The River . . .

Just one more sleep & I'm planning to sit & look at this view for a bit!
And this one too!So giving you the 'heads up' that
you won't be hearing
from me for a little while
but
the next time you do . . .
I have a great surprise in store!
:For anyone who has left comments in the past
&/or does leave a lovely comment for me soon . . .
&/or is one of my followers!
So if you haven't as yet, now is your chance!
Check back soon!

17 & 2

17 Months old yesterday!
I have been embellishing some clothes for Oscar . . .
since I can't find things I like!
A mixture of machine & hand sewing
with those raw edges left to tell the story!

2 exciting parcels arrived today!
x3 Copies of "Stitch"&
a stack of wonderful fabric off-cuts from
Andi
for my King Size Value Quilt!
Thanks Andi!

Living on the Raw Edge

I've been 'experimenting'
with the idea of not always having a
'neat' finish to some of my pieces!
These works above & below are by:
Amanda at "Crazy Mom Quilts"
I love her blog & regularly check it!
I just had to share these favourites with you!
Above is a quilt she finished in Sept
which she's titled "Ticker Tape"
Quite an appropriate name don't you think!?I love the colour & the 3 dimension . .
Its constructed with a base fabric
& then all small pieces layered
& appliqued on top leaving the
raw edges to fray & wear.
I like that sense of story!
The other she has only just put up a post about!
Its obviously a dolls size & is just lovely!
So she's motivated me to make
my own version at some point!
Seems like a great way to use every last tiny piece of fabric up!
(Not right now as you'll know I have plenty happening for the moment!)

The "inside-out" mini Quilt
below has been constructed sewing the wrong sides together!
Its made by Malka at "A Stitch in Dye"I also often check out what she's been up to!
I like her quirky sense of design &
her ability to put great colour together!
I like how in this quilt the raw edges are exposed!
She is just about to release her own book titled
"Color Your Cloth"
I am hoping to have a look at this sometime!
or add it to my collection maybe . . .
(Although us Aussies will note that the spelling of Colour is not the English way!)

114 & Spring Roses!

I have a long term project happening:
I'm aiming to make a value quilt
using half square triangles just like the lovely
Katie from Willy Nilly . . .
She is doing a quilt-a-long
& I'm planning on making a quilt
using this method in King size!
My goal is to have every triangle
a different fabric!So far I have 114 cut squares
from my stash
& am going to swap some about
with a few friends!
I've worked out I have a
1/4 of the fabrics I'll need!

On Friday morning I met with some
great Aussie talent, blog-land girls:
Andi, Rita, Karen & Kate
Great catchup & some info shared on all sorts of subjects!
Thanks girls!

Hope you have had a great weekend . . .
In Melbourne we've had a couple of glorious spring days!
Yesterday was just perfect for
attending a Wedding don't you think!
Hence the gorgeous roses in the 2nd shot!
So much fun as we danced the night away!

I love Trees!

Sorry - not a fab photo but I've been under the weather
& mostly without the internet these last few days!
I made this wall panel quilt earlier this year
to hang in our bedroom . .
Our bedroom walls are all but one
painted a smokey purple so it suits nicely!
The tree itself is screen printed from a sketch
I did for the painting you've seen before in this post!I just love this & its another quilt now bound!
I wanted to lodge this as my entry to
Park City Girl's Blogger Quilt Festival 09 but alas between my determination not to post
about it until it was bound
& my lack of net access, I sadly missed that boat
but I thought I'd show you all anyway!
. . . but Thankyou I am feeling alot better
. . . the sun's warmth always helps
& I have my energy back now!

Purple & Green Local Block Swap

I actually have 73 blocks of variations . . .
Isn't it just looking wonderful!
I just LOVE it!
A few of us are making some extras to swap . . .
for our last meeting before we break for
Christmas & New Year . . . then to meet in Feb
with a catch up on how we are all
coming along with piecing together & quilting etc. . . Thanks to: Nicole, Katherine, Kylie, Lizzie, WendyS,
Jenn, Louise, Lisa, Jo & Sam
"Thank you" - It has been great fun!

We're planning another . . .
This time in Red & Aqua . . . Windmills/Whirly-Gigs
with a plain background . . .
Would you like to join us?
Meet once a month to personally swap our blocks
(Melbourne, Australia)
but if you live outside of Melbourne
& you'd like to post them you are welcome
to join in the fun too!
artwendy@bigpond.net.au

Red & Aqua Disappearing 9 Patch Swap

9 different fabrics 4.5" squares x25 blocks
each 9 patch divided into 4 new blocks
= 100!
I will be mailing these later today
& off they will fly to Illinois
Thankyou Jane

1930's

My softly coloured 1930's fabric, Cracker & Barrel Block
swap is currently winging its way
to Liz @ Scottie Dog Quilts in CA, USA
I've made x3 sets of 8 so I
will end up with a quilt
half the size of her finished example!
I already having backing & binding fabrics ready to go!
(I just found my child in the act of climbing
. . . up onto chair
& then my sewing table
& standing up-right over my new machine!
Too clever!!
He desperately wants to press all the buttons!
Cheeky monkey!)

Some bright Springtime colour for Hayley!

A mixture of fabrics from my stash etc
I had lots of fun putting this together!Made with a mixture of machine quilting & hand stitching.
A snuggle quilt for a 5 year old!&
Was pieced & quilted & bound all within a week!

BLOCK SWAP

This Sunday's 'Block Swap' is number 6!
Officially our last one!
Have you made your blocks yet???
Early in the New Year we'll be starting a
new Block Swap so if you'd like to join in please email me!
artwendy@bigpond.net.au
My sleeping boy!
Wrapped up on a freezing day
in the quilt my friend
Mrs Shaw made especially for him!
What a treasure(s)!

Working on something . . .

. . . . I just can't show you yet!
Pic is a painting I did a little while back
I love oils . . .

On Being Retrospective:

I've realised over the last few days in looking back at all my previous quilts;

those waiting for quilting or binding,
photos of those as they have been as gifts
& those I'm working on . . .
between them there are many different & varied designs,
varied levels of difficulty,
varied colour ranges
& varied styles
. . . that I have made!

In retrospect I really didn't think I'd skipped about so much!
I'm going to continue on this little
interlude
of challenging myself on a few levels with my sewing
. . . when that will end I'm not sure
but then a change in my focus will come.

Currently . . . I'm thinking on a few levels:

1 - My family . . . for making a creative home

2 - Gifts . . .
3 - Block & Fabric Swaps and Sharing Ideas
4 - Business Design concepts

Where I want to give myself time & creative license is on an Artistic level!

What a special day . . .

Thanks Annie & Jack!

Deadlines . . .

I can & do finish
. . . when I have
or give myself a deadline!
See - Here's some proof!
Above: My niece Felicity when she was only just born . . .
Quilt with a Raggedy Ann & Andy theme!
(Sorry about the dark photo!)

Below: My gorgeous little God-son James . .
Cute Teddies etc
. . . on our day out to the Munch exhibition at the NGVBelow: another girlie simple quilt . . . Pink & more Pink
Was one of my first attempts at machine quilting . . .