This week my works in progress are some place mats. A recent visit to my mother-in-law reminded me that it's been some time since I made some for her (a usual annual gift). A recent sort through some fabric found 4 small panel pieces that I thought would suit the purpose, being garden themed. So I framed each suitably and then figured out how to put some pin wheels or four patches around them.

The quilting was fun too, doing some swirls on one, trying some triangles (much practice required) and some daisies on the pin wheels. 

I still need to complete the binding on one and do quilting on the last one. They've been fun to do and I was pleased to have fabric in my stash that co-ordinated well with the central panels. I hope she likes them!

Until next time,

Lynn

I'm linking up with Quilt Story [quiltstory.blogspot.com]

Works in Progress Wednesday [www.freshlypieced.com]

and Confessions of a Fabric Addict 

Squares and Stars

I have one completed quilt this week, or end of last week really. Squares around a sqaure and then the sashing between. A friend and I had a try of a machine on a frame (a new experience as I usually just machine quilt on my own machine) and it was good fun doing a big loopy stipple. It's very forgiving as 3 people had a go on the same quilt and other than the stitch length, which does vary, the shapes were not identifiable as belonging to one person or another. Clearly the stitch length is something to be worked on - control of speed being the key issue. I can now understand why stitch regulators can be an expensive but useful add on.

I'm on the way with a fun use of scraps - stars, thanks to the inspiration from Deana (Dreamworthy Quilts).
I really enjoy using up scraps and have previously made a rainbow quilt (Rainbow Connection 26/2/2014). This time I'm making the 61/2 squares but adding the 'star' effect which gives it just a different feel. I'm quite happy with how it's going so far - though it's not seeming to make much of a dent in my scraps. I may be making these forever!

These two are completed (looking forward to the quilting I can do in the square that is created as they meet too! The pink and purple ones below are on the way. I've done 12 to create the top I like how that looks but am not sure whether I may add more. They are great fun and very addictive to make. I suspect they will be very versatile too as the bright colours would even suit a baby quilt. 

 I'll be linking up with:
Quilt Story;
Work in Progress Wednesdays (Freshly Pieced);
Needle and Thread Thursday and
Confessions of a Fabric Addict.

Until next time,
Lynn

Canadian Maple

I've been working on a project for a while now that is finally finished and ready to give away. It began with 4 large maple leaf blocks, then it grew to include some smaller brighter ones. I had to adjust the sashing sizes to make it all fit together well, but I think it worked out OK.

The quilting was the fun/challenging part with deciding what to do - both with the leaves and the spaces. I'd seen somewhere (hard to keep track of all the sites/books/magazines I check out) a softer loopy shape within the maple leaves, so I gave that a try. Then in the sashing I did a mix of feathers for the central part with more ordinary leaves on the others. 

My Janome 1600QP works so well, with the throat space that is so helpful. I like the versatility of being able to do custom quilting but also try out a pantograph type pattern when I want to as well. It's still a challenge finding a large enough space to sandwich the quilt though - this time it was the tiled floor though at times the table tennis top has proven to be very useful too!

The quilt is for my son's girlfriend who has just arrived in Perth with the hope of working and staying for several months. Since they both worked together in Canada, I thought the maple leaf would be a nice memento for her. It's her birthday on Monday, so that's when we'll see how she likes it.

This is a photo of the backing, which shows the quilting well too.

Now that it's finished I'll have to get busy on the other projects I've set aside for a while. It's satisfying to complete something but makes me itchy to get busy with something new too. 

I'm linking up with Confessions of a Fabric Addict and My Quilt Infatuation

Until next time,

Lynn

2015 First

Here we are mid February and this is my first post for 2015. The last few months of last year were full and hectic with family events, some pleasant, some not so much. And in the midst of it only one quilt completed in October for a friend.
Here it is, a simple block with sashing and posts.

