My Quilt Showcase Blog

I've decided to start another blog with my quilts on it.
I started the blog with my very first two quilts :) I thought I'd attempt to document my journey as a quilter.
Over the years many of my quilts have been given away with no photos taken :( At the time I didn't feel the need to record them all now I do. I miss some of them.
My landscape quilts I particularly miss and back then I didn't have a digital camera and it wasn't as easy as it is now to keep track of them all.
I aim to add all the photos of quilts I have and to track down photos of the ones that left home before i could photograph them.
I'm going to try and post them in order which may be impossible.

Here's the link Quilt Showcase Blog

Self Portrait

I was visiting mum last week and reading her quilt magazines and in the Down Under Quilts there was an article on creating Self Portrait Quilts. I really enjoyed the article and it inspired me to make my own.

I started by taking a photo of myself and using Photoshop I put it into greyscale and printed it out. I traced the outline of each of my features onto fusible web. Picking the fabirc was fun. I think next time I'll go for bright colours.

I used a velvet for the background.. may of been a mistake as all the fluff from the batting was sticking to it.

I used free motion quilting to add the wrinkles! and to raw edge applique the piece. The total piece measures 12 x 12 inches

New Additions to the Family - Mouse CATchers!

Oliver is the Grey ball of fluffy and Phoebie the mottle brown. We needed two, I didn't think one could survive being loved by 5 children :)

Handspun wool and Alpaca Soakers

I managed to knit these up watching the tv last night. Once more I didn't get to bed until a ridiculous hour. Like a good book a knitting project that only needs a few more rows is hard to put down. I used 6mm neeedles for the body and 4mm for the rib. I only just had enough with 100gms. The lanolin in these is heavy and my hands felt very soft after knitting this up.

Fun and games

What Your Favorite Color Orange Says About You:

Joyful --- Enthusiastic --- Optimistic Outgoing --- Accepting --- Confident Loud --- Unruly --- Impulsive

What Does Your Favorite Color Say About You?

You Are 35% Left Brained, 65% Right Brained

The left side of your brain controls verbal ability, attention to detail, and reasoning. Left brained people are good at communication and persuading others. If you're left brained, you are likely good at math and logic. Your left brain prefers dogs, reading, and quiet. The right side of your brain is all about creativity and flexibility. Daring and intuitive, right brained people see the world in their unique way. If you're right brained, you likely have a talent for creative writing and art. Your right brain prefers day dreaming, philosophy, and sports.

Are You Right or Left Brained?

New shorties for Miss Lilly

I've been test knitting a new pattern I have bought. These shorties are in 8ply Heatherwood by Heirloom. The pattern is for worsted weight yarns which are 10ply so I'm playing a little with the pattern to knit it in 8ply.
I'm happy with the fit of these. Lilly has been in them all morning so they are holding up well to wear.

Laura Folk Fair

We had a lovely time a the folk Fair in Laura. The kids got Fairy Floss and doughnuts, we wandered around the stalls, listened to some recorder/flute music and had a ride in a horse drawn cart.
I found some handspun wool & alpaca yarn. I think I'll knit a special pair of soakers for Miss Lilly. The wool is grown locally too.

Doing the Tango

Lilly has been very impressed with her new Tango Nappy. She pulled it off the clothes airer and insisted on wearing it again this morning. She's very choosy with her nappies. I got this one off Tanya's Ozebaby store.

Reconstructed nappy

A day passed the deadline but it's done
An old flannel swaddling wrap and terry flat that is almost threadbare. I didn't end up using the sheet.
I made the body out of two layers of the swaddle cloth and one of the terry flat. I used the remains of the terry flat as the internal soaker and the remains of the swaddle cloth as the outer soaker, which I zig zagged to the back.
I also drafted the pattern myself using these instructions
Lilly is starting to get too big for most of the larger nappies I have. The rise is 20 inches and waist 20 inches

I Love Learning

I so love learning.
Crafting for me is endless learning. I feel I can never stop learning there is always a different technique out there a new way of doing things so much to discover and learn.

