Monday, February 25, 2013

Scrappy traveling back in time

Worked on the STAW this week



6 more blocks added and I'm liking it more.

As I worked along remembering fabrics from long long ago....... this one caught my eye



Red with yellow flowers. I mused and suddenly,  walking down the hall,  past the spare room

I caught a glimpse of:



  The same fabric in a similar quilt. What ? When??? set me thinking.




The repeated red squares are on the bottom corner of this quilt. I saw it from the corner of my eye in passing. I'm paying a bit more attention to this scrap happy bargelo these days.

WHY?     analyzing how the combinations of colors play together

                the quilt is not all my own work so I'm looking at color combinations of other quilters.
                a small group of quilters met on Monday evening to share  : their lives and stitch along the way.
                the units of 6 strips were stitched and placed in a laundry basket on Mondays. You 
                got to lucky dip for the number you put in. Sharing was always a highlight. Everyone 
                choose different combinations of colors.

WHEN?  the quilt is not labeled   something I must correct  it took me a while to remember
                when I made this one. I do know 10 years ago Yup a whole decade. Does the when matter?
                 I think it does . I'm still using the same fabric now. It wasn't new then. How difficult
                 to save it's story and date without a label?  What century is it from?


I don't know if anyone will ever wonder about the stories of my quilts but I sure wonder about other 
quilts I see.  Don't you ? 

Do you have  quilt you wonder about?  Tell me I'm interested.

Terry  
 .



                          

               

Monday, February 18, 2013

Valentines Day Design Wall


DH helped me with a design wall on Valentines Day. Couldn't have asked for a better present. Yippee!!

It all started the day before as I stitched



and cut and stitched some more , followed by lots of pressing




all the parts for a little girls quilt  Complete with some pretty pink hearts for the day

Wayne being the sweetie he is   (ssh he doesn't think so but I know).  took me out to dinner for a birthday treat.

Home again I laid out the quilt. That's where the trouble started.



All laid out ready to assemble in the morning. Now this is where the need for a design wall had suddenly become URGENT. The squares are small 6" and not very many of them but by the time I had finished laying them out my _ _ _ _ _ _ knees were screaming. How was i ever going to be able to assemble this little top with multiple bending and assembling the next day. Ah well bed time . Worry about it tomorrow.

Tomorrow {enter husband with solution} a piece of dowel rod with Velcro attached. A flannel sheet with Velcro attached.  2 nails in the top of old brown cupboards and instant design wall.

Yeah Yeah Yeah. lots of hugs and much easier.



assembled and on the DESIGN WALL waiting for a border.

But wait there's MORE




4 more scrappy trip blocks



next to my first 4 blocks on the design wall.

Great beginning to a new week. Hope you all have a good week .

Enjoy your week Terry

Monday, February 11, 2013

Fabric Finds

While shopping the stash for more fabric to add to the Scrappy Trip  I came across



 2 dresses

The purple dress on the left was made by my daughter Amanda  not sure why it wasn't finished.  BUT    the dress and left over fabric found their way to me.

Same story for the dress on the right except the maker was my mother-in-law Donna Patterson. I remember this dress.  She was making it for my sister-in-law the summer I was married 1971.
Looking at the dress I'd guess the shaped seam under the bust line is where it stopped.  I seem to remember this traveling to Australia in her suitcase on a visit. Why? because you don't waste any good cotton that could go into a quilt or..........






 I really like the way the two dresses work together I'm sure there's a quilt . Just not sure what yet.
Any ideas?



A variation on  All My Dresses ?    Made for Amanda from dressmaking scraps.


Christmas morning 2005


Working out what garment the fabric in the 9 patches came from. The orange flowers and green leaves fabric in the half square triangles are definitely from her dresses.

All quilts have a story. Tell me a story about one of your quilts.
Have a happy week  Terry

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Finish Before You Start

Oh!  How many times have I heard those words in my life? Do you hear them too? or do you say them to others? 

I'm sure as quilters we think them at least. Something in me always wants completed quilts but.... the temptation to just TRY something new a block, or a color,  or a the need to just stitch.   Means I am not a one at a time disciplined quilter.  I don't know any quilter that doesn't have at least a couple quilts on the go and maybe at least one on the " Back Burner"

Having said all of that I do have a ....insert.... drum roll  FINISH


Tick this one off the list. I always wanted to try free pieced letters  and I have ! Color placement was also a challenge because it was a stash shop. I stippled around the letters and ditch stitched the rows. It's stable but soft and cuddly too.

Posted today to the HMAS Towoomba.

My reward   HaHaHa
 who am I kidding?




  Remember the rolls of fabric from the last post?  The first 4 blocks of a scrappy trip around the world. I just couldn't say no. I'm thinking my version will be a bit subdued   after all it is a stash shop and MY stash is vintage          OR   just old

What Ever  

Happy week to all Terry

Saturday, February 2, 2013

End of Summer Holidays

School started on Wednesday and after a last sleep over on Tuesday the entire family have resumed normal routines.   Work  school  dance lessons  karate
  
AND

  Quilting Group resumes on Monday. I am so looking forward to resuming my regular routine. Knowing that quilting is on Monday and Tuesday is so good. Sharing and laughing with like minded women is a bright spot in my week.

BUT

I have a quilters confession yup I couldn't resist


lots of 2 1/2" strips ready for the Scrappy Trip Around the World blooming all over blog land. I'm thinking a quick stitch fix in between chores and other delights.

I know what about the UFO's but this culls some more bits from the stash. And most of them are old enough to be vintage. Well almost.

Lots of rain so an indoor slow weekend ahead. Enjoy your weekend and stop in and tell what your up to

Terry