My London Bus Tour

The best thing I did in London was get on a bus. An iconic red double decker bus that drove around for 3 hours. Wow, what an eye opener! Taking in the city from the roof of the bus was so relaxed.

As a people watcher / building observer, I loved every minute of it! You could actually 'see' styles and fashions  change as we moved out of one area and into the next. The same thing was reflected in the buildings from old to new to facades.

As a foreigner, London looks so historic, the wealth of details street after street really took me in. And I loved being high enough to see everything from a perspective I never usually think about.

As the bus drove around the streets, I randomly took these pictures whenever the bus stopped at a light or in traffic. The rest of the time I just leaned over the rail and took in the view. The best snaps are in my mind. I'm not really a document- every -moment- kind of tourist, I'd rather enjoy myself. I definitely recommend a London Bus Tour to anyone - it gives you a real perspective of the city.

There is so much beauty up there! And down below too....

If i'd had the time, I would have done it again. The snaps I have of this great ride are taken during red lights and occassional stops. It's a mixed bag! Just the way I like it!

this looks so english to my eyes

unexpected pink flowers in a grey spot

beautiful architecture

 

looking down or alongside statues (instead of up at them) was a nice change

as was getting as close as possible to beautiful building details

as soon as I saw the building below I 'knew' I was in London,

can't explain why, I must have seen it on a TV program

I really wish I could have got close enough and high enough to see the detail of the building below.

 Is it an angel? a scroll?

 It really had me thinking about the skill, legacy and values of craftsmanship and how buildings built today, by way of comparison, have no soul.

crowds  / people / queues everywhere

London has definitely put my general queue annoyances into perspective!

 This growth is not flora, it's actually a textile installation, a work of textile art. Well, this is what I was told, I didn't actually get off the bus to see the carpet for myself

 London eye

it's Big Ben

 

WOW: Rose Table Runner

WOW = WIPs On Wednesdays

The table length is 118 1/2 " or 3m

It started the night before my birthday. My DD’s wanted a table cloth for the big day. Honestly, I’m not that fussed. We have one for Christmas and Easter of course, but otherwise – and especially with a table this big, I usually opt for a runner.

I don’t know if you think about new table settings the evening before the morning they are required, but in my house this is actually a reoccurring theme!

It just so happens that last week right until my birthday I was sorting through my fabric stash and doing some tidying of my studio, and came across this beauty:

I purchased this fabric because I fell in love with it on sight. The roses are painted and although these images don’t do it justice, they are superb. The problem was that when I brought it home, I couldn’t cut into it. I didn’t have the heart. Also, the positioning of the design on the fabric meant that whichever flower I cut (if I decided to fussy cut) would cut into another bouquet, so that wasn’t a good use for it.

In the end, I decided to use it as a quilt back. But then thought it was too pretty not to be seen. So then I thought I would upholster a chair with it or maybe even create a screen.

Does anyone else have these fabric moments??

Well, Thursday night I pulled it out and we both fell in love with it as a table cloth. But covering the whole table was a bit much, so we experimented with a wide table runner. Well, I loved it.

Next, we agreed that we needed matching napkins and that the table runner should be plain – with maybe prairie paint binding in a matching yellow or peachy pink to the roses.

Just for the day, I folded it into size, ironed it down and made use of it unfinished until I have a moment to get it done properly.

So there it was – 5 hours until my birthday and another WIP started…oh well…

I will keep you posted and share the finished piece…when I get there myself!

Happy Birthday To Me

Thank you everyone for your well wishes on my birthday!

It was my birthday on Friday.

I was really surprised when I checked my inbox this morning to find quite a few messages in there!

And now that I’ve mentioned it, I suppose I should share a bit of it…

There were flowers (red roses of course, what else??)

And a blue hydrangea too...

The day before, during the grocery shopping, I fell in love with a hydrangea and had to have it. Isn’t it lovely? I was torn between the white ball and the pink (it was an unusual deep pink) ball as well, but as they were wilted from being inside so long, it made my choice a bit easier.

And I bought it in honour of my birthday.

 I really love this blue.

For my birthday lunch we enjoyed a Chinese Banquet. I am quite happy anywhere. But my DDs had arranged this as they are quite fussy. In a way I'm happy that they are because it was all just perfect...and I didnt have to cook a thing!

I’m not especially a sweet person, but the miniature deserts on the plate were so quaint and looked so lovely that I had to take a photo.

It was too much of a pity to eat them. I thought they looked like a quilting fabric I have somewhere in my stash.

Back home, my birthday cake was marble mud cake. I’m not usually keen on anything called mud cake – but it really is delicious. We are still enjoying it with coffee today.

The little bird is a bit of a joke as I always add birds to my projects, so my DDs added it to my cake as a little well-wisher.

In the evening my DH took me to a show at the Arts Centre and we enjoyed the city and stayed the night overlooking the river on the Southbank. Actually, for someone who lives here, I realized that I don’t usually see all that much of Melbourne!  

My DH knows it very well but I really enjoyed it as a tourist. A tourist in my own city! Here’s a view from our window. Glorious.

