Thank you Helen Hayes

you are truly amazing and every time I look at my quilt I am in awe.

What am I talking about you say? Well yesterday I picked up my DNQTTT quilt from Helen Hayes of Noah's quilting. The quilt is large and I'm sure that Helen spent many many long hours on her feet working on this quilt. I think she said she used nearly 5,000 metres (maybe yards?) of thread. Helen's work is absolutely stunning and I couldn't be happier. This quilt is special to me, since it is my first "original" design - which means I reproduced an old quilt all by myself!

Unfortunately though, it's very hard to photograph because we chose the thread to match the background so closely. Nevertheless, I have a few photos, and when it is on the wall I will try to get some more. It's so big (90 x 108 inches approx.) that I can't get a good whole quilt photo.

Anyway, here it is - what do you think?

This is part of the centre.

A close up of the quilting.


Part of the side section.


I have only uploaded a few photos to the blog so it didn't take too much time to load. But if you click on the Flickr link on the sidebar you can see more.

So I have two quilts now that will be ready for the show in October. Phew!!

I have had a very "take it easy" kind of weekend. To be honest - traveling knocks me around, and after this busy couple of weeks I was aching. Ended up not taking any sewing - which was fine, since I had zero minutes to do it anyway.

So on to the last applique border for Phebe. Not sure if I will finish in time - we'll see.

I'm looking forward to spending a few quiet weeks catching up with blogging, sewing and family (not necessarily in that order).

Ciao for now,

Deb

Remember me?

Well hello everyone, I hope you haven't forgotten me. I am missing you heaps - so I thought I'd drop by just to tell you what's been happening. I won't say "I've been so busy" because by now you know I always am - and so many of you are the same. Trying to juggle so many things; work, family and various different interests. If only we had more time - I wish I could survive on less sleep!

It certainly has been a very busy semester one way or another. But my exam is now done and a team of markers is busy doing what a marking team does! I've also had a rather hectic out of hours life - social functions, school responsibilities, performances (my darling NOD in Alice in Wonderland - she had various roles including tweedledum. The tweedley pair were show stoppers, so funny), photo shoots for Quilts in the barn, presentations.........so all enjoyable but not much time for sewing left over. And the next couple of weeks is also busy. I will be giving some talks (I recently won a teaching award so I get to be a guest speaker as a reward - I'd prefer cash - what's going on there?) I fly to Malaysia next week for a ridiculously short amount of time, then I fly to Sydney for a couple of days at the National curriculum forum. Better pack some sewing. And I will miss my SSS meeting - DISASTER!!! Darling sisters if you're around my area or Parkville - do come for coffee - I miss you, large sob.

OK - enough of that - I suppose you want to see some pictures, do you? I'm just going to tootle around in my room and see what I can find - must be something in here to photo for you. Well I have some things - but not much of my work. I'm about half way through Phebe's third border - looks the same as the other two which you have seen. But I have also been pootling around with the twinkly little stars, which will be the next frames. I have completed 24/80 and have half completed 8 more. Lots of cutting done, so that should speed things up. Whilst cutting the 75 zillion fabrics I'm using, I noticed how many of them are Judie Rothermel fabrics. Isn't she great? How much do we owe her for her great fabric designs? Here's a photo


I have done a bit of knitting and have nearly finished my Noro jumper - a bit more of a sleeve to go is all. The yarn is quite coarse and I'm a sensitive flower so I hope I can wear it! Love the colours though.


The last delivery of GTASB arrived about a month ago - and I haven't touched it.


In fact I haven't touched the months before either. So I was in it right to the last hurdle! But I'm so intent on getting Phebe done for the show, I have dropped everything else. But soon as the applique is done I will be back in there!

And just because you've waited sooooo patiently - here are the last of my AQC photos - the Kim MacLean ones. I'm sure you've seen most of these already though. That's OK - you might like to see them again.

This is a beautiful quilt. I think Kim made another version all in Kaffe's fabrics - but I prefer this one.

A lovely floral basket quilt.

Another of my favourites and I was so gald to be able to see it in the flesh. I have a version in process (lots cut, nothing sewn) on a chocolate brown background.

This one was a surprise - I love the layout and the fabrics were gorgeous. Love the freshness of the blue and white.

I had a great time at the AQC - meeting up with Lizzie and Nat and.........I have met Lizzie on a couple of occasions now and she seems like an old friend. So enthusiastic and generous with her time. It occurred to me at the time (and again now) what a great group of women quilters are. I have e-met so many wonderful women through this blog and really met some others through quilting, it is truly amazing.

I hope to have some more progress to show you soon. I'm certainly enjoying peeking at yours. Happy days,
Deb