Before Quilting

Before I started quilting, this is one of the things I did. I taught myself to crochet when I was about 8 years old. I've made many rugs and scarves but what I really enjoyed making was table centres and doilies like these. Most of them are stashed away in a cloth bag in a cupboard. There is one sitting under a pot plant, just to protect the table that it is on.

For fabric painting?

I had a look through a local gift shop, filling in some time, when I saw these. They are felt placemats but I thought they would be great for printing on fabric with paint. I especially like the top one - it's like a double wedding ring quilt. I'm hoping that when summer comes and the weather warms up a bit, I'll still remember where I've put them!

connections

I made this for a quilt challenge several years ago. The theme of the challenge was 'connections'. I wanted to try using non-traditional embellishments so went shopping at the hardware store (that is FUN). I found all kinds of things that can be used to 'connect', like nails, screws, nuts & bolts & washers, split pins, chain and threw in some safety pins too.

 I used quite a few different techniques - machine piecing, machine quilting, hand applique, hand embroidery, beading. All the parts that make up the wall hanging are different sizes and shapes. I entered it in the Tasmanian Quilt Guild's annual show and was thrill ed when it won two prizes - overall Best Use of Embellishment and also Highly Commended in the Art Professional category.