Catalicious Complete

Well you may remember I started stitching the blocks in Red Brolly's Catalicious BOM way back in February 2010 with the intention of making a runner for the end of our bed, where the cat sleeps . . . (looking at the picture I should just point out that the blocks are big - about 18" square - but the cat is not)

It's finally finished!

But . . .

It hasn't quite made it to the end of the bed.

Since it was "just" for the end of the bed and "just" for the cat (sorry Squeaker) . . .

I used what I had on hand to finish it off. So it's got a piece of Minky fabric left over from another project for the lining. And it's backed with chenille (different coloured pieces joined together to fit) and bound with leftover binding too.

But then . . . it's turned out to be the most comfy quilt to use while we're sitting on the lounge - soft and cosy and snuggly! So for now it's the go-to quilt on the cold evenings. The end of the bed will just have to wait!

Pattern: Catalicious Block of the Month
Designer: Bronwyn Hayes
Publication: http://www.red-brolly.typepad.com/

Civil War Quilts - Blocks 18, 19, 20 & 21

Well I had a bit of catching up to do . . .

Block 18 - Union Square

Block 19 - Missouri Star and

Block 20 - New England Block.

This week's block - 21 - is Underground Railroad. It was pretty quick to piece. Once again, the choosing of the fabric took longer than the stitching!!! I've added the pink because the pink in Block 8 - Cotton Boll - still visually dominates, so this is to help balance it up in the overall scheme of things.

Now I'm back on track!



Pattern: Civil War Quilts - Block 18 - Union Square
Pattern: Civil War Quilts - Block 19 - Missouri Star
Pattern: Civil War Quilts - Block 20 - New England Block
Pattern: Civil War Quilts - Block 21 - Underground Railroad

Designer: Barbara Brackman
Publication: http://civilwarquilts.blogspot.com/

Canvas Work Pin Cushion

What could be better than spending a day stitching with a group of like-minded ladies? That's exactly what I did at the Stitching On The Lake day, hosted once again by Sylvia and Fiona.

The day begins with a wonderful bag of goodies - kits for 6 lovely stitching projects.

Then the dilemma . . .  which one to do first!

I decided to do this canvas work pin cushion because I hadn't really done this sort of thing before and thought I'd give it a try.


For some reason it took me a while to get my head around it. I don't know why. I mean, I don't have any trouble with counted cross stitch, but getting started and counting correctly on this one took its toll. I unpicked the centre a couple of times due to mis-counting, but then, once I got going I was alright!


I chose colours that looked a bit Civil War era to me in the thread box, but the end result feels more Moroccan! I'm really pleased with the end result. The little band around the sides looks like a hat band. The 2 stitches are rice stitch and long legged cross stitch - I really like the braid effect with that one I must say. The whole thing is quite petite at just 2 1/2" square, which I think adds to the appeal.


I don't think this is the end of my canvas work adventure . . . more like just the beginning!


Pattern: Canvas work Pincushion
Designer: Peaceful Threads By Fiona
Publication: http://peacefulthreads.blogspot.com/

Hugs and Kisses

A gift was in order for a special little girl . . . and she definitely feels the cold.

So, at this time of year in Australia . . . a heat pack it is!


I made a slip cover (just like a pillow case) with thin wadding and some raw-edge applique.

The heat pack itself inside is just a simple bag, filled with rice and stitched closed across the top.

It slips inside the cover . . .

Gets heated in the microwave . . .

And there you have it. A little bit of warmth . . .

And hugs and kisses too!

Early Mother's Day & The Rajah Quilt

We celebrated Mother's Day a day early, to fit in with life going on around us . . . and what a lovely day it was.

We started by meeting up with Mum for morning tea at a great tea house called Adore Tea. They have over 200 different types of tea . . . we sampled a few of them, with Turkish Delight being the winner for us today.


These guys are the reason I get to celebrate Mother's Day - Number 1 Son, who is a gentle, giant, bear of a man, with a very, very dry sense of humour, and Number 1 Daughter, who has a smile that lights up a room and the most infectious laugh I know.


So we shared tea, hot chocolate, scones and Poffertjes. I would have shown a picture of those, but we indulged before I thought about photos, so this is what I can show . . .



