Patchwork of the crosses

Patchwork of the crosses

I am putting these here so you can see the whole collection of blocks on my Webshots page.

http://community.webshots.com/user/ellaamy101/ 

They can also be found in my album Joan's Photos at the Yahoo Inklingo group, where there are lots of beautiful pictures of all the inklingo groups work

This is when I had completed 3 rows

I am now up to the 6th row- Just :)

This is all sewn by hand using the Inklingo method - SO easy!

Quilt a Month

My July Quilt a month 2012! 

Yes - finally finished this...and have not go to the others as yet...not sure if I can as yet.

It is only small, just right for me at present... all I had to do was hand sew the binding.

Feeing good to have another finish

This was the June Quilt a month...

Which I think I have put up previously.

This was how I worked out the borders.

I did think of doing feathers on the squares, but thought it was better just plain.

See you again soon.

Free Motion Quilt Challenge 2012

I have completed the Bonus challenge by 

Diane Loomis and I have had lots of fun doing this.
Thank you Diane for you great tutorial for this Bonus project
and also again - to SewCalGal
 for putting this Challenge together for us all.

The inspiration for this piece has come from Cindy Needham - whose books I have collected and am now taking a class online with her.  Wonderful to be able to do this.
Cindy has also been one of our Tutors in the Free Motion Qilt Challenge 2012 and her section on SewCalGal's blog can be found here

 I have used a wool for the trapunto, and a wool batting and A cotton backing I think I should have used a cotton batting for the whole  as the Diane Shiko section was a bit puffy... did think of doing something in the middle of each one...but left it for a reminder to myself.

I used a 2.75 tension on my 820 machine, YLI 100 silk thread on the top and Aurifil in the bobbin.  I used a Top-line 80 needle and had no trouble with all these.

And took lots of  pictures.....    

I also used a washable thread for the trapunto - and that did give me grief.  I need to try the Superior one I think.if I do any more.

 My trademark ladybug hiding a small rust stain

I used a pale avacado silk for the trapunto sections and a soft pinky-brown for the rest - White thread on the back

 That's it - all finished.

Great to actually have something completed!

Thank you again to SewCalGal for holding the Challenge - and to Diane Loomis for the tutorial.  I have always wondered about how to do Trapunto.

Free Motion Quilting Challenge November 2012

Free Motion Quilting Challenge November 2012

Here is my Challenge piece.  I am not good with circles and will be practising more soon.  

However  I have done November for now. 

Thank you to SewCalGal  for this wonderful chance to improve all our FMQ, with such a great group of expert tutors - one each month - it is SEW special.

This month we were fortunate to have the talented Sarah Vedeler as our November FMQ Expert.

  

I did do some drawings first ... but not many I must admit...and there I think I fell down.

Sarah has some wonderful  print outs for practise , and these we are able to copy and trace and PPP before we start the sewing, and more PPP.

You can tell I was short on time and need a lot more practise.
I started with the small ones, drew some lines yesterday with purple disappearing ink pencils... and it had all disappeared by this morning as it has been humid here. I did one line of the large circles trying to keep to what lines I could see, However after that I improvised... as you no doubt can see.

Then as I just love how have tried to copy what Janet McElroy has been doing on some of her pieces
for the Challenge.

Satin on the top Cotton on the backing and wool batting. the top is quilted with silk thread and the bobbin with Aurifil.
Not sure what size needle.
I used a King Tut thread on the top - Didn't quite go with the mat but its just a trial.
Unfortunately I done have a cording foot and am not sure how to improvise.

That's it for now.

Free Motion Quilting 2012 continued.

Still plodding on in between loads and loads of other things need to be done here at home..

We are all well however, though weary - and I  would rather be quilting :)

Here is what I have done so far.  Hope to get some more done and also the November challenge too.

Still working out what to do next... '
I did do a small red Ladybug on a small brown mark on the cloth...the cloth itself was a bit worn and had a few rust type marks on it.
Besides as the ladybug is one of my trade marks - it had to go somewhere :)

I was reading Jill The Quilt Rat's blog tonight and she has a great post on cutting out 'snowflake designs on paper.  I have always been intrigued by this   ...  so I tried it out  - not that it worked very well,l 

Here is my effort - paper too thick and scissors too small.  I could only find a leather punch , to make the holes with and that too was a pain.\

I also chopped out the middle section far more than I meant to - it was meant to be possums and flowers... but as you can see it didn't quite work out... I couldn't find my mirrors  large or small ( and it wasn't for the lack of looking!) as my craft things are meant to be organised into boxes...and labelled...

grrrrr... 

So now I am completely worn out and looking forward to doing something more on my quilting tomorrow.

What a wonderful surprise!!

Picked up the mail today - and there was a parcel from Canada!!

Oooo - wonder what this is :)

OH MY GOSH!!!

I do have some wonderful friends, and they are letting me know how they are thinking of me! 

How very very special! 

You should have heard me when I opened it up and this beautiful quilted cushion cover and wonderful card appeared.  

