Hearts

Hi, I haven't posted for a couple of days as I have been doing just what I should be - stitching!  As I said in an earlier post, I am trying to finish all of those unfinished projects.  Unfortunately they will not be finished in the same order that they were started.  I looked at that pile and it doesn't seem to have shrunk at all.
I have finished my hearts quilt with embroidery designs by Sarah Vedeler. http://www.sarahvedelerdesignsshop.com/Hearts-CD-for-Download-Hearts-02.htm
 The applique designs stitched out beautifully using my wonderful Bernina 830.  I used Madeira rayon for the embroidery designs and quilting. I had so much fun with the quilting.  thinking of new ways to embellish it.
It also looks as though my version of the floral visions quilt will be the next to complete - I have now finished the borders, the sashings and a couple of the blocks.  Now to get back to the workroom.
Chris

Another backward look

This quilt was one that I designed for a block of the month.  The centre was foundation pieced, the applique machine needle turned.  The actual BOM consisted of just the centre medallion, but I had all of these fabrics lefct over so the quilt grew.  It was raffled of at our State Quilters Guild last year.

FINISHED - Fairy Quilt and Eight Point Star

I have been working on this quilt for quite some time now, having to stitch the free motion work takes me some time as I can't sit for too long these days.  This quilt was a commission for someone's grand daughter.  Her only stipulation was that the quilt should be pink. These were colours that I did not have too many so also had to seach for fabrics that I could use.  Hopefully she will like it.  I also tried out something a little different by having the border applique on both the front and the back.  Was really quite easy.  The fairy designs were by Hatched in Africa.

Fairy Quilt

The eight point star quilt is one that I made after seeing a similar one in one of the Through the Needle magazine - not too sure which one.  It is actually one of a pair - I thought I had made a mistake and rushed my DH out to get fabric for a second.  This is the fabric I bought then.  The original one I made is still unfinished - waiting to have the last of the blocks background quilted - everything else is finished.  This one has been waiting a long time for the binding to be finished.  I drafted the block up in EQ6 and I used strip piecing and added couching to embellish the seams.  The quilting thread is actually a pink variegated thread but does show very light on the darker fabrics.  All of the design quilting was stitched in the jumbo hoop on my 830.

 Chris

Some of my earlier applique quilts

Most of my first quilts were either applique or stars.  I think the applique because it really is just an extension of hand embroidery and I had been teaching various embroidery techniques for many years before I began patchwork.  My first quilt was a hand appliqued and quilted Baltimore album and I have made quite a few including wall hangings for friends and commissions.  The following quilt is the second Baltimore I made, again hand appliqued and quilted.  A couple of the designs were from books by Ellie Seinkiewicz but the centre basket is mine.  When I had stitched the blocks, I went looking for the setting fabric and whilst I am not a great fan of blue, at the time it was the only fabric that I found that worked.  The framing strips were leftovers from a queen size lone star quilt.  This was finished in 1989.

Chris

Australiana

Hi - remember I thought that I would show some of my earlier quilts.  I begin by showing a wall hanging which was the only quilt juried into the inaugural Dame Nancy Buttfield exhibition back in 1991??  I played with dimensional Aussie national and state floral emblems.

Australiana Floral Wreath
This one is hand appliqued and quilted with trapunto.

Detail 

Another quilt also with the Aussie theme and also with dimensional state flowers was part of the exhibition for the Artist and the Quilter, I think about 1992 - will definitely have to keep better records - and learn how to use my camera better!  This one is again hand appliqued with needle turn, machine free embroidery and machine quilted.

Unfortunately I need lessons on photography - too bright

Detail - this is more the colour of the piece.  It does sit flat

Detail of left corner

And finally a landscape I did for a conference in Denver Colorado about 2004.  This one is machine needle turn applique, machine free embroidery and machine free quilted.  I also added fabric painting and this caused quite a stir back then!  I used corded thread embroidery for the small tree trunks and branches and heavy braids for the fence posts.  The leaves of the trees were scraps, randomly cut and stitched where they fell.  The large trees and the foreground were also trapuntoed to give added dimension.

ENJOY - Chris