Thursday 8 March 2012

Back from the break

Have been working away on a quilt top. Bought the charm squares about 4 years ago at the Quilters Symposium in Palmerston North. Went there with my mother, and we had a Very Good Time. The credit cards where slightly bruised by the end of the weekend though! Mother also bought me some fat quarters to give me a bit more to work with. A couple of weeks ago I went to buy Plain Muslin and came away with this rather sumptuously patterned fabric. A quiet palette, but definitely sumptuously patterned. The pattern is from Amy Butlers site - though I took no notice at all of her measurements and just used the biggest square I could get out of the charm squares after they had been washed, which was 6.5 inches. That set everything else. The photo does not show the whole quilt - for two reasons. One: its a big quilt top! and Two: I have one more round of squares to attach, so it ain't finished, quite.



And here is one of the dogs, wondering why I'm taking photos of her late at night



I have two Westie's, this one is called Shinty. She thinks she is in charge of everyone. Everywhere. My other Westie is the opposite, and prefers to be told what to do - she is very shy. They get on really well together.

8 comments:

  1. This is a really nice design - and your fabric colors and patterns are really nice! Fun that Shinty was the photo you decided to link with to Leah's!

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    1. Yup, I decided what the quiltalong really needed was WESTIE. Lots and lots of westie! Thanks for the comments on the quilt :)

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  2. I love Westies! A friend used to have one and she was a real character.
    Lovely quilt - beautiful, restful colours.

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    1. I have been reading a book on wabi-sabi and yearning for a more wabi sabi home. Your comment on the restful colours is much appreciated. Like I am heading in the right direction. Thank you!

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  3. ToniJ - that is a beautiful palette of colors - and I've learned from you. I've used charm packs, but have never washed the fabric! I now have a note taped to the charm packs - WASH FABRICS FIRST! Excellent tip. What do you have planned for your quilting?

    Shinty looks like a sweatpea! Can't wait to see the other Westie!

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  4. I'm not 100% sure on whether to wash the charm packs. I have definitely read NOT to somewhere. And of course I have also read YOU MUST. Quilters, huh?! I washed because of the indigo colours - I wasn't going to find out about them running after I finished the quilt.

    Quilting wise, I was planning an uber-simple plan of quilting in the ditch around the big squares/rows. So there would be a six inch gap between quilting lines, and only five lines of quilting altogether. Shocking, I know. No free motion quilting at all. But I want to keep it Very simple, so the fabrics are the stars. I love Japanese prints.

    The other Westie sneaked into my sewing room and pooped on this quilt. So good thing I did prewash, as I had to soak it to get the green (!) marks out. The other Westie may be waiting a while before I do nice things like feature HER on the internests!!

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  5. Pretty quilt top. Can't wait to see it quilted. your westie looks like she's winking at us :D

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    1. Yes - that's a Westie having a bad hair day! Happens to them too....

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