Last week I past the two year milestone of this little blog. I didn't forget, I just wasn't sure what to write. Last year I wrote about how I'm constantly inspired by my surroundings and how I see quilts everywhere.
Nothing's changed! And in fact, many of these sightings are generally right under my nose, like this 'little' beauty two streets away from my home.
This is a very large shed wall that is part of the Coca-Cola bottling plant in Adelaide. About 20 years ago the
Thebarton Residents Association lobbied to paint a mural on the wall. It reflects the spirit of our neighboured with elements such as the large Greek community (the biggest in SA), Aboriginal housing, local schools, services and the history of the area. My friend Tara, who is a reader of this blog and now living in Portland was involved in the painting of one of the diamonds (sadly now painted over). We were very worried when the wall was barricaded a few months back, fearing it was to be demolished when the roof was pulled off but thankfully Coke kept the wall and just renovated the attached structure!
I love looking at this wall because of its quilt attributes, its small diamond patchwork pieces gathered together to make one large mural. In this case many hands have combined to leave their mark on our world....often like the process of making a community quilt. It's a neighbourhood treasure and something to be admired for many years to come....again just like a quilt. My own recent finish is also a lot like the patchwork mural featuring many
pieces of fabrics left over from numerous projects and formed into a network of diamonds using the string piecing method. I had actually finished this quilt top back in
January 2010 and it has laid idle in the wardrobe all this time! I'm on a mission to finish up the many incomplete projects I have and to use up fabrics that have a habit of being purchased because 'I have to have them' only to store them away. So no starting anything new until then....well that's this week anyway. Let's see how many I can bowl over!
The quilt is really bright and cheery and I'll be gifting it to my mother in law who is in hospital at the moment facing a second cancer diagnoses. She is very fond of bright colours so I hope it does indeed brighten up her day. The quilt is
straight line quilted which I'm a big fan of these days because of its speed and economical use of thread but it also proved the perfect quilting method for the plethora of seams found in string
pieced blocks. The straight lines offset against the angles of the strings also looks really great. The back features the lime hippos from
Ikea.
I don't think you can get this fabric any longer. I've had mine tucked away for this quilt for a long time and also have some red hippos in the cupboard for the right project to come its way.
The pink and lime backing works perfectly with the binding which is a multi striped fabric that was purchased from Spotlight. This is the same fabric that's also used in the inset border. It's one of those crisp cottons that I find myself using less of in favour of better quality cottons but I had it stashed for this quilt and thought it was a good opportunity to use it up. I had to laugh though when I noticed that Sarah
Fielke (AKA Material Obsession I and II co-author) had used it as a binding in her Woodpile mini quilt in her new book 'Quilting From
LittleThings' which I was lucky enough to get from the family for Mothers Day last week. Just goes to show that even great quilters use any fabric so long as it works!
And if you're still reading after this long post, here is a gratuitous shot of a little project I've been working on lately. It's actually at binding stage but I think the colours are just gorgeous and I love the look of it all pinned down. It's another 4" block bow tie quilt made up the triangles left over from yet another project I've also
resurrected this week. Again the triangles were cut from 2 1/2" strips, so they're pretty tiny. The fabric is Bonnie and Camille's Bliss. I still love it. Now, I'm thinking of pulling yet another UFO from the wardrobe but have to also jump over a mountain of washing first!
My long term Katie Jump Rope quilt is finally a finished project! I think it's been on the go for nearly two years if you count the process of purchasing the fabric. Measuring 70" x 63", made from 5" blocks featuring about 26 fabrics from the range and quilted in straight vertical lines about 3/4" apart, this quilt has lost none of the charm that I imagined it would have. 
It's very vintage...slightly at odds with the 'mod' back that features a range of solids in co-ordinating colours pieced together in strips. 
The binding is the bandana print in blue which I acquired after the top was pieced otherwise it would certainly had been included. However, using it only as binding frames the quilt beautifully. Now back to the work in progress pile!
At the time it was covered in white contact. I peeled it off and found this dilapidated finish underneath. I'm in two minds what to do with it as I quite like the shabby-
However, with a bit of 
And the two of them together.....well that's a collection in my book!
I've chosen the orange which is a slightly burnt orange and goes quite well with the orange and peach in the FFA fabric. I'm thinking this one might go in the wash to pre-wrinkle it before hand over. I generally don't do that as I like my quilts to look new but I think this one will improve if it's softened up. To be honest, I'm not totally enamoured with this quilt. I love the stars but am a bit wrankled over the rectangle....but I also know that that's me and my penchant for symmetry.