Detour

What's December without a detour? I've put Dream Fountain on hold for today as I have Quilter's Friendship Group Duty ( I won't say which one as that may give it away)...I'm in charge of quilting a quilt that the group has made for an "0" birthday.

When lots of people are involved in a project, things don't always fit at the last lap, so I'm unpicking this quilt's ditch stitching tonight as it's uneven - it has too much ease. I have to admit, I am a bit of a perfectionist and I can't start quilting unless the top is as close to perfect as possible...I always tell my friends, once you start unpicking- it never ends! You see more and more mistakes that you want to correct. What starts with a small 'fix' ends up with 6 hours invested. There's just no easy way out, good quilting needs a good foundation.

It's times like these that I wish I had a long arm machine, because with domestic machine quilting you just can't get away with fudging it - even a little bit...

UFO Progress

It's a week for getting things done. Here is a pic of my nearly abandoned brights UFO. I've nearly finished piecing, all thats left to do is the sashing and border...and some serious quilting of course!

When I found this quilt, I couldn't remember why I'd started this one in the first place. But now, I like the green coming through the pinks.

I'm sure I'm not the only quilter out there who has made or started something...and then 're-discovered' it and wondered, 'what was I thinking here?'

I really need a throw quilt. Many of my quilts are on the walls and some of them are really precious so I dont throw them about or let my cat climb or claw them.
This one will be a 'useful' quilt.

Progress

I've been busy today, working towards getting this wall quilt finished before monday ( I have to set deadlines on myself or I never finish). It's a whimsical quilt and I've decided to call it Dream Fountain.

This is step two, and I'm loving the brights, it's a nice change and it's really rewarding to work with hand dyed fabric. That's also why I enjoy stencilling so much - the artistic control, down to the last detail.

I'm builing this quilt from the 'background' up. I've placed the squiggles in their spot, but I've got a long way to go yet.
I'm having difficulty photographing it so the hues are correct - it looks a bit too stark in this image - but you get the idea.

New Designs

Now that I've satisfied my red craving with my monthly BOM, I've been struck with inspiration. It's not like I don't have a million other things to do....but when you feel you must....so for the last few days I've been hand dying a pallette of vivid hues

I've been inspired by a walk through the garden again....(nature can't get it wrong when it comes to matching colours)

Green is my other favourite colour (my quilts are like my wardrobe, I love wearing Reds, Oranges and Greens - not all at once). I'm still working hard at getting to love Blue a little better, I know it's classic, but often I don't get past navy. I just need to appreciate it in nature somewhere to apply it to a quilt design.

Christmas is nearly upon us, so before I definitely didn't have a spare day to dye, I got stuck in, and I'm now in respite from a few days of non stop procion shifts.

Above is a pic from some of my new pallette. The grey didnt show up well in the photo, but it's a greeny grey and it makes the greens and oranges look alive. I'm really inspired with this design at the moment and think I will have to finish it before Christmas. Or it might become another UFO and sit on the shelf for years before I discover it again!

Colour Palette

Here is my latest inspiration, a passionfruit flower; I love this colour combination. I'm drawing up a design called Dream Fountain and these are the colours that have moved me towards blues and yellows.

Another Red Moment

Oh Apple !

I was sent this photo by a fellow RED admirer. What a bough.

Esther's Occassional Quote for the Day

Red Moments

What a delightful suprise!

I took this photo walking across a damp field.

I found a ring of toadstools, just like a fairytale.

I dont need more reason to enjoy red, but when I stumble across it, I like to celebrate it. I'm always amazed at the vibrancy of colours in nature.

Inspirations

I would NEVER have merged these three swatches.....

before seeing them exist in nature first.

The question I most get asked is : where do you get your ideas / inspiration from?

For me, it all comes down to colour.

Well, mostly, I get my drive to do something creative in quilting after I've enjoyed something beautiful - and that happens most often after spending time appreciating nature.

My work never ends up looking like what I've enjoyed - well rarely ( I have created a few pictorial wall hanging quilts) but mostly, I get an idea, or a desire to explore a texture or merge some colours and I start sketching and those sketches turn into entirely new ideas and designs. It may take a while, sometimes months or years, but once I decide that thats what I want to do - then I just let it brew into an idea in it's own time.

