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! 

The Big Textile Show

I've had a lovely (but hectic) day today at The Big Textile Show at Great Glen in Leicester.  This is the third year of this show, and I think it gets better and better!  We have been very lucky to be invited again to have a stall for Project Linus, and I hope I have shared the love by giving away free patterns for a no-strip nine patch, and doing a demo too!  It's one of those 'why didn't I think of that!' ideas, but a great time saver if you don't know it. 

Here is our stall, with the lovely Maria ready to inform and advise.  We had a great response to my demos, spread the word about hugs you can keep, and met lots of old friends.  

The show is very inclusive, and here is Tegan who is selling embroideries made by women in Madagascar.  They are fabulous, and with over 60% of the money going direct to the women, is a way of making a difference in the world.  She said that many of the women can now afford to send their children to school and have improved their housing.  Great news.  (I feel smug, because I bought a beautiful embroidery last year. A very precious possession.) 

Here is a view in the first corridor.  You can see the end of our table, and then Helen with her embroidered pashminas, again hand made and exquisite. 

Here are some of the traders.  This was a real mixture of goodies for quilters, knitters, embroiderers, mixed media people, lace makers, spinners, readers etc.  Something for everyone, and eye candy and stimulation for all. 

Here is a Guiness World Record attempt at yarn bombing a mini!  I knitted a couple of squares - I've never been part of a GWR attempt before!  This was early on, and they got a good half done by the end of the day. 

There were lots of different exhibitions, and here is a taster.  This piece is by Linda Rudkin, and was fabulous!  If this has whetted your appetite, then get along to the The Big Textile Show tomorrow to see the rest of the exhibits! 

Feeling clever (ish)

My patchwork group have recently bought a second hand Accuquilt Go! Cutter for group use.  We are hiring it out by the month, and I happened to be the first hirer!  I have looked at the different fabric cutters in the past, but not been persuaded to buy one, as I think that, for me, they would not get enough use to justify their initial outlay.  Interestingly, I have know several people who bought one, and then sold it on, as they didn't get as much use out of it as they'd expected to.  However, to hire one for a month is a different proposition altogether! 

The problem was that while the cutter itself has a handy carrying handle, the dies were all in a carrier bag.  

Here they are.  There is a really handy 2.5" strip cutter die, but it's 24" long!  Very unwieldy.  Liz suggested it might be an idea to get a trolley or suitcase to put everything in, which I thought was a good idea.  Then I decided a bag would be easier to cope with than a suitcase, although none of the supermarket type bags are long enough for the strip cutter die.  There was nothing for it but to make a bag.

Not the most attractive of bags, but since it's made of curtaining fabric and lined with the same, I'm hoping it will be durable.  The wrap around handles should give a bit of extra strength too. But then I thought we needed a list of the contents, so it could be checked off on return.  A laminated sheet inside?  A laminated sheet tied to the handles?  A luggage label tied to the handles? And then I decided.  

I cut a piece of the handle fabric, zigzagged it on the side and wrote the contents with a permanent pen!  I've left some room for future purchases to be added too.  Basic, but functional! 

And what have I been doing with the cutter? 

I used the Value die, which has 4.5" and 2.5" squares, plus 2.5" half square triangles to make this star. I quite like the triangles which have seam allowance on the side, but still glad the machine's hired, not bought.  

Grandmas, eggs and sucking

This post will be, to many, like teaching your grandma to suck eggs!  I know lots of people already know this, but it was new to me, so might be new to others.  

Have you ever admired quilting which is a wavy line, which was 'one of the fancy stitches on my machine, and done with the walking foot'?  Something like this?

I've looked and looked on my machine, and I don't have any stitches like that.

But then, I experimented. 

I found the three stitch zigzag on my machine, then shortened the width and lengthened the stitch, and hey presto!  the searched for effect.  

Here is the quilt, which was made by several hands at a Linus sewing session.  

Once it's bound, it'll be even more gorgeous! 

My Dresden Circles quilt is still on the design wall, and while I've been quilting something for Linus, I've been looking at it. 

The circles have all gone, and it's now a yellow quilt. That's not what I want.  It's the old trick of putting a border on a multicoloured quilt to find the quilt has 'become' that colour.   The yellow border has to come off.  Maybe a blue border instead or perhaps piano keys.  Only one thing is certain, the yellow has to go! 

A little bit good, and a little bit bad

I've been busy trying to finish the two quilts I have promised for Piecemakers' exhibition in October.  (I know it's quite a way off, but sometimes life bowls you a curve ball, and I don't want to be caught out!)

I am sewing the binding onto my Grand Illusion.  

Still not my favourite Bonnie design, but I think the quilting in the ditch has emphasised the stars and made it easier to read. 

Borders are on my Dresden Circles.  Decisions now to be made about quilting designs.  I've already discussed this with the very knowledgeable Liz, and have a few ideas.  Again I want to quilting to bring out the design, not just hold the layers together.  I want to bring the circles out, and if possible the double circles. 

So, quite good.  But then I saw this. 

A free quilt pattern!  Looks awesome!  There are 34 pages of the pattern, (although they don't use much ink, just lots of paper - good for using the back of other things).  Will I ever make it?  Don't hold your breath!  But then, it is gorgeous!