My Little Sister

My Little sister turned 30 last week, I thought I had another year to go until she turned 30, but the little bugger stole a year from me.

So I had to quickly make a pressie for her. I decided on the Amy Butler Weekender Travel bag. You can get the pattern from here. And I am very impressed with my talents (this time). I have made this bag a few years ago, and though I love it, I know it is not the absolute best. My sisters bag is still not perfect but it is alot better than mine. She nearly didn't get it, I was going to keep it for myself.

I found the fabric a couple of years ago in Arizona at a sort of Remnant shop. The fabric is decorator weight and cost my $4 a yard, Bargain. I had remnants in several pieces, but was able to pattern match the outside pockets with the bag itself. Very impressed.

I was also able to make a small cosmetics bag in the same fabric for her. I put a chocolate bar in this bag.

She loved it.

I also made a the cosmetic bag for my niece, who also had a birthday last week. Megan turned 19. With this bag I used Tula Pink's new range, Prince Charming and a stripe for the lining. The first thing she said after "Ooh, Thank you", was my favourite colour is orange. My UFO students helped me find the lining fabric, they had such fun telling me which one I should use, usually the other way round.
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It took Megan a few minutes to see the frogs, but she loved it. I told her that, " you may have to kiss a few frogs to find your Prince Charming". Wise words from dear old Aunty Fiona. I filled her bag with hair treatment, lip balm, moisturizers etc and good old chocolate also.

We all had a great night out for dinner at My Thai in Brisbane, great food and great service. The whole restauarnt sang Happy Birthday with us to the girls. Just wonderful, this is just some of us. I 'm the odd one with red hair amongst the blondes

Kites and Fans

This is Maureen's quilt.Beautiful!! Rose Star done in Reproductions. I love her colour's and combinations. Maureen always has a great eye with colour.

We kept the quilting very traditional with Baptist/Bishops Fans

( I really want to make a pink and chocolate quilt)

I have started this quilt back here, but in bright colours. Very different look.
Maureen's quilt has 18 blocks, mine will have about 25, I done 4 I think, just a few more to go.

Other news, is that my husband is as we speak on a plane back home to us. He has been away for nearly 3 weeks with 2 really great mates, doing the whole boy thing in America that the kids and I would really not want to do.
They saw Drag Racing in Denver, an Air Show in Osh Kosh, Harley Davidson tours, Nascar Racing in Indy, road trip back to Denver in the 40Ft RV (mansion), Bar Hopping in Vegas and now home. The kids are excited, waiting to see Dad, but also what Dad may have in his cases. I want to see what he has brought home, as several times during the trip I sent the locations of quilt shops he may come across in between boy things. He can have the Washing, Cooking and Shopping back in a heart beat. We all had clean clothes and food to eat, got to work and school on time. I got our bedroom walls and some furniture painted also this week. So I think we did okay.

I pick him up from Brisbane in the morning, after dropping the kids at school (they think a day off from school is necessary, I don't)

But most of all is I have missed my husband and best friend. I am so glad he has been able to do this trip. He is a very good man and deserves to have fun and it wouldn't have been the same with me and the kids. I'm not sure about this talk of them doing it again next year though, the kids may have a say about this I'm sure.

Good night all

(time will go faster if you sleep for most of it, mum used to say Christmas eve)

P.S. not sure I like any of the kitchens on The Block tonight

Quilts done

So here are some quilts I have done recently....


This one is from Ann, lovely Dresdans made with William Morris prints


a very cute baby's quilt from Carol, made entirely from scraps in her stash. Way to go Carol!!!


Cheryl made this quilt in one of my classes, this is just so bright and happy with the yellow background. Fabulous Cheryl


Yvonne made this one, so cute all the school houses...

Back to quilting tomorrow, plenty more lined up waiting

Enjoy your week

Fiona

Buderim Quilt Show

Finally, here are most of the quilts I worked on for the girls for the Buderim Craft Cottage Biannual Quilt show. It was just a lovely display of work by many ladies of the group.


Janet and her quilts. I quilted the large jelly roll quilt, Janet made the long skinny wall hanging.


I quilted this one over a year ago, and Grandma had to ask to borrow it back for a short while for the show. Love those scraps!!


One of three I did for Betty. I didn't get a picture of them at the show but will find them in my files before they were bound


This is Lee-anne's, just a beautiful quilts and not just because it is pink. Lee made the quilt, cushion's and pillow shams. I just have to finish the Shams off for her - nearly done Lee!!


Actually I did get another of Betty's quilts, still not sure about the third. This is one of Jenny's quilts that she teaches at The Patchwork Angel


Chris did a great job keeping these pieces in order. This is a favourite of her husbands also.



