Mother's Day Quilt shop visit and other discoveries.

This is a while ago but I wanted to post this picture. Last mother's day Colin and Kathryn took me to Annadale to a quilt shop called Quilt Smith. More fabric than Thimbles in UH. A whole bay of indigo fabrics. More Japanese fabric than I've ever seen. All about A$24 pm. Not a lot of threads or books - didn't even notice many needles. There is another quilt shop in Leicheart not far away and another in Hunter's Hill I must discover. Anyway - I bought these fabrics. (see P - same fabric as you bought in Adelaide). Funny when you consider I am mostly using tone on tone but I just loved them.

Also last weekend Colin and Kathryn were away at Sea Scout camp at Newcastle so I headed into town on the ferry with my trusty map (I do love maps) and discovered a huge bead shop www.empirebeads.com.au in Surry Hills (not far from Central station). Great cafe opposite and lots of old terrace houses. Interesting area don't think I'd walk around there at night but fine on a Saturday morning. Moved on to discover the main Tessuti fabric shop www.tessuti.com.au. Just amazing - full of happy little sewers just when you think no one sews clothes in this town. Think it was mainly students sewing for their design courses but a nice shop. Lots of interested staff and big leather couches and long wooden tables with design books to look at. Felt a bit embarrassed just looking the Simplicity pattern book instead of whipping up something original but still did buy some eggplant coloured mesh to use in a fabric collage. Also a breathtaking button selection.

Weather is funny at the moment - 33 on Sunday, 23 on Monday. Meant to be building to 33 on Friday then 23 for the weekend.

ATCs 73-87

Another batch of ATCs. Some more pansy ones, followed by a few inspired by a visit to the Jenolan Caves (look for stalagmite type ones), then a series of composition ones (high horizon, parallel lines, strata, basic shapes etc).

Some absolute stinkers but I learn something from everyone. Also a great warm up exercise - a bit like stretching.

Maps#2

And then I made it bigger using what I had done as a repeat block. I just love that turquoise colour. When you look at the larger quilt the curved piecing and narrow inserts add interest. (Darn it! Will have to get faster at it!)

Maps

I've always loved maps. Here's a quilt I made inspired by the grids of city maps. This actually started out trying to be an 'inspired by Lisa Call' quilt but then the map thing started to happen. I started using curvey freeform piecing but that was taking ages so I made the last 2 block with straight lines - at the moment I don't think the curvey lines add anything. I'm going to made another one with more blocks and try and get the streets to line up. I like the way the eye follows the streets but gets a surprise when the colours change.

Eleanor McCain continues

Here are some variations I've made on the first 'inspired by Eleanor McCain' quilt I made.

ATCs 61-75 - pansies rule!

After trying to be arty and abstract my beloved pansies have reasserted themselves. Have been enjoying trying to stop them being so 'sweet' by painting and stamping backgrounds. It is true that when your subject is something you love you have no problems thinking of something to do. I love these but not sure how they translate to a larger quilt. They are lovely small because small is about detail and suits the small form of the pansy.

The Jeans ATC is made from a label on a pair of pants I've just bought. I'd love to do more with clothing labels. Aren't the 'features' that you now find on labels hilarious. I know intellectually that these new pants aren't going to make me look 5'6'' and willowly - but I still have that 5% hope.....