Antarctic Vortex

We have had media overload these past days as the south-east of Australia geared up for a cold snap. Well the hype, I think, was a bit over the top - although some parts of our state of New South Wales did wake to a whisper-white morning this morning.

Mr HP and I, our Daughter and Grand Daughter had already arranged to pick up Youngest Son at the end of a short hiking trip he was undertaking in the Jamison Valley so we took the opportunity to drive up a bit further up the range to Mount Victoria to see if we could catch some snow.

Well, we did see it snowing, but where we were, the snow did not settle.  

So I don't have snow photos to show you. 

Even so, I have to admit that the cold has been getting me down a bit this winter.  Today's temperature didn't get above 11 'C in Springwood and the previous week didn't perform much better.  

Katoomba (where snow is more likely), it is at present less than 1 'C with a windchill factor of -5.5 'C.

So instead of a snow photo here is a shot of tonight's desert...the cold made me do it...I just needed some comfort food and I can tell you...you can't go past this Baked Rice Pudding by Donna Hay.  You can find the recipe here:  Recipe.

And there's enough leftovers for tomorrow...after all, we might need it, because the media assures us the worse of the Arctic Vortex is yet to come!

Hoping the weather isn't too extreme in your part of the world. 

Plank Method, As Opposed To Planking*

I discovered basting a quilt using the plank- method last year when I was making a quilt for the latest addition to Mr HP's side of the Family.

 I love how quick and easy it is and I had this whole cloth* quilt basted in no time and with little back breaking antics.

 Never before have I made a whole cloth quilt and only decided that this one would be because the fabric I have used has been rescued from land fill and is heavy weight curtain fabric, one hundred percent cotton or linen and originally from a decore store samples book. 

 The end result is a bold stylish quilt top that is 1.25 x 1.25m, large enough for a lunch cloth, lap quilt or picnic rug.

The weight is such that it's thick enough to use as a picnic rug but lightweight enough to use as a lap quilt in the warmer months.

Since the samples were free of charge, the only cost has been the backing fabric, which I paid $8 a metre for plus some leftovers from another project. The binding will be leftovers from Youngest Son's 21st birthday quilt.

I'm so in love with it, I haven't decided if I should keep it for myself or gift it.

* Seems I have my info. wrong here...this is not a whole cloth quilt but rather a 'summer quilt'.

*Planking, a brief history

Linking to Freshly Pieced ~ pop over to see what Lee and others have been up to in the quilting world in WIP Wednesday. Click on the button below to take you there. 

Upcycling: From Sloppy Joe to Genie Pants

Sometimes you buy stuff that's not really suitable for you, or the person you intended it for...like the cotton knit sloppy Joe (above) which I purchased many years ago for Mr HP.  It's just too big and too sloppy and the hems had - well, no hems, and were just over-locked giving the garment an unfinished look!

So after having had the top floating around in the wardrobe for at least a decade and not wanting to throw it out, I decided it was time to give it new life by re-purposing into a pair of soft genie pants for Little Miss Seven. 

I used the main body of the top to cut out the pants using a girl's pyjama pants pattern. 

From the sleeves I cut cuffs for the pant legs and a band for the waist, using the fabric in reverse.  The knit fabric is grey on one side and navy on the other which works well to give the effect of having used two different coloured fabrics. 

I used another pair of Little Miss' track pants to measure the width of the the bands for the cuffs and waist, allowing extra for the seams.  The height was double the finished piece. I folded them over and stitched straight onto the pants using a stretch stitch on the sewing machine. 

Because the pattern used is for standard cotton fabric and not stretch/knit fabric and no elastic is used in the waist, the pants are nice and lose and my Grand Daughter just loves to lounge around the house in them.  She especially loves the fact that there is no elastic in the waist.

All By Myself

Sydney Harbour Bridge from Lavender Bay

Sydney Opera House from The Sydney Harbour Bridge with two Sydney Ferries in the foreground.

Sydney Harbour Bridge overlooking Walsh Bay Pier 2/3

Marina Abramovic visits Sydney. 

And I visited Marina Abramovic's space.

This was not an exhibition in a technical sense.

It was an experience.

A mind altering experience.  

At least this is how I perceived it.

After surrendering all belongings at the entry and being issued sound cancelling headphones, one could choose to participate in a number of activities, such as separating black mung beans from rice then counting them, contemplating coloured boards or sitting opposite another person in silence.

I listened to Natalie Abbott speak and watched some of her performance which included telepathically instructing a dance sequence to three fellow artists. 

Eventually I realised what Marina's work is all about...the whole point of the project. 

