Happy endings

My first happy ending news that I just received tonight is that my quilt for Nicola Jarvis has arrived safely in the UK! I am so relieved after all the tragic loss of work I have experienced through the post.....so next time I see the quilt it will be hanging in the exhibition at the William Morris Gallery in September! (and sadly none of my lost quilts have ever been found)

This past week Larry has been busy cutting for the Bedford Mystery Quilt 2014. He irons and cuts in one hour shifts and the last bag of scraps Lessa left him is quite a few hours worth! He did manage to get a game of golf in as well!

Meanwhile I indulge myself in finishing quilts for workshops! I have finally completed the felted wool quilt just in time for workshops starting next week.......

I decided on a black and white polka dot for the binding which I am really pleased with. Speaking of bindings I did take the opportunity of photographing step by step how I apply my bindings. (for those of you new to this technique). I did cut my strips 2 3/4" wide for this quilt as I wanted it a little wider with the thicker background. Normally I would cut 2 1/4" to 2 1/2"

 This photo shows how I mark the corner edge of the quilt with a pin. Stop 1/4" from the pin and anchor the stitch - you do this on each corner. You will notice I used a dark batting as the background of the quilt is so dark.

 Take your work out from the machine and fold the binding up and then down holding the top to create the fold. You can see this better below.......

 Ooops.....I missed a photo stitching from the edge of the quilt over that fold and then continuing down the edge.

 I stitched the rid-rac over the block seams as a part of the quilting leaving a little overhang which is now tucked under the binding. I like to have a 'hidden' seam on completion so you need to allow enough fabric at the beginning and end to create the join. Start and finish with about 6" to 'play' with. Fold each end back as you see below and then trim half the measurement of your cut binding. If you have a 2 1/2" binding you trim back 1 1/4" from the fold. I usually go just shy of that measurement.

 Cut where the pins are.........but just cut the top - not the binding closest to the quilt!

Hold the quilt so that the bulk of it faces you and the finished binding edge is away from you. Open the binding and then join on the cross like you did when you joined all the binding strips to start with. Mark with a pen the diagonal line and then stitch on this line.......

 Trim the excess triangles and finger press the seam open........

 When you lie the binding flat it will fit perfectly so now you can complete the stitching. No-one will know where you stopped or started....well hopefully! It was great exercise to just photograph the quilt up close as it gave me reason to go back and do a load more quilting around those feathers.....I didn't like the bulge between the finished feather and the ric-rac! And I like to trim my excess batting and quilt backing after I have attached the binding - I like to have that excess to 'hold' as I stitch on the binding.

And we can't finish a blog with out the latest bit of fun........bubbles in the bath at Nanna and Poppa's......

Have a great week wherever you are x

Anzac Day

Every April 25th Australian and New Zealanders remember the heroes of war.............

My Dad: Ross Alfred Wheaton, Navigator, Distinguished Flying Cross
Pathfinder Force, Bomber Command, Squadron 582

Dad said he survived 55 operations (missions), but some of those were 'unofficial'. Statistically it was unlikely you would survive 30 ops. Per Wikipedia: Bomber Command crews also suffered an extremely high casualty rate: 55,573 killed out of a total of 125,000 aircrew (a 44.4% death rate), a further 8,403 were wounded in action and 9,838 became prisoners of war.

I am just sorry that Dad never got to see the Bomber Command Memorial in London last year.....too late for so many. This photo is of one of Dad's very best mates - David Leicester DFC and Bar, OAM. He is seen in the foreground speaking to Queen Elizabeth at the unveiling in June last year (2012).....a very tearful day.

Miss you every day Dad............

Jane Austen tour

A couple of weeks back I visited the blog of an award winning quilter I have long admired. This quilter is as obsessed with Jane Austen as I am with William Morris. As I was looking at her blog I noticed a page of her beautiful Jane Austen inspired quilts.........

This got me thinking ....wouldn't it be wonderful if this quilter could share an amazing experience through her quilting like I am? So I made a quick phone call to that quilter, an email to Helen in the UK at Whitecroft Tours and presto........ a new Jane Austen tour has been created!!
 And that quilter of course is Australia's very own Katrina Hadjimichael.

If you go to Katrina's blog and check on her entry from yesterday (Sunday April 22nd), you will see the big announcement! The tour is planned for September 2015 so time to save those pennies! I am so thrilled for Katrina and I know the tour will be sensational. It is only being advertised via Katrina's blog for now, so if this sounds like your sort of holiday then do send her an email: Katrina.H@three.com.au or contact Helen at Whitecroft Tours. Isn't it amazing how a little idea can turn someone's dream into reality?

Mindless machine quilting

I am the first to admit that machine quilting is not my forte and I have a major psychological and physical aversion to it!! But it must be done and the quilt is finally ready to send to the UK! It is pretty silly to say quilting is "mindless" because so too is machine appliqué, which I can sit and do for many "mindless" hours!! Anyway here are a few shots for you Nicola Jarvis and all you lovely people who drop by to see what I am up to!!.....

I quilted this quilt with a beautiful fine thread from Wonderfil threads called Invisifil. It is a 100 weight, ultra fine but also strong and what I love is that the quilting shows and not so much my uneven stitches!! I also use a 70/10 Microtex sharp needle with the same thread in the bobbin as well. You can see the beautiful lustre of the cream thread I used.......

I am also currently quilting the felted wool project which is worked on a linen/cotton blend and is quite thick. So I need to quilt in a thicker thread, so for that I am using Superior Threads top stitch needle... 

And the wide orange ric-rac I planned to use has become a narrow lime green. Number one assistant Mr Larry thinks this looks much better!......

The Australasian Quilt Convention is on this week and sadly my time did not allow me to visit this year. But here at home we are all "whoop whooping" for our two South Aussie girls who are up for the Best of Australia award. (You can see all the entries by clicking on that link)
This quilt is from Ming Hsu who comes from South Australia but won in New South Wales.......

And Rachelle Denneny with her incredible whole cloth quilt....now this is what I call quilting!!! SO wish I could quilt like this.......

(And I know Rachelle won't mind that I used her photos)

I know the girls will be very nervous tomorrow night at the gala dinner.....I have been blessed to have experienced it personally three times - such a proud feeling to be representing your home state. Best of luck to both of our local girls...we will be sitting on the edge of our seats at home waiting to hear who won! 

Of course Beau also consumes our time while his Mum is at work - here in his Pink Floyd t-shirt that we brought back from the US. We are booked in to see THIS! in July!

 And he has all these toys and what does he like the best?? Still the books rule!

 He also found my latest fabric range stashed in the cupboard.....

Beau also loves to dance and sing and The Wiggles are a huge hit (home grown here in OZ!).....

Thanks for dropping by and take care wherever you are xx