Can't Think of a Title

There were quite a few horrified remarks after my last post, with some people thinking I took no photos of the Doll Quilt I made for the swap. I did, as you can see, but I forgot to take one once the binding was sewn down. This one is of it all finished, except the hand sewing on the binding, which is sitting toward the front. If you wanted to look at other progress photos, I have my Labels visible on my blog, so you could click there.

I haven't been doing much sewing this week as I'm in a bit of a general slump. I don't even feel much like reading blogs. I have done a little bit on the hexagons, but it is too bulky now to do in front of the TV- I really need to sit at the table to do it.

I'm in 'intimidation mode' about sewing up the jumper I have finally finished for Daniel. I have read the mattress stitch instructions and had some advice, but....

As for UFOs I have been doing a bit of work on this flowery number. It has been a real struggle to sew something that you don't really like. I have also figured out that one of the fabrics smells funny, which makes me feel yuk. I have been at a bit of loss what to do with it, but today I have finally decided to make this section 40 inches wide, then put some sort of border around it of the same strips, so they will be going in the opposite direction. I would like to put a plain strip before the border, but I am struggling to find something that will match. I do have a pale mottly cream that might do, but I'm not sure if I have enough fabric.

I just want to finish it to Flimsy stage, then pass it on. I was reading the HeartStrings blog, and they might take it. We have a coordinator in Austalia, so that would save going through the Terrorist Interrogation at the Post Office.

The winter days are so lovely here at the moment, that I have been spending more time outside. I am about to buy another rainwater tank which will go under the house in a 'system' with the other one - this is to save on plumbing and digging. I have checked out the downpipes, and I can't see why I shouldn't be able to divert some of them into the new tank myself. "Have hacksaw..." In preparation for its arrival I have been cleaning up under the house. When the builders left, they chucked everything left over under there, and I have gradually been supplementing the firewood with the offcuts. I have now reached a point where anything useable has been used, so a general sorting out was required. I did 2 trips to the Tip, and came home with more stuff! Only plants though, so that's ok. I took some cuttings and brought home some nice green banana leaves for the compost.

Now I just need to dig a bit of a level spot, then get them to send some crusher dust with the tank to sit it on. I have also been gardening and moving some plants to new spots. I had a salad of Cos lettuce, rocket and herbs from my vege patch last night, so it makes it all worthwhile.

Ooh Ooh Lucky Me!

My Doll Quilt arrived today! It is gorgeous! Sorry about the excessive use of the exclamation mark, but nothing else does the trick!

I am Ms Jan's ...recipient..., and how lucky am I? It looks much better in real life than my photo, as it is a bit of a gloomy day here today. Jan has hand quilted it and washed it, and it is all crinkly and beautiful. Lucky me!

Here is the label - I put a piece of paper over Jan's last name as I wasn't sure if she would want her name on the internet.

I love 1930s prints, and have a whole stash of them but have never really made anything out of them. The Zig Zag quilt that I am planning to make when I have made a little dent in the UFOs will be the first major project.

I have had an email from my Doll Quilt recipient Jennifer, but I don't think she has had a chance to put it on her blog. I'm counting on her to take and send me a photo as I didn't take one before I sent it.

I've really enjoyed the Doll Quilt Swap - nothing like a deadline to get you moving, and because it was a small project, it was do-able. I'll be signing up again.

New Fabric

I have been buying new fabric - not much, but a little bit. I am in the black though, as I have also been selling some of my stash on ebay. I hope you Stash Busters aren't too shocked, but that is my way of getting rid of it. Then I spend the proceeds on more fabric. Perfect!

I used to sell fabric on ebay as a bit of a sideline, as it is so expensive here, and it can be bought so cheaply from the US. My aim was not to really make money, but I would buy a yard, sell half of it for what I paid for the whole thing, and then get half a yard of free fabric for me. I quite enjoyed it, and got quite a little customer base going. But then they put the fees up in a huge way, and it was no longer worth it, so I stopped. It was an interesting experience though, as I was continually surprised by what would sell, and what wouldn't. I would have something that (I thought) was great, and it would sit there and sit there, then someone would pay big bucks for something that I thought I'd never get rid of . I quickly learnt to only buy fabric I would be happy to be left with, or could make something out of for someone.

