A Panel Challenge!

At the start of March, a challenge by Shelly at Prairie Moon Quilts was issued - A Panel Challenge.  Take a panel which has been languishing in your stash for a long time and make something from it.

I discovered that for a person who really does not like panels very much, that I have 10 of them!!

This panel I had initially purchased to make a tote bag with.  I really couldn't think of what else to do, but somehow had never gotten around to doing just that, until now.  BUT, I did start working again on a reverse hand applique UFO that needed a better bag than the torn paper shop bag I was using; AND Shelly had issued the panel challenge about the same time - talk about serendipity coming into play!

I do not remember how old this panel is, only that I have had in my stash for more than 10 years.  The Jacobean style flowers on it are gorgeous and the flowers in the vase with the red frame remind of those old tapestry fire-place screens.

The writing on the right hand side of the picture is instructions for turning the panel into a quilt.  I still have those instructions for using as a feature piece on another quilt sometime in the future.

The other half of the panel was these vines with leaves on them.  I managed to used three of the vines in making the back panel of the tote bag.  The remaining vine strip has also been put aside for a future use.

Because I wasn't completely sure how this bag was going to go together and I was determined to only use what I have on hand to make it, I auditioned some fabrics from my stash to see what would and wouldn't work.  In the end I kept it very simple by using the gold/cream print for the lining and the dark teal/blue tone-on-tone leaf print for the borders, handles and gusset pieces. 

I made the back of the bag first because that had more piecing and cobbling together and I had to do some cutting and joining of the vine strips to make them the same length as the flower row.  The printing of the flower squares was quite "off grain" which meant careful cutting and joining together to get something resembling straight.

The front of the bag was simply a case of trimming the edges straight and adding borders to bring it up to the same size as the back.

Super simple gusset construction with easy rectangles for the base and side panels.  I then made a second bag body with the lining fabric, added the handles, top-stitched around the top of the bag to stop the lining from pulling out and sewed up the turn hole on the inside and it was done!  Two half days of work and it was done!

I did not use any wadding/batting because I want it to squash down for easy packing with travel projects and then it can 'flop open' on a table at sewing days.

The front of the bag is shown above and the back of the bag is shown below.

And... inside the bag is the above-mentioned reverse applique project from 2012 which I have not touched since 2012 until a couple of months ago - oops - that I put into this bag so my new tote bag from a panel has an intended purpose.

A "one-off" bag that I am very happy to have made and I met the challenge requirements too!!  

**  There is no pattern for my Panel Bag.  I made it up as I went along with ideas jotted in my notebook.  
 

Little Big Stars

Pre-cut squares - A challenge?

Well, the challenge was issued on a Yahoo quilt group, and I have to admit I didn't think I'd take it up - Sewing with pre-cut squares, despite having 3 charm square packs, nicely tucked away in the cupboard with their sketches and extra fabrics.  "No, I must work on other things" I kept on saying to myself.

Fast forward a few days and I was home with two unwell sons.  I was in a bit of a funk and really couldn't seem to focus on anything.

So, I looked in the cupboard for some inspiration and one package of charm squares simply leapt into my hands.  They are so pretty, the picture I had stored with them looked so simple.  Nice, relaxing.... fun, pretty and bright... 

I had stored the charm pack, not only with a sketch with an idea of what to make, but the extra fabric for the stars was there too.

Well, now, a few days later, it's a quilted quilt.  Not huge, a beautiful little baby quilt with an interesting backing.  

A nice red binding to really make the stars pop and to tie everything together.

And the backing? - well, that became interesting too!

There were a couple of charm squares left over...  I drew 'splotches' onto vliesofix and then appliqued the splotches onto the backing for a bit of fun.

Then I sewed all of the left over 'stitch'n'flip' quarter square triangles into hourglass blocks and pieced a section for the back.  
  

Now, I have a fun backing and there are no left over fabric pieces.

Totally happy, despite having unhappy sons, my sewing was relaxing and they were happy because I was right there with them.  This is a definite "make again" pattern, very satisfying.

Another Sampler Quilt!

I just can't help myself - as soon as a new sampler quilt challenge or sew along makes an appearance, I simply have to start it!  I LOVE sampler quilts.  To me, they epitomize the skills required to make many different blocks and layouts, as well as using many techniques.

This new one that I've just started, '182 day solstice challenge', is being hosted weekly by Pat Sloan over at I love to make quilts website.  It is her cheerio to get from the Northern Hemisphere Winter Solstice to the Summer Solstice.  (Summer to Winter for us here in the Southern Hemisphere).

Here are the fabrics I've pulled from my stash to start the project - an unused FQ, a background that I changed my mind about from a previous project and some gorgeous woven check, plus a linen floral print and a linen red that I simply had to have.....

Fabric selection - yum...

