Quilting Owl

Well I have definitely been missing in action and now believe that there is some other being who steals time from me or else there are just less hours in the day now!!! I finally got around to downloading some photos from my camera and found some I had taken at a Sunday Stitchers some time back when we had a "To the Manor Born" show and tell.  This quilt is one I got immense enjoyment designing and appeared in Australian Patchwork & Quilting Vol. 23 Nos. 7, 8 and 9 and is also one of my class projects.  It was great to see some of the girl's work in various stages of completion. "To the Manor Born" by Frances Leate Lesleigh's version of  THMB Kathy's version with added hexagon border of THMB Thora's THMB wip When I made the original quilt I only intended at first to make a small medallion but it just kept growing.  Later I decided to make another version of the quilt centre with different fabrics and what a difference ...

I can't believe it is August already and while I never seem to stop stitching I haven't had as many finishes of late.  Maybe one of the reasons is my preoccupation with the wonderful quilt "1718 Coverlet" which I have been making from Susan Briscoe's book.  This project is very addictive and I have been enjoying hand piecing and needleturn appliqueing the blocks.  Unfortunately I now have to put it aside for a while to get on with some more urgent projects. At Sunday Stitching this morning we had fun with some of the quilts started in previous classes for my project "To the Manor Born".  I really love seeing how people interpret my designs and the power of colour and what a difference it can make. "To the Manor Born" by Frances Leate Lesleigh loves red and teal and what a difference it makes to her gorgeous entirely hand stitched quilt.  Now she just needs to finish the hand quilting. Kathy added to the project to make a lar...

I had a wonderful couple of days with a great group of ladies when I was invited to teach at the "Family of Quilters" retreat at Redlynch on the weekend. After a fabulous welcome dinner on the Friday night it was time for my trunk show and then show and tell from some of the members of the group.  Jane Austen gowns featured throughout the night and Ruth wore her beautiful blue one. "A Spring Affair" by Frances Leate "Flowers in the Sun" by Frances Leate Karen's confetti quilt Margaret's Bargello Alexis' version of Di Ford's "Montmellick" Fiona with the "Jane Austen" gowns she made for her and  her daughters To finish, a selection of the Kimono blocks made by Karen, Alexis and Madonna for one of the projects they could choose on the weekend. A big thank you to all the members of the group for a great weekend. Till next time. Frances

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

I have had lots of distractions over the last few months and have been very remiss keeping up with this blog.  In between these distractions I have been working on lots of different projects mainly UFOs but not too many finishes as yet. There have been some additions to my pincushion collection, some gifts from dear friends and some I have made myself or purchased at craft fairs. I have finally finished quilting a quilt top hand stitched as a gift for me by Jenny and this quilt now hangs in the studio. I have turned a panel into a quilt for the latest addition to the family, a great grandniece called Ivy. Then it was time to start on some of the UFO projects housed in plastic boxes and I finished this quilt top which is now layered and currently being machine quilted. I have assembled these hand pieced diamond blocks into larger sections which are now ready for an appliqued centre medallion.  At least I have made some progress on this long time UF...

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

Happy New Year to all my family, friends and followers of this blog and I hope 2015 is going to be a really wonderful one for you all. I Instead of a new year's resolution I select a word for the year and this year the word is "create".  I want to create and not procrastinate and to keep me on track I have made a mug mat with this word to keep near me when I am working as a constant reminder. Happy New Year to you all and I would like to thank you for your continued support. Till next time Frances