Workshops at QITB 2014

We are very excited to announce that some special international tutors will be joining us this year at QITB!!

Contact me via email at quiltsinthebarn@mail2world.com for a copy of this form. Fill in the details  and email back to me asap.  This is a fantastic opportunity not to be missed - these workshops will be their only teaching engagement whilst the ladies are in Australia so we feel very fortunate to have them. 

For those of you coming to the Craft and Quilt Fair in Melbourne this week, I will have these forms available on the Quiltmania Stand E25.

Further details regarding the workshops will be available at a later date.

Thanks for visiting,

Linda

Quilts In The Barn 2014!

 

 

We are so excited to finally bring you our flyer for this years

Quilts In The Barn.

And super excited to announce that

Brenda Papadakis and Patty Harants

 will be our special guests this year.

 

Once again, Mary Koval will be back with

antique quilts from her collection for sale.

And we have an amazing amount of stunning quilts that will be on display this year.

 

 

There is lots to be excited about here at QITB.

So exciting its hard to sit still!!

 

We have a stunning quilt for our raffle quilt,

and the tickets will be available next month.

 

We will be releasing dates and pre-registration information tomorrow

 about the workshops and lectures we have

planned for Brenda and Patty.

Its going to be so much fun!!!

 

Come see me on the Quiltmania booth at the

Melbourne Craft and Quilt Fair to pick up a flyer or pre-registration form

 for the workshops or lectures. Booth E25 

 

Thanks for visiting.

Linda.

 

 

 

 

 



Busy, Busy!

l managed to spend some hours in my sewing room over the weekend,

tidying and hanging a few new gifted quilts on my Great  Wall of Quilts.

 l love looking at my wall. There are so many wonderful memories tied up with these quilts.

 Quilts made by friends and  gifted to me, quilts made together with friends.

Quilts from patterns that were gifts.

 All the quilts have a special meaning to me in one way or another.

And its a huge inspiration when l walk in the room.

 

 

 

During my tidy spree l came across parts and elements

from a quilt l had published late last year.

l always make sample blocks and bits that they photograph.

 This particular one was based on an antique quilt in my collection.

So l finished sewing all the elements together, and this is what l have.

 It will be a small version of the original quilt.

And another great quilt to put on the wall.

 

 

 

Not sure that my fascination with red and white quilts has dissipated.

l have enough quilts, both antique and those made by me to fill 2 books! LOL

 

 

 

 

Here is an update on my hexi's.

Current count is 68 complete, and 8 centres.

Almost half way!!! Woo Hoo!

I am still on target for 1 per day since l started.

Its now become a multi container quilt.

To keep on track and see what needs doing and where l am going,

 l keep my reds and creams  in 1 tin. The second tin is now holding the pathway,

 which l will continue to cover. I will start adding them to the centres soon.

 l have also been busy cutting new fabrics to add.

And if you look closely you can see l am adding a few browns.

There are some brown flowers in the original quilt.

l will make them and decide at a later date if they make the cut.

 

 

 

Some of you will have seen the article about

Quilts In The Barn in the 100th edition of Quiltmania.

Its always exciting to see my photos in print.

In the article we mentioned  this years exhibit.

 

 

 

l am getting almost daily email enquiry's about our dates and other info.

 

Our flyer is being worked on as we speak ( have just seen a sneak peak! )

 l expect to have it here on the blog in the next few days.

We are  super excited about our guests this year,

 and for the first time we will also be holding lectures and workshops with them.

Its going to be soooo much fun!!! 

 

 

 

 

Are you going to the Melbourne Craft and Quilt fair?

Come see me on the Quiltmania stand. Booth E25

l will be there everyday and plan to have our flyers available.

 

Thanks for visiting.

Linda.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 





 

Hexed!! An update!

 

 

While enjoying a stitching day at Millrose  in Ballan on Sunday,

l took my hexi flowers for a walk around the shop.

l found 2 that l liked, so l put it to the other girls stitching with me to help.

The decision was unanimous!!

 

So l am happy to report that l have finally found the fabric l want to use as my pathway!

l set to on Tuesday, covering a handful to test them out.

Here is the result! l couldn't be more happy.

Love them, and love what they bring to the flowers.

l originally bought 2 metres, then yesterday bought 2 more, just in case!!

Can a girl ever have enough of a great fabric?? LOL

 

 

 

 

My tally so far is 39 flowers completed, and 14 centres made.

 

Then l have tons more prepped and ready to pick up and go.

l take my tin of fabric and papers with me everywhere,

and when ever l have a few minutes of down time,

l take it out and stitch a few.

 

And now l also have to confess that l have a new hexi addiction!

When l was in France a few years ago, l fell in love with these blue Liberty fabrics.

 l chose 3 solids to go with them and put them in a case to make a French memory quilt.

When l came home l went through my meagre Liberty stash and pulled out some extras.

