Blue Stars

At the start of the year, when I was going through some projects and doing a bit of holiday sewing, I pulled out what was supposed to be a project of "Strippy Stars".  A declared WITB* to work on and finish. I decided not to make the full original pattern, but just complete the partially made stars, put them with the completed stars and then decide upon a setting. 

Sometimes, we start projects with the best of intentions, but they don't always work out how we have perceived them in our mind's eye.  When I purchased the fabrics for this quilt, it was for a fun day of sewing at a local Scouts fundraiser in 2015.

I purchased the fabrics at a large quilt show, and loved the blue batiks, but struggled to find a background that I really liked.  I purchased the one you see in this quilt, and I'm pretty pleased how it has turned out, however, it didn't work when I went to set the stars in the planned zig zag setting.  I truly wasn't happy with the original quilt plan at all.  So, as all projects do when feeling dis-enchanted, it hopped into a plastic tub and into the cupboard it went.

I was able to make 20 star blocks and binding from the remaining fabric.  (The rest of the batik fabrics went into 'Twas a Mystery - just in case you think the colours are familiar)

In the end, it turns out that simple can often be the best.  Straight sets, with sashing and cornerstones.  Perfect.

Simple quilting with tumbling leaves and loops over the columns of stars with 'in the ditch' quilting along the long lines of sashing and two long borders.  

One would think that is easy - right?  No, sometimes things just go a bit awry...  I was stitching in the ditch, after I had quilted the swirling leaves, and decided that the quilt needed a bit more stitching to make things more even.  Mistake number 1, should stitch in the ditch first....

The needle fell out twice - had to tighten it.  I really struggled to push the quilt through the machine when it normally glides.  I checked the presser foot pressure, I re-threaded the machine, checked the bobbin, cleaned out the bobbin race, everything I could think of.  It was only when I finished the ditch quilting, ignoring the slightly wobbly bits, and went to change to my walking foot to attach the binding, that I realised when I put my open toe foot on - I had not tightened the little bolt which holds the foot on, it was just sitting there - no wonder it didn't work!  The foot was just swinging in the breeze and I didn't notice...  No wonder it was such hard work.....Sheesh....  Mistake number 2, because I kept on sewing.  Then I had to reverse sew and then forward sew and sew on....

However, I am pretty pleased with the overall effect of this quilt and it's simple setting.

And to finish off, here's a peek at the backing - gorgeous blue deer...

* WITB = what's in the box/bag

'twas a mystery....

I've been on a bit of a finishing roll lately.  There has been quite a bit of satisfaction on my part to get projects out of their boxes and bags and just work on them until they are done.  It's a terrific feeling that the finishes are going to be used as decoration or, most importantly, lovely warm hugs.

Every year, on the QuiltWoman website (formerly Planet Patchwork), a New Year's Day Mystery Quilt project is run.  When you sign up to the e-mails, you receive cutting instructions early, so technically, that makes it an UFO because it was started before 31st Dec.  I first posted about this project back in January.

I stole fabrics from another project, for the stars and used a cute print with teeny tiny forest animals on it for the background.

One block.  Star in star.

So, on New Year's Day, the instructions were posted each hour, on the hour.  I printed them out when they were posted and then proceeded to make the quilt at my own pace.  With these gorgeous batik blues and greens, it was very easy to keep on working on the quilt until the four large blocks were made.  And, then when put together a star magically appears.

I did not cut out the background setting pieces until all four blocks were made, so that I could see how much background fabric I had left over to get the maximum size quilt I could out of it.  I was aiming for large cot/lap quilt size.  With careful cutting and measuring, my wish came true!

The whole quilt almost.

The quilt backing is very tiny blue stars on a white background.  A bit hard to see in the photo.

Upon finishing, I have decided that it is perfect over the back of the couch in the sewing room so that I can pull it over my legs when I'm doing hand work.  My sewing room does tend to be a bit cold at times and now I have the perfect solution to my cold problem.   Happy me! :)

Finished size - 100cm x 120cm (40in x 48in)

Orange and Green 9 Patch

Orange and green nine-patch, also known as, the leftovers quilt!  The green, orange,white and busy print were large pieces left over from when I over-estimated how much was needed for preceding projects and, not wanting anything to go to waste, I made up a nice simple quilt pattern. 

9inch squares alternated with 9inch 9 patch blocks - too easy, well until I put it altogether and it looked blah...

So, back to the drawing board to figure out what to do, oh, I know, make an Ohio Star block - bingo, looks much better now.

Simple cross-hatch quilting finished off this quilt, complete with red backing and orange binding.

The rain managed to hold off long enough for me to get photos, except the brilliant patch of sunshine has highlighted the fold lines in the quilt - poor thing had a wait of several months to get the binding hand sewn down.

Sometimes there is a nice contentedness with working on an easy, relaxing project.

Elegantly Royal

 I initially started this table runner with the intention that it become a gift - the event it was to be gifted at was the end of 2015 - ho hum, can't rush these things.  It may still become a gift, I am not sure.....  I do like it an awful lot myself....

The designer of this pattern, had chosen some motifs from the Royal Exhibition Buildings in Melbourne, hence the name of the pattern Royal Exhibition Elegance (by Michele Hill)

One of the motifs for inspiration of applique.

 I took the above photo while at the flower and garden show in Melbourne.  It took quite a bit of effort to get a photo without somebody's head in it!

When I was choosing the fabrics, I had in mind a Thai/Bali style dinner set, with the lovely ochre and blue pottery dinnerware, hence the choice of batik fabric.

Then I had to choose which thread to applique with....

As you can see, it took me a few goes to get it right.  I settled on a light grey with a fleck in it - perfect.  My good friend, R, claims it took me two hours to choose the right colour!  Cheeky thing!

Applique detail

 The awesome backing fabric is from the "Melba" range by Leesa Chandler, it was a happy sewing room accident when I was flinging fabric out of the cupboard to find a backing piece and this one landed on it - just gorgeous.... :)

Once the applique was completed, I quilted a long feather design along the longest sides and filled in the rest with stipple and in the ditch around the applique pieces.

And.... drum roll please... here is a photo of the completed table runner, in all of it's extremely looonnnggg glory - 208cm x 49.5cm (82in x 19.5in)

Yes, I would definitely make Royal Exhibition Elegance  again - such a terrific pattern, because after the pieces are all fused to the background, the applique was relatively easy.

21/06/2017 Update - not a gift, I put it onto my own dining table where it looks fabulous and the whole family loves it.  :)