Result

This time of year is perfect for playing with scraps.  You can do a little bit at a time, and the mindlessness of it is ideal as relaxation in all this Christmas stress.  I have made a double row of MAM blocks round the HSTs, and once the outside rows are joined it will be fine. 

Lots of 'I spy' opportunities there, with Micky Mouse, jigsaws, elephants, snowmen, balloons and suchlike to spot.  It made me think about my Linus scrap drawer. 

Just at the moment it's practically overflowing.  It would be good to see it getting emptier, but it never seems to happen, no matter how much sewing I do!  There must be a way of measuring how much fabric is in it, so I could actually see progress in taming the scraps.  What about weighing the fabric?! 

There we are!  Six pounds - that includes the drawer of course, but it's the only way I could think of to get the fabric on the scales.  Watch out for updates on my progress, one scrap at a time! 

Playing with leftovers

I spent a while sorting out the Orphan blocks which had been donated to Project Linus over the last few months, and managed to make up several quilt 'kits' for my lovely Linus ladies to make up.  Amongst the blocks was a small bag of components left over from Bonnie Hunter's mystery quilt Celtic Solstice.  The quilt had been completed (by Julie) and donated, and it seemed a shame that these leftovers were languishing in a plastic bag.  So, I sewed them together to make nine 9-patch blocks, sashed and bordered, and here is the result.

I was lucky to find this fabulous Viking fabric at my local quilt shop, and it makes a perfect border.  Good result! 

So then I turned to some Mile a Minute blocks which have been made into HSTs.  Again, the quilt was finished ages ago , and just 20 blocks remain. Here they are. 

Quite uninspiring. Is this a better arrangement? 

The green dominates, and it's so boring!  What about this? 

Better.  And this? 

Even better!  Maybe some applique in the centre?  Any ideas? 

Out with the old and in with the new!

I have been sewing, just not blogging recently.  However, I spent some time sorting out Linus orphans on Sunday and came across a bag of components left over from our group Celtic Solstice.  I couldn't bear to waste them, so managed to find enough parts to make nine blocks.  They aren't Bonnie's designs, but look OK.  

They looked a bit 'in your face' so I sashed them with white, and then found some perfect fabric for a gutsy border with Vikings and longboats on it!  It's Michael Miller fabric which I bought from our local shop Sew Charming.  Couldn't be better! 

Then this morning, I have seen the first instalment of Bonnie Hunter's Allietare mystery.  

Here are my fabrics 

And better still, 2" strips from my neutrals bin! 

It's always good to use up leftovers!  Now to get out my ruler and make some half square triangles!  

Incidentally, since Bonnie makes such big quilts, I always make half the number of blocks she suggests and then add or subtract when I see the result.  For Project Linus, we will make a quarter of the blocks, which should be fun and make a nice lap quilt for a child. 

It's that time of year again!

I don't mean it's Hallowe'en, or bonfire night, although both of those are at this time of year.  No, it's time for BonnieHunter's annual mystery quilt to start!  Hooray! Bonnie has revealed her colours for this year, and I couldn't resist finding them in my stash.  

First of all, golds. I've got a good selection of those. 

Then heirloom reds.  I take that to be the gutsy scarlets, the colours of tomatoes and red fruits.  

Some blacks - some left over from my Grand Illusion mystery quilt from last year. 

And of course neutrals.  I have a good collection of those, and always buy fun ones whenever I see them.  

I also need a constant fabric, a grey.  I'm good with scraps, but not usually yardage, so unfortunately I will have to go shopping for this.  What a shame!  Then I'll be all set!  Can't wait! 

Coalville Quilt Show

Yesterday I went up to Coalville to visit their first quilt show!  It was in association with Hannah's Room and was in aid of various local charities.  Helen (from the lovely Shepshed group Quilting Together) had asked me whether I would be one of the judges for the competitions.  I was flattered to be asked and hope I did a good job.  There were three categories, Autumn Splendour, a young quilters' category on Hallowe'en and a 3D object.  I tried to be as honest as I could, but still appreciative.  Nobody needs discouragement in my view.  Unfortunately I didn't take photos of the quilts, but here is Hannah's Room's stand. 

I did manage to restrain myself, despite the goodies on offer (I'd already bought last week! ) 

And here is Gill on the Linus stall. I am delighted that Gill has become rep for Leicestershire North.  We can easily work together to spread the love.  

There were several craft stalls, as well as the quilts, which, along with the refreshments, 

Made for a lovely morning out.  It was also lovely to see quilts friends from the north of the county, and meet new quilters.  They're always friendly and fun.  Even if I'm not invited next year, I'll definitely make sure to go.  

Too much

Things are rarely quiet around here, but just recently it has been a bit too much.  We've been away for a little winter sun, and then when we got back, I had a horrible tooth thing which ended up with antibiotics and an extraction.  It really knocked me out, and although I managed to fulfil my obligations at an AGM and the Lutterworth Piecemakers exhibition (which was fabulous!) it all took its toll, and I have had to build in extra recovery time.  So, the UFO pile isn't getting any smaller.  

This challenge quilt is now a top and I am delighted about the border fabric which I bought from Sew Charming in Lutterworth.  She has some beautiful fabrics at fairly reasonable prices there.  

My other challenge for Piecemakers is still a pile of blocks, and an incomplete pile at that!  

But I have managed to successfully design a quilt for my classes next year.  I wanted to cover the theme of stars, and thought if I could incorporate several designs into one quilt, then the students would have the option of making several quilts over the year, or just one.  It wasn't easy to make the different blocks play nicely together, but here is the result. 

It's waiting for its border, obviously, but there is a Lemoyne star, a friendship star, a boxy star, a variable star and a paper pieced star, apart from a few nine patch and flying geese fillers.  I'm quite satisfied with it, and hope my students will be too.  Now off to find some starry border fabric. 

Accuquilt Go!

I think the fabric cutters really come into their own with shapes which aren't rotary-cutable or are curved. While I have had the Piecemakers' cutter, I've made good use of the hearts die and the 2.5" strip cutter.  For Linus sewing, I cut out various red and pink hearts with Bondaweb on the back, some 8.5" squares of white and some red 2.5" strips.  I showed a Blue Peter and left the very talented Linus ladies to have a nice play.  This is what they came up with.

Bondawebbed hearts and then 2.5" squares put together in 16 patches as filler squares.  Bright and cheerful.  This design would look good in blue, too, or purple, or yellow .......!  I have put the blocks together and plan on a white border then one made from red four patches.  This design was definitely made quicker, easier and more accurately by using the Accuquilt Go!  If you're out there, Accuquilt, if you would like to donate one to Project Linus Leicestershire, we would put it to very good use!