Look what came in the mail today!

Glue tips for Elmers Glue

2 rolls of wide freezer paper,

Some new sissors

and a small ironing board to go on the table.

Not much achieved today - Andrea unfortunately had another of her migraines this morning, but she is at school now.

This alway's disrupts plans, and its nearly time to go pick her up and take her to ballet now.

Tomorrow it will be fine to get going - I hope :)

Oh and tomorrow its Wednesday ...  That came round quickly!!

A quick play today

I have started a visual diary.

I am enrolled to do a quilt design course with Carla Bennet of Feathered Fibers 

Carol has a new website called The Quilt Whisperer\.

Classes start on 18th October and is an online class.  I am really looking forward to this.

One of the things needed was a back paper pad and a white 'pencil'

I have been experimenting and playing  :)

I have been to work today ...no more till next week

and Andrea is back at school, and busy with lots of things....so I hope to get some more things done. 

We have been busy and having fun!

We had Pitza tonight!



I unpicked some of my Flowers so I could have something for my One Flower Wednesday

I wanted to use some of my orphan hexagons that Sandy gave me.

Andrea's little brother Patrick forgot his pyjamas and borrowed some of Andrea's.

Not a clear photo, but it made me smile.

Its been a busy few days :)

Dresden Plate Fancy Pieced - Inklingo

Just finished sewing this together over the weekend.

Could maybe do some more of these with my new Batik. 

It was certainly easy to do this 15" block with Inklingo.

Yesterday and today I worked on this..

Below is the front where I have drawn on the design with a bic Pencil

I have used Sharon Schambers. basting method.

and this below is the back.

I have used sik thread on the top and Aurofil thread for the back...There is a change of colour for the back, as I cant find the natural colour, and changed to a white.

I have made a few boo-boo's, but on the whole I am happy with it. 

Amazing what you forget in a short time..... 

This is my test piece, its 1/4 of the whole quilt.

More of this next week.

And another Zentangle...they are addictive!!

I started this on the plane home, and completed it yesterday.

I have'nt shaded this one...I forgot!

I hope to get some more of the POTC quilt done over the weekend...

Bali Zentangles.

Lying on a bed of beautiful white silk I got in Bali...

guess what I want to get more of next year :)

I actually did do the Zentangles in beauriful Bali

And yes I do have plans for the silk ...not for a while though,,,I am presently doing some practise machine quilting ....

Whooo Hoooo ...I'm back!!



Our wonderful holiday in Bali

Yes - this is where we have all been for a week!!

We arrived home on Saturday

We really did enjoy ourselves  as you can see by the photos!

 

A night of Balinese Traditional dancing at the hotel

Andrea with the Dancers

All of us by the pool at the tradition Dancing evening.

 Andrea and I at one of the temples, they say Bali is the home of a thousand Temples.

 Mal and I at the Peninsula Hotel.  We were conned here the first day!  You could only stay here if you were a member...for AU$15,000.00....  we didn't join!!

This was a real learning curve.

 Mal and Andrea at the large volcano in the middle of the island... (I am not too good on names.)...

the lake in the middle of the volcano in in the background.

 Mal on the beach at Legion.

 Andrea in the foyer at the Jayakarta beach resort where we stayed

Covered in huge butterflies at the Butterfly Park

The art work was amazing!

The markets in Ubud

Rice fields

Another rice field

At the Butterfly Park.  It was so beautiful.

I have some more, but I cant find the ones I want - so I will put them up soon.

I did get 22 meters of batik fabric ...

I felt I was in fabric heaven!!!

I have plans for next year :)

...thankfully though we were overweight with our luggage :) the plane home was only partly full...so we got all our things through. 

It was quite an adventure.

Now I need to settle down and get some things done.

I still have some sorting out in the house to do.



Here is an update POTC photo.  Nearly halfway!

The third and fourth rows have yet to be joined, and the fifth row is still to be completed

So now I shall take a break for a bit.

I will 're-group' soon.

An 'Underwater' Zentangle

and remembering  9/11. 

 

Quilt Sandwiched together.

No pins! 
it really didnt take long.

Showing the quilt basted - you can see the back and the front.

I have also drawn with a Bic pencil as suggested in Scharon Schambers video on basting, and have now to baste together 
 my practise piece  before I tackle the larger one.
The pencil was actually a lot easire to use more correctly than the blue pen.
I just hope it washes out OK.
As you can see in the photo...I misjudged the edges or the piece and have added some extra fabric.
This design is 1/4 of another design I have worked out...so it will be interesting to see what this one looks like too...that will be the next whole cloth after this.
Its all a learning curve and I am enjoying working slowly.
Still waiting to get the silk thread before I start...sooo  I shall maybe do some more work on my POTC's.
Or some more Zentangles :)

Wonderful surprise today in the mail..

From Joanne

Two reels of Aurofil cotton

a white fabric marker

some really nice fabric and..

This lovely hand made quilted card which had this....

on the back!

Thank you SO much Joanne...

I had actually forgotten about it, so it was all the more of a surprise!!

Nearly forgot the Fridge Magnet!!!

Thank you again Joanne :)

On Sunday we had a surprise 76th Birthday for my husband Mal.

It really was a surprise for him.

this is the first time we have all been together.

My four children, 10 Grandchildren Mal and myself.

We had a fantastic day with lots of love and laughter.

