Quilting and the creative challenge

I learned how to quilt when I took some long service leave from work.  I fell in love with it, and about 6 years later I find that it still has many challenges for me.I make quilts for myself, for my family and friends and for decorative purposes around the house.

On this blog page you will often find pictures of quilts in production -this page is for those quilts which I have finished.

February 2024


First finish for 2024! This is "forest floor, a batik quilt made from a jelly roll which was given to me. 

April 2023

Music quilt made with scrappy bits and pieces from the WAQA fabric sale, and after a workshop on the flexibility and fun of using simple squares in quilts. I made another machine binding, learning all the time.





March 2023

Block Buster, a quilt made with Potato Chip blocks. 


2022 Quilts 

Kunyani, a snowball block -quilted by the longarmer. 






2021 Quilts



This wall hanging is called Ocean Reef, and reminds me of the walks we have along the beach between Mullaloo and Ocean Reef, when the tide is low between Christmas and New Year. I used gifted batiks and a Accuquilt snowball die, along with some 9 patch blocks. It hangs behind the front door. 


This scrappy tumbler quilt was given to the WAQA community quilt group -and I got a thrill when they hung it up as part of a display at the October meeting of WAQA. 


  This superhero quilt was donated to WAQA. I used a panel I had in the stash 

2020 quilts






2019 quilts


Christmas At Our Place quilt


Community quilt for CanTeen through WAQA



2018 quilts


The Lorax quilt -for my grandson who loves the movie






"Fly Away", donated to the WAQA Community quilt project for a women's refuge.



"Playing with water" hanging in our entry hall, with Dora photo bombing the picture. Finished January 2018.


"Christmas in Australia" scrappy quilt finished February 2018. 



2017 quilts 


Memory Quilt

This is a quilt made with B's shirts. B was a friend of ours who sadly died last year. The quilt was handed over to the family on the 1 November 2017. It has a rectangle with his name embroidered on it, but I have edited out the name for the sake of the privacy of the family.




Quilt for our 3rd grandchild

This quilt was made with a fabric panel which suggested it could be made into a cloth book. I added the fun fabrics in the alternate squares, and -after a bit of a hiccup about the order of the letters when I first sewed it together -it turned out OK I think.




The Bright One


The yellow fabric in this quilt was the inspiration for a new quilt, which was in turn based on a picture I saw in an online quilting group.

As I had recently joined the WAQA Community Quilt group I donated this quilt to them to pass on to those who might enjoy a bright, happy quilt.



Bricks and Stepping Stones
is a Bonnie Hunter free pattern.  I used scraps from my last project and some fat quarters that have never really had a place to go.

Here is is in its new home: DH's study. He always is so nice and kind about my quilts as I work on them, but this time he seemed a bit more complementary, as though he really like it. So I gave it to him! He has, of course, free use of any quilts in the house, but I had never actually given him a quilt before. 


The quilt was made entirely on my Singer 301K, and I had supervision from Dora, who couldn't wait for me to finish it so she could give it a trial run. 


This was a fun scrap quilt that gave a very satisfactory result. I will certainly do it again. 




2016 Quilts 



Inspired by Gwen Marsden entitled "Mind Blown" 


Flower Garden




Bento Box (2) 


Bento Box (1) 


Playground Days 


Peanuts Halloween Quilt 


Eclipse

2015 Quilts



I call this my "Feminist quilt" because of its purple green and white colour scheme.


This is the Japanese Lantern quilt

2014 Recap of projects 


 Queen Size Dark Nights quilt finished Christmas Eve 2014


Console Table runner 2014 finish


Grandson's quilt finished mid 2014




Market Gardens snuggle quilt finished October 2014 

  


Another console runner March 2014



Table Topper 2014

My quilting history 



My first quilt made after taking a class -I still have it and use it around the house. 

Table runner from the early classes' orphan blocks.  I made this on my own to practice the steps involved with quilt making -and proved I could do it without the teacher! 
My first queen size bed quilt, made with fabric fat quarters given to me by family members at Christmas that year, and quilted by a long arm quilter.

"Summer in Australia" wall hanging, made by me using bits of patterns I had seen in magazines.  My first ever quilt using stippling! I also used some applique. You will notice that there is very little applique in my quilts -enough said! 


Quilt made from a Jan Mullens pattern - "Dark Nightz" now one of my favourite 'go-to" patterns for scraps. I will make more and more of these! 


Large cot quilt made for my grandson. 



Quilt for a baby, made with a panel.

"Prezzies Advent calendar" -another Jan Mullenz design. There are some very tough parts to this pattern for a young quilter and I am so happy I got through it. This is the picture of my lounge room before the renovation. I don't miss that old gas heater at all! 


My first Christmas quilt and my first experience using half square triangles.


My grand daughter's baby quilt. Hmm I think I need to practice taking pictures of my quilts. You can't see the pretty elephants in this one. 


"Give more " - a wall hanging 
Out of the box, a scrappy quilt. One of my favourites for snuggling under when watching TV. 

"Pictures at an exhibition" quilt for my neice and her new husband who live in New Zealand.


Quilted Christmas stockings -and the new heater and fire place in my lounge room. 

My "Freo" quilt, made from purple and orange flower fabric I found in op shops when I worked in Fremantle and given to my work colleague when the project ended. 

"Live Simply" a wall hanging. First time using UnRuly letters - a technique I enjoy using.

My son and daughter in law wanted a "green and blue" queen size quilt for the wedding.  I had this one quilted at the long armer. 

One of those quilts made in a day from a jelly roll - Christmas and birthday gift for my sister in law.


My first 'quilt as you go' from Margaret McManus's book -and a gift for my other sister in law for Christmas and birthday. 


"Afternoon tea with Mum" single bed size quilt.


Graduation quilt for my son and daughter in law. Single bed size. 

"Morning Meditation" a lap quilt made from Japanese fabric and my own pattern.

Wall hanging/ table topper for a colleague, featuring indigenous fabric.

3 comments:

Diamon Naturals said...

What a wonderful quilt show! Thanks for sharing them with us. I especially love the purples... and the Christmas quilt.

Diamon Naturals said...

What a wonderful quilt show! Thanks for sharing it with us. I especially like the purple items and the Christmas quilt!

Unknown said...

Having been the recipient of three of these lovely works of art I never cease to be grateful for your use of colour and pattern so creatively. My home is lovelier for having them in it. Thanks Eira - from one of the sisters-in-law!