Quilts in the Barn

Another fantastic Quilts in the Barn show was put on a couple of weeks ago. The show celebrated the works of students who had been fortunate enough to learn in classes run by Margaret Sampson George. Now I had no idea who Marg was until I met her in the barn on the last day of the show. I was totally blown away by the skill and detail these quilts displayed. Most of the works involved teeny, tiny stitches and a whole lot of applique. I was allowed to take photos but Marg asked me to only show parts of quilts on line so here are some snap shots of parts of quilts. Hope you enjoy.

There was so much to see. I just kept going round and round the rooms. Lots of work was sewn onto linen. Everything seemed to be patched using paper piecing. The quilts were large, vibrant and detailed. Some must have taken years to complete.

I am sure if you search on line for Quilts in the Barn you will find better and possibly full photos of the quilts.

So while my machine languishes in the fix it shop, I am even doing a bit of hand stitching myself.

Even Distance Didn't make the Heart Grow Fonder

I was full of love for my fabric when I embarked on this project. 

I still love the fabric but I am not so fond of the outcome.

It all began in August

It grew

And grew

 But I wasn't happy.

The definition was lost.

It was chaos.

So I decided to add a few borders

And even at a distance, I can't say that I have grown any fonder of it.

In between all that, I made a cute little baby wrap which has a lovely flannel backing.

I love this!

I have some blue flannel that I will use to make another one.

You never know when someone is going to have a baby.

And this is the beginnings of a pillow.

It's going to be an end of year gift for one of my colleagues

What are you all making for end of year presents?

It is so hard to keep thinking of new things when you have been working in the same place for a long time.

A Little Bit of Colour and Quilts in the Barn

Blogging has fallen by the wayside as work and study commitments have taken over my precious free time. Today was a bonus. School was closed and the sun was shining. Washing, cooking and with most of my final essay complete, I pulled out the sewing machine. Projects and ideas that had been lying around were picked up, pinned and stitched together so here they are. They aren't much and there is more to do, but at least they are seeing the light of day.

 This will need some sort of border.

It's made with lots of scraps left over from other quilts.

It hasn't worked out quite as I had hoped.

I bought some beautiful flannel that I will back this with.

No wadding. 

It will make a very cuddly baby wrap.

I went to Quilts in the Barn and as usual it was fantastic.

Each and every piece was a work of art.

I've been quite taken with all these chintzy fabrics.

I think my next piece may follow suit.

The Stitches and Craft Show

Last week I visited the Stitches and Craft Show. I didn't take too many photos. There were lots of beautiful quilts to see, mostly done in the traditional style.

There was a beautiful quilt that followed the Mystery Quilt Blocks from 2012 Quilt Mania magazines designed by Yoko Saito.

This has all been done by needle turn, however, I saw a similar one created by one of the stall holders. Hers was done using vliesofix and just having a raw edge, more my style!
After seeing all the gorgeous fabrics used in the quilts, I couldn't resist buying some fabric from the same stall. They were half price. How could I resist?

They also had a really old quilt on show from Janet O'Dell's Antique Quilt Collection. In the same area they had a whole lot of quilts that were inspired by the antique one. I loved the way they all looked in their rows. Their geometric patterns really popped out when you looked through the lens of a camera at them.

The Crazy Tea Cosy Lady - Loani Prior was at the show again.
I do have a soft spot for her craziness.

It was a fun day out.

Taggies, Kaffe Quilt and Pot Mitts

In a burst of energy, I created a stack of taggies. I have so much Minki to use up. There have been a few babies born to staff at work, grandchildren and acquaintances etc and these are the best little gift to share.

Another job that had been hanging around was the finishing of the binding for one of Rivka's quilts.

I had been staring at the quilt for a couple of months. Half the binding was on, but the last few stitches just never seemed to come.

Here it is, not fully stretched as my husband's arms just couldn't reach all the way to the ends.

Last of all, a pair of pot mitts. My son is moving out with some friends and they just had to have some pot mitts to use in their new kitchen. Every thing in their kitchen is cream and plain so I made these mitts with the plainest linen I could find in my stash. I couldn't resist using the mustard backing though. The glasses are so perfect for my son. He must have lost or broken a dozen pairs of them and although he is far less forgetful these days, they just remind me of him before he grew up and left home.