new templates

Christine and I have been frantically trying to get everything done before we close our shop in a month's time. As that date approaches, I have been madly thinking of things I want to make in the future, and what I might need for the projects.
Last week I had to go to Melbourne to the doctor, so I made the most of the trip and had some new window templates made for fussy cutting.
I loved the little clamshell from the V&A museum quilt, so I had one of those cut to size, then a tiny little tumbler as I may as well cut out one of those quilts when I cut out the clamshell. Tumbler quilts make great hand projects.

At summer school Karen Cunningham was making beautiful little stars with her class, and it reminded me I needed a template to fit the 1 1/4" diamond, so I may as well get a 2" diamond template also, then the only one I didnt have that I use often is the 1/2" hexagon. So now I have them all, and maybe I might become fussy cutting addicted! There were so many wonderful little fussy cutters at summer school. BTW we do have these at the shop now in sets.

I also had a set of large circles made on three sheets. The sizes range from 1 1/2" to 5 1/2".
One of our most beautiful customers just made a gorgeous quilt for her granddaughter appliqueing circles onto 6" squares. She joined the fabric for the back of some of the squares and it looks divine, all in citrus colours. Christine and I are very tempted to copy!

....and some really gorgeous quilts

I am still going through the cd of the show and tell of our summer school. These are a few more of the gorgeous quilts we viewed

It is very nice as a teacher to see one of my students have this quilt all completed. "Stevie's Garden" is a huge task! But then again, I know of a few girls who have made two.

"The Wickersham Quilt" was such a wonderful quilt to make. We made our Wickersham quilts in a class over two years.  I still have to put my quilt together and applique a few of the side blocks. Its one of my quilts at the top of my list to finish this year.

Karen Cunningham brought out some of her quilts from past summer schools. "Bluebell" is one of the loveliest quilts we had at out summer schools

And this one "Yorkshire Dales" made from one of Karen's classes two years ago was a real stunner!

Happy quilting, Susan 

and more show and tell

I just have five minutes to spare so I will add a few more show and tell from summer school

Christine made this quilt and its a gorgeous scrappy quilt I think!

over the years in the shop, we have raised over $50,000 for different charities and great causes with raffles of different quilts. This fun and bright one is our current raffle quilt. we will draw the winner on the last day at the shop in March

and this circle quilt is part of Christine's addiction to circles following her "Eggs on Toast" quilt. The japanese border fabric is divine!

and some more show and tell

I dont think anyone remembered these old quilts "The Westtown Quaker Schoolgirl" quilts. This was based on antique family quilt and I love it. Christine loves her blue one. I wouldnt mind making this quilt again in something modern.

My "Sausage dog" quilt was made years ago for a bit of fun for an exhibition. I did not make a pattern and I have been astounded how many quilters own dachshunds and have asked for a pattern.

"Sweet Pea" was a popular quilt we had classes with a few years ago, but lately we have had quite a few  being finished. One person's finished quilt inspires another.

to be continued....

a bit of show and tell

Summer school is over forever and I think we have all almost recovered. It seems as if it were ages ago but I had to remind myself it was just last week.
The show and tell on the Wednesday night is a lovely opportunity for Karen Cunningham and I to see what the students have made with our patterns. Its also very inspiring for all there.

Because it was our last summer school, we brought out some of our old quilts that had been requested.

I will post a few here and update over the next few days

The first quilt is "The Mississippi Marriage Quilt", brought along by one of the girls. The middle quilt is my quilt, made about 10 years ago, and featured on the front of the pattern

and the third one, a summery version of this lovely quilt, again made by one of the attendees.

an era ends

It is so long since I have posted but life has been a bit more than hectic, with getting ready for summer school and I have been ill which has lead Christine and I to make the decision we are going to close the shop at the end of March. It has been sad telling everyone as they have arrived for summer school but Christine has wanted to retire and be free to visit her family a little more often, and at the moment I need to retire to deal with my health. But as we have told everyone, I will still do some teaching, I will still continue to make new quilts and I will still sell patterns and there will be hopefully some more time for blogging! Christine tells me she will be my "roadie" so we hope we can still get to see so many of the dear friends we have made in the shop over the past 11+ years.

Summer school is underway at the moment, Karen Cunningham arrived last night with some gorgeous quilts, old and new and the show and tell from the girls was wow! I hope to get some photos from one of the keen photographers, so maybe some show and tell on line in the next few days.

I have been teaching classes with my clamshell quilt, Swan Lake, Bird on a Wire and my new quilt "Little Sparrow". I managed to get it joined in the nick of time, all bar two sides of the sawtooth border.  I love it so I am looking forward to a few weeks of applique to complete it.

clamshells and slugs

How am I going with all the quilts I have to get done? So far so good, I am calm at this stage.
 Christine's sister in New Zealand is helping me out with Duck Hill Farm and the Browne Sister's ( they are the two I am panicking about!) and the summer school quilts bar 1 are almost done.
Last night I finished quilting the clamshell quilt. I wasnt going to quilt it, but rather leave it as a coverlet but then in the end decided to put some quilting on it. I am pleased with the result, so tonight I will bind it.
I also have only about three evenings of applique left to do on the "Bird on a Wire" and that is done, and on the weekend I will back my "Swan Lake"  quilt and bind it. It has to go to Melbourne by the end of next week to travel across to San Francisco for an exhibition. Deadlines make you do things. Then its onto the "Little Sparrow" as I have sooo much work left on that one, but I am looking forward it.

Yesterday Christine and I had a gorgeous and inspirational outing to one of our local primary schools, Wodonga West primary school, to see a quilt display in the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden. The garden was the real star of the show. It was absolutely fantastic. We grow all our own vegetables at home but this was the garden I would love, so it had me thinking all the way around the garden. The children were so happy working away, learning life skills, running slugs down to the chook yard for a happy hen's lunch, digging away in the compost. What very lucky children to have such a wonderful thing at their school, and then there was the kitchen!

My favorite quilt was made by Jan from our shop( Jan's grandsons attend the school).It captured the happy feeling in the garden.

Happy stitching, Susan