A busy few months...

I know I haven't written anything since October but I have been busy...

I went overseas for Christmas...

Germany for Christmas - no snow at all, very disappointing!  Rest of the experience was fantastic.

Christmas Market in Nuremberg

Christmas Market in Nuremberg

Then I went to Scotland for Hogmany, yet again no snow... And Europe is not that cold in Winter!

Edinburgh - loved it all!!!!

Loch Ness - and I slept through the 10 minute snow storm on the way back to Edinburgh!

Hogmany fireworks in Edinburgh

Hogmany fireworks in Edinburgh

We caught the train to London, I can recommend traveling by train over a flight - you don't save any time but you don't wait at an airport!  And yes, there was no snow, I went all that way for a white Christmas and didn't see snow once!!!! However there was a big dump right after I left, so much so that friends had difficulty getting home.

Greenwich

Piccadilly Circus - lost Mum here!

Tower Bridge

And then once I go home... couldn't be bothered to do any quilting!!!  Went to concerts instead!

On a more serious note I have been having problems with my left hand.  Perhaps I should listen to the doctor and give both hands a rest - that means trying to limit my sewing and computer time... what will I do?

trying to finish My Favourite Things Quilt

So I am limited to machine piecing... cutting is a problem though so I can only do a little at a time...

My version of a Pink Lemonade quilt

I have seen several pink lemonade quilts that I have just loved, thought I would give one a go so I raided the stash and made this over the weekend.  Colour doesn't look great as it has been photographed at night.  I'll try and remember to take one in the morning in day light.  I think it needs borders and am thinking of a narrow green with a wide boarder... I have the perfect wide border fabric - it has pink, yellow and orange.

I have also come full circle, twelve or thirteen years ago I started quilting when I finished my Masters degree.  I wanted to learn something new and something different so walked into a quilt shop and signed up for a class that started two days later.  Now I'm about to go back to Uni and complete another PostGrad Diploma... not sure I want to give up quilting time for study!!!


Be back soon... I promise!

Trying to sew...

Trying to sew...

But I feel guilty cos I have a mountain of correction... I'll get over that feeling quickly!

However I have carpel tunnel and can't feel my fingers...
And I have tennis elbow and my elbow is painful...

BUT I want to sew!

MIA but now I'm back!

It was a bit of a shock to realise that nine months have passed since my last blog update.  After many months of dealing with health issues and work stuff I am finally back!  I promise to write more regularly, maybe!!

I may have neglected Back Beach Quilter with updates about my crafty adventures but I have been working consistently on my 2012 Challenge project.  Here is a bit of a pictorial update on my progress thus far.  Not sure what month is what anymore and I didn't want to waste time looking for my monthly checklist, all I know is that this is the work for February to July... August and September are still to be completed.  Next year I want a nice easy challenge, perhaps a pieced quilt?

Made the photo collages with photo shake on the iPad, much easier that struggling with blogspot and image placement. 

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!