Anniversary Blooms

Anniversary Blooms - Final Reveal!

Wow, this year has gone so so fast!  I can't believe we are in spring here and you are in fall.  Welcome to my blog and if you are visiting for the first time, let me introduce you to my darling quilt called Anniversary Blooms!

In her full glory hanging

and here she is laying on the bed!

I would encourage you all to check out the lovelies being posted on the links at Amy"s Creative Side!  Once again, thank you Amy! You have been hosting this festival for 8 years and have lots of prizes available for everyone, not just for the bloggers. You have done a wonderful job to get this festival underway.

I would dearly love to have one of my quilts nominated as a favourite overall quilt and here is the Viewers Choice nomination form which can be completed now until the 24th of September.

Voting Starts on 25th of September,  you can vote for your favourite quilt in each section from then.

I am entering Anniversary blooms into the Hand Quilted Section here

And my other quilt is called Lollipop Drops and it is in the Original Designs Section here

Remember to leave comments on the blog posts where you can for your chance to win also.

Nitty gritty of Anniversary Blooms!

I am sure you are all dying to see some lovely photos and here about this quilt.   It all started 2 years ago when the American Quilters Society released the 30th Anniversary Dogwood Fabric Collection.   They had a competition to design a quilt.  I did but didn't get it quilted in time, I finally finished this year.

Here are the fabrics and the starting of the piecing

I decided to use the familiar Churn Dash Block to form a lattice and the drunkard paths to form a wedding ring flower.  Hence the name of Anniversary Blooms.  When these fabrics arrived I couldn't believe how delightful they were.

this was my rough mock up which I had decided upon

So after the top was sewn I commenced the hand quilting.  I decided to use Aurifil 28wt threads in several colours.  I also wanted to give the striped border a slightly different look so I went with doing small baptist fans and then I highlighted the flowers and made a cross hatch in the centre.  I then started putting leaves around in the churn dash blocks.

The adding of the background leaves

nearing the end of quilting

I just love the texture of the hand quilting

For this quilt I used Hobbs Tuscany Wool Wadding.  It is definitely my favourite for loft and stitch definition.  Now I just loved working on this quilt but as I thought I was finished I would keep deciding it needed more background quilting.  So I kept going on and off for the 2 years.  Many other quilts were completed in this time but for me this is my favourite quilt so far.  Many have asked who this quilt is for and my answer is ME!  It will be my quilt for ever even if the family are all claiming it!  So I hope you have enjoyed my Anniversary Blooms Blog.

a few shots of the background filling 

Don't forget to visit the other bloggers and their quilts over at Amy"s Creative Side.

So Until next time take care and have fun, 

and many thanks for reading my ramblings,

Wendy

Lollipop Drops

Lollipop Drops - Fall Festival 2016

Lollipop Drops

a bit of outside play

Welcome to my blog and to the Fall Quilt Bloggers Festival for 2016!

Many thanks to Amy for organising and hosting this festival, it has been in existence for 8 years!  It must be said that running something like this doesn't just happen overnight.  There are many hours of organising and talking to people for prizes etc.  Now we have mentioned prizes, I ask that you all visit people blogs and leave comments and don't forget to leave a comment on Amy's Creative Side for your chance to win also.

I would dearly love to be nominated for viewers choice which can be done here and now.

Then from the 25th September you can vote for your favourites.  I will be entering Lollipop drops in Original Design Section here

And I also have my Anniversary Blooms quilt in the Hand Quilt Quilts.

Nitty Gritty of Lollipop Drops!

Lollipop Drops started from a session of play with the Creative Grids Hexagon Trim Tool,  you can find it here if you are not quite sure what it is.  I was having lots of fun and working one day a week in a patchwork shop, Moda Pedal Pushes range was new and looked so inviting that it came home with me.  

I wanted to make a modern looking quilt and do a bit more than the trim tool showed in the instructions. So with a bit of manipulation of the tool I decided to create this top.  

The piecing of the top

I wanted to create the red like it was coming from the centre of the quilt, and it was reminding me of those large lollipops we would have as kids,  hence the name especially when I placed the small and partial hexagons in the lower and side border.