Mal and I with our four children

L - R Andrew Mal Heather Myself Fiona and Stuart

and with our 10 Grandchildren

Patrick Andrea Lachlin Jakeb Emma Thomas Matthew Joshuah Kristoffer and Morgan

Cousins playing  at the back

and having fun in the Leschenault Estuary.

With many thanks to our wonderful family.

It really was wonderful. and the weather turned out a treat for us too.

           My design is almost on the fabric.

Now in the next few days I will prepare the backing, and sort out the batting...and try to get it basted together. 

A while to go yet before I get to the sewing.

My back is not right, but  am going slowly, so at least I am getting things accomplished.

 I have ordered a spool of white YIL silk to sew the design.

 I hope I dont get lost in all that white :)

Hello all

Here I am again :)

I have been very busy the last few days...correcting the designs I posted previously...well - the first one really.

I didn't like the outer border corner

So I changed it to this.

All 6 1/2" of it. 

I checked it all out in my tow 12" mirrors, which I have stuck together.....and I liked what I saw..

.so...

Next I glued the two triangles together and made a 6 1/2" square

Then I had to print the 4 squares and glue those ones together

]I got this 14" square

I finally - after goodness knows how many days and hours...printed out the large size I wanted...with many thanks to The quilt Rat, I printed it onto sheets of Freezer Paper.

Thank goodness I have a lot of sheets here...its took 12!!

Then I ironed the freezer paper to my starched and prepared fabric...

front and back - 3 times I starched.

You may have guessed... I have been watching videos from Sharon Schamber...

which are wonderful and so informative,

(If you look really hard you may see my POTC quilt is growing...have nearly finished the 5th row!)

Freezer Paper ironed to fabric, and a comparison to  the original size!!

'And after ALL that ...this is the next drawing looking in the mirror's to see how its going!!

        I now have to draw the design onto my fabric, looking at the Freezer Paper through the fabric...either with a light box, or if I can manage..I should be able to do this just on the table.

I haven't drawn in the circles in the 'stems' or the border,on any of my printing,,, may or may not put them in.  Its a choice.

This has been a marathon...still I should have something to quilt eventually

Oh dear - I nearly forgot - I have to put a ladybug in there somewhere :)

I think I deserve a break.

Shall catch up again soon...after a rest!!

Just trying to work out how to enlarge my designs and get to and sew them.

I need some help and advice re printing these!

I would love it if anyone could tell me how to enlarge my designs on my own computer.

A while ago, I thought I was very clever...and actually printed one of my two previous whole cloth  designs ..one quarter normal, and one mirrored..and stuck the two together...it is now printed onto two sheets of A3 paper...I think that makes it A2.  I need to get 3 more printed to make a whole and unfortuantely I didnt save the image...drat!!

I know I can take that to the printers and get that printed 4 times.  For the life of me I cant remember how I did it...I thought I had done it in Word...but of course whatever I did has gone from my mind. 

Hoping someone can help me, as I am trying various things that are NOT working...and also trying to tidy up the designs I have completed.

Apart from that, work goes on slowly with my POTC's .

I am playing with designs

I am also trying some turned applique using one of Sharon Schambers Exotic Flower video

That has taken a while as I have had to wait to get some of the requirements together...still waiting. 

I am nearly ready to turn the fabric...but cant find Sulky Invisible thread.

May use some of my nylon thread to play with for that if I cant find it in time to use, but I think it will be a bit stretchy.

So you can see I am not really as quiet as it seems...and am itching to get things done...but its very slow.

I am still here - not very productive...have recovered my voice after losing it for a week...and getting my energy back...and working on my POTC Blocks

More later :)

Another design.

This one has my Lady-bugs in.

I also think this one is a bit too busy!

Am having trouble getting them enlarged...so may do some more on a larger scale....in between rests still!

I still have some more photos of our trip...kangaroos too :) 

will get them up soon.

I am here briefly again.

As you will see - I have been watching Sharon Schamber videos on how to design a quilt. 

I have been drawing at spaced intervals

...and wishing I could sew :(

However this will keep

I have just glued the 8 pieces together...and am REALLY ready to rest again!

This is my first whole-cloth design...I now have to work out how I am going to get it enlarged and printed.

I was fortunate to get some Kaleidoscope mirror's at a quilt shop in Albany...however they were not really big enough.  So I ordered 2 12" mirrors and we taped them together...So I did one 45 degree corner and was able to see what it would look like before I stuck it together. 

I am pleased with the result.  The rest will keep.

One more very important thing is that we had special visitors at the weekend... Liz and Rus ... and yes - I did lie down lots.

We had had Birthdays that we had missed - Mine in June and Russ's in early July.

Here is a photo of what Liz made for me...

6 Placemats...very special !!

Liz made the design on the fabric using 4 different sized lids and bleach.  She has also machine quilted all the placemats. Liz will no doubt explain this when she gets to putting it on her web-site...and I have remembered to post her the photo's:)

We got Russ a Pizza 'hot plate' and a pizza recipe book to go with it...He is a great cook!!

I am now off to rest some more - listen to my book and do the 5th row of my POTC's - yes - I am nearly half way...needing to joining the 3rd and 4th rows...but doing it in a different order just for a change.

I will be away this time for a while.

Thank you for the comments on my last post...you are all wonderful :)

And I miss you all too.