Saturday 27 September 2008

Checking in . .

now I know I was put on this earth to sew so how come I have to spend so much of my time doing other stuff - lol ! This is a catch up post as I've been doing a bit here and there


First off the batik quilt got quilted and bound and was posted off to my friend Jacqui for her birthday. I have not heard if she likes it yet as I'm pretty sure they are away on holiday. Hopefully I will find out this week. I used a new thread to quilt it - a madeira one in lovely turquoise blue. It behaved beautifully and I really like how it looked.



Next up I made a bag. I've come across some blogs that mentioned the use of selvedges. I had so much fun going through my fabrics and cutting off the selvedges. Inspiration came from this blog - . I think I could become addicted to using this little strips that I would normally throw away. I think my bag is very cool if I say so myself. I had a ball making this - my daughter says I need to get out more - lol !







I'm also involved in several upcoming swaps so have got started on one of them. I'm liking this so far - needs to be a bit bigger. One of the new ladies in my quilting group loves this and said how gorgeous it would be if there were about 11 more of them made into a quilt. I am not listening ! I am not starting any more big quilts.




More hexagons too. This is my evening project.



I have been having a few migraines lately and in desperation went to my doctor as they have been very severe. I normally grin and bear them. He has put me on some preventative medication which seems to be doing the trick but is making me sooo tired. I'm in bed before the kids some nights. Things should settle down soon I hope - I'm wasting too much time yawning and mooching about.


I'm making good progress on a UFO and have the finish line in sight on that one. We have a new bed on order and you can't have a new bed without a new quilt can you ? Trouble is it is being delivered rather sooner than I'd expected so I'll have to get a wiggle on.












Have fun

38 comments:

Brenda said...

Such gorgeous quilting projects. You are really on the move; wish I had the speed and accuracy that you have! I hope the medicine helps, I have migranes and know how painful (that is a poor word to describe a migrane) they can be. Beautiful, just beautiful work.

Vicki W said...

I love your quilt and tote bag! That was a great use for the selvedges. I'm sorry to hear about your migraines. I get them too and I think I'd want to kill myself if I couldn't goctrol them. I hope you new meds work for you.

Unknown said...

I just love the batik quilt. I am sure your friend will love it too! The bag is great, thanks for the link to the selvedge blog...great stuff. I hope the meds work well for you headache.

Calidore said...

Lovely work as always. You are clever. I hope the meds work on the migranes. Will be thinking of you.

May Kristin said...

A lot of lovely work! I'm sure your friend will like your batik quilt. If not, I would be very happy to have it! LOL

Maria said...

I love your blog and projects, you give lots of ideas. thanks

loulee said...

Wow, it all looks very productive.
The batik quilt is stunning.

Hope the migraines clear and you feel better soon.

*karendianne. said...

Well first off, its great to see this batik quilt wth the fantastic quilting. I love how it came out.

The bag is out-of-this-world and now Karen wants one, too! Very very HIP!!!

I love the little piece you're working on and of course the hexagons are fantastic!!!

Always makes me happy to read your updates. You inspire me.

Welsh Inspired Love, *karendianne.

Frogdancer said...

How funny that you posted a picture of the batik quilt! When I saw you come up in my bloglines I thought, "I should just pop on and let her know I've almost finished her batik quilt inspired scrappy quilt. (That was an involved phrase... sorry.) I'm just hand-sewing the binding.
My squares were slightly larger than yours so I didn't include the long strips outside the border. Pictures will be coming in a day or two once I finish. It's a perfect lap quilt size for a mother and son to snuggle up under on the couch.
Bit of a pity that summer is coming...

Unknown said...

The hexagon stars are beautiful. Your friend will love the batik quilt.

sewkalico said...

I do wonder what you get up to when youare so quiet! Sorry to hear about the migraines!!!!
Lots of lovely projects! Wow to the Batk quilt. And hexagon stars - I was wrong then...LOL - they are great!

Ali Honey said...

Jacqui will love that quilt. Your quilting thread on those LOVELY batiks set it of a treat.

I'll store the selvage idea away for future use.

Look after yourself. Hugs from NZ.

Anonymous said...

Gorgeous quilt, and i love the bag too! What a great and attractive way to use up those salvages.

Joyce said...

I love the selvage bag.I have seen whole quilts made from them but that always seemed to intimidating to start with something so big. A bag is the perfect size to try it out.

SharonZ said...

