Bloggers Quilt Festival: Gran's Pink and Gold Quilt

I discovered some great new blogs when I took part in Amy's Creative Side's Bloggers Quilt Festival in May, so I thought I'd show you my Gran's quilt in the Fall 2010 Bloggers Quilt Festival. That's mainly so I can tell stories about my Gran again, she's such a scream!

This quilt began with a piece of Anna Maria Horner Little Folks fabric, sent to me by Deb of Works in Progress. I'd never used any AMH before and thought it was gorgeous. I wanted to make a quilt- but who could I make a stylish deep pink and gold quilt for? Gran was in hospital at the time and the penny dropped- pink is my Gran's favorite colour, the hotter the better. She even used to dye her hair pink! She has a great sense of style, and the fabric was just the thing.

I wanted to make it quickly, so I chose a disappearing nine-patch design. It was mostly from stash, and includes some Munki Munki by Heather Ross, some vintage sheets from Ange's Australian Vintage Sheet Fat Quarter Swap, some leftovers from my pyjamas and more.This is the first quilt I've fully machine-quilted, and it came together really quickly. I got this photo in the sun, with some help from Mister Bell. Lucky for me he has positive Ape Factor!

I'd like to share again one of my favorite stories about my Gran. This favorite Granny-moment isn't one to tug at your heart strings, but it always makes me cackle. Before relating this I must assure you that my gran very lovely, and a bit cheeky at times.

A male friend of mine was getting married, and I was telling my gran that I was off to his wedding the next day. She said, "Oh. I rather hoped he might be the one for you." I said, "Well it's too late now, Gran, because he's getting married tomorrow!".

"Yes" she said. And after a moment's thought she said, philosophically. "She might die."

It's her 94th birthday tomorrow, please wish her many happy returns!

A Present A Week {till Christmas}: Birdwatching

It seems like only yesterday that I posted my last entry for Deb's A Present A Week {Till Christmas} at Works in Progress. This week I've started early, and I've completed another covered photo album. I photographed the last one in the garden, but it's a wet, wet day here today!

The feature panel is Ink and Spindle's fabric with the Australian native Suberb Blue Wren. My mum's a keen birdwatcher, and this is for her.

You can join in anytime with Deb's A Present A Week {Till Christmas}! There's a fabric giveaway from Deb every week!

A Present A Week {till Christmas}: Elephant t-shirt

Just scraping in at the last minute again, here's my post for Deb's A Present A Week {Till Christmas} at Works in Progress. It's getting much closer now, and it's nice to have a whole sackful of presents already completed!

This week is a Bug t-shirt, made with Applifix and a remnant of stripey fabric from my friend Jacquie. I used the same technique for the giraffe t-shirt. A border of blanket stitch makes it strong enough for the wash and even (gasp!) the tumble-dryer. You've got to be tough if you end up in our washing basket, as Maisy Brown would testify.

The elephant is in honour of new baby Pop-pop at Melbourne Zoo. Officially he has been named Ongard, but to us he will always be Pop-pop. I'm relishing the days when my Bug is happy with an animal on his t-shirt, and not a Transformer or Ben-10 or whatever.

You can join in Deb's A Present A Week {Till Christmas} any time, and you don't need to submit an entry each week, just when you've made one. And Deb gives away a weekly fabric prize! Hope to see you there soon.

My Creative Space: Troubling Triangles

I still haven't decided on the final design for my HST vintage sheet quilt. When I posted these HST layout ideas in my creative space, your feedback helped me narrow down my choices. 

I liked the zig zag, but was slightly troubled- it kept reminding me of Charlie Brown's shirt. When I asked Mister Bell what he thought, he said "It looks like that guy's shirt. Confirmed.

The pinwheels are very sweet, but they look a little disordered and crowded in this picture. Perhaps they need some sashing like this lovely one by BethanyDA.

I like the white space and the sense of structure in this one... but I like the idea of pinwheels....and yet, when I look at them...?

And I laid out this one for fun. And I like it too!

So I still haven't decided... I welcome your thoughts once again!

For more creative spaces visit host Kirsty here! 

My Creative Space: Mmmm, Giraffe!

Once again, this week's work-in-progress is made from a vintage sheet from Ange's swap. When I first saw this brown and yellow fat quarter I wondered what to use it for... Then- eureka, giraffe! First I made this t-shirt, and now I'm most of the way through this softie from Karin Neuschutz's Sew Soft Toys, published in english by Winterwood Steiner Inspired Toys. I still need to put on the horns, mane, tail and eyes.

I saw some more of the sheet on Susan's blog It's The Things That Make You Go Mmmm, and Susan very kindly gave me one and a half more of the sheets. I'm planning some giraffe pyjamas for the Bug, then perhaps a pair for me too!

I have a bit of a soft spot for giraffes:

• tea towel
• toothpick holder
• freezer paper stencil t-shirt tutorial

For more creative spaces visit host Kirsty here! 

My Creative Space: Owl Bowling Team Completed!

Finished at last is the owl bowling set! It's a Christmas present for the Bug. They're made with vintage sheets, mostly from Ange's Australian Vintage Sheet Fat Quarter Swap. Each owl skittle is embroidered with a number from one to ten. They're all ready to be set up and bowled over with the rather spherical dodecahedron (or ball).

