I'm Still Here

Just a note for anyone who might be wondering if this Blog is still alive. It is alive, though in a stage of partial hibernation. I need to post the details of binding for a quilt and at some stage . . . soon . . . I will clear enough space in my sewing room for a bit more sewing to happen.

Happy Birthday to You

I made this quilt for my friend D's 40th birthday--today!
It's been in the making at home for couple of months. In fact it spent more time on my design wall than under my sewing machine, since the main part of the quilt is made from 40 different squares of fabric each with some significance to my friend. Balancing out where all the different fabrics would best fit was quite a juggle. Apart from that, the hardest thing was not blogging about it as I went along. Particualrly when my friend is one of my regular readers and she made a few comments about my not blogging on some of the days when I was working on her quilt.

Now it's safely handed over. In fact, it's sitting on her lap as I type. So, happy birthday!

Team Work

Here is a shot from last night's class. It was a case of all hands on deck as we worked together to get the last three quilts basted: This red quilt belongs to Leigh. She chose to baste her quilt with needle and thread. We used doll needles--they are very long and very sharp. Meanwhile on the other table another group was pin-basting another quilt.

Happy Now!

On top of all the excitement of the final quilting class last night, we were also celebrating Harmony Week--saying no to racism and yes to tolerance and respect. Orange is the theme colour for Harmony Day, so there were orange lamingtons for supper.

Totally unexpected, and totally heart-warming for me, was the moment when I opened a tiny package wrapped in orange paper. One of the students gave it to me with a little note to say "thanks to my creative teacher". This is what I found inside:

. . . the sweetest little crystal heart, clear, with orange reflections. What can I say!

Tired, Excited, Details Tomorrow

I'm just home from the last evening of my Beginner Patchwork by Machine Class. All eight students were there again and I have high hopes of all of them finishing their quilts. All the tops are done and basted and we did practice binding tonight as well as finishing off the basting. I've promised to put up some step-by-step instructions for the binding. It won't be tonight!

Now I just need to wind down enough to get some sleep.

Sew With Me

Here's my big table as it looked at about 3.30 this afternoon:
I caught up with a couple of my quilting friends. V was working on her red applique flowers. M was collecting blue, yellow and black fabrics for a quilt and I was stitching the binding on a quilt. Add tea and coffee, chocolate, dates and cake and you have the recipe for a very happy few hours.

It was great letting M loose on my fabric collection. She only needed pieces a few inches across, but as varied as possible in those three colour ranges. V had already gone through her fabrics and came with three piles of squares already cut. I wasn't anywhere near as organised, so I put on the kettle and just brought a box or two at a time from my sewing room.

Of course we had to discuss most of the fabrics as they came out of the boxes:

• * where did it come from,
• * how much did it cost
• * who else has that fabric
• * what was it bought for,
• * what quilt had it been used for already,
• * what other projects might it be used in . . .
  

M went home with enough blue, yellow and black bits to do many more blocks, V finished her flowers and I got half way round my quilt binding, without getting bored. And my fabrics are tidier than they were when we started, though I can't really see that there's any less fabric there than there was. We'll have to do it again soon.

"C" is for "Cute Critters"

I had to go back to the haberdashery warehouse this week to buy the wadding for the class quilts. Just like last time, I prepared myself for the visit with a list and a steely resolve, but this time, a few little extras did sneak into my purchases. Who could resist these cute critters? Especially when they were lurking by the counter in a discount rack for only a dollar a bag: I think they will just have to keep my butterflies company--besides I do want to make the point that "quilting" doesn't just have to be about lots of fancy tiny little stitches. So there! $1 worth of cuteness added to my life.