Sometimes colour and texture inspire me. Sometimes I have no interest in particular colour schemes and then I see some tones recreated in a place where they look stunning and it makes me reconsider my thoughts about a particular colour.

When I created Nightshade, I had previously loathed purple quilts. I didnt have a single one! Then one evening I was out in the garden and everything took on a beautful deep lilac hue before sunset and I was instantly inspired.

These beach shots were taken at twilight and I was overwhelmed with how many ideas there were just waiting to be used. It makes me wonder how many breathtaking moments I miss everyday because I'm otherwise distracted . Inspiration is everywhere.

Seeing colours in their natural environment helps me make choices when I am riffling through shelf after shelf of prints. Recently with Peony Pride I decided to follow the 'colour rules' and obediently observed the 'correct' charts when I was colour mixing - the whole time I wanted to rebel and just do it my own way like every other time, but I stuck to it and Peony Pride's colour scheme is 'correct' and I almost hate to say it - the most successful harmony of colour in any of my quilts.

I always prefer to feel a certain way about colour and let it evolve and choose its own scheme....but sometimes it doesnt translate well. So now I settle on taking my inpsiration from nature and matching it correctly on the colour chart afterwards. I cant find inspiration if I just 'select' harmonising colours - I like to have experienced it somewhere, in its natural state first.

Peony and Cake - Birthday Perfection

Peonies are my favourite flower. I've been having a peony year - with my quilt Peony Pride, my endless sketchings of peonies and peonie sampler quilting and now, for my birthday, a breathtaking peony bouquet.


Peonies are perfection in a flower. And the perfume - it's just glorious. It's mild and fleeting, then collects intensity - I've been breathing the scent non stop for days and I can't get enough of it. It just reminds me of how difficult it is to bottle beautiful and natural scents.


Unfortunately, peonies only last a few fleeting days. When they crumpled, I couldnt part with them and the petals were still heavily scented, so I collected them in paper and they are still scenting everything beautifully. I definitely have to look into planting a poeny garden, even for a few days of flowering, I cant think of a nicer thing to enjoy in a garden.

This cake was almost too beautiful to cut, I love the chocolate leaves. The cake is a delicious walnut / chocolate layer cake.

This is the experiemental lemon layer cake. I think they girls enjoyed decorating it more than the cake itself.

The year has gone by so quickly, before I know it, it will be Christmas!

FREE FREE FREE...

Red Delicious is launched!

Many thanks to Brenda - without you, I would'nt have known what to do! You have saved my blog yet again (Brenda is also the reason many of you can view my images these days as she kindly let me in on the secret of "re-sizing" images). Well, what can I say? I put my energy and desire to learn new things into creative things and not technology (although I should!)...as there is no real reason not to know these days...ahem....anyway, thank you so much for the advice. I feel like I learn something new everytime I get on the computer!
Brenda's site is linked on the side of this blog under 'Serendipity Patchwork and Quilting'.

Red Delicious is easy to access. Simply double click the BOM motif on the side of the blog and it will redirect you to the PDF file.

Enjoy!

UFO Update

My girls still arent showing any interest in seeing this quilt finished....and I dont need any encouragement to abandon it again!

I still dont know what I was thinking when I cut it up and packed it away - except that I was enjoying a period of brights. The problem is that as soon as I start a project I'm thinking of another one.....It did look like this UFO (still unnamed I'm afraid) would stay on the wall a few more weeks yet....but we had an unexpected cold snap during the last few nights and were all bemoaning the lack of quilts available to cosy up with...and as it's expected to be hot again mid week I'm furiously working to finish it before I change my mind. Again.

101, advice sought

I promised that I would launch Red Delicious on my 100th posting....and the good news is, it's ready to go!

The bad news is that I am looking for a suitable way of hosting the PDF file up on this blog so that it can be accessed easily by any one who's interested. So far, all the file sharing programs I've seen are unsuitable and advert clogged.

Bare with me, I am seriously technically challenged and have been trying to work this out most of today.

I will launch Red Delicious ASAP. If you have any file hosting advice, please feel free to share.

Well, what a suprise

Well, what a suprise!

I can still remember the first afternoon I spent exploring other artists, gardners and baker's blogs, thinking what a great technology - for everyone to share what they're doing with anyone who's interested.

