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

A Master At Work

More photos from my trip to PA

I just had to share these quilts with all of you.  I'm not sure I have words that even come close to describing this quilt (or many of the others made by the mystery woman-to be identified later :)

It is spread out on the bed to try to get some of the wrinkles out so you can see the designs better.

Impressive isn't it?  Now what would you say if I told you it is 100% needle turn applique?  Every one of those pieces cut out by hand?  Yep, I thought that is what you would think....I was thinking the same thing!  Do you think it will be machine or hand quilted?

And this is another one that just so happened to be finished of recent.  Yes, 100% needle turn applique and hand quilted.  Machine quilting would do no justice to  works of art like these.

Needle rocked quilting....by hand....the entire quilt.

And here is the "Queen of Needle Turn Applique and Hand Quilting" my dear friend, MJ!!  If you are going to learn something, ya might just as well learn from the best ay?

Fortunate Smiles,

Kelly

I Sure Hope It Is Worth It

Here are some photos that I took while on my trip that I have not yet posted.  This is what I typically see as I drive through north central PA where our family and friends live.  Nothing but trees, mountains, farms, homes, some smaller businesses and on occasion you might see some wild turkeys, bears, deer and even a fox or two.

This is what I've been seeing for the past 10 years that I've been regularly traveling through PA.

Until recently....the big companies are drilling for natural gas all throughout the area.  Mostly what people talk about are the gas royalties they are getting from the mineral rights on their land.  Many folks have become what the rest of us might consider rich from the natural gas drilling.

As I crested the top of this hill .....this is what I saw:

Hmmmm, that does not look like anything I've seen before.....almost surreal....

So, from an absolutely amazing view of the farm, corn, barns silos.....comes this giant tower/rig.

Now this is what the farmers back field looks like.....almost like a small city complete with trailors....dumpsters.....a parking lot.....storage tanks......

All I can say is I sure hope it is worth all of this when all is said and done.  I don't know because I have not done any research but one thing I know for sure....where there were once quiet farms there are now Semi's running 24 hours a day 7 days a week hauling water and no one in the area that I spoke to really knows if their water will be affected or even if it is safe to drink....where it is being released etc.  Everywhere you look there are Semi's, Pick-Up Trucks and Dullays.

I hope when they are finished it still looks like this.....without any ill affects on the environment and those that I love.

Smiles,

Kelly

PA Retreat and Mountain Laurel Quilt Guild Meeting

Edited 1/21/11 due to photo errors

I know it has been a few days since I posted but I've been up to my ears in alligators!!!  The credit card processor is finally up and running on my website again.  I'm so relieved that is now fixed.  The co-workers were home from school yesterday due to all the ice on the roads.  So today, I'm right back to my blogging :)

Remember when I said I love the batiks at Needles Quilt Shop in Wellsboro, PA?  Well, as promised here is a photo of my loot.  I needed some brights and I loved the funky trees so I just bought those for my stash.  I'm not crazy enough to log in the fabric I purchase and what I use.  That would like listing all the junk food I eat on my blog.....NO WAY would I cop to that in public.  Not happening!

 

Back to the retreat at the Lake House.  This is a photo of Lois holding one of the blocks she made for her block exchange.  Her theme is "Sun Bonnet Sue Travels Around the World" (outside the continental US).  There were more blocks than I'm showing here.

Sun Bonnet Sue went to South Africa

 

Sun Bonnet Sue went to Hawaii 

 

Sun Bonnet Sue went to Italy

I think this one is when Sun Bonnet Sue went to Antarctica

 

Sun Bonnet Sue went to Scotland

Sun Bonnet Sue lost her innocence in Scotland apparently!

 

Sun Bonnet Sue went to Japan. 

Sun Bonnet Sue is not one of my favorite patterns but I love Lois' interpretation.

On Monday night I was invited to speak, can you believe that?  People actually wanted to hear me speak.....I used to get paid to listen and now I got paid to speak....I'm liking this :)

I was invited to speak at the Guild Meeting on Monday night.  In my last job I was paid to listen, now I'm getting paid to speak....hmmmm I think I like this.

The Mountain Laurel Quilt Guild meets at the Gmeiner Art and Cultural Center in Wellsboro, PA.

This is the Wellsboro Library next to the Cultural Center.  There are many beautiful homes like this one in Wellsboro, PA.

That is Anya in the window waiting for me to arrive.  She said she did not know it was me until she saw the camera....then she was sure.

