I think I've been bitting and bobbing because I'm bored.  Lots of things to do, but nothing which has really fired me up.  So I looked on www.15minutesplay.com hoping that Victoria would have something to rescue me from the doldrums.  There is lots of inspiration on her site, and I decided to take her colour challenge, as I'm always looking to improve my use of colour.  I started on Week 1 of the challenge, which is mauve.  The first thing to do is to find a piece of mauve fabric in your stash.  Here it is.

Then find some more mauve fabrics.  Easy peasy!  I included one with turquoise, yellow and mauve stripes to add a little contrast.

 Then use those fabrics to make some new mauve fabric.  For someone who loves Mile a Minute, this was heaven!

 Cut a square from the made fabric and cut that on the diagonal.  (Put the leftovers into the scraps drawer for future fun.) 

Use neutral fabric to made hsts and a new block, using the first fabric I chose for part of it.  Detailed instructions for sizes are on Victoria's site.

 Tah dah!

And here is the next block - ochre!  Onward and upward!

Bitting and bobbing

DH will certainly tell you that I have been busy sewing recently, but I don't seem to have achieved anything specific.  I've just been bitting and bobbing.  I have quilted my Japanese X + scrappy and sewn the binding on, and am part way through sewing it down.  I'm quite pleased with the quilting, as I just sewed in the ditch between each block, and then sewed round each cross in the middle, which has emphasised the design beautifully.  I just need to pull my finger out and get the rest of the binding stitched.

 

 For my challenge group, we're continuing with the scrappy theme and are all making Bonnie Hunter's 'Weed Whacker'.  I've made some blocks for that too.  The little pinwheels are made from the leftover triangles, and I'm hoping to incorporate them into the quilt - wate not, want not!

 I never fail to love Mile a Minute, and if I feel the need for some mindless sewing (which I have done recently) I make a few blocks.  Digging through my crumbs and strings brings back lovely memories of quilts and shopping trips gone by! 

 Because I use Bonnie Hunter's scrap savers system, I cut a lot of my leftover into strips of 1.5", 2" or 2.5" and store them in boxes ready for action.  The 1.5" box was getting quite full, so I made a few scrappy log cabin blocks - but I didn't make enough to do anything with!
  

 So I need to get focussed and see something through to the finish.  What better than my UFO Challenge quilt for this month, which is number 7.  Why, oh why hasn't this been finished before now? 

I'm just hoping I've still got a piece of the navy border fabric!  Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Bit of a blue phase

Before we went away, Muriel and I organised a sewing day at Rocheberie Schoolhouse Quilters in Rugby.  We have had these for the last three years and they have been very successful.  They are a kind of mystery day, with people being asked to bring precut and/or presewn fabrics, with more instructions on the day.  This time, we had people bring squares of fabric with two snowball corners - dark squares with light corners and light squares with dark corners.  After a bit of magic, this is the resultant quilt!  It's actually called 'Little Red' and is from Carrie Nelson's fabulous book, 'Schnibbles times two'.  (Many thanks to Carrie for kindly giving her permission for us to use this pattern.) 

I love secondary patterns, and while I love the little pinwheels, I also like the optical illusion which makes it look like there are curves here, when it's all straight piecing!  A great design, and a fun day!  

I've also used blues for another class sample.  The first class will be four-patches, and the second half square triangles. I think this design should be fairly straightforward for beginners.  Well, time will tell!

Exciting news!

We have been away on holiday (Crete, very hot and spent relaxing in the shade) but while we were away, something very exciting happened.  DD got engaged!  Here she is with her lovely fiance, Ben.

You can see how happy they are together, and we are delighted at the news.  Now what design will I choose for a wedding quilt?!

Family time

It's the time of year when we have our annual family gathering, and it was last Sunday at my cousin's in Nottinghamshire.  Unfortunately the weather wasn't too good, and we weren't able to sit outside for much of the afternoon, but we managed to snatch time for a group photo.  Unfortunately Uncle Sid had already gone home, but everyone else was there.  It was a lovely day and it was good to catch up with relatives I haven't seen recently.  (I'm on the back row, third from the left at the back!)

Then we had another family gathering as it was my birthday (again!).   DH, DS and DD with her lovely boyfriend, Ben, (he's the one with the pink hair!) went to a local restaurant for some fine dining. 

 What can I do this weekend to top this?!

It's number 3 - and it's done!

Julie wasn't a little behind at all - she's already declared UFO Challenge number 3 on her blog, just not on the UFO Challenge site.  She's a busy girl, and I wasn't in that much of a hurry.  But I was a little perplexed, as I couldn't find number 3 on my UFO list.  What was going on?  Then I realised it wasn't there, because I'd already done it!  Hooray!  Number 3 was my '12 days of Christmas' quilt, of which I had originally only completed the partridge in a pear tree, two turtle doves, three french hens, four calling birds, five gold rings (in with the turtle doves) and the swans a swimming.  Bit of a bird theme going on there! 

 I combined most of the blocks with three of the calendar baskets (all the blocks were from series quilts in 'Quiltmaker' magazine) to make this Mother's Day gift.  I was very pleased at the way the blocks played nicely together, both with each other and the pretty floral fabric which was leftover backing.  Result!  And the partridge?  Well, he was a bit imposing, so merited his own wall hanging.

I know it's on its side, but I've been fiddling with the image for 10 minutes to get it to rotate, and have now given up!  You get the idea!
And for all those going to Rocheberie Schoolhouse Quilters on Saturday, here is a sneak preview of what you'll be making. 

Should be a great day!

A little behind

No, not a comment on my sylph-like proportions (I wish!) but on my status vis a vis my UFO Challenge.  Since I only needed to sew the binding down, I've been slacking and doing other things like attending barbecues and socialising, so have only just got June's challenge, the Crumb-along, completely finished.

I'm very pleased with it, as it gave all the pleasure of Mile A Minute (of which I never tire!) plus fun improvised heart, star, flying geese, 4-patch and nine-patch blocks to boot!  Incidentally, can you see the LO
     VE? 
Sorry it's not all in the photo, but DD was holding it up as best she could,

until her arms gave way!  I'm just waiting now for Judy to post the next number!  She's got a little behind as well!