Anyway, lately I have been going through the remaining fabric from that time, old stuff I have bought, and have sold A$230 worth since May, and I have a little bit more to put up. I had a few kids panels and stuff like that that I would never use, and it is amazing how much they go for. I have this fabric that has animals and the letters of the alphabet on it in individual frames, and each A - Z is 12 x 22 inches. The first one I put up (for 99C) went for $18! Crazy. Now the remainder are selling for a few dollars as I expected. I have been quite ruthless, and cleared a lot of fabric that I knew deep down I wouldn't use, and it feels good.

There is one local fabric shop that I buy from. They sell seconds and odd bolts quite cheaply, and I have made friends with one of the ladies there who is also a quilter. She tells me when the next shipment is due if I happen to be in there, but you have to be quick. Yesterday I bought 2m of this 50s kitchen scene that I have no idea what I will do with, and these 3 (0.5m each). You can never have too many black and white spots, and the other 2 will go in with the repros.

I also couldn't help myself when I saw these 2 Michael Miller prints. I bought some to sell. The Cowboy one is always a good seller, especially I find if you put some coordinating fat quarters with it. The other one is nice too, so I hope it goes. It's nice to see some cute things for boys.

Otherwise, I have done a bit on the pink UFO, which I was amazed eveyone liked so much. It's good that we all have different taste. I have found a pink floral border print in the cleanout, so if it is big enough I will use that up for the border, maybe with a plain green skinny border inside it. I have a friend who might like it, but now I'm thinking about the quilting. I vowed not that long ago that I would not quilt another large quilt, but is it worth paying to have done? I would rather have the Japanese quilt done. I suppose I should cross that bridge when I come to it.

The knitting continues - I picked up the ball of yarn yesterday from Mum, so soon it will be finished I hope. I have been working on the hexagons in front of the TV at night in the meantime. I think it was good to face the UFOS, and refocus.

Found Another One

I have found another UFO. I found these strips in a plastic bin. I have a vague recollection of doing this - they are 2 1/2 inch strips sewn end to end then cut into equal lengths, so I must've had a plan. I remember wanting to git rid of this fabric as much of it was bought early on in my stash building life, and as you know we don't always make the right choices at that time, not having been exposed to all the options!

So I will try and finish it too, as it will be easy. As I was ironing it all, I was trying to think what I will do with it. It will have to be given away, as it is not my thing.

As to what I have been doing? Not much really. After finishing and posting the Doll Quilt Swap quilt, I have had a little lull, apart from the knitting of course. I realise that I did not take a photo of the finished DQ, which was stupid of me, and after I'd posted it I had to have time to get over the feeling that I must be a terrorist. Australia Post has really cracked down on sending parcels overseas. I had to show ID, sign customs forms that they kept a copy of, they won't let you put it in a post box (no post office here), I got a lecture from the 1st post office lady for not having everything I needed, then when I went to hand it in at another post office, I got a lecture there because the first lady had put the wrong sticker on the envelope, and on it went. Quite traumatic!

Never-the-less it is on its way. As to the blasted jumper, Mum finished the top of the 2nd sleeve, but did not get around to doing the 1st one, so I have it back. I knitted away and came to the end of the ball and realised that the last ball of yarn is at Mum's place! What a comedy of errors. BTW, I found out when researching International posting that you are not allowed to post wool to the USA. I bet there are plenty of knitters and swappers that didn't know that.

Anyway, it is nearly finished. Half a sleeve to go and the neckband and sewing it all together. It had better fit! I have been doing it while sitting up late at night watching Le Tour de France. Did you know that the Tour will be going past the end of Clare's road in a week or two? She told me she is going to hold up a sign, so we might get to see her.

Name & Shame

QUILTING UFOs

1. Repro 4 patch - queen size. All 4 patches made, but don't have the fabric for the setting squares.

2. Wagga - queen size. Started this last winter, but I'm not too sure if I want to go on with it. On hold ? to abandon.

3. Denim quilt - huge. Quilt as You Go method, and all done except for top and bottom borders, which have been cut out, and the binding. Started this some years ago, but have had mental block about finishing it. However I have now decided to keep it when finished, and have actually got the borders out of the cupboard, which is progress.

4. Raggy edge small quilt - already decided to sew along edge and give it to the dog. Started right back when I started quilting and the fabric is average, and I don't like it.

5. Aqua, green and orange largeish wall hanging - started last year from photo in Japanese quilt book. Pieces have been hanging on design wall since then, and really I'm not sure if I want to go on with it either. Positive is that fabric could easily go back into scrap bins.

