Footsteps - Raffle Quilt 2

(Beach scene quilt pattern available here now)

A lot of the content of this post is the same as the post about Nurture, please bear with me and fee free to skip through parts you've already read! I'll italicise repeated paragraphs in both to make it easier for you.

Tonight we launched the raffle for the choice of one of a pair of custom designed quilts I made to raise funds for James and Eleanor's child care centre at the centre's Christmas Concert. James has been going there 3 days a week while I work part time since mid 2006, and Eleanor joined him there in 2008. They love it, and so do I. There has been minimal staff change over the 3 1/2 years, and everyone is great. It's a relatively small centre, and all of the staff know all of the children well. We couldn't be happier. Both children learn there as well as having fun, and it's where James has met a great friend.

Click on any of the photos to see more detail.

"Footsteps"

Tickets are $2 each, and can be purchased from me, just leave a comment or email me via my profile. Unfortunately I haven't been able to work out a way to manage international sales, due to both payment and shipping difficulties. Tickets are on sale until Friday 11th December 2009, and will be drawn at ABC Belair Child Care Centre on Wednesday 16th December 2009.

First prize is a choice of Footsteps (featured in this post) or Nurture (previous post). The estimated value of each quilt is around $800. The second quilt wil be available for sale until Christmas for $500, with $100 of this going to ABC Belair.

Second prize is a beautiful indulgent box of beauty products and make-up, wine in a velvet bag, handmade bracelet and earrings with a beautiful jewellery pouch and a selection of chocolates, with an approximate value of $200.

Footsteps is 120cm by 150cm, and can be used as a play quilt, a bed coverlet or a wallhanging. If the winner wants, I can add a hanging sleeve.

It can be washed. Ideally, wash by hand in warm water using a gentle detergent, and dry flat in the shade. It will survive on a gentle machine cycle and on warm in a dryer, but I don't recommend it. Keep the quilt out of direct sunlight to ensure the colours stay vivid. Iron gently from the back - steam is ok, but don't press down, or you'll flatten the whole thing!

The quilt is made using quality quilters' cottons, and I use an Australian wool/cotton batting inside.

It's an original design, using a technique I developed making Seaside and Breakfast on the Beach. The scene is built using planned free-form foundation-piecing, and details are added with applique and quilting.

I quilted it with a selection of cottons and embroidery threads, adding breeze to the sky, waves in the water, and more seaweed in the reef.

(Notice a familiar face???)

The name, Footsteps, comes from the footprints in the sand and the steps children take and imprints they leave as they grow and learn and love.

Welcome to everyone who's new to my blog through the raffle! If you have any questions, please leave me a comment. If you have an reply email address enabled, I can reply directly, otherwise I'll reply in the comments, so check back. Enabling replies will NOT publish your email address! You can also click on my profile at the top of the right column (just below the photos of the raffle quilts) to email me privately.

You can see photos and descriptions of this quilt in progress if you scroll through my recent posts.

To see more of my work, there are a few options in the right-hand column. There's a link to photos of all of my quilts in Flickr. And there are lists of the quilts I've made in the last few years - the items in the lists are actually links, and by clicking on them you'll be taken to a post about that quilt with (generally!) photos and details about it. Feel free to have a look around and leave a comment (click on the 'post a comment' link below) I love hearing from everyone - don't be shy!

There's a link to my Etsy shop which currently has a play quilt and a few wallhangings in stock. I take commissions for customised pieces of all sizes either through Etsy or here on my blog.

Nurture - Raffle Quilt 1

A lot of the content of this post is the same as the post about Footsteps, please bear with me and fee free to skip through parts you've already read! I'll italicise repeated paragraphs in both to make it easier for you.


Tonight we launched the raffle for the choice of one of a pair of custom designed quilts I made to raise funds for James and Eleanor's child care centre at the centre's Christmas Concert. James has been going there 3 days a week while I work part time since mid 2006, and Eleanor joined him there in 2008. They love it, and so do I. There has been minimal staff change over the 3 1/2 years, and everyone is great. It's a relatively small centre, and all of the staff know all of the children well. We couldn't be happier. Both children learn there as well as having fun, and it's where James has met a great friend.

Click on any of the photos to see more detail.

"Nurture"

Tickets are $2 each, and can be purchased from me, just leave a comment or email me via my profile. Unfortunately I haven't been able to work out a way to manage international sales, due to both payment and shipping difficulties. Tickets are on sale until Friday 11th December 2009, and will be drawn at ABC Belair Child Care Centre on Wednesday 16th December 2009.

First prize is a choice of Nurture (featured in this post) or Footsteps (next post). The estimated value of each quilt is around $800. The second quilt wil be available for sale until Christmas for $500, with $100 of this going to ABC Belair.

