I’ve started sewing on the binding of the GAZ quilt. I hope the weather stays cool so I can finish it.
On the home straight…
03 Monday Dec 2012
Posted in Sew journal
Tag Archives: quilting
Just popped in to show you a bit if this and that…
22 Thursday Nov 2012
Posted in Sew journal
Tags
hand quilting, quilt, quilting, quilting blog, sewing, sewing blog, sewjournal blog, The GAZ Quilt
I’ve been ploughing on with the blanket that wanted to be a quilt. I’m at the quilting stage now and so I’ve taken a few photos of the odd few blocks that I’ve finished.
On Tuesday I had to go into the city and while I was there I went to the Quiltsmith. I’ve signed up for two of the workshops for January and I wanted to get the requirements list and take a look around. Guess what? They had a 30% OFF sale. If you live in Sydney then it’s still on. I think it finishes at the beginning of December.
The two workshops I’ve signed up for are KANTHA PEACOCKS, PARROTS & PAISLEYS and EMBROIDERY EMBELLISHMENT TECHNIQUES and I’m really looking forward to learning some new embellishment stitches, especially since I enjoyed the Traveller’s Blanket process so much.
While I was at the Quiltsmith I found the perfect fabric for the binding on the GAZ Quilt. It’s black with red spots. I also bought some gorgeous Japanese fabrics. My favourite, the woodcut one, is a Moda fabric called Kasuri. Anyway here are my purchases.
Beetroot and Rocket/Aragula Salad with Fig Balsamic Dressing
15 Thursday Nov 2012
Posted in Sew journal
Yesterday I roasted a rolled loin of lamb and some new potatoes and a little pumpkin and I rustled up this yummy salad to go with it.
It was so delicious that I’d thought I’d share the recipe with you.
Ingredients for the salad
5 small beetroot
1/2 punnet of rocket/aragula
1/2 a small cos lettuce
A large handful of mung bean sprouts
6 spring onions
Ingredients for the Dressing
1 tablespoon of Pukara Estate Fig Balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons of extra virgin cold pressed olive oil
1 tablespoon of water
Method for the Salad
Scrub the beetroots, rub a little oil on them and roast for 40 minutes at 180C. Turn them every 10 minutes. Check they are done with a sharp knife. While warm, being careful not to burn yourself, peel the skin off and chop off the ends. Cut the beetroots into eighths and place in a bowl. Make the dressing while the beetroots are cooking and pour all of it over the cut, warm beetroot.
While the beetroot is marinating wash and drain the rocket, mung bean sprouts and the lettuce. Chop the lettuce. Chop the spring onions. Place the Rocket, lettuce, mung bean sprouts and spring onions on a serving dish and mix up. Then place the beetroot on top and spoon over the rest of the dressing. It’s lovely warm or cold.
Method for the dressing
Add all the ingredients to a small bowl and whisk with a fork until the ingredients are emulsified.
My new best (quilting) friend – 505 Basting Spray
14 Wednesday Nov 2012
Posted in Sew journal
First up, this is NOT a sponsored post. I’m just excited to find a basting spray that works beautifully. Previously I tried 101 and I was disappointed with it and almost swore off spray basting ever again. However, I heard many people say that they had spray basted even large quilts with no problems so I did some research on the web and found good reviews for 505 and decided to try it.
The GAZ Blanket has had to become the GAZ Quilt because the minky I’m using for backing shows through the white on the top so I’ve had to add some batting. I’m using the Freudenberg Quilt Lite that I’ve used before because I don’t want it to be too heavy (I have to post it to England after all). So I have used the 505 to baste it and I found it so easy to use and it actually sticks!
My Aurifil 12wt cotton has arrived
25 Thursday Oct 2012
Posted in Sew journal
Tags
Aurifil 12 wt, hand quilting, quilt, quilting, quilting blog, sewing, sewing blog, sewjournal blog, thread
As you know, I’m really keen on big stitch quilting and so I recently bought 26 large spools of this lovely Aurifil 12wt cotton thread. I bought as many of the variegated ones as I could afford. Aren’t they lovely?
I can’t wait to use them.
Machine quilters look away!
16 Tuesday Oct 2012
Posted in Sew journal
Tags
Greater Western Sydney Modern Quilt Guil, hand quilting, machine quilting, patchwork, quilt, quilting, quilting blog, sewing, sewing blog, sewjournal blog, The Modern Quilt Guild, unpicking
I gave machine quilting a try on my “manly” quilt but I just didn’t like it so I unpicked it and re-quilted with 12wt cotton big stitch hand quilting. It’s going to take longer but I think I’ll be happier with it and it will look much better.
I took the quilt to the Greater Western Sydney Quilt Guild where Amy of Badskirt re-named it the Chevron Explosion which I think is a much more dynamic name and I intend to use it. She also took a photo of the progress so far.
A new baby quilt
14 Sunday Oct 2012
Posted in Sew journal
Tags
hand quilting, Jelly Roll Baby Quilt, machine piecing, patchwork, quilt, quilting, quilting blog, sewing, sewing blog, sewjournal blog
I have friends in DC who recently had a baby boy and so I made this little floor/wall quilt for him. I used a mixture of Kaffe Fassett and It’s a Hoot Jelly rolls and some animal fabric that I got in the Travelling Stash. For the backing I used a Dick Jane print.
The In a Spin Quilt is finished
12 Friday Oct 2012
Posted in Sew journal
Tags
hand quilting, hand-piecing, In a Spin, patchwork, quilt, quilting, quilting blog, sewing, sewing blog, sewjournal blog
Finally, it’s finished. Around 300 hours of work! So without further ado here are the photos.
The quilting is finished
07 Sunday Oct 2012
Posted in Sew journal
Tags
Aurifil 12 wt, hand quilting, patchwork, quilt, quilting, quilting blog, sewing blog, sewjournal blog, thread
I’ve taken progress photos and started to write progress posts but I never finished them. Anyway now I’m actually sewing on the binding so I thought I’d show you the border quilting before I do the big reveal when it’s finished.
Aurifil 12wt – my new favourite thread
The thread I used for the border is this variegated Aurifil 12 wt. It has a lovely sheen and I really enjoyed sewing with it. I bought it from my friend Kate of Kate Quilts who sells it at very reasonable prices. I think I might have to get some other colours.
Just in case you think I’ve been slacking…
05 Wednesday Sep 2012
Posted in Sew journal
Tags
hand quilting, patchwork, quilt, quilting, quilting blog, sewing, sewing blog, sewjournal blog, The Modern Quilt Guild
I know I’ve been very quiet lately but I haven’t been slacking. I’m trying to complete the In a Spin hand-quilting. I’ve completed 51 of the 99 blocks and then after that I have to quilt the border so I’m less than half-way there.
I’ve also joined the Greater Western Sydney Modern Quilt Guild. I don’t really like the word “Modern” as for me it has connotations of minimalistic ugliness in architecture and interior design. I prefer the word contemporary to describe the kind of quilts that aren’t just copies of traditional quilt designs. I don’t want to get into a whole controversial debate here either. I’m not saying one is better than the other. There are examples of both I really like and examples of both that I really dislike. Anyway the first meeting of the GWSMQG was lovely. Everybody was very enthusiastic, friendly and there was lots of interesting show and tell.
Here are a few photos of the In a Spin quilting.
So tell me… what are you working on at the moment?
