Christmas Quilt Show

Did you know that SewCalGal   is hosting a Christmas Quilt Show ?  

As I missed the Bloggers Fall Quilt Festival , this is a good chance to join in something new -  but what to enter? Maybe the quilt on this post could pass for Christmas with  reds, greens and blues it's all warm and cosy looking just as Christmas should be, but then I settled  for this one.

Only measuring 20" x 18", it's certainly smaller than most I've seen on other blog entries (!), but it is a real 'Christmas' quilt and a little special one at that.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

                                                

 My first attempt at paper piecing, though what possessed me I'll never know as the logs are only 1/2" & 1/4" finished !  Maybe this is the reason why I've avoid PP ever since:-)  No walking foot to Quilt in the      Ditch, just the general purpose foot - well, I didn't know any better then, and what you don't know doesn't

worry you does it ?                                                                                                                                 

                                                                                     

  

Pushing 40 years old, the Starlet is still going strong, if somewhat noisey , and still keeps me company in my sewing room, although these days she just sits and watches whilst the Bernina does all the work!

Don't know what's up with Blogger tonight, but there's a right wobbly happening  to the text around the photos  - guess I've hit to the wrong button again or something and set it off  on one - Ah Well!

Late Entry!

Almost missed getting my entry in for the Bloggers Quilt Festival Spring 2010  thanks to a flying visit from DD and DGD! We had a lovely long weekend with them filled with glorious sunshine, but as usual the house is VERY empty now that they've returned to the UK.

I think this time I have to choose the Vintage New York Beauties quilt I made a little while ago from Valori Wells  book 'Radiant New York Beauties' .

Why this one - well, because it was a number of 'firsts' for me!

My first (and probably last) paper pieced quilt.
My first attempt at applique using the  freezer paper method - something I will try again as I did enjoy it
My first attempt at free motion quilting that wasn't stippling - came out not too bad in the end luckily

So,  all in all,  even though it took  me ages to finish and at times drove me almost mental -  it is a quilt that I am proud of now .

AWOL ...

....and a change!

Way back when at the end of last year, I booked us a break in a milder part of Europe during February to break up the winter months.Unfortunately, things went a little off course when DH's health took a turn for the worse, but luckily I managed to change our booking without loosing any money, which is always a bonus, and this time we actually made it to Spain!Almost 3 weeks in glorious sunshine with nothing to do but relax, read and a  do little stitching !

.
A sea front apartment complete with balcony where we could watch the world go by when we felt too lazy to walk the 50 yards or so to the beach, and with good restaurants also within a couple of hundred metres - what else could you ask for ?

Naturally there are lots of photos, but just for the moment the washing machine seems to be taking up all my time, but not to post without a single one, just a little taster :-)

View from our balcony - not bad, eh ?

The change - well, it must be a reaction to the lovely Spanish sunshine, but I thought that I would brighten up the Blog with a new template, do you like it ?

Before I forget, Amy is hosting another Blogger's Quilt Festival next week,  it really is good fun with lots of eye candy and prizes too so why not join in !

Bloggers' Quilt Festival - Fall 2009

I am so glad I made it back in time for Amy's Quilt Festival as the Spring Festival was such fun and led me to lots of new blogger friends!

As I've already written about my favourite quilt , this time I've chosen a log cabin, another quilt that really tried my patience (!) as the logs were only 3/4" finished which not only took forever to cut and piece but - all that pressing !!!!



I just love the placement of the blocks, which I found in a very old Quiltmaker magazine I 'inherited' from a quiltie friend here in Brittany and as this has now been passed on ( English language quilting mags are very precious here in France !!) I can't tell you which issue it was! Every time I look at this quilt I can see something different as there are stars and diamonds, squares and triangles, some straight furrows, sunshine & shadows and maybe even a little barn raising? All this in one quilt - it doesn't get much better than that !!

I also made my first pieced back for this quilt, nothing very flash, but just one big log cabin type block to make the fabric go a little further which works for me !





In spite of the scorched fingers (!) it was certainly worth the time & trouble and has become a firm favourite of mine and most of the family, which is why it still lives with me and hasn't found a new home as I am too much of a coward to decided who to give it too!