Queen bee

16" block

28" block

one on top of the other

QCA bee#2 for June I am Queen Bee, I have asked the girls to make this block, Melissa has designed it so there are 5 different sizes - 12", 16", 20", 24" and 28". I have asked them to make 16" blocks, using Melissa's colours - low volume, mostly creams, grey and a rainbow of colours for the stars. I participated in a low volume swap earlier this year so taking the lead from what I received in the swap, so taking the lead from what I received in the swap I have made my 16" block. I then decided to make the 28" block for the back of the quilt. Over on Melissa's blog you can see some of what her bee are making her for the month of May.

May block for Fiona was a mod mosaic block made out of fabric by our favourite designers, this is what I made her, it is made out of Kaffe Fasset fabrics

Mod Mosaic block

QCA Handmade swap

what I received

Last post i showed you what was on its way to my swap partner, Beverley. This is what I received from my partner, Ineke. It is an over the arm sewing organiser, with pins, needles, scissors and a cute little tapestry. I love the fabric, it suits me down to the ground.
There is already talk of another one and I will put my hand up to join in.

I also got my starburst block made for Laura, the point don't match as well as I would have liked but sewing with the flu is not recommended.

 I still need to make my block to go with the rest but I am busy finishing the Wollongong Modern Quilt Guild challenge that has to be finished and handed in on Saturday. It is almost quilted I just need to work out what to bind it with. It is backed with pale grey prima from Spotlight. Must get a better photo, maybe just on the grass with not tree shadows.

QCA Handmade pincushion swap

There is a pincushion swap happening on the facebook group QCA, I signed up. It was a quick signup, sew and send by 15th May, I'm done and am happy with the out come. The pattern is from Homespun volume 12 issue 1, the only change I made was I already had a pile of 2.5" squares, so I used less and they came out slightly bigger. There is also a machine mat, I might send some squares and linen to my partner for her to make it. In Homespun volume 11 issue 11 there is a machine cover which I am thinking of making for my Pfaff Hoby 1200 as she only comes with a soft vinyl cover. 

Quilt Club Australia Bee #2

I remained a member QCA bee#2 this year and there have been some lovely blocks to make

January were late due to hand being in plaster, 2012 bee ran February 2012 to January 2013 so Jessica received these two blocks to finish off the year

January 2013 Waverlee wanted great granny square block, someone suggested making 2 blocks for each month one to send and one to keep and make a sampler quilt of the years blocks. I am making mine with a grey background and using Denyse Schmidt fabric

February was a spiderweb block and Tracey wanted grey sew that was easy I simply made 2.

my block with all with DS selvegdes

March and Bronwyn wanted Ribbon Star blocks for a quilt for her sister

April for Laura we made Starburst blocks, mine is still being made as I am slack but I am catching up and May we are making Mod mosaic blocks for Fiona. 

June is my month and as part of a current blog hop this wonderful block was designed it is called Star Value. I am asking for 16" blocks and Melissa has designed the block in 5 sizes so I can make a 12'' to go with the other blocks for my sampler quilt.

I'm slack or life gets in the way

So my last blog post was 11th Feb, today is 9th May where has the time gone.

Plaster came off and after a couple of physio appointments and exercises the hand is much better most of the time. I still can't bend my thumb particularly well and hand sewing makes it ache.

What have I been up to, sewing, quilt shows and a road trip to Melbourne and back again in three days.
Working backwards last weekend was Eastwood Quilters quilt show held at Brush Farm. Saturday was a lovely warm, great day out with Clare.
The quilts below were two of my favourites, the bottom one is a sudko quilt, 9 blocks with 9 individual block patterns per block

a close up

a close up, one block of nine

The weekend before was Springwood Quilter quilt show at Springwood High school. This time we took the boys with us.  Afternoon tea and a walk through Springwood, then a drive out to Hawksbury lookout and back to Warren and Clare's for dinner and cards.

Steve really liked this quilt

a close up of a Chris Jurd quilt, I really liked

The Australian Quilt Convention was on the 18th - 21st April in Melbourne. A phone call at 6pm on 18th had me driving with Clare to Melbourne on 19th, dinner on Lygon St with Elizabeth and Jared for Jared's birthday and a day enjoying quilts and fine shopping at Royal Exhibition building Carlton Gardens on Saturday.  Some of the quilts that caught my fancy.

I have been finishing off  last years bee quilts, I had hoped to have Violets finished for her second birthday on 20th April but the road trip got in the way. I was finished a week and a bit later, she now needs a big girls bed for it to go on. I'm now doing Charlotte's quilt as her stars are 12" blocks compared to 16" blocks for Violet and Lily's quilts I machined around her blocks and I am hand stitching the stars in red on the cornerstones. Lily is 5 in June and her quilt will be ready for her birthday, stitched in yellow as this is her favourite colour and her cornerstones are yellow.

Violets and Charlotte's quilts

The other project that has been happening is the Wollongong Modern Quilt guild challenge, the top finished, it is now basted and just needs the quilting done. This has to be finished by 18th May to take on 19th to sewing day at Bulli Community centre.

The last bit of sewing apart from Bee blocks (they deserve there own blog post) is a pincushion swap, with a few extras to be added this will be heading off to its new owner tomorrow.

I have joined a Christmas in July swap and there are bee blocks to make but I think that shows what I have been up to over the last couple of months.