A HUGE thank you to Joanne, in the middle of Canada,  Wendy, in the far right hand side of Canada,  and  Raewyn,  in New Zealand!
( don't you love my directions ?? )
They each made 3 blocks!  It was a really fantastic surprise!!

Heavens but you all kept so quiet :)

You made my day, so very much.
You couldn't have done anything better..its a wonder you didn't hear my exclamations from here.
Lots of Oooo's and Ahhhh's and OH_my_goodness!!
AND I just happened to have the right cushion filling for it too  :)

Hope to catch up with you very soon...

Thank you!!!  ♥

Free Motion Quilt Challenge 2012

Bonus exercise #3

Well I am slowly getting there.

This is what I have done so far.... still working on it..

                                       

I have done fine lines under the lace after pinning the little linen mat  and trapunto piece all together with the wool wadding and the backing fabric...all white.

The small stripes I have done in a very light avocado coloured silk - YLI 100 thread.

The feathers when completed are also going to be sewn in this colour.

I am getting there very slowly.  I have to complete the centre circles in the feather I have done ,,, and then do the next one.  

I will do the background quilting also with YLI silk 100 thread, but a different colour...a  light faun/pink.

I MAY do the butterfly with something else - but that my be white silk.

More later

Free Motion Quilt Challenge 2012

Free Motion Quilt Challenge 2012 Bonus #3 from Diane Loomis.

Thank you to both Diane and to SewCalGal for their wonderful efforts to get us all working at our FMQ

At last I have done the wadding on my trapunto.

I did do some sketches... this one was going on the silk dupioni, but I couldn't get my machines to sew on it!

After trying first on  my Bernina 820,  I couldnt get the tension right...the top thread of my water soluble thread kept breaking.

Next I tried on y Pffaf 7550 - still no success.

Then I got my Bernina 440 , and I manged to get the thread to hold in the bobbin with the water soluble thread, but only managed a few inches at a time with the top thread...BUT eventually I got it all completed.  I used the long feather in sketch above for the sides of the pieced and then worked out a butterfly for the near center.

 Back of my Trapunto piece.

The front.

AND at last I have got some of Andrea's lone star sewn. 

 

I have come to a bit of a stop.  Where the side triangle was meant to fit in - it didn't fit!  So I am in thinking mode. 

I will unpick and sew to measured parts of the seam as see hope that it fits then.

Catch up again soon.

Free Motion Quilt Challenge 2012

Movie is done..Andrea put the music to it thankfully.

It may be a bit long and the quilting bit is not terribly clear, but here it is!

Thanks to Andrea for her help getting the final bit done.

Hope you enjoy it.

FMQ Callenge 2012 October

FMQ Challenge 2012 October

Well  I have been sewing some more between other things - does my heart good!

THE MOVIE WAS MEANT TO GO HERE -
Had a problem or two so I will try again tomorrow.

I had Laura ask me how I did my nauticle shell sewing - so I thought the best thing I could do was to

actually draw them and sew them.
Unfortunately I cant remember how I got music in to my other recordings - too long between them...
So ... its a silent movie :(
and as yet I have been unable to work out how to get it here :(

 Its not a very good picture - if you had seen how I did the movie with my camera... you would have giggled,  but hopefully its not too bad. 

Used a variety of thread ...mostly silk with fine line in the bobbin

All these pictures are of the same piece - the light was not too good in the folloinwg ones.
The first picture is more the colour of the satin.

This nautical Shell (became a snail) is the one I did the video of.

Thats it - I am off to bed!!

As you can see - I have a way to go with this piece.

FMQ Challenge October - Piece #2

I have been having fun!  

Trying out lots of threads on this piece which I started last night and have just finished today.

Its been raining here today so there wasn't a lot of light for the photo!

My play piece is about 8" x 4"

The first thread I used was Rainbow thread by Superior 

threads which I did my name with and a Nautilus shell.  I really don't like multi coloured threads - but I tried them out anyway. 

The light brown larger feathers are sewn with Aurifil 40...I changed needles up and down as required...and played with tensions.

The yellow centre of the feathers is a yellow Sulky 40 plus circles too.

Bouncing Bananas - pink Mettler Polythene 40

Blue is embroidery polyester ? weight

Bright green is embroidery polyester ? weight

Red feather is YLI silk 100

Pink Shells are Gutterman 100% polyester ? weight

Mauve at the bottom is Sylko fast dye by Dewhurst - an old reel of thread on an original wooden reel.

OK - Thats it I think.  Broke one needle as I pulled the thread as it was going down - a nasty habit I have.  You would think I would remember by now.

Well I think thats it for a bit .

I really enjoyed this and it was nice to be sewing for a bit.

Would you believe - the sun just came out!!!

Free Motion Quilt Challeng October 2012

FMQ Challenge October 2012

Well I have done this one on a small scale so I didnt take too long .

Thank you to Teri Lucas  who is our tutor for this month.