I got stuck straight into making the blocks, the first seven blocks, shown here are all 12in finished.  The block sizes will be changing as we progress through the quilt.

Block 1 - Churn Dash

Block 2 - Day into Night Star

Block 3 - Tide Pool

Block 4 - Cobblestones

Block 5 - Gramma Anna's Basket
- no basket, but a fussy cut flower instead -

Block 6 - The Crosswalk

Block 7 - Tidy Rows

Each week when the blocks are posted, there are options shown for making an entire quilt out of the blocks as well as some extra challenges along the way.

I really enjoy the little stories of how and why Pat Sloan is choosing her blocks, making this a personal journey with little glimpses into her life.

Winter Solstice Challenge info can be found by clicking here.  

Six projects in 10 days!

Last post I wrote one project at a time - but I just cannot help myself.  However, lots and lots of progress has been made on 6 projects!  One simply cannot get bored....

So far, so good - here's the update:  

1.  Book It Challenge #1 - "Poppies" table runner (see previous post) all shapes are cut out and fused to the background.

Fused pieces, ready to applique.

Miscount - had two extra leaves, so have stuck them on the back.

2.  Merry Mayhem - New Year's Day Mystery - (44in x 48in) quilt top completed, with backing and binding made.  Every single thing in this quilt, top, back, binding, wadding and thread is all from stash.  It's on my UFO list because it was started before Jan 1.

I changed the size of the larger background pieces to make it a good cot or lap size quilt.  I am really pleased that each block has it's own star in the centre.  A moment of serendipity with where the colours ended up does make me smile.  There's always some trepidation with a mystery quilt, but I worried needlessly with this one! :) 


3.  Flying Kids - my own design, for which I have completed the top, backing and binding.  Will have it's own post next week.


4.  AP&Q+ Stashbuster Project - Part 2 - not touched, but thought about.  Have made a decision on my choice of applique picture for center block because I don't really like the one in the magazine pattern - sun bonnets are not my thing.

Block 1

Block 2

Block 3

Bonus projects - oh ooops...

a) WITB* - Strippy Stars project, will be somewhat smaller than originally intended because I stole the blue fabrics from the box to make #2 above.  Opening the box caused me to re-evaluate that particular project and why I had stopped working on it.  I will not make the full original pattern, but just complete the partially made stars and then decide upon a setting. 

b) WITB* - Purple Butterflies - stopped approximately 2 years ago because I didn't like the applique thread.  What had initially seemed OK, actually was too light when stitched.  Yesterday 2 friends came for a sewing day and were asking me about the butterfly quilt - pulled it out and had a look.  Last night while watching a movie, I unpicked the applique stitching and re-pressed the top.  It is now ready for me to machine applique with new thread.

Having made progress and decisions about 6 projects is such a relief.  The thought of finished projects being visible in the near future is a great motivator!   Especially as 5 of these projects are more than a couple of years old......


+  AP&Q = Australian Patchwork and Quilting Magazine.

*  WITB = what's in the box/bag/basket - another fun little challenge to play along with

Book It!

One of the lovely ladies in a Yahoo group to which I belong is running for 2017 a "Book It" Challenge.  You need to make a project from a book or magazine or pattern which you already owned for a few years and have never gotten around to using.  Alternatively, it can be something from a book that you have already started, which is what I am doing.

OK - so I took out my first intended project for the Book It Challenge, from my long list [copious amounts of UFO projects].....

Upon pulling this project out - I had to deal with a dust cloud that had been sitting on top of the ziploc bag, several sneezes later, I could then open up the book to remember which of the two Michele Hill patterns/books I had been working from/on.

"Poppy" table runner (67" x 41") with many detailed flowers and leaves.  The pattern comes from the book More William Morris by Michele Hill - pub C&T 2012.

What I have found is:  all fabrics, all shapes traced onto vliesofix and fused to the flower and leaf fabrics, but not cut out.

In my notebook - dates say this project was started around October 2013.

And then........


From the same book - More William Morris,  I have also started "Summer Stroll" a stunning children's quilt design, made as a row by row.

Three of the five rows have been completely fused on and are waiting for stitching.  the other two rows are shapes, drawn onto vliesofix and fused to the fabrics, waiting for cutting out and sticking to their background pieces.

My notebook tells me that "Summer Stroll" was started in February 2013 as part of a monthly class.
First things first - I will work on "Poppy".  One project at a time!  Seriously, who am I kidding??

PS:  Please excuse the odd sized font - I have tried a few times to make it all the same, but to no avail.

Honouring Our Heroes - part 2

ANZAC Day is almost upon us.  In a week's time the commemorations of 100 years since that fateful landing of Australian and New Zealand soldiers upon the shores of Gallipoli begin.

The Honour Quilts which myself and other members from Kilmore Quilters have made, will be on display at the Kilmore Memorial Hall on Sunday 19th April as part of a larger historical exhibition.

