Wednesday 6 June 2012

Winter Westerlies and WiPs

Well Winter has well and truly hit the northern rivers of NSW. The last 3 weeks have been rainy and horrible but on Monday and Tuesday we've had sunshine and freezing cold westerly winds. It's been snowing in some parts of the central tablelands and Snowy Mountains and you can sense that 'nip' in the wind chill. And I have had a sore throat for 5 days!
Driving, to pick up the kids at 3pm these past two days, I wondered when it had changed. Suddenly the sun is a winter sun. I realised that the light was different. The warm yellow light of autumn has been replaced by the cool white light of winter. The shadows were long and the sun was hanging very low in the northern sky making it seem much later in the day than school home time. So behind all those rainclouds these past few weeks, the season had turned. 


Quick Charm Stars


Later this month my online quilt group - Quilt Club Australia - has a 'Secret Handmade Swap' deadline.  I have been so busy with other projects that I didn't get around to it until this past weekend. Now it is a secret project to a secret partner so I can't show more than a snippet for fear of disclosing too much. But I had a pack of charm squares and an idea of using a pattern by Elizabeth Hartman. As it turns out, I needed more material and so I put in a long phone call to my lovely friend Kristy from Quiet Play and she found me a great one by Stefanie Roman in the Moda Bake Shop called 'Charming Stars'. I was so grateful because these blocks required minimal cutting and sewing to achieve a decent 9 patchy star.
I have also made the projects double sided using up some leftover charms and natural French General. I have outlined the stars and also shadowed some them with straight line quilting. The binding is a bit Dr Seuss-like. I plan to do some hand quilting on it to finish off and add that extra 'zing' plus it helps me pass the time waiting around at D's Social Skills class every Wednesday afternoon.
Kristy was featured on the 'Get Acquainted Blog Hop' yesterday and her post is well worth the read for a giggle, a get-to-know-her and a link to a great paper piecing tutorial of hers called 'Red Herring'. I plan to use it to start my paper-piecing foray in July.
Plum and June
Work In Progress - WiP


This week's stats:
Completed projects - 2  - 'HR Far Far Away 2&3 Fussy Fairytales'.  See Friday's post.
                                               - Secret Handmade Swap project.To be revealed fully in July.
  
Currently in progress   - Zakka Zip Organiser 
                                               - Katie Jump Kites - top finished
                                               
On Hold projects   1 - Zakka Messenger Bag - lining and outer sewn. Waiting on strap hardware.

So how have you progressed this week? Simone from Local Honey Crafts has a fabulous competition to get your UFOs done this month. Please drop by and read up and see the lovely fabric prizes.
Local Honey Crafts


I am linking up with...

8 comments:

  1. We are supposed to have summer but sounds very similiar to your winter :-) Had to look up the UFO meaning so I learned something new, thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Your weather sounds just as crazy random as ours in the UK! Those projects sound very interesting =D

    I'm having a giveaway on my blog. Feel free to stop by and enter (if you haven't already) =D
    http://ibescheraldine.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/official-150th-post-giveaway.html

    ReplyDelete
  3. At least it is good weather for drying the washing now:) I love the Charming Stars pattern too and have a few charm packs of Good Fortune here that I would like to use to make the quilt with.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Crazy weather isn't it! Winter's definitely here!

    I'm loving the sneak peek of your secret swap item! Can't wait to see it in all it's glory. I'm thinking I may have to give that Charming Stars pattern a try myself!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Have you add the pics of flying quilt? It looks soo pretty!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes very astute of you Vera...I wrote the post early in the morning and wanted to add a few photos of the KJK quilt in the sunshine...it came hand in hand with the wind though.

      Delete
  6. Love your windy quilts photos, definitely movement in that quilt!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Your KJK looks great blowing in the breeze. Your pictures look so sunny and don't look at all wintery.

    ReplyDelete

Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.