Ta Da - We Have a Finished Quilt top

Last night I put the finishing touches on my appliqué quilt top.  Now it is all ready for quilting.  I'm planning on having a sewing day with the girls on Sunday, and I hope to get it basted as well as do a couple of other projects.

I did post a picture of the quilt on Facebook and instagram but I get the feeling the lens of my phone was a tad dirty as the colours were a bit washed out.  I cleaned it before I took this shot, and this picture is a hundred times better and is a pretty good reflection of the colours of the quilt.   I really enjoyed every aspect of this quilt, it wasn't rushed I didn't have a deadline and I just loved the process.  I'm planning a new appliqué quilt individual blocks this time I think.

I'm still debating wether to make this a pattern or not, I think it will be a great teaching quilt if any SA quilt shops are interested in a weekend class or over a couple of weeks for students to get a good grounding in needle turn because the pieces are relatively big and aren't too intricate.  You can contact me through Facebook or the blog if you are interested and I'll come up with a class plan.

Hows the Chocolate Marshmallow Sampler going? Kate sent me her first 2 blocks to show you.  I really like the fabric she is using.  Don't forget to email me your blocks and I'll post them here.

Moving

No not me, work ... the day job that is, and it isn't even our office that is moving its our Melbourne Office.

A couple of weeks ago my boss dobbed me in to our IT guy in Melbourne saying I could probably help him out when he needed extra work done.  We now have only one IT guy that does everything for all the branches, we use to have another guy as his helper as well but I don't think it worked out.

I have been with the company for 6 years now, and I have always dabbled in all thinks geeky, though I don't know code and the real technical stuff, I know more about MS Office that most, had done technical writing and will get in a learn stuff if I really need to to get the job done.   My boss worries that I don't get challenged enough at work, I keep telling him that I don't come to work to get challenged but still he worries... especially when I started teaching this year lol we had the talk about are you leaving anytime soon.. I laughed and told him that is a long long way off.

So now I have home access to do work, and as Melbourne is moving all our templates and documents need to be updated with the new address details, which has turned out to be a bit more complicated than I originally thought and a lot more work than I anticipated.  This week I have been doing quite a bit at home as my boss rightly told Melbourne that I wouldn't really be interested in putting any more time in at the office because of kid commitments.  He has always been a very good negotiator for me, and because we have worked together for so long he pretty much knows how I tick.

Some of the work is pretty mind numbing stuff, but hey the pay will be good, and I know that I am helping out and I get to fix the stuff that bugs me when it isn't done right.  

The 15 minute challenge has taken a hit this week but I have made up for it on this weekend as I have started putting the final borders on the appliqué quilt.  Chatting with Pip on Facebook I think I will be adding a small newsprint border on the outside as well and then have really scrappy binding.  I have an excess amount of flying geese cut as I originally planned to do a double zig zag border but I've scrapped that idea.  I see  a mini quilt with the leftovers... well that's the plan anyway, fingers crossed I finish the borders tomorrow then put the quilt together next week as I am having another sewing day with the girls.

15 Minute Challenge

Kate has brought back the 15 minute challenge a bit differently.  We only report twice a month which is fine.

I really haven't been trying even though I have done something every day for the last 2 weeks, its amazing what happens when a few things slow down, especially the day job and then I feel like doing some stitching in the evening.

Achievements this month: I haven't actually finished anything major but have moved along on a couple of ongoing projects and started a X Stitch.

1. Started new Blackbird Xstitch which is inspired by the anniversary of the Beatles appearing on a TV show in the US.  I have 3 patterns and I have started on Elinor Rigby because I had suitable colours in the thread stash to start.
2. Finished half the flying geese blocks to finish my appliqué quilt
3. Finished cutting out Metro Twist Quilt
4. Finished 1 block for the Chocolate Marshmallow Sampler (only 5 more to go).  Hoping to report all the blocks finished next time. 
5. Finished Class samples for a class to be taught but looks like the class will be cancelled, but shop will purchase patterns so not all is lost.  

You can join the linky party here.

Chocolate Marshmallow Sampler Blocks 3 and 4

Woke up this morning and realised that I had forgotten to set up a scheduled post last night.  Sorry guys.  So with out further ado here are blocks 3 and 4.

These are 9 patches and they had a similar look and feel but the cross units are different and I introduce another shortcut to make the hour glass blocks.