As posted previously, each participant received a few blocks per month with the name and history of a soldier attached.  You could use those names or research your own family friends/members.

My version of the completed Honour Quilt.

Such a significant part of the Australian history, and such a small showing of the impact on the lives of many.  And as I have mentioned in other blog posts, this has been a somewhat poignant journey as I learnt more about the soldiers, their families and the impact of war on the world as a whole.

During the past week, my Husband and I took our children to the Melbourne Museum.  There was an exhibition of WWI careers (for want of a better word).  Victorians were featured.  Profiled were soldiers, nurses, women factory workers, surgeons and then of course, there were weapons and prosthetic limbs.  The topic which sparked the most questions from the children were about the plaster face masks/moulds and the before/after photos of the soldiers who were disfigured by ammunition.  The exhibition was very confronting and emotional.

-------------

Quilt #4 of 12 for completion this year.

Florentine Notes - bragging....

In a moment of thinking 'I can do that'  and really liking the fabric, I decided some time ago to take part in the Rotary Textile Challenge which is run each year at the Tasmanian Craft Fair on the Melbourne Cup Weekend.  The challenge is sponsored by Chandlers Cottage. Here is an excerpt from an e-mail I received yesterday from Chandlers Cottage: "This week I’m excited to let you know we are having the 12 finalists from this year’s Rotary Textile Challenge in the shop – woohoo! These include this year’s winner, Barbara Mellor from Tassie with her sensational Peacock, and our own local VIP customer Andrea Hall with her magnificent Florentine notes."  Leesa Chandler

Photo taken by Andrea Hall To say that I am excited would be an understatement!  I am totally over the moon by this.  It is an absolute honour to have my quilt chosen among the quilts to spend the next 12 months travelling around Australia. I would also like to say Congratulations to the winner - Barbara Mellor - whose incredible peacock quilt can be seen here.  The Rotary Textile Challenge raises awareness (and funds) of the incredible work Rotary Clubs do to support local communities.  So please, click on the links I've provided within the text and support those who support our local communities - volunteers are the most important people around.

Challenging Challenge!

Way back in February this year when Donna asked several people if they would take part in a challenge which she would host.  

"Yes" I said.  "It will be great, especially as it is using Australian Gum Leaf fabric."  

How difficult can this be?  I wondered to myself.  After all, it's not the first Australian Fabric Challenge I have taken part in.

Boy Oh Boy - if something was going to go wrong, it did on this particular project.  This has been the most cursed project of my existence!

For 4 or 5 months I wondered what I could do that was different to previous projects - because you should challenge yourself with a challenge shouldn't you?   I eventually found a great project in a McCall's Quilting Magazine which looked like waterfalls.  I loved it.  I cut out the blocks and then disaster struck... I had a major oops with my fabric.  Laundry + bleach + hot water = faded fabric - moral of the story - do not knock red wine over in the sewing room when bathroom cleaner is sitting in the laundry sink!  Sheesh... My poor cut out pieces of fabric, they looked like little cleaning rags in the laundry.  The fabric lost all of its colour.  Ordered some more fabric.  It arrived.  Cut out the pieces all over again.  Laid out the quilt -   WHAT WAS I THINKING?  The quilt top looked terrible.  Quite awful in fact.

I put the project aside.  At the same time we had some major family upheavals going on.  I simply couldn't figure out what to do with my cut out pieces of fabric to have them redeem themselves and play nicely together.

Back to the drawing board!

A few weeks later, it happened... Brainwave!  Suddenly an idea hit me like a lightning bolt out of the sky - A BAG.  Yes, that's it.  Make a bag.  Why didn't I think of that before now?  Quickly, only a couple of weeks left until the great unveiling of the Challenge.  I searched through my multitudes of bag making books and patterns until I found it - the perfect pattern.  Now, the pattern gave another challenge; to make my already made and cut out pieces of fabric fit. 

Frogging (unpicking).  Lots and lots of frogging.  A little retro fit of the pattern and voila - it works.  My excitement was mounting because in my minds eye, I could see the finished project and see myself using it.  By this stage, there was less than 1 week left until the dead-line.  I'm sure I can finish this - how long can it really take?

Unfortunately I didn't get my challenge finished in time for the unveiling and a last minute issue meant that I missed out on seeing the other challenge items at the 'reveal' lunch.  Such an anticlimax.  All that work and excitement only to miss out completely.

The photo below shows how far I have gotten with my challenge item.

Although, all is not lost.  I plan to add two zippered pockets to the bag - one outside for keys and the other inside in the lining.  Maybe a mobile phone pocket too.

Watch this space - I plan to show you the completed bag very soon.

And -  I would like to give credit to the ones who completed their challenges - you can view them here - Quilt Challenge 2012.  An incredible group of wonderful and talented ladies.

xxx  Andrea