Marg Low Designs

Autumn, my favourite time of year

Today, I can almost believe summer is finally over and Autumn has arrived.  Autumn is my favourite time of the year, the airs still warm, the leaves are changing colour and it's the best time to be in the garden. After our very hot summer, and the fact I left the mulching until it was way too late, there is nothing to pick.

So you'll understand why I found these mandarins so tempting yesterday. Aren't they just a fabulous colour? And yes they are plastic, but do I care? They won't go off and I can store them away when I feel like a change.

After thinking about the pears all night, I had to go back today and buy them. I don't know which ones I love more. They made me think of my Dad and the pears he grew on our orchard.

And I couldn't resist the apples either. These glass jars were purchased over a year ago. I had grand plans to fill them with buttons and trims etc..... You know, the idea blossoms in the imagination but the reality is so different. Two jars have sat empty all year. So nice to have something in them at last.

Now I've never decorated for Autumn, but I guess I've made a start.

a bit of this n that

You can see, I'm really having a lot of fun with these fabrics. The birds are finished and now all I have to do is hand quilt, then bind this small throw and a table runner. I have used just about every bit of the fabric I purchased. What a great feeling knowing I haven't added to the stash!

This is a Hera marker (Clover) and I could not do without it. For around $10 it is one of the best investments I've made. I mark all my quilting lines with it and even use it to mark the casing lines on drawstring bags. No more lead pencil marks.

A little gift bag, I made awhile ago. No prizes for guessing the recipients favourite colour!

I love that the little flowers were the perfect fit for the circles on the scalloped border. How simple was that!

sewing treasures

 A few years ago I purchased this book. It's full of wonderful old sewing accessories. I have to admit to drooling over many of the beautifully crafted pincushions and threadholders.

Now I have a little wish list in my head of bits and pieces that one day I'd like to own. There is no urgency to completing this list and over time items drop off and others are added as my tastes change.

Last Saturday I arrived at quilting and sat with Vickii and also most immediately noticed the thread holder.  Vickii didn't want it anymore and said I could have it. How lucky am I!

It is perfect for displaying these old  threads which belonged to my Aunty Ivy. Many years ago, my parents arrived home with a suitcase full of treasure - lace, trim, buttons, beads, buckles, tins, old boxes and pieces of fabric.

Only then did I realise my Aunt must have sewed. As a teenager I'd never stopped to consider how my Aunt earned an income. All I remember is each year we made a long trip to her house to collect Nana, her sister, to bring Nana home.

 Much of the lace and trim is still on the cards but this one is my favourite because it's never been opened. 36 yards of  'Latest Novelty Lion & Flag Haberdashery Known all Over for Excellence of Quality, Made in France'. I would love to know how she planned to use all these bits and pieces and can only imagine the beautiful outfits she must have created.

I feel very fortunate to be the custodian of these pieces.

When I designed this basket, needlecase, pincushion and embroidery scissors bag, it seemed only right to name it after my Aunt Ivy.

This is the new pattern cover I've been working on. I have one copy of this pattern to giveaway. To enter the draw, simply post a comment by Tuesday 16 September.

Spring strips

If you haven't seen these before, they're called spring strips and they're perfect for glasses cases, little bags etc. I saw (and bought) them at the Australian Quilt Convention in February.

I stood there for ages deciding firstly, would I use them (or was I just going to store them forever in the box labelled "thought these were a good idea at the time"); secondly, what would I make; thirdly, what size (because as soon as you arrive home you'll think I should have bought the other size); and fourthly, how many to buy (since you'll never buy the right number). I'm sure many of you have been faced with a similar dilemma. In fact I went back to the stand and made a second purchase just before we left.

Now I'm very pleased to say I have used them. Well not all of them, but the fact I've come home and done something with them is a fabulous feeling. They are my favourite new 'gadget'. This little bag was a gift, so I'm hoping to find time this weekend to make one for myself. Sometime after the housework, gardening, family commitments..... so if I'm realistic, probably not.

And spring strips are perfect for a Rotary Cutter case.

And just in case your wondering, yes these are a couple of the gifts I had to have finished by today.

Gifts

I love making gifts for family and friends. I feel a little guilty if I find myself in a store making a purchase. It would be wonderful if I could spend days working on an item, but the reality is I have limited time to spare. So the gifts are usually small, simple and quick to make. Now by quick I mean any project that can be made in under four hours. I like to think of them as morning or afternoon projects.

This is one of my favourite quick projects. A stitched heart filled with lavender. It can be slipped inside a greeting card and posted to a friend. Just a nice way to say 'Hope you're feeling better soon' or 'Thank You'.

Now there is another reason why I need to have some simple and quick items to make. I need three birthday presents by next Friday. One is finished, another started and the third, well I can't make up my mind what to make.

I couldn't decide what colours to use for the stitchery until I found this piece of fabric. It's Civil War Dressing Gowns by Judie Rothremel.

I purchased it a few months ago and still like to unfold it, play with it, dream, and then refold it. Here's hoping the recipient will love it as much as I do. 

and the winner is....

And the winner of the Molly's Doll Quilt pattern is Sue. Congratulations Sue, if you could email with your postal address I'll pop it in the mail for you.  Thank you to everyone who entered and for all your lovely inspiring comments.

