It's Australia Day today, and I am spending it at the Statler, quilting a 20 year old UFO. I actually began this on Australia Day 1988, and when it's finished I will post some pictures and tell you the whole story, and why I remember the exact day. I think it's very appropriate to finish it on its birthday.


As to what we did yesterday, just look at this mammoth quilt of mine. It measures 104 x 82, and it stretched the boundaries of the Statler just a little; we only have a 12' table. It was tricky starting each row, because the keyboard and mouse from the computer take up a bit of room, and the machine barely had space to squeeze past. But there were no disasters, and it went smoothly from start to finish.

It was a rather bland top, lots of empty space where there were just expanses of one colour. I used a busy panto called Pearl Bay, with a blue and green variegated thread, and I couldn't be happier with the result. It looks totally transformed, and I love it now, whereas I hated the top before quilting. It's amazing how quilting can bring a top to life, I never get used to the magic of it.

And as for the back......It's a collection of ultra-ugly prints, and it really offended me to piece them all together instead of throwing them away. But I wasn't going to waste good material on this horrible top. Now I like the back too; those fabrics are still ugly, but they are a quilt now, and that redeems them somehow. I certainly wouldn't reject this quilt on a cold winter's night!

And because I met a designing deadline I rewarded myself with a trip to the patchwork shop. I was quite focussed and mainly bought blues, indigos and shirtings. That's understandable. What I don't get is this; I just fell in love with it and had to have it, and it's hardly Me at all. There is a quilt lurking in the back of my mind, and one of these days I'll set out to make it. And everyone who sees it will say 'I never thought You would make a quilt like that....' Oh well, we've all got a bit of Maverick in us somewhere.