Inspiration?

Sorry I have been a bit quiet lately -which is not like me-as I have been battling bronchitis and haven't been up to much. But I have managed to finish a quilt I have had lying around for some
years - shame shame.
I have always found it fascinating where inspiration to start or finish a project comes from but more importantly how to harness it. I was recently in Melbourne for the Australian Quilt Convention which included an exhibition of Kim McLean's quilts. I had seen a retrospective of her work years before in Sydney where quilt Hexagon stars (above) really caught my eye. I then chased up a copy of the 2005 Quilters Newsletter calender as it included a pattern of the quilt.
I worked on the quilt over the next few years but then the stars and diamond blocks ended up in a drawer. After seeing the quilt again at the show I returned home itching to finish it.

Kim's quilt was inspired by the original made in Sydney by a lady named Frederica Josephson around 1850 using cottons and chintz fabric, a close up of the quilt above.

I am thrilled with the finished top, it's a bit brighter and pinker than the original. I will post a photo when it is finished which could be a few more years coming as I really feel it deserves hand quilting.

New TV Quilt

We recently splashed out on a new TV but the problem was we had one of those old 3 piece cabinets with the huge deep centre cabinet which wasn't wide enough for the new telly. I looked around but everything I saw was too small as I also keep my quilt books in one of the two side cabinets so Mark got to work rebuilding the centre cabinet which I then painted black and distressed and waxed leaving the inside and top stained timber.

The new TV then snowballed into a loungeroom makeover - much to my husbands horror. The navy blue lounge stayed but I changed the room's colour scheme from burgundy and blue to green and blue after seeing a vintage quilt in navy and acid green in a magazine. When I suggested a feature wall in acid green for the wall behind the new cabinet I was laughed at, but it all came together after new lights, rug and quilt hanger were installed.

Hello Kitty

All the young girls seem to love this image, my sixteen year old is always buying stationary and other bits and pieces embellished with the cute little puddy cat.
So it was no surprise when a friend requested the kitty for her 21st cake, underneath is a yummy chocolate cake covered with frosting then thick fondant icing - the sugar overload was enjoyed by all.

In production

Had a very productive day yesterday finishing off bits and pieces for the July edition of the Chocolate Crow Trader, an Australian online magazine It offers aussie artisans a marketplace for their crafts, my work is listed under Barn Star Primitives www.thechocolatecrowtrader.com
The site is updated on the 15th of each month.
This cute little punch needle design is another from my favourite Brenda Gervais from Country Stitches. I found the timber frames at a local $2 shop, I stripped the paint off the metal corner sections and rusted them with chlorine, the wooden section was then painted and distressed. I am very happy with the result as they make a great frame for the punch needle snowman.

This woollen santa is yet another pattern picked up in Houston, I find I always learn something making other peoples patterns and this one is very clever in its simplicity. I thoroughly enjoyed the process and intend to make a whole group in different sizes for Christmas, possibly in different shades of blue. The pattern comes from Bonnie Sullivan at www.allthroughthenight.net

Foundation Day

Spent the day making foundation blocks from a kit I bought last year from the Houston Quilt festival. I am a halloween lover so I thought this would make a great Halloween tablerunner.

The kit including pattern, foundations and all the fabric was $20 us, great value. Now all I have to do is tear all the tiny bits of foundation out.

It was from a lovely shop called The Quilt Merchant http://www.thequiltmerchant.com/