Then, the kids joined me for a visit to the National Museum of Australia to see the "Not Just Ned" Exhibition - A True History of the Irish in Australia. The main thing I wanted to see at the exhibition was the Rajah Quilt, and it was amazing! A true testament to the generosity of spirit of our kids, they were infinitely patient while I viewed the quilt (which I'm sure took about 200 times longer than they would have hoped!!).

At 325cm x 337cm (128" x 132.5") the sheer size of the Rajah Quilt is impressive. But when you consider that this quilt was made by convict women on board the ship "The Rajah" during their 3 1/2 month journey from England to Australia in conditions beyond imagination, the end result is astounding. A broderie perse medallion is surrounded by no less than 12 borders, most pieced, some appliqued. To see what was achieved by these women in 1841 in the hull of a convict ship with limited skills and supplies makes me feel like anything is possible . . . all that's needed is determination and perseverance. All the mod-cons and fancy tools are just a bonus!

If you ever get a chance to see this quilt, I promise you you won't be disappointed.

"Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body."
Elizabeth Stone

Crown Bag

Inspired by our night of royal-ness and wedding-watching, I decided to make a crown bag. Not that I have a crown to go in it or anything, but you never know!!

This is a really simple bag to make up. I've made it in several sizes now, from about 4 inches square up to about 10 inches square. The little ones are cute, but for usability, I think 7 inches is good.

So, I start with 5 squares of the same size . . . 7" x 7" for the outer, and the same for the lining.



I drew up a crown and used vliesafix to attach the crowns, ready for raw-edge applique.



I really like the sketchy look of straight stitch, raw-edge applique. When I am doodling or sketching I invariably find myself drawing over the same lines more than once, so the look of this stitching style suits me . . .


Once all the embellishment to the side squares is done, I join one side at a time to each side of the bottom square. Then stitch the side seams from the top edge to the bottom corner. I do the same for the lining, leaving an opening on one of the side seams for turning through.

I make 2 loops, 1 each (about 3" long) for opposite sides and a long strip (about 20" long) for the handle, which is attached at the other pair of opposite sides . . . so all 4 sides have something attached to them. On the smaller bags I've found using ribbon for the loops is really good. I pin the loops and handle right side out, facing down, to the outer bag squares and pin or tack them in place. Then I put the bag outer inside the lining, right sides together and stitch around the top edge, making sure to catch the loops and handles in the seam.

Turn the bag right side out through the opening in the lining side seam. Hand stitch the opening closed and voilà . . .



one cute and useful little bag - in all its "crowning glory". Slip the handle through each of the side loops, pull it up to close the bag and you're good to go!



If crowns aren't your thing, these bags are a nice way to try a new block or use some of your "just had to have it" fabric. The options are limitless!





Pattern: Crown Applique
Designer: Sue Hampson

Right Royal Stitching

We spent a very "royal" evening . . . in front of the TV - along with the other 2 billion viewers - watching "the" royal wedding last night - having our own little wedding party. While the boys watched with us under sufferance, Kelly got into the spirit of things, glamming up for the occasion, complete with tiara!



We enjoyed tea . . .



and scones with jam and cream.




And in keeping with the Englishness of the evening, and since weddings mean hearts, I stitched this little Union Jack heart from the Cross Stitcher magazine.



What a lovely couple. I thought the bride looked beautiful. I loved the elegant look of her dress, which looked like it could have come from another era. I thought the bridesmaid was very elegant and regal as well. The groom and best man scrubbed up alright, too. And, from a quilter's perspective, I loved the tiled floor of Westminster Abbey . . . here's a link, if you're interested.


Pattern: Union Jack Heart
Designer: Lucie Heaton
Publication: Cross Stitcher Magazine - Issue 236

Civil War Block 17 Done!

I've been fortunate to have had quite a bit of sewing time over the last few days, which I have really enjoyed.

I worked on Block 17 - Comfort Quilt - over the weekend. This block was super quick to put together and sized up perfectly. I think this is definitely a block I could put to use in other projects.

This week, when making my fabric choice, I was reminded of a friend's comment that "a little bit of pink in a quilt goes a long way".

And indeed it does.

I've really only used pink in one other block (Block 8 - Cotton Boll), but it makes quite a statement amongst the other blocks. So it needed a little something to balance it when the quilt is made up . . .



