When I got home from the US a week ago, I just dumped all my sewing/quilting stuff into my sewing room, knowing I’d sort it out later. It’s only a small room, so there’s not a lot of room to move… Here’s the sewing room looking like a bomb had hit it after I returned:
And here it is after I did a bit of a clean-up and put things back where they belong. The current projects (the orchid and the green batiks) are on the ironing board.
I quilted this quilt just before I went to the US, but didn’t have time to photograph it or write up the blog post for it then.
I love this quilt! The bright coordinating colours were just ‘me’. And I had the perfect thread for it too — King Tut ‘Passion Fruit’ — a blend of yellow, purple, and green. The quilt needed to shine, so I just decided to do an all-over funky, floral open headband variation in keeping with the floral fabric in the border and the centres. (This quilt was perfectly square too, so many thanks to the maker.)
(Click on a photo to view it larger)
Back:
Threads used:
When I was in Seattle earlier this month, I went down to Pike Place Markets on my only day off. Not for the fish throwing (been there, seen that…) or the Chukar Cherries (though I made sure I did stop by and get some…), but to pop into Undercover Quilts, which is a tiny quilt store packed to the rafters right near the pub.
They had some great quilts, kits, and patterns on a Pacific North West theme and I was tempted… But eventually I settled on a ‘reverse applique’ type of pattern from one of their 2 fabric applique patterns: ‘Herd of Turtles’.
I made it up over the weekend and here’s how it turned out. Next time (if there is a next time) I might use more contrasting colours. BTW, I used two of the fabrics I bought in Bali last September. The pattern offered three applique options — hand -turned (nope!), fusible (I did this version and it was quite time consuming…) and raw edge. If I make this pattern again, I’ll try the raw edge applique option.
One other thing… the pattern piece is printed on a very flimsy and easily torn piece of paper. Before I taped it to the siding door glass, I reinforced the edges all round with clear packaging tape and then I traced it onto some tracing fabric (like a very light interfacing) so I don’t ever have to use the paper pattern again. I was disappointed that this pattern came on such flimsy paper, especially as the instructions are to tape it to the window or use a light box. If you did that straight ‘out of the box’, you’d wreck the pattern very quickly.
Threads used: water — ‘Mint’ (Robison-Anton, rayon, 40 wt, colour #2310); around turtle carapace pieces — ‘Wonder Blue’ (Robison-Anton, rayon, 40 wt, colour #2577); in border — ‘Pistachio’ (Fil-Tec Harmony, 40 wt cotton, colour #14066).
(Click on an image to view it larger)
Update: The recipient of this quilt and his wife had a baby girl, Isabella, on 30 April 2013.
Some photos I took on my trip to and from the US. Maybe one day I’ll make a quilt of the Australian landscape from the air… or based on the chairs in the function areas of the Hyatt at Olive 8 in Seattle!
Rhonda Bracey: At Random 