Experimenting

It's been a while since my last posting, but I have been quite busy. I have started something I have been wanting to do for a long time: a black, white and red log cabin:



The blocks are 3" square (7.5 cm), I am foundation piecing them. Unfortunately I started without looking how much of the red fabric I had (it's the border of Ernst's I Spy quilt) - there is enough for a lot of blocks, but not for a small border if the finished quilt is larger than 30 cm or so... I went back to the quiltshop where I bought it, but alas, they don't have it anymore. And they didn't know the name of the fabric, so I guess it will have to be a very small quilt - or a bag perhaps?

I'm also making a new set of ATCs - for the Cyber Fyber Exhibition (I've traded nr 24 with Susan) and for the ATC swap in my class at Quiltuniversity.com. The class is great, I'm learning lots of new things - and used some of them in this ATC project. First I weaved these fabrics:



(nothing new so far, I did this before - love how it turned out though)

And then I sewed on some nice thread, using my new cording foot, sewed on some feathers, some Angelina and used the Shiva Paintstik that I bought (with the Angelina) online at The Thread Studio:



And generally I had a lot of fun experimenting! I'll cut this piece in a lot of ATCs when the paint has dried.

And finally, I bought fabric for Amy Butler's High Street Messenger Bag. I'm starting my new job next week and really need a bag like this! (don't think it will be finished by then, though)

Cabo Halter

When I started sewing, a few years ago, I made mainly clothes - for my baby and a few for myself and DH. Since I've discovered quilting I've hardly made any garments - I much prefer making quilts or bags!

So this is the first garment I've made in a long time: Amy Butler's Cabo Halter:



It isn't a difficult pattern, but I now remember one of the things I hated about sewing clothes: zippers!!!

More ATCs

These ATCs are quite addictive!
I finished the second set for the SCQ ATC swap and have started on the third. I can't show them here yet, but I can show the I Love Zebras set I made last week:



I haven't embellished them with buttons, thread or ribbons - it's just the nice soft fabric. Some people may consider these ATCs 'too easy', but I like them like this.

I received a lot of ATCs as well:



These are all from Djesbeeb in The Netherlands, who sent me a set twice, as the first one didn't arrive... Thanks very much, I really appreciate it!



1 3 6
4
2 5 7

1 and 2 are from Nadia, 3 is from Cathy in Rochedale, Qld, 4 is from Delia, 5 is from Ria in The Netherlands, 6 is from Lindi in Edgeworth, NSW and 7 is a little book-shaped card from Karla, the bookbinder.

I recently bought this gorgeous little (10 x 10 cm) book from Karla:



I think I will use it to jot down ideas for future quilts...

And finally, I started the course at Quiltuniversity.com. I've only had one lesson so far (there are four altogether) but it looks like it will be a lot of fun while learning useful things!

Tagged

I have been tagged by Shirley!

THE RULES:
1. Once you are tagged, link back to the person who tagged you.
2. Post THE RULES on your blog.
3. Post 7 weird or random facts about yourself on your blog.
4. Tag 7 people and link to them.
5. Comment on their blog to let them know they have been tagged.

So here are 7 things about me...

1. Unlike a lot of (most?) quilters, I didn't start sewing as a child. My grandmother was a trained seamstress and she and my mother were often sewing (clothes, not quilts) when I was a child, but I was never interested. I didn't start sewing until my first child was born (in 2003) and started quilting 3 years later.
My mother and grandmother both died when I was a teenager. Everytime I finish something now, I think of how happy and proud they would have been...!

2. The best thing that ever happened to me was having children (well, not actually having/delivering them; that was rather painful - although I was very happy to be able to have 3 natural deliveries, 2 of which were at home, which is still possible and safe in The Netherlands. Nothing beats lying in your own bed - freshly made by the midwife's helper - with your newborn baby). I am an only child with very little family and I love having my own family now!

3. I love living in a subtropical climate! I have never liked sunbathing, my favourite holiday destinations are the UK, Ireland and Scandinavia and I was sure I would miss the seasons in The Netherlands very much, but as it turned out I adore living in a place where the sun shines (almost) every day! Admitted, at the moment it is very humid and that isn't very nice, but spring here was wonderful and I am looking forward very much to autumn here!

4. As a consequence of nr. 3, I do not miss The Netherlands very much. I do miss my friends and family, talking in Dutch with my girlfriends (and with 'official people' on the telephone...) and riding a bike everywhere (without wearing a helmet and looking out for car drivers who are not used to bikes or do not want to get used to bikes). But I don't miss the gloves, scarves, wintercoats and raincoats (especially the childrens'!).

5. I am a medical doctor and in The Netherlands I used to work as a public health physician in tuberculosis control. Here in Brisbane I have worked for a while as a research assistant at QUT and in March I will start working as a senior researcher at the Queensland TB Control Centre. I am really looking forward to that. I haven't registered as an MD here yet, but will do that this year, so maybe someday I'll be able to do my old job again.

6. My favourite pastime besides quilting is reading. My all-time favourite book is The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. Other favourite authors are Iris Murdoch, John Fowles, Minette Walters, Robert Goddard, Milan Kundera...

7. I always thought my favourite colour was blue, but since I started quilting I know it is green and purple! I still love blue, though...

And now I tag Corry in The Netherlands, Nicole in Germany, Julie, Delia, Pamela and Remote Ramblings in Queensland and Cat in Tassie, Australia!