Quilt Showcase 2014

April 6, 2011

.... if this is your first attempt at appliqué I’m looking forward to seeing your appliqué quilts in shows in a few years time....

Little did I realise when the above comment was left on my Yahoo photo album that I would be writing this post.  
"A few years time" - that's a long way down the track and a lot of learning, maybe one or two more applique quilts into the future. 

The power of encouragement is AWESOME! 
Without it I would not have finished the quilt and without it I would not have entered it into a quilt show.

But here it is ... 

Quilt Showcase 2014 

(Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre) 

Heart's Desire 
(My Heart is Blue)

Thank you to EVERYONE

PS: - That is a "Highly Commended" Ribbon attached to it !

A closer look at my ribbon (It is the first I have ever won for anything!)

Thank you to the Award Sponsor :- PK Fabrics NSW (Aust)

for the prize of two Moda Fabric packs.

Harvest Moon Kansas Troubles Quilters Layer Cake

and

Get a Clue with Nancy Drew 22 pce pack

Launched - February 15th 2011

This week marks the third anniversary of the launch of Hearts Desire.  

It certainly has been a learning curve for me on so many levels. 

It was the reason I started this Blog, to share my progress on this Mystery Quilt. 

And now, I am pleased to say - it is finally finished.

I present to you

HEARTS DESIRE (My Heart is Blue)
Design by Esther Aliu
Beautifully quilted by Desley - Addicted to Quilts, Melbourne Australia.

Block 1 - Be Still My Heart

Block 3 - Sing Me a Song

Block 4 - Flowers for Me

Borders 1 & 2

Corner baskets and borders 2&3
with Binding and added accent

Hearts Desire - together at last.

Just a little Peek - - - -

LOOK WHAT I PICKED UP TODAY...

... am I shouting?  

Well I am just a "little bit" excited

My two Big Beautiful Quilts are now .... Quilted!

And this is ALL I am going to show until the binding is done.

Oh - So much else to do...

Can I get sidetracked?

Just cut out the binding?

Maybe sew in on?

Then I could stitch while watching the TV...

*

Better be patient

There is so much else to do.

This one's for me .....

F is for

...FIREWORKS

and 

FANFARE

and 

FINALLY

and 

FINISHED!

Well, ALMOST Finished - I have done my part and now it is over to the Quilter to weave her magic. More on that when it comes back.

But before I leave this post I'll share a couple of Photos of what happened when I asked DS#2 (with a Degree in Film) and DH to help me take a picture of the finished Quilt.

"Just hold it steady while I grab the remote switch..."

"Did we get it?"

"No you've missed the top corner again"

"OK - Take 5

..... and I'll Photoshop it"

Corner Baskets...

I seem to have achieved a fair bit on my Heart's Desire Quilt this week.

The first Flange border went on beautifully with no problems and the 10" Appliquéd borders I have been working on and off for about a year are attached.

Then came the task of working out what the best fabric choice for the baskets would be, and after auditioning several fabrics over the week I settled on this lovely 'Basket Weave' design by Robert Kaufman.

For the Heart design on the basket I used fabric from the inner border that surrounds the first block we were given in this Mystery Quilt, and I feel that it has helped tie the quilt together.  Then for the flowers I swapped the Dark Blue that I had used in previous Buds blocks for a brighter Red and I feel that these corners now have that "Pop" that the blue lacked.  Also I replaced the drawn on tendrils (I was never confident about doing them) with another Butterfly.

So it is all coming together and good to see it nearing completion..... And even Spike has decided it may be now to his liking, conceding to come down off his tower and cast a critical eye over the latest additions.

And the Fortune Cookie said . . .

I was about to stitch the last stem on the last disk on the last border - at last!
When my DS#2 walked into the kitchen, picked up a box that had been left behind by a Guest a week or so  ago, and handed me a foil wrapped Fortune Cookie.

Toying with the idea of whether to open it then, or wait until I had finished lasted all of about 30 seconds, and when I cracked open the crisp shell to reveal my 'fortune' this is what it said..

"You should be able to undertake and complete anything"

The timing could not have been better!

