Red & White MYO Charm Quilt Finished

Started late in 2012 and painstakingly pieced and finally finished.

The dimensions are roughly 110cm by 120cm. I wanted to quilt it myself about a quarter inch from each seam line but I realised that would require more time than I had available. My professional quilter expressed a preference for an edge to edge design because it was easier for her to execute. I regret agreeing to that as I feel my design vision wasn’t delivered. I like this quilt, but I don’t love it as much as I was hoping/planning to.

The batting is Quilters Dream Poly (throw sized) in mid loft which was quite inexpensive and can be quilted as far as 12 inches apart. It will withstand lots of washing and doesn’t require pre-washing but I find it little stiff. So far I have not found a polyester batting that drapes in the way I want it to, ie like cotton batting. I have a packet of low loft Quilters Dream Poly ready for a jelly roll quilt that is yet to be started and I’ll be interested to see how that compares.

Note the quilt stand in this last photo. It’s my brand new (to me) Druva four shaft floor loom and it came home yesterday.

A Stash of a Different Kind

Just what I needed. Weaving has given me the opportunity to start a yarn stash as well as a fabric stash.

A table full of warp yarns

The Victorian Handweavers and Spinners Guild had their biannual (I think) yarn sale last weekend. I went along and brought home a couple of cones of yarn for warps (one pure wool, one a blend), an unwanted chain of cotton warp for a rag rug and some soft and blue knitting wool for a scarf weft. It was all extremely well priced so I felt I could take some risks. A friendly shopper next to me passed on a couple of tips on what not to buy, as did the lady who took my money.

What not to buy is cones of light coloured wool that have dirt or stains on top. I was told the marks often won’t wash out. I see it in the same terms as not eating the yellow snow. [Frank Zappa had something to teach us all.]

My First Warp

In weaving class we’re using Bendigo Woollen Mills 3-ply for our warps. I was one of the last to pick from the yarns available to the class and I ended up with some blue, some pink and some white. These would not have been my first choices but as this is just a learning piece it probably won’t matter that it’s ugly. In fact it probably would have been ugly with or without more appealing warp colours. It’s my first weaving project after all.

My class loom isn’t fully dressed yet. That should happen next week and I expect it will be hard work to get that done. After that I’m looking forward to seeing what can be accomplished with a four shaft loom. At home I’ll be practising using my two shaft loom. The working yarn blog has given me some inspiration about the possibilities.

WordCamp Melbourne 2013

I’m very pleased to have got a call on Friday telling me some extra tickets had become available to WordCamp Melbourne over the weekend of April 27 and 28.

I cheerfully handed over my credit card details and changed my plans for the weekend. I’m hoping for a good vibe and a few lessons learned.

Can’t wait.

Christmas in … April?

With the current state of unfinished objects/projects in train around here, it probably makes sense to start for me to start working on Christmas projects in April. But actually this block has more to do with post holiday sales than it does with pre-planning.

We weren’t really happy with the selection of Christmas decorations we had for our celebration last year and I resolved to make some Christmas bunting. I took advantage of a January sale at Spotlight and picked up some seasonal fat quarters for $1 each.

Then I came across this description of how to make a double nickel swoon block and decided to try it out with the Christmas fabrics I had lying around.

And so another project begins.

The border is a bit of photo editing wizardry but it does illustrate the border treatment I plan to use after I get the quilting done. Then I will add a hanging sleeve to make a Christmas wallhanging that I expect to finish at about 23 inches square.

Stepping Back in the Supply Chain

As if I didn’t already have enough ideas, projects and unfinished objects, I’m taking a step back in the supply chain.

Those of you who visit regularly may have noticed that I have added links to a couple of weaving-related sites. I was given a book about weaving last month.

What use is a book about weaving when you don’t have a loom?

So, I bought a loom. It’s a basic two shaft table loom, one that won’t take me far if weaving becomes a serious long term interest, but it’s an excellent place to start. What’s more, I’ve purchased a fantastic piece of Melbourne’s industrial heritage.

My Dyer and Phillips table loom was made in Flinders Lane, Melbourne at the street address of what is now the Swiss Club. For those of you who haven’t been to Melbourne, that’s in the absolute heart of the central business district, as Melbourne is today. If I ever have a spare moment I plan to go to the State Library of Victoria and research the history of Dyer and Phillips. I’m sure theirs will be an interesting story, one that mirrors the history of Melbourne itself.

The loom came to me after spending many years in someone’s attic. It hadn’t been covered while in the attic and it was very dusty but mostly intact. I vacuumed it (very carefully) and then used a toothbrush to attack the dust that had gathered pretty much everywhere. A couple of the heddles (the eyes that guide the warp threads though the loom under the shafts) were broken and I have retied them using some strong cotton. For the time being I left the broken strings where they were as I am reluctant to cut or remove any of the original parts.

As I really don’t know how or where to start, I’ve joined the Handweavers and Spinners Guild of Victoria and will be taking weaving lessons with them. First impressions are that the retiree set are heavily represented in the membership, but then again, what working person has time to answer the phones during the week. Not this one, that’s for sure.

When speaking to one of the members on the phone, I made a slip and said ‘Spinners and hand weavers’ rather than ‘Hand weavers and spinners.’ The lady I was speaking to said, ‘You mustn’t do that. They get their knickers in a knot when you do that.’ I wonder if that’s a sign of things to come.

There begins next my adventure in fibre and textiles.

How long will it be before I install a goat, sheep or angora rabbit in the back yard?

V & A Quilts Coming to (Brisbane) Town

I’ve written about the Raja Quilt before when I reviewed the V & A Quilts iPhone app. The quilt was made by convict women being transported to Australia and it’s good that the quilt should be coming on display.

Those of us who are in Australia will be able to see the Raja Quilt (and others) for themselves between June and September 2013 when the V & A Quilts collection is coming to the Queensland Art Gallery.

A Gentleman’s Travel Compendium

This project was a commission of sorts. I made it as a surprise gift for my beloved’s birthday. He wanted a storage pouch for his A5 sized travel diary with a secure pocket for his passport.  

He didn’t get a pouch. Instead he got a compendium. Sounds (and looks) so much better, don’t you agree?

Passport Pocket

I couldn’t find a sturdy metal zipper as long as the long side of an A5 piece of paper and I wanted to make sure the passport pocket could be accessed without too much digging. I used 25mm navy blue tape from M.Recht to bind the raw edges, for the band and the closure. The D-rings were from M.Recht, too.

The diary can be swapped out for each trip and the upholstery fabric is heavy enough that a lining wasn’t required. Also, the pattern is plain so I expect it to receive the masculine tick of approval.

The band allows for movement but keeps the diary secure

Verdict: The fabric did receive the tick of approval, but the overall design did not. That will teach me to re-interpret the customer’s specification. My beloved is now sewing his own travel pouch and has moved from the prototype stage to making the final product. If you want it done right, do it yourself, eh? It’s a good thing I taught him how to use my sewing machine.