Visiting the U.S.

I just thought I would post to say that I am now in Michigan. Wow, what a long journey! We stopped over in Hawaii for an extra day to try and help with the jetlag, but we're still very out of it. Flying is not what it used to be anymore! I don't think we slept a wink on the planes and it was so uncomfortable. But, it was all worth it because we are here and will be going on a five day canoe trip starting today!

I will be able to post some quilty things after the canoe trip. Until then...

And The Winner Is...

ANDREA! Thank you to everyone else that left a comment to be in the draw. I will continue to save any duplicate magazines for another draw in the future.

The Mess of Progress

Today I thought I would post on my progress with Peas and Carrots and show you my latest device for cutting. Last week I purchased a rotating cutting mat to make template cutting so much easier! I absolutely love it as it makes the cutting go so much faster. I have also starting cutting with the smallest rotary cutter (18mm) and I find it so much handier. I don't know if this is the "correct" way to cut, but it seems to work for me. Does anyone else use a rotating cutting mat?

As you can see my work space is the kitchen table. I really look forward to the day I have my own sewing room with a design board and place to put things, but that won't happen until we finish the ground level on our house.

We have been having some lovely rain the last couple of days, I know there are plenty suffering from flooding right now, but over here we are savoring every raindrop!

Don't forget to put your comment in for the magazine draw. I will be drawing names tomorrow(Sunday) night my time(Australia) so hopefully you can still get your name in before then!

Peas and Carrots

This isn't the greatest photo, but it gives you an idea of where I am going with this fabric. Right now I am just working on making the cube blocks which consists of three diamonds of light, medium and dark values. There is not a huge contrast there, but I think it does its job for the main part. I received the panels with the fat quarter pack and it has taken me the longest time to figure out how I would incorporate them into the quilt, if indeed I would. At the moment I am thinking that I will order a few more panels to go around the entire border as you can sort of see in this photo. I am not sure, I am still thinking about it. I just like that they depict farm scenes which would work so well around here!

New Project and a House Guest

Here are the fabrics for my newest project. Maybe you recognize these, they are Peas & Carrots by Moda. This is my first time using fabrics of this style. I don't know, would you say these were 30's fabrics or later than that? I feel that as a new quilter I want to explore a range of styles and fabrics so that through working with them I learn to know what I like.

Anyway, I have started a couple of blocks today and I will show you the progress tomorrow. I plan to make this a twin size so hopefully I will be able to finish it before I leave...

Do you like our house guest? He decided to come inside for a visit, but it was cut short as soon as he made himself known. He was hanging in the middle of the hallway making it difficult for me to pass by...

Metro Blue Top Finished

I finished my Metro Blue top the other night. Dh loves this one which is ironic since when I showed him the fabrics when I ordered them, he was not into them. He says this quilt reminds him of Iceland! Anyway, I am finishing this one without a border to keep it in a "modern" style. I love that these fabrics are so thick and of good quality. Marcus Brothers and Moda both seem to make very good quality fabrics.

Free Australian Magazines For Lucky Winner!

Today I have been doing some cleaning and organizing in preparation for our trip to the States in two weeks! I'm getting excited now, I'll be away for two months and dh for three weeks as he can't leave the farm for too long.

I found these magazine duplicates as I was sorting through what I have. Usually when I buy quilting magazines here, they come with a back issue as well. These are my "extras" which I thought maybe someone would enjoy instead of going into the recycle. Even though fabric is very expensive and good quilting books are scarce in Australia, I love that quilting magazines are plentiful and good. My favorites are Quilter's Companion followed by Downunder Quilts and Patchwork and Quilting.

So, if you are interested in recieving these magazines for free, please leave a comment and I will be drawing names next Sunday(17th) and will post them to you.

Some Metro Blue Progress

I was hoping to finish all my blocks on Metro Blue today, but I decided that I had enough fabric to do another row, so on to more block making! There will be 42 blocks in all, so it will be a reasonable size quilt. I hope to have more to show you soon...

Inspired By Fellow Bloggers

As promised, here is a block I've made from the Metro Blue fabric. The inspiration for the design comes from peeking over at spamantha's blog here I needed a design that looked "modern". And thanks to Sister's Choice, I am now trimming my blocks for the first time! I've never been to any quilter's workshops or had any classes, so I never knew to trim! It would have helped heaps if I had known this before. It's really good to learn and be inspired by fellow bloggers. Thanks!

What To Do With Metro Blue

Here is a photo of my newest fabric. This is Metro Blue by Marcus Brothers. I had been looking at this fabric for a long time and had been hemming and hawing as to whether or not I would purchase some. Then I saw Amy's (the Calico Cat) Zipper quilt and I was excited about the fabric again. I have been trying to decide what to do with this fabric, I have 1/2 yards of each. I have an idea, but I need to try out a block to see if it will work. I'll keep you posted...