Must admit I did have a good chuckle over that!
Then it was back to the instructions to study up on what to do next!

Butterflies....

... for me Butterflies have come to signify New Beginnings, and so - as I  progressed along the journey that I have been travelling over the past 2 years -It seemed appropriate that I add some to my version of Heart's Desire.

I started last November by placing a ring of Fussy Cut Butterflies around my Centre Block.

And drawing from a lesson I learnt in Cake Decorating that also applies to Quilting...

If you  make a mistake...
.... Embellish it!
(Ok that's Craft-speak
for "Cover it up")

in this case I had a stem that had lost it's leaf.. and rather than remove it and unbalance the block - I balanced a Butterfly on it instead.

That reminded me that I was going to allow a few more of these beauties to alight where they pleased.

And just to let you in on my little secret....

I have been using this beautiful print called Kiyomi Butterflies from Red Rooster Fabrics.

I haven't finished with them yet,

and I'm not telling where I plan to place them next..

After all - this is a mystery quilt!

Together at Last.....

 I have placed the last stitches

 in the last leaf

on the last block,

 so at last

 I can say...

the Centre is done!

....now 

on to the borders!

Shake a Tail Feather....

Which is what I am going to have to do if I am going to get this Quilt finished in time for it's appointment with the Quilter!

Ever since I first started working on "Sing Me a Song" with my little 'Steampunk' style Bird, I just felt that he was missing something.

I set about asking, searching, drafting, photographing and googling in the search of a suitable 'rear end' for my bird.

Finally coming up with this wing and tail combination.

Don't worry --- I didn't destroy my block
I had a 'brilliant idea' !
(Well, I thought it was brilliant)
I photocopied the block,
Then cut out the pieces I wanted to alter - all without removing a single stitch.

I also copied the fabric that I wanted to use.

At 100% scale and in Colour, it gave me the advantage of "Having my fabric... and using it too!"

and what's more....
When I fussy cut out a piece and it didn't look right...
I just stuck it back into the page and cut out another one!

As you can see, my fabric would have been quite a mess in the quest to find the perfect Tail-Feathers.

Now I think That looks better!


And he can continue to sing to his little Heart's Desire!

I had a bright idea this morning......

I thought, seeing that I had a UFO challenge this month that I would pull out Hearts Desire and actually see how much more I had to do on it and whether it was ‘do-able’ to get it finished in a month.

So I laid it out on the carpet in the lounge room (away from The Quilters Cat – in training).  I stood back and admired how far I had gotten in just the last 2 days.  Then I placed the Flower heads (that I made while I was out of action last November with that broken ankle) into their positions on the remaining “Flowers for Me”- Block 4 b, c & d.

Enter Spike aka QC-IT... He normally decides that anything that is on the floor is his, but not this time.  This time he just sat on the edge of the mat and surveyed the blocks ..... as if he was trying to work out what was wrong.  Yeah OK there is no yellow or purple – but it was more than that.  He turned and left the quilt undisturbed and un-sat on.

And then I saw it --- 

“Why are all ....those small flower heads.... going ... the ... same ... way?????”

I have been SO careful not to make them all Left hand heads, that I managed to make them all RIGHT hand heads.  Oh drat! (I wonder if my OCD – DH will notice – Yep, he will).   BIG SIGH!

Determined not to let it bother me today, I decided that I had done enough to be able to sew a couple of the blocks together.  I picked up Love Entwined and its sashing border of little half circles in 2 shades of blue.  

Why don’t they fit?

OH YOU IDIOT!..... 

You set them in very neatly into the 16 ½” and have forgotten the seam allowances!!  Oh well, it could have been worse – I could have fused them to the back fabric and machine appliquéd them in place, 

............now - Where is the un-picker?

Still working....

Last June Esther posted the 4th Block in her Mystery Quilt "Heart's Desire".  And I am Still working on it....
This week I have been making the remaining flowers for the Flowers for Me.
Now that I have finished making all the flower heads I can now go into 'production mode' and get the remaining 3 of these blocks finished.

