Diligently sewing ...

I've got 3 projects on the go at the moment, and it's leading to lots of productivity but also lots of mess!

New York Beauty blocks.  I was working on this one and making great progress, but kept on feeling that some of the colour and scale of print balance in the fabrics was not quite right.  After a few days of contemplation,  I ordered some more fabric to even out the patterns in the 'fill in" squares.  The fabric arrived last Thursday and it's provided the look I was after.  I am not sure if I will get back to that this week coming or not.

A sneak peak of one of the blocks.

Until I started this project, I had completely forgotten how much I enjoy foundation piecing  I am loving the use of some really old fabrics being combined with brand new fabrics to come up with something that is very unique.



Modern Quilt  I am in the process of putting the quilt top together.  I pulled it out to complete the blocks while waiting for the fabric for the New York Beauty to arrive.  I completed all of the blocks and was merrily cutting and sashing away until I realised that I had cut ALL of the long sashings too short by 1in.  In the moment of realisation of my error, I may have said some unladylike words.  Because I am intending to exhibit my modern quilt later in the year, I am being particularly fussy with things being 'just right'.  Off to the quilt shop this morning and I was able to purchase more of the same fabric so that I can re-cut those sashing strips. 

Here's the made up blocks, ready for assembly into the quilt top.

***  I'm sorry, but I cannot share any photos of this quilt until after it has been exhibited - those are rules from the entry conditions.




Specky Stars is a local quilt shop pattern for using up a jelly roll or scraps.  It was a workshop we had on 17/05/2019 at  the Friday group I attend.  The class was the day I turned 50, so I was an absolutely hopeless class participant because not only was I doubting my fabric choices, I was far too excited at the prospect of being flown to an island later that day for the weekend to celebrate.

Partial blocks.  I'm assembling them 'log cabin' style and
adding the same strip to each block for easy chain piecing.

During January, I decided to rip (unpick) all of the parts I had sewn - same error in every block -  and then I cut all block parts for the entire quilt and put them in labelled ziploc baggies.  Since then I have been working diligently on that project each Friday at quilting bee and have 2 sides left to sew on each of the required 48 blocks.   I have pressed the parts and trimmed the flipped triangles on the remaining parts ready for next Friday.   I hope on 28/02 to have all of the blocks completed.


Of course, all of this work means that my sewing room has become very, very untidy.  It's time to go in there and put some things away.  My goal is to be able to quilt one of these quilts next week, and that takes up space for basting.  Plus all things need to be cleared off the sewing table so that I don't  end up with stray bits of fabric attached to back of the quilt accidentally!

Daylesford

 Each project needs its own time to shine - even if it was started way back in 2007!  I do firmly believe that each project seems to know when it needs to be completed.  Daylesford is a case in point.  I showed a photo of this quilt, (not quilted) to a shop and they loved it and wanted to know when it could be delivered to hang on their wall for a while - so a finish it became!

I have named this quilt Daylesford, because I received a small gift of the star fabrics at the now defunct 6-12 group retreat in October 2006.  We were staying in Daylesford for the weekend and it was our first time away together.  It was the wonderful friendship of that group and the continuing life-long friendships with those girls which made it easy to choose the "friendship star" block.

Here's a block close up:

Corner detail - yes there are 2 different shades of sashing/border print.  There was not enough on the bolt of either colourway, so I used both as best as I could.

Then, in another shop, they wanted a sample to showcase some newer, more 'modern' fabrics. 

Daylesford is a quilt which is truly full of happy memories and I am very pleased that it is now completed after all this time to give love and joy.

Snappy So Happy

Snap Pop! was the name of the lovely, bright coloured charm square pack used in this quilt.  I was looking for something funky, modern and bright to make this girl quilt.

When I took the quilt outside for to photograph it, the dark, gloomy winter day seemed not so dull anymore.  It certainly brought a smile to my face when the colours seemed to simply pop against the winter hue.

Quilted with a lightly variegated pale yellow King Tut thread in a swirl design to contrast against the geometry of the squares, I then framed the quilt with a green binding to pull everything together,

Sometimes simplicity in patchwork patterns and quilt design just works.


This is quilt #5 of 12 planned for the year.