Saturday, September 29, 2012

is there such a thing as too much Kona?

I think not!

I Love Kona Charm Swap at Pile O' Fabric

Well, I'm betting not anyway... I woke up at 2am to join this swap. I may be a little crazy. But y'all knew that anyway, didn't you?

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Instagram Thursday!

The pleasures of spring. The pleasures of spring.
Adorbs kitteh is adorbs.
Adorbs kitteh is adorbs.
My dad's idea of breakfast. They do say that role reversal happens when you get older...
My dad's idea of breakfast. They do say that role reversal happens when you get older...
Throwing these out just seems wrong!
Throwing these out just seems wrong!
Chevrons in terrain
Chevrons in terrain
My Kona Bounty Boxes have arrived!
My Kona Bounty Boxes have arrived! Thanks @FatQuarterShop!
And the Light Kona Bounty Box!
And the Light Kona Bounty Box! Packaged and sent by @FatQuarterShop pronto!
What do you mean, these clean sheets aren't for me to sit in?
What do you mean, these clean sheets aren't for me to sit in?
Mum's pavlova. Desserts are srs bznz in our family!
Mum's pavlova. Desserts are srs bznz in our family!
Eternity fabrics: I must be crazy.
Eternity fabrics: I must be crazy.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

WIP: The one with KONA solids!

WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced

WIPs

Stepdad's pillow

Got the top sandwich happening, but now I'm at a loss how to quilt it. Not too much quilting - the last one wasn't very detailed, just basically stitching to keep the blocks in place.

Body pillow

The last one, I quilted the triangles and around the panel, but I didn't quilt over the panel itself. I might do the same here. If I can find any thread that matches the fabric. (I'm running a bit low right now.)

Terrain Challenge

Terrain  layout

Eternity Quilt

So...

The Kona light and dark bounty boxes came!

Kona darks

Kona lights

Eee! So much beautiful, colourful fabric! *gloats*

That's 200 colours to work with! More than enough for the Eternity puzzle:

Eternity quilt pattern

Now I just have to lay them out, mark them, cut them, organise them, piece them, quilt them, and bind them!

...maybe I'll take a lie-down first.

Or possibly have high tea!

High tea

Boronia House, Mosman. Birthday tea for my sisters. Lovely gardens, lovely house. The high tea wasn't bad - the nibbles were nice but nothing standout. Their Madagascan Vanilla tea was DIVINE, though. I'm hoping to find it at T2 teahouse!

And now it's your turn! What have you done this week? Have you checked out the linky party at Freshly Pieced!

Hopefully I'll have a big update next Wednesday, since we have a long weekend this weekend. Plenty of time to do things! (I always think that; somehow, it never quite gels.)

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

WIP Wednesday: The Terrain by Kate Spain Sits Mainly On The Cutting Mat

Doesn't scan quite so nicely, does it?

WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced

Had a writing weekend away up at the gorgeous Pearl Bay on the NSW Central Coast, but managed to get some cutting done in amidst writing, eating, and taking friends to the hospital so she didn’t have to suffer the entire weekend with a migraine.

WIPs
1. Stepdad's pillow
No change. Didn't get the quilting, the backing, or the pillowslipping done at all.

Pillow slips for stepdad.

2. Terrain Challenge
>Terrain is cut! So are some white strips. Sewing-together is taking place, and probably more white strips will still be needed.

Cut and uncut. The Terrain Challenge!

Terrain challenge: cut strips

Cut terrain

White strips

Terrain strips

Terrain challenge: sewn strips

Wall of WIP

Looks pretty good, doesn't it?

3. Eternity Quilt
I gave in and bought the Kona boxes. *looks guiltily at her bank account* It was just easier than trying to hunt it all up. Anyway, two rows down...28 to go!

Design wall WIPs

It's right at the top of the design wall...

Not very good photos, I'm afraid! Better ones to come once I get my shipment of Kona. And then it will be crazy mad sewing. CRAZY MAD.

