Gift quilt for teacher Iessie

I made this quilt on behalf of our quilting group, the Quiltmakers, as a birthday gift to our teacher, Iessie Steenberg, as well as chairperson of the Oranje Quilters' Guild for 2007/2008 to thank her for everything she taught us and setting a wonderful example for all of us.

Everyone in our group participated in filling every envelope with a tiny gift to hand to her on our monthly quilting class a day before her birtday.

Completed: 29 September 2008

Group Butterfly quilt

Antoher quilt made by our group, the Quiltmakers. We started making this originally as a raffle quilt but in the end it turned out we had a buyer even before the quilt was completed.

I basically bought 1 meter printed butterfly fabric, added appliqued sashings to it and the whole group worked on a part at our once a month quilting class.

Completed: 19 August 2008

From the Heart of America

Teacher, designer, Iessie Steenberg made this quilt whilst living in the United States of America and when she returned home and started teaching quilting adapted this pattern to a applique pattern for us to make.

Worked on the as a BOM starting in June 2007 we would receive our last block pattern in May 2008 but having made several of Iessie's quilts and knowing her style, I've been able to finish this one month prior to receiving my last block pattern. Still keeping up with trying to complete a quilt (UFO) every month of this year BUT it might just become somewhat harder from now on as the previous quilts were all almost done.

Completed: 13 April 2008

Pandemonium

Attended a scrappy quilt course presented by a South African teacher, Doortjie Gersbach, and, using only triangles made this quilt. The name of this quilt got a special meaning when I, somewhere along the line, got mixed up between my medium & dark fabrics and by the end of day 2 of the course, realized that I didn't have enough of the one value. Just to find out later that I've anyway been using the wrong value all along. First day at home, spent all evening unpicking and then trying to regroup fabrics into piles of light, medium & dark values.

However.... still completed the quilt exactly 9 days after finishing the course but I honestly don't think I will ever do something like this again. In any way, not attend a course to do this. I might somewhere in my old age realize that I have way too many scraps and start stitching these together to use it up but whether I will set out to make a deliberate scrap quilt.... don't think so!

Completed: 14 March 2008

Birthday quilt from Becca

Got this quilt from an internet pen pal whom I've never met for my birthday in July 2007. She completed the top until the first dark border and sent along extra border fabric. I then just added 2 more borders to make it the size of a double bed and did the quilting by trying my hand at using avalon - worked rather well.

Thanks so much Becca (Cummings from the USA). This was a HUGE and very welcome gift.

Completed: 24 February 2008

Butterflies for charity

Second quilt completed in the second month of the year. Ah well.......... sounds too good because it is too good (to be true). This year our quilting group, The Quiltmakers, decided to make a group quilt for charity. We all started out with a 3 inch butterfly block, brought along 2 matching fat quarters to class and started sewing on the 'cheaters block' method, swapping fabrics as our blocks grew in size until we all ended up with 11 inch blocks.

The blocks were then taken home to quilt and during the next class we added sashings and completed the quilt in the 'quilt-as-you-go' method.

It was my job to add the border and decorative butterflies to complete the quilt. Turned out to be a lovely group project.

Completed: 18 February 2008

Around the Block

Almost feels good to be able to say that I completed my first quilt for this year on 6 January BUT closer to the truth would be that I've been working on this quilt for almost 2 years!!

Found the pattern at HGTV on the internet and along with 2 quilt friends decided to work on this as a BOM.I think the biggest mistake we made was to not set a definate date for every monthly gathering and it just didn't work. I would phone Corrie and set a date between the 2 of us and when I would phone Elsie afterwards, this date did not suit her. So apart from 1 gathering with the 3 of us, it just did not happen.Elsie decided to opt out first and between Corrie and myself we managed another 3 get-togethers and then I was on my own, not knowing whether I should continue or wait until their schedules were less hectic.

Somewhere along the line I finished the blocks but then had these up against the wall for almost a year until it felt as if the blocks were losing their charm.Making December 2007 my month for UFO's I tackled these blocks and the moment I added the sashing even my daughter said that this one turned out rather nice. Tried my hand at feathers with the quilting on the sashing but would not regard myself a pro at this yet!

Completed: 6 January 2008