Shopping for Phebe

Look what I found while searching for background fabric for Phebe!

Isn't it divine!  I think my favourite is the one above, I can just see it stitched into a sewing bag as a little border.  Maybe on red linen or prairie cloth???

PHEBE

I really hope that this is not an indication of how I am going to progress with the whole quilt.  I have been in a bit of a panic trying to find the perfect background fabric.  I have travelled many kilometres and three NE Victoria towns searching.  I found the darker one pictured above and thought it would be ok.  When I got home, I then thought it was too dark so I decided to bleach it.  Wouldn't you know it, the dye is holding really well and after an hour of soaking, had hardly lifted any of the colour out. 

I did find the lighter fabric that is underneath and I think I have now settled on that.   It's a bit lighter than I had planned but I just can't seem to find anything in between and I think once I get all the applique pieces on it will be fine (although I am thinking about tea dying it - or not?)

I wanted to share this stitchery with you.  I made it quite a few years ago and turned it into a cushion.  So many of my stitcheries have been ruined over the years living as cushion covers and this one I have only been bringing out at Christmas.  When going to put it away the other day I thought, what a waste to hide it.  I am thinking now I might pull it apart and put it in a frame to hang somewhere.  Then I can enjoy it all year round.

I received a lovely email the other day from Erika of We All Sew.  They are going to list my blog on their "favourite blogs" next week.  I feel very honoured.  So, please follow the link above and have a look at their website.  They have lots of interesting information and handy tips for us quilters.

I am still working on the 9 patches and the pile is getting taller.

Sue-Anne xxx

The 9 Patch Pile is Growing

I've been working on my positive/negative 9 patches and the pile is slowly getting bigger.

We went to an engagement party on Saturday night and here is a photo of my two boys.  Kellie had to work so I couldn't get a photo of the three of them.  It is nearly impossible to get them all together long enough for a family photo.  Even the last three Christmases, one of them was out of the country!  I have already introduced you to Nic on the right (he has an aversion to smiling in photos) and on the left is Christopher.  He is my oldest (25) and is a plumber.  He has just started his own business and has been really busy so it was good to spend an evening with him.

Sue-Anne xxx

Going for Gold in the Sewing Room

Last Friday at sewing, after seeing Marg's quilt, Michelle and Helen decided they were going to make a "positive/negative 9 patch" quilt from their fabric club stash.  They rushed down to the quilt shop and bought their backing fabric and there was lots of talk about how much free time each had over the weekend to make a start on it.  There were definately competitive undertones in the conversation.

At sewing today, they were both there, with their Janome Gem's, furiously sewing away.  The story eventually came out how the week transpired with lots of text messages to each other, checking to make sure that one hadn't done more than the other.  It made for a very funny and interesting afternoon and I decided that I wanted in on the challenge.

I raced, with Helen, to the quilt shop on the way home, and purchased some background fabric.  After tea, I hunted down just a small portion of my fabric club stash, and have made a few blocks already.

I would also like to brag that we have our first GOLD MEDAL at the Winter Olympics!  Torah Bright brought home the Gold in the Womens' Snowboard Half Pipe and I am so proud!  This is only the 4th gold medal Australia has ever won at the Winter Olympics.  Congratulations Torah!!!

Have a great weekend everyone and to Michelle and Helen, let the Friday Girl Games begin!

Sue-Anne xxx

Browne Sisters Sampler

I was so anxious to finish Rosebud and then when it was done, I went into a panic because I didn't have any applique to continue working on! 

I have been a member of a fabric club with Patchwork on Stonleigh for a very long time now.  Every 3 months we get a fat sixteenth of ten different reproduction fabrics, a newsletter and a quilt pattern.  They have decided for a change to do a sort of BOM (only every 3 months) and it is called the Browne Sisters Sampler.  It is based on an old stitchery sampler, I think cross stitch and Stonleigh have redesigned it into a quilt. 

These are the first blocks that will go on each bottom corner.  I have seen a picture of the sampler but Susan is doing something different in the middle and I think it will be fun to see how it all comes together.  My track record with BOM's (except for Ryland Manor) is not very good.  I tend to get all excited at the start and then fade away and don't finish, so I am going to stick with this one until the end (I've now made a commitment to you all!).  I think with 3 monthly intervals, I should be able to keep enthusiastic and still be able to work on other projects in between.

Sue-Anne xxx 

Ta Da!

It's finally finished!  I was determined to finish Rosebud this weekend.  I finished the whirlygigs during the week and then worked all weekend on the melons in the sashings while watching the start of the Winter Olympics.

Has everyone seen one of these?  It is a Clover needle threader and it is the best thing I have ever bought!

And finally a photo of Buddy.  He has been relaxing on the couch while I have been sewing.  It's hard to tell in the photo but his head is at right angles to his body!  You can see his black nose to the right in the picture and his front paws are up in the air like a kangaroo.  I don't know how he could be so comfortable.

Sue-Anne xxx

Boys - why do they have to fiddle with things!

This is Nic, my "middle" child.  12 months ago, against all advice given freely by us, his parents, he purchased a beautiful blue sports car (Nissan 350Z).  He bought it over the internet, much to my horror, and then two weeks before Christmas we had to drive all the way to Sydney to pick it up. 

Now that he was a "car enthusiast" he then decided that he wanted to add twin turbos (as if it didn't have enough power).  Another two trips to Sydney and a lot of money later, he owned the fastest and best car in the street.

He was very happy with it for a little while, only driving it after work and using his good old VS Holden commodore for things like going to work and shopping centres etc.

