And another one

Clamshell quilting in brown YLI cquilting cotton thread on a wooden spool.

Lots of recycled fabrics here.

Detail

 I have finished hand quilting my Letterbox Quilt, another "keeper". I quilted in the ditch around the blocks on the front and stitched along the edge. These lines served as markers to keep me fairly straight as I quilted clamshells on the back. Little to see on the front which is what I wanted.

I think I will take it to be washed and mostly dried in the launderette before binding.

The quilting thread

Pennies from Heaven again

 

This time minus most tags

This woolies top is now done bar the border. The extra fabric I need for it has now arrived from Old Mill Quilting so I shall get round to it anon. I plan to big stitch hand quilt.

Detail

This is an aide memoire to remind me which way up it goes.

Forest Friends

 

Hazel Hedgehog

Mr Fox

Trish and I at Bonnies are working steadily on our Forest Friends, not sure about the other two.. Hazel Hedgehog is now complete despite a lack of concentration on my part. Paying more attention, Mr Fox was a breeze. 

All thanks to Elizabeth Hartman's brilliant pattern writing.

I bought a quilt

 This lovely quilt dates from 1996 but the design and fabrics are timeless classics. I bought it from friends of Cilla, a lovely lady and wonderful needlewoman and quilter, who died last year.

I am so pleased to have it as a lovely item for my collection and as a remembrance of her. It was just right for my bed at the retreat.

Seasalter Quilt Retreat

 

I had really been looking forward to our November quilt retreat and it didn't disappoint with lots of sewing, shared food and the entire series of Rivals on the smart TV.

Maggie cooking up lots of spider webs

Tracy's tiny fourpatches

I have finished my Woolies Penny Squares. Now to think about a border.

I

Oast UFO Day

 All I have from the  UFO day is Debbie's lovely hexagons and my table companion's blocks from the Flying Geese Oast Sewing Bee day. They were taught by Liz Coleman and I was intrigued by the one combining flying geese and meandering geese.

More from the Mini Showcase

 

Jenny Hoyle's, my visitor's choice

Liz Melville and Canterbury Quilters

detail

Liz Melville

Sue Jennings' giraffe, my best of show

Two quilts at the Oast Showcase

 I didn't really have anything really suitable so went for a quilt made in an Oast workshop which looks its best hanging when the light, medium and dark values come into play.

Criss Cross

I haven't an outlet for the Baby Dresden so reluctantly thought I might put a high (for me) price on it but passing footfall was limited and it didn't happen.

What I did do was buy a quilt, one being sold for Cilla a lovely person and talented quilter who died last year. I love this quilt and even more so as it helps me remember her.

Here it is on my bed at the quilt retreat

Detail

More at Quay Quilters

 It was a busy night at Quay with excellent Show & Tell including:

Gill has been making jackets

Heather's very pretty baby quilt.

Roz's selvedge quilt, lots of sewing.

I think this hexagon quilt is by Elaine

Quay Quilters'night: Flying geese

 Mary I demonstrated foundation pieced curved flying geese at our last meeting. She had fabulous quilts to show, her own and Maggie's plus lots of samples, books and a handout.

Maggie's with tiny geese going round 
in circles

Mary's magnificent embellished piece with Aboriginal designed fabrics.

Mary's samples with a backdrop of another of her quilts.

More from the retreat

 Alison expertly machine quilted her wall hanging at the retreat. Below you can see  quirky applique animals.

 She also brought us examples of one block wonders to admire.

Hexagons all from a single fabric

Our workroom

Marcia's impeccable batik blocks, one of Bonnie Sullivan's mystery projects.

Judi's stars

Quilt Barn retreat

 I was lucky to go along on a four day retreat at the The Quilt Retreat where everything you could want on a retreat was provided  by Michael and Julie, not forgetting the chef! Large ironing and cutting space, design walls, comfy ensuite bedrooms and delicious food and afternoon homemade cake. 

I had precut my fabric and continued making good progress on projects started on my recent King's Park retreat. Lots of straightforward sewing but time consuming piecing and trimming.

I kept going on these till I ran out out of nine patches. I'm not far short of my planned one hundred, ten by ten project.

Gnome for Christmas

 

Alison set us he task of making a foundation pieced Christmas gnome. I made mine in advance - it took the best part of a day and I enjoyed it and felt pleased with myself despite the odd unpicking session.

The others made theirs on the last day and enjoyed it including the one who had never done foundation piecing before but did a great job. What an introduction! Now she can tackle anything.

The blue background was a good idea