Second prize is a beautiful indulgent box of beauty products and make-up, wine in a velvet bag, handmade bracelet and earrings with a beautiful jewellery pouch and a selection of chocolates, with an approximate value of $200.

Nurture is a little over 130cm square, and can be used as a play quilt, a bed coverlet or a wallhanging. If the winner wants, I can add a hanging sleeve.

It can be washed. Ideally, wash by hand in warm water using a gentle detergent, and dry flat in the shade. It will survive on a gentle machine cycle and on warm in a dryer, but I don't recommend it. Keep the quilt out of direct sunlight to ensure the colours stay vivid. Iron gently from the back - steam is ok, but don't press down, or you'll flatten the whole thing!

The quilt is made using quality quilters' cottons, and I use an Australian wool/cotton batting inside.

It's an original design, and I drafted the heart blocks myself.

I quilted it with a selection of cottons and embroidery threads, with a variety of swirls through the centre, and feathering in the border.

The name, Nurture, comes from the nuturing children need and receive, which is reflected in the hearts and palm leaf blocks in the quilt.

Welcome to everyone who's new to my blog through the raffle! If you have any questions, please leave me a comment. If you have an reply email address enabled, I can reply directly, otherwise I'll reply in the comments, so check back. Enabling replies will NOT publish your email address! You can also click on my profile at the top of the right column (just below the photos of the raffle quilts) to email me privately.

There are more photos of this quilt, especially the quilting detail, at a previous post here.

To see more of my work, there are a few options in the right-hand column. There's a link to photos of all of my quilts in Flickr. And there are lists of the quilts I've made in the last few years - the items in the lists are actually links, and by clicking on them you'll be taken to a post about that quilt with (generally!) photos and details about it. Feel free to have a look around and leave a comment (click on the 'post a comment' link below) I love hearing from everyone - don't be shy!


There's a link to my Etsy shop which currently has a play quilt and a few wallhangings in stock. I take commissions for customised pieces of all sizes either through Etsy or here on my blog.

Quilting complete

After a great deal of frustration, including no less than 10 broken needles in under 24 hours, Footsteps is quilted.

Most of the problems occurred in the first half-metre of the outer border (above), which I started last night and spent literally hours on (and yet more agonizing over it!). I really don't know what was the problem, or why I had thread/needle issues. I don't know why it suddenly decided to start behaving, either, and the remaining 3.5 sides took under an hour. I rethreaded, cleaned, oiled, changed threads, changed feet, even left the machine over night. Then suddenly early this evening everything started going smoothly again.

I've decided I'm too tired to attach the binding tonight - mostly because I can't be bothered clearing the ironing board!

So here instead are some peeks at the quilt - mostly taken at an angle (to show the quilting) and inside, as it's 1am and there's not a ngreat deal of natural light to be found! I love the way the trees came out, both front and back:

I think I'm on track to have it all ready for Friday night. I've had a few requests for international ticket sales, and am in a quandry. Of course I want to sell as many as possible, but I know it would be very costly to mail overseas, and I don't know how to organise payment.

Second raffle quilt nearly done

I finally got Footsteps pieced and sandwiched. Here I was trying to find suitable threads for the quilting. I've used about half of this selection so far, and the top is about 2/3 quilted. The sun and sky are done.

And the water is almost complete.

Then there's just the beach area and the outer border to go. I've left the hardest until last - hardest because I can't decide how to quilt them! I suspect I'll go for the easy option of wavy lines in the sand. But the border is a challenge; not least because the yellow embroidery thread (which I used for the sun, would be really effective, and is the only decent match I have) keeps catching and breaking.

I'm hoping to have the quilts and everything ready to launch the raffle at our child care centre's Christmas function this Friday night. Tickets will be available from me.

Rolling along

Tonight I finally went to sew the sky of the beach quilt. I've been procrastinating for about a week. And guess what? I couldn't find my sky fabrics anywhere! All I know is that I got them out with the rest of the beachy fabrics when I started the quilt. So I spent the evening giving the study a much-needed once-over, and clearing the sewing table. I must have put over 100m of fabric away! And still no sky stash. Luckily I bought a couple of new sky prints at the Festival of Quilts a few weeks ago, so used one of those to piece the sun's rays, and at least have something to show at last!

I also bought a wooden seam roller at the quilt show, and instead of getting out the iron in this heat (still officially spring, today we reached 43C (about 110F); it was still over 40 at 7pm, and didn't drop below 30 properly until 5am the following morning) I used the roller to press each seam a I built the segments on their foundations. A very handy and effective simple tool.

