Spotty Bugs

Started in 2013 as part of an online mystery quilt along, Spotty Bugs had a rest until the right person/reason came along.  Just two weeks ago on this blog, I showed a photo of Spotty Bugs not quilted.  In the spirit of the Very Snuggly Quilts program, I decided to complete this quilt and donate it to a fund raiser for the Royal Children's Hospital Foundation (Melbourne) - Easter Family Fun Day - in memory of a beautiful little girl with amazing blue eyes.

I gave a choice of two quilt tops for the Easter Family Fun Day to the Donation Coordinator.  The Coordinator chose "Spotty Bugs" to be one of the Silent Auction items.

I put a striped binding on the quilt with a little 1/4in peeper strip to frame the quilt.

Pinwheel blocks, four patch blocks and square-in-a-square blocks work so well together when softened with a trailing hearts quilting design.

Pretty floral fabric for the backing.  The colours matched the front perfectly.

This quilt has finished up pretty and soft.  I have heard that the fund-raiser was a very successful event, raising funds and awareness in the local community for sick children.

Pattern:  Sundae Sherbet Mystery 2013 from Jeananne Quilts.
Finished Size:  92cm x 120cm  (36in x 47in)
Wadding:  60% Wool / 40% Cotton

Diamond Triangles

Diamond Triangles is a fun quilt.  Using up many pieces of fabric from designers
Kaffe Fasset and Phillip Jacobs, it was a joy to see the optical illusions of diamonds and triangles appearing throughout the quit top.

With colourful fabrics and simple straight line quilting, the design by somebody else was a chance to indulge my hobby when life was very busy.

I enjoy the brightness and bold colour of the Kaffe Fasset Collective fabrics.  I also wanted a quilt for me for winter or those cool nights, which would be "too flowery" for the males in my house.  With 60% Wool/40% Cotton wadding, it is sure to be warm.

I completed this quilt a few weeks ago, but it was snaffled up at a sit'n'sew day to become part of a display for Kaffe Fasset himself when he visited a local quilt shop (Mill Rose Quilting - Ballan).  Unfortunately I could not attend the lectures, but have had wonderful reports from others of how fantastic the weekend was.

Pattern:  Three Times Around by Valori Wells.

Finished Size:  145cm x 169cm

Baby Love - Snuggly Quilts

Last Saturday my local group got together and held a "Snuggly Quilt Making Day".  The purpose of the day is to make hugs of love for those babies, children and teens who have a severe illness which requires a long hospital stay or are terminal.  The quilts are for the parents and family members as much as they are for the kids.  While I was unable to stay for the day, I did take a collection of fabrics (passed on from K) which were dug into and pieces immediately used.

My own donation was quite small compared to the time and efforts of others - but I was pleased to be able to put together this pretty little quilt top, in time for the day.  At just 24in square - suitable for a newborn or premature baby.   

Made up from left overs of Spotty Bugs quilt top (below).

Sunday Sherbet Mystery Quilt - 20?? from Sunbonnet Sue Quilts.

Spotty Bugs is a quilt top, which I will complete and then donate.  At the time of writing this post, I am not sure yet if this quilt will be a silent auction fundraiser piece or go to the Snuggly Quilts Program.  Either way, it will go towards supporting the Royal Children's Hospital.

Dear Jane & Christmas

The first of my 'new starts' for this year - the wonderful "Dear Jane" quilt.  Finally, I am putting to good use, the book I purchased way back in 1997, as a birthday present to myself.  It has always been on my bucket list to do, I just didn't think it would take me 19 years to get started on it!  The youngest member of our Dear Jane group mentioned that my book was actually older than her as she wasn't born until 1998....

Late last year, those in my local quilt group, who were interested had a quick chat and it was decided that we would make 4 blocks per month (finish in 2020!).  

Pictured here are the first 4 blocks.  I have decided upon a two colour quilt, but chose a tone-on-tone for my main colour so that the blocks won't look 'flat'.  I have some pieces of liberty fabrics which I have been collecting over time to add in as mini cornerstones or block pieces if necessary.


Now, for a little dose of Christmas - back in August 2015, I stumbled across the pattern Pop of Poinsettia from the website allpeoplequilt.com.  There was no hesitation about downloading and starting this project, I just had to make it, and, of course it was going to be ready for Christmas 2015, wasn't it?  Nope, not even close.

 

I put the last stitch in the binding on the 25th Feb, so at least it's ready for next Christmas, nice and early.  I had mentioned to my husband that I would give it as a present next Christmas, but he said no, he would like it on our table and that we should keep it.  For someone who has very little to say about my quilting, I think perhaps I should listen :) 

Chester Criswell - blocks 6 - 10

Here is my next installment for Chester Criswell.  

Recently when I was taking stock, I was surprised by how many blocks I had actually finished and how many I still need want to make.  After block 10, I lost my consistency for a while and have completed other blocks at random (more on that in a future post). 

I have several blocks prepared, ready to go, but while the weather is nice outside, I am not doing handwork as much.

Block 6 appeared 3 times - two blocks were only one colour.

Block 7 - appeared twice.  This is the only block where I finished both blocks in one week - those leafy curves sewed sew so smoothly

Block 8 - appeared twice.  I was more motivated by the single colour block than the two colour one.  The red that I chose for the second block was much harder to turn under for the wavy edges on the flowers, so it took a lot longer to stitch.  I just love the single colour block 8.