It's hard to believe that this is my 100th post! Especially since I often think, well I don't have anything to say....or more often, I'm just too busy getting on with things to get around to posting. I've been rounding up loose ends these last 3 weeks, and havent had much time to post.

To celebrate 100 postings, I will be launching my mystery BOM, Red Delicious shortly. I know we all have serious fabric stashes that we intend to get into, and this BOM is a perfect way to make more shelf space.

Thank you for emailing me your comments and stopping by this blog, I'm always suprised with the range and interests of those who stop by, its always great to hear from you all.

Esther's Occassional Quote for the Day

Another UFO Found

Whilst I was investigating my red stash, I found something else of interest tucked away under my desk.

Fully cut out pieces, neatly folded...a UFO!

It's about 6 years old (I think!) and I've given it a good look over and actually, although I can't remember what I had in mind, the florals and fresh and lively - and who coundn't use an extra quilt? So I'm quickly stitching up this newly found floral.


It's seems to me that originally it was supposed to be 4x4 patch, so I laid it out on my table and quickly starting putting it together.


I don't know why I cut these up this way ( I think it's just amazing how much quilters can change in taste after just a few years!) I wouldnt do it this way now, but it looks like a pinwheel block with a small bowtie block in the centre.

I do like the green though, it looks very fresh and lively, without it I would have packed this UFO away again. Obviously I was mixing in the pinks in this 'era' as well.

Raiding the Stash

Here is my red stash. I've been raiding it and adding to it.

Originally I was going to go out and buy new season reds to keep up with trends....but then I got to thinking (as I was trying to clear out my studio) that we all have stashes and stashes and stashes....and that *maybe* I should resist fabric shopping and make do. Red Delicious will be made from my stash.

I WILL NOT BE ADDING TO THIS STASH. That is my commitment!

Here are all my reds in all their glory.

I must admit that there are some burgundy reds which I will need for some contrast.

So, are you going to join in and make Red Delicious?
Lots of red





and more red





And more red still ( I really dont need to keep adding to my stash!.....I will be allowing white (or maybe off white depending on the reds selected) as the background.

Drum Roll Please!

I have an announcement to make

To celebrate 100 postings I will be sharing

my Mystery BOM, Red Delicious!

This mystery BOM will be available here for the next 10 (or maybe 11) months

Red Delicious is inspired by all the beautiful red things in life.

Red Delicious is approx. 55 x 65 inches and is a wall hanging.

Red Delicious is an applique & pieced BOM

If you have a red stash...now's the time to raid it!

So how does it work? Every month, a new block will be make available for free on my blog for a limited period of time. Get in quick and download this block.

After 2 weeks, the block will be removed from my blog. If you want to download it after this time, it will only be available through my Etsy shop for a minimal cost.

I can't wait to share this mystery BOM with you, and hope you'll join me in making Red Delicious, month by month. (Yes I will be posting my block progress up on this blog to share with you all out there).

I'm Still Here (thinking hard!)

I didn't mean to take a blogging hiatus- I just don't know the days went...

But I have been thinking hard, and I have been inspired!

A little cliche I know - but I do love flowers, and these roses....well what can I say? I have red on my mind....which reminds me that I have a BOM to post.

I love the way roses unfurl themselves, I could look at this bouquet all day (it's ok, I take coffee breaks)

Phew....

Just recovering from non stop quilting! I like to take a few days off not really doing anything after I've been sitting away at my machine non stop for a week.


I've been enjoying some garden time before it gets too hot to stay outside for very long. My favourite time in the garden is mid morning and twilight.
Nature really expresses some great colours at these times, really vivid and fresh....or changing and glowing in the sunset.


These specific and beatiful hues are the reason I started hand dying my own fabric ranges... when I couldnt find the exact tone for a quilt I had in mind....I took it to task to create it! Of course, I learnt that the bright glossy colour in the jar doesnt stay that way after washing, rinsing and ironing, so I have pallettes of beautiful, suprising and sometimes unexpected tones.

Just recently I read about a textile artist who, after getting too old to work with fabric, started painting. She said that the best thing about painting was the colour gratification - that the colour she mixed and blended more or less stayed true to that first initial colour thrill. That idea really excites me, I dont think I'm too old to quilt just yet....but when I get there, I think I will take up painting too!

Happy Birthday Grace!

Happy Birthday Grace !

