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A Vintage Inspired Quilt – Looking back, Moving forward

The Island Batik Ambassador Challenge for April is “Looking Back: Vintage Quilts Inspiring New Creations”.

And I am having a ball. The only trouble with looking back as you’re moving forward, is that you can get tripped up…… and end up down a rabbit hole……..

Looking back logo

So, where to begin?

I can’t possibly tell you everything I have explored under the topic “Vintage Inspired Quilts” lately, but it is fair to say that I wasn’t really sure where to start with this challenge. “Vintage” is a category of quilt that I thought I didn’t like very much. When I think vintage quilt, I immediately think “muted, dull, brown”. Which doesn’t agree with me, nor with my idea of batik quilts.

Do you see what I did there?! I said “I thought I didn’t like vintage quilts”. Past tense. I’m doing that a lot lately, with all the Island Batik challenges. It is doing me much good to be gently stretched!

It turns out that there are some very cool vintage inspired quilt creations out there. Even some Australian flavoured ones. Let me tell you about one I have long admired, and then, about my newest quilt infatuation……

Continue reading “A Vintage Inspired Quilt – Looking back, Moving forward”

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Colour Inspiration Tuesday: Vintage Port Adelaide

Vintage Inspiration from an Adventure Day to Historic Port Adelaide

On the weekend, our Joey Scouts (6-8yo) had a transport-themed adventure day. We went on a bus, then a tram, then a train, then a boat. Then we went to the Aviation Museum to look at planes, and finally took two more trains back. I don’t know about the kids, but by the time we got home, I was exhausted!

Vintage Port Adelaide color scheme by Clever Chameleon

The major destinations of our day were located in historic Port Adelaide, one of the oldest parts of our city. Since the Island Batik Ambasador challenge for April is Vintage Inspired quilts, and Port Adelaide is dripping with history, I was on high alert for some vintage inspiration!

Continue reading “Colour Inspiration Tuesday: Vintage Port Adelaide”

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Postcard Swap Parade with Elm Street Quilts

Postcard Swap with Elm Street Quilts and a free Virtual Quilted Postcard for you!

What feels like a very loooooong time ago, Patty of Elm Street Quilts decided to organise something that I thought would be a very fun idea….. a postcard swap. A little voice said…. “You’re too busy. You have enough projects for now.” I said “Shush, party pooper voice” and signed up anyway!

Fast forward a couple of months and I have made and sent my postcard. I have received a postcard in the mail. And now it is time for the big reveal! 

Continue reading “Postcard Swap Parade with Elm Street Quilts”

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My Best Turned-Edge Appliqué Tips – The Promised Tutorial

A month ago, I was in the “Never! You couldn’t pay me!” camp regarding turned-edge appliqué. Too slow, too fiddly and too unsuccessful. Life is too short! 

Create appliqué

But things have changed……

To be honest, you aren’t going to suddenly see stacks of turned-edge appliqué projects suddenly appearing on this blog. The reality is that turned-edge appliqué is still too slow for my everyday use and doesn’t fit a lot of the designs I like to make.

BUT, and it is a big but, I now know a method of turned-edge appliqué that I do find enjoyable and that I like the look of. I can make decent progress on a project using this method. And I can take the required supplies with me on work trips to use in the evenings. I can definitely see some turned-edge appliqué in my future. Likely, one or two special longer term projects.

Would you like to know how I do it? Here’s my method, step by step.

Continue reading “My Best Turned-Edge Appliqué Tips – The Promised Tutorial”

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Colour Inspiration Tuesday: Silly Galah

Were you the target of any April Fools’ Day pranks this year? I hope you weren’t caught out as a Silly Galah!

Silly Galah color scheme from Clever Chameleon

The weekend before the Easter break, Paul and I had the rare pleasure of two nights away without the kids….. actually it might be the first time we’ve had two consecutive nights away without the kids……hmmmmm. Anyway, we escaped out of the city and spent two days in the Adelaide Hills, admiring the beginnings of autumn, relishing the warm weather and drinking in the quiet. It felt amazing.

On the second afternoon, Paul decided to have a post-schnitzel snooze and I lurked about the farm where we were staying. Mostly I was trying to get some horse photos for our daughter. But the only animals that seemed to want their pictures taken was this flock of galahs.

Flock of galahs

They seemed to be having a lovely afternoon too!  Continue reading “Colour Inspiration Tuesday: Silly Galah”

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