Carolyn Forster's Quilting-On-The-Go

All caught up!

Nearly ready for Portland.

Looking forward to meeting up with folks!

This  quilt was put together yesterday from pieces left over from a class I took with Susan Briscoe a couple of years ago.

I saved the 'spare' pieces as I like the combinations. Whilst having a tidy up in an effort to keep on top of things yesterday, I came across them in the back of the cupboard.

The quilt top I originally stitched has not been quilted yet as I am still in two minds about the way to quilt it. I know, you'd think life was too short, but hey ho, don't want to do something I don't like, and is there a rush?

So when I put these leftovers together I knew how to quilt it even before I laid it on the batting!

I took these pictures after I had just started the basting. I was going to safety pin, but it didn't feel right, and as it is a small quilt, about 50in, I went ahead with hand basting.

I started the quilting last night. Big stitch with Valdani Pearl Cotton no 12. I'll let you see the design in the next post (which I have been obsessing about for years now).

It seems to be a variation on Elbow Quilting, and I have a few vintage quilts worked in it. Just had to wait for the right top to come along to try it out on!

I'll take some pictures to let you have look next time.

If you need a quick project to keep your sewing MOjo up, take a look at what Lori stitched this week. So sweet, might find time for that before the dog walk!

Churn Dash blocks are pretty traditional.

They have been around a long time.

But next time before you sew that traditional block together, have a play before you stitch and see what happens:

It's fun to see what could happen when you you play about with stuff, it doesn't take long and won't hurt!

This week I took the plunge and put some pictures on my Flickr site. 

It has taken me a while to be brave enough to do this, but in the end it is really simple!

So far I have just put up some work from BOM 's that lots of you have seen already, but it is a start.

I hope to put work up from classes and perhaps start a group with pics of students quilts. I often get sent shots, and think it would be nice to have them on view. Also I think Nicky wants another group to join!!

Thanks to Nicky for encouraging me!

Up to date with my Grandmother's choice:

I have also been on Facebook now for month or so. Again, feeling my way around this one, but quite fun!

Have you tried something new this week?

This quilt was stitched a while back, but I had it quilted this week. I am so pleased with it!

The colours look very tropical seas. I always really enjoy working with that aqua marine palette.

Especially today when it is cold and grey!

Don't forget that the Diamonds quilt is at Amitie Textiles, so go take peek!

This is an old picture taken in our garden. After this weekend there will be no more pictures of quilts in the Wendy House, as it will be gone! We are in week two of an eight week re-landscape. At present it is mud everywhere!!!! The guys are working really hard and I know it will be great……when it is done!

In the meantime a little hand stitching combined with machining to keep me calm:

Have great weekend, and thanks for the lovely comments about my Spring Applique Wreath!

Just the facts:

Finished!

Inspired by an antique quilt.

Elbow quilted, then changed to 'pepper pot' one third in. (See Utility Quilting)

The back side:

Quilted with Valdani Pearl cotton size 12:

I took my new quilt that Lori stitched out in the garden, so you could see it in England!

If you get a chance to buy one of the quilts from the AAQI site, I strongly recommend that you do!

Thanks Lori, and to all those who have sewn the quilts!

With Spring just around the corner I am up at one of my favourite shops this weekend, Just Between Friends, at Buckhurst Hill, Essex, to teach Flower Head Hexagons!

I have been looking at the exciting happenings of QuiltCon in Austin Texas this weekend. So much fun quilty stuff! 

Look at Debs post here for some interesting insights.

I would have loved to have seen the quilts of Denyse Scmidt in person and also the quilts from the book Quilts by Rodericke Kiracofe. If you have not got this book yet, what are you waiting for??? My copy is a fixture in my bedtime reading!

 And I was so pleased to see my friend Victoria won best in show with her quilt !

I like the energy that the new interest in quilting is bringing to the industry , that of the fabric world and the sewing world. It is often a case of looking back far enough to see what was done before and giving it a new tilt today. Who would have thought that Hexagons would have come back into fashion again!

While searching out  a top to be quilted from my String Quilts class, I cam across this one. I made it a while back, perhaps 20yrs ago.

It is four blue string stars with a cream one in the middle:

You can see I was well into my favourite quilting design of Amish Waves even then!

The blue fabrics were from a Roberta Horton range of plaids.

Here is the middle star:

This quilt hung at Quilt Market in the spring show.

And here you might just be able to see that they are all set in 'Made Fabric':

I used lots of cream prints from a Marsha McCloskey range called Staples.

Packed with the quilt was a book from 1997. I can remember a few of us buying it and being excited about the new ideas of sewing bits of fabric together to make new fabric. The downfall was that the fabrics used in the book were not really very exciting :

However, for a much more exciting approach for those of you who want to try out this idea now, look at Victorias book:

Hope you have lots of quilting ideas this weekend, and enough time to see them sewn!