What a beautiful day

celebrating the birthday of someone we all love so much

Today the Applique Angels celebrated Grace's birthday, and yes, the sun was shining and we had a special suprise.......

Mary's Ginger Fluff Cake

Now, yes, we did promise to provide this famouse cake and *nothing else*, but Grace, we were already well under way making your quilt when we promised.... what were we supposed to do? Give it to someone else??

I love a suprise when its REALLY a suprise! and I think this was an unexpected gift (the best type I think).

So that made the suprise even more rewarding.

Here's Grace inspecting my quilting to see if it's up to scratch!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRACE !

Secret quilting business...continues

and now I've got the flowers, so its time to deliver this quilt!

Secret quilting business.....finished

So

I finished quilting the SUPRISE Birthday Quilt this morning

And now I'm going....where? to the florist!

I only quilted this beautiful quilt, it was made by Applique Angels, knowing that Grace loves Birds of a Feather

Secret Quilting Business

It's been quiet lately, because I've been up to....secret quilting business..... this is the only snap shot I can provide (or else I'll be in a lot of trouble!). Being the last hand on the list, I was waiting to receive the item, and now I'm quilting against time to get it finished.

You know, it doesnt matter what I plan, or what I say, last minute quilting is becoming my specialty!

After a little clean up and sorting out on my weekend , I'm back to the stitch!

Will keep you posted with more info AFTER the event.....

Basking in the Sun

Basking in the sun.....today I started emptying out my bear drawers, and came across some little bears that I made a few years ago just before I started quilting. It's a shame to keep them boxed up so my daughter took them out in the garden for a photo shoot in order to find them new homes.

I remember when I first started making bears - a friend told me that bear makers always end up making bears that look like themselves, their spouses or their pets! I remember looking at some bears of people I knew and seeing a resemblance....and then staring at my own ...and not being able to see anything....but a bear. Until today that is. This little bear, ginger fluff, has a strong resemblance to my over indulged and over dramatic cat, who was no doubt looking at me forlornly whilst I was trying to make ginger fluff's face.

I ended up boxing my bears away because my cat took a liking to biting my bears faces and trying to chew off their stitched noses.

Spring! Spring! Spring!

the first Sugar Snap Pea is on its way

The lemon balm is blooming

and I'm loving Spring Green....I can feel a design coming on.....

Esther's Occassional Quote for the Day

"Say it with flowers" I created this wall hanging a while back in Pam Holland's workshop. I feel in love with the technique and promised myself that I would use it to make a whole series of flowers (on the to do list!).

I started with a Mop Hydrangea because they are so beautiful and in Melbourne when they bloom in my garden, they die very quickly because of the heat that comes quite suddenly (as well as the current water issues)....so I never get to enjoy them for as long as I would like.

Looking over my quilting history, I'm always drawn to nature, mostly birds and flowers and interpretations and sketches of them..... at the moment I am looking for the perfect Peony picture to create another image. It is an elusive flower.

Esther's Occassional Quote for the Day

WORKSHOP !

Going to the AQC in Feb next year?

http://www.aqc.com.au/melbourne09.php

The Website is now up and running....and I'm one of the tutors!

Visit the site and check it out !

Much ado about nothing !

Well, because I didnt have anything to do, I was seeking inspiration and came across a marvellous idea / challenge to make a quilt (that gets listed) in an HOUR. I cant hardly wait to challenge myself in this, as I like to meander through several quilts at once.

Otherwise, I've been preparing some new workshop material....you know, just the boring basics like instructions, etc that seem to take so long to get done on the computer.

At the moment I'm spending most of my quilting time 'journalling' as I have plenty of ideas and motivations......just not the stamina to actually do them yet....so its been a little quiet.

Staring at the design wall from my comfy chair is my favourite past time!

This week I sold my Papa Polar Bear on Etsy....and I have to admit that whilst I was packing him in his travel box....I nearly couldnt do it! I know I know, I havent even given him a thought since I made him, but sending him to his new home made me want to keep him!

I'm a bit like that with quilts too....how can come people give away their hand work so easily? I envy their ability to de-tatch. Even when I 'only' quilt a raffle quilt I end up falling in love with at least on aspect of the design that warrants me keeping it....it's ok though, I never do!

Yes, I'm taking things easy and just enjoying the year so far and indulging in a few new things like colour mixing and paper cutting.

