Friday, October 28, 2011

Work in Progress

I get to work on this lovely number next.  I was going to say lovely little number but that it isn't.  It will take a few hours....other than outlining the applique I have no other instructions from the piecer.   Check back soon to see the finished product. 

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Split Stack

So it must be getting colder eh!  Here I am on the computer again!  instead of being outside.  Not only is it cold, it has been raining hammerheads and pitchforks.  A few weeks from now it will be coming down as snow. Snow is more work....but I sure do like snow more,  unless I have to go some where, you know drive.....ick.
And of course like everyone else that dislikes winter driving I'll blame my dislike on all the other drivers who don't know what they are doing  :))
Okay so here's a sweet little quilt to show you on this icky day.
This is a split stack block done in batiks, wool batt and a simple flower and leaf panto.  This pattern was taught at a workshop last winter, for the Community Quilts program.  Several workshop participants went on to make their own versions.  Batiks work very well for this pattern.

I hope she likes it  :)

I can't make the underline go away...don't know why I underlined it, I sure didn't do it on purpose.
Happy Thursday,
gudrun

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Comfort Quilts



  I sometimes quilt for the Georgian Quilters 'Guild  Outreach program  I enjoy doing this as I get  to practice patterns that I like, & that I  need to practice.....
and someone gets a quilt. This pineapple piece was made using the Exploding pineapple pattern,  by Karen Hellaby.

These two quilts, have a lovely non quilting cotton in the centre, that one of our Guild members rescued.  She did a lovely job, I snatched them up and got them quilted with freehand flowers and leaves.  I thought I had pictures of the quilting, apparently not  ....


Happy  wery wet Wednesday
gudrun

Michael's sweater

Michael's Grandmother knit him a beautiful Cowichan style buffalo wool sweater, and gave it to me to sew
together.  I have been unable to get assistance with putting in the zipper, so I have left it in the bag...left it 'around' so to speak,  hoping the sweater elves would show up.  However, a reminder from Michael's grandmother has me pulling it out of the bag and leaving it about.  Lulu gives it full approval and doesn't care that it isn't sewn up.
Guess what I am doing this evening :))
gudrun

Saturday, October 15, 2011

October Colours



Today's  wind and rain storm will take care of these.

Batiks and Alpacas

I completed this a few days ago.  It was not a favourite of the piecer, once quilted, she liked it again.  This is what usually happens, it's a good thing that happens.  I enjoy the smiles that come when the quilting pulls the 'flimsy ' into a usable lovable quilt.

I had an opportunity to 
work with an Alpaca & sheep wool blend batting  on this quilt...a strippy quilt with great colour contrast.
I used large leaf panto, and I checked tension often.





 It quilted up nicely, though the varied thickness of the batt contributed to some small tension issues in a couple of places, also contributing to tension issues was the use of selvage in the piecing. I use to leave them on as well, until someone explained how tough and different the selvage edge is to the rest of the fabric, and
how this causes problems, for machines and hands.
Well that's today's lesson.
I wonder how it will wash, when the time comes.  I am of the  'don't wash them until really needed' school.
Spot cleaning and airing come first.  This is a heavy quilt, it will no doubt be lovely and warm.  It will be even heavier when wet,  washing maybe a cumbersome job.   If anyone has had experience with this type of batting do let me know.

This is what the batting looks like.
  
gudrun  in wet & windy Ontario