My new baby

Two weeks ago I ordered a new sewing machine.

My old one was becoming cranky, misbehaving and really giving me a run-in with my patience.  It would start a row of stitches and after 15 centimetres would make a strange noise.  Stop, look at the stitching and the back as well.  Ten centimetres of loops !!  Check how I threaded the machine, and start again.  Same thing.  Not only is it making loops on the back but the 1/4 inch foot is  making seams much bigger.  I have had to pull undone almost an entire quilt top..  Inanimate objects---Bah.

I bought a Janome 7700.  I want to take it to my sewing room, but the phone keeps ringing as soon as I walk  away from it. In the meantime I can study the  Instruction book

I have three table runners ready to quilt and 2 to make and quilt. After that I have a queen size  top to buy  border fabric and batting for and have it quilted.
1 top half finished
1 top cut out ready to sew together.
Several more patterns picked out to do when I catch up

The boss

Here is our boss. He is now 10 years old and still as active as ever.  Between his frequent naps that is. He still demands his daily walk straight after breakfast, and a treat after that. He often hides from us when we call him in for the night, he forgets that I know his favourite places..

Craft Show

There is another craft show in a few weeks time.  I'm looking forward to it.  I  need a small rotary cutter  (28 mm) and some fabric glue. and will be closely looking at the fabric.
I am currently doing a stock take of my stash, interesting.

Love Song

This is my latest effort, found in a previous USA  Patchwork and quilting magazine, (2007). The panels behind the hearts are patterns of written music.  The hearts were appliqued  by machine, a technique I haven't tackled for years.

Storm at Sea

This is the "Storm at Sea" quilt, 60" X 60".  It took me years to finish.   I gave it to my sister for her birthday nearly 2 years ago.   I visited with her today in their new apartment in Docklands.

The Craft Show

Yesterday, I went to the Craft Fair. I intended to stay until 4 pm but my feet were screaming for mercy. I left at about 2:30, because I had forgotten to watch a third demonstration.  There were some stalls I couldn't get near the tables because of the crowds so I went back later and bought what I was looking for.  I also wandered among the quilts on display. All gorgeous and all w-a-a-a-a-y beyond my ability.

I bought 2 x 1/3 meter of pretty fabric from Logan's, and 2 Fat quarters from Gail B. I had a look through Can Do's books but nothing grabbed my attention, I think I have enough books anyway.

I bought an Accuquilt Go Baby. The family is eagerly waiting to  see how it works.

Plans

I seem to be making lots of quilts with pictures, sashes and a border.  These are the quickest designs and  I can have the tops completed in a matter of days (if the sewing room is not too cold to work in).
My sewing space is in our old garage, the door is always open and the wind blows through from back to front because one wall of the attached workshop is missing. Roll on, springtime!

I have started on a  bow-tie/snowball quilt, queen size,  but this one is slow moving because I often run out of tone-on-tone reds.  There is another with music prints and red hearts I am itching to get started on. I also have the fabric for a green wavy quilt.  There is a photo of a blue one done last year.

Another cot quilt

Here is another cot-quilt for a little boy. I don't seem to have much girly fabric, but that may change when  I  visit the Craft show on the last weekend of July.  I have a brochure listing all the interesting and fun things to see and do so I will have to arrive early (and leave later) to fit it all in,.

More Fabric - More Fun

Today, a parcel  from USA Keepsake Quilting containing 2 packs of 10" squares (50) and 1 pack of  14  1930s Quarter yards.  Such pretty fabric.
The package also contained a free issue of McCalls Quilting and a note thanking me for being a good customer.  This year is their 30th anniversary

Two articles of interest

A  woman who  inherited dozens of embroidered pieces of a quilt from her mother who had started the project when she was a baby.  Many years later,  when the daughter reached 80 years of age, she decided to have it put together so she called on a local craft group. The pattern was of a girl wearing a bonnet (like Sunbonnet Sue), but she was on a swing.  There were  girls on  swings quilted in the alternate blocks.
This seems to break all records for UFOs.   I have one about 30 years old.  Can anyone beat that record.

