Week 3 journal - making faces

This week I wanted to try stitching a face in the style of Terri Stegmiller. You can see her beautiful journals and other amazing work on flickr here. I sketched on paper first, so that I had an idea of what I wanted to stitch and then tried to translate it with free motion stitching. While the sketch helped with the overall size and general idea of the image, the two aren't exactly alike.

I learned not to stitch to many lines. This image is to heavily stitched, and that happened really quickly. I also learned that once the eyes are wonky it's kind of hard to fix!! I had fun making this and finding the pretty fabrics for the askew borders. I think I'll try this again sometime. Thanks for the inspiration Terri.

Week 2 journal

I've been tidying up over the last couple of days. I can shut the cupboard door now which is real progress. This journal quilt was made with scraps that I found during that process. I used a basic collage process so there are lots of raw edges. I'm not sure I like it - it didn't turn out as I had planned, though I am pleased with the effect of the ribbon binding.

One of these things is not like the other

A Christmas stitchery


A couple of diary covers, from bits and pieces found in my journal quilt box.


Bag holders made from old flour sacks... these were lovely to work with.

I've been stitching

Vicki at 3 Creative Studios is running a Journal Quilt Challenge. It sounds like so much fun I thought I'd have a play tonight and see how I got on.

I love this format because it allows me to play with all the colours I love, without having to live with a giant quilt made from them.

Happy New Year

And so in the blink of an eye we have rolled into 2011. The New Year is always a time to reflect back on the year that has been, to celebrate its passing, and all you’ve accomplished, and to look forward to what you want to achieve in the coming year.

I am one of those odd people who feels more Christmassy after Christmas Day. I suspect this is because I am on holiday. So combining my New Year refections with my festive feelings, I have decided I will be organised with my Christmas gift giving this year, and in particular I will be organised with my Christmas gift making.



To kick this off I made lavender bags yesterday. I found a great tutorial online and did some trial runs. We visited a lavender farm on Friday when we were out for a picnic and bought lavender. It was such a beautiful sight, the bushes in full bloom in the late afternoon soon. The owner was telling me that they stay open until 9pm at this time of year because people love to come and see the lavender at sunset.

I enjoyed my Christmas swaps*** so much in 2010 that I have joined a Christmas Stocking Swap through Southern Cross Quilters... this one is going to be so much fun because you make your partner a stocking, and then each month you send gifts to put in the stocking until Christmas. Isn't that cute?

***I found the blog of Carol, the recipient of my Christmas parcel. She has a picture of her present - I forgot to take one - here.

I have also found Allie's Blog and she is organising Christmas Through The Year, a series of monthly projects to get everyone stitching present early for Christmas. Check it out and join in.

A WIP and a Finish

I've spent some time on a Work in Progress this week, Double Delight from Bonnie Hunter's Quiltville website. This was last year's mystery quilt so I'm a bit slow, but I'm over half way now. I love these quilts with lots of little pieces.



And this is the baby quilt I finished up before Christmas for my friend Melissa's second little boy Christopher. With the exception of the green, these are my own hand dyed fabrics.



We are enjoying a very relaxing Christmas holiday here at The Quiltery, good books, stitching, holiday food... and some very chilled out pets.
Cheers for now!

Merry Christmas

I hope all my quilting frinds are enjoying a lovely Christmas. I took part in a couple of swaps this year that have added to the fun of Christmas Day.

The first swap I joined was a "secret" swap organised by Maree - each person was assigned someone to send a Christmas parcel to, and they received a parcel from a third person but no one knew who was who until today. There was a list of 5 things that had to be included in the gift - something handmade, something smelly, something to eat, something Christmassy, something for the studio. My parcel came from Marina at Maisie and the Boys and she has really spoilt me. This parcel contained the most beautiful Christmas wallhanging, a very cute scissor keeper (I think I might have to work out how to make these), a cup cake pin cushion, chocolates, a magazine (this is next on my to do list with a cup of coffee).




One of the little extras in this parcel is an old wooden cotton reel. What Marina couldn't have known is that I am collecting these to fill a vase, and she even sent my favourite brand, Sylko. One of the things of love about these old threads is that the colours have names. Marina sent "Coral Pink" which I will add to my collection below.




I had had so much fun putting together my first swap that when Kiwi Quilts announced a Christmas Swap I signed up for that too. This one was a little easier - a quilty item, fabric and something Christmassy, and it only had to be posted in New Zealand. My lovely partner was Elaine and she must have had some sort of sixth sense because she she sent an enormous pin cushion with pockets, and tucked into one of this was a beautiful pair of scissors with a tiny little version of version cushion attached. I must have said a dozen times this year "I love pincushions". The chocolates in the parcel even had 2 Golden Retreiver puppies on - now my boys are well into middle age but she couldn't have chosen a more appropriate image. And she popped it all in a stocking, which is wonderful because I've been looking at stockings lately... theres a 2011 swap you see ;o)




My friend Carolyn popped in yesterday and surprised me with a gift. She has made this clever little folder which contains an ironing mat and cutting board.



In receving all these lovely things I am, as always, overwhelmed by the cleverness of other people! Everyone's work is so beautiful and it is such a pleasure to receive.

On a non-quilty note we had the most delicious asparagus at lunch today.



Merry Christmas everyone.