Red Hot Basket

Another weekend almost finished, except here in the Northern Territory, we are lucky that it is a long weekend, so we get tomorrow off too! It's the last long weekend before Christmas, so it's all work and not much play time now we are into the second half the year!

And of course, this weekend was the local guild's exhibition, it was lovely seeing everyone's quilts. As I work, I often don't see the quilts that the ladies are making, as I can't get to group sewing days, so it's fun to see the type of work that everyone does.

As some of you would have seen over the last month or two I have plugging away at quilting my Red Hot Basket quilt for the exhibiton, it's not so big at 50"x50", and I have been making it for about two years, on and off, of course.

The creation started about two years ago when I first read Gwen Marston and Freddy Moran's book Collaborative Quilting...the book encourages us quilters to break the rules in order to promote creativity. Spend less time on making our points pointier, and more time having good ideas! What a revelation!!

First the little houses were made, then the churn dashes, and nine patches, and then I thought "So what I do now?" So into the cupboard it went for some "stewing" time...and by then Gwen and Freddy 2nd book, Collaborate Again, had arrived in my bookshelf...and the basket, the flying geese, and the little half square triangle sashing were born....I was still thinking I am not sure were this is heading...so back in the cupboard it went....it wasn't until this year I decided it was time to finish it...so out it came, it was spread out all over the design wall, the floor, the lounge, until eventually it emerged fully formed!

So if you are looking for a way to have some fun with your fabrics, that makes use of all those great creative ideas you have, my recommended reading list is:

1. Collaborative Quilting by Gwen Marston and Freddy Moran
2. Collaborate Again by Gwen Marston and Freddy Moran
3. Liberated Quiltmaking II Gwen Marston
4. Last but not least House by Freddy Moran....I have always loved Freddy Moran's quilts...she treats red as a neutral colour...which means all her quilts are electrifyingly bright!

Have fun creating!