Quilty Secret
May 11, 2006 at 10:24 AM
by Ashleigh
Quilt with Blackbird Designs FabricsRemember a few months ago I said I'd take a photo of my quilt when I'd finished sewing down the binding to the quilt top? Well, its still not done!
I finished the quilt, sewed the binding down by machine to one side, tacked it down on the other side and had nowhere to store it so I put it on our bed. Then it kind of stayed there, tacked and not finished. I thought taking a photo of it might shame me into doing the last bit and actually completing the poor thing. Otherwise it may be the end of summer before the edges are finally sewn down.
I messed this quilt up a bit. I was in such a rush with the quilting part, and at the time I had pneumonia and I just wanted to do SOMETHING other than hang around like a half-dead thing, so I started quilting it. Then I found I couldn't lift and turn the quilt effectively enough to do the quilting nicely, So I winged it and its not perfect. But its ok, and I like it. It's warm, comfortable, the right size and nice and cheery in our bedroom.
The fabric is by Blackbird Designs. I think its their Garden Magic range, but I'm not sure. The pattern was a simple fat quarter quilting pattern but I can't remember who published it now and I'm not about to go look for the pattern to tell you ;)
I used a wool batting for the inside and its so comfortable. It really breathes and it feels ever so soft. When I wash it for the first time the fabric will fade a little and the batting will shrink and it'll get that creased antique'y look.
I went through my scraps of fabric last weekend and I have so many scraps neatly torn into strips ready for log-cabin piecing, but I was thinking instead of making strippy blocks interspersed with log-cabin blocks for the kids room. I need them to be quick, so no applique, no fancy-schmancy stuff, but just nice, bright colours and visually interesting. (I have theories about kids and visual stimulus, but that's another blog entry) :)
Mr Sebastian is back at school today until lunch time. His temperature is up a little still, at 38C, but he was desperate to go because apparently they're making Mother's Day gifts and he has to finish his. I let him go to school for the morning and he can rest this afternoon. Mr Joe is at home watching the Tigger movie and loving his bunny. The heating man rescheduled. I seem to have hurt my thumb so sewing is painful. I'll be at the sewing machine instead. My lofty ambitions for yesterday were a little too lofty and the only thing I got done was the ironing and house-tidying, but we'll try again today!
I got my exchange partner's name for the Friendship Exchange on the SBEBB, and I'm paired with Renee! How cool is that!
Renee is not only a fellow stitcher, but also a fellow 'trying to integrate into a new culture' person. I hesitate to say 'expat' anymore because I think after 3 and a half years in Holland I am no longer one of those, but the other labels don't fit either.
Anyway, I'll be thinking about what to stitch for Renee, and hopefully I'll come up with an idea she likes. Right now I'm thinking along the lines of something to store her projects in, but I know that here in Europe people are very limited for space, just like we are, so I'd like to make something she really wants.
Comments
Ashleigh! I love the way your Garden Magic Quilt turned out! It is lovely! Great Job! Can't wait to see your progress on the Amaretto Rose!
Ashleigh,
I adore that quilt!!! The colors are lovely and my MY are you the needleworker extraordinare :) Hope your thumb gets better.
May 11, 2006 2:09 PM