The team line-up has changed a little in the process. The owl to the right I cut on the cross, and as a result he is a bit too out of shape for the team*. Because he is biased, he's unsuitable to be a referee, but perfect for coach and cheerleader.

This is new star recruit Ziggy.

For more creative spaces visit host Kirsty here!

****Oops! I meant to schedule this for Thursday but I pressed publish. Again! Sorry Creative Space Cadets.

* Oh alright I know this is discriminatory. But he was a bit too hard to topple!

Veg About: I don't know who the culprit was...

...but Somebody opened the door of the birdcage covering our sole surviving broccoli plant. And ate our broccoli!

Curses! Foiled again (*gnashes teeth*)!

Organic gardening can be a trial sometimes. Never mind, the broccoli will sprout again. Perhaps I should put a lock on the door?

 

If you love growing vegies, please join me in the Veg About! Just stick up the button, list what you're growing on your sidebar and tell Mister Linky that you're in.

Earthquake Quilt Blocks

I've finished a couple of blocks for Deb's Earthquake Quilts appeal. Deb asked if people would like to help her make red or blue blocks 12.5 inches square in any design, which she will sew together into quilts for people who lost their homes in the recent earthquakes in Christchurch, New Zealand. 


I've been having lots of fun with my half-square triangles, so I decided to take them a step further and join them together for some pinwheel blocks for Deb's quilts. I used Rachel's tutorial for block two of her Pinwheel Sampler Quilt-Along at P.S. I Quilt. I started with 7.5 inch squares and trimmed them down to make the 12.5 inch blocks.

Deb will start sewing blocks together at the end of October, so if you'd like to help out there's still a little time left to make a couple of blocks and post them to New Zealand. All the details are in this post. 


The people of the South Island of New Zealand are going to need these quilts quickly if this weather keeps up! Keep warm, folks.

Eggcup Improv.

Some households are better equipped for late nights than early mornings.

Quilts in the Barn is Coming!

If you live in Victoria or are planning a visit, you'll want to pop in to see this! Visit the website here.

A Present A Week {Till Christmas}: Monkey Business

It's Week 13 of Deb's A Present A Week {Till Christmas} at Works in Progress. It's good to be ahead with the Christmas gifts, because I'm sending this lined box pouch to a fellow monkey-enthusiast in the UK.

She's our very dear friend and the godmother to our real-life monkey-boy. She gave him his special companion Monks, pictured here. As you can see, he is somewhat felted with love!

Last week I was the lucky winner of Deb's A Present A Week {Till Christmas} weekly fabric prize- thanks Deb! You can join in at any time, and don't need to submit an entry each week, just when you've made one. Hope to see you there soon!

The Shape of Things to Come

I've started on my second patchwork polyhedron using the English paper piecing technique. My first was a dodecahedron using twelve pentagons (but you may refer to it as a ball if you like). Now I'm using twelve pentagons and twenty-one hexagons to make a truncated icosahedron, more commonly known as one of these (see link)!

This polyhedron is going to be a cover for a balloon, which makes a very light, bouncy ball suitable for indoor play. The extra hexagon I've cut out will be used to make an opening to put the balloon in before blowing it up. I might do a tutorial- if it all works out as planned!

For the templates I'm using this paper model by Gijs Korthales Altes. It was very simple to print out the paper model pieces and then cut out the pentagons and hexagons. There are plenty of other models here if you'd like to give it a try.

The Snoopy fabrics are from my friend Sue, who used them for the cutest quilt ever. I've already used some of the scraps to make the Bug some beanbags.

Brighton Breezy is making some more Archimedean solids. Head over to Pins and Needles to check out Brighton Breezy's icosahedron!

STOP PRESS: Brighton Breezy is also having a fun Brighton-themed Blogtoberfest giveaway, including some Brighton Rock and a brightly Brighton-coloured handmade hexy pincushion, so head over to her blog Pins and Needles now!

A Bird in the Hand...

...and a few in the bush! We've gone a bit bird-mad around here at the moment. You can see my stylist's hand in the picture.

This handy bird is a bon voyage gift for a friend heading overseas. The beautifully co-ordinated fabric is from Deb at Works in Progress. Deb is hosting A Present A Week {Till Christmas} and every week she gives away a half-yard of fabric, and I was the lucky winner not once but twice! Have you started on your Christmas sewing yet? Join Deb and enter the weekly draw.

The delightful pattern was lent to me by our friend Lynne who works at our local fabric shop (we see her often). It's a pincushion, with pockets in its wings for small scissors and seam ripper, a needle keeper in its tail and a spool of thread around its neck. It's Lyn Hosford's 'Stitchers Friend' pattern, from the book Flower Bed Threads, published by Need'l Love.The small pieces of wool and felt I used for the wings came from a big bag of felt pieces Lynne gave me.

The Bug has been finding nests for this and his other birds. Lynne made this beautiful green one for the Bug using this free pattern from Spool.

And here is the blue and green pin-keeper bird Lynne gave to the Bug, next to the one we made for Lynne. And once again we made that one with fabric from Deb. It's like a global/ local collaboration. Thank you Lynne and Deb!

I'm linking up to Fabric Tuesday over on Quiltstory. See you there!