Here is a sneak peek of the new project I'm working on. As usual I'm not quite sure where I am going with it. Just adding bits here and there. I bought the paisley fabric (FOLKLORIQUE by Joanna Figueroa and Lisa Quan FigTree Quilts) last year and teamed it with the stripe from the Bossom range by Urban Chiks.

I'm hoping I'll find time to keep working on it tomorrow and just maybe finish it.

back sewing again

Today was the first opportunity I've had in almost a week to sew. A whole week without sewing, well I did make a few red and white yo-yo's last Saturday, but they hardly count. I just needed something to do that required very little organising (O.K. thinking).

And here's what I made today. I loved this fabric when it first arrived at the shop and had held off buying any as I didn't have a project in mind. (This doesn't normally prevent me from buying fabric). Then last week I finally got around to using my new 60 deg ruler.  The stripe fitted the 8 inch strip I cut perfectly. So there was no juggling the placement of the ruler to align the stripes. Oh so easy. Believe it or not, the most difficult thing to make was the cushion insert and you don't see that! I've already tried it on the bed and it needs a pair or two or three.......

I wasn't going to buy anything - promise

Last Thursday I made a trip to the shop  - just to pick up a parcel for a friend, say Hi to Jan and show her what I had been working on. I had no intentions of purchasing fabric. My thoughts were solely on the projects I needed to finish before Christmas. Yes I know, good joke, try pulling the other one, but cross my heart I did not plan to buy any fabric. The shop was busy so I filled in time by browsing - big mistake. I should have just sat myself down on a chair and stared off into the distance.

Working my way through the Fat 1/4's I came across this fabric. I took it out, unfolded it , stroked it, refolded it, dreamed  - you get the picture. But only a Fat 1/4 what could I do with that. A piece of fabric like this needed to be used for something big  - like sashings or a border. At last it was my turn. The question had to be asked "Is this the only piece left?" Now I think you will understand that I was hoping the answer would be both Yes and No. Yes, because the decision is easy - go home with nothing or the piece you are clutching on to. No, "It's on the bolt", well now you have to decide just how much to buy! Do you buy half a metre, a metre, no for a decent sized quilt its got to be at least 2 metres. But what if this is not enough, what if I buy too much? What will I make with it? I've got to have it!

Then the penny dropped. Jan has designed this beautiful quilt called Spot the Yo-Yo, using a 45deg ruler. As soon as I saw this quilt I wanted to make it. I love Jan's choice of fabrics, it makes me think of fun filled summer days.

Now the design on the fabric reminded me of Yo-Yos. How perfect was this for the border and sashings. So how much do I buy, suddenly became easy once I had the project sorted. Ahh, but what fabrics to use in the blocks? I would need 'controlled ' scrappy to go with the busy border. My fabric stash is largely made up of reds, greens and pinks with only a few browns, blues or golds.

So much later, here I was with all this fabric, and yes, nothing like Jan's. We decided I needed at least 16 different fabrics for the blocks. Hopefully, once I start, will find a few scraps in the stash. This will be my January project and I can't wait to start. I'm already thinking  - just one block- to see how it will look.

But wait there's more!!

Then I saw this fabric. How divine is this? Just perfect for my favourite bag pattern. My favourite shade of green with pink, how could I resist?

Now I hope you can all see the funny side of this tale because I certainly can. I'm still smiling at how I entered the shop with no intentions of purchasing anything at all and came home with a quilt top and bag. Well maybe next time....

Why I like hot weather

The last week or so has been so hot. It was 39 (a bit over 100 degrees fahrenheit) on Tuesday. I can think of lots of reasons why I don't like hot weather. So trying a little reverse psychology I decided I would feel much better about these hot days if I could find something positive about them. Now the list I came up with is very short. If you can think of anything, that doesn't involve water activities, please let me know.

Why I like hot weather (i.e. days over 30 degrees C)

1) The washing dries almost as soon as you've hung it out, and

2) If your ageing a project with a tea or coffee stain it dries quickly and beautifully in the sun. Place the piece(s) on a cake rack so the warm air can circulate underneath them. This is one of the few times my cake racks are ever used.

Today has been lovely and cool. I woke to the sound of rain falling on the roof and the smell of eucalypts.

I found these half finished felt decorations I started a few years ago in my work basket. Don't ask me why I made so many. There must have been a plan. But I have decided to turn them into a kind of penny rug for Christmas. Its going to require careful planning as I only have limited felt for the main piece to work with.  I'm going to use all the appliqued pieces even if the colours aren't quite right in the true tradition of 'making do'.

taking it easy

Well after the last two weekends and all the work that went before I have to admit to 'going a bit slow' this week.

I was not the only one. This is what our dog Azzy does best (apart from eating things that don't agree with him, like fabric and satay stitcks).  He is very happy to have us home. The kennel doesn't have such comfy accomodation. Much shaking of his head and a very sad look on his face saw us at the vets early in the week. He had a very large and nasty grass seed removed from his ear. This and a small grass fire not far from where I live prompted me to get back into the garden for a much needed clean up. Only about half way, but I can at least see where I've been.

The nice thing about going away are the lovely surprises waiting for you on your return. My Californian Tree Poppies have burst into bloom. This is a wonderful shrub. Survives on little water but does like to send out runners and pop up a long way from the parent plant. I've got them coming up between the expansion joints (not sure if this is the correct technical jargon) in the driveway.