I'd never be content making checkerborad quilts only. But I'd never dismiss making them either. There is still so much for me to learn about checkerboard quilts. Colour, design, balance and technique the possibilities even in a checkerboard are endless.

I think when a crafter "thinks" they know it all, they are missing out on so much. they are blind to the other possiblities. They box themselves and limit their growth.
I move from craft to craft never knowing all of any of them never being an "expert" in any. And I don't want to be.

When teaching I worked with an amazing teacher and after a "bad" day I said to him how much I admired him and how he knew it all. He replied that if he knew it all, he would stop doing it. As he felt he would no longer be a good teacher. A teacher who seeks new knowledge and new ways of doing things. He was and is such an amazing teacher, to this day he is still an inspiration to me.
The most novice of crafters can find a new way of doing something that those who have done it for years may be blind to.

Wouldn't it be so boring if you knew it all? If there was nothing new to discover what would we do?
I get so irritated with teachers who know it all because they are so missing the point!! They don't know it all, none of us ever know it all and thank God for that.

Miss Lilly's New Pants

I finished the last of my hand dyed wool. This is the 10ply from Bendigo woollen mills. I really like the way the colour knitted up on these. They took the 200gms of wool and still needed more I think as they aren't as long in the leg as I would like nor wide enough in the leg.They should keep her nice and warm this winter.

Hoppy Easter

Chocolate for breakfast and tummy aches for lunch! The kids also had a great time hunting for the eggs we dyed yesterday. Peter and I had trouble remembering where we had hid them.

12 x 12 x 12 Challenge - sneak look

I finally started my April 12x12x12! A little look at what is so far done. I'm back to the reds,oranges and yellows.

Easter Egg dying

We had a great time this afternoon dying easter eggs. We just food colour and citric acid ( I had no vinegar) It worked really well. I used the instructions from DLTK Holidays.
We tried the rubber bands which kept falling off. We also used crayons to decorate before we dyed the eggs. To shine the egggs up we used a little vegetable oil on a cloth. Now we have eggs for an easter hunt tomorrow!

Internet Finds and Podcasting

I've been doing a lot of Websurfing and have found a great free site. It has so many great patterns on it and all are free.
You can even make them for sale! how generous is that. :) You just MUST NOT sell the patterns.
Thank you Meg of Material Mama and Cookie Pants Material Mama also has her own blog and podcasts! I'm a podcast addict they are great to listen to as I craft away. Material Mama

Knitting Podcasts
A great podcast is Sticks and String If you love your knitting you'll love this podcast! A great way to while away an hour as you drive through Adelaide traffic! David Reidy is an Aussie bloke who knits. He has incredible intelligence that just shines through. The podcast makes you think about the importance of what we do as knitters. I'm really enjoying the current season, which is exploring how knitting is passed on. The show has it all. Interesting music, essays on knitting, reviews of products and information on Australian events. The third season will soon start and the theme will be Local Knitting.
I'm also a regualr listener to Lime & Violet a knitting podcast. The girls are so funny, chatty and warm you feel like you are having a cup of tea with your bestfriends as you sit and listen.
A video Podcast for knitting Let's Knit 2gether The last couple have been on spinning for knitters! I want to learn to spin now :)

Quilting Podcasts
Alex Anderson's Quilt Connection of course!
Bonnie Mccaffery's Video Podcast Bonnie has interviews and how to's and visits quilt shows!

I subscribe to the podcasts through iTunes. There are other ways, but I'm no computer geek and have no idea how you do it.

Custom Shoulder bag

This little bag features three internal pockets plus a snap tag for keeping keys. An outer pocket for the mobile phone. It has a layer of Pellon and the bottom was boxed. I like boxed bottoms on bags as it gives you more room inside. It's only 9 inches high and 7 inches wide just big enough for the essentials.

Dip Dyeing

I had my first go at dip dyeing. This is also my first Dandelion Dreamers knitted soaker. I'm happy with the result.