I had forgotten...

... how heavy a full size quilt is - jeepers! As I need a little rest, I thought I finally update the blog. I have become a very boring blogger, with far too big gaps between posts, but that doesn't mean I haven't been sewing.

Remember this?

25 blocks, each 12 1/2" 

with sashing and keystones

with the first border

as this is for a built-in bedroom suite (bed same size as ours), the side borders have to finish short of the top.

pin basted - I had Mst15 help me move the dining table to have enough space

Crystal is showing where the border finishes - just before she started biting the white pinmoor...

instead of SID I follow Ms Lottie's advice and quilt diagonals

I have now stitched three of the diagonal lines (only about 35 to go...), hard work! This thing is heavy on my small sewing table! Still, I am pleased that the polyester batting I chose gives plenty of 'puff'. I tentatively have in mind to fill the large squares with fmq, I was contemplating feathers, but I'm not sure yet. I recently treated myself to a Westalee quilting ruler foot (plus ruler), and I am considering to use one of their rulers - what do you think?

By the way, do you know how hard it is to get polyester batting in Brisbane? Everyone carries cotton and bamboo which is great, but in this case I wanted loft and less weight as I will have to post it. Saying that, the whole thing is very heavy, and it won't get lighter with quilting...

The cubes are put together and are waiting to be appliquéd onto the middle strip:

The Metro Rings quilt (aka Double Wedding Ring Cheater?) has been sorely neglected, I have pieced these blocks and they have patiently been waiting for me...

Suz and I have started our trans-Tasman block swap for our Vintage Quilt Revival Samplers. This little block winged its way over to NZ last month

I am obviously a slow learner, it's taken me all these years to realise you get much nicer points when you open the seams...

and this is what was left over after making block 2. My first proper attempt at Foundation Piecing and I liked it, though I missed the memo on trimming the seam allowances after adding each piece so I had to cut some of the surplus out by hand ;)

Middle DS needed a new pencil case:

to be perfectly honest, the left end of the zip where it meets the seam on the side is a bit dodgy but I haven't had complaints about it :)

Lastly, a quick little community quilt / baby throw made from gorgeous orphan blocks. A very nice collection of fabrics, I just had too add one block and then piece it all together with plenty of borders. The back is a minkey I found on special at one of the LQS, add a generous stipple, and now I just have to finish stitching on the binding:

Life has been interesting... the boys are doing ok at school, they have just enjoyed the first week of school holidays which I had taken leave for, too - my first proper break since January, it was long overdue. We have travelled a little, at short notice we went inland to Toowoomba to watch the flower parade, took the boys to the Gold Coast to Ripley's Believe or Not and the beach. On Thursday the lovely Ms Lottie and kids came to visit which was lovely.
Next week I'm back at work and need to get ready for my trip home to NZ for a conference - can't wait to meet up with everyone! While I enjoy living in Brisbane, I have really been missing home over the last few weeks - the weather is much warmer over here though, so they better order some sunshine for when I come over!

As always I'll endeavour to make the gaps between posts shorter... Happy Sewing!

Split Personality :)

My quilting persona is not coming out much lately, it's all just the BeLchick (my e-learning persona)! A quick catch up:

In the Easter holidays we spent a week in Queensland - blue sky, sunshine, temperatures around the 30degC - my perfect climate! It was a holiday for the kids, we went to Movie World, Sea World, Lone Pina Koala Sanctuary and to Wet'n'Wild and Australia Zoo twice. We travelled in a large camper van with sufficient space and with aircon - it was great!

The second week it was back to work, I spent 2 1/2 days away for the GAFE Summit in Auckland, and then in the first week of term I headed back to Auckland for two days of meetings.

In this whole time I haven't been in any quilting or craft shop (though we passed Ikea in Logan City, south of Brisbane, several times).

Every now and then the quilting persona manages to sneak out: While I'm still stitching on the binding for Fireworks, I just had to piece something else, an instant satisfaction project:

The pattern is free from Sew Kind of Wonderful (http://sewkindofwonderful.blogspot.co.nz/2014/05/spring-fling-freebie.html). The use of the Quick Curve Ruler is recommended, however, with the moral support of some quilters on Facebook I found the lid of my Slowcooker served as template for the curves:

The fabrics were all in my stack, I had a vague idea to make something pink some day. No idea what it will be when it's finished, we'll wait and see!

Hopefully the quilting persona will come out again before next month...

Happy Sewing!