Monday 15 November 2021

Dinner Guests

With lockdown in Melbourne now a thing of the past and vaccination rates nearing 90% two doses for those aged over twelve, we are allowed to have guests to our home again.  It is nice to have the table set up.  The table runner was make by Kathy at Tamarack Shack.

In my dining area I have these three paintings by my very talented sister.  There is a story about how I came to have them in my possession.  

I had always admired them, but obviously my sister didn't realise how much.  Several years ago she was moving from Melbourne to Perth and was downsizing.  I walked past my local Salvos one early evening and to my shock and horror saw them in the window.  She had donated them without asking me if I wanted them.  The shop was already closed, but I noted the opening times. 

The next morning I was standing at the door 15 mins before opening to make sure no one got them before me.  As soon as they opened I immediately bought them.  Then I rang my sister and told her I had to buy her work.

I chose quilts to display next to them in colours that match.

Wednesday 10 November 2021

Curved Cabin

Another quilt of mine that I made in 2013.

This was made with the quick curve ruler, and using a variation of a log cabin block that I changed slightly as I didn't want the seams in the centre.  

I originally was only going to make one block as an exercise, but liked it so much I decided to make nine to put into a quilt.  As I was only going to make one block, I used up some smaller pieces of fabric so didn't have enough to make the nine blocks the same and I had to change out some of the fabrics - I think this ended up making a more interesting quilt.  

Once I had the nine blocks made, I then decided to make four star blocks to go into the centre with a chain of squares to link them.  I decided to continue this theme in the setting triangles, and was able to work out the maths to create the effect I was after.  I decided on a pieced border to frame the quilt.

The quilting I wanted to keep pretty so decided on a daisy theme.  The daisies in the setting triangles are all different, and I put a more formal arrangement on the border.  To emphasise the frame I broke up the space with straight lines on the outside and a pebble background fill in the centre.