Moving on to two weeks before this Christmas.  He discovered "drifting".  Back on to the internet he went, and found a suitable Nissan 180SX in Melbourne this time.  He sold his commodore and off he went with a mate to pick up his new car. 

IT IS A BEAST!!!!!!

It cost him heaps to get it up to roadworthy standard and got it registered on Christmas Eve.  4 days later, he damaged the bar that goes between the front wheels practising his "drifting" and had to get it towed and fixed.  Then the radiator has packed it in because this car has been modified by somebody that isn't a decent motor mechanic, and he has to fix that.  Of course he has run out of money now and has had to use the Z while this one waits to be fixed.

This morning I was woken up at 4.30am by him.  He left for work and heard a strange noise, then discovered the Z was leaking petrol all down the street!  Now we have two cars in our driveway, both of them not working!

My husband says if he had of just kept the commodore, he could have had enough money for a deposit on a house by now and we wouldn't have a heap of cars sitting out the front!

I am still appliqueing Rosebud but thought I would show this pic for a bit of quilting news.  Can't remember the name of the quilt but it is a Robyn Pandolph design and remember that beautiful Folk Art Wedding range of hers? That's the pink strip I used.  Another one I want to handquilt one day.

Sue-Anne xxx

Phebe

I may have mentioned previously that I bought this pattern last year at the Aust. Quilt Convention.  The quilt is called Phebe, designed by Di Ford and I purchased the pattern at Threadbear.  There is a LOT of work in this quilt and I must admit, each time I get the instructions out to read I put it away again, thinking that I will wait until I have finished all my other projects (which we all know is never going to happen).

Anyway, the green hill in the central applique is very different - quite teal looking.  Each time I visit a patchwork shop, I look for something similar but as yet had been unable to find anything close.  I could have substituted another shade of green but for me, that particular green is what highlights the central applique.

There are a couple of blogs (secret sewing sisterhood & Needles, Sticks & Hooks) in which girls have started working on this masterpiece and I have been a regular stalker, watching how their quilts are coming along.  Deb, from Needles, Sticks & Hooks mentioned that she had found the green!  I emailed her and she told me she had bought it online and got the last piece, but that it was from Blackbird Designs Chelsea Boutique range.

Well the hunt was on!  I googled and googled and googled till I was googled out!  I knew Patchwork on Stonleigh had carried that range but it was so long ago.  I went down this morning and spoke with Christine.  She said she would have a look at home and then when we were looking in the scrap basket, what was there but a tiny piece of it!

How happy was I!!!!  It is a very small piece but if I split it down the middle and then rejoin it, it will just be enough for the hill.  The colour in this photo is not good but you can see in the first pic how good the green looks.

Thank you Deb.  I would never have found it if you didn't give me the info on the fabric. 

My next quest will be to find the perfect background!!!

Sue-Anne xxx

Best Laid Plans...

This is a quilt started maybe at least 4 or 5 years ago with Michelle, Helen and Nicole.  We were all going to have it finished by the following Christmas.  Michelle is the only one who has.  It is from a book by Lynette Anderson called "A Christmas Wish".

I LOVE the penguins and the plum pudding!

I decided to pull it out as I needed a change from hand applique.  I have been working on Rosebud and thought I would have had the borders finished by now, but it has been taking quite a bit of time.

I have finished all the blanket stitch on the 3 blocks joined together and now have to stitch the 3 separate blocks above - they are, of course, the ones with the most work to do.  Once it's all blanket stitched (by my machine) and sewn together, there is a little bit of stitchery to add.

Maybe it might be finished by this Christmas???

Sue-Anne xxx

Let's Play

Primitive Pieces by Lynda is one of my favourite designers.  She is the designer for Me & My Shadow that I have been working on in previous posts.

She asked on her blog if anyone wanted "To Play".  Of course, I said "I Do!"

To qualify I needed to have this book above (of course I already had it) and then all that was needed was to decide on a quilt from the book...

Make up a block and send it to Lynda.  She would join them all together and one lucky contributor would receive a top already made!

I dived into my stash and picked out some fabrics.

And in no time at all, my block was made.

Maybe just make one more in a different colour?

They will be heading off to USA on Monday morning.  Can't wait to see the finished top and fingers crossed I may even be the lucky recipient???

Sue-Anne xxx

Finished Finally/Nowhere Near It

I have finally finished Me & my Shadow!  The last lot of applique took me longer than I expected but now I am looking forward to finding a suitable backing and sending it off to Rose for quilting.

Sue Ross came down from Sydney last year and taught a class with our local quilt group (Murray River Quilters).  I thoroughly enjoyed the class and learnt so much about colour and balance, but the biggest thing I learnt was that I could machine piece Lemoyne Stars if I really concentrated!!!

I have grand plans for the border of this quilt but I had put it in a sewing bag and forgot about it till I found it the other day while looking for something else.

Sue-Anne xxx

Table Runners & Thank You

I have several patchwork tablerunners in various stages of completion.  This one is based on a pattern by Marg Low Designs - I put prairie points on either end instead of yo yo's.

I bought this one as a kit in Bright.  The fabric is Hemming House and I just had to make  something from this range because I loved it so much.

I finished this top just before Christmas and intend to hand quilt it and place it on top of my old singer sewing table.

One of my dear friends Helen arrived home last week from 6 weeks in Africa.  At sewing on Friday she showered us with these beautiful gifts.  Thank you Helen, they are very special and I appreciate the fact that you carried them all over Africa in your backpack for us.

And finally a thank you to Laura.  I entered a giveaway on Laura's blog a couple of weeks ago and won! This lovely pattern from Cinderberry Stitches arrived in the mail, another one to put on the "to do" list.

Sue-Anne xxx