Once the top was completed I decided to quilt this with Aurifil 12 wt thread and a Shashiko needle were my choice along with the Hobbs Tuscany Wool Wadding for loft.

beginning of quilting.

some of the detail in the quilting

Each element was to be quilted with a different quilting pattern to give movement to the quilt.

quilting complete and binding happening

lovely up close and personal collage

more of the hand quilting elements

getting ready to go inside from the setting sun

loving how the lines flow here

I entered this quilt in the Victorian Quilters Showcase this year in our Innovative Quilts Section.  I am happy to say this quilt was awarded a first.  This was my first every prize in a show like this.  

here she is with her ribbon

So don't forget to visit all of the other blog posts and leave a comment as its all very inspirational and lots of eye candy over here at Amy's Creative Side.

I hope you have enjoyed my original quilt using the hexagon trim tool by creative grids and my imagination.  If this is your first time visiting my blog, I hope you have enjoyed the post.  Please be sure to sign up and follow my blog for lots of inspiration and tips along the way.

So until we meet again,  have fun and enjoy the creative nuances we have, and smile often,


Wendy

Charm Dance!

Welcome back to the Autumn Quilt Bloggers Festival.  Thank you to Amy from Amy's Creative side and to all of the sponsors for your support and making this possible

I would love you to vote for me when voting opens here, for my charm dance quilt
I have also entered my Sydney Swans Quilt here in original designs. 
I would also love you to nominate me now for viewers choice with my Sydney Swans quilt by filling out the form on this link, thank you

Let Charm Dance begin, first we will play the music!  So grab your partner and lets rock!

A new friend from Texas asked if I could help her make a quilt online for her daughter.  She showed me what she wanted and asked if it was possible.  I said of course!  I had some charms that were given to me and I wanted to do something with them.  So out came my Kona solids and I decided on the grey and pool as my solids.

beginning stages

My husband and I found out a friend was feeling not well and needed some treatment.  I was suppose to make her a big quilt but decided I would make this quilt alongside my friend from Texas (via msgs etc) and I would gift mine once finished to our sick friend.  As sometime I take way to long on a big quilt.

starting to come together

I started working on this and realised I needed some more charms.  I was at my sewing group and a friend had a pack so I was able to buy the pack from her...a little bit further I decided I would need another pack so later that day a search with another friend located some not far from me.  So the very next morning I rang and purchased that pack.  I had to wait a day for them to arrive and then back into the sewing of the top and the border to complete my flimsy.

one quilt top ready to go on the frame

This quilt top without the delays of waiting for a charm pack really only took two days at maximum to complete.  The finished size of the flimsy is 53"

commencement of quilting

Next delay was waiting on the Wadding to arrive.  I decided as we are coming into summer it might be nice to use a cotton batting, so I ordered Quilters Dream Request and it was magic. I also needed a batting so around to the local lady who has some backings I needed this quilt to be done fast.  I had also decided that using 12 wt Aurifil would be the go.  After using it on my Sydney Swans quilt I knew I could quilt fast.  

Next to decide was on the design.  I decided a nice large overall pattern would work well.  So i drew a large daisy and laid it on top of the quilt on my frame.  and it looked great so off to work I went.

quilting away

Between the daisy I decided big loops to link were the way to go and to even out the quilting.  I managed to do a row a day so 4 days of quilting and I just loved how it all came to life.

finishing stages

As soon as I had it off the frame the sun had just come out in the morning so out onto the front verandah to see the sun sparkle on that quilt.  Then back into to start the binding and the label.

my little label to complete the quilt

Once the label was on and it was into the machine for washing and then drying.

washed and drying

We then had to take a little journey for a lovely photo shoot.  Here she is waiting on the station for the train that doesn't come to town anymore!  So instead I had to deliver this little beauty to the recipient myself.

waiting on the platform before delivery

Once again I would love to thank Amy for hosting and I encourage you all to check out her blog and site and all of the eye candy in this years festival.

Thanks again for reading my little charm dance story, I hope your feet were tapping to the beat.

Until next time have a wonderful read of all the blogs and keep on smiling,

Wendy

Sydney Swans quilt

Welcome to my post for the Autumn Quilt Bloggers Festival 2015

Thank you all for taking the time to read, vote and nominate my quilts for the following.  I would like to thank Amy for hosting and for all of the supporters for their generosity into making this a wonderful time of the year to celebrate our quilts.

I would appreciate if you could please click here and nominate me for viewers choice by filling out the form, this is open now.

