Quite a crowd in May

Last Friday we had two newcomers join our group so we were 5 in all. With lots of hands, lots was achieved...

Our first task was to tack Karen's Spots quilt. It is now ready for binding and finishing.

Roslyn spent time hand stitching the binding and label on Ann's Aboriginal Print quilt so once the tacking has been removed it will be ready for our draw.

Kathryn spent a lot of the day joining the blocks on Cathy's Purple hidden nine-patch quilt.

It is now complete and waiting for decisions but is off the design wall.

Another top off the design wall is Heather's Sunflowers. Elaine spent most of her time with us completing the sashing so now more decisions need to be made with this quilt.

Completing our two design wall tops meant we could put two more on. The blocks from Lynette's bookshelf quilt look great. If you still have yours please return it asap so it is incorporated. We have some people doing extra vertical blocks to complete the bottom quarto shelf. I must say these blocks look surprisingly great. Perhaps it is a hanging and not a quilt?

The other side of the design wall has Christine's posy blocks. Although these were a challenge for many of us they actually look great together and will make a fabulous quilt. I love the wavy line created by the green wrapping.

In all we had a great day together sewing and chatting and getting to know our two new members a little better. Kathryn drew our next lucky dip fabric donated by Stephanie. 

An Impromptu Quilting Day

Last Monday was a public holiday and I had a free day so spread the word that I would be doing patchwork all day if anyone wanted to join me. We ended up four people and had a most productive day.

Karen and I spent time tacking the aboriginal quilt sandwich as our first job to ready it for quilting. Then Karen spent time sashing the sunflowers. This task still has to be completed.

I looked at the issue of setting the mitred corners on the blue and tan quilt but when Stephanie arrived I decided that she could do that job and wow does it look great. This one is now ready to be sandwiched and tacked.

I spent a lot of the day quilting the aboriginal print quilt. Nearly all done now. Then this one will be ready for binding.

Elaine started cutting the purple 9-patches into quarters for our hidden 9-patch quilt once Stephanie had pressed them as flat as she could.

These are now arranged on the design wall ready to join.

In all, lots of steps were completed on our current quilts. Most of our Posy blocks have been returned so next time, as soon as we have some free design wall we'll be able to start arranging our bookcase blocks and our posy blocks. Then we can draw another mystery fabric challenge.

Only Three but Lots Done

We were only three last Saturday - Karen, Carol and Betty - but we achieved a lot.

Our first task was to finish the hemming on Christine's Wild Windmills quilt and sew on the label. Carol took on this task. Jeanette won the quilt and opted to donate it to charity.

Karen took on the borders on her Blue and Brown spot quilt.

It is looking good so far. The challenge will be the mitred corners on the striped border.

Lunch was had under my attempt to hang my Japanese tiny quilt collection.

Another task that was achieved was to start the sashing of Heather's Sunflowers.

After I had added the yellow border and cut the binding we also chose the backing for Ann's Aboriginal lopsided log cabins. The backing is shown below - two pieces of batik with a black strip added. This is now ready to sandwich and tack next time.

Again we thought it best not to draw another fabric as we still have about 6 unfinished quilts. Plenty to do when you come everyone. We have Cathy's Purple disappearing nine-patch still on the design wall as well as the Bookcase blocks and the Posy blocks still in their boxes.

Working on our PhDs

Yesterday Karen, Carol, Elaine and Linda joined me to work on some of our current PhDs.

Carol's first mathematical challenge was to cut some of the green bits for some of Christine's Posies blocks. It is not as easy as it seams and we found it easier to make a template of the finished triangle on grid paper and cut the mirror image triangles 1/4" bigger all around. Be careful if you have not already cut yours as we can't afford to waste any fabric.

Karen's mathematical challenge was to trim the sunflower blocks, some of which needed slivers added to them and some even needed a bit of resewing to get them all at 12.5". Carol then created the extra corner blocks that were needed and has taken one home to finish. Karen finished pinning up the blocks allowing 1" sashing spaces and we will be adding the yellow sashing next get together.

I spent most of the day quilting and binding Christine's Windmills quilt. That is now to the stage of hand sewing the binding if anyone would like to claim that job.

Elaine and Karen had tasks of cutting and adding borders to Ann's Aboriginal quilt so next time we will add a 3" yellow border that brings out the lightening flashes in the blocks and then we'll bind in the maroon fabric to echo the frame strip.

Linda was able to help with all the projects and do a bit more of her bookcase block. Of course we all enjoyed our lunch and afternoon tea together.

Our last task of the day was to decide on borders and binding for Karen's male focus quilt. She had more of the focus fabric so we've decided on a thin border of it followed by a wider border of the stripes then a dark starry binding. It looks as thought it's mitred stripes again in the border!

As we still have heaps of PhDs and did not actually finish any quilt this time we did not do another lucky dip draw. Hopefully next time we'll have a completion and can then reward ourselves with the lucky dip. If you'd like to take on any tasks at home please just say so or book a day to come and sew here.

Last Year's Donations

I forgot to put this post up at the end of last year to say we donated $300 from our drawn quilts to the Charlie Teo Foundation at https://charlieteofoundation.org.au

This money was raised by each time we drew a winner of a quilt, if the winner wanted to keep it their $50 was donated to charity. I store up all the money and donate it at the end of the year.

