Quilt details: To the Third and Fourth Generation

 

My quilt for 'Regeneration: Contemporary Quilted Textiles 2012' is on its way to the eastern states. Here are some of the detail shots I took the other day (I'll share the full photo when the exhibition opens). The red, blue and white colours where not in the original design, but I'm very happy that I added them. Although I was thinking of quick pencil sketches and sepia-toned photographs when I designed this, the quilt would have been too dull without the bits of colour.

I'm in the interesting position now where all my planned quilts have been pieced and quilted. I still have loads of threads to bury, but other than that, I have not quilts-in-progress. No chance to be bored, though, as I plan and prepare for my upcoming exhibition.

The piecing continues

Piecing my "Regeneration 2012" quilt

 

Piecing of my "Regeneration - Contemporary Quilted Textiles 2012" quilt is progressing well. It's a little bit challenging to get into the studio at the moment, what with holidays and swimming lessons competing for my time and energy, but I'm making daily progress all the same. I hope you are enjoying this time of the year too, whether in the summer heat, or in the middle of winter!

Piecing my "Regeneration" quilt

 

I keep thinking that because this quilt needs to be finished some time next year, I still have plenty of time. Reality hit yesterday when I realised that it needs to be completed in a months time, including burying all the threads, so that it can be photographed, and posted to arrive in NSW on time. Considering the time of year we are in, this is going to be a challenge! So it was heads down in the studio today!

(I alway enjoy watching the pile of offcuts grow).

Beginning to piece my "Regeneration 2012" quilt

 

I started the piecing phase of my quilt for "Regeneration - Contemporary Quilted Textiles 2012" - this afternoon. Some weeks ago I cut up my working pattern and ironed all the pieces onto the correct fabric.

 

Today I trimmed the first section...

 

...and with the help of my quilt drawing...

 

...laid the pieces out like a jigsaw puzzle, all ready to be stitched together.

I didn't spend much time in the studio, but it felt good just to have made a start (that's often the biggest hurdle!). I'm looking forward to seeing this one come together!

New energy

Thanks to Phil's parents who babysat all four kids for the weekend, I got to make an escape for three days to join Phil in Kuala Lumpur (he's working there at the moment). What a treat - eating out (including a delicious meal at this Lebanese restaurant), shopping, and enjoying the Royal Botanic Gardens. And catching up on sleep. Even though I was exhausted before I left, and there was a 10 hour journey (door to door) each way, it was a wonderful break.

Coming home to four small children and a new school term means there is no such thing as 'easing back into things'. High on my list of priorities this week is the quilt-in-progress that was causing me a bit of grief last week.It's getting there, even if it's been all about perseverance and determination this time round...As you can probably tell, it's a bit of a departure from my other 'childhood' quilts. I'm still contemplating whether to do some screenprinting on the background before finishing the piecing.

Quilt progress

I'm not sure if I already mentioned that the 'school' quilt is a triptych - the first and third parts are pieced, and I've started the middle section.I love how those six children are engrossed in their work. I'm glad I was able to take photos of Aaron's class, as they are a very dedicated group. They hardly paid me any attention whenever I joined them for a photo session, so I was able to capture some good images of them all working hard. (Hannah's class, on the other hand, is quite a different story!)

How I make my quilts

My plan today included showing you further progress on my 'school' quilt, but I didn't get around to taking photos while there was still daylight. Instead, far too much time was spent doing battle with Blogger. We made a bit of headway this evening, so now I can tell you that at the top of my blog there is a new page titled 'How I Make My Quilts'. People often ask about my quilt making process, and this new page gives a general overview of the various steps involved - designing, cutting, piecing and quilting. Maybe one day when I'm not quite so mad at Blogger, I will upgrade the images to a larger size, but I'm afraid these smaller ones will have to do for now!
Please check it out, and do let me know if you don't understand what I have written!

A treat for me

Today a special friend came and entertained Caleb and Daniel for a couple of hours so that I could do some uninterrupted sewing. Needless to say, I feel very spoilt! I made a bit more progress on my 'school' quilt. It's a big job - I think I'm only about halfway through the piecing.

Here's where it was at a week ago...
... and late last Saturday night.....and now today...
It's a triptych. The third, and smallest, part is pieced, and I'm now working on the first, middle-sized section.

Perfect weather for stomping and sewing

We only went out for five minutes, just to wave goodbye to our visitors. It only took them a fraction of that time to find the rivulet of water running through the clay.After five minutes, they were both in need of a bath, so I grabbed the camera and let them play for another ten minutes. And then spent half an hour cleaning them up. They appreciated it though - both the mud and the bath!
And just in case you didn't visit here to see grubby little boys, here's my current sewing project...Rather unseasonal.