Thursday, September 10, 2009

Here on the ironing table are four tops that I'd like to get quilted soon, along with their backings. Backings are great for stash-busting, there's 19 metres there, about the most painless way to get rid of yardage apart from giving it away. My friend Kaye uses plain fabric on the back of her quilts, to show off her gorgeous quilting, and I have thought of copying her. But I just can't resist the chance to use these large print fabrics in great chunks, so the beauty of the design isn't lost in little pieces.

I now have 6 tops on hangers, waiting for quilting, and I'll have to step in quicksmart and grab the machine in between customer quilts. The zippered leaders work great for us, so I don't have to finish the quilting in one session, I can put my quilt on the spare bed when Mereth starts work in the mornings.

We've had a few diversions lately, quilty trips away. There was a dash to Jamestown, to pick up a backing. Dolly loves car rides, and after a few complaints, has resigned herself to the harness. She manages to make herself quite comfortable on the back seat, and gets some quality nap-time.

"Are we there yet?"

That's the window and door of the quilt shop in Jamestown, so yes, we are there!

On Tuesday we went on a reconnaisance trip to Adelaide with our mate Sonia, to suss out our group's Christmas excursion. We went to a discount fabric store first, with predictable results, then on to the lovely Hettie's Patch, with a similar outcome. Honestly, what's the use of going to these places if you don't buy something? And anyway, I just used up 19 metres in those backings, so I'm allowed to restock, surely. We had a lovely day, and came up with a plan for the group outing, so it was time well spent.

The lemon tree is loaded with beatiful fat lemons, and I will have to find some recipes to use them up. There are still a few oranges, and I have bowls full of fruit everywhere. Matthew picked me a bunch of wattle on one of his walks, and my kitchen table is glowing with green and gold.

7 comments:

  1. I decided a few years ago that I would never make progress on using this stash if I didn't make pieced backings so that's what I do now.

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  2. I would love to take Honey with us, but apart from her barking making us deaf, she gets carsick if it too far.
    Those tops look so nice there waiting to be quilted.

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  3. Dolly looks very comfortable.

    Our darling boy Ollie (sadly no longer with us) adored car travel and had a seat-belt harness like yours. He'd get very excited watching us prepare to go out so we learnt to either put the harness on him, or put it on the door mat where he could guard it - that way he knew he was coming with us and would wait (a little) more patiently!

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  4. Dolly is absolutely gorgeous. I wish we had gotten Molly used to a harness wen she was a baby but alas too ate now.

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  5. I'm jealous of your lemons. This recipe looks delish:

    http://www.canningacrossamerica.com/recipes/lemon-vanilla-jam/

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  6. It always amazes me on the number of tops you and your sister produce each month. You two are sewing monsters! :o) What a wonderful grouping you have and the backings are gorgeous and a great way to reduce stash.

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  7. what beautiful quilts on the ironing board - is that a "Chunky Churn Dash" I see 2nd from the right? :) That pattern is on my "to do list" for 2010 with a friend. We plan to make blocks and swap with one another throughout the year. ;)

    I love the beautiful fabrics you have chosen to use as backings! You're right about them being too pretty to cut up and loose the design. The colors match up so well for the quilts you have them paird with that if I hadn't read... I would have thought you went shopping for them to match! they are perfect.

    It's been forever since I visited your blog... lost all my bookmarks a while back, so thankfully now thru blogger I can begin "following" you :) I'd love to know the link to your sister's blog also.

    Love from Texas! ~bonnie

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