The Penny Rug

I first saw Penny Rugs in an old Country Crafts book I'd bought from some persistant bookclub, and found them beautiful and unusual, so when a friend gave me a large box of felt (woollen) I immediately thought to make one. Funnily enough I ended up using old blankets and scraps with only a small amount of felt, and because I didn't read any instructions (I just looked at the pictures) I didn't realise I could have shrunk the fabric. Hmmm... always impatient to get going...
I've included a picture taken at last year's Trade Show, where I displayed my own and a friend's version (Thanks Anne).

Pattern $13.20 + $1.00 postage within Australia, $3.60 to US. Currency converter here.

My Crazy Quilt With Grandmother's Fans 1996

This is my big quilt, about 2 metres square. It took four years from start to finish, although I hand quilted a king size quilt in the 'I'm-sick-to-death-of-the-Crazy-Quilt' moments. I did an ingenerous estimate just after it was finished and reckon it took over 3000 hours. No exaggeration.

Er...ah.... What can I tell you? I started out to make a 'Grandmother's Fan' quilt and changed my mind. The reason in the first place was that I'd bought Dorothy Bond's fantastic book, 'Crazy Quilt Stitches' and I wanted to try every border stitch combination in it. A Crazy Quilt with ONLY border embroidery! NO motif's. You know how it goes!

I run an 8 session class covering all manner of stuff. The class gives you a lot of techniques to play with, and a further 6 - 8 sessions gives you a whole lot more! One group is onto it's second year one night a fortnight, or did I tell you that already? Also, for weekend workshops, I've figured out a terrific one/two day selection which gives you new stitches and colour blending techniques... packs in a lot of info without being overwhelming.

I've since made a 'Mary Poppins' bag with an emphasis on Crazy Quilt borders (I tried to do only borders and no motifs, but failed again). This is either a seperate class or an extension of the extended class. I let them decide what they want to learn. I don't have a photo of the bag yet... but it's all velveteens, lost of browns and tans and camel colours with poetry and lovely fat stitching. It's a perfect overnight or craft bag. It's at The Patchwork Teahouse in Warburton right now, advertising a class.

I'll post some detailed pictures if you want... the cards have some details too.

Bobby La's Cards.

My First Crazy Patchwork 1991

This Bluebird Crazy Patchwork picture was completed in 1991 (Detail shown as on Gift Card).

I have made a pattern for the actual piece (which includes three of the birds) by request, and teach it in a six-session workshop.

Like all Crazy Patch, it is less difficult and time consuming than it first appears, and is achievable for most levels of experience. Anyone who can wield a needle can work this piece. Besides, that's what you pay me for huh? To teach?

Go here for a look at all ten cards.

Home now and the boy is cooking nice smelling things for me, the working girl...

Lovely day at The Quilters Barn today for our monthly get together. It started out as a regular Crazy Quilt embroidery class, but that finished ages ago and we've kept going. Nice gals. I keep ahead of them by bluff, pretending I'm still the boss.

Next month is on March 18th from 10am to 3.30, with a half hour lunch break. Everyone is doing something different next month. Two 'Bobble Cushion's' (Picture up there, Pattern $15.00 + $1 Post within Australia, or join a class) and one 'Abigail & Bronwyn' (I'll show you the girls later). The rest are continuing on with their crazies. Had a newcomer today who began her Crazy.

We all eat at Julie's husband's Cafe (sorry, I nearly know his name) and as usual I drink too much coffee. Why do I do that? It's a peversion, and a strange one because it makes me feel lousy and iikkk! Addiction I know and one I'm gonna fight.

Julie (Wallace) wasn't there, off writing books and designing fabric and probably building a new wing on the house in her lunch break while the jam was simmering and the casserole was on. She's amazing.

The Quilt Hanging is on soon, 26th Feb. I hope to have my 'Happy Bunny Baby Quilt' there, with some patterns to sell inside.
http://www.quilters-barn.com/ For details of goings on.

It's the nicest town. I bought a groovy cat at the op shop. The old lady who runs it is a real character, not terribly friendly or chatty but quite a character (I said that again because she is). She said she hated it (the cat) but still charged me $5.00. And I bought that book, 'Island of the Blue Dolphins' which I loved as a child for a sensible 50c.

This Could Be The Beginning of a Beautiful Thing

ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!! I'm here!!!!

This is me folks. Gorgeous I know, and such a winning smile... which got me out of trouble for climbing on the bricks, or so I'm told. Still seems to work if I'm careful and don't abuse the power.

I'm a bit of an embroiderer, and a friendly type. I teach, I design and sell patterns, I write, garden, and collect old fabric... and I collect daggy shell bric-a-brac things for the caravan, and 1940-60's celluloid dolls. I seem to have an awful lot of old and battered bird-cages hanging around the garden too but I don't really collect them anymore. And there are a lot of porcelain Bambi's in the kitchen. It's all good!

So welcome to me. No one knows I'm here yet so it's self adulation or no adulation. Good for me!

Rob's Wagga (1996-7)

This is the first of the heavily embroidered Wagga's. I made it for my son's 21st birthday but unfortunately it was burnt in a house fire. Fortunately he wasn't (shudder). He was very upset about losing it though, as it too is made from Grandma's coats.

The blue is cut from a gorgeous woollen boucle 'swing' jacket. Lovely cut to it and I seriously hesitated before giving it the snip. But I don't suit the faded, slightly aged blue and wouldn't have worn it, so managed to muster up some courage. I used every last scrap in this and my little grandson's Wagga.

There is also a dark mossy green mohair that a friend found for me. Kaye worked in an op-shop and called me and said "A skirt has come in and you want it." She was right of course. It's woven in Scotland (land of most of my forebears), and had a multitude of colours in the fibre... very pretty. (Kaye where are you? Havn't seen you in ages!)

I have a couple of squares left from the rug that didn't get too damaged in the fire, and I'll eventually make at least some big cushions for Rob. I made him another more Japanese looking Wagga, which I'll photograph too. Lots more to photograph...

The colours in this are soft and I've limited the palette, which brings a certain sophistication to the piece. I'd like to reproduce this colourway, but really, the fabrics were unique and I doubt it could be done. Also, I don't want to embroider the rugs these days.

A Shocking Photo Of A Blanket I Made For Igor & Sarah's New Baby Amy.

The blanket looks much nicer is use.

Igor is a sweetheart I recently studied with, and they were having a baby, and I was in between projects and wanted to do something simple without having planned it for two years and studied how to for twenty. It's cute but simple. Then I felt embarrassed because it's a lot to give a co-worker. But Igor is lovely and there you go.

Now that my daughter is having another baby I'm making a proper one, although I havn't been able to find any polar fleece that's a decent colour, so I'm using what feels like cashmere in a soft green. Baby is going to get the Happy Bunny Baby Quilt too, and it all needs to match. Sort of match anyway.

I've asked Igor for some detail photo's but he's a boy and a young one at that and we'll see. I should have photographed it myself but didn't for some reason. I think it was because it was dark when I left for work and dark when I got home. Yes, that was it.