Roman Crosses Top Done

My source in a 1994
patchwork magazine

12 blocks complete

Top done: I've always wanted to make a quilt with extra wide sashing as I've seen on some old quilts. This is 4.5".

Detail

Sunny Days

Along with the hot sunny weather a change of bedding, a summer weight duvet and a treasured lightweight vintage quilt. There are 19 "spokes" on each wheel or plate.

Sewing in the garden

Lovely sunny days here. In the afternoon yesterday I worked on the binding of the Mad March Hare quilt sitting outside. Later that evening watching Wisting a Norwegian crime series I finished it, quilt 199. One to eventually sell or donate.

Sewing in the garden: hair getting longer and I quite like it!

What next?

Roman Crosses

More of the same: I'm using the remaining fabric from Lockdown logs. I cut 2.5" strips, joined 5 together to make a 10.5" (unfinished size) strip set. I then cut four 10.5" squares and sliced these diagonally in the same direction. I rearranged the resultant triangles into blocks which measure 14" unfinished.
They are quick and easy to make and here's how:

Sew five WOF 2.5" strips; your strip
should measure 10.5" by at least 42".

Cut into four identical 10.5"strip squares.

Cut across diagonally in the same direction. You need four triangles to make a block.

Arrange the triangles with the bias on the
outer edge. The central crosses are from
the same fabric. You need four identical
squares for this arrangement.

You need just two identical squares for
this arrangement with different cross
fabrics

Completed blocks

Photo Shoot

In my librarian mode I document all my quilts in folders often with source patterns or templates too and yesterday morning I set out to update. I find I have some photos in my files but not in the computer folder for that year and vice versa. And in the early days I didn't have a computer and used film. I also have a printout of all my quilts numbered and dated. Chequerboard shown here is 198. Smaller and Linus quilts get grouped under one number as (a), (b), (c) etc. I also have printouts of my quilt books, magazines and pattern holdings. Boxes and filing cabinet drawers hold magazine cuttings under headings such as HST's, Squares and Triangles, Squares and oblongs, borders settings, modern quilts and many more. I do refer to files sometimes and like to remember items which have sold or given away. I thought I would have loads of time for this stuff in lockdown but it hasn't happened that way. It will all get thrown out eventually. Perhaps in old age I'll prune and summarise my quilt records so they can contained in just one or two binders.
This is a family trait shared with my father and brother.

Most recent: Chequerboard

Crab Shack 2019 from a kit - very disappointed with this quilt. Not a keeper.

12 Days made as a Crab & Winkle (now defunct) project in 2004. First applique quilt and first quilt-as-you-go. From a pattern in Quitmaker magazine.

Key West 1999 so called because the fabrics were bought there in a super shop. I still love this quilt made when I had the patience to make pieced borders and I like the all over fish net big stitch quilting

Detail

Isla's Stars 2006: we had a cot for grandchildren in our house and this was Isla's quilt, hand quilted and slightly stained! How time flies!

t

Flowery Mystery 2020: demonstration project for U3A

Siblings Together 2019 quilt actually completed in 2020. I have to set the Bee block for June and then add as required and make the quilt.

What a difference a border makes

I've now added a border to my lockdown logs and now the top looks complete. I've chosen some wool wadding and blue gingham backing. The current plan is to stitch in the ditch around the blocks and hand quilt inside them. Meanwhile I'm making a leftover quilt from remaining fabric.

Joined Up Logs

Two corners added

Three done

All Done: now for the piano key border

Piecemeal Logs

The thought of piecing long diagonal rows fills me with horror. First I made a diagram marking out the largest square section I could manage and then the corners.

The road map

I pieced the bottom right corner first marking the pressing directions on my plan.

Sections laid out - three ready to join; two still to be sewn

This determined in turn how I pressed the rows of my rectangular section but I didn't join the rows together.
Next I pieced the top right corner. Pressing this determined the pressing direction when I sewed the central section rows together.
Lastly I marked up the pressing direction of the two remaining corners which I plan to sew and attach today .
This quilt will never set the world on fire but it's quite peaceful and I'm liking it more as I go.

Saturday Finish

On Saturday I sewed the last few stitches of the binding down on my 77" square Leafy Mystery which grew out of  the project I set for the U3A members. I wanted to use up this set of fabric which I bought at Chilford years ago (the barn burnt down in 2012) and make a bigger version. It's quite grungy but now it's done I do quite like its muted quality and Maggie's quilting lifts it into another sphere. One photo shows the fabric more and the other the quilting.

