Arrived

I am in Austin for QuiltCon; I met three other attendees in the immigration. One I recognised from her picture in magazines and another was Sarah Hibbert who has two quilts in the show which I'll watch out for as I'm a fan of her work.
I had a couple of parcels waiting for me, one containing Japanese yukata fabrics from Okan Arts and the other a ruler and interfacing from The Quilt Show.

I must have been inspired by one of the quilt show programmes in my choice of interfacing. The uses are listed inside the packet so I mustn't lose these bits of paper. The Print and Fuse is a temporary fused base for applique pieces whether raw edged or turned over the interfacing pieces only to be removed easily when sching lines are dampened. The Ricky Tims Stable Stuff on the other hand can be left in as it softens when washed. Both types are printable.

This came beautifully packaged from Okan Arts, I want to get some suitable plains to use with the fabric to make a quilt on the lines of those in Patricia Belyea's East Meets West Quilts book.

This morning we checked out the visitor center and the Convention Center where preparations were already taking place and walked along the river, the Colorado River here damned into calm lake proportions with flood control enabling the landscaping of the bank. I saw terrapins on a log, geese, egrets and other bird life. 

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I like the reflections

There was a footbridge across the river from which we saw a train cross on the railway bridge. Four locomotives pulled a 109+ tanker trucks.

First

and last

Lastly we fetched up at the wonderful Austin Library where I perused a couple of quilt books and enjoyed a sit down. American libraries are the best.

Quilt shelf

Hadn't come across this one before

General view of the sixth (non-fiction) floor.

Lower Hadres

Although I still wasn't well I did make it to our Lower Hardres sewing day - I open up and was down to make soup. I just too hand quilting. I didn't go into my sewing room for over a week but did manage hand quilting while sitting in a comfy arm chair watching afternoon TV with my husband. Because I need to mark and to see what I am marking I'm quilting from the back.

Hand quilting a circular pattern from the back.

Here are a couple Lower Hardres projects, mainly pictures of a wonderful applique piece from Beverley.

Stunning detailed work

Coming together

I'm ashamed to say I cannot remember who made this - but just look at the close and appropriate walking foot quilting.

Quay Quilters catch up

This year's beginners' class showed their rail fence blocks which I had taught. Usually I do Log Cabin but Rail Fence seemed a possible option to illustrate rotary cutting. None of the blocks are the arrangement as mine so I'll need to pay more attention to this next time.

Jill demonstrated the clever construction of these pincushions/baskets,

Detail of Avril's wonderful quilt for a grandchild off to university.

Another detail: the quilting was inspired by Judi Kirk's wonderful walking foot quilting class.

Out of the loop

Outer and inner pieces of twist bag.

Complete: I used Cherrywood fabrics.

I've had yet another 2 weeks downtime suffering from my second identical winter bug of the season but managed to demonstrate the Japanese Twist bag to the U3A and work on the sewing themed carry all bag with Bonnie Quilters: we're all using the same fabrics.

Quilted sections ready to go.

Without binding: I have since finished it but not taken a photo yet.

Carry All Bag

Bonnies' latest project is a Carry All bag and we have bought a batch of sewing related material and cut out the pieces. However I couldn't wait so before Christmas made one using my own fabric. It has proved surprisingly useful being capacious enough to hold all my stuff when I went to my son's - glasses, pen, camera in side pockets and puzzles, book, sewing etc inside. For sewing ventures it holds my sewing tool box. It was straightforward and enjoyable to make.

One tucked piece of fabric forms the front pockets, Now I realise it's best to choose the feature fabric for the pockets and the secondary fabric for the main body of the bag..

I chose the flat pocket option or the other side.

Inside

Beth Studley Workshop

Beth's quilt made using her own fabric line

I went to the Oast workshop on Sunday.We were doing Beth Studley's All Sorts quilt from her pattern of that name. It was quite time consuming. Judi and I only managed a block each (Judi kindly sewed for me as well as hostessing and other stuff) but now I've done one I can see how one can cut sets of strips ready to go. Once the U3A has finished I intend to buckle down to my own projects.

Several participants' blocks laid out.

Nikki's blocks were very
lovely.

My untrimmed block very
unlovely. I shall sort the
corners methodology next  time.

My block at left, Judi's at right. She kindly pointed out her cup was straight, mine crooked. Equally kindly I pointed out blocks were turned in the quilt and hers would end up upside down! I was grateful though!

A Special Day at Oast Quilters

This quilt adorns the cover of her her book showing the quilts she has made for family and friends.

