The pattern has arrived and the folder to keep it all in has been purchased:
Just need to think about stitching now!
I will definitely be looking out for the new things from Jen at Amitie Textiles in Portland at Quilt Market next week!
This quilt was put together yesterday from pieces left over from a class I took with Susan Briscoe a couple of years ago.
I saved the 'spare' pieces as I like the combinations. Whilst having a tidy up in an effort to keep on top of things yesterday, I came across them in the back of the cupboard.
The quilt top I originally stitched has not been quilted yet as I am still in two minds about the way to quilt it. I know, you'd think life was too short, but hey ho, don't want to do something I don't like, and is there a rush?
So when I put these leftovers together I knew how to quilt it even before I laid it on the batting!
I took these pictures after I had just started the basting. I was going to safety pin, but it didn't feel right, and as it is a small quilt, about 50in, I went ahead with hand basting.
I started the quilting last night. Big stitch with Valdani Pearl Cotton no 12. I'll let you see the design in the next post (which I have been obsessing about for years now).
It seems to be a variation on Elbow Quilting, and I have a few vintage quilts worked in it. Just had to wait for the right top to come along to try it out on!
I'll take some pictures to let you have look next time.
If you need a quick project to keep your sewing MOjo up, take a look at what Lori stitched this week. So sweet, might find time for that before the dog walk!
Amongst the busy summer we had, I spent some time at West Dean College with some lovely ladies all as enthused as I about Julie Arkell.
Under her gentle guidance we stitched our worlds of flowers and rabbits, clocks and bugs!
Here's how I got on!
These are some of my inspirational fabrics:
My desk whilst working:
My pebble:
Some of my finished pieces including the rabbit and pebble as well as the a brooch and pocket watch:
It was so lovely to sit and sew and play with fabrics in a different way to my usual way of working!
Really relaxing and let your mind wonder onto other ideas!
Another way to ignite the creativity is to look out for Victoria's new book, '15 Minutes Play' out in the Autumn. I can't wait!
Been having a little play with some ideas that have inspired me, so instead of wondering and filing them away I got on and stitched. A bit like Victoria says in her 15minutes play.….. it really does help liberate your creativity!
Congratulations on the new book Victoria, can't wait for it to hit the shops!
I saw this quilt over at Nifty Quilts , and just had to have ago at the block:
I used a quick method with a Half Square Triangle ruler, and although it means all the bias is on the out side edge of the block, due to the speed of making it I think I could forgive it that!
I made a little bitty bag:
Really cute, not my usual sewing thing, and I made the pattern up as I went!
Then I saw this quilt from 1910 in a Japanese magazine:
I played around, and have now started my own:
Again, not the sort of thing I usually sew as each blocks colour choice links to the next, so there is a bit of planning and some organisation involved. To help with the organising I ironed and cut lots of fabric so I can just dig in and sew. I think mine will be more scrappy than the original, but I will see what emerges!
To see what others have stitched this weekend, why not go over the the Fat Quaterly Blog where you can see how much everyone enjoyed the Retreat!
Well, even though there are other things that have priority in my stitching time at the moment, I could not resist starting a quilt from the scraps left from the Give Away!
The range is Blue form Makower. I like it when the name of the range is simple!!
And those of you who know I am big fan of Gwen Marston, will be as excited as me to see she has anew book coming out. Check out her website!
I must start saving my pennies!
Well day two of 2012 has given us some lovely sunshine, so despite the mud under foot (due to day one of 2012 being grey and wet), I ventured out to get some shots of things I have been stitching.
Today it is the turn of the Squares and Diamonds quilt that I have made from the new line from Moda, 'A Stitch in Color' by Malka Dubrawsky.
Enjoy!
It spent a long time in this state on the floor of my sewing room:
But happily now looks like this:
As is my way with these sorts of designs, I am keeping the wavy edge. It will be a pain to bind, but worth it!