 This is what l stitched at our sewing day in Ballan.

Couldn't be happier with how it is looking,

and makes a nice change from working with the reds all the time.

Time will tell what l choose for the pathway here, but l do have something in mind!!

Stay tuned!!

 

 

Thanks for visiting.

Linda.

 

 

Time for a change!

Winter starts in less than a week, so its time to change out my

antique quilt for a new one that reflects the coming season.

l chose this one as firstly l love the brown fabrics,

 and  secondly in winter there is not much colour in the garden,

 so these pops of orange are wonderfully warming.

 

 

 

 

There is  even a touch of purple.

 

 

And these orange fabrics are yum.

 

 

 In the sewing room l have been playing with blacks and cheddar.

A nice big pile of bow tie blocks.

Now to decide. Do l set them on point?

 

 

Or straight? 

 

Thanks for visiting.

Linda.

 

 



Progress!

 

A very dear friend gifted me with a bag full of  delightful red fabrics.

It didn't take me long to iron them, cut them and turn them

 into more hexi's to add to my ever growing pile.

 As l stitch l add more memories to this quilt

 

 

 

 

This is a common view as l look down at my lap.

 

And hopefully this is a not so common view! An oooppps!  moment!

Thankfully it didn't take me long to put right.

 

l love watching this pile grow.

 

As l fill the tin, l anticipate more flowers on the pile.

 



 

Here is my collection to date.

32 finished, and 13 centres.

 

 

Not sure exactly how many  ( 160?? ) l need to make total,

 so l will just continue while the hex is in place!

We had A Piece of Cloth come visit us at the barn recently with her trunk show.

In fact l recommend a visit to read her latest blog post

 about "Definitions" of a Modern Quilter. Very interesting reading.

 



 

There were many happy quilters who went

 home with treasures tucked under their arms.

 

Here is a small sampling of mine.

l will show you a better photo of them in a future post,

as well as some other goodies that called my name!

 

It seems the seasons are a little confused by our  recent weather.

Here is a jug full of white Lilac flowers. Nothing unusual if we were in spring,

but we are 12 days out from the start of winter!! huh??

l will enjoy them now, and cross my fingers we get our usual spring show as well!

 

And for those who inquired about my daughters puppy,

 here is a recent photo of  Duffy, who has made a

 remarkable full recovery from her car accident.

Not only 1 quilt to play in, but 2!!

Such a sweet dog!

 

 

Thanks for visiting,

Linda.

 

 

 



l've been Hexed!!

l started making these hexagon's about 2 weeks ago.

 

But lets back up a bit. l saw an antique hexagon quilt in October last year.

 It was pretty stunning!!

Some of us decided to reproduce it.

 

But l guess l have to back up even more.

My good friend Kathie, who many of you know from

Inspired By Antique Quilts blog, gifted me a box full of red fabrics.

 Lots of older reproduction re fabrics!! l feel in love when

 l opened that box of fabrics, and just knew 

that l needed to use them in a very special quilt.

 

So that takes us back to the antique quilt.

 as soon as l saw THAT quilt. l knew what fabrics l had to use!

Those very special fabrics from Kathie.

And while l make this quilt, l will stitch memories of our friendship,

 and the friendships of  all my quilty girlfriends into it!

 

 

There was yardage of several of the fabrics,

so l shared them with the other girls who saw the antique quilt with me,

 and we all embarked on the journey to make the quilt.

Only l put the fabrics aside, and was distracted by other stuff!

 Quilty stuff!

 

Then about 3 weeks ago, we had a sewing retreat at Sorrento.

 l knew that it was a good time to start the hexi journey of this quilt.

 One of the other ladies on the retreat is also making the quilt.

 We could encourage each other.

Only l was distracted by a request from some dear friends to help make a quilt.

So the fabrics were put aside again.

 

Finally over Easter break, those fabrics just couldn't wait any longer.

So on a cool Good Friday afternoon, while the family

 had gone to watch a local footy game, l began.

 

 

 

Slowly and steadily, l covered the hexi's and made my first flower.

It was instant love!!!

 

l became busy cutting,

 

 

and prepping.

 

 

Then another dear friend gave me this birdy tray,

which is perfect for holding my work in progress.

 

And as the lines of covered hexi's grew, l made more flowers.

 

 

 

l had to take  my MIL to a hospital clinic appointment,

 so l prepared a  tin to take with me, as

there is always plenty of waiting time.

 

Who  knew that you could stitch this many flower centres while waiting??

l do now!!

 

 

 These hexi's below were covered while driving around on several outings

 on Sunday with DH doing the driving. Bonus stitching time!

 

 

And this is my progress as of last night.

9 full flowers and 13 centres, just waiting!

 

 

This morning l prepped a whole lot more fabrics.

Another gift from a friend.

So many memories will be stitched into this quilt.



 

Thanks for visiting.

Linda.