Two finishes

I am very pleased to be able to show a couple of finishes that are on my 2016 list. The first is a scrap quilt I began in early March, my cross string quilt. But here it is all quilted up!

The legs and hand belong to my 'man about the house' (thanks for the help). Its not that big as you can tell, but good for a lap size and since it is going to my local hospice, that will work out fine. I have a friend who works there and she delights in seeing the bright quilts on the bed bringing cheer where it's needed.  That makes the work more than worthwhile, as well as the sheer delight I get from making things from scrap - and from my stash. 

A close up of some of those loops I did on my domestic machine - my new Brother Innovis NV410.  I used a water soluble pen to draw a line, then measured 5" from the top of the loop to the next row. My new machine is just lovely - I can quilt and not have any tension issues.  The Superior Bottom Line thread is a dream. 

I also built what I call my quilting table, up around my machine using foam. I then wrapped it in fabric, taped it on the back with heavy duty tape and then also put a thick plastic over the top. Its a much cheaper, easier option than cutting a hole in my table to drop the machine and make everything level. It fits right up next to the extension part that came with the machine, but goes to the edge of my table and also in front of the machine so my quilt is all on one level, no drag. So I'm really happy with that too. The photo gives you a bit of an idea. 

And a final one of the backing with all that loopy goodness on it. 

My second finish is one I began in November 2015 and got the flimsy finished but with the weather here over summer being too hot to quilt a large (ish) heavy quilt, I only began the centre around January. But finally winter is here and so I've been having fun with the borders in particular. Here it is, 'What colour is Indigo?'

Looking at that blue and white fluffy cloud sky you wouldn't think it was winter here would you? Nice how we picked a sunny spot and didn't realise the pool was there to enhance the blues! This one is for the man himself, who asked the question about the colour Indigo. This was my reply, based on a Moda Indigo charm pack. I added in a few more blues and beiges for the border of squares and I'm pleased with how the white with its blue swirls really helps it all hang together. Speaking of the swirls, here's a close up:

They make me smile when I see them. I haven't tried them that small or close before and I'm happy with the result.

And the backing, I like that too - and it does show the quilting off too. Best of all its lovely to snuggle under and my man is happy with it - only three days after his birthday, win all round. 

Until next time,

Lynn

Downton QAYG

I hadn't ever attempted a Quilt As You Go (QAYG) before and since that is the method that a friend and I are using for a sampler quilt we're teaching a group of complete novices to patchwork and quilting, I thought I'd better give it a go. This is the final result, but I thought I'd also mention some of the aspects I discovered doing this method. And this post has a few photos, just so you know.

I found the process of creating the blocks themselves and then quilting them, to be a very easy one. It was lovely to just be putting a 12" square underneath the needle rather than sometimes wrangling a much larger beast around the table. I did just a simple star in the centre, and also echoed the block shape towards the edge. Doing the crosshatching in the background areas was SO easy to maneuver around.

The process of putting on the sashings was OK too, although I don't remember ever being stabbed so much by pins as I seemed to during this stage of the process.

Then I added a final border because the quilt seemed to need something added to it, with cornerstones to link with the backing.

 

So here is one of the backing, which makes me smile: 

And a close up of that fabric that I was pretty pleased to find in my local go to fabric shop:

And finally, I did some very simple arches that linked with the cross hatching where they met. I wondered about doing some pebbles in the centre arch, but by the time I'd added the two-colour/accent binding I felt done with this quilt. 

  

I may have to wait for the dust to settle before I decide whether I'd do another QAYG. There are certainly some pluses, but I know I have another top just waiting to be sandwiched and it won't take me the time that this one seemed to! And adding that final border meant that I did still have quite a bit to wriggle around the machine and table as I did those arches. 

Still, I'm happy with the result overall. Not sure if this one is destined for my neighbour (she's been our neighbour for about 17 years and a lovely one at that, but best find out if she's a 'Downton' fan first!) or elsewhere. 

Until next time, 

Lynn

Thread Catchers

Having been inspired by Kate [smiles from Kate] with her thread catcher, thought I'd give one a go. The first was for me, with some fabric I've had for a while and seemed appropriate with its pins:

I decided to leave the corners inside the catcher, so that I could pop things like a thimble, scissors, unpicker etc inside it.  I also used some buttons I've had for a while, sea themed - hence my pelican here. What fun! This one is from a 12" square, then I thought I'd try the slightly smaller sized, 10" for a friend: 

I also tried the French seams [thanks to Connie Kresin at Freemotion by the River] on two sides, while leaving a couple of the corners inside. 

I think my friend will enjoy her smaller catcher, and it matches a mug rug I made a while back. When I placed the two catchers side by side though, I think the 12" is a little easier to just toss the threads into and take the things out of the corners. Great satisfaction in small projects. 

Now, back to my list! It seems to have at least 4 quilts on it - how did that happen?

Until next time,

Lynn

April Goal

While I have completed a couple of things during Feb and March, I'm really hoping to move one particular project along this month, a quilt top I almost completed last August.

A couple of friends and I went to a local quilt show in May 2015 and bought a pattern for an appliqued quilt. One friend went with the kit that accompanied the pattern, the other friend went with her own choices, also mostly pink based. I was keen to try this lemon/turquoise/green combination. We were able to get together and encourage each other along.
This is the top so far:

In terms of completing the top to a flimsy, there's not much left to do, just completing those pieced sashings and then borders. Sounds quite easy when I say it like that, so I'm not quite sure why I have left it alone until now, it may be something about Christmas and New Year coming along with other projects. That and the thought of quilting it!