Day 58: VE Day

Out with the socially distanced neighbours

and their patriotic pooches.

Friday was Day 58 of our lockdown but VE day marked an end to five years of war's shadow so the rejoicing of many must have been immense. My father was in Germany and my mother had to bring up my brother on her own. When a neighbour banged on her door to announce "Th' war's over, Jenny" it was a case of abandoned child in bed and "up the street" for a night of revelry and rejoicing; pubs opened (not for my Methodist mum!), a band appeared and there was revelry and dancing. And my brother remains unscathed to this day. For some families any joy was tinged with greater sadness. My mother lost two cousins, both only sons and one an only child. Furthermore as I grew up I was aware that some of my local friends' fathers had been captured by the Japanese and suffered terribly. So Day 58 is not too bad under the circumstances. We marked the day by a two minute silence in the road and at six a socially distanced drinks party also in the road - our neighbour parked his car across! We zoomed with our family at three and listened to Churchill's speech later along with the Queen and other programmes marking the event.
It was a glorious hot day so I lunched and sat outside but early in the morning  finished the last set of logs and in the hottest part of the afternoon laid them out as best I could and numbered them. It's very ho hum and rather than putting every fabric in every placement  it might have been better to have attempted shading from light to dark. Too late now.

Coming down the stairs

Laid out and numbered

Nearing the finish

I did two stints of 15 blocks which together with my tryout block and the ten on the first day comes to 41 leaving 9 to do. I set out to complete these this afternoon but haven't added the last round, partly because I had to do more cutting out and I've been sitting outside on this lovely warm day and also because I didn't want to rush meal making. And I've allowed time for G & T today.

Yesterday's stint

And on another note it was bed changing and quilt changeover today

Lockdown Logs

First round laid out

Yesterday I amended the block from the weekend and set myself to make ten more, laying out each round. 
On automatic pilot I realised I had added the third strip in the usual way on the third side so I had ten pieces to unpick.

Wrong, right ready to attach, done.

Despite the delay I easily completed the ten in my usual afternoon sewing session so today I'll aim for 15. I need 50 in all.

The afternoon stint

Testing Testing

Before embarking on lots of cutting I made a test block. It's a good thing I did because I cut strips 7.5" for the last two rounds instead of 8".

Initial choice

I had also chosen a long hoarded wodge of fabric for the corner squares. However it did look very white in my practice block so I cut a 3.25 square from some fabric bought while on retreat and laid it on top. I decided to go with that. I'll unpick and replace the original.

I prefer this one

Both fabrics

This is going to be a very blurry murky quilt.

Day 53

Celestial Timepiece 77.5" x 81.5"

I realise I have been remiss with blogging but busy with sewing. On an evening last week I put in the last stitch of hand quilting on my Celestial Timepiece. I've decided to call it that not only because it has many star blocks but because it is a distillation of my love of patchwork and quilting and is rooted in my first lessons in piecing. It is the one quilt I shall ask my daughter not to let go and pass on though the female line. Since taking this photo I've added binding and it's gone to the bottom of the binding pile. That way it will be number 200 on my list when finished..

Labels: I usually try to include lines of poetry or a quote.

Bernina 570

Having got 5 quilts awaiting hand sewing binding down I now needed to make labels. My Bernina 570 has been on my conscience. I seemed to have problems at the outset and although it did lovely alphabet stitching I found the manipulation of words and letters difficult. I've been meaning to get  the machine out since going on the Bernina course last March. I made labels referring to not one but two sections of the manual. Yay! it's much easier to use and not make mistakes than my Janome.

So that's where my blues went.

Favourite side minus detritus

Reverse

I have a reversible runner on the chest at the side of my bed and it gets dusty so in Lockdown non-regular household jobs mode I removed the detritus off to wash it. Looking within I found long ago piles of fabric from my early quiltmaking days. I succumbed and took out this pile which was old fashioned when I bought it and is even more so now and not very good quality either. There was a pattern with it and in my present gungho mood I was off, cutting pieces and making a trial block- I plan 50 9" squares to be set on point.

Pattern and my diagram

Masses of fabric: tasteful right?