6. Hexagon quilt - about double bed size, by hand. Top nearly finished, but current winter knitting craze has taken over hand sewing time. Concern for this quilt is what am I going to do with it when I finish it? It really needs to be hand quilted, but I am not competent.

7. Civil War Diary Quilt (see photo album in sidebar) - 8 blocks made, 113 to go - ha ha ha.

FLIMSYS

8. Japanese Quilt - queen size. Have backing fabric, batting and top finished. I'm going to have it quilted professionally one day.












9. Doll quilt - small. Need some batting. Have backing sewn.

PIGS

10. Zig Zag Quilt - queen size. Have 30's fabrics cut as per pattern, have green and yellow setting fabrics not yet cut.




I do have fabric for other projects that are really just in my mind - no concrete decisions made or fabric cut, so we wont go there.

I hope this is all there is.

I think I might tackle the Denim Quilt first.

Knitting & Scrap Sorting

It's been a few days since I've blogged. I had friends for dinner on Thursday night, so that encouraged a flurry of housework, of course. Nothing like a bit of motivation! Plus it was a very windy day, so I had to do some washing to take advantage of it. Then I cooked - vege lasagne and peach strudel. We took the dogs for a walk before dinner and there was Thursday gone. Friday I went to the Mainland as I had a Drs appt, and by the time I did that, spent some time at Mum and Dad's and did the grocery shopping, the day was over.

My sister Helen and my nephew Daniel were there (school holidays), and my Aunt Sylvia, so there was lots to catch up on. I managed to off load the sleeves of the wretched jumper to Mum - she has shingles, but is on the mend thanks for those who commented, and is bored with reading. I also told Daniel it was all his fault that the jumper was being such a nuisance, and he just grinned.

I sat in front of the TV last night and pushed on with it, and am about a cm from starting the decreases for the armholes. It has to be maroon for footy colours.

Yesterday I had a sleep in, then spent a few hours playing with my fabric. Such simple pleasures. I had been reading blogs before that, and thought I really should try harder when I read about the fantastic scrap systems people have. I got everything out, sorted into Repro small, other Repro, 2 inch and 2 1/2 inch strips, Japanese, strings, and strips and pieces over 3 inches wide. I cut down strips to 2 or 2 1/2 inch which were less than 3 inches wide. In fact I'm very pleased with myself, and I don't have that much really when I look at it. I resisted the urge to cut the wide pieces down, as you never know what you might want in the future.


The Doll Quilt Swap Quilt is finished apart from the label, and although I took it with me on Friday and I actually went into the Post Office, I forgot to get a postpack for it. I'm hopeless - what will my memory be like when I'm 60? I believe some of the swap quilts are arriving, so 'the big reveals' are something to look forward to.

Other than that, I have been thinking about naming and shaming myself by doing a recatalogue of the UFOs. Bren over at Pieces From Me has been doing the same, and I thought maybe I should too. There are one or two that might need to be abandoned, so maybe it's time to face it. I'll think it over for tomorrow.

For all you poor people in the US who are so hot (and for Gudren!) here is a winter morning shot from Australia. Nothing like a bit of sunbaking. I have sent them outside to sit in the sun, and I can hear Swampy telling the kookaburras to go sit on someone else's fence.

Only Hand Sewing Left to Do

I'm very pleased to report that the Doll Quilt Swap 2 quilt is nearly finished. I was busy telling Amy this long story about how I didn't have any batting in the house, and would have to wait til Friday to get some, when I had a brainwave. The other doll quilt that I had made was pinned but not quilted, so I took the batting from that and was able to crack on with it today.

There are many threads to sew in from the quilting, and the binding to sew down, but I should get that done tonight while watching TV. I'm pretty confident that the recipient of this quilt does not read my blog, so I'll show the progress.

I have been knitting that blasted jumper for my nephew, and I tell you, I'm sick to death of it. I have knitted the 2nd sleeve to the end of the increases, and it is about 4cm shorter than the other one was at that point, but this is how it is supposed to be. What I'm going to have to do is re-do the first sleeve sob sob sob. I have done the back and about 6 inches of the front.

BUT I just had an email from my Mother who is sick with shingles. She is over the worst of it now, but still having to hang around the house. I was telling her of my knitting woes, and she has said she will reknit both sleeves for me - tempting.... Winter will be over before I finish the bloody thing otherwise.

