Pastels?

Here are the MAM blocks I cut up recently, made into a top.  The big triangles are actually purple, not blue, and when the quilt has been bound in the same purple it will look great.   I have used up odd orphan blocks - can you see the wonky yellow star towards the bottom of the centre square, and a window left over from DD's wedding quilt in the middle of the bottom border?  I love using up bits and pieces, and I think it adds interest to the quilt.

 

 

When this top was finished, I must have had a bit of a brain storm as I've been working with pastels!  A friend is expecting twins fairly soon, and I thought I'd better get on with a couple of quilts.  For some reason, I decided to use a group of pastel fabrics to make two quilts with different designs.  We don't yet know the sexes of the twins, so the colour scheme is gender-neutral. 

 

I have been influenced by Pam Rocco's article on Medallion quilts in the current issue of 'Quilter's Newsletter', and decided to make these four Scrappy Trip blocks into a cot quilt by adding some borders.  I got the idea of using a cream strip in the middle of each block from my friend Chris, and I think it unites the blocks nicely.

 

This is another Pam Rocco design which I have scaled down.  Again I will be adding a gender-neutral border, a four patch border and a final border.  Looks a bit dreary here, but I think it will be better when the borders are on.   

 

I don't think that pastels will be my abiding love, but I had one more project to attempt.  My local quilt group are having a challenge to make some 12" blocks, one with lines on it, one with squares, one with triangles and the last one with circles.  It's probably an art quilt project, but I've decided to go traditional.  I'm making two of each block, and will arrange them in a nine-patch (I know, I'll need a central block!).  This will then make a nice baby quilt for Project Linus.  Here are my lines (or strings) in a Lemoyne Star.  My 'Y' seams don't get any better, but I suppose practice will eventually make perfect!

A puzzle

I've successfully completed all the blocks I'm making for Celtic Solstice.  Twenty five blocks will make a great design and with borders will make a reasonable sized quilt which go under my machine satisfactorily to be quilted.  I love the blocks, although I have pieced two of them incorrectly - can you see on the left hand side two pinwheel blocks with the chevrons going the wrong way?  How did that happen?  (Quite easily, I'd say!) 

 

 

Then I had another look at Bonnie's quilt, and discovered that in fact, the two 'wrong' blocks were actually 'right' and all the others are wrong!  How did I manage to go off target like that?  Oh well, I'm certainly not unpicking them all, so it will have to be Celtic Solstice - Variation.  I'm sure Bonnie won't mind!

 

I had been given a whole load of Mile a Minute blocks by someone who said she'd got fed up with making them.  How can that happen?  Well, looking at them, I can see how.  There isn't really enough variation in the fabric colours, and the strips are all straight, so make for a block which lacks dynamic.  What to do?  (Can't possibly waste them!) 

 

I cut them in half diagonally in pairs, and then joined opposite shapes.  That's a bit better!

 

Here they are laid out and apart from the fact that too many of them have the black and white spotty fabric, that's much better.  Now, what shall I make?

Piecing, at last!

The panto is over (a great success, with over 1,00 happy people as a total audience) and I can finally get back to some real sewing!  Before Christmas I started Bonnie Hunter's Celtic Solstice quilt, and had lots of pieces ready to go, so that seemed a good place to start. 

 

 

Here are 9 blocks put together to showcase the design.  I love secondary designs, and the blue circle is wonderful, with the lovely star in the centre.  I'd make it up like that, but it would be a bit small (the blocks finish at 9").  It's really a square design. so the next size would be 16 blocks, although that wouldn't have the circle in the middle. 

 

I've started more blocks (I have the components ready to go) and am aiming for 25.  That will make a reasonable sized quilt, with borders, and will showcase the design perfectly.

Any sewing?

I haven't blogged this month because there hasn't been much to blog about!  We've been very busy packing up my Mum's house and moving her to a cosy bungalow near to us, and of course with the annual panto!  Much time has been spent measuring actors, sourcing costumes, fitting costumes, buying fabrics and some making of costumes.  This week has been the last lap.   I've been doing the bits and bobs.

 

  

 

The panto is 'Cinderella' which means the chorus all need a ball outfit.  The boys made do with white shirts and fancy waistcoats, but the girls needed dresses in panto style.  This one fitted the bill, but not the actor, so I improvised by putting a small panel in the back.  It's not at all noticeable on stage. 

