Monday, January 10, 2011

Getting Started

Hello, Ladies. I saw Kim's Roseville Album quilt at the 2010 Houston show, and it was more beautiful in person than online. I spent quite awhile looking at it in detail and admiring the beautiful colors. I was inspired to try it!

I have appliqued for years, and have used various threads such as 50-weight Aurifil, Mettler and Guterman. DMC and YLI have also been recommended to me, but I have never used them. For needles, I use size 12 Clover Gold Eye.

Do any of you have any particular recommendations? I have tried the silk threads, but don't like them as much.

Best,
Kathy

Sunday, January 9, 2011

block # 4 of the lollipops

Although it seems absolutely trivial when you read about Adele's problems i would like to show you the fourth block i managed to finish.
And my blocks so far. I have no idea why the letters are blue and now black again or why it is underlined. I'm glad i'm better at appliqueing then i am at the computer.
But i do like my blocks together. Maybe a bit blue so far. But that can easily be helped.

The flood waters just keep on rising

Well we are stuck with no way out we live on the highest part of the river in Maryborough Queesnland we have our own little island and all roads around us cut off so as the flood waters are rising it has only 2 metres to go and it will break the banks on this side of the river.

My partner is staying at the local hospital as he has renal failure and in need of a kidney pancres transplant so they didn't want him to get any kind of infection with all the muddy water lying around. So it is just me his Mum and Dad and my little dogs Toyo and Tinkerbell.

Only a minimal amount of sewing has been done im working on an applique crib quilt and everything else has been packed up and has been moved to a higher place.

We are expecting more heavy rain and if so were told we will have to be evacuated no one likes to leave there home ;(







Keep me in your thoughts.
Adele xx

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Six complete

Thank you for all your great comments on my last post, some requested seeing the blocks pictured together, so here they are.....

Seeing them like this has made me realise that I need to plan the colour combinations for the remaining lollipops so that they all look good together. I also remembered a previous post by Janet on colour values & seeing them better by removing the colour from the image & you can see in the photo below this is going to be a valuable tool in planning future blocks.

Once again thanks for all the good advice given on this blog, I am learning so much as a novice patchworker/quilter & really appreciate all the tips shared.
Now back to block 7, happy stitching :)

I can take it....

Good morning, experts.

I come to you asking for your opinions and suggestions.  I always make a practice block before starting a big project and if Lollypops isn't a big project, I don't know what is.  It was particularly important to make a sample or two to see if I even remembered how to applique since I've only done a few quilt labels in the last few years.

The bottom sample came first and is the fabric I bought for LPs.  I wanted some color and no directional print.   I like it OK but kept thinking and decided to try black after seeing some of the recent posts which blew me away.

The top sample is a Marcus Brothers deep, deep black with ginkgo leaves (can you see them).  I fell in love with it when I saw it and bought the entire bolt.  I simply had to have it all!!!!  I love the contrast with the black (altho it certainly attracts lint!).  What I don't love is the show through on the pieces.  The bodies of the LPs still have freezer paper in them -- the heads don't.  I've cut away the background on the orange one on the left and you can see the shadows.  The others still have the background intact and you can see the seam allowances which I fear will be more pronounced with a lite batting. 

So -- I'm stumped. I can always keep searching for the perfect background (I certainly need to keep practicing my circles when I look at these up close) or I'm open to your suggestions.  This will be a work in progress for a long time and I would hate to be 1/2 through and decide I've made a big boo-boo.  In the end, I'll choose one or the other (or another) and get started but decided to bare my blocks to you all for any suggestions.  One of the things I admire about you all is that you provide constructive feedback and don't just say "it's lovely" and nothing else.  So -- I can take it.  Thanks a bundle.

Jan

Friday, January 7, 2011

Block 2 My Garden

Yesterday I finished block 2, I'd never dream of finishing two blocks in one week, having my job and other stitching. But this is great fun, so I just go on :)


Done with Three!

Although this block was partially finished at Thanksgiving, the block and I had a few technical difficulties (I cut off part of one of the pieces by mistake, forgot to add the centers, etc.).  But it's finally done, well more or less....


Looking at the photo, the centers on the blue flowers look really blah. In real life, they aren't that bad, but aren't great.  I think maybe darker would be better?  For now I've decided to leave everything (that's sewn) alone until all the blocks are done, otherwise I'd be forever swapping them around (indecisive is my middle name), and I think for me it's better to finish, than continue to fuss with it.  But please feel free to make suggestions...I'll probably change it (and more) later. ;)

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Happy New Year to you all!
Can anyone please tell me does 'Glue Stick' cause
any damage to sewing machines.
My old machine died before Christmas and I'm waiting
on a new machine end of January ..... Starting Kim Mcleans
Lollypop quilt can't wait.