"Another year over, a new one just begun"

Well not quite - after all we are now almost at the end of January!

Before logging on to write this post I was trying to think why it has been so long since the Sisters updated their blog. Apart from Deb, I think we are all in quilt hibernation following the huge effort put in by all to get quilts completed for Quilts in the Barn.

There has of course been some activity, so here are a couple of photos,. The first is of Ann working on a wedding quilt for her daughter. At last count I think Ann said she had 90 days to finish the quilt before the big day.

Barb has started the Burnt Quilt. This is one of the inner borders, which are now all completed and attached. Sorry there is not a more recent photo to show you, rest assured it is beautiful and Barb's hand sewing is perfection (as always).

Me, I have pulled another UFO/WIP from the cupboard. This one, 19th Century Flower Baskets, is another of Di's beautiful patterns. I started it at a class with Di in 2005 when Primarily Patchwork was still open. It became what I call my 'travel' quilt.

Why? At the time of starting the quilt, I was travelling a lot with work and it involved a lot of long haul flights. Because of the size and shape of the applique pieces I would prep a block before a flight and take it with me, sewing mainly while in the air. Work was always demanding so I don't recall getting much sewing time once on the ground.

I have now finished the four centre blocks. The background is a lovely old gold toile that I purchased in the USA during one of my trips.

I have also finished one of the inner prairie point borders and prepped 3 more. Still lots of sewing to go but I am enjoying it.

Until next time,

Meghan

Saturday Sewing

Yesterday was the most perfect late spring day in Melbourne. It was also the third Saturday of the month and time for the Sisters to gather, this time at Deb's, for a day of sewing and chatter. For the first time in ages all ten of the Saturday sewers were present as Barb and Kerry are back from their travels. It was not one of our most industrious days as there was so much to catch up on. In addition to hearing about Barb and Kerry's trips, Di has also been away, somehow managing to fit a visit to Houston in her busy schedule.

I took along a recently finished quilt top to show the girls. The top was started at Patchwork on Stonleigh's Summer School in January 2008. I took a class at Summer School with Karen Cunningham. She called the original quilt, Miss Emma.

As I am making it for my niece Erin I consulted her on colours. She wanted something 'black'.

After the initial burst of enthusiasm that marks the beginning of any new project, I had got this far. It then disappeared into my cupboard, not to see the light of day until 4 weeks ago.






I have done mostly hand stitching for the past 2 years, lots of needleturn applique and hand piecing. It was a nice change to get out the sewing machine to add the final 3 borders.
This little pile was destined to become 24 10inch blocks.





According to "Carrie Hall Blocks" by Bettina Havig, they are called Godey's Lady's Book Block. Such a mouthful! There must be a better name for it!








And here is the finished quilt top. As you can see, it is very black! (And very big, 94 x 94 inches.) These are not my natural choice of colours and therefore it was a bit of a struggle to finish. The Sister's assure me that I will like it more as more time passes.
Because of the darkness of the quilt top, I have made some alterations to Karen's pattern; removing the soft, rounded blocks that are in the original and replacing them with blocks that have more angles. I think I also need to rename the quilt. So, in deference to its original title I am calling it Miss Emma's Husband So much more appropriate don't you think?

Until next time,

Meghan

A big thank-you...

From left to right, Sue, Julie, Di, Clare, Meghan, Merri
Absent: Ann, Barb, Deb, Kerry and Chris

On behalf of the Sisters I would like to say thank you to everyone who visited Quilts in the Barn and for all the wonderfully kind and overwhelmingly complimentary comments we have received, both on the days of the show and following via this amazing online quilting community.

When we were first invited by Linda to be the featured exhibitors we were very excited and rather flattered to think we were going to have our very own quilt hanging. After the show all I can say is how humbled we have been by your reaction to our quilts.

To my fellow Sisters, a big thank you as well. I began my patchwork and quilting journey in 2004 to try and counterbalance a hectic working life that saw me frequently traveling overseas and sometimes away for extended periods of time. Little did I know that this creative passion would bring in to my life an amazing group of women, all unique, who quickly grew to become friends.

From meeting other quilters and from the many blogs I read, I know my experience is a common one. How lucky we all are!

Until next time....

Meghan

Quilts in the Barn

Hi everyone,
Sorry for the long delay in posting. The sisters have been working their fingers to the bone, trying to finish quilts for the upcoming Quilts in the Barn exhibit which will be featuring our quilts this year.

If you have been to Quilts in the Barn before, you will know that Linda puts on a fabulous event with beautiful quilts, in a glorious setting. All monies raised are for breast cancer research. If you haven't been before, now is your chance! There will be afternoon tea available, Corliss from Threadbear will have a stall there and Di will have some of her patterns for sale- what more can I say? Oh yes - we have a raffle quilt


beautifully quilted by Helen Hayes. It is called the Sisters Peony quilt - we all love it so much we want to win it ourselves! Again all money raised goes for Breast Cancer research. Raffle tickets will be on sale at the exhibition and some local quilt shops also are selling them.

If you are reading this blog, and you can get to the exhibition, please do say hi to one of the sisters, we'd love to meet you and put a face to the names. Linda has a selection of around 100 quilts to choose from - I think she hangs about 70 depending on size, so we'll wait and see what goes up.

So where and when?


If you click on the poster it should enlarge so you can read the details.

Hope to meet some of you there and raise some money for this worthy cause.

Deb

Edited to add: In my haste to get this post out before something else happens at work - I neglected to say - "and of course say hi to Linda" who so generously hosts this annual event. In the meantime go check out her blog Quilts in the Barn

Rediscovering Mary Brown

Having finished two quilts in the past month there was a small hiatus in my sewing. That is until I looked deep into my UFOs and pulled Mary Brown out of hibernation. This quilt is a reproduction of a gorgeous pictorial quilt from 1851 made by, who else but Mary Brown. A history of the quilt can be found in 'A Maryland Album', published in 1995.

I finished the top about 2 years ago and started hand quilting it. I had never hand quilted anything before and really struggled with it. I tried almost every possible quilting tool but eventually found not using a hoop was the best for me. I am sure you all agree that how you hand quilt is a very individual thing. Anyway, at the time I ended up getting quite dispirited by how the back of the quilt looked (it reminded me of chicken scratchings in the dirt) and cast Mary Brown aside.

But this is one quilt that deserves to be finished. And a second look at the back made me think it wasn't that awful.

I am echo-quilting the applique and then will do a simple cross hatching to complete the task. So far I have almost managed to finish the echo of the central diamond applique. Not that you can tell from the photo below, the quilting is virtually invisible.

This is obviously going to take a long time and my current enthusiasm for the task will surely wain over the coming months, particularly when summer arrives. But at least I have rediscovered Mary and won't leave her alone and neglected for so long again.

Until next time,

Meghan

PS. The pattern for Mary Brown is available from Patricia Cox.