And because I liked this block, I thought I'd do it twice!



I'm really loving the process with this quilt. By virtue of the fact that it's only one block a week, I find that I can take my time and not feel pressured by a need to "get it done".

I enjoy the anticipation of what this week's block will be and the story that goes along with it.

I enjoy delving into my stash to make the fabric selection - which most weeks is the longest part of the process.

I enjoy the cutting and piecing.

I enjoy knowing that if nothing else, at the end of this year I will have a quilt done.

I enjoy the sense of community that has evolved with this quilt and the inspiration and encouragement that comes from that.

For me, all these things typify what this great stitching sister-(and brother)hood is all about.



Really, I can't ask for more than that!


Pattern: Civil War Quilts - Block 17 - Comfort Quilt
Designer: Barbara Brackman
Publication: http://civilwarquilts.blogspot.com/

Civil War Blocks 15 and 16 Done!

I'm pleased with both of these blocks, which turned out exactly to size and easy to make.

Block 15 - Fort Sumter . . .


and Block 16 - White House . . .



The past couple of weeks have gone by in a bit of a daze, so I was pleased to get these blocks done yesterday . . . and I'm ready to get going on this weeks block once it's released. A big thank you to American Homestead for posting alternate cutting instructions for the White House block - taking away the hassle of matching stripes!

I find myself spending more time selecting fabric than actually stitching, but really that's all part of the fun.


Pattern: Civil War Quilts - Block 15 - Fort Sumter & Block 16 - White House
Designer: Barbara Brackman
Publication: http://civilwarquilts.blogspot.com/

"Girl On A Tree Swing" Mini Quilt

I absolutely love love loved working on this little mini quilt! It's my first time with raw edge applique and free-motion embroidery . . .

This quilt is from a tutorial by the very talented Aneela Hoey at Comfort Stitching. I fell in love with the imagery of Aneela's quilt, but thought that it was not something I'd probably do. Well, after doing a bit of mending with the darning foot on Francene, I thought I'd give this free-motion thing a try . . .



and I couldn't be more pleased with the results. I found the whole process so relaxing - I felt like I could lose myself for hours in just stiching. While this technique is not for every project for me, this is definitely something that I will do again. I love finding new ways to be creative with fabric and thread and I love it even more when they joy takes me by surprise. Ahh, the possibilities!



Pattern: Girl On A Tree Swing
Designer: Aneela Hoey
Publication: http://comfortstitching.typepad.co.uk/comfortstitching/

Cross Stitch Finishes

This little (red) blackwork Angel is from the Stitching By The Lake day hosted by Sylvia and Fiona last year. I've had the stitching done for a while and now I've made it into a hanging ornament / pin keeper.


And this little Snowman is a gift for a friend . . .



I enjoyed putting these two together . . . choosing the backing fabrics . . . twisting the cord . . . and finishing a project (even if they are little ones). Sometimes the sense of achievement in finishing the little things can be just the motivation you need to keep going with the bigger projects.


Pattern: Blackwork Angel
Designer: Fiona - Peaceful Threads By Fiona
Publication: http://peacefulthreads.blogspot.com/
Fabric - Aida,18 count
Thread - DMC 221 - 1 thread

Pattern: Snowman's Quaker Christmas
Designer: Midnight Stitching
Fabric - Linen, 27 count
Threads - DMC 4045, 4124, 4210, Blanc Neige, Coates 7403 - 2 threads

Blocks 13 and 14 - Done!

I've had Block 13 - Little Blue Basket - cut out and ready to go all week. But it took me until Friday night to get the time to put it together . . .


I'm quite pleased with the way this one turned out. I'm not sure yet about putting a handle on it. If I think it needs one when I'm putting the blocks together I'll probably add it then. But for now, sans handle it is!

And Block 14 - Fox and Geese - is done, too. This is a block that I could probably do a version 2 or possibly even 3 of.


I found both of these blocks went together quickly and the measurements were spot on.

I'm starting to think about colours for sashings now. I saw an article in a magazine about a group of quilters who had made a similar style of quilt to this one (many, many different small blocks to make up the quilt). They were all holding up their gorgeous quilts and had a variety of colours on their sashings - one had red, one navy blue, one chocolate brown, one caramel . . . They all looked beautiful in their own unique ways.

