Can You Teal the Love: the final word…

One more bit of great news to pass on.

The Ovarian Cancer quilt Can You Teal the Love went into the fundraising event last month. They had 4 raffle items, and between them the 4 items raised AU$7,657. That means if you average the total across the 4 prizes, it raised nearly $2,000.

The entire event (including dinner tickets, etc) raised AU$43,657.00, a stunning result.

Well done, everyone. Well done. The work of our hands makes a difference. Quilts may never set the world on fire, but they help towards making hard, painful or tragic personal stories better. To those who participated, thank you a thousand times. To those who encouraged from the sidelines, the same. To those who contributed in other ways, you are all stars.

And we’ll do it all again next year, and the year after, and the year after that, until I get too old or decrepit to lift a needle or rotary cutter.

Let me know if you’d like to help next time by contributing a block or two, or providing the means to purchase fabric for these fundraising quilt. Leave a comment, or you can email me using the details on the Contact Me page.

I love a good news story!

Ovarian Cancer: CYTL complete

It’s done, and even a bit early.

Yesterday, I completed the assembly. It all got done painlessly and quickly, thanks to Aretha, my marvellous sewing machine. I have to say, all the bits of quilt-making I used to dislike most are much less intimidating these days, thanks to Her Stitchy Majesty.

Last night and this morning, I got the binding stitched down, and then the Husband did quilt-hanger duty in the back yard so I could get a photo or two. A beautiful still and sunny winter’s day made the process totally painless. Usually, I have to wait for gusts of wind to subside!

Even making and applying the label went without a hitch. Normally, I like to make two transfers in case the first goes wrong; it’s amazingly easy to try and take the backing off too quickly and peeling half the transfer off!

This time, however, I got it right, so the second transfer is a memento which can go into the project folder together with the original sketch, fabric calculations and swatches, receipts, quilt brief and colour references.

I’ve got a call out to the Trudy Crowley Foundation to work out a date to deliver both this quilt and Sue’s lovely Taking Flight contribution. It’s a bonus year for Ovarian Cancer fundraising quilts!

For anyone who’d like to contribute next time, be it one block or several, just leave a message in the Comments, or send me an email (address on the Contact Me page). All skill levels are welcome; all you need is fabric, a sewing machine and the will to help.

And that’s it for this year. On with the next thing!

Ovarian Cancer: CYTL ready to assemble

It’s quilted and trimmed out.

I’ve done my usual wavy lines, using a warm medium grey which recedes on both dark and light backgrounds.  All the blocks are trimmed out to exactly the same size, which is important to keep the assembly process as simple and pain-free as possible.

I’ve cut the sashing, with a dark blotched batik for the front in deep blue-green, and a brighter, more turquoise spotty pattern for the back, which will be fun against the pale grey, silver and white of the stork-print backing.

Tomorrow, I can start the assembly. I haven’t decided yet which fabric I’ll use to bind the finished quilt; it’s going to depend on how different it looks with the sashing.

Time to wind a whole load more bobbins!

Ovarian Cancer: CYTL Blocks 29 and 30

Finally, Australia Post has delivered!

Gun’s two beautiful Can You Teal the Love blocks arrived this morning, Nos. 29 and 30, and they’re perfect.

I had very little rearranging to do to complete the layout to my entire satisfaction, and now that I have, my eye isn’t catching on that lovely dove block, either. It all balances beautifully. I’ve decided I don’t need to make a teal ribbon block, since the whole quilt tells the teal story.

As always, I’m asking for feedback, in case any of you see anything your eye catches on that I’ve missed through looking at the layout too much, too long. I don’t promise to make the adjustment you propose, but I’ll certainly give it consideration.

But if no-one has anything they find awkward about this layout, I’ll be cracking on with cutting the backing and batting. Not my favouritest job, but it needs to be done.

I must tell all the contributors how pretty I’m finding all their blocks and how gorgeous this quilt is becoming. Thank you all so much for once again diving into your teal stash, giving up your pinks and contributing your time, you are all stars, and it would have taken me forever without you, not to mention how much less interesting this quilt would be. I’m delighted that it has all happened so quickly, and that I’ll have ample time to complete and deliver Can You Teal the Love without any dramas.

Next on the agenda: trimming out and lots of cutting. O joy…

Ovarian Cancer: Taking Flight 2

And Taking Flight has taken off…

Before I left for my visit to Melbourne, I ensured that Taking Flight was pressed, the backing was pieced, it was sandwiched and marked up for quilting. That way, on my return on Wednesday evening, there could be no possible excuse not to get straight on with completing this piece of loveliness.

And so it was. Despite numerous excuses, valid reasons, temptations and distractions, I completed the quilting on Thursday, stitched on the binding and made the label on Friday, and today, it was done and I could photograph it.

The quilting is a simple chevron across the quilt, breaking at the halfway point. I wanted it to echo the lovely Flying Geese blocks all the way around the outside. It also had the great virtue of being easy and fast to execute, and looks good, whilst adding a nice texture. Sorry it’s not perfectly straight in the photo; it was a windy day and I could not get a decent photo. But I’m sure you get the idea, and at least the colours are true to life.

