Phew

What a relief - it's 'only' going to be be 30C today. That means I can finally finish quilting.

Yes it appears that I'm back online! Hopefully that will be the last meltdown I have to endure... I'm a week behind thanks to the heatwave.

My sewing machine overheated and knotted the threads

and bobbin spool.... so I had to leave it alone, it just didn't want to stitch in the heat, and either did I.

I've found that a lot of electrical good seem to malfunction when it gets above 35C so I decided not to push it. This morning it's stitching just fine.

Still, I'm one on the lucky ones - I didn't have to suffer any blackouts during the heat. I really detest suffocating heat - it's just paralysing. I didn't accomplish anything. So today I'm making up for lost time.

These are some fishy pictures that my daughter took to help inspire my quilting. I'm always find bodies of water alluring: from the sea, to rock pools, ponds, deep puddles, fountains to fish in a bowl...I just love observing the life going on beyond the rippling surface.

Its all to do with layers, thats what makes the ordinary seem so extraordinary in my eyes: I love the yellow unfurled inner petals of a blooming red flower....or moving through layers of dense green tree foliage to uncover an unexpected birds nest spun from abandoned bright threads amongst the twigs....or stencilling - stencils are improved by colour layers, as is quilting itself. Ahhh, layers. I feel ready to quilt again...

Heat Wave Aftermath

My internet provider Hotkey has been experiencing technical issues...a melt down...basically it means that I have not been receiving emails and my internet access is patchy at best. Hotkey expects to be back to routine by the end of the week. Until then, I'm pretty much offline.

If you have sent me an email - I have not received it. Would you please re-send it again next week (to be on the safe side)

Thanks for your understanding during this frustrating time

Esther

too hot to blog

Stuck in a record breaking heat wave. Everything I've started: I've stopped. It's too hot to quilt and it's too hot to blog.

Heat Wave

It's going to be one of those weeks! I can't wait to get tothe other side of it.

There's a heatwave expected all this week (I'm already heat exhausted) and, in typical fashion, I have 2 quilts to quilt lined up. What was I thinking? I've decided to stick with my quilting schedule - this year I want no ensure no more UFO's are created (actually I wanted to dust off and finish all the ones I already have) and this means working to a plan. As much as I resist plans, I've reached the point of having to get seriously scheduled.

This is hard for me - with quilting I prefer to work as the mood takes me. However this has also meant that I actually do have a lot of UFO's, a lot to quilts ready to quilt, a lot of new design stencils and a lot of new quilts waiting in the wings. I decided that this year was going to be stash busting, and it's also going to be working through some 'must make' quilts.

This week I also started preparing for some workshops coming in the next few weeks. I really enjoy teaching stencilling - it's a great workshop and I'm always impressed with what fellow quilters and curious students manage to create after just a day of learning the technique.

Of course, workshop planning wouldn't be complete without some supply issues. I'm currently trying to source the right shade of paints - it appears that everyone shops for art supplies at the same time!

Sometimes the organising takes more time than the workshop itself.

Well, I know I shouldnt complain, at least I'm sweating over something I enjoy doing....

Feeling Creative?

...then get out your stencilling brush!

One thing I really love about quilting is it's scope.... to challenge, delight, inspire and encourage - that's how I got into stencilling, and I haven't looked back.

If you'd like to try something new and you're in Melbourne next month, why not come along to the AQC - Australian Quilters Convention? I'm a tutor this year and my workshop will be exploring stencilling.

This wall hanging, Not Quite Shabby Chic is one of my favourite workshop quilts to teach - its so adaptable, just a switch of colours can change the whole feeling, the stencil roses bouquet in the centre is a really rewarding (and straight forward) piece to stencil.

If you have'nt tried stencilling yet, you're missing out!

Click the AQC button on the left hand side of this blog for more info!

CORRECTION!

The glitch gremlins are in....

Block 3, Love Apple, has 2 measuring mistakes.

A Block 3 correction sheet has now been added to scribd.com with the error positions highlighted and the correct data entered. Please download this correction sheet when downloading block 3.

Apolagies to all of you who may have been confused by this error, and thank you to Eugenie for pointing it out.


PLEASE NOTE:

When a block's finished size is, say, 16" by 9" and in the cutting directions I instruct that the background be cut to 16.5" by 9.5" - this is NOT an error. I always allow a half inch for seam allowance. There have been a few queries about this half inch, and this is the reason.

Finished size means no seam allowances, so when the block size is indicated at the beginning of the pattern, it is listing the finished size. When making the block, the seam allowance size is referred to.

What's enough red anyway?

Red and White is so stunningly simple...yet evocative.

Personally, I can't get enough red in my designing at the moment, and whilst Red Delicious has definitely started taking care of my fabric stash, I knew I wouldn't feel finished until I extended the red theme with some stencilling.

Stencilling is a beautiful, traditional and almost forgotten quilting technique - I utilise it alot as it allows you to make designs from your own sketches in an original, challenging and enjoyable way.

Here I designed a Red stencil cushion, I know, I know...I even thought about moving into Blue & White (also stunning) but my heart currently belongs to Red!

Country Craft and Decorating Magazine is now available, so why not add to your red project list?