Block 9 is an interesting one.  On the original quilt, the top and bottom had a different shape than the sides.  after reading through Sharon's musings on why it is so, I decided to cut mine out with the central parts of the four sides the same.  I love the balanced look of this block.

Block 10 - appeared twice.

PS:  I did complete block 13, the huge central medallion, 1 year ago - click here to see it.

Chester Criswell - Blocks 1 to 5

In the spirit of the revisiting of the Chester Criswell quilt (see CCCQ blog button on right) and the fact that I am very slow at applique, I have decided to do a few blog posts over the next couple of months of the blocks I have completed so far.

I did not start Chester Criswell at the beginning.  Approximately 2.5 years ago, while nursing broken ribs and unable to sit at my sewing machine; desperate for something to do; I stumbled across the Chester Criswell blog, some 6 months after the first blocks were published. 

12in blocks, large pieces, simple colour choices and an enjoyable afternoon reading the quilt story, I was wanting to know more.

Block 1

I went to my stash, pulled out some red and green half metre pieces, a large piece of Quilter's Muslin, my silk threads, and thought I can do this!  It didn't take long to realise that perhaps I might need some help to find an applique method which would suit me.  Who knew there were so many ways to hand applique?

Block 2 - appeared twice in the original quilt.

My Chester Criswell Quilt journey started with Block 3.  It really is the hand applique project where I managed to grasp the finer points, and, with the help of a one-on-one lesson from an expert at our now defunct 6-12 group, I had an "aha" moment where all the skills I had been taught previously came together and made sense.  Once I had that revelation, I was on fire.  I started to love watching the leaves, flowers and other shapes come to life under my fingers.

Block 3 - appeared 3 times in the original quilt.

While making the blocks, I have been trying as much as possible to use the same number of reds/greens and orientate the blocks the same way as the original quilt, as best I can from the whole quilt photo.

Block 4

Block 5 (this was not my favourite to applique, but I was very pleased when it was finished.)

The original Chester Criswell Quilt does live here in Australia. Sharon, who owns the quilt, has been able to trace her family history back to the USA along with the family stories which have been woven through time.

Chester Criswell Quilt information and patterns are available from here.

Hexagon Runner

Simple, fun and easy.  A delightful little runner which I made on a rainy afternoon a few months ago.

Designed by the ladies at Patchworks Unlimited, this particular project came as a pattern with small pieces of oriental fabrics to make the hexagons.  I used a tone-on-tone fabric with gum leaves printed on it for the background, backing and binding; and then used pellon for the wadding.

I stitched around the hexagons with gold metallic thread for a luxurious touch.  

This was a very calm and peaceful project to make.  It now resides on my bookcase with a fabric dragon and snake for company.

Small things

Small things, small finishes, use up some left overs and you get oven mitts!  I was looking to use up some small pieces of fabric and the strip sets to remove them out of my stash.  They kept on coming up to the top of the pile and every time I went into the shelving, they were front and centre.

I have had these two items finished for several weeks now, just needed to find some time to sit at the PC and blog.

The showy side of the oven mitts.

The oven mitts and the heat pad both use up leftover strips from a Bargello quilt which I made a few years ago.

Heat Pad 

Both items have insulbrite and cotton wadding - nice and protective from heat.  They are getting well used in my kitchen and don't burn my fingers like the worn out ones!

Cutlery Bags

As we all know, there is never, ever any cutlery in work-place staff/lunch rooms.  It doesn't matter how many pieces of cutlery get purchased at the start of the year, it is guaranteed that within a few weeks, there is very little left - especially the forks.

So, for 2015 Christmas Gifts, I e-mailed my closest colleagues and asked then what their favourite colour was.  As you can see, there were a few purples.

I purchased some lovely coloured cutlery sets; and where I didn't have the quantity of chosen colour in cutlery from the set I matched the cutlery to fabric pattern colours.

All in all, there were 11 bags to make, each specific to its new owner.

The bonus of putting cutlery into bags is that it can be washed at the end of lunch and then stored in a desk drawer and stay clean, ready for the next day.

My colleagues loved their gifts.  We had such a beautiful morning in the office, swapping gifts, eating a very large morning tea and sharing our Christmas plans.  Going to work is very easy when you work with wonderful people.


PS:  I made one more set (not pictured) for my sister to keep at her work place.  She thought it was an excellent idea - just like my colleagues.

New Year, New Goals

So far so good.  2016 has started off with a wonderful holiday to the Adelaide Hills - a snatched week away while DH was off work for the 'silly season'.  Last night was a good reason to celebrate with some lovely wine and dinner as DH had some great news regarding his job.  It seems I can spend less time working and more time quilting - yeah hah! :) 

I only found one quilt shop while away at Bordertown (apparently there are two), which stocked some lovely William Morris fabrics; and the day after coming home, sewed my fabric up into a block roll, which I will use while embarking on my own 'Dear Jane' Quilt journey this year.

Sideways view of Block Roll and Needle Book
(not sure why photo is sideways....)

Opened out Block Roll

I also made a small needle-book from the unused fabric length.

Inside view of Needle Book

I am searching my sewing room for another pattern to make a small block carry around folder thingy-a-mi-jig to transport the hand-sewing blocks in, which will also be made out of this same fabric.

My two new starts for this year will be:

1.    Dear Jane Quilt (with Kilmore Quilters) - new fabric purchase.

2.    Seminole block [row] of the month at Morning Glory - use up stash.

My goal for 2016 year in all areas of my life is twofold - focus on what I have already started and allow serendipity to happen.  If my plans don't work out, then I will do my best to follow the alternate path and not get distressed.