The black fabric is 'Heath' from Alexander Henry and of the Moda fabric I used a bundle of fat eighths:
So at the moment this is a flimsy, waiting to be quilted. I wonder if that will take me until next year!?
Good wishes for your stitching for 2012!
Well, the Squares and Diamonds quilt had a bit of a set back this week.
I got muddled up with the rows, and mistakenly unpicked about half of the quilt thinking I had the wrong rows stitched!! I know, don't go there!
Back on track now though, phew!
So in need of a little light relief from that muddle, I started sewing a couple of little Christmas gifts for two friends who I work with when I teach at The Quilt Room. They know (and now you will too), that I love the Japanese patchwork and bag books.
This is my shelf:
And I have been boring them with my stitching of this bag (from the cover of this book) for a few weeks now:
And now I have finally sussed it out, I thought it only right that they be the recipients of the much discussed bag!
It is a deceptively simple idea, as lots of Japanese bags that I like, seem to be. Two rectangles of different fabric give the bag it's outside.
Which you line, and then each side turns into the handle and closure:
And in a flowery mode:
So there you go! All's well in the end, and now I am back to the Squares and Diamonds quilt!
The ISBN of the book, for those of you who are interested, is : 978-4-579-10979-1.
There have been a couple of quilts that people are sewing on-line that I have enjoyed looking at, and this week I have sewn exploratory blocks, not to make the whole quilt, but just to see how I feel now that I have had a go!
This first one is from a quilt in the Tokyo Quilt show this year. You can see it here. Bad skirt blog also has a tutorial, but I just based my blocks on a 2in grid, so it is slightly bigger!
I also liked this variation, as I shuffled the bits around before sewing it together!
The other block I have seen a lot of lately is the Union Jack! I even saw some sewing patterns for sale for this at Quilt Market!
I made mine from 'Lily's Quilts' website tutorial here.
Thanks Girls for the great tutorials!
And last but not least, take a look at this exhibition in the US if you are remotely drawn to hexagon quilts. Many of you know I sew mine really large, I mean with big shapes to make them grow fast, but I still love looking at the intricate ones!
Click here, and scroll down to see all of the quilts!
Have a good weekend!
I am often asked about the number of quilts that I sew, and the answer is really that I love the process.
Yes I love the finished quilts, but really I like the whole planning, fabric selection and the stitching part of the quilt! And the other day I came across a button over here. Which is for people like me to proudly admit that we like the process!
And although I am busy stitching here I don't seem to have been very handy with the camera!
So here are some very good shots (not taken by me, but by Colin!) of my Kaliedoscope Hexagon quilt that will be my new pattern in the Autumn.
Enjoy! Whether it's the stitching or the looking!
Well, we are getting back to normal here after the Christmas and the New Year holidays.
I managed to squeeze in some stitching, but first let me tell you that Lori is having a quilt-along over at her site. It is a Dolly Quilt called Cheddar and Crackers. It is based on an antique quilt which I loved, that she had as her header sometime last year. I figured that I would join in as 1)I have never done a Quilt-along and, 2) I have never made a Dolly Quilt. So two new things for me in 2010! This is how far along I am with it:
I think I have a chance of completing this as it is little, but I must now get out my design board so I can plan my layout.
One of the quilts that I put together (I had started it earlier in 2009),over the holiday was this Star Quilt.
I really liked the idea of grouping the four stars together as a block, and then adding wide sashing. I like the top, but I think if I do another in this setting, I will use wider sashing to separate the four star blocks. I was not quite brave enough this time! I have also sewn all of the Ninepatch Pinwheels together now, but then got distracted by a hexagon top:
This is a follow on from my Hexagon themed tops I am making. (Yes, the Kaliedoscope Hexagons, are all complete, and some are sewn into rows already!)
So I don’t feel that I have left 2009 with too many incomplete quilts…. I have finished almost as many as I have started for 2010!