I have really enjoyed geting to this one, and indeed just sewing!

Its  great tutorial!

The top of the J looks likes its nodding :(  better next time I hope.

Also - a great big thank you too to SewCalGal for holding this challege.- and keeping me on track.

I am learning so much!

What I nearly forgot to say is, that I used several different cotton on top of the peice, and Bottm line on the bobbin for all the work.
I used some rainbow thread from Superior ( I found some Rhonda ) Threads, some King Tut, some silk - which I just love, and some other cotton which I cant remember at present. :(
I also changed the titanium needles - lower for the silk and highter for the 40 weight.  I didnt use the
Aurifil - for a change.

I hope to get some more done on this Months Challenge...

When I do I will post it.

Free Motion Quilting

Small Practice piece.

Keeping in touch!

I thought today I would so some bouncing bananas with a small FMQ feathered heart I did yesterday.

This as sewn with pale blue aurifil top thread and bottom (50) and an 80 titanium needle and white satin top and backing with a double batting - top wool and bottom cotton.

No time at present to do more.

Free motion Quilt Challenge September 2012

I have only jut made this one!  

First piece of sewing I have done since my last entry.  

Yes I have been busy at home doing heaps of other things.

Here. just in time, is my September Challenge piece for the Free motion Challenge 2012 with SewCalGal

Many thanks to Paula Reid for the September Tutorial.  Her blog can be found here

and of course to SewCalGal for hosting the challenge.

I hope I am not away for so long this next time, though I still have a lot of things to do here at home :)

Free Motion Quilt Challenge August 2012

Free Motion Quilt Challenge August 2012 with SewCalGal

I have been otherwise occupied here for a while now, and not able to get to my quilting,

However I have done this months quilt Challenge inspired by Wendy Sheppard of Ivory Springs, who is our tutor for this Months August Challenge. 

A very Special thanks to Wendy, whose wonderful quilting I have also long admired!

I did this small piece the other day in a quiet space of time.

I have staying here with us a lovely young lady from Canada BC staying with us.  The is Andrea's exchange student...and will be with us for another 3 weeks.  So as you can imagine time has been busy, and really great...plus Andrea has been ill and at home for a week and a half too. So more school to catch up on!

This weekend we celebrated Andrea's 16th Birthday and we had some of her friends over for the night.  It was great fun for all of us.

These are some of her school friends, and Caitlin too... I couldnt fit the others all in the photo.. but this gives you the idea.

We will be busy the next two weekends, so I dont expect to be getting any where fast with my quilting for a bit longer yet.

Till next time.....soon I hope :)

Holiday to Walpole July 2012

Andrea, Caroline , Caroline's exchange student and myself spent a week away - stayed at a chalet in Walpole on the South West Coast of Western Australia.

We had a great time and as mentioned in previous post, drove around 900km+.

Here are some of our memories.

 

 Town of Walpole seen from The Knoll accross the estuary.

 Mother and baby - who ate carrots from our hands

 Mother and baby

 Andrea and Roni -

 One of two Bandicoots we had also living by our challet. I have only seen these once before.

This one ate some apple.

I think this one thought the camera was something good to eat.

Ronnie Andrea and Caroline...

On the Treetop walk at The Vally of the giants.  Giant Tingle tree forrest.

 Inside one of the giant Tingle trees

 Roni and Andrea at the 'Dinasor Park' - with birds

 Me with a little bird who couldnt fly - and he tried to eat my ear :)

Caroline at Conspicuous Bay.  Thats a fresh water creek flowing into the ocean.  

I fell ove twice here.  Thank goodness no-one saw me. Once getting OVER the log to get over the creek to the other side ... and then gtting BACK on the log to cross back over the creek - Long story -This is where I think I hurt my back.

 Peaceful Bay

 Roni, Andrea and Caroline getting their feet wet.

Looking up at the Diamond Tree Lookout

 Me at the top of the Diamond Tree Lookout - can you tell I was exhausted?

 Me climbing down again - couldnt wak properly when I got down from the last rung and suffered for 3 days after.  Last time I do that!

 Roni in the centre on a giant Karri Tree near the Diamont tree Lookout.

 Two of three Kookaburra's who ate meat from us - even tried to eat it from my hand... gave me a fright!

 We ran out of mince at this time, and the third one waited patiently to see if there was more!

 Walpole Estuary from The Knoll Walpole

From the Knoll again.

 A Blue Wren- Male

 An Emu - there wer a mob of them here, but Andrea didnt think they would show upand only took this photo.

 A male Robin Red Breast

 A small mob of Kangaroos between Bailingup and Nannup by the Blackwood River

at Lewana Cottages

The Dam  - at Lewana Cottages, Bailingup on the Nannup Road

A lot of photos, but I hope you enjoy them.

Need to tidy up my studio again.

We have our very special guest that we are all so happy about,  arriving on Monday for a few weeks.

Her name is Caitlin and she is Andrea's exchange student all the way from Victoria B