Bushman's city visits

Hello Everyone!

I seem to have been missing in action!  Unfortunately the last quilt I have just finished you will have to wait about three weeks before I can possibly show you.  All I can say is I am excited.

This week looks like it will be a binding week for my three finishes for this year!  Whoop whoop! and a Whoomp!

But lets see what the main concentration is on at the moment!  I am loving this range and it is Melba from Emma Jean Jansen!  If you do not know who she is, take a look at her website, Im sure you will agree she is a wonderful Australian designer and her fabric ranges are superb, just take a look!

Bushman City Visits Quilt

I have designed this pattern last year and it was using a flower range and I wanted to try it with some of our wonderful Australian flowers.  The block I designed I have named Rhonda's love, dedicated to a loving quilting friend who left this earth last year.
The Pattern for this quilt will be available as a PDF download or as a booklet later this month on my new and upcoming website!  I am so excited with the little things I will be offering to everyone

close up of the quilting design 

I decided that this quilt needed some curves added in so with a bit of a twist I opted for a spiral, in each block and it is giving the whole quilt a wonderful look.  I am using Aurifil 12 wt thread and a small Shashiko needle for the hand quilting.

here is the quilt after a few rows were completed.

another close up of the work with my trusty clover adjustable thimble

At this stage it looks like this quilt will be taken off the frame on Monday some stage.  The latest will be Tuesday.  I am then planning on binding these two and finishing some background quilting on another before binding.   My quilting area also needs a new tidy and reorganisation for the coming year.  I have found these really cool containers that fit perfectly in my shelves around my sewing table that hubby made.  So next week I will take before and after photos for you.   I will also reveal a few fabrics that will be cut up during the year and made into more quilt tops to come to life.

New fabric brings excitement

I am showing you my latest fabric to the stash.  It is this years Kona colour of the year called Highlight.  Its just an awesome yellow and I can't wait to start to put together the top with these lovely charm packs by Moda:- LOL by Me and My Sister Designs

                                                  Dot Dot Dash by Me and My Sister Designs

                                                  Sanibel by Gina Martin

                                                  Moxi by Studio M

This was a challenge from Molli Sparkles on his Sunday Stash Blog so I couldn't resist showing you all.

Please go and check out the following blogs and the other blogs linked to them for lots of eye candy.  I am linking with Molli Sparkles Sunday Stash
                            Sarah from Confessions from a Fabric Addict
                            Zenia Rene from A Quilted Passion

I would love to give a huge thank you to these bloggers for their time and their linky parties.  It is such fun to see what everyone else is doing.

Oh just a reminder that my Block of the Month no 2 will be out next week, and incase you missed no 1 have a look at it here.

Now until my next blog continue to have a wonderful quilty or creative time,

Wendy

Big Stitching Charm Dance

Charm Dance Quilt Top

I would love to share my big stitch quilting adventure with you!  Earlier this year i received a surprise parcel from my very good friend Kathi from http://designoriginalsbykc.blogspot.com.au with a lovely charm pack by Moda called Happy go Lucky!  I stored this pack away to do something with later and another new friend from the States Bobbie Jo asked about doing a charm quilt for her daughter.  I decided the easiest way to do this was to do one myself so out came those charms from Kathi and off I started cutting and piecing with my Kona from my Kona Club to get the top above.  I love to use the Aurifil 50 wt for piecing and I always piece with grey thread, I have a light, medium and dark grey and it blends beautiful and helps me piece so much better.

Trial of quilting idea

flower now taking shape

happy with this flower for my template

Whilst I am making a top I always consider my quilting design.  I had decided an overall pattern would be good, I find playing with a drawing app which I can take a photo of my quilt into and then just doodle different designs on helps with this process.   I needed to make this quilt and have it quilted quickly.  This brings me to my new love in hand quilting - the BIG STITCH or utility quilting.  I love to use Aurifil 12 wt for these projects.  This quilt measures 53" which will be a good lap size quilt.  I recently quilted a single bed size quillow also in big stitch and had it completed in 2 weeks and who said hand quilting takes forever.  I am using a Shashiko smaller needle and it makes quilting a breeze, I also use a clover adjustable thimble, one for my thumb to quilt away from me and one for my middle finger so I can quilt towards me.

choosing thread colour for backing purposes

choosing thread colour for quilt top purposes

So I have my quilting design all ready to go with the flower and I will just wing some swirls between those flowers to connect it all together and make sure the quilting is all around the same amount of denseness.  I am then deciding on the right colour for the job.  My thoughts this time was between a lemon or a white thread.  I ended up choosing the lemon as it just seemed to give more warmth to this project and blended well with the back as with the front.  I want my design to pop so I don't want to hide my stitches.

starting of quilting

flower and loops beginning 

halfway through within a few days and getting ready for the happy dance

last night before bed the last row of stitching waiting for me

So this morning I woke to the last row of stitching.  This quilt will be finished today with the binding hand stitched down tonight.  If you would like to see how I do this I have a blog tutorial here

I am linking this with Sew simple Saturday with Sew and Sow Farm and with Kathy's slow stitching Sunday  Be sure to check them out and make sure you follow me as I have lots of exciting news to come in the next few weeks.  

So until next time have a wonderful day and keep on smiling and stitching up a storm,

Wendy