Founder member Rosemary Marozzi's quilts were the focus of the January meeting of Oast Quilters. She is very unwell but her group helped gather 20 plus of the 50 or 60 in her possession and coordinated with Justin her son and Rosemary herself. Justin provided the family stories and memories of his mother's sewing while Rosemary described what went into the making of the quilts and members of her group held up quilts and ran round to point out which of the hanging quilts was being referred to. Rosemary described how she had undergone a "totally unexpected conversion"  and how her quilts became infused with her religious faith and an act of praise and thanksgiving. Many of her family members were there which made the day all the more special.
These pictures were taken by the Oast chairperson and have been downloaded from our (closed) Facebook site. I forgot my camera!

This Flower Fairies quilt made for a very lucky granddaughter is one of Rosemary's favourites.

A wonderful centrepiece

A very large quilt which took two and a half years to make even with help from group members.

Depicting scenes from one of the gospels, I think St Luke's.

Linus Quilts

Oast Quilters today and a chance to hand in a couple of quilts for Linus. They are big enough for a teenager which is useful.

This one is called Codebreaker and uses pieces leftover from another quilt in improvised blocks which look like code but don't mean anything.

Called Red & Black this one reverses the normal arrangement of disappearing nine patch with white background in the feature squares.

Ardingly 20

Jane Turvey's Farmers Wife, one of many versions at the Show.

Judi and I had a lovely day at the first Grosvenor Show of the year, Ardingly. I had my camera on the wrong setting for the first few photos but here are the rest.

This touch of red challenge
piece turned out to be by Gillian
a fellow member of my
Siblings Together bee.

The lines of machine
stitching alternated with
lovely hand quilted lines
on this challenge piece.

Rosemary Muntus' boro piece for the challenge

Smithereens by Helen Lynch inspired by rock fissures.

A Bed of Roses by Carol
Ward using ice dyed fabrics.

Detail of effective block unit.

Sewing Room Makeover

On the door a wonderful postcard sent by a  Siblings Together Bee member. It has a "do not enter" aspect to it!

I took advantage of the quiet 12 Days of Christmas to thoroughly clean my sewing room which involved tidying and moving furniture so I did one of my periodic rearrangements. Every time I do this I think "this is it" only to change round again as stuff silts up. This time though I'm finding it lovely to work in.
I was reluctant to have my back to the window but it means the up down switches on my table are readily accessible in order to change from sewing to cutting mode. The iron is handily behind and if I have it at a lower height I just have to swivel round for repeated bits of ironing and then I get to see through the window and give my eyes a break. The bookshelves are still a bit untidy but that's a job for another day.

The  Picture is a print of one by Hans
Heysen showing his wife at her sewing
machine. The machine and window are
still there but the woman is no more.

Untidy shelves. If only I didn't keep files
of stuff. The tall thin wardrobe is packed
with UFO's. EEK.

Rulers kept in Seminole pouch

Table rises and falls at press of  two
buttons. Ironing board in front of the window.
I have a Sewezi Grande machine table.
I got rid of my Horn Cabinet as too bulky.

Fabric folded over a piece of card cut to fit shelf proportions. This saves space and I can ore easily see what I have. I pull out the card 8" by 14" once the piece is folded. FQs folded smaller and in drawers.

Entrance: the hamper came from my son as a Christmas present and holds my Jan Hassard project which I am enjoying. The sheep hanging is  by Gail Lawther.

First trip of 2020

The usual combination of three set off for Farnham on the Sunday 12th arriving at 1pm to take advantage of the late entrance fee. I spent more time shopping than usual but to good effect and enjoyed going round more or less together. Judi was buying for the Oast Quilters' raffle and combined good priced FQ's very thoughtfully.

The red fabric is 108" wide and was only £10 a metre. It's the same as on my "Amish" ninepatches quilt from over 15 years ago and I've been looking for more ever since. I wish I'd found it in time to go on the back of my Joseph's Coat quilt. The blue is a heavier weight bought from the same stall. The cacti pots fabric was in the £3 metre pile under another table. I bought the rest of the bolt. It's lovely  quality and I can back a quilt with it and give the surplus to Belinda who has the whole collection.

So I had less time for the quilts and demonstrations and for photos than usual, only two!

This is Penny Mitchell's Sewers Quilt" made from sewing themed fat eighths bought "blind" by her husband on the internet.

This is by Brigitte Gillespie, "The Super Star Quilt in a day"
which she is going to teach at the Farnham Maltings.