Quilting delay :(

In my last post I posed the question whether to quilt my lovely bluebirds quilt...

After much consideration, and I even purchased 8 yards of this yummy fabric...Kaffe Fasset Asian Circles.

I decided to NOT quilt, even now as I am typing I feel disappointed that this lovely quilt top is not going to be quilted yet, but I am going to quilt some smaller quilts to enter in the exhibition in September, and once that is past I will consider if I am ready to to do the big quilt....well I have one less barrier now...I have the backing!

So what have I been up to?

Well I tidied up my sewing room...I had so much STUFF out it was impossible to even think, let alone sew! This is my room tidy :)

I have started quilting a top.....remember this quilt...from the Becky Goldsmith and Linda Jenkins book Applique Outside the Lines with Piece O'Cake Designs.

Well it's going to be quilted soon.....I have made a good start...

And after my oh no moment with Mrs Billings in April I have fixed up my strippy borders and got my diamond border on....

And another border since these photos were taken....all hand sewing of course...

Last, but not least, Mum and I did a two day "workshop" with Karen Styles, which included a tour Karen organised of the Victoria and Albert Quilts from London, which are currently on display at the Queensland Art Gallery, so apart from the fab quilts from the V&A (more on that shortly), we got to see alot of the quilts from Somerset Patchwork and the Mrs Billings quilt again, and it was great to see what the other ladies on the tour were working on.

Our visit to the Queensland Art Gallery to see the quilts that are tour from the Victoria and Albert Museum was fabulous.....really fabulous, if you are in Brisbane between now September you MUST go....for something to whet your appetite on these quilts, check out this link, the Art Gallery has provided short videos on eleven on the quilts, describing the history of the quilts and provided close up photos....the clam shell bed hangings are amazing :)

If you have a look at the videos, remember that most of the work is whip stitched, even the most intricate appliqué....quite fascinating.

Something a bit crazy

Last weekend I did a workshop! A two day workshop, on a completely fabulous quilt....but for me it is something of a crazy project....this will be what they call a "slow boiler"... apparently the average elapsed time for completion is 12 months!

The Mrs Billing's Coverlet, you can find the original quilt online at Britain's York Quilt Museum and Gallery, and the pattern was drafted by Karen Styles (Somerset Patchwork and Quilting, Melbourne). Darwin Patchworkers and Quilters bought her to Darwin specially for the workshops.

This quilt will be made from Denyse Schmidt fabrics, of which I have many, including the new Chicopee range.

Day 1 was spent choosing fabrics and cutting out little triangles, and sewing them together by hand.

Day 2 was spent choosing more fabrics, and making up hexagons! Yikes...tiny little 5/8" hexagons and little diamonds ! The only sewing I got done was stitching the little diamonds together in the center

It is looking very fetching I think!

Eventually the centre will look like this

I am going to do all the borders on the machine, with the obvious exception of the hexagons. I am not sure whether I am committed to do the whole quilt, it is 94"x 94", and apparently there is over 6000 pieces....starting to get the crazy part now? I would like to do the first hexagon border, so we will see how I feel about the rest of the quilt then!

Despite feeling a bit intimidated by the complexity of the quilt, the templates and instructions for the quilt are easy to use, and of course with Karen's tutelage over the two days makes you think anything is possible!

If you get an opportunity to do one of Karen's workshops go do it...go and challenge yourself, you will be surprised how a good technique can make a "complex" pattern easier!

Karen has just blogged about her visit to the Territory...check it out here!