A finished quilt, well almost!

I am in the process of getting as many projects finished before I go back to work next week and I thought I would have a go at quilting on the quilting machine at Mum's house.  She can't use it at present as she is recovering from her shoulder surgery so I may as well have a go!  I've loaded it on the machine and selected the designs I want to use, now it is just time to work on it.

I started this quilt some months ago and got most of it completed in one day but came to a stand still when I couldn't decide what to do for the final borders.  Well in my desire to get it finished and off my UFO list I made a decision...

Challenge Quilt 2012 - My Favourite Things Quilt

I spotted a new book a couple of months ago, "Some Kind of Wonderful" by Anni Downs.  There were many tempting projects inside but the quilt My Favourite Things was just beautiful and I suggested it as an option for our Quilt Challenge 2012.  Everyone it the group loved it and we decided that the pattern was flexible enough that a beginner or experienced quilter would be able to complete this project with ease.

 However the rules had to made very clear!  So we have nominated a number of blocks to be completed each month and each participant can select how the pattern is completed, applique can be done the hard way (Needle turn) or the easy way (visoflex).  There is even stuff that can be done to work ahead!  We also added the challenge of each member contributing a fat quarter of fabric that would would be drawn at our January breakfast meeting as a lucky dip.  Here is the fabric I selected to contribute and here is the fabric I won. Each quilter has to use the fat quarter on their quilt top but there is no stipulation about how big or small the piece(s) is to be!

My contribution

Lucky Dip Challenge

I have selected all my background fabrics and decided to think outside the square.  Instead of cream and beige I have gone grey and grey...

What do you think? 

An Angels Story - Winner!!!!!!!

I won!!!!!

Came equal first with Karen, here is a photo of the completed quilt.  Lost the love at the end and was tempted to throw in the towel but Trish (keeper of the trophy) had already had our names put on the trophy... So the pressure was on!

Now onto quilting but I am not sure how I want it done so I think I'll hold onto it for a while and think.

Missing block - An Angels Story

I am finally putting together all my completed blocks from An Angels Story. Today I got part one completed, however you can imagine my shock and horror when I moved onto part two to find that I was missing a block.

Now imagine, dear readers, my concern and reaction. I tore my sewing space to pieces in the search for the missing block. Then I remembered a visit from a dear friend, a friend who shall remain nameless. (I shall give you a hint, I am her toilet spot when she works in the area during the summer holidays.)

Please also remember, dear friends that currently I am in equal first position to win the 2011 Quilting Challenge. Is this a devious plot to ensure that my competition ends up first?? Has my friend turned traitor and decided to determine the result of our friendly challenge and allow a third party to win the trophy? All these questions were running through my mind, when I had a light bulb moment... Yes the block was found in with another project, I shall have to apologise for thinking that my friend would contemplate doing something so devious... but remember we are all very competitive!

MIA - returning soon...

Here is the reason I have been MIA for so long...

 

Can you guess?  Now emerging from the marking... practice exams, SACS, essays, outcomes, exams - all done!  (I'm sure I'll find a few that I've missed.) 

Now onto reports, but may be a tidy up of my desk first!  And clean house, clear out and sort wardrobe, clean and sort pantry AND any other cleaning job that needs to be done - you wouldn't guess that I'm a procrastinator, would you?

Garden Inspiration

My Garden tends to be the most neglected part of my home.  I don't keep up with the weeding and I am not a big fan of mulching the whole front hill yard. This holidays I plan to get into the garden and do some serious weeding and mulching.  But for now I have lots of flowers telling me that Spring has arrived.

Just got this cymbidium from Lintons with a gift voucher from my Saturday sewing friends.

Don't look at the weeds!

Weeping cherry

An Angels Story - September

It has been a very busy time the last few weeks as I set myself the mission to get all my correction completed before the end of the term so I could enjoy the school holidays.  I am sure I'll get some practice exams emailed but that is not like having to correct class sets of essays.

I am very happy that when I created my work list at the start of the year I unwittingly had two small and easy blocks for September.  If there was going to be any part of the year where I would fall behind and have to pay (shock and horror) the fine it would be at the end of a term around reporting time.  But I have prevailed and completed my September blocks early, I guess I'll have to work on my in-between project!