Bloggers Quilt Festival 2010

http://www.amyscreativeside.com/2010/05/bloggers-quilt-festival-spring-2010.html

(sorry, don't know how to link the button!!)

I am thrilled to be a part of Amy's Bloggers Quilt Festival this year.  I am not a very experienced quilter and I marvel at all the amazing quilts that are being showed in the festival.  Inspiring and amazing.

Even though I haven't made many quilts ~ well, I made them but haven't finished them ~ I have finished one and the quilt I am going to submit has been a big learning curve for me.

Meet my Matryoshka Quilt....

I chose this beautiful Rosalie Quinlan designed quilt as a way to beat the blues.  It was bright, fun and girly!! 

Unfortunately I sewed the blocks on three different machines and for some reason they were all different sizes.  I could have cried.  So I had to cut down the blocks, to make them all match, with some up to 1/2 an inch.  

It still looked okay though, luckily!

With the applique, I started doing it by hand but realised it would take me forever to get it done and I had a bit of a deadline because my local quilting shop asked if they could hang it in their shop for a while.  I had just bought myself a new machine so I could do machine applique (one of the three I sewed this on!) so I thought I would bite the bullet and do the other Babushkas on the machine.

I loved it!  I found the machine applique alot quicker but also I had taught myself a new skill.

So, after finishing I sent it off to the quilters - Val at Blue Gum Quilts in Murray Bridge.  I let her chose what to do and I certainly wasn't disappointed!  Absolutely beautiful.

It is still hanging in the shop - Kirkbride Quilting at Strathalbyn.  I have received many many comments about the quilt and I think it will be one that will stay with me close to my heart.

I hope you enjoyed seeing my quilt!  Please check out all the other quilts that are on show.  Truly special.  There is also a group in Flickr that is showing them all.  Just click and check them out.

cheers   :o)

Small....

I am slowly comin to terms with who I am and how I work!

This post is all about 'small'. 

Weird, I hear you say.

Well, it has occurred to me that I like 'small' in my life.  I tend to feel overwhelmed with 'big' and that is starting to become apparent in my quilting and art.

Look at where I live...

I live on 17 acres BUT I feel overwhelmed by the size of our property and don't venture out to the four corners of the place.  I do love the open spaces and would never, ever live in the city again but BIG just isn't for me either.  I know I don't have to constantly go from corner to corner of our property to appreciate it and I usually only keep to the back yard, my vegie patch and the chook shed.  These are only a smidgen of the area we have.  When we were wanting to landscape, it totally freaked me out and I literally ran indoors and hid!!  Yep, scared and overwhelmed by it all.  So, it never really got done.
I adore the Open Gardens that people have and show off but I never really understood how I felt about large gardens until I had to do one!!

Take photography for instance...

I adore macro!  If I can take a photo of something tiny, intricate and SMALL then I am one happy chappy.  I don't do vistas nor huge landscapes.  I want to get down and take the photo of the leaf, ant or the pattern in the mud!

Now, take my quilting....

I am really enjoying doing the blocks for my swaps.  I am having a bit of trouble finishing any LARGE quilt that I need to get done.  Does it intimidate me?? I don't know.  Should I just concentrate on mini quilts, or lap quilts (getting a bit too large I think) or wall hangings??  Art Quilts come to mind.

This got me thinking about all the 'SMALL' in my life.....

I have just embarked on a new creative journey...

Silver Jewellery!

I did a workshop on the weekend and ended up making a pendant and cuff bracelet.  I thoroughly enjoyed working with the small pieces.  The cutting, filing, polishing! 

I would love to incorporate the silver work (or metal work, as it can be copper etc) with art quilts and I think I can do it. 

So, the question still remains.....am I afraid of big??

Afraid? NO

Intimidated? MAYBE

Is it a problem?  NOT AT ALL

The whole process of finding out about who I am and where I am heading is part of being creative.

What do you think?? 

Did you have a turning point in your creative journey? 

A lightbulb moment?

Till the next time (and I am hoping it won't be too far away!)

Something old....

Snappy Friends has a weekly challenge and this one is 'Something Old'.

There are many things I could photograph to show this ~ our house (built in 1880), our barn, our cars, my husband ~ LOL!!!

No, I chose this photo.  It is one of my favourites. I wonder how long it was leaning on the wooden bench to get this look?....

AWOL

I feel the need to apologise.....

I went AWOL....

I abandoned my Snappy Friends, my Quilting friends and anyone else who came across my little blog and stayed for a while.

I have been doing a bit of this

GARDENING

and a bit of this

BODYTRIM

and a bit of this

ENJOYING THE GORGEOUS AUTUMN WEATHER.

So, I am now back and hoping to get my little blog back up and running again.

Farm Gate Festival - Fleurieu

Today Max, Tom and I went for a drive.

This drive took us to many places that had fantastic art, mostly involving farm gates!!

This is the Farm Gate Festival and it is running from 27th March till the 25th April (so you still have plenty of time to check it out!!)

The 53 different types of artwork span a huge area from Victor Harbor, Mt Compass, Goolwa, Ashbourne, over to Milang and Point Sturt and everywhere inbetween.

On the way to Point Sturt we went to see Pat Ingleton's 'Pole Dancing' and then was kindly shown around her beautiful home.  Pat does amazing sculpture and is passionate about the lakes surrounding her home and the environment.  I was able to take some photos of her artwork.

Wa(l)ter Gate @ the Ashboourne Primary School

'Bell' the Cow - Ashbourne PS kids

Stop!  Who goes there?? - Ashbourne PS kids

Bringing Back the Bush - Gaynor Hartvigsen

Owls!

Eagle Gate - Gaynor Hartvigsen (with Trevor McLean)

Watergate #3 - Liz Yelland

Dandelion - Liz Yelland

Pole Dancing - Pat Ingleton

This is my favourite sculpture. 

I may just take another visit to Pat's place to purchase this beautiful sphere tower!!

So, if you have a few hours up your sleeve and would love to visit the amazingly beautiful

Fleurieu Peninsula

(sorry only South Australians unless you can hop on a plane and fly over here quickly),

then I would highly recommend this trail.

I have yet to see all the works of art and will do so in the week ahead.  I will post some more photos once I have admired the many more artworks on the trail.

Click on this link and it will take you to the Alexandrina Council website for all the information and the map.

Happy driving!!

Eye Spy Something Beginning with E.....

Another week has flown past and I just make it in time for this weeks challenge with Snappy Friends!!

Something beginning with E!!

Well, there are two things I can share with you...

Easter Egg wrappers - another Easter over.  I am glad in a way, now my life can get back to a semi-chocolate free state!!

Our 1962 Holden EJ

Her name is Maud and she is one beautiful car!!

 Check out the Snappy Friends site for some more photos that are sure to delight!!

quilting for babies...

Magnolia Designs and One Shabby Chick is combining forces to make quilts for the IMCU babies in her local hospital in Winnepeg, Canada.  Check out the blogs for more information on these quilts.

Kathy (Magnolia Designs) is asking for 8.5" pinwheel blocks in any colourway.

I couldn't resist.  Firstly, because I feel the strong need to help and donate some blocks and, secondly, I love to make pinwheel blocks!!

I have made her two of each and I hope the Kathy, from Magnolia Designs, receives them in time (deadline 1st May) as it may take a couple of weeks to get there!!

If you are over on the other side of the world (Canada or USA), maybe check out Kathy's blog and make a few pinwheels too!!