It is late afternoon here, and the sun is just going down. The birds are all cheeping - it is so lovely. The kookaburras are going off, the rosellas are feeding on the native flowers and getting all drunk and churpy, and the curlews are screeching which sounds like about 10 babies are being murdered - I kid you not. And the beagle is snoring in the background - nature! It has been warm during the day - sunny tshirt weather, but cold at night, so I have the fire on which heats the whole house. I wish the weather was like this all year round. Gudren was saying on her blog that it was 21 deg C (same as here today), and she was soooo hot! The difference between Iceland and Australia must be amazing.

Border Worries

I can't believe how much trouble I've had with the border of the Doll Quilt 2 Swap quilt! Normally I have a pretty good idea what I'll do for a border, and usually it works out most of the time with no real dramas. But this one... First I auditioned about 30 % of my Repro fabrics (which is a significant number I'll tell you), and when I finally decided after a couple of days of looking at this, leaving the room, looking at that, leaving the room and coming back to it I finally decided.

Then the real trouble started. I think the main problem is that I made the central part of the quilt square. I didn't really think it through, just made it up as I went along, and then had to stop because of the size constraints. I should've put one extra row on the top to give it a better shape. Anyway, too late for that, so I thought I'd do what I see on many doll quilts, and add an extra strip of fabric on the top and bottom before I put the borders on. I cut it out, laid it out - it looked terrible. I tried a diffferent fabric for the extra bit, and off it started again.

In the end I got a bit fed up with it, and trimmed down the side borders, didn't add the top and bottom borders, and I think I'm ok with it now. Talk about fiddly! I suppose I'm used to the proportions of the big quilts, and it took quite some time to down scale it all in my head. I'm pretty happy with it now after leaving it alone for a few days, and I have cut the single thickness binding in the spot so hopefully that will give it a lift.

It's a bit hard to see in the photo, but there is a sort of 'self inner border' with the dark triangles, so framing it with a skinny border might've helped on another quilt, but I didn't want to take away from that look. So now to put it together, bind it and it will be done. It has been good to do - it has taken quite a bit of work for a tiny quilt, but because it is small it has been do-able. I think I will definately make some more Doll Quilts. The swap invited you to try something different, and I have to tell you that this is the first quilt I've made on point! The 4patch UFO will be on point, but as that isn't finished...

Weather is lovely and cold here with westerly winds, but the sun is shining. We had 4 inches of rain last week and on Thursday I did the big run over to the Mainland with the Van and came back with some huge bags of dogfood, fertiliser and firewood stacked to the ceiling. I had better go and get the last bit out.

Doll Quilts & Dog Coats

I have nearly finished the first doll quilt I have been making, and have made some progress on the Swap quilt. I haven't felt much like sewing the last few days, which is funny as I've been on a real roll lately. I did some more knitting last night on a jumper (pullover) I started for my nephew when I needed something portable to do, but I'm making a real dog's breakfast of it. I can't seem to concentrate on the row counting for increasing and decreasing. I finished a sleeve last night, and it was rather perplexing as when I had finished increasing up the sleeve it said to keep knitting until work measures 38cm. Well it was already 41 cm. So then I had to start decreasing straight away. I don't know - I'll keep going for now, but if it is terrible I won't give it to him.


Simon has really been feeling the cold, so I bought him a cheap jumper at the discount store, which of course was too small for him. He wore it though, and despite not being able to look at the camera for a photo, he seemed to appreciate the warmth. So I made him a rough coat out of flannelette that I had in the stash, and he seems to like it. He has been giving me a bit of extra love and tail wags.

It has been raining here today and is very overcast, but at least the cloud is keeping the temperature up a bit. My tank is full, so I have the hose on one of the trees out the front. I'm sitting here trying to remind myself to go and turn it off, and not empty the tank, which is easy to do if you forget. I woke up in the middle of the night once remembering that I hadn't turned the hose off, but it was too late then.

I just feel like getting into bed with a book and turning the light on, but that is a dangerous plan.

Poor Swampy

Poor Swampy. I feel a bit bad about the photo from last post, as it did make her look a bit like a maniac. Here is another photo to show that she is indeed a nice looking dog. Her Mother is a shaggy black and white Border Collie X Australian Cattle Dog, so all I can say is that Dad (commonly known as The Surfer's Dog) must have been a Staffy X Ridgeback, or something similar. Her working dog instincts are alive and well though, as Simon can confirm. She rounds him up, and generally 'supervises' everything he does. Luckily he is a laid back character who knows his place in the pack - right at the bottom.