A little help from my friends

I realised last night that what I really want to be doing right now isn't piecing, but quilting. And the quilt I'm working on won't allow the kind of quilting I feel like doing even when it's done.

So I asked my good friends from the Essential Baby quilting group if anyone had a top waiting to be quilted. Almost immediately Ad offered up this gorgeous top pieced from Prints Charming fabric, and AJ volunteered her beautiful disappearing nine patch in hot pinks, yellows and oranges. Both girls have given me free reign to FMQ them as I wish and should have them on the way to me tomorrow.

So hurry up Australia Post! Thank you so much Ad and AJ. I really think ths will help me get back into the swing of my quilting. And I hope you're happy with the quilting when you get your quilts back!

Does writing quilt instructions count?

I've been lacking quilting motivation recently, and have been catching up some long overdue sleep in the evenings instead. I didn't do any sewing worth mentioning this weekend either, but I did spend a considerable amount of time writing the instructions for Lilac Soda (I renamed the quilt!) and preparing to send it off to Australian Patchwork and Quilting.

I made the quilt, very similar to Breaking Surf, because I wanted to quilt feathers in the swirls again, and had a lof of fun FMQing the entire quilt - not a single stitch-in-the-ditch or any other straight line quilting in this one! I'll probably make another variation sometime, too - I'm not done with it yet. The instructions and steps are done, and if I could just think of a good introductory paragraph it would be ready to go.

Hopefully my normal quilting schedule will return this week!

How Aussie are you?

Found on Kylie's blog.

So, how Aussie are you??


1. Been dive bombed by a magpie? Yes
2. Have seen a crocodile? Yes
3. Have seen a snake in the wild? Yes
4. Been bitten by a snake or other aussie wildlife? Yes, a magpie!
5. Patted a koala? Plenty, including a wild one in our garden
6. Seen a kangaroo in the wild? Of course
7. Climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge? Only a tower
8. Climbed the Story Bridge in Brisbane? No
9. Visited the Sydney Opera House? Yes, but never been inside.
10. Swum at the beach? Yes
11. Had fish and chips on the beach? Yes
12. Been stung by a jellyfish? Yes - ironically while we lived in Canberra!
13. Had sunburn that peeled? Yes
14. Camped under the stars? Not a camper
15. Visited Uluru? No
16. Driven the Great Ocean Road in Victoria? No
17. Seen the penguins on Phillip Island Victoria? Not there, but on Granite Island in South Australia
18. Had an outdoor BBQ with Friends? Yes
19. Played backyard/beach Cricket? Both
20. Watched a real cricket match live? Several Adelaide Tests
21. Betted on the Melbourne Cup? Yes, and won a little
22. Attended the Melbourne Cup Live from Flemington? No
23. Attended a live Aussie Rules or rugby football game? Unfortunately!
24. Ridden a Melbourne Tram? Ages ago
25. Snow Skied in the “high country” of NSW/Vic? As often as possible!
26. Visited the Great Barrier Reef? No
27. Been to Kakadu? No
28. Crossed the Nullabour by road? Yes, it took forever!
29. Gone down the Murray River on a paddle steamer? A houseboat but not a paddlesteamer
30. Survived a cyclone? None in SA
31. Survived a bushfire? Yes, Caberra 2001 Firestorm
32. Experienced a big flood? Not in Australia
33. Know who the Wiggles are? Going to their concert again in a month
34. Know who Humphrey the Bear is? Yes
35. Watched Play School as a kid or mum of a kid ? Of course!
36. Watched Skippy the Bush Kangaroo? Not a whole episode
37. Own an Australia Flag? No
38. Know the words to Advance Australia Fair? Yes, all verses
39. Eat Vegemite? No way!
40. Drink Milo? Used to. Best straight from the tin!
41. Know what lamingtons are? Yes, Kytons are THE BEST!
42. Know what Pavlova is? Yes
43. Know what Tim Tams are? Yes
44.Eaten a meat pie? No
45. Gave or received a “dead arm”? Yes, received
46. Have owned an Akubra hat? Yes, have one
47. Own/owned an Australia Cattle dog? No
48. Been to a B& S ball - or know what one is? Know what it is, never been
49. Drive a ute? No thanks
50. Say G’day? Occasionally
51. Can cook damper? Did as a kid
52. Can make billy tea? Did as a kid
53. Supported a sausage sizzle? Yes
54. Own John Williamson CD/Music? Yes
55. Owned chooks or know what they are? Don't own any.
56. Call the toilet “the dunny”? Occasionally
57 . Wear thongs (on your feet…)? Occasionally
58. Support Aussie music? Absolutely! Grew up on Eric Bogle!
59. Enjoy a beer? Revolting stuff!
60.Swallowed a fly? Inhaled - ewwww!