The backing shows more of the hand quilting that I enjoyed doing over the cooler months here. I marked it up with one of those dissolvable pens that worked well. For the stencil I realised I needed a circle about the size of a dinner plate, so that's in fact what I used! I think quilting is a great hobby when you can use things in the house to great effect. When it comes to hand quilting, the tea spoon that I use on the underside as I go through the fabric with the needle is so helpful. 

My friend enjoyed it, so that was very worthwhile. The photos don't show clearly but the central fabric has phrases about friendship such as: 'It takes a long time to grow an old friend' which was a very appropriate phrase given that we've known one another for over 25 years. 

But technically that was a quilt from 2014. So the first one for this year is delightfully one for a friend expecting her first baby. She knows it is a girl, so the pink is appropriate. Thought I'd give Trip Around the World a go. The yellow worked quite well as a bit of a contrast. 

I enjoyed doing the free-motion quilting with some daisy-type shapes and some orange-peel type shapes that visually create some circles which are also fun. I found some backing of spools that echoes the colours, it's a slightly flannel feel, so lovely and soft for a baby. Hope she likes it!

So onto the next project now, always a couple on the go, a scrappy one and a wall-hanging - but that's for next week. 

Until next time, 

Lynn

I'm linking to My Quilt Infatuation and Confessions of a Fabric Addict.

Orange peel scraps

There's such satisfaction when a project is completed. At least, that's how I feel with this one that's been hanging around in its 'waiting to be quilted' state for a while it seems.

I did the scraps into squares quite easily, added some sashing (which was the wrong one of two greys I had, but no matter, I hadn't realised until I stood back, looked at it and thought it looked darker. Sure enough I found the lighter grey short while later).
Then the border was found and helped to bring it back to life a little more after the sashing. Then I deliberated for a while about how to quilt it. I had considered an all over swirl or generous stipple, but thought I'd give the 'orange peel', I think also known as 'dogwood' pattern a try. It was quite easy and looks quite effective I think.

Then in the sashing I went for a simple swirl that ends up looking a little like a treble clef! This quilt is destined for one of many babies I know who are about to make their entrance into the world, so I hope Mum and bub like it.
The photos make the border look a little skewed at this point, but it's drying on the line, so it should smooth out a little better once it's dry. Had to take advantage of the weather while I could!
Until next time,
Lynn

Broken dishes

Hi there,

It's been a couple of weeks or so since I had something to post. Been working on a couple of things that are now close to completion.
The first is a 'broken dishes' pattern (I presume like most other traditional blocks it has other names too), looks more like an hour glass or egg timer to me, but maybe people don't use those any more.

Excuse the plant pots beneath the quilt, it's a sunny spot so my husband puts his Gerbra seedlings there for Winter warmth!
The simple two colours seem to work well and the narrow border gives it a bit of a lift. That will be the binding too, once I've completed the quilting vertically as well as the current horizontal. The wavy line was fun and easy and gives the quilt a bit of movement too.

I thought it would be versatile enough and suitable for a new niece that has just joined the family. Looking forward to seeing a 2 week old shortly.
Since I thought it would be softer as a blanket I backed it with a fleecy, rather than the usual wadding and backing. The quilting still worked fine and it's lovely and soft.

Until next time,
Lynn

Linking up with Sew Fresh Quilts

Tumbling Elephants finished

HI there,

What a good feeling to complete a project. I began this quilt earlier this month and it's finished before the month's end - that is good.

I had intended to try some free-motion quilting scrolls or similar, but having begun, it didn't seem to be working. So the handy unpicker came into use and I went with the usual straight lines. No matter, it seems to have turned out Ok. Thanks to others who commented as I was auditioning border fabric too, that came together in a way I'm very happy with. Rather than self-binding I went with the black to pick up the first border and that unites it well too. 

It's funny how once something is in place and we're happy with it it just looks right and we wonder why we were uncertain - perhaps that's just the novelty before something is familiar. 

Enough philosophy, my elephant fabric is now all used up and happily so. 

This will go to another friend who I discovered recently is partial to elephants.

Until next time,

Lynn

I'm linking up to Needle and Thread Thursday [My Quilt Infatuation] and Confessions of a Fabric Addict.