A Gardener's Journal~~~~FINISHED

Hi Everyone, Dzintra here

doing a great big Happy Dance wooo hoooo

my Gardener's Journal quilt is finally finished

and I am soooo happy with it!!!

I remember a few months into starting this quilt I broke my arm which just put me back several months in everything and at one stage wondered if I would ever get it done!!!  I'll never take the use of 2 arms for granted again....

Thank you so much Chooky and Peg who are the inspiration for doing this

and also thank you to all the fellow stitchers out there for all the support and encouragement along the way in getting this quilt finally completed....

I have thoroughly enjoyed doing my Gardener's Journal and I will bring it up to Nundle next year to show it off.....

Till then.....Happy Stitching

'bye, Dzintra xoxo

~Gardener's Journal...back pieced~

Whew, made it to the deadline by the end of 2012 with a post on my progress but unfortunately not the finished quilt!!!

I'm still with A Gardener's Journal and I have done a pieced back with some of the fabrics used in the quilt...

I'm very happy with it and hope to get this sandwiched real soon...

like hopefully this week!!!!!!!!!

Thanks so much to dear Chooky (for running this fabulous quilt in Stitch-a-long) and to all the gals who drop by and leave comments of encouragement!!!!!!!!

~I have thoroughly enjoyed this journey~

And while I'm here I'd like to wish everyone a Happy, Safe and Peaceful New Year full of Love and Happiness and of course much Stitching.......Dzintra xo

~Progress on Backing for Gardeners Journal~

It's been a long time but now that Pirates of Penzance has finished I can start to get back to my GJ quilt...

I have started piecing the back Y I P E E 

I went to Finishing School last week and the advice was to square the fabric down to 38" and then make up pieces of 10 1/2" and now it is coming together beautifully

I can't be *H A P P I E R *

Thank you so much Chooky for the phone call....it was lovely to hear from you and as you said just put it together...

It's back to the cutting table for me now...Dzintra

~A Gardener's Journal Quilt Top~

After much deliberation on deciding which border to use I went with the one below as the red just seemed too bright

What was to have been the backing is now the outer border

I had read I think on Anni's blog a while ago that a backing can be pieced using fat 1/4's and I have seen pieced backings using strips of fabric

So this weekend hopefully I will have a friend down who has offered to show me how to do it all

I was thinking I might even hand quilt it just around the blocks and squares and perhaps do in- the-ditch

around the borders

Did anyone else hand quilt this one?

This is what it looks like on the bed

and on the washing line

I just couldn't get a straight pic due to the wind

Thanks so much Chooky and to the Stitch-a-long gals for all the encouragement on this blog

Have a great weekend everyone......Dzintra

~Borders and Bindings for A Gardener's Journal~

A couple of days ago I wrote that I was wondering which border to use for GJ

I had first cut out this blue paisley way back and thought I would use the red outer border...

turns out I wasn't quite sure after seeing it together as the blue was quite busy with no defined 'frame'

As it turned out I didn't have enough of the red for the outer border so it will become the inner border

and the backing (which is cream/brown floral) now will be the outer border

I think I am happier with this combination as the outer border balances the stitcheries and seems to carry on the cream

The red as the outer border seemed to take away from the stitching

Not sure now what I'll do with the back

I'm thinking I might piece some of the leftovers together and use some of the cream outer border for the back as I think I will have enough to do that 

Did anyone else do something like that and is there any advice on how to do that as I've never done it before although I have seen it and I quite like the look?

And here are all the blocks together!

Happy Stitching everyone

My SKOW is getting closer!!!!

~A Gardener's Journal~ Block I~

Wow how excited am I

Block I is now complete and all I have to do now is join it to Block H and then onto the rest of the quilt top!!!!!!!

3 lovely gals standing alone

framed by florals and paisleys

Birds in the Tree......I loved doing this one

and now surrounded by more florals and paisleys

Joined together

I had cut out a blue paisley for the inner border but not sure whether to use it?

Close up

Originally I thought I would use a red border

but not sure now

I'll put it all together and then I'll be back to show you and see what you think

Thank you so much Chooky and the Stitch-a-long gang for continued encouragement......I am loving doing this quilt

I did get a bit more of chance this week to work on this as I put a chisel through the top part of my hand whilst doing some work at my local theatre which necessitated 'glueing' instead of stitching

Luckily there was a Doctor in the House

Then a tenanus shot and then I had to lay low for a while whilst Hubby took over caring duties

Luckily the injured hand was the 'holding hand' so it worked out well and I got some respite to boot

Keep stitching everybody and as some of you will be finishing your SKOW I will be starting mine

Chink Chink Chooky

~Dzintra~

~Block H...Nearly There~

I'm nearly there...

Presenting Block H...

Woo Hoo one to go.........and I'm excited!!!!!

Violet Wreath

Seed Packets

All together in the block

And waiting for Block I to join in to the rest of this beautiful quilt!!!!!

Happy Sewing...Dzintra

A Gardener's Journal...Block G

Woo Hoo doing a Happy Dance here...

Presenting Block G of A Gardener's Journal!

And here it is added on to the other Blocks...only 2 to go!!!

Having so much fun doing this quilt...Happy Stitching everybody...

I love calling in here to see everyone's progress...Dzintra

Block F...A Gardeners Journal

Woo Hooo....Block F complete!!!

 Finally all the stitcheries are done...

and put together...

Progress so far on the quilt...only 3 blocks to go!!!

Even though it's taking me a long time to put together I am having so much fun doing this quilt...

especially choosing the fabrics and putting them all together...

I'm loving all the florals and paisleys in this!!!

Back to the drawing stitching board for me now...Dzintra

A Gardeners Journal...Block F

A quick update here...I have finally finished stitching Block F......All ready now to add to.

It's a glorious day here on the Coast.....Happy Easter everyone and Happy Stitching...Dzintra

Block E...

Getting a move on over here...

Presenting.....Block E....finally!!!

And on the washing line although a bit sunny to see clearly but pretty good!!!

Have traced Block F...will be slower with that one with Christmas coming up but will do my best to do some every day!!!

Merry Christmas Stitching Friends...See you in the New Year (where did this year go???)

A Gardener's Journal...Block D...

The lady kneeling to do the weeding seemed to do it quickly...

 unlike the corn in the vegetable patch which seemed to take ages!!!

There's quite a bit of paisley in this which I love...I'm using what I have...

but this week I bought a blue fat 1/4 and put a 2 and half by 3 and a half piece to the right of the vegies and DH noticed it was different to the others...

Now wondering...is it too different? 

Here they are together...

And joined onto No Place Like Home...

I am loving doing this quilt and learning so much from Anni's patterns and learning all the time with them...she adds all the detail and tells you exactly what to do!!!

I think I will always have an 'Anni' pattern on the go!!!

Thanks Chooky for cracking the whip LOL!!!

~ Dzintra ~

Block C...A Gardeners Journal!!!

Wow, this has taken me all day to put up...but finally, here 'tis...

Block C...A Gardener's Journal!!!

No Place Like Home seemed to take ages and then it all came together...

I must say I am thoroughly enjoying putting this quilt together...

Anni's instructions are just so clear...

I'd never done the triangles around a square before in but it was so easy to understand...

and here it is all stitched together!!!

I have cut the inner border (blue), but I don't enough of the red to do the outer border...

the binding will probably be the soft floral...

but I'm nowhere near that!!!

Happy Stitching everyone...Dzintra