I have now found someone who will auction our last quilt (Carol's Peach). Little Legs Foundation at https://www.littlelegsfoundation.org.au/ is a registered charity that does fundraising for the Charlie Teo Foundation. Hopefully it sells for heaps.

A New Year begins

Last weekend six of us met for the first gathering of the new year. We worked on six of our PhDs and got each to the next stage.

Christine's Windmills (back right) has been sandwiched and is ready for quilting. If anyone feels the urge to do the quilting please let me know.

Ann's Aboriginal (near right) has its first border and is ready for the next one. This one will take a little care to stop it waving as it gets larger.

Karen's Pink and Brown now needs more borders so there are decisions to be made.

Cathy's Purple is to be a Hidden Nine Patch so now needs the blocks cut and shuffled.

Heather's Sunflowers (see below) is on the board and we've decided needs yellow sashing. We do have enough of Heather's yellow fabric used in each block to do the sashing. We need some corner "bird" blocks to complete the top before adding borders. We also have enough yellow triangles for this so if anyone would like to do some corner blocks please let me know.

We still have a few sets of blocks to start on but decided to draw another lucky dip anyway so now we have Christine's Posies to start. I will send out fabric and instructions when I have done them. Christine has done a lot of the preparation work for us and has made a block so I don't have to do too much at all. It is a beautiful block and I think we could get quite inspired with this quilt.

So 2019 has begun with a tidy space upstairs and lots of quilts to complete. I have still not found a home for Carol's Peach quilt (hanging over the stand in the top photo) so if anyone knows of a place to donate it please let me know. Alternatively if someone would love it we can always donate their money to charity so just let me know.

Until next time - happy quilting!

Christmas is Coming...

Last weekend we had a very small but festive group and powered on with our current projects.

Karen and family arrived for morning tea but Karen was unable to stay long as they had all be up for an airport drop at some unearthly hour.

Stephanie came in time to meet Karen and family and brought a beautiful mandarin cake. Linda brought chicken for lunch and we three enjoyed chicken sandwiches and cake together.

Progress upstairs included...

Photographing our Glimpses of Japan quilt. I'd been unable to photograph this whole quilt until I resurrected Surrey's Quilt Photographing System. So here is a better photo...

 We attached the sashing and corner stones to Karen's Spots top and cut the borders ready to attach.

Borders were attached to Christine's Windmills. This one is now ready to sandwich.

We have completed the centre of Ann's Aboriginal quilt top. We are now in the process of auditioning fabrics and colours for the borders.

Our last task was to debate the last Lucky Dip fabric - Lynette's Egyptian. We have decided to make a bookcase quilt with this one so do a few internet searches for ideas. I'll be sending out the fabric soon and hope you will be inspired by this novelty quilt.

Our next gathering will not be until February so there will be plenty of time to complete all the blocks you currently have and return them to me. Don't forget to send your Lucky Dip fabric too. We have now finished our basket load. I already have two new ones for us to start the new year with. Always plenty to go on with. I have emailed dates for next year so make sure you add them to your diary now.

Merry Christmas to you all and happy quilting in the New Year.

Three finishes in one week is a bit of a record

We've never finished so many quilts at one time.

Last night Elaine delivered Robyn's Retro to me all finished so this morning I photographed it and am about to label it.

Carol won the quilt. Congratulations Carol! She had decided to keep the quilt and donate the money to charity.

And another finished quilt

I finished hemming the binding of our Pink Flowers in a Blue Sky quilt yesterday and today Kim and I photographed it outside using the hanging system that Surrey devised. We just have to remember to pin to the hangers in the right place and use an umbrella to keep the sun off the camera.

I put it into our draw generator and Linda has won it. I will let you know whether she would like to donate money or the quilt to charity.

November Gathering

We four (Karen W., Carol, Elaine and Betty) had a most productive day on Friday.

Our first task was to label and photograph our Peaches and Cream quilt. This meant the quilt was complete and Christine won it but I have still not heard from her if she would prefer to donate the quilt or money to charity.

Carol spent lots of time quilting the blue 9-patch quilt and I sewed on the binding, finishing the hand stitching yesterday. It is now labelled but not yet photographed. A job for next time.

We all spent time placing trimmed blocks for the Blue and Brown Spots quilt. It now has the sashing cut and some rows stitched together ready for next time we get together.

No, the orange at the top has nothing to do with this quilt but is for the quilt on the back of the design wall.

We have cut the next borders for Christine's Windmills and they are ready to attach if anyone would like that task.

Then the great reveal of Ann's aboriginal blocks. As we were putting them up a wonderful zig-zag appeared. We thought the orange inserted in this zig-zag might highlight the orange in the focus fabric that we were not allowed to use in the blocks themselves. Next tasks here are to trim the blocks and add the orange sashing to form the zig-zags.

Of course the day of sewing activities was highlighted by a wonderful lunch and afternoon tea and lots of chatter at all times.

We drew out another mystery fabric and that has been sent out. Because there was not much variety in the colours of the mystery fabric we also added another piece to give you more colour selection for your block.

Let me know if you'd like to come for a pop-up quilting day. Also let me know if you'll be here on 1 December for our final gathering of the year. So far there are lots of members not coming so we might not have one.