Quilting Owl

 I have definitely been missing from my blog of late and one of the distractions is that I spend too much time on Facebook.  So for those of you that I don't see there I thought I would let you know that I am still alive although not so productive on the quilting side at the moment as I seem to start things but have not finished too much. Another distraction is the fun I have with my collections particularly reorganising my thimbles which come under many categories and besides decorative and novelty everyday useful ones. I also just love pin cushions and can never have too many. The squares on this narrow runner at the end of a bookcase filled with quilting books are gradually filling up with badges from various location. Of course there is the ever increasing owl collection.  Owls lurk in every corner and available space in my studio and seem to breed when the lights are out! Next time I will get back to quilting. Frances

I am still having a lot of problems with my left wrist and hand and at times over the last couple of weeks have been trussed up in compression bandages to reduce the swelling. This has given me a lot of time to spend hand quilting on a commissioned quilt for future publication in AP&Q. For distraction I have been indulging myself by playing and sorting out my growing thimble collection.  This has been time well spend and brought back memories of past travels and the many gifts received from dear friends.  I have also spent much time on the net researching the history behind some of the collection. The thimbles now have a new home and it is wonderful to finally have most of them in one location. I would also like to share this lovely dual purpose birthday quilt made by Shirley from West Australia who is a seasonal member of the Sunday Stitchers (Shirley and her husband, Tony, spend the winter months in Cairns). Jenni has been busy strip piecing with...

I love making blocks and have succumbed to Barbara Brackman's "Austen Album Quilt" block of the week and here are my first four blocks "Austen Album Quilt" Blocks 1 to 4 I have also finished the latest block for the "Threads of Memory" BOM and here are the four blocks I have made so far "Threads of Memory" Blocks 1 to 4 Anyone would think it was my birthday or Christmas as some lovely gifts have come my way recently including this exquisitely crocheted beaded doily. and of course to add to the owl collection there is this lovely felt applique which is now hanging in the studio with other owls to keep it company. My thimble collection had been rather neglected of late so I was absolutely thrilled to receive these lovely additions and don't you just love the owl on the thimble in the centre. Till next time Frances

I thought it was time for those Civil War blocks I made from Barbara Brackman's BOM some time back to see the light of day again.  I had finished 52 and only needed to make the last one and then have some fun arranging the blocks on the design wall.  For the border I made blocks using up some of the stash fabrics and now I am working on the sashing. Now for some show and tell from the Sunday Stitchers and here is Dayna's absolutely stunning sewing machine cover which began life as some seminole pieced strips made in an earlier class. Jeannie just loves the project from my class "Come Fly with Me" and has made another version in a different colourway. I caught the Christmas bug late and just had time to make a dozen of these little purses to give to family and friends as gifts.  Talking of gifts, I received this little owl pincushion yesterday handmade by Kathy - how cut is this! My niece, Annette, also surprised me at Christmas with ...

It has been stressful for quite a while as we try to sort out a few things in our house so to cheer myself up I commenced a new project.  Cairns Craft Centre has just had a large shipment of lots of new paper piecing shapes and I decided to try out the Apple Cores using lots of black and white fabrics from my stash.  I have to say that this project is coming together much faster than the Pies & Tarts using an applique stitch and it is proving to be lots of fun. Christine over at Once upon a Quilt...  has a new blog where she is selling off lots of bits and pieces and I fell in love with these thimbles and just had to have them for my collection.  I might add they were speedily dispatched and beautifully wrapped so they all arrived safe and sound. I have also been adding the odd little owl to the ever growing collection and they now have a new home on a shelf between the button jars and lots of fabric. The other new addition is to the library and thi...