This is the label I made. It’s different from the usual format, since Sue made the whole quilt top and the wording needed to reflect this. But I think it’s pretty self explanatory, and I’m sure that the quilt’s new owner will be delighted with it no matter what the label says! I’ll be holding it back so that I can deliver both Ovarian Cancer quilts at the same time.

There’s still a whole lot of teal ahead of me; I’m waiting for two final blocks from Gun for Can You Teal the Love, and then I can finalise the layout and start the whole sandwiching and quilting process.

In the meantime, I have one or two small projects in mind…

Ovarian Cancer: CYTL Blocks 25-28

And we’re back in teal country again.

Today I received Can You Teal The Love blocks from the very kind and lovely Sharon and Lynn. Both were concerned about the overall colour values on their blocks being too light, but as you’ll soon see, their fears were unfounded. Aren’t they gorgeous?

First, Sharon’s block:

And then Lynn’s, who did an extra because one was very pale (but perfect for my plans, as it happens).

And finally, here’s the layout so far. As you can see, all the colour values can be accommodated, as I’m doing an ombre layout, starting with the darkest at the top and working down to the lightest.

There are two spaces still outstanding. One will be filled with a pale heart on a mid-tone background, and the one at bottom centre will be the Ovarian Cancer teal ribbon, but with the top of the loop ‘dented’ to form a heart. And then, the blocks will be done! If you see any blocks that to your eye are distinctly out of place, let me know and I’ll consider moving them, but as always, final layout is mine to decide 😊

We’re off to Melbourne on Friday, to visit my friend Chippy for a long weekend (and I’ll also be catching up with Anne Lawson), so I won’t be starting the assembly process till we’re back, but if I’m lucky I’ll maybe find time to make the final two blocks before we go. If I finish the gift I’m making for Chippy, that is!

And no, no sneak previews!

Ovarian Cancer: CYTL Blocks 20-24

A very exciting squishy this morning!

5 gorgeous new Can You Teal the Love blocks from my lovely friend Chippy, a.k.a. Vera of Life by a Compass, not a Clock. 

She’s new to the Ovarian Cancer quilt team, but is certainly making up for lost time.

I’m constantly amazed at how all the blocks I’m sent are so different and the fabrics so varied. Note that sadly the photography makes several of the fabrics look much too blue, despite my retouching efforts. It’ll look much better in natural daylight!

I love that she’s been a little adventurous and has included fabrics which are not totally ‘safe’ choices, but which work so very well to make the blocks, and ultimately the quilt, more interesting.

I also love that she’s worked with my beloved hexies to make the heart in this year’s theme. Look how fabulous those tiny darlings are!

Thank you, Chippy, love your work!

We now only 6 more blocks to go, and there’ll be enough to start the first layout, always my favourite part of assembling these quilts.

I just have to be patient (never my strong suit) and let the various postal services do their jobs….

And now, back to quilting something else altogether 😉

Ovarian Cancer: CYTL Blocks 16-19

Another squishy parcel in the mail!

These four lovelies are from Jean Swenson, who kindly offered to make three and then found a fourth block materialising (do you see what I did there?) out of the scraps on her work table. Funny how that happens, isn’t it?  Anyway, I’m delighted to have an extra!

So now we’re up to 19 blocks. Eleven to go. I still have blocks coming from Lynn and Gun and Sharon. Once they’re in, I’ll be able to start laying things out to see where the ‘gaps’ are in the overall effect, and can get cracking on making the ones I’ll still need.

I’m actually dying to get started, so exercising a little patience will be very good for my character.

But waiting is hard…

Ovarian Cancer: CYTL Blocks 11-15

And another batch!

Only one from me this time. Probably too much pink, but I wanted to do a really big heart and I got rather carried away with colour… So unlike me, eh? Yet another scrappy heart, and yes, I can tell you exactly what I used each fabric for, in the unlikely event you’re curious.

The other 4 were made by the lovely Robin, a regular Ovarian Cancer contributor, who has brought some much needed actual piecing to the table, rather than my appliqué frenzy!  I love those beautiful pale, gentle pinks, a great antidote to some of the rather strong colours I’ve, ahem, indulged myself with…

And now it’s time to stop, wait, and see what the mail brings me before I crack on with any more blocks. I may need to balance colour, fill gaps or add more of something or other. We’re halfway to the number we need now, so whatever happens, it won’t take long.

I love this bit. Opening mystery packages is fun!

Ovarian Cancer: CYTL Blocks 8-10

And here’s the next lot.

You saw Blocks 5, 6 and 7 for Can You Teal the Love in the latest ScrapHappy post, but today I’m returning to the partial use of new fabrics, specifically, some of the ones I was able to buy thanks to the Spotlight gift voucher donation.

It’s going to be important that there’s variety with these blocks. Some need to be dark, others light. Some colourful, some plainer to ‘rest’ the eye. Some will have a big hit of pink, others just a tiny dash. Quilts for this important cause need to be light-hearted and joyful, and playful, varied and colourful blocks is the way to go, in my mind.

So, I’m really looking forward to receiving the first of the several collaborative blocks which are on their way, so I can work to balance and create harmony with these creations from different sources.

I’m going to hold off making more blocks for a bit while I wait to see what arrives.

It’s all up to Australia Post, now!