My swap partner was in my mailbox this morning, and luckily she likes Civil War fabrics, so the little quilt I had tentatively started is full steam ahead. The identity of your partner is to be kept a secret, but I'm not sure if the quilt is to be a secret. I've noticed that some bloggers are offering hints only, whereas others are posting full photos. I will show this little section only...


In other quilting news there will be an International Sigh of Relief I imagine when I report that the Girl Guide Quilt is finally finished. I'm not a good finisher, as you all know. Anyway it is done.

I have held off on starting the Zig Zag Quilt, so I might try and run with this finishing mood and knock over another UFO. I have been talking to Holly about her QAYG Log Cabin, which brought to mind my Denim Quilt which only needs 2 borders and binding. Maybe I might do it. Can't rush these things.

Soup Weather

It's soup weather here at last. Two weeks ago it was like the middle of summer, but today the wind is blowing and it is a little bit cool. We hardly get any winter compared to most places, but we aren't really prepared for it. All the houses are designed for the heat, so when it gets a bit cold at night we go into shock.

I love the cold weather, and often wonder why I don't live down south, but here I am. The garden doesn't know what to do, and as you can see I still have basil growing. In lieu of a big dollop of pesto, I stirred some fresh leaves through, and if I say so myself it was quite nice!



I'm still waiting for my Doll Quilt Swap partner, and I'm getting a bit concerned in case I'm over the whole idea before it starts. I'll wait another day or two, then I'll email. Amy has all but finished her quilt already. I've started something that hopefully will fit in with my partner's likes and dislikes, but if not I will be happy to keep it. I won't show a photo just in case, but let me tell you that there are lots of little triangle ears gathering on the floor under the ironing board.




I'm going to put this photo of Swampy in, not because I want to embarrass her - and she does embarrass easily - but to show this crazy cattle dog look that she has. She stares at me sometimes with this look, and I'd love to know what's going on inside that little, very bony, skull. Poor Swampy. She's not the smartest dog in the pack, but she tries very hard.

Quilts 4 Leukaemia

Jen (Hedgehog) and I have been talking with Clare about trying to organise a way to help out with the 'nuts and bolts' parts of her quilts. Lots of quilters have very kindly sent blocks, but batting and backing fabric are also needed to complete them.

We talked about lots of different options, but as Clare is in France there are obvious logistical problems, and of course postage costs. We thought of collecting money for a bulk order of batting to be sent from the US, we enquired at French LQStores, and so on. In the end we found that at Quilter's Quarter, an online store in the US, there is an option to buy a Gift Certificate that can be emailed to Clare, which she could then use to buy batting and backing fabric. Quilter's Quarter accepts PayPal, and we agreed that quilters, if they were able to donate, would be confident that their donation would go toward quilting supplies and not toward a bottle of wine! (Clare does live in France!)

There is a US$10 Gift Certificate, but if this were too much I hope that Quilter's Quarter would be happy to accommodate a combined payment from 2 quilters for example. Don't quote me on that, but so far they have been very helpful with my many enquires. I regularly buy fabric from them and they have been very reliable posting to Australia.

Please consider this a suggestion only, and don't feel any pressure to donate. If you haven't been to Clare's Quilts4Leukaemia blog, please have a look. The young people that she has made quilts for have been very grateful to receive them, and many have blogs so you can follow their progress. David, the recipient of the first Quilt passed away recently.

Thanks for considering helping out, and for Clare's email address please visit her blog profile. She will give you her snail mail address which is also required by the store.

Doll Quilts

With the Doll Quilt Swap II coming up , I thought I'd better start thinking about what to make. I got out my 2 Small Quilt books for some inspiration, and thought maybe I'd better try one out. I love this design, but I think the finished quilt might be an inch or two outside the swap rules, so I started it for me. For the 4 patches I used bits of scraps and strips left over from other things, and the blue and mustard are from the stash. Some of the little squares were eked out of scraps barely big enough for the 2 in square, which gave me a great feeling to be making the most of my fabric.

I will put a small border then a wider one and bind. Very exciting and so fast, even factoring in the stuff ups I made. I wasn't really thinking and just glanced at the drawing with the instructions, and ended up without my diagonal pattern. Really, when I look at it, the book doesn't give the full instructions, so I imagine most people would make the same mistake and have to undo half of the blocks. I do know better and probably should have picked it up, but I was on autopilot, and did what the book told me to. We live and learn!

