POPPIES

Happy New Year to all the sewing/quilting bloggers out there.

This is my first 2016 post and I thought I'd start off with a bright and colourful Poppy Quilt.
(that's Poppy as in the flower, not in the Nanny and Poppy type)

A while ago, the sewing girls had a day out to The Patchwork Teahouse in Warburton, where I saw a kit for this beautiful Poppy quilt.  Luckily for me, the kit included this large Centre Panel Piece:........

Plus three other coordinating patterned materials and a bright purple plain and a vivid yellow plain.

I am well on the way and have pieced all the nine small blocks that go around the main panel piece.

Can't wait to show you how it turns out, these colors are so delightful to work with, they just inspire happiness.

Bye for now
Dawn

ALASKA QUILT

Last year Mr H and I ventured over to the USA and Canada.  After the 17 hour flight (its such a long way from Australia to anywhere!) we arrived in Vancouver, Canada.  We took a Scenic tour of the Rockies and then a Princess Cruise up to Alaska.

Of course with any holiday, I was anxious to visit as many quilt shops as I could find and lucky for me, I found a couple each stop on the Cruise in Alaska.

I thought what a wonderful way to remember the holiday by buying some material which highlighted the animals found in that part of the world; Moose, Wolves, Bears, Eagles etc...

I came home and stashed my material and forgot all about it (probably got lost in my sewing room).

This winter which has been rather colder than usual, Mr H asked for a quilt so the dogs would sit on his lap.  What a perfect 'man quilt' my Alaskan material has made:

I had purchased panels of animals and also some coordinating brown and blue material.

All I had to do was add the black borders and a few flying geese for colour and there you have it.

Very simple and quick to assemble and I even did the quilting myself (I'm getting braver)

I can even say we saw some of these animals in the wild, brown bears running alongside the train into Jasper, a Moose (minus the antlers) in Banff, lots of birds everywhere but no Wolves!!

Mr H and the dogs, are very happy and there's more room in my sewing room for the next addition of material - everyone's happy :)

TRAPUNTO BABY QUILT

The up-coming arrival of our first grandchild was always going to be a big occasion and I purchased a printed baby cot panel with the intention of trying out the technique called Trapunto.

On the reverse side of the panel, I laid down some pieces of bamboo batting and then using my walking foot, sewed around the balloons, and each individual animal in the boat.  I then cut away any excess batting, which gave the balloons and animals a plump look.

Then I continued as for a normal quilt using batting and backing. I outlined stitched all the pictures and then stippled the main background of the quilt.  I also did horizontal stitching on the blue top rim of the boat and pebble free-motion around the name.

 I could have done heaps more free motion on this quilt but in the end, was more than happy with the result.