Quay Quilters

 It was end of term at Quay Quilters with Secret Santa and plates of finger food. Some seasonal Show & Tell.

A beautiful hanging from Marion plus Stained glass project by Elaine after attending Oast Sewing Bee and Christmas gifts by Mary with a Japanese theme as two of her children visited that country this year.

Fabric from Japan

Placemats

Mary also made a pretty baby quilt for a friend of her daughter.
A strip block she's been enlisted the demonstrate.

A Secret Santa present for me. two of us received this. I don't know who
made it but I was pleased as I had missed Jill's demonstration.

Good progress

I sandwiched the Woolie Isosceles quilt and finished quilting it today. It was easy to add rows quilt as you go and then zigzag down the dianonds and finally quilt in vertical ditches.

I wondered whether to use dark brown or striped binding but opted for the stripe but made made the mistake of cutting it too fine at 2.25". Given the thickness of the flannel 2.5" would have been better.

The quarter inch binding seam meant in places I only caught a sliver of quilt sandwich so out with the fray check plus wider seams in some cases and just to make sure serpentine stitch all round the edge.

After doing my finishing duty I rewarded myself by cutting and sewing four half square triangle Shape Sorters all the while listening to the Pitcairn Trials podcast on BBC sounds. A fascinating and disturbing tale and legacy of the Mutiny on the Bounty.

!0.5" HST's. 10" finished

Up to date

 Now I've caught up with lots of recent quilty activities. Running up to our family Christmas I only have Quay Quilters this coming week so I should be able to keep up to date with posting current sewing.

I am doing lots of things all at once.

Woolie Diamonds

I stopped with the  woolie leader ender at 45 squares which left me with a 6 by 7 arrangement and three spares. Random proved just that so I sorted pairs of same fabric isosceles triangles and listed how many I had of each. I drew a plan of alternate vertical rows of diamonds and photocopied it in case I needed a second draft. I entered colour names into the drawing and added odd squares at top and bottom of alternate rows. Then I laid them out accordingly swapping with a squre of the same if the "Spikes" didn't fit. Not having a initial plan I was constrained and there are issues but so what - I am happy.

I tried out borders but nothing was right it will be small 36x42", a knee rug.

My L top is complete and I have cut Grunge binding strips

Inspired by Donna Jordan videos i use
a weight to secure the end of my ruler and
stop it slipping.

Border attached

So nice to stitch in a tidied up sewing room

Finished top before binding.

Advent Quilt and other matters

 This quilt, a mystery from 2007/8, goes on my bed in the run up to Christmas. It has a wool blend wadding I bought in Australia and is machine quilted in the ditch and hand quilted outlines.

10" Flying Geese

Now for some circles.

The Thread House shape sorter blocks are multiplying and extra Cherrywood fat quarters shipped from Canada are helping. 

I am puzzled by mysterious white blobs which have appeared on one block. I shall look for some permanent colour to mask them. Markel paintstiks arrived today).

Delicious colours

The leader enders are piling up and nearly used up.

I have added a border to the L- quilt and since this photo of the top Maggie has quilted it.

In the evening bimding our Hosanna Quilt is very relaxing. We have just finished watching the Serpent Queen about Catherine de Medeci of France. I first read about her in a book by Jean Plaidy when I was a teenager.  Hmm might go back to her books. 

Quay Quilters in December

 

John was looking for a new home for this quilt belonging to a neighbout.
It' found one. It's huge and beautifully quilted.

Queen Beez Summer Medallion

Elaine's reindeer from Jill
Moorcroft's QG workshop made 
with permission from original designer.
Also box demonstrated by Jill the
previous week.

More boxes

And decoration demonstrated by Pippa

Oast Challenge

 The end of December is the Oast Quilters' AGM and annual challenge. This year it was a fabric rather than a themed challenge with votes for best use of fabric and for favourite quilt. In the event the placement was the same in both categories. 

2nd Maggie Breakspear

1st Jean Price

    

3rd Pam Duffield

Other challenge pieces included this coincidental pair of Convergence quilts by different makers.

Clever use of applique features on both pieces

Show & Tell was a treat especially the work of Sue Jennings.  She has made Twenty 7-Panel stack and whack hexagon quilts mostly to hang in community/charity spaces..

Sue Jennings

Don't know the name of this maker - quite a feat!

Sue Jenning's work on vintage linen

Sue Jennings

Forest Friends an Elizabeth Hartman pattern.

Canterbury retreat

It was good to be able to sew by hand and machine and eat all in the same well lit room.

 Six of us rented a house in November to chill out and sew together in my home town. Most of us got dropped off while we had two parking spaces for those from (slightly) further away. 

I was still beavering away using up woolies and bereft of much inspiration framed two sides of squares cut from long feature yardage. I called it the L quilt though my fellows came up with a cheekier name.

Me beavering away.

Pieces laid out in progress

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Finished and Gone

 I took two quilts for Linus to the Oast meeting. They want bigger quilts for older teenagers and specially for boys. I hope the Autumn Strippy will fit the bill. The other quilt Mary bought as a baby gift and the money will go to Linus though I still have it.

Baby row quilt

I sold five quilts out of nine at our residents' community Arts & Crafts Show which raises  money for the Hospital  League of Friends who sell refreshments and take two tables. Another baby quilt went to a prospective new great grandma and having made three double "keepers" this year I sold very cheaply two major blue and white quilts. I've realised I am not a fan of blue and white finding it cold.

Fethered Star sold to someone using herfather's birthday moey. She
already owns other quilts

Deatail - my first and last feathered star was perfectly pieced.

Bonnie Blues sampler

The Africana ZigZag quilt was sold to a friend who is
building up quite a collection, two being gifts.

The great grandchild quilt

Detail of panel

The Olive You Cosmo quilt (Zen Chic pattern and fabric line) was bought by one of the
League of Friends orgnisers for her son.