This is for you Bailey...

Bailey's Gran tells us that she has been wondering why such a gap between posts, so here we go Bailey, your Grans latest quilt along with some other little items of interest.

Spotted these cuties all lined up,

So cute, so sweet
















Turns out they are to be a very special Birthday pressie. Deanne's Mum turns 101 this week, yes, 101st. Birthday, so a gift made with love was the way to go.
The original birdie was given to Deanne awhile back, and proved the perfect inspiration to create a gift for her Mum, happy birdies strung together with beads. a perfect pressie.

 Congratulations and Best Birthday wishes to your Mum Deanne.

Wendy bought along a stunning cream quilt to share with us, a combination of candlewicking and machine embroidered crazy patchwork squares, lots of pin-tucking, in various modes, lace inserts and ribbonwork, all done using the Q.A.Y.G method and sashed with ecru cotton lace.

 Here are some closer views of some of the blocks, of course, cream and white are notorious for not photographing well so played around with the 'shadow & light' settings to show the beautiful stitching a little better.

Deanne insisted that her fave block be included, and held out the quilt corner just right to enable a snap!

The colours on the above snap are closer to reality. 

Talking of machine embroidery, Marion, one of the gals from our Cottage Machine Embroidery group has decided to join us and step off the edge into the world of patchwork, hoo boy!
Marion was rather entranced by a plastic bag of half finished blocks and cut outs, it is one of the U.F.O.'s that was included in Derricks gift of his late wife's stash.

yep, it's a wedding ring quilt, not the easiest project to start off a patchwork learning curve with.
There was lots of discussion and help to guide Marion along the way and explain the layout.  Librarian Jackie - quick off the mark again - put her hand on the very book needed with a great pattern and step by step tutorial.

While on her recent holiday in Tassie Sheila came across fabric prints of thread painted native animals and turned them into 4 place mats.

The work is from Textile Artist Cindy Watkins of Deep Peace Studio in Deloraine, Tasmania, pop over to her site to view some of Cindy's amazing work, and while you are there check out Cindy's amazing quilted screens, (tab at the top of her page).  Cindy is also involved with 'Elemental Artspace' a gallery that supports over 80 Tasmanian artists and craftspeople.  A great slideshow of the various works by these talented Taswegians.

A little while back we caught Karen,  just putting needle to fabric for her inaugural step into the world of Hardanger, or as some call it Hard-anger,
Well, with excellent tutoring from Mary, Karen has completed her piece.

and with the help of these lethal looking snips and the addition of a silk tassel the piece is ready for the framers.  Rumor has it that it will be hung in pride of place for the requisite ohhing and ahhing.
No ohh or ahh, no cuppa for you, (can't see it being a problem, really, it is a beautifully stitched piece.)

Another U.F.O. from Derrick's darlings stash was a pile of 3 dimensional bow ties, 

 Val assembled them, added borders and created this vibrant quilt - yet another charity quilt.

 There is a great pictorial tutorial on Delaware Quilts using 5" squares and 'The Gourmet Quilter' has a very easy to follow Youtube video here

Julie has another charity quilt in the works, this one is a donation through her other patchwork group, the ladies from Palmwoods.  a printed panel of botanicals, Julie has embroidered each panel and popped a border on the piece ready to be sandwiched and quilted.  Looking forward to the finished quilt.

This amazing quilt has quite a story behind it to do with it's name.  Pat called it 'Lets go for a Surf' but the recipient wasn't fussed on that for a name so the label has been/is to be replaced.

Beautifully hand quilted all over, including the meandering in the border.

Marcia and Mary hard at work,

well, chitter chatting is a vital part of patchwork - and what are they working on?
these lovellies...

 Marcia is building her flower garden 1/2" at a time and will let us know what it will be when she finishes it. Like, if she continues to love these little 1/2" hexies you could be looking at the beginnings of a king size quilt, or perhaps a table runner, time will tell.

This is block 4 of Marys project, promises to be another stunner.

 A couple of catch-ups for you. 
Diane started this quilt back in the 90's (if memory serves me right), beautifully hand quilted blocks, the floral also have hand quilted designs but that quilting only shows in real life, - pics? no so much.

 

a closer view of some stunning stitching.  Diane stitched each block separately and used the Q.A.Y.G method of assembling the blocks.  

Another one of Sandy's finished blocks, she is really churning them out, can't wait to see the finished quilt.