Showing posts with label Challenge Groups. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Challenge Groups. Show all posts

25 July 2021

Half Hexi Challenge.

Since January I have been participating in a Challenge Group on Instagram that is making Blocks from Focus (Fussy) Cutting HALF HEXAGONS.

It would seem that I haven't given my Blog Readers an Update on this project since April.

MARCH: Our Theme was BOOKS 
(and International Women's Day)

My Blocks featured:

The Adventures of Blinky Bill
Pooh Bear
Jungle Book
The Thursday Next Series
as well as A Bookworm in the Library

Also a Tribute to all the Women in Science

APRIL: Had a Theme of GARDENS.

My Blocks showed that I have a Bee Hive in my Garden,
New Holland Honeyeaters visit  our Grevilleas on occasion
and Snails  - They come out at night and graze on the Lawn!
As well as the Fish Pond - with no fish at the moment.

MAY: Was a month that featured the SENSES.
I used our Trip away as inspiration.

Starting with the Sound of Music I also included the Sound of the Train on the Tracks.
The Smell of freshly Ground Coffee. (A Good Cup was hard to find.)
Sight - A Classic Aussie Outback Sunset.
Taste - The Food and Wine that was available for all to enjoy and Finally Touch
My block was made of 'Gold Leaves' for our visit to the Perth Mint.

JUNE: The Theme was TRAVEL.
Was I ahead of my Time or an Inspiration? I didn't ask!

These blocks saw me finding Fabric with Medallions from all the Capitol Cities in Australia (That I have visited.)

The Wheels on a Yellow School Bus from Michigan was my Hidden motif.

Caravanning "Down the Peninsula"  hit the brief for our Pattern Matching week.

AND - April in Paris!  A 'Never in my Wildest Imagination' Trip away.

That brings me up to date with the Focus Cutting Challenge - marking our halfway point with Week 26.




Note:  You can see my Posts on these Individual blocks on AUSSIE.KILTED.QUILTER on Instagram.





12 November 2014

Monogram Challenge

This month the Janome 6500 Challenge Group were challenged to create a MONOGRAM using the inbuilt TEXT feature of our machines.


The biggest challenge for me was actually making the time to do the piece.
When it was finished, due to the size of the inbuilt letters, it hardly looked like a monogram at all.


So I set about to try my hand at something a bit more elaborate, and for me - much more challenging.

Free Motion Embroidery in a Hoop.

I found a suitable font on the computer, enlarged it and transferred the letter onto some stabilizer.
The hoop is just one I found in the back of the cupboard from another lifetime ago when I tried my hand at embroidery.

Placing it under the needle before putting the FMQ foot on gave me the clearance I needed.


I then set about squiggling and swirling and generally having a lot of fun 'colouring in' the outline.

I was rather surprised that it was working so well
- for a FIRST try!

Especially seeing my FMQ-ing skills are - not so wonderful
And I was using Metallic thread!


Now comes the FUN part!

In another first I used DISSOLVABLE Stabilizer.

I barely had time to snap this photo as the stabilizer disappeared in the warm water.

WOW it worked - I am going to have a LOT more fun with this stuff!

Taking it out of the water and reforming it into it's correct shape I could see that I had not quite caught all the threads with my squiggles.

Never mind
- it is a prototype after all.

A quick trim and back under the machine to attach my Initial to a coaster.

No need to pin as the stabilizer had left a tacky residue which held the piece in place.


These challenge pieces didn't take much time at all out of my day.
It did, however, set me off to try something new, there were 3 different things I had never attempted before.

So - Why not challenge yourself to try something new today?

31 January 2014

Easing back into Quilting - - -

This year I hope to be able to complete the "One Toe Out of the Box" challenge -  intended to better acquaint (members of the Janome 6500 Challenge Group) with our Janome machines.
We have been set a Theme for each month and for January the theme is "SNOW".

After scratching my head for a bit I decided I would try my hand at some raw edge applique.
I found a wonderful Christmas print called 'Funny Santas' by Wilmington Fabrics which suited my idea of doing a Snow Globe. (Poor Santa is bailing out his sleigh after being marooned on a desert Island)

And just to 'keep on track' with the theme I also added a Snow Globe with beautiful golden snowflakes.


17 April 2013

One week - Two Challenges

As I sit to write, I can't quite work out how I achieved what I have this week.
(Mind you, the Vacuum cleaner has forgotten who I am!)

As my Dad's 90th birthday approaches I have been thinking about his Cake and what to make to decorate it.

I have settled on a spray of Australian Native Flowers, so pulling out my copy of Making Australian Wildflowers for Cake Decorating and had a go at the feature bloom - the State Flower for New South Wales - The Waratah.
I am pretty pleased with how it turned out considering the amount of small dots of icing that were involved!

Leaving that to dry, I then set to working on my April Challenge piece for the Janome Group.

We were asked to make a Foundation Pieced Crazy patch
(well, you actually need 4 to do anything)..


So I made FOUR

well I couldn't make overly much with those either....

So I made Four More!






Now I had something to work with.  The Deco stitching started me thinking and I pulled out my pattern.

Tweaked it a bit......


... and made A BAG!
I was particularly pleased with the front pocket, which I made by binding one of the blocks before sewing them all together.

Now all I need to do is work out who is going to claim it.....









1 November 2012

Cat in the Hat rescues Quilt...

This time last week I posed two questions, and received some great suggestions back, but ultimately it was my decision.
And that decision was..... 
...Pull it out - and do it again!

My Dad would say, If a job is worth doing it is worth doing well, and that applies to Quilting as much as it does to your daily 'Desk Job'.
So the Orange got tossed in the Scrap basket and the search began for the right fabric.