I now have a new machine though, a Brother NV410 which I'm just getting to know, so this month seems like a good time to get this one sandwiched and quilted. 

Maybe my lack of a deadline also contributes to not having completed this - it is destined for my niece's 1st birthday, which is not until November - hence my delay. 

But I'm linking up with One Monthly Goal with the hope that it might help my accountability too. 

So we'll see how I go.

Until next time,

Lynn 

Boxy or Square Stars

I'm definitely on the scrap band wagon, sorting my scraps and then creating something that inspires me to use them, or even to be bold and cut into some fat quarters I've had in my stash for years! Its such a good feeling and as blocks come together I don't even feel slightly, (well Ok then, maybe just slightly) bad about cutting into them, but I know now I'll just use them to make something else.

So this is what I'm currently working on, Boxy stars (thanks to Bonnie Hunter's Quiltville free patterns). The blocks are made from 2½" strips and come together so easily and quickly. 

Pieces required: 

• Three 2½" background (cream/white) pieces
• For the corner pieces, one 2½" square and one 4½" piece, (so a total 7" strip, it was handy to remind myself of that as I was collecting the fabrics)
• The longest piece for the 'star arm' is 6½", the other arm, 4½" (so a total 11" strip).

The stars require four smaller blocks as below:

1. To a background 2½"piece, add one of the darker/corner pieces, 2½".
2. Keeping the background square on the left of the 2 sewn pieces, attach the  4½" darker/corner piece below.

1. Again keeping the background piece on your left, attach the short (4½") piece of the star arm. 
2. Attach the longer (6½") piece of the star arm to the top to complete the quarter of the whole block. 
3. To create the star points, mark the remaining background squares in whatever way you usually do (draw a diagonal line, or if you prefer a slightly lazier method like me, just press them in half). 
4. Place these on opposite corners of the block and either cut away the excess, (or save it for another project with 2 inch half square triangles).

I tended to keep my stars to one colour family - whether yellow, gold, orange or a rusty peach. The corners I used greens, navy or browns. 

I'm also doing a quilt as you go method, so here is one block given a little quilting, outlining the star and then doing some cross hatching in the background areas. 

I used a cream coloured thread, I guess I could have used a darker one to make it stand out a little more, something to bear in mind for next time.  I need to work on the sashing, then it will all come together well I hope. 

A fun way to use up some of those scraps!

Until next time, 

Lynn

 

Hopscotch

There's something about the simple layout of these strips of colour that reminds me of the childhood game of hopscotch - the one where you put a marker on a paving stone and then hopped around the other pavers on one foot to pick up your marker.
I pieced the yellow, teal and grey pieces a few months ago but hadn't got to do the quilting until more recently.

Thanks to the inspiration of Leah Day - (she has a quilting pattern like a scroll that then goes off in different directions), I did a double circle instead, that looks a little like balloons heading off into the sky.

Balloons headed for the sky

I also tried something Leah recommends/uses herself when it comes to quilting - leaves the feed dogs up and simply puts the stitch length on zero. I tried this and sure enough, works like a dream. While I can't say I've ever had much in the way of tension issues anyway, this method would eliminate those.

I've backed it with a piece of batik that I've also had for a couple of years I think.

Backed with a piece of batik from my stash

And so tonight I'll be completing that binding. I like to do that by hand, especially on a smaller quilt. It's very relaxing and satisfying to finish a quilt in that way.
This one is probably destined for a baby - (I seem to come across quite a few) though not a particular one as yet.
This is one finish for the year that I've had on my list for a while so it's good to complete one and cross it off the list. Now, onto the next thing!
Until next time,
Lynn

Flimsy almost finish

It's Autumn here in Australia, not that you'd guess from today's temperature - it's still 30 degrees Celsius at 4:30pm! While I know that for many people you might really appreciate such warm sun, when it's been pretty warm since before Christmas, I'm well and truly ready for more low 20 degree temperatures.

But it does mean that staying in the air-conditioning sewing gets things moving along if not completed. So I've been busy on the string X scrap top and the flimsy is almost finished.

I say almost as I'm deciding whether to just put a narrow cream border around the whole thing (like the sashing strips) and then a final bluish border, or whether to just bind? Suggestions welcome! I took it onto the grass to try to get a shot there but as you can see from the top, the wind wasn't playing nicely. I even had the corners pinned. So we moved to the brick paving. A bit boring, but it stayed put. 

It does wash out the blues rather though, doesn't it? In typical scrap quilt fashion, I wasn't sure whether I had sufficient plain blue to complete all the 'squares' that are created when the string blocks come together. Fortunately I laid it out first and could see I would be just a few short - and had some similar value blue fleck on hand. So this is absolutely all from the stash. It does feel good to use up some scraps and have a joyful result. 

I may be ready to break into some new solid fat quarters I have for my next project, but scrap quilts are rather addictive so who knows? 

It is fun when you see things just come together like the small triangles of mostly primary colours: 

And while my seams are not always 100% matching, they're pretty close and certainly enough for me. This quilt may be destined for our local hospice where I've given a few quilts already. There is enough brightness there to bring some cheer and maybe some talking points too. 

Until next time,

Lynn