A few days ago I started work on the St Pius X 75th Anniversary quilt. I cleared off my workbench and placed all the blocks in rows to try and get the best layout in terms of colours and patterns. There is a terrific mix of blocks as some families had theirs machine embroidered professionally and some have done blocks using mixed media. There are cross-stitched blocks, hand embroidered, appliquéd and a few patchwork ones as well. I do have a few favourites –
The quilt is coming together really nicely. I spent Wednesday trimming everything to size to ensure the accuracy. As each family was given a 24cm (9.5in) block but due to the very nature of the fabric there was some shifting, fraying and warping. Trimming everything means that I know where I’m at with the layout and helps keep it all neat in the preparation for quilting.
The centre panels with the school’s crest, a list of the headmasters and the school prayer will be framed with yellow peepers to highlight them. Then the surrounding blocks attached with some key blocks – such as the school colour house crests – will radiate out to the border.
Quilts like this are a fabulous way to celebrate something so momentous. It is a great way to showcase the participants, with each block be so unique, but also combining with important elements that need to document the journey that the group has taken.
Many of you who know me know that I am not the religious type might think this project a strange undertaking for me, as the school is a Catholic one. But in fact this is exactly what quilting is all about – commemorating something, people coming together, sharing and having fun.
Seeing as the weather is a little on the wet side today, it will be the perfect opportunity to get stuck into joining the rows. There are 105 blocks in total plus the three central panels.
I’ll keep updating on the quilt’s progress as I go.
In other news I’ve started the bat nappy production for the BatResearch Centre in Queensland. They put a callout on Facebook the other day looking for sewers to assist in the making of bat nappies or bat burritos to help look after the orphaned bats and flying foxes that will turn up this season. I couldn’t resist making some Halloween themed ones for the little guys and also some banana ones for the flying foxes. Dawn from Hello Dollies dropped off some that she’d made this morning and if any one else local has made some I will be collecting them up until 4pm on Wednesday the 17th of October so feel free to drop them off to me at the shop and I will send in one parcel to the centre.
Dad is doing much better and has been moved closer to home so it’s now saving us the wear and tear of travelling to Sydney to see him. We just have to get him strong enough now to get him moved to the rehab clinic so that we can get him back to normal.
The shop will be shut from 1pm on Friday the 12th of October – I have a meeting to attend that might mean a few changes in my life. Nothing that will affect the shop just some personal things that I need to sort and Friday afternoon is the allotted time for it to happen.
The shop turns one on Monday so if you are looking to help me celebrate please go to my Facebook page – there will be some games, prizes and some other fun stuff from 8pm AEDST.
I’m still feeling the birthday fun so I’m going to make the 20%off fabric until the end of October to celebrate not only the shop turning one but also my favourite holiday Halloween.
Hope you all have a fabulous weekend!
Marni