I really SHOULD have had them finished by now and ready to sew onto the blocks - but having a new addition to the family in the shape of a very fluffy cat - is a major distraction.

If you would like to meet 'Spike' see my last post!

It's Wednesday again......

This week I have been participating in an International Postcard Challenge.  I can't show you what I have made yet, 'cause that will let the cat out of the bag for my recipients. My cards are now "Streaking" through the Post towards USA, Canada and the UK. It will be interesting to see who receives theirs first (and yes Bunny, I remembered the Airmail sticker this time!!!)

For the rest of the week I have been working towards getting a production line going for the remaining centre blocks of Heart's Desire.   Now I think we all know that Esther has a 'thing' for leaves, but when you set about doing 3 blocks at once.... The true enormity of the project hits home.

I decided to trace off as many leaves as would fit on an A4 sheet of paper then scanned it (flipped the image, because I should have traced them off reversed) then cut off some freezer paper the required size. I lightly taped it to a 'carrier' sheet and shoved the lot through the printer.....x 3 copies!

Ok, so it took a wee bit of time - BUT I will never have to do it again!

Before I cut the sections apart I numbered each piece so that I would be sure of pairing them up properly once they were cut out.

At this point I probably should mention that Block 4 of Heart's Desire has 21 leaves and each leaf is in 2 pieces.

No prizes for guessing what I am doing for the rest of the week!

On the Home front, I am pleased to be out of the confines of the Walker Boot and heading for Physio tomorrow.

My Mum decided I needed to go out & was eager to show off the new Coffee Shop that opened while I have been off my feet.
("Cheshire" 2nd last stop on the 112 Tram line) Very nice 'home made' muffins. I wish them well - we need more local coffee shops!

WOW - What have I been up to.....

...Well, not a lot actually!  Today has been one of those days that Melbourne is 'famous' for - A 4 seasons in one day kind of day.
So as the weather became more unsettled - so did I.  Having to keep off your feet isn't as glamorous as it sounds.  I feel like a Pack-rat pulling things into my nest, as bits and pieces pile up, within reach around me.

Which brings me to my Work in Progress. I have got back into working on my Heart's Desire.


Today I have been auditioning fabrics for the petals of the 'posy' in the centre of the first border.
I don't have a lot of shades to play with so, first I made a straight blue on blue...

Then I found a nice piece that reminded me of the Northern Lights

And just for fun I thought I'd mix and match them. (This one isn't a serious contender).

What do you think?

Melbourne Craft and Quilt Fair 2011

Just as well that Sunday's show was open late.

DD and I arrived about 10:20am and they kicked us out at 7:00pm and we still missed an isle.......

It was a very large show, including Beads and Other crafts - yes....there ARE other crafts other than quilting ;-)

Usually, we start at Isle 1 and work our way to the Quilt Display and then have to charge around taking photos to admire in the sanity of home ----not this time. This time we started at the Quilts and worked back to Isle No 1.  

The quilts on display were inspiring....

But I must admit that I was only looking for one.

THAT one  ..... 

........... the one with the RED RIBBON.

The ORIGINAL   ......

MY HEART'S DESIRE

By  Esther Aliu

Here's a sneak look at the back

'cause I know some of us would like to see it.

Thank you Quilt Angel

(BTW - The Quilt Angel Lady thought I was quite mad when I told her I was making one too, especially when I revealed I had never done appliqué before.)

I still have no idea as to how I am going to quilt mine  ..  let's just get the top finished first ?

Even though the lighting this year was not good. It was awesome to be able to see it.    It will certainly inspire me to keep going ...albeit at a much slower pace.

We came home, footsore and weary yet light of heart - as we have had a wonderful day.

AND to cap it off nicely, I walked into the kitchen to find the table set and my boys (DH plus 2) making Dinner - Maybe watching MasterChef DOES pay off .......

Shortcuts and Sentinals

I started this morning with the thought..."There HAS to be an easier way".....

Six sentinels each side x 4 sides - 3 leaves per sentinel equals A lot of leaves.

I am all for trying to find an easier - no - more efficient way of doing things and the following was my solution to this months block in.........

