Quilting Owl

To honour the centenary of ANZAC Day some members of the Sunday Stitchers have accepted the challenge to make a mug mat with this theme.  All the quilts tell a story and some about ancestors who fought as ANZACs.  These quilts are currently hanging in Cairns Craft Centre. Till next time Frances

The latest edition of Australian Patchwork & Quilting Vol. 24 No 7 features quilts from several members of the Cairns Craft Centre Sunday Stitching group including my "Victory Parade" made from two layer cakes or 70 10" squares plus a narrow border.  It is great to be in such good company. "Crazy with a Twist" by Joan Taylor "I Now Call North Queensland Home" by Jenny Edlin "Victory Parade" by Frances Leate Till next time Frances

It is good to have my blog up and running again although I had to take all the buttons from the sidebar till I found the one that had been hijacked. Here is some work by Roz and Pauline from a recent class beginner's class at Cairns Craft Centre. "Night Owl" by Frances Leate Finished quilt top by Roz Pauline's quilt just needing the border Jan has just joined the Sunday Stitchers and brought along these lovely quilts that she has just finished making Just a quick post and hopefully will have more to show soon. Till next time Frances

I was delighted when Helen showed me a couple of quilts she has now finished that she commenced in some of my classes in recent months.  "Just Kimonos" which was published in Australian Patchwork & Quilting Vol 22 No 12 is a present for her mother and will soon be on its way to England.  Helen's braid quilt has used some stunning new pre cut fabrics from Cairns Craft Centre. Meanwhile back in the studio I have been very busy flitting from one project to another.  There is the purple quilt which I am currently machine quilting in preparation for a class in January at Cairns Craft Centre. Then we have all the different projects in various stages of assembly which I store in plastic boxes. There is "the chair" with all the quilt tops and layered quilts waiting for their turn to be machine quilted and the partly quilted ones just waiting until there is nothing else more urgent before I finish quilting them. I always get around to fini...

"In Harmony", a quilt I thoroughly enjoyed hand piecing, has finally made it into print in the current issue of Australian Patchwork & Quilting Vol 23 No 2.  It was a great therapy project that I almost hated to finish and I am now looking forward to getting the quilt home to put it up on the wall. "In Harmony" by Frances Leate AP&Q Vol 23 No 2 "In Harmony" by Frances Leate AP&Q Vol 23 No 2 At a recent meeting of the Sunday Stitchers Jenny brought along a friend, Ann, visiting from the US who she has shared emails with for some time.  Jenny made a special quilt for Ann using symbols and fabric from her native county New Zealand. I thought I would just share the latest coffee themed kit quilt I have designed and which is available exclusively from Cairns Craft Centre. "Mocha Magic" by Frances Leate Till next time Frances

There was a particularly good turn out at the last meeting of the Sunday Stitchers at Cairns Craft Centre with the usual chat, laughter and cake. Jenny brought along a quilt she has just got back from her longarm quilter, Sue Cann, which is the Civil War one made for a block of the week which Barbara Brackman did on her blog some time back. Donna had her very happy quilt made in my Begginers' Patchwork Class and I really enjoy seeing these projects finished. Back in the studio I have been playing with a layer cake and most unusually for me I have been doing some hand quilting on my Amish Star quilt.  I long ago gave up hand quilting using the needle rocking method because of my right hand but lately I have started  stab stitching and while slow doesn't cause me so many problems. Till next time Frances

It has been quite a while since I posted on this blog and my only excuse if that I have been busy with lots and lots of projects that I wasn't able to show but I couldn't let Peter big birthday pass without some comment! His celebration has been continuing all week and today his youngest daughter in Sydney sent a lovely surprise of this hamper filled with lots of yummy goodies which was delivered a short time ago.  However Peter cut the ribbon too quickly and the balloons took off and are now stuck to the very high ceiling in the studio and we smile every time we look up. Peter wanted a low key celebration and thought he would like a holiday in Hawaii instead so this we will be enjoying in the New Year.  To keep with the theme of the birthday I have been making a Hawaiian quilt for him but had difficulty getting an opportunity to finish the quilting when he wasn't around so had to give it to him as a UFO. The long timers in the Sunday Stitching Group at...

I have fallen behind with posting the photos for Show and Tell at the Sunday Stitchers so lets starts with this beautiful quilt by Kathy which features hexagons.  We have enjoyed watching the progress of this quilt and it is wonderful to now see it in all its glory. Dayna and her mother set a personal challenge for themselves after a fabric shopping spree and this is the great design Dayna came up with for the chosen fabric. Jenny has completed her version of one of my quilt designs "Strawberry Fields" which she began in a class at Cairns Craft Centre. Jenny has also completed a few more quilt tops to be given to some lucky recipients. Lesleigh dug deep into her quilt archives to share this beauty with us which is one of her very early efforts. Till next time Frances

It was "Christmas in July" time at the July get together for the Sunday Stitchers and here are just a few photos taken by us with all the wonderful decorations organised by the staff at Cairns Craft Centre. Tree with presents Decorations with a pretend log fire Sunday Stitchers very busy making their surprise project Peter playing Santa Till next time Frances

At the last meeting of the Sunday Stitchers I was presented with this wonderful gift by Jenny which will hang in pride of place in my studio after I have finished the machine quilting.  Jenny has been hand stitching this beautiful quilt for a few meetings now and these owls definitely have an individual personality. Meanwhile in the studio I have finally finished machine quilting "To the Manor Born" which will hang at Cairns Craft Centre as soon as I have completed the pattern. The back of "To the Manor Born" by Frances Leate Now I will look forward to when I can settle down and spend some quality time hand stitching the binding to the back which is a process I always enjoy. Till next time Frances

Since reorganising some fittings and adding lots of new shelves there has been some steady progress in the studio although I still have a large pile of paper and lots of fabric to sort through.  The pile of patterns to be written on the "to do" list is slowly (ever so slowly) diminishing and progress has been achieved on a number of current WIPs. I have just finished machine quilting "Buttons, Birds and Blooms", a medallion quilt with a panel centre I have shown in earlier posts, and made a couple of matching cushions with the other two small left-over panels.  Currently I am enjoying the process of hand stitching the binding after which the quilt can be photographed and the pattern completed.  This is a kit quilt commissioned by Peter to sell at Cairns Craft Centre. Till next time Frances

Since I started the mammoth job of sorting out things in the studio time has just evaporated which is probably not surprising in the heat of a Cairns' summer and a task turned into a career.  Well furniture has been moved around, shelves have been added for all the UFO project boxes, magazines have been filed or archived and I still have a heap or two of papers or fabrics to go through but that can wait till another day.  I have just been checking out the camera and found some lovely work made by my students in recent classes at Cairns Craft Centre. First up is Helen's lovely quilt which is the centre block of one of my new  medallion quilts "To the Manor Born" - and here is Jenny's version of this same quilt. Jenny has also completed the top for her stunning Kimonos Quilt - and lastly here are some great tablemats made in a class last year with a seminole braid trim. At the moment I am up to my ears in machine quilting and writing patte...