Carolyn Forster's Quilting-On-The-Go

Happy New Year!

Lets hope 2013 holds lots of lovely quilty projects for you!

Something I stitched together before the end of 2012 was a version of Square by Square from Utility Quilting.

This one looks so different from the Low Key one I had in the book. But equally fun to sew :

I loved these fabric lines, all the crispness. A bit like all the clear crisp colours in the sunshine today, with the snow and all the different ski outfits.

I brought my knitting with me for a change. I started a sock pattern as I have wanted to knit socks for ages now. Little did I know that everyone knits them in rounds, and I managed to buy the only pattern that knits them on two needles flat!!!!

So my knitting is in a muddle at the moment, and ready to be unpicked. When I get back home I will be in search of the perfect sock pattern in a book or leaflet and I will start again. Any recommendations?

In the meantime I will unpick my sock  as far as it has gotten and start on the hand warmers, and continue with the quilting I have! At least I know I can't go wrong with my Quilting-on-the-Go!

A few photos of a finished quilt from this week!

An Irish Chain quilt I made in the Quilting-on-the-Go method:

And some very organised hexagons I am working on:

Have a good stitching weekend!

I have been stitching some new quilts using the Quilting-on-the-Go method over the last few months (well perhaps years!), and now I need to put the blocks together.

And now to quicken up the process I have been using the amazing Heat Press Batting together tape. I know it doesn't really roll off the tongue, but it does make the quilt making process so much faster……so I can get down to the quilting! Yeah!

The tape comes in two widths, 1 1/2in and 3/4in, and in black as well as white and is easy to find in your quilt shop:

I have used both, and they are both great. Easy clean and simple to use:

This is the front of the quilt so far, a low key Irish Chain:

I just love the way I can do the fancy quilting when the project pieces are small and not cumbersome:

And with the holidays approaching I need to get some portable quilting planned (now this quilt is coming together) so I can take something with me when we travel. I already have some hexagon piecing planned.

And I know, I can't believe I am back sewing hexagons! When I first started quilting and patchwork about 30yrs ago I made hexagons, and have an unfinished quilt top to show for my efforts! But hey ho! they are still fun portable easy accurate piecing to sit and sew wherever you maybe.

There seems to be much discussion in the patchwork world about 'new or 'modern' ideas.

I think debate is healthy, and I enjoy hearing what people have to say, or seeing what they sew under these titles! The more people sewing and quilting the better I say, and if they think they are doing something new or modern so be it!

I am often asked about the 'quilt as you go' as most people assume that the desire to quilt your quilt in smaller manageable or portable size sections is a 'new' idea.

Those of you who have been checking out Barbara Brackman's blog will have enjoyed, as I did, her post about 'Pot Holder Quilts'. Check it out HERE.

These quilts were sewn and quilted in small sections and then put together……… in the 1880's!

I saw a similar quilt at the American Museum of Folk Art in New York last spring, and I was blown away. Let me show you.

Looks like nothing out of the ordinary from a distance:

Take a closer look at the green sashing:

You can see the different quilting in the different sections:

And this is the information card:

This quilt was made for Mary Grow in 1856!

But what I found even more amazing was that no where does it make any reference the the technique that has so obviously been used to sew the quilt! I know I can be nerdy about the construction processes that are used to make quilts, but surely this would have been worth a mention?

Of course I am now just desperate to get my hands on a copy of the book by Pamela Weeks and find out all I can about these quilts!

Well, I definitely had my 15 minutes of fame (or nerves!) this week, when I got to chat with Mark Lipinski and Linda Lum Debono on the Creative Mojo radio show.

Listen in HERE to see how it went. I am in the first half of the show.

Mark and Linda were both so nice, and I even had a phone in caller comment on what we were talking about!

After I calmed down from that we had five minutes of sunshine in the garden the next day and I took some pictures of a little quilt I made last autumn as a combination of both my books and one of my patterns… very creative mojo!

I used the block from Japanese Stars and Lanterns, added frames (as per Quilting-on-the-Go) and then Big stitch and Tied the top (as per Utility Quilting).

Have a look and see what you think:

I used the Valdani pearl cotton no12 for the stitching and the no5 for the tying. Have a look here at the cute box of threads they do to go with the book! And the needles I use are the Bohin Betweens size 5.

Stop by the blog on Sunday as it is the start of the blog tour, and I will let you have the schedule! There will a give away at the end, too!

It is always fun to visit quilting groups, and one that I go to in Whitstable is always fun, and they have great cake with tea in the afternoon! 

Last time I went Sharon showed me her version of Crayon Box from the Quilting-on-the-Go book. It is great, and she had even quilted it in Big Stitch  from the previous workshop we had done!

And this is the top that Tracey stitched from the fabric give away she won from my blog a month or so ago! It looks great, and she has time to bake the lovely cake that we eat with our tea!

Thanks Girls!

I read this in a email to me today and thought ‘Couldn’t that be the name of some sort of dessert?’

Unfortunately it isn’t.  It is just a phrase to let each other know that things still need doing for Quilt Market next week, and time is running out!

I sent a quilt off this week for Makower made from thei new Katie Hana range. This will be in their booth, and I made some little pincushions which will look good on the desks of the booth with the quilt hanging in the background. If you are coming to the show, or have local shop owners attending, tell them to look out for it!.

And as neat and tidy as this picture may look, the other end of the table looks like this:

Yes, I still have a bit to do for my School House and demos on the Landauer booth! And I have lots of lists to keep me on track as things pop into my mind. But I know from experience that it all works out in the end!

Kathie wondered what the whole quilt looked like from my last post. So here it is!

And if you have time, go and look at the old pattern book that is being shared at Q is for Quilter. What a treat!

I have spent my last three days at the Ardingly Quilt Show, on my stand (booth?) talking to quilters and quilting and talking some more. It is such a friendly show, and as it is ‘local’ to me I see so many familiar faces! I just love it!

I took some of these blocks to quilt:

They are called ‘Fannys Favourite’ and it is one of the quilts for the next Quilting-on-the-Go book I will write. Great portable quilting, and I got lots done. People are so interested in watching Hand Quilting!

There is always a lovely selection of quilts and some that appealed to me were made as group quilts by the Beckenham Quilters. This is a block from an Kantha inspired piece:

I have always really enjoyed sewing that type of block, so it was a treat to see a whole quilt made from them.

This was another favourite, in wool work:

And a close up of the Dorset Buttons:

They are a great embellishment for this type of work. I think they would look  great on the quilts Sue Spargo makes! I have used them on String Quilts too  and they just fit right in!

I am now off to unpack from the show (Ugh!), and then finish sewing my Cheddars quilt!

Thanks so much for the lovely comments about the hand quilting!

I agree whole heartedly agree that it is very soothing and eases you out of a stressful day.

This little piece is part of a Quilting-on-the-Go quilt that is one of my current take along projects. This is an Amish design I found on an old quilt in one of my books. It is a Sunflower, and somewhat appropriate for this time of year in the UK when the sunflowers are coming to an end and becoming bird food!

My friend Tracey came to visit yesterday, and was very taken with my thread catcher! Go take a look at the tutorial at The stitching Room and sew your own this weekend, as I think Tracey is!