And it got me thinking about what colour I'm going to use. Luckily there's still quite a while till I need to make that decision!



Pattern: Civil War Quilts - Block 13 - Little Blue Basket and Block 14 - Fox and Geese
Designer: Barbara Brackman
Publication: http://civilwarquilts.blogspot.com/

Civil War Quilts - Block 12

Block 12 - "Louisiana" is done - twice!

I really enjoyed making this block. It went together quickly and the sizes were spot on.


I was so pleased with it that I decided to do another one!



They are both my favourites. I really like pinwheels. Hmm . . . I think I see a few more of these in my future!


Pattern: Civil War Quilts - Block 12 - Louisiana
Designer: Barbara Brackman
Publication: http://civilwarquilts.blogspot.com/

Civil War Quilts - Block11

Where did this week go?

I have managed to complete Block 11 - London Square. The colours are a bit drab in the picture, the "brown" is actually quite lime. Bad lighting - what can I say?



The weather's become decidedly "autumn-y" this week, and I must say I really like it. I can feel that it won't be too long before scarves and coats make their way back into my morning attire!

And this week has seen many hot air balloons take to the sky over our city . . . and I get to see them on my drive in to work. The morning sky this week has been quite overcast, so you see the lovely glow of the balloons as they burn the gas jets. And twenty-something balloons all floating around is quite a sight to behold. There certainly are some benefits to starting work early!



Pattern: Civil War Quilts - Block 11 - London Square
Designer: Barbara Brackman
Publication: http://civilwarquilts.blogspot.com/

Civil War Quilts - Block 10

Block 10 of Barbara Brackman's Civil War Quilt Block of the Week is Lincoln's Platform (or Churn Dash as I know it) . . .



I really like this block . . . well this particular block, but also the pattern. It's a pretty simple design, but it can be so versatile with reproduction fabrics, bright moderns, romantic florals . . .

I took a bit of time with this one making sure all my measurements were right, so it all went together without any fuss this week.

I've had fun delving into this little stash of reproduction fabrics week after week.



And this is how my little quilt is looking after 10 weeks.



I've got an extra block in there. I got a tip from Carrie at Passion for Applique on doing the points of the stars, so I thought I'd have a go at another Seven Sisters block. Carrie's "secret weapon" is a toothpick. So simple, but so effective - her tutorial is well worth a look.



While it's not quite perfect, I think it's an improvement on my first attempt.

And since I was in "do-over" mode, I decided to have another go at the "Kansas Troubles" block, too.


I unpicked this one and started again. The original block was way over-sized and the bias edges of the triangles stretched too much as well. So, with this one I got a hint from Ranette about having the half square triangles over-sized and then trimming them to the right size. This, coupled with a hint from somewhere on the net last week about using spray starch (I've been using Best Press) made for a much better end result. It was more work undoing it than making it in the first place, but I know it would have bugged me every time I looked at it in the finished quilt with chopped off points.

Annette from Sunshine Yellow posted about her "AHA" moment, inspired by La Vie En Rosie making block boards, or design boards. I thought they were a great idea for managing blocks when you just can't leave them spread out on the table. So I made some . . .



I bought some core flute board from the hardware store. It's nice and light but still sturdy enough for my needs. I cut 15" squares and then 8 /12" squares from the left overs, ending up with a set of 12 of each size. I used some cotton batting and some wool batting that I had left over from finished quilts. I used a spray adhesive to both the board and the back of the batting. Then (with the assistance of my trusty helper who helped by keeping the batting taut) I layed the board onto the batting and trimmed the excess to a nice, neat edge.

These boards are great for storing blocks on during the construction process. Or if you are wanting to lay out your blocks, you don't have the issue of fraying with too much handling that you can get when you are auditioning them. I have used a board this week taking my pieces backwards and forwards between the machine and the ironing board and everything has stayed just where I wanted it.

I can't recommend these boards highly enough as a useful sewing aid. So, if you've got a bit of time, a bit of board and a bit of batting, do yourself a favour and make yourself up a set. You won't regret it!




Pattern: Civil War Quilts - Block 10 - Lincoln's Platform
Designer: Barbara Brackman
Publication: http://civilwarquilts.blogspot.com/