Back after nearly 2 years

It feels like a new beginning after nearly 2 years away from my blog.
I have had some setbacks in my health so my focus was on getting better which left  little time and motivation for sewing or creating.

Hopefully I am slowly getting back into more projects and be around people who are inspiring in the textile side of things.

With that being said, I finished a little piece of wool applique.

And here is a close up of some of the flowers.

I am still inspired by my garden ….

Quilting has been rather low key for a number of reasons but the biggest has been because of this sweet man.

Before anyone jumps to  the wrong conclusion, NO, I don't have a new man in my life.

I am quite happy with the one I have had for 34 years but the one on the photo below is Dave Koz, the wonderful and talented saxophone artist who organises these wonderful Smooth Jazz cruises every year in various parts of the world.

 

So early May a group of friends from the USA and Australia and I  met in Venice, Italy and enjoyed 11 wonderful days inspired by the music and all the sites we visited.

We departed Venice to arrive in Dubrovnik (Croatia) the next day and in the subsequent days went to Kotor (Montenegro), Santororini (Greece), Ravenna (Italy) and back to Venice.



 

After that some of us went to Portugal for another week.

I presented my friend Cristina with this quilt I made for her. 

 

 

Now I need to settle down from all the excitement and resume my quilting; still have many tops that need quilting and just as many in progress... And still so many ideas to start new ones.

 

" Allietare" Mystery top completed

I have finally completed the top.
The pattern is from Quiltville Mystery from 2015.

I did not started until the 'big reveal' and after that it took me a little to decide on all the colours and collect the fabrics.

I am happy how it turned out but I am not sure when I will quilt it as there are other tops that need quilting first.
I  have started a new quilt which will take me a while to complete. 
Here is a preview.

No pattern needed...

It's no secret that I have a lot of scraps and no surprise that I love making scrap quilts.

What makes it interesting, is digging up fabrics you forgot you had and sewing them together to make a very easy quilt.  Instead of having them in a bag stored somewhere with little use, join the scraps together and they become a beautiful quilt like this one.

The fun thing about this quilt is that no pattern was necessary.

Here is my latest completed quilt !

The quilting was free motion and random...

Flower Power

Spring time not only in the garden but in my quilts...

 This week completed the quilting on this top.

 Another top I had completed a few months ago and was placed in the 'to quilt' basket.
I enjoyed making this quilt; no planning, just grabbing bright fabrics and a variety of background fabrics.  

 I had some leftover wool bits and pieces and added them to the centres of the flowers.

 For the backing, I did not have a fabric piece large enough, so I grabbed some leftover blocks and joined them.

  Quilting designs were not planned either, just did what I felt like on the moment.

 Use a varigated thread.

  And these are from my garden taken yesterday and today..

Finally finished something !!!

This quilt is called "Ryland Manor". It was a block of the month designed by Megan Carroll for Threadbear in Castlemaine.

 I finished the top several years ago but like so many other tops still, it went into the big bag of tops I still have to quilt.

 The blocks are hand pieced or appliqued.

 I then quilted it free-motion the past couple of weeks on my Handi Quilter.

I just love the colours...

Hopefully next week I have something else to post...
I still have so many more quilt tops to finish.

Pouch and Gift Quilt

I am still working on several quilts at various stages of progress so no point sharing photos at this stage.

I would like to start a new quilt but I am waiting on the fabrics to arrive from Hancock's of Paducah so until then I'll just keep on what I have.  The reality is that I don't need a new project but .....

Last week I lost the pouch I use to keep my cell phone, so I made a new one to replace it.
Here it is....



I have tons of beads so why not make use of some .

The other fun thing that happened a few days ago was presenting my work friend with his 60th Birthday quilt.


The pattern was a Bonnie Hunter mystery but I made it with less blocks.
He did not expect the gift and was very happy to receive it.

Modern Dresden and other little projects

Here is my latest quilt top !

 

 It started with the centre block which was going to be a cushion.  The circle flowers, the bird and part of the leaves are made from wool.
Most of the quilt was machine pieced.

 I have been going over a box of orphan blocks and leftover bits and found some  wool applique pieces which fit with the entire design.

 To tie in the Dresden plates and cover the centres I also used wool.

 The idea was to just pick up lots of bright fabrics and high contrast and go for it !

 Nothing was planned, not even the background fabrics.

  My daughter was going to throw away these picture frames so I made these 2 mini blocks.

 And finally here is our baby Penny.  I got her for my daughter but she hangs out with me a lot of the time... sometimes slows me down with my sewing but how can we resist this little cute face ?

Mini Quilt and New Rulers

I love making mini quilts and playing with scraps is even more fun.
So here is my latest project.

 I also need to practice a lot more with my machine quilting...

 I came across  Robin Ruth Rulers which allows me to make Mariner's Compass blocks from strips.  There are very clear instructions on Youtube so here is the test block I made.

 

The blocks can be made in 16 sizes from 6" - 36" using the exact same process.

I will be making a lot more blocks in the future.

 Another ruler that I have been wanting to buy for a very long time is Deb Hunter Rapid Fire Hunter's Star Ruler. 

 Here is my block using that ruler.
I will make a full size quilt at some point....

Although it doesn't look like I have been doing a lot, I actually am working on a Bonnie Hunter quilt but won't post until the top is complete.

I also been using up more of my tiny scraps to make more Log Cabin blogs (4 1/2") and adding it to a quilt I started years ago. I'll just keep going until I have had enough.

I also played with another of my rulers I have had for several years but all that will be for another post.

Scrappy Bargello Quilt Top and AQC 2016

Just finished another scrap quilt.

This is another of the free patterns from Bonnie Hunter, Quiltville website.

Using 2 1/2" X 16"  strip pieces, that is all you need to assemble this top.

 

 

Miss Penny is posing ...

 

Don't let her sweet looks deceive you...

 



 

I had a lovely day at Australasian Quit Convention yesterday.

 

They had many quilts on show, many vendors and many well known quilt teachers such as Kimmy Brunner, Victoria Findlay Wolfe, Laura Wasilowski, etc.



 

I took a few pictures but did not remember to note the maker's name, so here are a few..

 

 

CITRUS WEDDING by Jane Rundle 

 

FANCY FREE by Ramona Ressurreccion

STAR BRIGHT - Rachael Siorach



 

 There were several categories and all of the quilts shown were of the highest quality in every way.