Marg Low Designs

gardening v patchwork

There was a time when I loved everything about gardening, specially the books and magazines. I only ever visited the gardening section in book stores and subscribed to the magazines Gardening Australia and Your Garden. I remember thinking that I would need to build a library, because I could not imagine a time when I would lose interest and stop buying them.

Eight years later I now find myself thinking where can I store all the Patchwork and Quilting books I want to buy.

Yes, here are a couple of books I couldn't resist. Marsha McCloskey's 'Block Party' and Judy Martin and Marsha McCloskey's 'Pieced Borders'. Kathie mentioned the Pieced Borders book on her blog and I just happened to see a copy of the Block Party book and thought I need that.

What really disappoints me about both these books is I've had NO time to sit and study them!

a perfect day

There are many projects, started over the years, that I've never got around to finishing. Some are still languishing in the cupboard and others have been passed on. The blog can be a wonderful motivator, and I can't help but wonder if I'd been blogging 20 years ago whether the cushions, jumpers, clothes and all those other projects, now long forgotten but I'm sure started with a rush of enthusiasm, would have been completed.

I'm happy to say the little charity quilt has been finished, including the label. It measures approx 30 inches square. It's difficult to see but I've bound it in the same fabric as the striped border. I'm very happy with how it's turned out.

And I've finished the backing for the Maverick Star quilt I started earlier this year.

Now OK some of you maybe wondering why I am pleased to have only the back done. Why not the whole quilt, bound and labelled? Well the truth is if I had set out to do this, I may not have even got the back done. I like to break projects down into small achievable units. I've set myself a goal and feel really good about have achieved it.

Plus it's been a beautiful day. Much too nice to be indoors and just perfect for gardening. We've had a little rain and the sunny days are making the weeds grow like crazy.

Now I'm off to change my jumper, usually I come inside smelling like  lavender or rosemary but today I tossed around some pellitized manure and I guess I don't need to say anymore!

this week so far

I've finally finished writing the patterns for the Christmas in July workshop at Patches of Heaven, Temora and for The Stitchery weekend in September. It feels like I've just finished the final exam!

Here's a little peak of the project I've designed for The Stitchery. The Friday Girls already have this on their Christmas Wish List.  Mmmm, we'll see. Christmas seems so far away and I usually keep changing my mind about what to make until it reaches a critical point. The point, if you don't start now you'll be handing at Christmas presents at Easter.

Now I just wandered into the furniture store for a browse and spotted this. I've been looking for a very long time for a piece to occupy this space. I couldn't resist.  I immediately pictured a stack of small quilts on the bottom shelf, something stitched hanging from the knob, old tins......what a treat to have something new to work with, a chance to decorate afresh.

friday sewing

Sewing was at my house on Friday. Jan had been to the Sydney Quilt show and brought some gorgeous bits and pieces for show and tell.

Sue-Anne had been to A Patch of Country in Wangaratta and spied this on sale. Sorry, the photo is a bit of a tease. I think its single bed size. I wasn't paying too much attention as I was busy thinking about how soon I could make a trip to Wang on the hunt for a similar bargain. Would it have been impolite to tell the girls there was salad in the fridge and help yourself to lunch, 'I'm off to Wang'!

The pattern is 'Brick Garden' from the book Daylily Days by Need'l Love.  Sue-Anne loved this quilt when she first saw it and purchased the book and fabrics to make it.

If your anything like me you'll have a list a mile long of quilts you'd love to make and own one day. Here's a way of achieving it, if only we can be as lucky as Sue-Anne.

Now I'm not the only one who enjoys sewing at home. Azzy loves having visitors especially if they're coming for lunch. The performance he puts on would lead you to believe he hasn't been fed in a month. He cannot control himself when it comes to food. And it doesn't have to be 'food' food. Fabric, tissues, paper, I even caught him eating some spilt potting mix the other day.

I've come to the conclusion he needs more supervision than a toddler. The moment we realise we haven't seen or heard him in awhile, we start looking. Experience tells us he's usually doing something he shouldn't be. Like the time he jumped up on a bed and gobbled down two packets of throat lozengers, wrapping and all. The label carried the warning an adult should consume no more than one packet in 24 hours. He'd eaten two in less than 15 minutes. I find it difficult enough to consume one lozenger they taste so awful.  Perhaps they taste better with the wrapping on! We didn't know if we should ring the vet or just wait and see. We opted for the latter and he showed no ill effects from this impromptu snack.