Now downstairs to the TV to watch my footy team get thrashed by Tracey's footy team...

Another Dishcloth

I'm sure the quilters are thinking "I thought this was a quilting blog?', but I can't help myself. Isn't this dishcloth cute? So quick to make, and if you get a bit slack with your row counting well it doesn't really matter, does it? Not to mention you can use crazy colours that you probably wouldn't use to make something bigger. I never thought I'd be one to say that knitting is fun - just goes to show how we change as we get older.

Trip to the Footy

I went to the footy on Saturday night. It was pretty cold, but I love that - part of the atmosphere. We don't get that much cold weather in Queensland, so it is fun to feel like you are in Melbourne and pretend you are at the MCG.



For those who are not Australian, this footy is AFL or Aussie Rules as we call it, and is similar to Gaelic Football played in Ireland.



I made the effort to go to the game as Aker, a player who was booted out of my team (The Brisbane Lions) last year, for spending more time big noting himself in the Media than actually playing the game and being part of the team, was returning to the Gabba with his new team. All expectation and hope was that the Lions would thrash the Dogs, and give Aker a bit of a hard time on the field (sporting of me isn't it?). Sadly the worst happened and the Dogs won, but the Lions played badly and didn't deserve to win. Aker got a bit of 'attention' from his old team mates and a fair bit of attitude from the crowd, but he got the last laugh.

I wore my handknitted footy scarf, which was knitted with lots of good thoughts for the Lions and bad thoughts for all opposing teams, but obviously my attempt at mind control didn't work. Someone hung an Aker Voodoo Doll over the race where the opposition players came onto the field, and that didn't work either!


I looked like a bit of a tourist taking photos, but these are the things a blogger has to do. In this photo the net is still up for practice goal kicking, but they take that down during the game. I didn't catch a ball coming through, but close.

Back to crafty matters, I have cast off my Chevron Scarf, but not finished it as such. I will post a photo then. I have also been very strong and have yet to start the Zig Zag quilt. I 'could' be developing a bit of a conscience, as I have the guilts over not finishing the Girl Guide Quilt. Today, I swear!

Dishcloth Knitting

I found myself sitting at the kitchen table at 10 am today knitting a dishcloth like Grandma used to make. Is this what I've become? I tried to think of some positives, and all I could really come up with was that I was saving the environment by not buying more throw-away kitchen sponges. Hmmm...

As soon as it was finished tonight I tossed it on the sink with a defiant flick of the wrist as if to say "see, I am using it and aren't I good?"

But to all in the crafty bloggy world, who can be told almost anything, I can honestly say that it was most enjoyable to make! I have made one dishcloth in a chequerboard pattern before, but it is an insipid beige-pink colour, and I've never taken a photo of it. I love cotton yarn, and it hardly took any time at all to make which means a finish, and I could sure do with a few more of those.

I think I could have used slightly smaller needles, and I thought I had variagated yarn until I got half way up it. I looked at the label again, and it does say Anchor Magicline, so I guess that should've been a bit of a hint.

I was sitting in my knitting office (in front of the TV) tonight, when I noticed the state of the coffee table - this is how it seems to look all the time now. I have really only had the knitting bug for a month or two, and already I have 5 projects on the needles. I did finish Mum's scarf, & 1 out of 6 is about average for me when it comes to quilting, so why did I think knitting would be any different? It's a curse.

I will finish off with a still life I like to call Beagle With Dishcloth and Flowers, which really cements the questions about my suspect mental health!

I really have to get out more.

Super-Generous Swap

Cathi from Crazed Quilter (now Celtic Knots) in Ireland and I had a swap recently, which resulted from a discussion about Civil War fabrics. Cathi has made a Dear Jane Quilt, and I am making the Civil War Diary Quilt, and we both love reproduction fabrics. Cathi offered to send me some of her scraps from her Dear Jane and said she would love an Australian quilt magazine in return. I said I'd send some fabric as well, and an idea was born.

By the way Cathi has renamed and moved her blog so if she has dropped off your bloglines, that's why. But I see that she already has 35 subscribers to her new blog, so lots of people already know.