Anya made this beautiful quilt using only fabric she had in her stash and her scraps.  Her goal is to refrain from purchasing new fabrics until she uses what she already has.  I'm thinking she may need some serious support to achieve that goal....what do you think?

 

This is none other than the IHAN CEO demonstrating a Velocity 50 Iron by Reliable.  I love the look on peoples faces when I plug the Velocity 50 in and it starts to steam, and steam, and continue steaming without one drip of water leaking out.

I'm not quite sure what is happening here.  I think the gals were laughing as they passed the Gypsy Sit Upon around the audience.  I probably said something like, "what are you laughing about?  I haven't even had a chance to show you how well I can iron in a contortionist position."

I love the response I get when I show people how to cut 117 2 1/2 inch accurately cut squares in less than one minute.  I put this die through the Sizzix Vagabond and out the other side came 117 perfect squares...and the crowd smiles!

I had a wonderful time while in PA.  This is the East Coast Operations Facility and that was the last thing I saw as I drove away.  You can't see MJ in the doorway waving goodbye....but I remember her standing there as I drove away.

And this is a photo of the barn with light snow falling in the early morning.  The little prints in the snow are from the cat that lives across the road.  I can't wait to return....and it won't be too long either.  Mr. McSteamy's Grandmother turns 100 in February and we are going home for the celebration.  She is a quilter too!!!  I wonder how many quilts she has made in her 100 years?  I'll have to ask her.

Smiles,

Kelly

Mix & Match Quilts With the AccuQuilt GO! Blog Tour

Day 2 Blog Tour

Mix & Match Quilts

With the AccuQuilt GO!

Review of  "Bursting Into Bloom"

Designed and Quilted by Connie Kauffman (pg.21)

When I saw the quilt I was to review I was thrilled.  I think this pattern is fun and cheerful.

 Many of the dies necessary to make the projects in Mix & Match Quilts are included in the AccuQuilt GO! 12" Finished Block Set.   The GO! Rectangle (3 1/2" x 6 1/2") , GO! Funky Flower Die and the GO! 2 1/2" Strip Cutter Die were the dies used to make "Bursting Into Bloom."  

I think it is wonderful that all the dimensions for each die is given in the book as well as the Funky Flower template.  So for those who do not have a AccuQuilt GO! or Sizzix Westminster Fabric Cutter you can still make these quilts using your choice of rulers that will cut the necessary shapes and the templates supplied in this book. 

I did not make the "Bursting Into Bloom" quilt however I did read the instructions several times.  The instructions were not as clear and I think they could be and I'm not sure a beginning quilter would have understood some of the terminology and directions. 

Here are a few examples:

"Die Cutting Instructions"

"1.  Cut one 7 1/2" by fabric width strip from each of five coordinating bright prints and fan-fold 4 1/2" wide.  Die-cut eight H rectangles from each strip."

I'm not sure a beginning quilter would know what a fan-fold is and a diagram or photo would be much clearer.  Perhaps adding that you would have a total of 40 rectangles when finished would be helpful too.  The other thing that I found confusing was referring to the rectangle die as H.  While on page three of the book all the dies are described in depth, a beginning quilter may not have noticed they were also labeled with an alphabet letter.  When I first saw the instructions I wondered what H was referring to so I looked back through the beginning of the book.  The dies are even labeled that way on my website but it was not readily clear to me. 

The book shows photos of the shapes that the dies cut and I think it would have been clearer if a beginning quilter actually saw a photo of the die too.

Later in the instructions the letters X and Y appear along with other letters.  At first I thought I was missing something and I began searching page three for X and Y.  Then I thought that the X and Y might refer to X and Y axis.  So I looked at the quilt and thought to myself, "there is no way they could be referring to the X and Y axis...that makes no sense."  So I looked to the end of the instructions and noticed on some of the diagrams there were small alphabet letters that referred to rows.  I think it may be helpful to tell people in the beginning that the letters would be referencing rows on diagrams that would be shown on the next page.

That was my experience with reading through the pattern.  Stop over to Vickie's blog at Spun Sugar Quilts and read her review of  the "Bed of Roses" pattern also being reviewed today.

You can  visit Tonya at Tonya's Sewing Room Blog  and Jacki at Canton Village Quilt Works Blog tomorrow and read their reviews as well as find out who else is reviewing the patterns in this book on Thursday. 

Everyone is different and I look forward to reading about their experiences with the patterns.  The quilts and projects are beautiful and I think the concept is definitely great for a beginning quilter. 

Smiles,

Kelly