Here he is trying to get my attention as I work away on the computer. Looking at him who'd think he'd have such bizarre eating habits. Now I would like to point out that we don't deliberately leave 'food' lying around within his reach. He has an uncanny ability to locate unusual snacks.  An unzippered handbag is a picnic hamper, my basket of fabrics a smorgasboard and the soles of Bec's workshoes (from the bakery) a tasty treat.

For the moment, he's on the couch, sound asleep and staying out of trouble.

a little red birdie

Do you remember these birds I made last Christmas?

The design orginally started off as a small punch needle project  (I'm still working on it), which I enlarged to make these little birds. I loved making them in my favourite colour red and made quite a few for stocking fillers. I made another one today and had forgotten how quickly they come together.

When I was making them I had a number of ideas for other projects. One of them was an applique and earlier this year I started one in a soft pink paisley print. Now I know you must be thinking I've finished it and I'm about to show you a picture, but alas NO! I think its doomed to always remain unfinished.

I've been thinking about another project to include in the pattern for the birds and decided to revisit the applique but this time in red. 

It seems like ages since I've made anything in my favourite colour or in fact bought any red fabric (the Little Red Riding Hood fabric doesn't count).

My long weekend was a lot of fun and very productive.

charity quilts

Murray River Quilters held a quilting bee yesterday to make quilts for distribution by the Vic Quilters INC  to young patients at the Royal Children's Hospital.

Jan and Jackie started on their's earlier in the week.

Jackie made this one. Unfortunately the photo does not do it justice. To give you an idea the sashings are orange and white gingham check.  Bright and cheerful without being over the top.

Another one of Jackie's. The fire engine print is fabulous. Jackie finished quilting them yesterday.

This is Jan's. How gorgeous for a boy or girl. The inspiration for the elephants can be found in Caroline Zoob's book Childhood Treasures, Handmade Gifts for Babies and Children.

Jan finished the quilt yesterday.

After seeing their beautiful creations I came straight home and started to play with my scraps.

I would have loved to use brights like Jackie or made something whimsical like Jan, but the shops were shut and I wanted to start right away. Plus their quilts required planning and careful thought. They'd both been planning them for some time with Jackie purchasing the fire engine print off Ebay.

Here's mine. Only small, approx 28 inches square. Fabrics left over from other projects. Some are quite special. I've been hanging onto them until the right project came along.

A special thank you to Jan and Jackie for inspiring me to create!

the quilt challenge

OK, so how hard can a quilt challenge be. This is the first one I've ever participated in. It shouldn't be too difficult. Choose your own fabric, make it any size you want, all you have to do is make sure each row starts with particular letter. And the letters are S, T, P, C, H, L and F. So for example the S row could simply be a row of star blocks.

Now I had a really strong image in my mind of how this quilt would turn out. But it's not going to plan. Funny that! 

NO, this is not the quilt.

These are the blocks I've made and tried and decided don't work.

I was so confident I even joined some of the rows together. 

I took time out over the weekend to work on the quilt: my aim, to have the top finished Sunday night.

It's now Wednesday and I'm still dithering over one row. Perhaps no one will notice if I leave out the letter L. I've invested a considerable amount of time and effort  into this project and don't want to give up now.

But what's really amusing me right at this moment; is I've just rearranged the blocks pictured and I think they may offer a more interesting combination than those I plan to use. Does this mean I have to make two quilts now?

a birthday present

Last week it was Helen's birthday. Jan made her a gorgeous bag large enough to fit a cutting mat, ruler and all those other bits and pieces we have to carry around with us. (Just realised a photo would have been nice, sorry!)

There was fabric left over and Jan suggested I could make a matching ruler cover and rotary cutter case.

Now you know I love fabric, especially scraps, and nothing makes me happier than laying them out and deciding which one should go where.

Plus it gave me a chance to check over the pattern I'm writing for them.

But the best thing was a beautifully coordinated gift for a very special friend.