I find it is best to join 9 patches in rows and with careful pressing of your seams and the unit intersections your blocks will go together easily.

Block 3 is a variation of a block called Blueberry Pie and Block 4 is my variation on Contrary Wife which I am sure my husband will agree with.

Block 3

Block 4

These blocks can now be purchased from my Etsy Shop

Holidays are over once again

And routine is returning to the household.  Squid had a pupil free day today so she starts back tomorrow.  Even though I work most holidays it is good to come home and not have to rush anywhere and now we have daylight saving so it feels like there are so many more hours in the day.
However thoughts of summer appears to have deserted us today with the temperature dropping to 14 degrees today, can't believe just a couple of days ago it was 33 and the kids were swimming at the beach.

We had a luna eclipse the other night, I had the camera out and got a few shots most weren't that good.  It was a bit chilly out and I ended up giving up about half way through the proceedings.  Here are the best of my shots which look a bit blurry I was a bit hampered by street lights and the townhouses next door.

My applique quilt is moving along slowly but I am enjoying the process.    I have started on the flying geese border and half the required geese have been stitched.  I need to make the negative ones, these are all cut out ready to stitch.    I am kind of glad that my appliqué class got cancelled because I would have just rushed to get this quilt finished if it had gone ahead and I think I have done a better job by not rushing and pushing myself which at this time of year with my day job isn't a good thing.  

I think I will end up writing the pattern to this quilt  which means Squid can't have it for a little while yet, but as she already has a quilt on her bed so I am sure she can wait.

I've also now been asked to take on more work with my day job for our Head Office, it will be different work from what I do for the branch and it is helping out with IT.  They are happy for me to do this from home as I really didn't want to increase me hours in the office as it means I wouldn't be able to pick up and drop kids off at school and their sport commitments.  The boss sees it as a win win situation as it will also mean that I can work from home when the kids get sick.

In other news I will be teaching my Forest of Tree Ornies at Patchwork By Sea on the 1st of November so contact the shop if you are in Adelaide and would like a fun day of stitching and ornie making.  These also make great gift tags for pressies.  I am currently stitching alternative colour versions from some Lynnette Anderson Christmas Fabric and they are going to look lovely in burgundy thread.  I have posted a few pictures on instagram head on over and check them out.

The Chocolate Marshmallow Sampler Blocks 3 and 4 instructions are all written up and are ready to be posted on Wednesday so make sure you have downloaded last months instructions prior.

Remember to let me know if you have any questions and send me photo's of your finished block and I will post them on the blog.

Just a reminder

I planned to do a blog post all weekend but I was sewing and doing housework instead.  So all this is, is a reminder to get your Sampler Blocks 1 and 2 downloaded the instructions come down in 2 days and the next 2 blocks will be released.

Amazing Day

We have been talking for months about having a sewing day.  Every couple of weeks I meet up with my quilting buddies, we have coffee, chat and generally catch up with stuff including quilting but it doesn't involve sewing anymore as it all gets too hard sometimes.

As footy is finished, maybe forever except for Crow games I decided to put it on the agenda again and yesterday was the day.  I got a leave pass from the family and headed off with 3 projects because I couldn't decide.  DH made the comment that we would probably just talk all day.   Lots of chatting was to be had but lots of sewing too.

You will be pleased to know I did another block of the sampler, the girls got a sneak peak of all the blocks I have completed and gave it the stamp of approval.  I showed them my appliqué quilt, more oohs and ahhs so maybe it is on the right track also.  I then started on my Metro Twist cutting, because I was a little unsure how to go with this and Helen had done  class on the ruler I thought it would be good to have her give me some tips.

I finished one block and then cut the rest of the quilt out.    One amazing day and I think we will be planning more because it is so much better to share the creative air and bounce ideas off each other.  It did take me quite a bit to pack the car in the morning and unpack it last night but it was well worth it.

Sampler Blocks to Share

Mrs Pyjamas sent me pictures of her blocks today.  I think it is going to be amazing seeing all the different variations of the theme.

Its not too late to join in original post is here and get all the details of what you need are here you have until midnight on the 14th of October to get block 1 & 2 for free then you can get them from my etsy shop for $3.

And don't forget if you have a questions drop me an email and you can send me your block photo's if you don't have a blog.