his skirt, so I'm not really sure about that!!

The rosellas are always hanging out, along with the Galahs, but I didn't manage to get a picture of the pinkies, they aren't as friendly as the rosellas... in fact, we refer to them as the bullies!! Very beautiful though, and quite amusing!! They won't look you in the eye, whereas the Rosellas will just climb all over you!!

We usually have a visit from "Wombo" the wombat too, but not this time... must have been too cold for him to venture too far from his burrow and the possums were a bit quiet too!!

No falling out of trees for me this trip... but that's a whole other story!!!

Ah yes, it's all go, go, go down at our little house called AVAREST....

At last... some quilting...

The finished cushion

Closeup of the trim

Covered zipper in back

Well, finally... I have managed to get some sewing done. I've been somewhat preoccupied for the last week or so. Miss Molly has been an ill little pooch but I'm very pleased to say (after her check up at the vet this morning) she is baaaaack!! Still not sure what the problem was with her eye but it seems to be improving and definitely has not worsened. On top of that, she had a NASTY bout of ..... well, let's just say, she had a really bad tummy bug... eeewww!! She had me very worried after not eating for nearly 4 days she had started to lose weight (and there's not much to her as it is!!).... We've had a couple of visits to the vet... she's very precious and been with me for almost 13 years so, nothing is too good for her!! Anyways... just wanted to let you all know she is all "good good" again..

Right, where was I? Okay... Like I was saying, I managed to get some sewing done... I finished the wonky log cabin cushion that I started last week. I'm quite pleased with how it turned out. It's nice and bright...

Yay!! I finished it....

I finished Sam's Collingwood scarf today... She loves it!! Go Pies!!

My kinda tea cup...

I spotted (pardon the pun) this mug while I was shopping today. It reminds me of a Denyse Schmidt quilt. I love it. Perfect for the gallons of tea I drink during the day!!

The 3 Stooges...

Gotta love 'em... I bought this fabric on eBay ages ago for my son. He absolutely loves the 3 Stooges and decided he wanted a cushion made from it. Poor JB.. he's been waiting, waiting, waiting and I keep telling him.... ahhh, just a couple a days JB!! Well, today I decided he shall wait no more. Here it is.... NUK NUK NUK....WHOOP WHOOP WHOOP...

A cushion in the making...

In between making popcorn for my daughter and her bestie (they are watching a movie after playing veterinarians with an array of stuffed animals!!) and catching up on msn with my gorgeous niece (Hi Kym!!), I finally made a start on that luscious pile of fabric I flaunted yesterday!! Here's the first glimpse of (perhaps) a cushion in the making..... I say perhaps because, well, I never know what the hell I'm doing half the time. I just put on my ipod, fill up a glass and go for it............

P.S I've been shopping....

Oooh, you're terrible Muriel................

My Sewing Room...

I am very lucky to have this wonderful sewing room... Built especially for me by Tony. Well, it started out as his office but I decided it would make a better sewing room and so I "moved " in a few years ago. The cupboards, desk and cutting table were all custom built for me. Funny though, the more room you have, the more "stuff" you have. I started to have a clean up tonight and thought I'd share some pics with you.

Sam's Collingwood Scarf....

Been working on this scarf on and off for ages... (I don't knit very fast or often enough it seems!!) Really must finish it for my daughter Samantha. Just in case the mighty Pies get to the finals this year.... You never know!! Anyway, it'll keep her warm in the meantime... It's nice and fluffy!!

Molly's eye...

It seems Molly has had a Corneal hemorrhage .... In other words, the 2 red spots I am seeing on her iris is actually blood... Not sure whether it's due to infection or actual trauma to her eye. At least we know after a test last night, it's not ulcerated. The Vet has given me some heavy duty ointment to use and we are to follow up with another appointment in a weeks time. He is pretty confident the ointment will sort things out within the next couple of days. Poor thing, I keep checking her every minute of the day. She hears me coming now and just buries her head under her blankets.......... I'm sure she's thinkin "Give it a rest will ya and let me sleep".

Sex and The City....

What a great film. Went to see it last night with a girlfriend. I laughed, I cried... If you haven't seen it yet, best you do. It's great. Must keep this post brief, been out all morning for Molly's trip to the groomer...You know, to have her bubble bath, hair and nails done. Bit concerned about her though. She seems to have a problem with her eye. I have an appointment booked with the Vet tonight. Poor love....

Stars Wall hanging

This is a small (around 90cm square) wall hanging I have recently finished. Each star block is made up of 2 different fabrics and raw edge appliqued onto a black background. It's kind` of a shattered stained glass effect. Instead of finishing with a standard satin stitch, I decided to freemotion "scribble" the outline stitching instead.... Lower the feed dogs and go for it!! (Check out the closeup pic) I then free motion quilted around each star and also on the black border.... a shame you can't see it in the picture. I am quite pleased with the end result. I will post another pic once I have it up on the wall..... I am planning on mounting it onto a stretched canvas.... but you'll have to wait and see...

Here I go.....

My jump into the big world of Bloggers..... God knows I've spent enough time checkin out everyone elses. I thought I'd have a go myself.... Stay tuned!!