Well, you can see why I still feel as though

I am in holiday mode. I am!

WOW: Still Unpacking

WOW = WIPs On Wednesdays

This wednesday finds me still unpacking and downloading and just generally trying to get back into the swing of things. How did November get here so fast???

Yesterday there was much talk about the 7 billionth baby being born. One thing that really struck me this time around in Europe, Vienna and London was how densely populated the cities are. Maybe I hadn't noticed before?? Maybe I'm getting older and see things differently? Maybe it's inceased enough for me to notice? I'm just not used to so many people.

Well, last night I learnt that Australia is actually the 3rd least populated population... I hadnt realised this and I think that over the years I must have become accustomed to space! The statistics were something like: Australia = 3 people per m2 and the UK has something like 246 per m2. I think that's incredible.

When I see so many people in one place 'for no reason' well, I don't know what to make of it!
Speaking of populations and birthdays, I have much to catch up on before my own birthday later this week. I better get on with it!



Festival Time: Hearts Desire

A

big

thank

you to Amy

for once again organising this wonderful quilt festival. I always take part and look forward to meeting so many wonderful quilts and the stories beind them. It's getting better each year!

Usually I'm right in there from the very start on day one, but the month seems to be slipping away from me at the moment, so I'm glad theres still 5 days left to take part and enjoy.

My Quilt entry this festival is: "Hearts Desire"

I really love this quilt. It's still quite new to my stash and it's a quilt that I have always wanted to own, so having it finished feels really special.

You know, it was just one of those quilts I had to make!

It's an intense applique quilt, full of details that you want to concentrate on and perfect, piece by piece. Each block demands patience and skill. It's the kind of quilt that uses everything you know and then encourages you to try something new. I just love enjoying it.

Something I really enjoyed was embarking on this quilt with so many other quilters who were experiencing the blocks, month by month. Hearts Desire was a free monthly block of the month earlier in the year. Many beginner quilters started this quilt (and I'm pleased to add that they all did a fine job of finishing it too). We worked through it each month together, step by step.

For the applique, I used the applique freezer paper method throughout (tutorial on the side bar) and the end results speak for themselves.

This BOM is now finished.

You can purchase the pattern for this beautiful quilt here:

via my online shop.

If you'd like to take part in the next free BOM, why not join my Yahoo Bom Group? (see side bar)

Thank you for stopping by my Festival Post!

GO!Baby Winner! Winner! Winner!

I wish I could give a GO!Baby away to each and every one of you. It's been a welcome addition to my quilting options. And like all of you, I was entering comps wherever I could to try and win one myself. So, I know how high the demand is out there to have one!!

I really loved reading each and every little quote / proverb / saying  you submitted as an entry. How true they all felt! I loved each one and found myself nodding along in agreement.

Quite a few could have been my own often used favourites, so it's only fair that I share my own.  I’ll mention one that hasn’t been enjoyed yet:  it’s old Russian proverb –

"if I knew where I was going to fall, I would have put a cushion there"

How could I possibly decide between entries? Well I knew from the start that I wouldn’t be able to. So here is the random number generator that I decided would choose most fairly.

You’ll notice that the comp had 196 comments at time of closing (with a few deleted entries and doubles). I counted those out and added several allocations for quilters who did not enter online but who asked me personally to be included in the comp which took the countable entry number up to 199).

Thank you Random.Org and congratulations to Feather on a Wire who quoted "I quilt therefore I am".

For the love of Red

Will my love affair with Red & White ever end?

“Around 1830, quilts made of red, green, and white became very popular, but it was not until 1880 when the cloth called Turkey-red was imported from Germany that solid red and white quilts could be made. Turkey-red was a good, permanent, non-fading red. Cloth made from American dyes ran and faded to pink within three washings. It took the First World War, when European imports were unobtainable, to start American dye makers on the trail of a permanent red. They succeeded in finding several; but it was not until after the Second World War that permanent shades of red became available in cloth of all price ranges.”

I could read about red fabric all day long….And I'm finding all these details fascinating.

I was lucky enough to receive this book, published in 1966, from a friend. I can’t believe that it’s found its way to my bedside table after so many years; it’s very readable and completely charming. I also can’t believe how far we’ve come, fabric production wise, in what is a relatively short span of time.

Luckily there is no impediment to stop quilt lovers making as many red quilts as their hearts desire nowadays!!

Red & White is a quilt classic,

and I'd love to know,

do you have one? or several?

WOW: Home Again

WOW = WIPs On Wednesdays

It feels like just a very long time since I posted from my own computer whilst seated at a desk. I’m home again. My Wednesday WIP will be unpacking…and getting started on all the washing.

GO!BABY Winner will be drawn and announced tomorrow.

Stay tuned!

WOW: Too Much Of Everything!

WOW= WIPs On Wednesdays

I'm still on my travels with DH. This is turning out to be a really fun WIP...and one that, for once, I don't actually want to finish!

At some point I will get myself organised long enough to share some pics!

What are you up to today?

