Aquachoc Quilt Ta-dah!

It's done - another FINISHED quilt!  Yay.  I love it. 

Here it is on the King Size bed.

The backing and the thin chocolate brown binding.

A close up a panel and the machine quilting.

A Quilter's Brain

I found this on Pinterest today and thought I'd share....although me being me, it's probably been seen by many for a very long time.....

This could be knitter's brain or crochet brain or anything I obsess - I mean love - to do.  What?  Who said that...I heard you....I am not obsessive compulsive.....am I?  well maybe a little, but only about really important things like fabric, quilts, pattern, colour, yarn, crochet, wooden knitting needles, books to inspire......certainly not housework. So .....no... I'm not OCD.....am I?

Dreams

Dreams are so important aren't they?  I have many.  No different to the next person.  They keep me going.  I get excited at the prospect of them becoming a reality. At different times they take over my mind.  Want to hear what currently occupies my mind?  I keep conjuring up pictures in my mind of me living my dream.  I'm in situ constantly... floating off to sleep, daydreaming on the job, googling images and pinning away.  One day it will happen, or it may not, if by then I have a new dream.  But this one has long been with me and it comes and goes in its vividness. Right now it is all consuming, and I'm working out the fine details in my mind.  I can smell it and taste it.  I can feel the water, cool and refreshing.  I can feel the sun touching my skin. I can see the colours around me.  I can hear the distant natter of voices in a foreign language. I can taste the crisp cold wine I sip whilst watching the sunset.  I can see the supper of fresh fish and salad.  I can see the fishing boats resting in the harbour, that caught the fish i've cooked that very day! I hear a bell - around the neck of a donkey or goat clattering as they move.

My days are spent painting, reading, writing, walking the hills around me, crafting and swimming. Soft white curtains billow at the open doors. Days of coffee and friendly locals. Afternoon siestas whenever I need them.  I imagine feeling so strong and healthy, not a care in the world, blissfully happy and relaxed.  Finally feeding the creative me that yearns to be.

Welcoming visitors to share my slice of heaven.  Seeing them relax and recharge whilst there.  Lots of laughter and times shared. Crafty groups coming for week long stays and working on quilts and grannies.  My quilts adorning the beds and walls - alongwith artwork. Spending several months of year - my European summer home. 

I'm loving my dream right now, watching it grow and blossom in my mind.  Heaven.

Our Darling Matilda

Just dropping by quickly to share a photo of my beautiful Matilda - our darling blind lab. She puts herself in the most unusual situations.  She loves squeezing into corners and other tight spaces.  I'm sure it's reassurance for her.  She likes to be as close as possible to you, ie on your lap.  She has the uncanny knack of putting herself right between one's legs and then sitting down, and waiting expectanly to be patted. It always gets a laugh from visitors. She's quite a local attraction!

As a family we talk to her constantly when she's around as sound is very comforting to her too.  She is a truly amazing girl and we love her to bits.

My daughter spotted her outside the back door and did the call out - "Come and look at Tilly" as we so often do.  She looks so dejected with a "Where is everyone?" look on her face, having managed to sit under the bike. Bless!

 
She has learnt the command "Reverse" which we use when the only way out of where she has got herself is to ''reverse", so we call it out and out she backs, tail wagging.  When we say "good girl'' she knows she can turn and safely be on her way.

Quite a bit of sewing happening on the mezzanine.  My Cowgirl quilt is coming along nicely. Pictures coming soon.  x

Russian Doll Quilt

I purchased the sashing fabric for my Russian Doll Quilt a week ago and had a quick play with it.  All the blocks are a different size as they have grown organically, so their "placement" will be random, not uniform, with different widths of sashing fabric between the blocks.  I'm inspired by all the modern quilts such as those in Block Party of which I am the proud owner of!

The fabric is linen blend which I thinks complements the organicness of the blocks.  The spots marry nicely with the doll's cheek (y) dots.  

Another one of my years-in-the-making quilts is a tiny step closer to being finished. 

I picked up three quilts from the machine quilter - I mentioned that already but here's a pic of my pile :)  I will reveal more as time goes by.  They are my black and white, kaffe fasset's floral parade and my flea market fancy quilts.

Aqua and Chocolate quilt progress

My weekend wasn't spent as creatively as I'd hoped.  Funny how things just crop up, don't they.  I did sew the binding on my aqua and chocolate quilt and I'm loving it.  Now for the hand sewing.

Some progress pics

 

And I started a new quilt top - I think this one is going to be called "Yee Ha'' ..... here's a sneak peak of a few of the fabrics.  "Such fun" in the words of my favourite comedienne...Miranda Hart!

Excitement

I feel a wonderfully creative weekend ahead of me.  I'm so excited. Tomorrow I pick up 3 quilts - yes 3!! from my machine quilter.  I don't know if I'll sleep tonight :))  It's like Christmas Eve in quiltland. I can't wait to see them. They transform so much at each stage of the process.

I'm in the middle of binding my aqua blue and chocolate quilt and it is finishing it off beautifully.  I am falling in love with the quilt all over again.

I'm also off to buy the sashing for my Russian Doll quilt.  After years in the making it is a step closer to becoming a real live quilt top!

Last night I bought my first copy of Mollie Makes - love it!  Treat yourself if you haven't already.  I'm not sure how readily available it is in local newsagents here is Aus, but I found a lone copy of issue 17 at my local newsagent (complete with free crochet hook on the cover), so snapped it up....  and DEVOURED it!

I'm thinking a subscription on my Christmas list......

Stay tuned for wonderful photos of my collected quilts over the weekend.  Hopefully my iPhone camera will do them justice xx