--

And now it's your turn! What have you done this week? Have you checked out the linky party at Freshly Pieced!

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Terrain Quilt Challenge

With Spring in the air, Penny Poppleton and I decided we'd do a quilt challenge - create a quilt with a fabric line, to specifications, by a deadline.

The fabric line is Kate Spain's Terrain with up to two solids allowed, the specifications are at least 60" square, and the deadline is the 1st weekend in December for completion. (We're trying to get the tops done by the end of September.)

Terrain

So, I've decided on a fairly simple chevron pattern as depicted in this quilt made by Hyacinth Quilt Designs.

The fabrics have been selected and I started the cutting on the weekend while away at a writer's retreat.

Cut terrain

Finished cutting the strips on Sunday when I got home.

Terrain strips

Sliced up a bunch of Kona White (and will probably have to slice more).

White strips

Tonight I'll be doing some sewing to the strips sewn together, ready for some strip-piecing!

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

WIP Wednesdays: the one with SPRING!

WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced

What a week! Crazy writing, crazy working, crazy sewing!

Thank heavens I had a quiet(ish) weekend. For a given value of 'quiet'. :)

Why, hello there, Spring!

SPRING IS HERE! REJOICE AT THE NO-LONGER-FREEZING TEMPERATURES!

I hate winter with a burning, fiery passion. Brr. Who wants to be cold all the time?

Give me temperatures from 26-36C, the cicadas sawing away, the sun, the blue blue sky, and a good book which I can read as I sprawl in a beanbag and drink iced drinks.

And spring is the transition season we're in right now, and my garden is doing little growy things all on its own!

But you're not here to see me gush about the garden.

Sel the Mad Quilter
Sitting in a tree!
Q-I-L-T-I-N-G!

First come the finishes...

Stepdad's pillows

Sunday afternoon, I made a push to finish the stepdad's pillow covers and managed one!

Mum's quilt, stepdad's pillow. Finishes for the yay!

The tricksy part was mostly the 'quilting' - and that was because I got ambitious and tried to bite off more than I can chew. Nothing unusual there! I'll be a little more sedate next time.

At any rate, I think I need to do a little quilting practise each week, so I'll add that to my WIP Wednesdays.

There's still one pillow to go - this is the Fans and Flowers pillow, the other one is the Golden Carp one, and I'm going to finish both before I turn them over to the parentals. Yes. Yes, I am!

Then come the WIP...

Stepdad's pillows: Golden Carp pillowslip

Pillow slips for stepdad.

Quilting, backing, and pillowslipping still to be done. I'll try to get this finished done Sunday morning and maybe take it around to the parentals on Sunday afternoon for pics!

Eternity Quilt

Take one mathematical puzzle solution:

EternitySolution

Add a range of Kona solids:

Kona colour matching

Mix in some rather finicky organising:

Eternity Pieces

A design board:

Eternity quilt rows 1&2

And one quilter who tries to work these things out because she is possibly insane...

Stir well!

I think it'll be pretty impressive, but it's gonna require the patience of Job to put together. And, um, probably a lot of Kona solids. Like...the whole range - or close to it! I only need a 3.5" x 18" strip of each, too! *wince*

I am seriously contemplating asking if people are willing to swap fabric with me - particularly those who have the Kona solids fabric bundles? Say 6x 3.5"x18" (or 22") strips in exchange for a fat quarter of something in my stash? Does that sound reasonable? I have collections like Terrain and Secret Garden, It's a Hoot, Aviary 2, Heirloom, and, oh, so many others. Or we can just wing it?

Then come the Things On The 'To Do' Ship!

- Terrain Quilt Challenge with Penny Poppleton: possibly to be finished for Material Obsession's "Swap Day" on the 8th December.
- Baby Bag - here on the Moda Bake Shop

And th-th-th-th-that's all folks!

Linky party at Freshly Pieced!