Participating IS the project, performing the activities is experiencing activities devised by Marina (the artist).

Marina's message, I think, is about endurance...how much can our body endure, how much can our mind endure.   

And when we push ourselves to endure a little more, aren't we pushed to achieve just a little more than before? 

Doesn't endurance make us stronger, better, faster?
I was converted to Marina some years ago after watching her in her documentary called The Artist Is Present.  

Aspects of Marina's life and art shocked me when I first viewed them, but by the end I was drawn to her, her mindfulness, her spiritually, her individuality.

Linking to

And

Skywatch Friday

Blackbird Singing In The Dead Of Night

Yikes, can you see that?  2011!
The last time I worked on this quilt was around July 2011...that's four years! Four years!

So I've picked it up again. Why? I hear you ask.  For a couple of reasons.
1.  Our regular Wednesday Patchwork and Quilting class is on school holiday break and I don't want to work on my Celtic quilt unassisted. (The truth is, Anne is such a wealth of hints I don't want to miss anything she may have to offer if I continue to work on the quilt top on my own.)

2.  I've lost a project I'm making for my Sister.  Can you believe it?  I've lost a whole bundle of fabrics with which I've promised to make more cushion covers for my Sister! So in my hunt for the elusive project I unearthed the French General quilt top I have avoided for the past four years.

On closer inspection I realised that there is not much to do to finish off the French General so I've added some sashing and a border. 

Layering the quilt and machine quilting will be easy as it's not large, more a single bed topper size. If I'm organised enough I can have it ready for Mum's 82nd birthday in September.

In the meantime, I've made these upbeat drink coasters.

I know...they could also be mug rugs but for some reason I have an aversion to mug rugs, and the person I've made them for is slightly eccentric and I think he probably has an aversion to mug rugs too but I can totally see him using these to place his crystal cut glass scotch whiskey tumbler on.
The graphic fabric is the infill out of a panel of Milvale Quilt Labels.  I fussy cut these very carefully as I didn't have much area to play with.

The binding is a remnant from my Youngest Son's 21st birthday (Yikes again...in 2008!)quilt which I can't show you as that was before my blogging days.

A few weeks ago, feeling excited about the capabilities of my upgraded sewing machine, I practised  applique and free motion quilting on a square of fabric. 

 I'm always loathe to discard anything and the end result was a very scrappy raggy quilt made with some boring fabric.  The end result turned out much nicer than I imagined.

Now, I wonder where I've stashed that fabric?
Have you ever lost a quilting project among your stash?  And did you find it?  Was it where you expected to find it?

Have a happy sewing week.

Machine Applique A Finish And A WIP

Did I tell you?  

Early this year I started taking patchwork and quilting classes from Anne Sommerlad.  Judy Tyrrell took over the Post Office Patchwork in Glenbrook late last year and I placed my name on the class list hoping to get a spot in a class, any class; so I could get together with other like minded people as soon as possible.

I consider myself very lucky to be tutored by such a talented teacher and designer. 

My first assignment was to learn how to machine applique ... but a saga unfolded as soon as I started classes.  My sewing machine, which I purchase around seven years ago has caused me lots of angst and I was hoping Anne would perform a miracle and show me what a purring beast it could be.  But alas, this was not to be and I was urged to return it to the retailer from whence I purchased it.

When I returned it to the shop, I was told that my model of sewing machine had been issued with a tension 'upgrade'.  "So", I said, "there's been a problem with this model then?" I asked, "Oh no, not a problem, just an upgrade."  Came the reply.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I got the 'upgrade' under warranty and also got the sewing machine serviced and now this wonderful appliance is purring away like a kitten.

I have created some gorgeous Anne Sommerlad designs.  What do you think?

 Above is my first assignment, quickly followed by the second (shown below) to reinforce my newly learnt skill.

This is the centrepiece of Anne's Celtic Throw design which she converted to a king single bed quilt for me.  I have chosen my own colour scheme which will be revealed as the quilt progresses.

Above is a close up of the detail.
I'm over the moon with the results!

Once more, the above cushion design is Anne Sommerlad's.  Isn't it just exquisite?
I have used Anne's design unchanged but chose my own colours using mostly fabrics I had in my stash.  It was a little bundle of fabric remnants I purchase some time ago at some fair or other.

The seat cushions are made from a polka dot and marbled fabrics I purchased from Post Office Patchwork.

I'm now inspired to replace our now tatty cushions with some newly made colour co-ordinated covers to replace them.

I'm linking up with

Two Cards Bigz Clear Oval Accent

I've been playing around with my new Sizzx die cut, the Bigz Oval Accent. I like these a lot and plan to make more.