Trundling along

I am finding working on Isla's quilt quite hard going in some ways as I am used to lots of repetitive piecing and have been dashing off Linus projects. This quilt seems painstakingly slow and I'm not sure the result will justify it as it's a bit of a hotch potch though I'm trying to keep the colours moving throughout the quilt. I know Isla will like it as it will be a quilt  full of activity like her. Today I have been making hearts. At least the technique is successful (see last post) but I've been moving and swapping around. I am going to have pots of flowers in both bottom corners and had planned background pieces to to go in both corners. I am now utterly miffed to find I've miscut - 8" not 8.5" - as I'm committed to this particular fabric because of what has gone before I shall cut off 1/2" from the top of the house, I hope 1/4" of sky above the chimneys doesn't look too ridiculous. I'll try blotting it out with masking tape to check. Oh dear! Just a thought -  I could repiece the chimneys to go right to the top - I may do that.. .

The mess I am working in - not my usual practice.



8 pointed star

Star and hearts

I completed the star. I couldn't use the outer fabric I'd originally planned as I realised it would be too much pink but I prefer the substitute. I've now started on the hearts. I thought the fabric choices would be enjoyable but again there is much furrowing of brows. The applique technique I was putting off is going well thanks to Karen Kay Buckley's workshop at Houston as I'm using her technique of pressing over templar which forms a sharp outline. I'm using spray starch rather than sizing which we can't get here.

I built four houses today

I pieced four houses today though I'd cut out the pieces before. Gathering the various fabrics was quite thought provoking. They're not joined in a row yet. Next stop is a star and then it's all applique which I've been putting off.

U3A

I'm not sure what this technique is called where you end up with self contained quiltlets which are then sewn together. The front and back can be different as with these rail fence examples. I've seen this demonstrated several times but Margaret's samples shown here  are particularly lovely.

The front

Pinwheels on the back

Farnham Maltings

I went with friends to Farnham Maltings where quilt shops sell off off their surplus fabrics and products. I needed more fabrics for Isla's quilts as my choices are now being constricted by the fact I can't cut background squares or even hearts out of some of the pieces I have left. Also to get sufficient contrast I needed some fabrics with coloured dots on white backgrounds. One of my friends bought some and told me just which stall to go to so I'm very happy.
As part of the day local groups display their quilts and there was a one woman show by Diana Taylor. Her room just glowed.

Partial shot of Diana Taylor's room

A Mary's Triangles quilt

My "Viewer's Choice" by Deborah Redman

Maggie's return

It was Crab & Winkle last night. Maggie is back from her African sojourn so had lots to show us including her Hidden Wells quilt and wall hangings  which she had brought back from her second home unable to remain parted from them. Whilst there she had made a quilt or rather quillow  for her son's girlfriend who had laid down firm stipulations about gingerbread people, cottages and the like. It is a masterpiece of invention. Mary - the "other" Mary as I'm one too - has started a beautiful stars quilt so a very colourful evening.

Maggie's Hidden Wells

Maggie's wall hangings

Quillow cushion

Maggie's quilt for a gift

Mary's stars project in progress

Coming along

Laying out trees one at a time

Aide memoire of the order. Trunks to be added and then trimmed to right length.

I'm working away at Isla's quilt and taking my time. Once I decided on the fabrics and arrangement of my line of trees I got down to the part I like best, sewing and ironing and sewing again. I foundation pieced the trees using fine leave-in washable paper
 http://www.laurier.nl/E_frame.html?http://www.laurier.nl/E_home.html 
and pieced the trunks and background. The arrangement of trees pointing inward may seem odd but they will hang upright over the side of Isla's little bed. The piano key border formed by the trunks will easier to bind as there will be no points to lose. I'm putting off doing the hands for which I have card templates but will try bagging out with thin interlining. Not yet though!

Quay Quilters

Quay Quilters met for the first time in 2012. Show and Tell included Log Cabin projects as I thought that was the beginners' topic this week. In fact it's next time so this was premature. There were other Show & Tell projects too and it was a very busy and informative meeting as we talked about magazines and shared out a few.

Mags's Christmas bunting

Helen's Twisted Sisters variation

Trish's log cabin floor cushion

Usual Suspects

It was the first Usual Suspects gathering of the New year (but not the last). It was great to see one of our members who has been poorly looking so much better and definitely on the mend. We were at Tracy's who had so many super projects in various stages. Belinda had some blocks made from fabrics supplied in a challenge workshop now combined and awaiting a wide border. I made a start tracing foundations for my chatelaine blocks and completed one.

Belinda's

Tracy's - love this pattern

Tracy's - started in Carolyn Forster's workshop

Tracy's again- made as a present

My effort that day! 15 more to do.

Moving along

I meant to attach these frames yesterday but was called away to watch David Hockney on Countryfile (most inspiring) so I have the two last ones to complete. Then I intend to applique hands. Then it will be a nice part: making units of trees, houses, hearts and little people to go round though there will be some tricky bits getting them all to fit together. I tried putting green or lilac in the corners of this centre unit but it didn't work. As I'll use these other colours in the units to come this will mean a lack of continuity but Isla (did you think she was an Ivy or Irene or Iris?) wanted it PINK so PINK will be the dominant effect. I've never done anything pink for myself so this is fun.
Tonight I shall probably finish the minimal handquilting on Belsey Blooms a workshop UFO which will be a FO and destined for sale or donation so have to line up some evening handsewing pretty quick especially as I'm off to sew and chat with the Usual Suspects tomorrow. Bonnies are opting for some smaller projects after the mammoth Farmers' Wives so I shall hand foundation piece this chatelaine from Quiltmaker Nov.Dec.96 (page partly obscured by a bookmark and there are two or three pages anyway so I'm not disseminating the pattern). I've long had this tucked away in my file though I shall make it a tad shorter.