My parcel arrived today, and Cathi has been so generous. Not only did she send heaps of squares and strips of fabric, but there were also some fat quarters in there too. I mentioned to Cathi that I needed pinks reds and blacks, and look at what I got! Not to mention the Italian sock yarn and the Guinness magnet and chocolate. I went to Ireland when I was in my early 20s, and hardly ate for 2 weeks as I'm convinced that all the 5 food groups are covered in that glass of black magic.

The parcel was a bit squashed when it arrived - someone ought to tell the Postal Services of the World that they need to take more care when there is valuable fabric in the parcel - so I lovingly ironed and sorted all the scraps for the photo. My mind immediately went to the books I recently acquired on doll and little quilts, and I might just have to put some of this fabric to immediate use. It was interesting to see a few fabrics I already have but in different colourways; it makes me realise that I must stop buying green, brown and blue. I have far too much of it. I recently bought some mustard yellows which have nicely filled a gap in the stash.

So as you can tell I'm pretty excited and feel incredibly spoilt. Thanks Cathi. As I buy most of my fabric from the US I have to buy a half yard of each, so you end up with fewer fabrics as a result. This is like Christmas.

Mum liked her scarf, and as it is lightweight I hope she will get some wear out of it in this climate, which is getting hotter by the year. I'm pretty sure Daniel liked his quilt, but it isn't always easy to tell with 8 year old boys. He did agree to have his photo standing in front of it, so that is a good indication. He is getting his first camera for his birthday from his parents, so I have asked for a photo of the quilt on the bed via email. I know he will use it though, as he still uses the quilt I made him when I first started quilting, which isn't very big. This one will cover his bed, so it will look better I hope.

I've had the day off from sewing and knitting today, I've been gardening instead. The weather is beautiful at the moment, if a bit on the warm side for winter.

Binding

Warning: photo heavy post

Thanks for all the comments on the thread that you prefer. It seems that Aurofil is the clear winner. I have finished Mum's Scarf, and Daniel's quilt, and today is Birthday Lunch day. They both share the same birthday. Daniel will be 8 and Mum 73. I am pleased to have his quilt finished as I'm a bit sick of thinking about it, and no doubt you are all sick of hearing about it. I did block the scarf and I'm glad I did now. I pinned it onto a towel on the ironing board, then of course couldn't find the spray bottle, so I had a brainwave and used the water spray function on the iron while holding it well above the scarf. It really does look so much nicer - blocking has always been one of those things that doesn't fit into my philosophy, like swatch knitting, but I really do agree now that they are worth doing. I must be getting old! Next thing I'll be reading the instructions before I start LOL.

I am amazed at how many questions I have had about binding, both in the comments and privately. It seems a lot of people have problems/questions. Having just done 3 bindings in as many weeks, I too have been thinking about what works and what doesn't.

I'll write down a few of my observations in case they are of any help to someone, and I will no doubt learn something from your comments:

First, I have a bad attitude toward binding, and borders, as they are not very 'sexy' parts of patchwork. I always look on it as a boring chore, but I have been telling myself this week that Binding = FINISHED, and that has helped.

I have discovered that the type of batting makes a difference to how well it all goes together. When making a quilt for myself I always use a cotton or wool, and when making for a child or someone who may just toss it in the washing machine (not really worthy of a quilt, but it happens), I always use polyester. The one I have used this week has been what looks like a needled poly - it is quite smooth and dense on the surface - and it has been so much easier to deal with. The fabric just sticks to it.

I tend to make the back too small, and I suffer for it. It might 'just fit', but I really think that I have more problems with a wobbly or puckered edge if it is not at least 6 - 8 inches too big all the way around. After I have finished quilting I trim the batting and fabric down to about 2 inches all the way around, then trim again before hand sewing the binding to the back of the quilt. When the back and the batting are cut together, they seem to stay together better, giving less chance of the back getting caught up underneath when sewing on the binding.

When making a pieced back, make an effort to make sure it is very flat while putting it together. Once I can smell a finish, I'm not going back to fix the wobbly back!

I was taught to cut my binding 2 1/2 wide, but I'm wondering a bit about that now. Perhaps next time I'll make it a bit wider as there hasn't been enough binding showing on the front in my opinion.

I cut the strips as above, do my best guestimate on how much I'll need - others would measure it - sew the strips together, iron the seams open, then I iron the whole strip in half with the right side on the outside. Not right sides together. I also try and remember to turn over one end and sew it for when I get to the end.

I put the raw edge of the binding up against the raw edge of the quilt top, and sew using about a 1/4 inch seam. I use the edge of my foot as a guide.