"My Heart's Desire - The borders".

First start with a tracing of the completed design

Mark an area where all points are covered
(The diamond in the centre).
That is where I placed a small square of vliesofix.

Placed my prepared shapes over the template

Lightly press.
Sentinels are now ready to sew.

Block 4 - Flowers for Me

Progress on ...My Heart's Desire Quilt

The Fourth Block which requires 3 companions as well,  had the extra challenge of an added sawtooth border and the appliqué spilling over onto.........I have no idea.
We were also warned that we would need an extra 2. 1 meters of a contrast fabric for next month......

Flowers for Me

Choosing my fabrics is a excruciatingly lengthy process for me as I audition fabrics to get the right combination. Judging from the comments I have received so far......I think I got it right.

Block 3 - Love Entwined

FINALLY!

Or should I say, One down 2 to go.

This block is the companion to Sing Me a Song and together with 2 more, will eventually rotate around the first central block.

It has taken longer than expected as I have had other sewing to do this month.  However, the next two instalments should not take as long as the bulk of the work has been already done.

Making the elements in a 'production line' means that I now have everything ready to 'blitz' the next two!  I really need to get them done as Block 4 has been released and there are FOUR of them PLUS sashing borders.

Block 2 - Sing Me A Song

So that we did not run into the problem of not having enough fabric, Esther posted blocks 2 and 3 together with a small border and posts block on the same day.

The image of a small bird perched on a vine growing around a circle with leaves and flower buds made us all gasp.  Add to that  3 blocks of a slightly different Block3 were required and 4 of the border and posts.

We were given 2 months to complete this task.

The question of how to successfully make that ring was discussed and many inventive ways were posted on the Yahoo site.  As I did not have a lot of my chosen fabric to cut into for my rings, I needed to use the least amount of fabric as possible, so decided on bias strips. My mini-tutorial for this is below.

My bird turned out a little bit different to the others, as the fabric I used gave him a rather "Steam-punk" appearance.  I also gave him some different legs and up-swept wings.  I must admit, I am rather pleased with him.

My Heart's Desire - Progress report

Detail - Block 1

My Heart's Desire is a free Mystery Block of the Month by the very talented and generous Esther Aliu.

Quilters from across the globe are enjoying the challenge of this Appliqué quilt.  For many of us, myself included, it is our first attempt at Appliqué, so the finer points of 'how to' are eagerly discussed on Esther's Yahoo forum.

We are learning together, sharing tips and tricks and forming friendships at the same time.

According to Esther:- "The theme of this quilt, is "Old Town Folk" style, a place where life is simple, time is plentiful and days are full of sewing and quilting.  This quilt is almost a still life of admiration; the design is purposefully full of understated opulence and richness in detail."

 We HAVE NO IDEA as to what this quilt is going to look like when it is finished.  We have been given the quantity for the backing fabric. And the information that Esther is using the Windham range of fabrics in rusty reds.

The first Challenge - Choose my fabric.
Having just completed a "Red Only" fabric challenge, I was not keen to work on reds again quite so soon, and still reeling from a family sadness, my thoughts were that My heart was 'blue'.  So Blue it is!
I am pleased to say that as I work on this project my blues are becoming more vibrant and fun.

Re-inventing the Wheel - or in this case circles!

I have been enjoying being a part of the Mystery BOM “My Heart’s Desire” by Esther Aliu.

The current discussion is on how to make a perfect ring for block 2 and 3.  It is interesting how we are all coming up with different methods to achieve the same result!  We have had many fantastic ideas and suggestions as to how to approach this – This is my discovery.

I have been using my bias makers (after buying a set, I may as well use them!) to make circles and vines for our new blocks.  I have tried several methods and have now hit on this combination of both freezer paper and bias maker.

Simply put, if you iron your bias onto the freezer paper shape as it is coming out of the tool – carefully and not too fast as to stretch the fabric, you will get beautiful curved lengths.

You can now press it with a light spray of fabric spray (we are using ‘Crisp’), or just leave it to set before carefully peeling off the freezer paper and sewing to your block.

It works for me!