Silent Stars

On Christmas Eve my Silent Stars quilt goes on the bed and comes off on Twelfth Night. This season I was preoccupied and forgot so it didn't go on till Boxing Day. This is one of my most successful quilts so looking at it is a treat! The name comes from the hymn "O Little Town of Bethlehem ....the Silent Stars go by...", a favourite. The pattern by Gwenfai Rees Griffiths was published over several months in the British P&Q magazine.

Onwards and upwards

I'm making steady progress with Isla's quilt. Once I get past this middle part I shall be working on smaller units. At the moment every decision seems a big one. I know it's going to be a bit quirky and typically "me" in that I cannot work with coordinated fabrics but have to branch out into strangeness but there you go.
I have tracings of family hands which I hope to superimpose somewhere but have two more borders to go. I find I need to sleep on it at each stage.

Trying to decide



What do you think of it so far?

The first one

Having completed some long standing projects it's now time to make a start on my granddaughter's quilt. She came to stay over New Year and when we took her and her brother back home I doublechecked the measurements of her bed. Her quilt will have an "I" in the middle surrounded by pieced squares then various frames, pieced and appliqued. I'm deliberating still about the quilt as you go route especially as I plan to do some machine blanket stitch applique which could serve for quilting as well but I have a nice piece of backing it might be good to use as is. I really like mindless piecing but will need to go slower with this.  Also my fabrics are varied not hugely coordinated though I know PINK must be dominant.

Here is the centre laid out - it will be on point.

The centre on point square - it awaits the "I" but the girl in a swing will will still be able to be seen.

The last one

I think this must be the last finish of 2011. I made a sample of courthouse steps to check the measurements and strip widths for the Crab & Winkle raffle quilt and made it 24" for a prison baby quilt. There is little visual stimulation in those surroundings so the snazziness should help. I turned the backing  (from Merida in Mexico) over to the front to finish the edge.

The back

The quilting

Boxing Squares

Boxing Squares 44" x 57"

On Boxing Day I sewed down the last bit of  binding on this Linus project started with cut squares at the Quilters' Guild AGM and Conference in Exeter in April this year. I pieced the cheater pinwheels and this month added borders and backing from my own stash and quilted it very simply through the pinwheels with variegated thread. The squares turned out to be all sorts of misshapes but I compensated as I went along and made sure the rows lined up neatly. It's not a silk purse from a sow's ear but a serviceable one at any rate.

The back

Finishing

"Spinners" 36 inches square

The back

My next "finish" is a workshop project which I have made 36" square suitable for a prison baby. We drafted the design and used card templates to measure the cut pieces. Often I'm a defender of templates but this day put me off them! I certainly think this design lends itself to foundation piecing. Anyway the quilt would not impress the Quilt Police but it is nice and puffy and the shot cotton on the back has a soft feel and the quilting on the back is effective though I only followed the design lines. So a result.
I attached the binding to yet another project and content I had enough handsewing to see me through a couple of nights of TV viewing I rearranged my sewing room moving the cabinet next to the wall to stop my quilting falling off. I am very pleased. I must just take care not to eat so much over this Christmas season that I can't get through the narrow access gap. I'm aware I have one piece of furniture too many in my sewing room but each drawer has its contents, quick to locate.
The arrangement of all the other rooms in the house is firmly fixed but the sewing room is in a state of intermittent flux. Each I think 'this is it' only to swap round again some months later.

She sells sea shells

I have been getting on famously (famously as Georgette Heyer would say) with finishing off tops though in my haste I forgot I had planned to put borders on some of them such as this little piece made to demonstrate redwork though this of course is blue! I intended to add a navy border to echo the frames of the blocks but forgot so it only measures 24 by 31 but a good size for a wallhanging. I've done two redwork classes this year funded by a bursary I won in a lottery from my Guild, Oast Quilters and have to report back in March so this will form part of the presentation. It is an out of print pattern that a kind quilter on the Stashbuster list helped me source. I used double embroidery floss strands for the main pattern lines and single for details. A good carry along project.

The back

Note machine clasp stitch used to "tie" this section.

 Detail

The Postman Cometh

The Post Office really came up trumps on Monday with not one but two parcels. One was a delightful tree hanging made with Suffolk Puffs which is now replacing a picture in my hall. It was something of a mystery as I didn't know who had sent it but at the Usual uspects lunch yesterday I learnt we had all had one from our Houston co-conspirator.
The other was a cardboard box, no less, from the states and came from Nancy of  http://nancynearphiladelphia.blogspot.com/ and her fellow Uvulati Quilt Group members who had had a cookie swap. They didn't want the 2 international members to miss out, hence the box. Sampling started forthwith. Also in the box  were our Civil War 4-Patches swap units. Judi has donated hers to me and I shall have a nice time playing and plan a UK QOV.