Off and on

Today I folded up my Advent quilt as I think of it and replaced it with my Christmas Quilt which will stay on till Twelfth Night.

Advent Quilt

I'm very proud of stripe matching on the corners.

My Christmas Quilt from a design by Gwenfai Rees Griffiths.

Start to Finish

I've finished all the 3.75" square in a square sashing units for my 15" Westminster squares. Now I shall layer up sections ready for Quilt-as-You-Go. I've also made the first two Carolyn Forster BOM blocks which I shall QAIG as I make them. I can get on with making all the chequerboard setting blocks. 

Bonnie doings

This last meeting of the year we made a quick project, a foot pedal mat to stop it slipping underfoot. Fran showed the bag we are going to make in the New Year when Trish and Sue have worked to amend the pattern. Fran and Trish are card makers so they gave lovely hand made cards. Also on a Christmassy note Mavis had made a cushion of Christmas squares.

From Mavis

Future bag project

Trish with her foot pedal mat.

Cards from Trish (left) and Fran (right).

My mat

Christmas comes early

Lovely presents

The post arrived just as I was about to set off for the Usual Suspects Christmas meal and I'd forgotten I'd asked Mandy to buy one of Heather's pincushions for me from her sale. It was a lovely surprise. I realise I've photographed it upside down. Then at the lunch we exchanged Secret Santa gifts and I got Bonnie Hunter's date keeper which was on my wish list. It is a practical present and a treat as it has masses of lovely photos of Quiltville quilts.
Maggie had just got back from South Africa that morning and gave us all a FQ of waxed print and Tracy had made us all something. I love my little purse with lots of pockets.

On going projects

I need another new project like a hole in the head but was very tempted by Carolyn Forster's hand pieced quilt-as-you-go project in Today's Quilter magazine and when I learnt Belinda and Stephanie and probably Marigold were doing it too I caved in. I thought about 1930's fabric but then plumped for a long hoarded collection of Dan Bennett Cosmos fabric pulling out more to go with it. I'll use orange checks for the setting lattice blocks. When I looked at the templates for Block One I thought foundation piecing so I made the block by machine but I will hand quilt it. I can't show the template picture as it is understandably copyrighted.
Meanwhile I am making lots of square in a square units for the sashings of my Kaffe Fassett quilt. I'll do this one QAYG as well. Once done I can use remaining Westminster fabrics to complete a couple of simply pieced workshop quilts started in Houston 2016.

Fabric pull for Forster quilt. Lovely Colour Box
collection by Zen Chic for Backgrounds. 

Block One with frame. I shall remove the orange check to put
on the lattice setting block frame corners and replace with a B/W
grid fabric.

My Westminster quilt in progress.

From Oast Show and Tell

I don't know the names of all the makers I'm afraid.

Table runners by Nikky

This looks good against the
poinsettias on the stage,

Very cosy. I haven't seen one of these for some time.

An improv. quilt by Janet Bevan inspired by a talk by Janet
Bottomley at the Quilters' Guild AGM last year. Janet will
be Oast speaker and tutor in May.

I showed two quilts too but couldn't take a picture as I was telling.

Oast Challenge: Borderlines

This got my vote and came third.
A bed sized quilt from Victoria
 and a wonderful interpretation
of the theme. 

The divided mind by Fiona.
A lot of meaning in a small space.

The popular winner by
Sue. Map of the UK
shipping areas made for
her sailor husband.

Celtic Cross from Gill

Lovely stitching by Pat.

Made by Daisy and
destined for Linus.

Trudy is using up a
donated stash and this
too will be donated.

Liz was prompted to finish a UFO
and came second.

Whetted appetite

Maggie sent these pictures of the bedrooms and quilts Belinda and I will have in South Africa. Something to look forward to.

Belinda's 

Mine. Yaay!!

Bags of bags

This is how the elements of a
Japanese Twist bag are laid
out and sewn, base first and
then the sides.

The first one with 3"
finished squares. I made
the lining separately.
Too big!

The second one with 5.5 x 20.5" cut strips to finish
5x20". I quilted the four units then joined  them but
added a single thickness strip to cover the raw
seams.

The other side: the right size but the interfacing
makes it quite stiff. It will stand up on its own.
I now realise the straps placement affects which
fabric will come to the fore.

Birds of a feather

I made one bird to check I could get it right. Then I set out an assembly line, sewing all the heads, the wings and the tails. Once I got to the next point I finished each one in turn. Strangely and mysteriously I had cut one set of body pieces in reverse. Panic but OK once I realised I had more fabric.

Assembly Line

The seven strong flock

U3A end of term

Last U3A class of 2018 and time for another photo shoot. They look quite solemn - perhaps traumatised by the complexity of the project! Margaret had completed a cushion and in addition made a bag with stunning embroidery made on her super duper sewing machine, a Pfaff icon.

Margaret's Owl

Margaret's Hen

And her Star Log Cabin Cushion

Quay Quilters' Raffle Quilt

Quay Quilters Raffle quilt

Detail

Wednesday at Quay Quilters was photo shoot night when a member and her partner do a professional job for publicity. This is my amateur work. Once I get the drop box link I'll put the official one up. Members hanquilted the centre, Vanessa expertly machine quilted the border. I attached the binding and Gillian sewed it down. Now I'm storing it and will attach the hanging sleeve in due course.

Mine to enjoy

Maggie is making quilts for her South Africa home and this will be on my bed when I go and stay. I love it.

Expert quilting on her long arm machine

Detail