Now this one belongs to Marlene. This quilt is in the double digits of age. It is now finished and being enjoyed and admired by the Marlene and her nagging son-in-law. This Balitmore took me days and days to quilt. I had to make the cross-hatching and because we live in a semi tropical climate the lines started to disappear before I had even finished all the marking. What a panic I had. But now it is done and Marlene is just so happy about it. Marlene actually came into work the other week looking for background fabric to start another Balitmore quilt (what is the definition of Insanity??)lol.

Looking back this doesn't seem that many, but it certainly felt like more than this, but several took many days to quilt, and when there is a deadline.....

All the ladies were very happy with the quilting and it was my pleasure and privelage to be allowed to work on their quilts. I am honoured by their trust and faith in me, and wish them many years of joy with all the quilts they make.

Every Possible Mistake has been Made

Yes,

I have made just about every mistake able to be made throughout this whole quilt. But take a look at her now. She is not finished but I have to take it off the frame to qet back to customers quilts tomorrow, so it will get back on the frame soon enough.







But in the right light she is a beautiful swan and will be perfect for my room. I will be painting it shortly and changing a few things. I had started to make a new quilt for my bed, then realised it would not be big enough, then remembered I had this quilt top ( I started it about 8 years ago :-0. It took me ages to piece it, then I had to think about how to quilt it. A friend showed my group how to do machine Trapunto, but I being a hand quilter decided to hand quilt the Trapunto parts, plus at that time no ability to free motion quilt on a domestic machine. So then it had to wait until winter so I could hand quilt - way too hot in summer in Queensland - then it has been waiting until I have had time to machine quilt around the Trapunto on my Longarm Machine.




This weekend I have gotten about half of the machine quilting done. I will be unpicking on section but the rest I am happy with under certain lighting :-)



Alot more stippling and background fillers to be done, that in the bright light of day I am not completely happy with but it has been a great experience and practice



What did you get done this weekend, hopefully something got finished for you

Donna's Quilt

Hi Donna

I have finished you quilt and will put it in the post tomorrow. But you did say I could post pictures before I post it to you as it will take about a week to get to you......

the whole quilt


close ups







and the back


I really hope you are happy with it Donna

I have been doing alot of other quilts for the past month or so, but most are for quilt show coming up over the next few weeks and because most of the girls who read my blog are local and the shows are local I thought best not to ruin the surprise for everyone and post pictures of the quilts before the shows.

Hope to be back to blogging again shortly

but I have started another quick quilt for myself here are the pieces. It is from 2 layer cakes

Quilted Furniture

I have been reading blogs and found this post on Karen Synder's site.

and I just love these pictures





This pattern is called Hearts and Gizzards. I have mad this top and posted it previously but alas is still not quilted, maybe I can turn it into furniture, if I can find a base/frame to use







I so wish I had some of this in my house, both the furniture and the vintage quilts

This is where Karen found the pictures originally
(According to the flickr poster, this furniture was seen at Patricia Wood & Company, 120 E. Main St., Harbor Springs, MI. 49740)

Josh's Quilt

I finally go to get Josh's quilt "quilted". This has been a top since New Years. He was been waiting patiently for me to get to it... since we are camping this Easter long weekend and this quilt is for his bed in the caravan

So here it is "quilted", the binding is machined on the front. Josh will be sleeping under the quilt at night and during the day I will hand sewing the binding




A picture of the quilting, he loves red and picked out the pantograph used




Here is the bag of clothes I am taking on this 5 day weekend
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This is the hand sewing I am taking with me on this 5 day weekend




Here are the two together



And here is Erica's quilt, these are 1" hexagons, lovely



Everyone please have a lovely and safe Easter holiday and if you are in Australia, stay dry:0

xxxxxxxxxx

Waiting to go to a Good Home

Here are the quilts I have mangaged to complete lately.

There is
2 x Queen size
1 x queen size - basted
1 x single size
1 cot size
1 x wallhanging
1 x Bedrunner

and I had 2 more cot quilts completed but not bagged up as yet.

And here are two quilts of mine I got finished earlier this year, maybe the only ones for the year





A couple of customer quilts already gone to good homes

This is Janey's, she did this quilt in one of my Classes at the Patchwork Angel

This one belongs to Robyn. I have wanted to make this quilt for a long time, this is the first time I have seen it completed, now I really to want to make it...


Last week I was in Toowoomba for 2 classes, here are the results of everyone's work from Chris Jurd's class. It was a great class





P.s. If you turn your head to the side the pictures will look alot better...