So far this year I have managed to make 11 quilts...and I'm nowhere near getting through my stack of ideas....sometimes I wonder if I will get to make everything I've planned.....maybe I should start making smaller quilts?!

Tomorrow I am starting on a very special project.... I am quilting a quilt that is very dear to me and the quilting will be very personalised....I will chart my quilting progress here as it emerges.....It will be for a very dear friend ( I better not name names!)

Really Loving Red

Today's effort.....I've noticed (like all quilters I guess) that I go through colour 'phases' where I fall in love with a hue and use it as much as possible. Well at the moment, I'm loving Red....which is really exciting becasuse in quilting, Red offers so many possibilities. There's prairie red (beautifully faded), turkey red, the harvest hues, the bright apple red shades, deep cherries, the list goes on....

Even sitting in a cafe waiting for my coffee .....and my mind wanders round to red ideas...here's a little jotting I got up to whilst waiting to be served...with a little work I might just work that into something.....maybe even more reason to dine out!

SEPT 1st

Well, where is the year going? I can barely believe its Sept. already! Today I posted Nightshade to Houston, I'm really delighted that its finally on its way there.

I've been very slack with my blog as I've been so busy sketching and trying out a few new ideas....and experimenting....with paints and pencils....and have nothing to report back yet. I had to stop just to make some order in my area...so that I could keep on going...Predictably, I am back at the challenge where I have decided to use my fabric stash...but keep coming up with quilts that need new fabric, and the stash just keeps increasing as usual.

My BOM sketches which I've been turning into a pattern, 'Red Delicious' have come together really well, and I'm considering doing both a stencil and applique piece....the only problem is, all my reds are the 'wrong' reds and so I really dont think I'm going to be clearing out the red drawer of prints at all !

I found a stash of christmassy prints.....so I'm considering whether I need any new things for the table / wall / sofa / bed this season....I probably do..... after all, can a quilter have too many Christmas Stockings on the ledge????

Finding out about the Flange

Thank you to everyone who left comments on my previous post. I really appreciate the insight.....I think I now know what a 'flange' is, its the border width, which I never noticed was uneven....as the judge sheet stated it is.

Taking out the quilt, I still couldnt see any uneveness with my eye, but I measured it....and there is a minor difference! My eyes are opened!

I've included a shot above of the border edge, where the flange is....I'm assuming its the edge sliver of gold trim just before the binding. So there you go, you learn something new every day.

Esther's Occassional Quote for the Day

The meaning of excellence??

I know this is a can of worms that I probably shouldnt even open....but I cant help it (what can I say? I dont like keeping secrets!), reading quilt appraisals is a guilty pleasure of mine.

Now, don't get me wrong, I often disagree....(I mostly disagree)...more often than not, I feel that I dont get frank or informative feedback from judges....but no matter what, when a judge's statement comes through the door, I'm all over it, reading every line. This is a good and a bad thing - for me, I want to know what the judges honest (good or bad!) opinion is, because I think it helps me improve. I look back on quilts from a few years ago...and their comments....and remember not agreeing at the time, but in hindsight, I can now see a bit more clearly and actually agree on where there was room for improvements. This is a good thing.

On the other hand, my daughter hates judges appraisals, she says theyre a waste of time and tells me off for reading them. "Who cares what someone's opinion is?" she asks (well, demands....) And I can see her point, but I dont think I'll change, I really love (and need) critical feedback. I think a lot of quilter's wait for these sheets with anticipation.....or is it just me?

Above is my most recent judges sheet....its a glowing report...and its the first one that is...I've also posted a sheet with my most favourite judges opinion of all from a few years back. The (translation is : "COURAGEOUS QUILTING") ??

It only took me an hour to decipher that....and I'm still working on the bottom comment - I have no idea what it says, if you can read it, let me know please!

Nightshade, you're going to HOUSTON!

I'm happy to report that I received confirmation this last week that Nightshade has been juried into Houston!

Otherwise, I've just been busy dabbling in my sewing studio. Trying out a few new techniques and attempting to organise my chaos.

Something that has caught my eye is the new Inktense derwent pencils that have been advertised in quilting magazines lately, has anyone given these a go? I'd love to hear some feedback if you have.

That's all for now, I'm a little distracted as I have several sketches on the go, hopefully I will have something new in the next day or two.