Four in the Morning

This is the beautiful quilt AJ made me in the third annual EBDQS (Essential Baby Doll Quilt Swap):

I'm a bit slow to blog it because we've been so busy with James' birthday parties (photos to come later, maybe!) And I haven't taken it outside to photograph properly due to a hideous PRE-summer heatwave! A week of 35-plus weather (that's approaching the 100-mark in Fahrenheit) that I could really do without.

But I completely love this little quilt. AJ obviously took good note of my likes and dislikes. I especially love the blue fabric, which she says made her think of me as soon as she saw it. I even rememeber commenting about it on her blog!

She found a block called Four in the Night and adapted it, then called the quilt Four in the Morning - after my quilting habits!

And for the label, she used a photo of sunrise in Adelaide! I'm not usually awake to see it; I do get to bed a few hours before that!

This last photo is again under poor inside lighting, but shows the FMQing AJ did. This was her first time, and I think she did an amazing job!

AJ also popped some beads into the package, and I'll probably use them when I get back to making inchies. AJ was also the organiser of this round, so a hughe thank you on both counts!

My recipient was Ad, and while she was here a few weeks ago, I gave her her choice of a few quilts. She chose Nocturnal (which is why that one never appeared in my Etsy shop!) and took it home with her.

Head over to the EB Quilters' Flickr group to see the other little quilts in this swap, there's a lovely selection.

Giveaway winner announced

At long last (you thought I'd forgotten, didn't you!) I'm here to announce the winner of my Etsy Opening Giveaway; the Winter Tree Kit.

The winner is Anne D of Batiks by the Bay a fellow Australian who is currently living overseas. Anne, please email me via my profile with your address details so I can send it. But give me a little while; I'm flat out trying to finish the Footsteps quilt for James and Eleanor's child care centre to raffle at the upcoming Christmas party, and won't get to writing up the instructions until that's done.

But, I'm pleased to announce that once the instructions are written, the pattern for my tree series (yes, you'll get three-in-one) will be available for sale!

The beach

The sand part of my beach quilts is always the biggest challenge. This is simply because of a lack of sand fabrics. It's not for want of trying; there isn't a decent sand fabric I can find that isn't already in my stash. Are you listening, fabric designers and manufacturers? I have a few great ones (I love the ripples and the footprints) and there are some good novelty sand prints; reasonably realistic toys, beach chairs and huts, and the grasses. But more basic sands would come in very handy. Please?

I might have to come up with a variation on my Seaside style of beach quilt, which needs less sand.

I still have to add a few appliques to this row, but the piecing is done.

Middle-of-the-night hair

Eleanor hasn't been well for a few days, and when I went in to her sobbing at about 1am, I decided to chnage her sheets. Once she knew I was there, she cheered up pretty quickly, and sat so nicely while I did it all. This is what the big girl hairdo looks like after several hours in bed!

Building (fabric) sandcastles

Here's the next pieced row in progress. I really need more sand fabrics, but I do have some beach huts and sand grasses to help build up the top of his row, and a few novelty prints to add applique detail on top of the piecing. This row give the quilt its name; Footsteps

Big girl hair-do

Eleanor's hair is an awkward length; it just wants to fall in her eyes. So with the hot weather starting, I needed to come up with a way of keeping it out of her face and off her neck.
My attempts at a French braid were disastrous (mostly due to her hair being a bit short and fine, but not aided by either a patient customer or skillful hairdresser!) When it's a bit longer, I plan to take a leaf from Rachelle's blog.

So I resorted to using lot of hairties, whcih was easier (though still rather slow) and quite popular.

She really enjoyed looking at herself in the mirror afterwards. By using a wet brush, I managed to get it to stay reasonably neat all day!

And doesn't it make her look more like a big girl?! You should have seen her straight after this; we went shopping and she took teddy in her little 'pram'; she was quite the little madam pushing it around the department stores!

The reef

Because this quilt is going to be larger than the other beach quilts made in this way (Breakfast on the Beach and Seaside) I'm building this one up in rows about 40in long. I've completed the reef/underwater row, which when finished will be approximately 13in high. Now I'm working on the next two rows; one with broderie perse appliqued fish and the next plain water, which will probably end up with one or two appliqued features, such as a boat and a whale.

Double-click for a closer look

As is always the case, as soon as I see a photograph I find pieces I wish I'd done differently. Like that green seaweedy triangle on the bottom left. And it could have done with a more continuous rocky reef base.

And as is also always the case at the moment, as soon as I see a photo, I long for a new camera. I think any Etsy sales will go straight to the new camera fund!