Peaceful Pathways, Part 3 is launched

1 Corinthians 13 (NIV)

 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

 8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.                                                                                    

Suprise!

I don't like launching over the weekend,

so I have brought the launch date forward to today.

Halfway through this BOM already (!!), in 3 more installments it will be a new year and a finished quilt. Not bad!

This month, we return to your beautifully embroidered text blocks and set them into border 2. We also add the corner heart squares (mine, above) and add the 3^rd HST border.

The quilt is really taking shape now

If you are making Peaceful Pathways, do consider joining my Yahoo BOM Group. Membership is and always will be free. It’s a great place to discuss the pattern, share ideas and post photos of your progress.

My patterns are only available via my website or yahoo group

WOW: What's Your WIP?

Yes, I'm still away and loving every minute of it, but it just won't feel like a wednesday unless there's some WOWs on my blog.
So, what's your WIP?

WOW: Absent But Interested!

Hi everyone,

I’m still on my trip. I’ve been out of range quite a lot and I have to admit that I am really loving being plugged out! It’s been great so far, but I have been too relaxed to get around to downloading photos or anything like that yet. I can do all that when I get home.

I will say though, I did miss catching up with all of you for WOW last week so here I am, posting it up, because I do love seeing what stage your WIPs are at.

Have you all entered the Accuquilt GO!Baby comp below??

WIN a GO!Baby Fabric Cutter

The folks at AccuQuilt are very generously giving away

a GO!Baby Fabric Cutter and 3 dies

to 1 lucky reader of this blog.

I have personally entered 3 blogger competitions to win a GO!Baby, so I know how big the demand is out there to own one! I am really delighted to be able to give one away to one of my readers. Whoever wins it, you’re going to love it!

ENTER NOW!!

Something I think we all do when we enter these comps, is scroll down to make sure our entry comment is there. So, to make things as interesting as possible (and I’m curious too), I am asking that you leave behind your favourite quote / saying or proverb in your comment.

1. Go to http://www.accuquilt.com/ and select 3 dies
2. Leave a comment at the end of this post which includes:
3. Your favorite quote, saying or proverb and
4.  Your 3 selected dies

Goodluck!

The competition will be open for entries for 4 weeks

1 entry only per person

This worldwide competition is open to everyone

Your prize will be shipped to you from AccuQuilt directly

The winner will be selected randomly, using a random number generator

The winner will be selected and announced when I return from my trip

...

in the meantime

You can download 22 patterns from AccuQuilt for free, simply click below.

I have downloaded these and added them to my collection,

they’re excellent and definitely worth looking into.

My Challenge Entry: Light and Shade

This post relates to my membership of the International Quilt Challenge. We have our own blog, why not take a look?

My Challenge Piece: 'Shadow and Sunshine'

The first challenge was set by Annabel: she chose Light and Shade. I already have a quilt called sunshine and shadow so I started calling my challenge that out of habit. It’s so connected in my mind, that I really have no option but to call my challenge piece Shadow and Sunshine.

It’s A3 size for those of you who are interested. We have no size restriction, but I feel that I do need a limit and I also like the idea of having like sized pieces at the end of the challenge cycle. That said, I might change my mind at any moment.

I was inspired by the idea that shadows are a degree of absence, not an absence.

I was in several minds regarding the quilting, I thought about detailed quilting for each section, but felt drawn back to the original idea I had had - quilting by straight lines, the direction light travels in. I quilted in tones of grey and yellow to create the light and shadow.

I quilted and basted this piece the day before my trip, after my DD and I had packed and unpacked my suitcase 5 times!! I was already a bit tired, but there was no way I was going to miss the challenge deadline!

I went for charcoal and gold for my binding

And breathed a big sigh of contentment when it was complete. I was really lucky because I had exactly 10 minutes worth of daylight left outside to take a picture in.

I do invite you to see our other member's interpretations of this theme, over at our blog:

http://internationalquiltchallenge.blogspot.com/

Light and Shade: finishing my challenge

This is a post related to my entry in the International Quilt Challenge, of which I am a member.

I am very relieved top say that I managed to finish my first challenge on time. The day before leaving on my trip actually. Here are some pics of my progress. I did have a hard time selecting the thread, especially for the yellow shade. I felt that the yellow was too bright, but didn’t want it too subtle. Happily, I chose the right shade and it turned out the way I wanted.

I am really looking forward to seeing everyone else’s interpretation of this theme shortly!

The first challenge is Light and Shadow and the challenge deadline is the 23^rd Sept. I am really looking forward to seeing what the other International Quilt Members have been up to this last month….you can take a look too...

WOW: Fabric Arrival

WOW = WIPs On Wednesdays

As I was heading out the door to go to the airport, a package arrived for me. Not just any old package, but the fabric range I have ordered for my next project! I quickly checked them over to make sure they were all there, they look wonderful in real life, and then had to leave them behind.

They have been ordered so that I can start my next BOM: it will be a 13 month mystery based on flowers, and it's an all round exciting project. I'm really looking forward to making it. New fabric does have that effect on me!