Burn

This is my sister - she may not thank me for posting her photo here - I also had ones with her and me, but I am so ghastly in photos it is not funny and sometimes it is....

unfortuately, her fiance (at the time) was not able to get here in time for gift giving before the wedding, which I so wanted him for.

She and I and everyone there cried and hugged and it was a very emotional gift giving and receiving.  I am so so glad that both she and her man love it dearly, which warms my heart so much.

The Oakshott quilt - now renamed 'Burn' because......

Their wedding quilt - not for 'the bed' as seems so smirkly suggested, but just a couch quilt to snuggle under was quickly designed once a pattern from Oakshott website was seen through a link:H elen Howes Textiles Tiger Tiger - titled from William Blake's poem: Tiger Tiger Burning Bright 

After much play and thought and play and reconsideration of placement of blocks, I liked a more vertical arrangement, making them more as trees (in my mind). I was being led to a more organic state of mind, thinking of sky sun and earth being so similar from both bride and groom's background.

It was my expression of the two countries of Australia and South Africa being one - having so much colour in common - deep blue hues for sky, hot burning yellows and oranges for the sun and earthy reds and browns for earth, touched with cool greens for the flora and blues for the waters.

When my sister told me about her Wedding Exit Song: Burn Your Name by Powderfinger - this I knew I had to incorporate it somehow.

 An iconic Aussie rockband playing in a 12th century english church. I loved it!!

Kerrie from BlackForest Quilting in Macedon came to my rescue after tears of frustration at my quilting machine and helped realise my dream of how I thought it could be. 'Cool Water' was the quilting pattern for majority of the quilt - thanks to Jeannette for this suggestion - it was perfect.

Burn your name right across the sky

So I never forget what the feeling's like

I want every single soul to know

that I love you for what you are

So I sound the bells that praise your precious heart

I have to admit that the end result was Not exactly how I thought it would be in my mind and my finishing mistakes did not help that at all, But,

the faults I know and can see is completely negated by the love felt by her and by me

and that is all that counts.

Love.

Manna from Heaven

Otherwise known as Liberty of London fabric

12 metres of Tana Lawn, Cotton Jersey and Voile bought from Shaukat - a special adventure taken just by me, while in London with my family for my sister's wedding.

Do you think I'd show pictures of the wedding first? No!  The liberty had to come out for first show and tell!

I had to stop buying cos it was getting too heavy to carry hehehe!

The jersey (bottom flowers) was bought for the Vogue 1250 pattern - I can always dream :)

The next few photos are a lovely pile of 'scraps' bought for 2 and 5 pounds - I'll have that, and that, and that...!!

I fell in love with these antique french scizzors

 and nearly died when I found this Victorian era cushion for 5 pounds.  It is very simple, torn and frayed and I just love it.

Is it your thing too?

I left one out!  Make it 15 metres!! Wahoo!!

I had obviously blocked out of my mind how much I bought, but it just makes me extra happy for the price I got it for.

Is it almost worth the horrible flight over to the otherside of the world to go again??

Done and Dusted

A final shot of the quilt that has taken up my mindspace for nearly 10 months

My hubbie heard an audible sigh of relief that it is finished - sewn, quilted, bound, washed, dried, ironed, labelled, photographed, and now, blogged - not fully mind you - cannot show everything about it or give full details....that will come my lovelies ;)

A small history of the Oakshotts quilt is Here

Now, it is homeward bound, where hopefully, it will be loved and cherished.  I think it will, I really do.

Exciting times ahead!

Love Liberty

They must have know it was my birthday this week - my name was pulled from hundreds of entries (if not 1000!) into the Amitie Love Liberty Bundle giveaway

Wow!!

How special are these??

Liberty is not for everyone....I understand that, but each and every print is so beautiful, even when plain - I can't explain it; maybe the luxuriousness of the tana lawn cloth just puts you in textile heaven for a moment

These following are photos of more or less my favourites - Amitie is so sneaky - cos now I want yardage of certain ones in particular for a silky shirt, and they have tempted me so!!

This one makes me grin!!!

I am going to need Your Help with choosing what do to with them - I have no idea!!

Oakshotts sneak peak so close to finishing

Oakshotts sneak peak so close to finishing, a photo by Whippet Good on Flickr.

My + & x - take #2

My + & x - take #2, a photo by Whippet Good on Flickr.

My lot for the Bee Bold Bee - still more to do - lots by my fellow Bee Bold Bee members!

sashing to do inbetween - I think this will be a pick up and put down quilt - little by little it will grow!!!

Buzzing like a bee

The MMQG's Bee Bold Bee:

MJ's super easy, super simple half circle raw edge applique - 'snickerdoodles!!'

Catherine's super easy, super simple block of red and aqua (I think I've seen that combo around here before....;)

AusMod Bee through Flickr

Jane's not so easy and definititely not simple

paper pieced block.

64 pieces per block people!

Well, once the shock for this one time only paper piecer was over, it did come together relatively easily.  There were quite a few seams of unpicking, a little bit of fudging, the lines don't all line up I'm afraid, hundreds of bias edges may be the reason??

I am glad it is over...BUT I am glad I had to do it!

It has actually inspired me to to do more paper piecing!!!

The next in-my-head project is to make this with Twiddletails' Geese in the Forest pattern.

Who is with me??

We can curse and rip together!!

Finished quilt top (1)

Finished quilt top (1), a photo by Whippet Good on Flickr.

Well - Here is the first finished top photo - a little hurried as the 'helpers' were not really helping - well, they were, but under duress as quilt holders often seem to be - why 'just a little higher' brings out groans I don't know!

I digress - My Oakshott Quilt Top - I am in love with it, I must say. I love the layout - can anyone see the deep blue sky leading to the golden orb sun and down to the green flora and the deep red earth. Very organic is how I may describe this one.

Next test is the quilting - aaahhhh that is causing me just a Huge amount of grief and stress atm - special quilting machine is getting serviced, waiting on parts for yet another week - this will be nearly a month now, so I am doing a mad and I mean crazy dash to get some angel to see my vision and deliver me. I have such a vision for the quilting of this - I cannot say more, but I wanted something special since conception and I must not waver.

Wish me luck! I will keep you peeps up to date!

AMH feather block for Lorena in Ausmod Bee

AMH feather block for Lorena in Ausmod Bee, a photo by Whippet Good on Flickr.

This pretty (not so little) thing has given me undue angst! For very little reason too! Once I set myself to the job, it was a sweetie to sew!!!

Now I know why people baulk at this pattern, but love love it once it's made.

Hmmm....Could I do more?........

Ruby on a Rainbow

Ruby on a Rainbow, a photo by Whippet Good on Flickr.

Do you feel like this some days?