 

Another great ball dress for the wicked stepmother, again, not in the right size.  A black panel and some extra lace make it look fine.

 

The prince needs a sash (it's actually integral to the plot) so some brocade-like fabric, a length of ribbon, and grandma's old brooch solved that one!

 

 

Another ball gown (aka old bridesmaid dress) which needed taking up at the waist and a bit of repair.

 

A pink ball gown which needed a pair of boobs to fill out the bodice.  The 12 year old actor didn't have any, so I put some darts in the neck.  Sorted!

 

And finally, one of the ugly sisters needed a pocket in his gymslip.  That was straightforward, as I just undid the seam and slipped the pocket in. 

Now all I have to is enjoy the show!

Into 2014!

We have successfully made it through 2013 and on the quilting front, it was a good year.  I completed something like 21 quilts (plus a few Linus ones) so am pretty much keeping to my average of a finish every fortnight!  I've not managed to finish all the UFOs I pledged to complete last year, but there are only two left over, which is a big improvement on the year before, when I had UFOs dating back over 10 years on the list!  I have found it good to list them and prioritise a quilt for every month, in the hopes that I'll get some finishes.  It's worked well so far!

First one left over from 2013 is this made fabric quilt.  It needs a border and some serious quilting.

 

These blocks from the Rocheberie Challenge have already been made into a quilt - but there are five more left!  Some creativity will be needed to put them together!

 

These scrappy trip blocks have made it into a top, but that's all.

 

Emily's Houses have been bordered.  So many tops!

 

Lazy Sunday has a purple border and is good to be layered.

 

I have still got my passion for MAM, and there are several tops and block sets waiting for attention.

 

Over the holiday I have been making a few more 'Dear Jane' blocks.  They look good, and are quite challenging.  Much more difficult than the Tula Pink ones, although they are satisfying too.

Add to the list some log cabin blocks (another scrap project), granny squares, the wedding quilt for DD and husband, various circles and Celtic Solstice, that makes quite a list!

I'll be delighted to get back to normal after the holidays and attack some of these projects.  Here's to 2014!

Last finish of the year

I have quilted and bound my Kim Diehl applique quilt!  (It hasn't got a label just yet, but you can't do everything!)  I'm delighted with it, as it's worked out well, and I've finished it by using only fabrics and orphans from my stash.   It's so satisfying to 'use it up'!

 

 

Here's a view of the back, which shows more 'use it up' and also some of the quilting. It's mainly in the ditch, but I did some free machine feathers on the setting triangles, which are always good fun.

 

So now, it's time for me to take stock on my progress this year.  DH says I'm obsessed with quilting, and he's not far wrong!  This year I've been to exciting exhibitions in Malvern and Birmingham, and helped stage one here in Lutterworth.  I've been to group meetings where I've heard international speakers and seen their fabulous work.  I've been to classes and workshops and taken them - I always learn so much from both.  I've been spreading the word by quilting in a pub (The Western in Leicester, thank you very much) and in an old folks' home (Brook House in Husband's Bosworth, it was a privilege).  Our local group has been able to give over 100 local eleven year olds in local schools the chance to make a patchwork cushion or bag, thanks to some funds given to us by Waitrose (that was so rewarding).  Add to that the inspiration, the encouragement, the help, the sharing, the chat, the laughs and the love which quilting friends have given to me, and it's been a great year!  Many thanks to you all and happy quilting in 2014!

 

Sewing again

The festive season has been particularly hectic for us, what with DH's (early) retirement, our wedding anniversary and our annual Christmas show, not to mention the festivities themselves, so it seems ages since I had the chance to do more than prepare meals, clear up and then prepare more meals!  No, seriously, it was lovely to have friends and family here to help us celebrate Christmas, and we had a great time.  But it was lovely to have a bit of me time today to do a little sewing.  I had challenged myself to finish various UFOs at the beginning of the year, and this was one of them.  It's a set of applique blocks designed by Kim Diehl which I had made as a portable holiday project. 

 

 

Some time ago I put them together on point, using a little UFO pinwheel as a centre.

 

 

And today I added side triangles using fabric from my stash, and then another border of half square triangles which I had made for my 'Lazy Sunday' quilt, but hadn't liked.  They look really good here.

 

 

Just one more border to pull it all together and then I might be able to layer it up on Sunday when DH goes to the football.

 

It's very 'in your face' but I love it, and in any case - it's a finish!