Pippa at Welsh Quilts  is coordinating efforts to make a commemorative quilt for Christchurch Cathedral, New Zealand, which suffered so much damage in the recent earthquake and she has asked for blocks from bell ringers and quilters.  Pippa has designed a block based on an old pattern called "monument" and here is the block I sent to her. I have also been catching up on my blocks for Barbara Brackman's Civil War quilt and here are numbers 17 and 18. "Comfort Quilt" - Block 17 CWQ "Union Square" - Block 18 CWQ My collection of owls is growing and they make me smile each time I go pass them. Till next time Frances

While I was checking out a few blogs last night (or I should say very early this morning) I noticed that Barbara Chainey  is having a Blog Anniversary Giveaway and the prize is a Tentmaker's applique piece.  This made me remember a quilt I have in my "Interesting Small Quilt" collection which I purchased at AQC (Australasian Quilt Convention) in Melbourne some years ago.  Jenny Bowker (who was living in Cairo at the time) brought to Australia a couple of the Tentmakers of Cairo with a collection of their quilts.  It was a wonderful exhibition but the really amazing part was being able to watch one of the Tentmakers stitching his applique which he did all day throughout the Convention. Tentmakers of Cairo Quilt I can't remember how many times I was lured back to watch with fascination this Tentmaker stitching his applique with a needle that looked like a small crowbar and amazingly large scissors (sitting at his side near the water bottle) working at very hi...

Stitching the "Seven Sisters" block for the Civil War quilt using the needleturn applique method slowed me down a little this week.  Also, the reproduction fabric I selected for the stars could have been of a slightly finer weave to get sharper points but I got there and its not even Sunday yet. Block 3 - "Seven Sisters"  Before Christmas I had a lot of fun making these cute little pincushions using bottle caps for the base covered with felt and filled with stuffing.  I embellished a few with embroidery and some day will finish the embroidery on the others and hopefully make some more for gifts. Till next time Frances

I have always loved baskets of all shapes and sizes and they have also proved to be a popular theme for me when designing quilts. My all time favourite quilt which I designed and made some years ago was "Blooming Baskets" which was published as a project in Australian Patchwork & Quilting Vol 18 Nos 1, 2 and 3.  When there is the odd cool night in Cairns this is the quilt I like to cuddle up with.  It was made as a class quilt with different forms of applique and was a very popular class for me. "Baskets Bright & Beautiful" was a quilt I designed and finished a few months ago and is currently available as a kit from Cairns Craft Centre. I believe that no Baltimore style quilt would be complete without a basket block and this will be going into my quilt. I love using baskets for projects and once I had all my hand stitching WIPs in lots of different baskets until they became too numerous and I ran out of space. Baskets are great...

It has taken me quite a while to get into the Chrismas spirit but it really felt like Christmas was just around the corner when I was out shopping today - there were gangs of young teenagers just released from institutions for their 6 weeks summer holiday, screaming kids, a queue out the door of the post office and the shops absolutely laden with merchandise. It was especially lovely to get these early Christmas presents from special stitching friends. Crystal owls for the studio   Owl pins to add to my pin quilt Now all I have to do is finish my shopping, write our Christmas cards, finish a few special Christmas projects and create order out of absolute chaos in the studio and house.  Thinking about all this has made me tired so I will do a Scarlet O'Hara because "tomorrow is another day". Till next time Frances

Peter is good at surprises and found these really cute Christmas novelty thimbles to add to the collection.  Now I just need a stand to put them on.  I seem to have outgrown the one that is currently being constructed (a WIP) but maybe if I am lucky Santa will bring one for me. We went to a Christmas Gift Fair last week and I couldn't resist these owls.  The larger one is made from recycled fabrics and the smaller one is made of folded paper (sort of origami) and lacquered.  They are very different to the other owls I have collected so far. I couldn't resist a new doll "Lily" which I found at the Fair which was giving out "take me home" vibes.  Another one for the menagerie gathering in a corner of the Studio. Till next time Franes

We have just spent a couple of days up on the Atherton Tablelands enjoying wonderful sights, good food and of course quilts.  One of the marvellous attractions is the Curtain Fig Tree near Yungaburra  which is surrounded by rain forest - We spent some time driving around Lake Tinaroo and in between showers (oh well this is the wet tropics) I managed the odd photo - Enjoyed a walk around the township of Yungaburra with its historic Federation style pub - and saw another inpressive tree - the Cathedral Fig - The main reason for our trip this weekend was to judge the Quilt Section in the Atherton Show.  This is the second year I have been invited to perform this task and again it was a privilege to do so.  There were some lovely quilts and it was difficult narrowing it down to one winner in some of the sections.  I was supported by a lovely group of women acting as Stewards for the Show Society and here some of them are setting up some of the exhibits: There wa...