A final OPAM for January

I managed a 9th finish for January this evening.

All this quilt required was binding, but before I show you the binding let me show you the quilting.

 

 

These curves and circles were quilted on O-me and were definitely a bit of trial and error, they used my new quilting frame template patterns.  With a bit more practise we should get along just fine.

 

 

 The finished result is this quilt for a sailor on board HMAS Toowoomba, as part of Aussie Hero Quilts.

( I hope he likes the Wallabies.)

 

This sailing inspired laundry bag will be travelling with the quilt.

 

 I will just need to keep making soldier quilts, so I can practise my quilting.  

Hopefully I can keep up my finishing momentum.

A Christmas Finish

I have another finished project for this year.

This is my Christmas Table Cloth.

 

This cloth belonged to my Paternal Grandmother.  It was always on the 'big table' at Christmas dinner.  By the time I was old enough to graduate to the BIG table, we were all at the big table so I don't know if I ever got to 'sit at the cloth'.

Any how about 10 years ago Nanna was cleaning  out and decided I could have the cloth as I am a Christmas tragic.  I decided that I needed a tradition for my family, thus started the cloth signing.

  Every year that I host Christmas , I have the guests sign the cloth, I then embroider over the signatures.

 I love seeing how much my kids have grown buy looking at their writing.  In the photo above Edward is 4 (yes it looks like Edmond) and below he is 7.

 I love that as the years go by the signatures will increase and change. Maybe one day my Grandchildren will sign this cloth, who knows?

So the signatures from 2012 Christmas are done and the cloth will go away until the next time I host Christmas, maybe 2013 maybe 2015???

Do you have any Christmas traditions in your house?

My Australia Day

I spent my Australia Day Sewing, sewing & sewing.

I started my day by quilting a Quilt for Aussie Hero Quilts & Laundry Bags

Here is a progress shot while on O-me (yes I was quilting - yes we had to get reacquainted)

 

That quilting line says "Thank You Aussie"

I bound this baby while at a pyjama party with UFO Crafters read about that here

And yes, proof that I was sewing.

 

The finished quilt

The photo doesn't really show it, but it is quilted with zig zag lines.

These 6 Laundry Bags were also finished this weekend, they are off to Aussie Heroes as well.

 And the super exciting part about it is, the quilt is one item off my UFO list (1 finish for Sew it is Finished)

And I have all 6 bags & I quilt for my OPAM list.

YEAH me!!

Celebrate Australia Day

Happy Australia Day Friends.

This year more than ever, I feel the words of Dorothea McKellar's poem "My Country are especially significant.

I love a sunburnt country,
A land of sweeping plains,
Of ragged mountain ranges,
Of droughts and flooding rains.
I love her far horizons,
I love her jewel-sea,
Her beauty and her terror
The wide brown land for me! 

 You will find me in my sewing room today, making some items for Aussie Hero Quilts and Laundry Bags.

 

On the sewing table

This quilt is my current work in progress. It will either become a Care Quilt or an Aussie Hero Quilt - I won't know till it is finished.

Made from a layer cake of "Lucy's Crab Shack" it has lots of quirky prints.  It is a simple and economical design.

 

My problem is choosing a layout.

Chevrons

Circles?

 

Diagonals?

 

What do you think?

OPAM 2013 has started

Yes OPAM 2013 registrations have opened.  

OPAM (One Project A Month) encourages participants to do just that - at least 1 project a month.

The lovely Kris of Tag along Teddies and Peg of Happy in Quilting are the hosts for his event.  Pop on over to either of thier blogs for full details and to sign up.

You can watch my progress over there on the right where I have a list of finishes.

See you back here soon.

In your words - or lack there of

Hello everyone who is 'hopping' over for the "In Your Words" blog hop.

Yes, I was scheduled to participate today, but came home from holidays to unexpected machine problems and couldn't get my project made.

This made me quite sad and I contacted Linda and she withdrew me from the list.  

I guess I then didn't want to link anything as I was just sad (and felt like I had let everyone down).

So please enjoy hopping and remember to thank Linda and Madame Samm for their great efforts in putting this all together.

Apologies again.

Debra