What a beautiful batik quilt. I wish it was my birthday present. And you selvedge edge bag is great, too!

mereth said...

The batik quilt is gorgeous and I'm sure will be loved and appreciated. I'm resisiting the idea of using selvedges- that's usually the only part I can bring myself to actually throw away, so my bin would be empty if I started using them!
One of the good things about getting older is that the frequency of migraines decrease- they used to plague Keryn and I.I hated losing so much time, days spent feeling sick and in pain when I could have been doing heaps of things. Hope they disappear for you too. Have you tried ginger as a preventative?See if you can find ginger tablets, it's pretty foul raw, but I found it really effective, and no sleepiness.

Red Geranium Cottage said...

Love your selvage bag.

Darcie said...

I've seen lots of uses of selvedges in quilts...but I really love your bag! Very clever!

Wishing you good health....

Laura Jane said...

Hi

I've come to you via Frogdancer and she has made a quilt just like your Batik quilt that has turned out really nicely.

I have a photo of it on my blog at http://lovingthequestion.blogspot.com/2008/09/whirlwind-returns-blogger-says-no.html (at the end of the post, it IS there i promise)

I really love your work and I'm delighted to see your statement at the beginning that you have found your life's work.

Commiserations about the migraines. I used to be plagued with them too and went on a preventer that was very successful (sandomigran)I was on it for 8 years and only went off it recently without too much recurrence. Best of luck with it.

heather said...

I love the batik quilt. The star block is beautiful also. That definitely deserves to be its own big quilt.

Sew Diva Diane said...

The batik quilt is beautiful. It looks hand quilted; is it? My viking does a mock quilt stitch but I think it looks heavy on the back.
I too suffered from migraines in my younger years. I had to go off birth control because of them and now that I am going thru my change, they have disappeared! I hope that you and your doctor can come up with a solution. Does cutting caffeine help? I found it to help a little but that added to my drowsiness. Good luck!
Diane

Angela said...

Your batik quilt is beautiful and that bag is great!

meggie said...

I love coming to visit you when you show your latest quilting. I fell in love with that quilt you gave your friend, I have been thinking to copy it!
Do hope the migraines go!

Libby said...

So many fun projects!! The batik quilt turned out so gorgeous - I'm sure she loves it...

Rhonda said...

Bless your heart. Hope you feel better very soon. Your work is great. I really like the tote.

Anonymous said...

You have been so busy,
The birthday quilt is just wonderfull,
Happy stitching

Jackie Russell said...

Love the batik quilt! The selvedge bag looks great too!

Kate North said...

I think the selvedge bag is really clever - but I can imagine my own DD telling me something similar :)

Like that blue and white star, as well - very pretty.

Floss said...

I love the batik quilt, if she doesn't like it, you can send her my address :).Also think the bag is great. I may need to start to save my salvages.

Rose Marie said...

Love the batik quilt ... gorgeous. So far, I haven't been inspired with the selvedge quilts that I've seen, but your bag is super and it has changed my mine about selvedges now. Love the hexagons that you are doing and that swap quilt will be lovely. Hope you are feeling better and your migranes go away.

Bec said...

What a stunning quilt!
I love the blue star block, gorgeous!
Thanks for sharing your quilt show in earlier posts, I have now visited many shows via blogland!
Bec xxx

Teresa said...

Oh, I just love your tote. I think it is the best one I have seen on any of the blogs. I agree with your daughter - you need to get out mor, get more fabric, cut off the selvages and make me one of those!

The batik quilt is absolutely gorgeous!

Rose Johnston said...

What a great use of selvedges...... mine end up in the scrap bin for my sons Prep class to "play with". Hope the migraines have settled down, my DH suffers from them and i know how nasty they can be!!!

Marilyn Robertson said...

I just love the hex stars and the bag! The batik quilt is wonderful too!

Quilter Kathy said...

Sorry to hear you are having trouble with migraines. Hope you feel much better soon.
Love your new bag!

Mad about Craft said...

lovely projects!

Sorry to hear about the migraines, a b"££$% nusiance. My DD suffers with chronic migraine and is on preventative treatment which does work well.

jovaliquilts said...

Selvedges seem to be all the rage. Great idea to use them instead of throwing them away (I thought they were just for tying tomato vines!). I've started to save a few, and maybe I'll try a bag with them, too. I was wondering how I would ever get enough for a full quilt! Your bag looks great.

Allison said...

I love your batik quilt, your selvage bag and hexagons! Someday I hope to make your bucket bag.