WOW or WIPs with Esther 13th June 2018

Hello ALL from down under where it is a picture perfect day now after a very heavy misty morning till around 8.30pm

Those

Those white dots on the grass are all spiderwebs it’s an amazing site to see. When the sun comes out they all disappear?

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Sun has burnt of the mist and it’s a beautiful day now 9.30am

 

Abstract logcabin

My Abstract logcabin

Adding the backing and wadding

During the week Adding the backing and wadding to my QAYG  -. First I machine stitched the final border to the quilt top added cotton batting folded border over it then thread basted the panel down for machine quilting.

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Two sides finished ready for machine quilting.  Centre was done as quiltasyougo log-cabin blocks

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Using a piece of fabric I bought from the USA 12 years ago from around 1930

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3 down one to go?

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All borders added now but need to thread baste the top and bottom they are just pinned at present then it will be in the machine quilting pile???

Healing heart block

A healing  heart  ready to machine applqiue

Playing with some 1930s

Playing with some 1930s tiny pieces of fabric I bought on E Bay about 15 years ago from the USA for a few dollars back then,  I came across them on Monday night when looking for some thing?????? And decided to play with them?

I cut out enough bow tie shapes in dark fabrics to frame all those tiny pieces and also needed to cut more of the outer circles to have enough to make up a single quilt top?  Dark fabrics Iv’e had for over 10 years.  Many of the 1/4 circles Ive had to unpick and resew but Im enjoying working on them and knowing finally they are going to be a quilt to be loved and used for the unknown quilter who started them 90 years ago?

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These are all just placed only some of the inner 1/4 circles are sewn. Nearly all  the 1/4 circles are 1930 fabrics.  Some shirting and well worn the rest I think dress scraps.y

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I’ve just completed on Block it is 9 1/2 inch’s square, I had to unpick the 1/4 circles recut them resew them, then carefully sew them to the bow tie shape,  at the start of each seam it had to be 1/16th seam  then go to Under 1/4 inch seam around the rest to get the block to lye flat.  Now to do the same for the other 34 LOL.  I have almost redone all the 1/4 circles and can start making these blocks now.

18 years ago we lived in PNG. (Papua New Quinea) for 6 years, it is a very very beautiful country and I was lucky enough to fly over most of it and visit many remote areas as my hubby worked in the aviation business. One of the most amazing things I saw were the women hand weaving beautiful bilum (bags), each village had their own designs they used in their Bilums when I returned to Australia to live I was gifted with many of these beautiful crafted bags.  So today I’m sharing some of them instead of my garden.

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Made from natural vanilla bean fibres and would be used to carry or hang a baby when sleeping or vegetables, it was  a special gift.

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Natural vibes. It Was used as part of their ceremonial dress. Very special and my pride and joy as it was a very very special gift.

below bilums are made now for gifts or for the tourist trade.  It’s one way the village women can make some money.

PNG

PNG bilum bag, these are made from yarn replyed on their thighs to make a much stronger yarn then hand woven using a stick to poke the thread through or a darning needle if they are lucky enough,  it is woven to look like knitting and it take months to make them, original ones were made from the vanilla  bean fiber.

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PNG

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PNG  love the greens in this bilum.

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This is a close up so you can see the weaving?

off to join Esther’s WOW or WIPs today.  Thanks for dropping in to my part of the world. Happy stitching or what ever you enjoy doing. Cheers Glenda

 

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9 Responses to WOW or WIPs with Esther 13th June 2018

  1. Glenda, I love the wide floral borders for your log cabin! Great minds think alike! 🙂 Fabulous vintage fabric, and I adore those woven bilum and the story behind them. Thank you so much for sharing them!

    • glenda says:

      Thanks Rebecca, I was lucky that kimono fabric for the wide border was given to me just at the right time, its a beautiful fabric and design. I love my Bilum’s and they all have story’s. Cheers Glenda

    • glenda says:

      Hi Rebecca, sitting catching up with mail this morning and I was airing some of my bilum’s and was sad to see a mouse must have liked them too as there is a big hold in one of them she must have been making a nest. I will try fixing it today, they are far to special not to try and save. Interesting when you really study them how different the weaving is, some is so so tightly plied and woven they will never wear out others are so soft and light and was only mean to be used now and then for special occasions. I use to have a baby’s hanging bilum used like a hammock and hung down their backs when walking and when they stopped hung up in a tree, it was so soft and what an easy way to transport ones baby your hands were free the ends were placed across the forehead and then the bag hung down their backs. Once when my brother and I were walking a track in the highlands a women came down the track wearing 5 bilums all full? one with a child in, she was also carrying a 18month old child on her hip?????? they are the strongest people I have ever meet the loads they can carry are phenomenal ???? Cheers Glenda PS try typing in Bilum Papua new Guinea

  2. Marita says:

    Oh Glenda,
    I love your log cabin quilt! The border fabric with the purple flowers ist fantastic!!!

    The old blocks, you give them a new life. The pattern is so nice. It is so good you sew them to a new quilt. Love the circles and the fabric. Thank you for the fotos from the bilum. It is so interesting.
    Greetings, Marita

    • glenda says:

      Hi Marita and thanks for dropping in, Im trying to finish around 6 quilts at the same time LOL SO my days are not long enough for me at present. But I do want to finish the unknown quilters quilt this year! after 12 years in my cupboards it needs to be finished LOL I finaly completed one block last night around midnight now around 35 more to go LOL Cheers Glenda

  3. Gretchen says:

    The log cabin quilt is just lovely. Do you have special plans for him after he’s completed? The bilium bags are beautiful! So much work and effort, like a quilt! Thanks for sharing them with us.

    • glenda says:

      Dear Gretchen, when I rescued those logcabin blocks from the trash at a Opp shop I did not realise just how much work was going to be involved to save them, but I just loved the fabrics that had been used and back then I did not have the money to buy new fabrics, but now when I look at the blocks all unpicked and sewn again, Im glad I did spend the time on them. Now to find a new owner who will love them as much as I did. You can see how they make the bilums online some one has taken the time to make a video of them been made. Each one is a piece of art that is made now days for the tourist. I spent many hrs sitting in the markets beside the women watching and been in awe of their skills with no sewing needles, knitting needles, or hook, just their nimble fingers and skills past down from mother to daughter. Hugs Glenda

  4. Kyle says:

    Those bag and their designs are beautiful. What a treasure you’ve collected. Fantastic abstract log cabin. It’s a beauty. Sometimes it’s just fun to play and see what you come up with. Have fun. Don’t go walking in your yard barefoot with all those spider webs! Yikes!

    • glenda says:

      Each bilum is a tiny piece of art Kyle, each one is so different as each maker work is different. just like how we make up the same quilt design but we use our own colours and our needle skills are at different levels or different way of applying our applique. Many of the bilum’s I have not used or have past on to some one who has admired one and know it will be loved, the ones made of vanilla bean fiber’s I will pass on to a museum as they are now collectors items. I never go bear feet around the rainforest area???? far to may creepy crawlies LOL . Cheers Glenda

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