I was chatting to the ever helpful team from Logan's when I spied the "THAT'S IT" fabric sitting on the back of the stand at the craft show last Saturday.

This Dotty Blue Background from the Cat in the Hat range was perfect for the style of Quilt that I wanted to achieve.

The blocks went together reasonably well considering the (hideous) amount of bias seams that were involved.

...I saw a bug... and I jumped on it.....
The family all like the new colour scheme  and have been making comments about what it could represent -
(it even got Spike's seal of approval).



But the best came from DS#2 who stated :-

"Mum - That's what happens when you drop a "Bugs in Bottles" Quilt!



25 October 2012

Curve Challenge Pt 2

I have cut out all the pieces for the blocks, some of which were rather tight curves, so when the standard small rotary cutter couldn't handle to job - I went looking for something smaller.  I found this at Spotlight in the Scrapbooking section.
Works for me (and Rita - my Hand Model)

The piecing is going together wonderfully with the help of the "Curve Master" accessory that I pulled out from the 'useless gadget' drawer.


The problem that I am having is:

1.  The fabric that I bought to use as background takes up (OK - shrinks) when I touch it with the iron - not to mention when it gets wet. - I know - I should have pre-washed it, but the test piece didn't shed dye when I tested it so I forgot to check to see if it had shrunk as well.  I also SHOULD have realised something was not quite right when I couldn't line up the selvedges!

2.  I think it may be a little bit TOO Orange - and that Blue would have been a better choice, after all the design is intended to be an Island.

So what do I do?

I can cut my losses on some rather not-cheap fabric and redo the background. - Wash and re-cut/re-use the fabric in something else.
OR
Continue on with the project, and Quilt the daylights out of the background in the hope that it may stay put when the quilt is washed.

So you can see my dilemma - In the meantime it stays on the floor, threatening to become a UFO until I can decide what to do!

Hmmm.. Any Suggestions??


18 October 2012

Curve Challenge

Well, I suppose - seeing that I suggested the Challenge, I'd better participate, so when I found this really fun fabric - with lots of curvy bits on it - I just HAD to have some.


A couple of Shows ago, I bought a template set for a "Snake's Trail" block, and I thought this was just the project to use it.  

To get the idea 'down on paper' I had a play in EQ6.  But first had to draw up a block so that I could play with the design.
It was worth the time it took when the alternative was drawing and colouring each idea separately - over and over again!
(Oh yes, definitely - been there done that!)

Cutting the pieces individually is time consuming but I was able to place the template more precisely and cut out enough blocks from what was actually - not enough fabric.
One trick I did come up with was to number each block, then cut the pattern apart and pin them to the blocks as they were being cut and constructed.  

Well, at least I'll be able to see which bit now gets sewn to what and hopefully not get in too much of a muddle. 

That being said - I had better get on with actually making the top, before my time runs out!


26 January 2012

Oh decisions, decisions....

What to do this week .....
I have Heart's Desire to get on with -
At least some progress is being made here albeit slowly....

and a new Challenge to start -

The Janome 6500 Challenge group's February project is to search out a Kit from the depths of our stash and.....actually make it! We have until March 10 so it is plenty of time to pull out a bigger project that has been waiting for a time.... or a reason....or a perfect excuse to make.


....and a Christmas Bag for my new Stocking Swap partner....
... Yes, it is that time of year again! Our Stocking Swap partners have been allocated for 2012 and I am looking forward to getting to know my new partner for this year.  I know one thing about her already - She's a Red Hat Lady!...  I think THIS is going to be fun!

7 December 2011

"The Roo Arrived"

Well, that is good to hear!
Last week I posted that I was working on a Fabric Postcard Challenge.  The theme "We are the World" was a difficult one to work with...
How DO you make a topic like that out of fabric that is restricted to 6" x 4" ?

Julie's Card to GraceSome chose to make a Globe and surround it with figures, This is Julie's card she sent to Grace.

Others decided to add an extra line to the challenge title
 ..... "And this is my part of it!"
I chose to go with this option..


I decided on symbols that are universally recognised as Australian.  Those in the 'know' would instantly recognise the Australian Aboriginal Flag.


The symbolic meaning of the flags colours are:
Black:   Represents the Aboriginal People of Australia.
Red:     The Red Earth, the Red Ochre and a Spiritual relationship with the Land.
Yellow:  Represents the Sun. Giver of Life and Protector.

I also used the Stars of our National Flag - The Southern Cross.  To me this represents Home.

A Kangaroo?  Who in the World does not know that Kangaroo's and Gum leaves are Australian???

The mini quilt was satin stitched onto a card with Gold thread and Green in the bobbin, then sent "Naked" through the post.  I posted them on Tuesday afternoon and the first one arrived in Canada 3 days later!

Also during the week I have been doing some fine tuning on my Blog - I have changed the wallpaper for Summer added a Greeting to the sidebar and a New page.
I understand that not everyone wants to comment on a specific posting so I created a place to leave a greeting or just an autograph.
So don't be shy - sign the 'Visitors Book'

5 October 2011

Black & White plus One is.....

FINISHED!
The great thing about challenges is that they have deadlines.

 I always work best when I have a deadline, especially a short one.
So, I have found that it IS possible to put a quilt together in a couple of weeks.
Whether the design has worked is open to interpretation.
It looked OK on the EQ6 drawing board - and if you are wondering - Yes, it is a variation on the Parquetry Quilt I made for my Dad.



It was supposed to have an Art Deco feel to it and is quilted in a circular design taken from an image of a fence railing of the era.
Here's a shot of the back, which shows off the stitching (such as it is).  I thought it needed something else, so I added a few extra rounds in the more open areas, just to keep the batting in check.