Flosie Floo

Antique Study day.....

Sunday was our last Antique chat day at the shop for the year. We chatted, studied, ate generally had a lovely time. Thanks to everyone for coming and I look forward to next year.
This time we looked at Indigo Blues and Shirtings. Along with Turkey Red, Indigo is one of the  most colour fast dyes in history. And shirtings are just one of those fabrics you cant live without. Everyone took home a set of notes, fabric samples and a pattern for my new Antique quilt tops.

This little quilt is one in my friend Jo's collection. It was made in about 1850 and has a little A embroidered into the backing. It has an amazing selection of fabrics in it and it has been tie quilted. The squares are 1" finished.

This is a part of my new quilt top and a pattern will be available soon to purchase.
I have named it Ladies Cross. It was first seen in Ladies Art Cataloge in 1922 and then in Nancy Cabot in 1935 so I combined the 2 names that it has . I'm still dating it, it has some fabrics that I'm not too sure about.

Lizard sightings

Ive been racking my brain trying to think what I can make my little nephews for Christmas this year. My sister ( their Mum ) has suggested some boxer shorts , thats OK but boring for little boys, so I remembered these bean bag toys that my Mum used to make us when we were little.  First I drew up a frog , boring, then a snake, more boring , then it came to me , a lizard .They are made from Patchwork fabric and filled with rice.

I left them on the counter at work over night and when I arrived this is what I found.

 

Noises coming from the tree. Then when I tried to catch them they headed for the bench seat . I finally caught them in a compromising position.

Let me know if you would like to make one, I'm more than happy to share the pattern.

Old Friends

This project " Youve got to be mad "  has been left lonely for a little while and I started again on it on Friday. It became like an old friend while I was working on it , but with other deadlines it had to take a back seat for a while.I have designed this quilt on the computer and a group of us are meeting monthly to inspire each other. It is a block of the month and they receive 5 patterns each month, No fabric.

The latest block is the one on the left hand side with all the little pieces. The blocks are all hand pieced or appliqued and are 9" finished, a workable size. The blocks are set on point , 41 full blocks, 16 setting triangles and 4 corners, no sashing or borders, just wonderfully pieced blocks.

Little Beautys

Ive been loving all of the little reproduction crib quilt around at the moment and I was very inspired by a blog that I read all the time. Lucy posted last week about what she does with all her little scrap pieces, pop over and have a look and I will hear all your machines whirring as well.

Here is my latest little creation, " Reginald " named after my dad. The little 9 patch blocks within the 9 patch blocks only measure 1.5", and the completed block is 4.5". Needless to say I didnt make very many blocks.

Here are the little ones in the process of being born...

 

Here I was chosing the alternate block fabric...

 

and here is the finished little quilt ( whoops no binding yet ) hanging on my washing line.

Patterns and kits will be available soon.

Big Weekend in Town

Every year my little town has a Celtic festival and it comes alive to the sounds of the Bagipes. The music is at the same time eerie but soothing , is that possible ? My Grandmother , Molly , loved the bagpipes and at her funeral they had a lone piper playing.

Here is a photo of our good friend Ian who loves to dress up for all these occassions. I did ask him what a Scotsman wears under his kilt, and believe me, I wont repeat it online. ( LOL ). He did tell me what his official title was, but I was too busy taking photos, sorry Ian.

 

A busy weekend usually means lots of customers , so it was all hands on deck. But my Mum has found time to do a little more stitching on the applique quilt that she is making for my Aunty. It is a reproduction quilt and the pattern will be available at the shop when its finished, so I will keep the full photo till then.

 

My Mum taught me all I know about sewing and she does the tiniest little stitches. She says that she does them by feel not sight because her eyesite is not too good.

Well I'm off now to write some new patterns , so keep your eye out over at the website.

Stitching up a storm

This has so far been a very productive week. I have nearly finished a new pieced and appliqued quilt . Sorry no photos yet.

Ive designed 2 new applique quilts and packed my mum off with bundle of fabrics to get started. I go through periods of when I design many quilts within a small amount of time, but the problem is them making it into fabric. Luckily I have a great group of family and friends that are more than eager to make them for me.

If I ever win tatts lotto I will buy myself more time.

Today was the Melbourne Cup and we had a lovley chicken and salad lunch out on the front lawn of the shop. For those overseas, this is the biggest horse race in Australia and it literally stops the nation. Leonie spoiled us with nibbles before and sparkling apple juice to wash it all down, and of course we had to speak with our posh voices. The kids would have been suitably embarassed. I didnt bother putting a bet on and I'm glad, the horse I would have chosen came somewhere at the back. Sorry no photos , I was giddy on sugar.

 

This is a quilt I saw on Ebay some time ago and thought this would be a great one to make with all my orphan blocks, mine dont seam to be all co-ordinating like this one. Mine are a mix of country, civil war, pretty, 1930. so I dont think mine would turn out as well. I'll just have to admire this one then.

I have just updated the blog on my website to give some info about the Antique quilt chat group that I have started in Beechworth. We meet every 2 months.

Pop over to Beechworth Quilters Cottage website and go to the blog tab on the side menu. The heading is Turkey Red, what is it.....

 

Spreading the Love

 

On Saturday Leonie and I were invited to a Quilt show at Ganmaine in rural NSW to show my quilts current and antique quilts. There were about 30 eager ladies listening to me ramble on about my passion for anything old. The quilts on display were wonderful . We were treated to a warm welcome, plates of sandwiches and cake and the floral displays of local roses was spectacular.

The first photo is of my latest addition to the collection, a quilt made about 1900-1910 and tie quilted. The fabrics in it are gorgeous and I wish some were in my stash now.

This second photo is 2 of my favourite quilts which feature Turkey Red fabric. The ladies enjoyed seeing these in the study group last week and I have started to reproduce the applique quilt . I'll let you know how it goes.

How I spent my time

Yesterday and today I have spent alot of time on the computer and very little time stitching. I'm trying to get our website updated and everything seems to be taking forever.

Here is a picture of a quilt I finished some time ago. The blocks were hand pieced by my mum and I machine pieced them into this quilt, we have called it Connies Crowns because my mums name is Colleen.

 

I'm off now to take the kids to a Hockey trial and maybe I might get some sewing done tonight.

On the move

I have just started blogging over at my shop website- www.beechworthquilterscottage.com.au

I will still blog here for a little while until you all get the hang of going over there to read what mischief I'm getting up to.