My Sydney Swans quilt is entered into original design category here, please click on and vote by clicking the heart button once voting opens

I have also entered my Charm Dance in the Modern Quilt section here, once again click on the little heart once voting opens.  thank you

Now let the story begin

So here is my quilt complete

So let me begin at the very beginning.  My youngest daughters partner is an avid Sydney Swans Football Fan.  It was his upcoming 21st birthday and my daughter and I decided he needed a quilt for this celebration in the form of a red and white quilt.

Starting of the arcs

I had a little bit of a design forming in my head.  I figured that the Sydney Opera House which is in their emblem wasn't so far removed from the traditional block called New York Beauty.  So with a bit of drawing and tweaking the above arc was the start of my blocks for the main part of the quilt.

lots of arcs complete

I had decided the centre of the quilt would be like the Jumper the footy players wear.  So I went about making this.  It required a bit of appliqué work and was lots of fun.  Except I thought I had it all looking fabulous and my husband pointed out that part of it wasn't quite right.  So back to drawing and re working the opera house in the emblem and all was good.

here is the Centre of the quilt ready for construction

Starting to take shape with additional blocks

Start of the border quilting

start of the arc quilting

moving along ready to start another block with some of the background grid showing

another photo of the quilting advancing

This was the centre of the quilting 

Centre of the quilt coming to life with the quilting

During the quilting I decided this would be good as a quillow, incase you do not know this term it is when a quilt becomes a pillow or cushion.  As my daughters partner used to play for the juniors I decided it would be cool to make the cushion the back of a jumper as if he was still playing.

Binding being completed

I had been quite busy with life matters leading up to this quilt being made.  I had two weeks to complete this quilt.  I did not have the quilt quite done for the party, It was all quilted and ready to bind and assemble as a quillow on the night.  So it was presented in a box and I then brought it home and finished it and he received it a couple of days later.  I hand quilted this in 10 days.

all folded up as a quillow

This Quilt measured 80' x 60".  It was made using Kona Solids and quilted with Aurifil 12 weight thread using Hobbs Tuscany Wadding.

Thank you for taking the time to celebrate this quilt and the reason it was made.  I do thank you very much for voting for me and I do thank Amy from Amy's Creative Side for making this all so possible.

Until next time thank you and remember to check everyones quilts out and enjoy the eye candy of all.

Quilting makes me smile,

Wendy.

My scrap heap challenge!

My Scrap Heap Challenge - The Trifle Dish Quilt

Trifle Dish Quilt top complete without borders

My scrap heap challenge was on!  A friend decided to start a Facebook group to do a quilt along of the Moda Bakeshop Trifle dish Quilt, but instead of doing it weekly we would do monthly.  Some people were getting fabric kits once a month but i decided this would be a fabulous quilt to use up all of the itty bitty scraps that just seem to multiply.  I have only made a small dint into them.  I plan on doing more quilts like this as it was such fun.

organising of the heart blocks

sewing of the heart blocks

two of my strawberry hearts

The strawberry hearts I designed as I felt it needed smaller pieces compared to what was in the pattern, also I was using scraps so large pieces were not an option for me.  I was also rescaling every block to a slightly smaller scale to accommodate the scraps and to make a slightly smaller quilt

citrus peel block

Citrus row complete

Pinwheel block complete

Two of the spool blocks

Sponge Roll Block

Butterflies and 4 patches

lower half of quilt

ready for last row of butterflies and 4 patches

complete without borders

Now for the fun part of adding the borders, I decided on a sawtooth border as I felt this framed the quilt nicely as you can see in the photo below.  I have cut out a binding from the scraps and it will be bound with a scrappy look, I also have the backing and I will be hand quilting it with Aurifil 12 wt thread.  I am looking forward to quilting this in the coming weeks.

Gelati Bowl of Lygon Street

I am renaming this quilt as I have done some considerable changes to the original pattern and used different techniques to assemble and make it.  I would encourage you to sign up and follow my blog for there are lots of exciting quilty adventures and projects I am about to undertake and I would hate to see you miss any of the opportunities and offers which will be coming your way. 

Also just incase you haven't done so don't forget to check out Amy's Creative Side for the the spring bloggers festival,  I have two quilts in, one in large is my Love calms the seas and the one in hand quilting section is Time Warp.  I would appreciate your vote if you have time and the eye candy is worth the look around.

Until  next post have fun Quilting and Creating,

Wendy