I always use the walking foot, and I don't bother to pin it, just keep matching it up as I go, feeling underneath every now and then to make sure the back is not getting caught up anywhere.


When I get to a corner, I stop sewing 1/4 inch from the edge, then turn the quilt 90 deg and sew in reverse up away from the quilt into the batting for about 1 1/2 inches. Then I fold the binding so that it is folded in a 90 deg angle, then fold the rest of the binding over the top and towards me to line up with the next raw edge. See photos.


Then when I get to the end I slip the raw end inside the sewn end, and sew the last bit.

Then I trim the batting to about 1/2 inch before hand sewing the back. I have tried to sew it by machine, but it always looks terrible as I can't keep it in the ditch. In fact I don't ever sew in the ditch anymore.


Then I just turn it over and sew just below the line of stitching that is visible on the back. When I come to the corners I just fold and sew - I don't bother to pin, pins are for photographic purposes only.

So that's how I do it, but I'm sure there are other good ways - any other improvements or suggestions?

Better get my act together and wrap the presents and make a dash for the ferry. I must also remember the tape measure so I can measure Daniel's arms for the jumper I am making for him. I have a childhood of memories of being measured by Nana in all sorts of places for jumpers that I didn't ever really want, so no doubt Daniel will be talking about me that way on his blog in 20 years time.

Nearly...

How typical is that? My best guestimate was close, but not quite close enough. But then I won't complain, because on the other 2 quilts I have bound recently, I guessed correctly.

It feels so good to be finishing up some stuff. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel with the 2 Bricks and Stepping Stones quilts - all I need to do now is the hand sewing, and as it is Daniel's birthday this week, I might just get it finished. I have been very good and haven't started the ZigZag quilt, and I have finished the knitting on Mum's scarf (her birthday is the same day as Daniel's). I just have to do something with the ends, and I don't really think it needs blocking, which is good.

I have been meaning to ask for some time about thread for piecing and general sewing. I see the ads for Essential Thread all the time, and wanted to get the opinion of American quilters. Do any of you use it, or do you have any opinions about it? I have been tempted to order it when I order fabric as they sell it in packs of useful colours, but haven't been game. Is it a good quality thread? Any other recommendations? Thanks.

Addit: the joke's on me, as I have just been to Connecting Threads for a closer look and they don't ship Internationally. Any other suggestions for thread?

The Postman Delivers

Adrian the postman has delivered my fabric today. Poor Adrian always gets disappointed when I get a parcel from America as he is usually waiting for something himself, and then realises it isn't for him. He is a penknife collector he tells me, and buys a lot of stuff on ebay. Anyway, Hancocks didn't do too badly this time - it did go via France again, but made it here fairly quickly.

Now I have the green and yellow to start the 30s Zig Zag quilt. I have taken a photo from the magazine (Fons and Porter May/June 2007) but it isn't the best. Here is a link to the magazine's kit page which has a better photo.



I had a bit of trouble deciding on the green and yellow - I thought I might change the green to mauve - but decided to go with the original. The reason for this reluctance with the colour scheme can be traced back to my old house, which had the most hideous green and yellow paint job in the kitchen, laundry and toilet. In fact, the colours were identical to those in the fabric. The walls were green and the ceilings were a bright gloss yellow. The kitchen cupboard doors were also green, and the benchtops were a 1950s green laminex as well. One might think (as I did originally), that it's just a paintjob, easily fixed, but I was stuck with that paint for about 6 years. There was always something else to spend the money on, like a new roof (!), and it was one thing to paint, but really some of the cupboards on the wall needed to come off, and it was a bigger job than it first looked.

Eventually it was changed, but to this day I see those colours and shudder. But now I have decided to faced my fears and get on with it! I have already cut all the 30s prints, all of which came from stash except for 1 black print that I bought a Fat Eighth of, and I'm ready to go. Despite having a substantial 1930s stash (eyes averted again), I have never made a big 1930s quilt, so I'm looking forward to it.

The other 2 photos here are of a rare meteorological phenonemon around here which is called rain. Swampy is looking quite perplexed by the wet stuff on the deck. I do get a bit more rain here than on the Mainland, but if usually falls at night. So lovely to see the rain. Only 30 mins drive inland at my Mum's place, their garden is dead, so I am very lucky here to get any rain at all. It comes in from the sea, hits the island you can see in the distance in the photo, drops on me, and runs out of steam before it hits the mainland.