Australian Spirit Pattern; Marketplace India Quilt and Pinmoor

You may recall my post on January 24th about this book, Australian Spirit.  Well.....I'll continue where I left off there....

 

As I mentioned in the earlier post, this book belongs to Waldo.  She and I were both excited when we saw this pattern by Terrie Kralik, Moose Country Quilts.  The "Sacred Orb" pattern is exactly what I needed to solve my latest puzzle.  What puzzle is that you ask?  I thought you would!

 

A gal from Marketplace India had contacted the Black Swamp Quilt Guild's President and inquired if there were any people interested in making some quilts for them as a charity project.  Naturally I raised my hand and agreed to make one.  We were given clothing and fabrics and had to cut them to make a 48 x 48 quilt.  I took one look at all the fabrics and went blank.....what am I going to do with these I thought.  Then Rosemary remembered her book,  Australian Spirit, and we were off and running.

Here is my version of Terrie's Quilt Pattern, "Sacred Orb."

 

 

All of the embroidery was already on the cloth.  I tried to get the most interesting patterns with embroidery to work in this pattern.  I really like how it came out.  What do you think?  I loved Terrie's pattern and the other patterns in the Australian Spirit book as well.  Thank you Terrie!!!

After I finished the top I had to sandwich the quilt for quilting.  I had read about Pinmoor but had not yet tried them.....so what a great opportunity right?

 

Pinmoors are little silicone stoppers that go on the end of your straight pins when basting a quilt.  I'm a skeptic so the first time I saw them I thought....oh....little pencil erasers.  I was quite surprised when I used them that they are not like erasers at all.  They are soft enough to push your pin into without being so tough it will dull your pins (which I'm not going to have that happen to MY pins....I love my pins). 

This is how they work and below is how they look when you baste the top of your quilt.

 

I like the Pinmoors and think they definitely provide a easier way to baste if you like using pins to baste.  There are a few important cautions I think you need to consider.  First, they are brightly colored and could be attractive to young children....a choking hazard.  Same goes for small pets but they are great choking hazards for Pests. 

The other thing I noticed was that if I was not paying attention (which happens to me all the time) you might push the pin through the Pinmoor and into your finger (yes it happened to me....but then I wised up). Pinmoors are non-toxic which is a great thing and even better, they are made in the USA. There are 50 to a package and that was enough to baste this 48 x 48 quilt top.

Now, on to the free motion quilting....I need all the positive energy and support I can get....send the vibes this way...please :)

If your guild or group is interested in more information about the Marketplace India Charity Quilting you can contact Shanti Freitas at  sfreitas@marketplaceindia.com.

Smiles,

Kelly

Australian Spirit Book Review & M & S Textiles

Hold on to your seats because what I'm about to show you will either cause you to jump from your seat....or fall off...lol....depending your your personal style and taste.  I recently had a need to get some pattern inspiration to work on a project I'm in the process of finishing (more on that later).  It is a darn good thing Waldo had purchased, "Australian Spirit"and all these amazing great fabrics from M & S Textiles.

 

"Australian Spirit"  is the first quilt project book to showcase Australian Aboriginal designs. Aboriginal artists paint the rich heritage of their use of color, symbols and design to tell their prehistoric stories. Having their art printed onto fabric gives them another dimension to speak to the world. The designers featured in this book have brought together this ancient art on fabric to create quilts that harmonize the work of many Aboriginal artists. Each project shares a different melody both stirring and beautiful. 'Australian Spirit - Designer Projects to Quilt, Fuse and Sew'

M& S Textiles

There are a variety of designers who have their patterns included in this book including; Yolanda V. Fundora, Sara Miller-Moe, Momo Lohani, Susan Deal, Cheryl Phillips*, Jayme Crow, Terrie Kralik, Diane Ricks, and Barbara Campbell.  Click on each person's name to read more about them individually.  Very interesting and talented ladies.  I've had the great pleasure of meeting Cheryl Phillips so it was a great thrill to see her work in the book. 

Look at all these beautiful fabrics Waldo owns (isn't possession 9/10ths of the law?)

Here are some close ups....hang on tight....this is where it gets exciting.....just think of all this amazing creativity.

 

The patterns in this book are excellent even if you were not using the AU fabrics....they are interesting and a nice diversion from traditional patterns.  The one I used for inspiration is by Terrie Kralik and it is titled, "Sacred Orb."  I read the instructions which were written well and I understood the directions.  I did not use the pattern exactly and I'll share that with you more later.

It is rare that I like every pattern in a quilt book.  Typically I like one and if I'm lucky two or three.  I was surprised to say that each pattern appealed to me and not just for use with the Aboriginal Fabrics (although those are spectacular!!!) but for other fabrics as well. 

More about my quilt soon.

Smiles,
Kelly