Another woman died at the age of 77 leaving 15,000 yards of fabric, and no-one in her family knows how she collected so much right under their noses.  They opened a shop, and people came from all over to buy at $2 per yard.  All the customers had plans to sew quilts for Project  Linus and other charities in that country

I-spy again

Here is another I-spy, I also have fabric for the next one with smaller blocks.  Recently I ordered a set of 10" pieces called 'Loved by kids" and a set of 1/4 yards of the same category from  Keepsake Quilting in New Hampshire in the USA.  This should keep me going for some time.

Today I received a parcel of Magazines and fabric from eQuilter  in Colorado.  There were two large pieces of written music, one with birds sitting on the top line and the other with short pieces of written music 'floating' around.  The other piece was a gorgeous panel with baby angels. The magazines were McCalls Quilting.  $6:90 in USA and $15 - $17 here in Australia.

The Craft Show at Jeff's Shed is late next month, is anyone going?

Dino

This is for a fan of dinosaurs. It is a larger than usual cot quilt

A penguin

This is my latest effort.  It was in Australian Patchwork and quilting, as a toy, but I made a kiddie quilt from the pattern.

Large star

This quilt was found in British "Love Quilting" magazine,  I want to do others in Blues, purples, and pinks,  Matching corners was the big problem in this project

Arabian Nights

This quilt took lots of time,  patience and reverse sewing.  The photo was taken late in the afternoon, the back yard is in shadow.  That's a little of our lemon tree on the right,  with our palm trees behind the quilt.

Wild at heart

This is the 'mate' to the other animal quilt.  I gave both to the father today, he was impressed and perhaps overwhelmed.  Next week, I will hear about how the twins received it .

Wild at heart 2

A quilt in  9-Patch Pizzazz  by Sue Spargo inspired this quilt.  While the blocks are different, I used her ideas of separating the blocks with bands of 9-patch blocks.  The lighter blocks at the bottom are from a bolt end I bought at The Craft show last year and have wild animals having a jam session...

"Sister Quilt" to another one

Why does the wind spring up when I take photos.  This one has feminine pictures, butterflies, fans, florals and so  on.

Licorice All sorts

This is Licorice allsorts.  I found this pattern in a British magazine on the front cover, and just had to make it.

A bright cot quilt

This  panel was  given to me, it's so easy to put borders  on panels..

A little Girl's quilt

This is definitely a little girl's quilt  with Holly Hobby type little girls.  I had to add two panels to 'square it up'.

A child's quilt

Pictures of animals in borders.  Quite simple to do.

Another scrap buster

Hmmm, the sun is shining through making it look lighter than it is.
This is  another  stash-buster, however I still have a basket full of scraps. This is the same as a previous quilt but with a green and purple border.

Made for little boys

I found this in a recent issue of US Patchwork and quilting,  I am planning to make one for girls, I have all the fabric ready to start.

A Bright panel

This is a lovely bright panel, there are two of these, with different borders.

More Owls

I was given this panel so I separated the pictures, put some borders on and another quilt is 'born'.

Teddy Bears

This was a small piece of fabric, a few borders and ....another baby quilt is made.

A BABY QUILT

This is the baby quilt mentioned on an earlier post.  The 'spots' along the top are small owls appliqued on with branches embroidered on.

A quilt suitable for a boy/man

A quilt suitable for a boy/man, absolutely no florals. A variation of Post and Rail

Lovely Birthday gifts

I made these bags some time ago, two of them have been given as birthday gifts.

Stashbuster.

This quilt has hundreds of 2.5" X 5" patches,  but it didn't use enough of my stash, I will have to make another (and another). I have been putting  scraps in a a big bag to give to the Vet for animal beds. but I have decided to go through the bag and cut some 2.5"squares.  for a 'plus signquilt I ave seen.

Waves

This is a quilt I found on  a  US Patchwork and Quilting magazine.  I have the fabric for a green one.
It was an interesting project to do

A new year begins and Heart song

Patchwork groups start meeting next week.  I must remember to take my lunch and a mug for coffee. First task in getting ready is to have some hand sewing to fill a few hours.  I have been tackling a wall quilt in the British Patchwork and Quilting magazine.  The project is called Heart song and  the  blocks have hearts on musical backgrounds.  Again I have "bitten off more than I can chew" choosing a project which could be beyond my skills.