FAL 3rd Quarter

Well I'm not sure why I'm putting me or you through this again after the second quarter was such a washout with none of the four quilts on the list anywhere near finished, we have hot weather gauranteed for the next couple of months and I'll be in England for August but hey, there's always September!

So here's my list for what I would like to finish over the next 3 months.

My beautiful Stitch Tease quilt! I think I might add a scrappy border to it but this is definitely high on the list and will be done!

My Godson's quilt, which has made some progress and I'm nearly done quilting it..I 'm not happy with it but if I procrastinate any more he'll be too long to lie under it. I would like to finish this so that I can take it back with me next month and finally hand it over...but with temperatures in the late 30's early 40s I'm not taking bets.

What else? Oooh, my giant Cameo star quilt...I have the backing so just need some batting and binding.

...and just to make the list extra fun, let's add in my orange aqua and grey hexie quilt...yes, a hand sewn project!

I think that's more than enough especially given I have bee blocks and other sewing commitments which are long overdue!

Wish me luck...with 7 hours to go, I'm linking up with Leanne at She Can Quilt.

Finish-A-Long Q2

So now's the time to link up with Leanne and list those UFOs that I would like to turn in to finishes before July.

It's warming up here and my sewing hours are going to become more limited so this is a modestish list...oh and my husband is starting to wear the 'how many quilts does a home in a hot climate need' failing to appreciate the aesthetic pleasure they give when casually draped over every available surface in the house.

My Cameo Giant Star needs basting, quilting and binding. This is a recent make but one I'm keen to see finished - it's so much prettier in person.  This photo doesn't do it justice!

My Godson's Union Jack quilt is shamefully lying in a heap after I attempted to quilt it a few weeks ago and dismally failed -  but I need to finish it so this will be first up.

My Drunkard in Central Park quilt top needs enlarging and finishing - a rollover from Q1. I love this quilt top - it's just too small but with some more Central Park FQs I bought at the beginning of the year I hope to make it a decent size.

My Stitch Tease quilt top has arrived and it's gorgeous - I can't wait to reveal it to you on Monday when all the bee members will do a collective ta-dah!! For the time being I shall remind you of one of my starter blocks I made for it - my theme was curves and I love these clamshells.  If I had the energy I would make a whole quilt of scrappy clamshells!

...and I shall save my hexies for Q3 when I shall have packed the machine away for a couple of months!

Are you joining in?

Spot On

A final finish for March and just in time. I've rushed to take these photos as the light is dimming so they're not great but you get the idea. My scrappy granny quilt is finished. Ta-dah!


I started these blocks back in March 2012 when grannymania had taken over but then other things got started and projects needed finishing and they lay abandoned in a heap until early this year when I added them to my FAL list.

The blocks are made entirely from scraps and I really love the deep saturated colours! I used Kona Snow for the background but wish I had been a little more adventurous.

Aftersashing the blocks and adding a 3" border to all sides, I kept to the KISS rule (Keep It Simple Stupid) and did 'organic' straight line stitching 1/2" apart and it took ages!

For the backing I used some Hopscotch fabric from Amy Butler's Cameo line and some Robert Kaufman Spot On in navy for the binding, which I love.  All my bindings may now be spotty and navy from now on!

I think it was Jude who said that scraps are the memory keepers of quilt making and she's absolutely right - there are some of my favourite fabrics in this quilt - either because they are my favourite colour or design or remind me of a swap, QAL or a person who sent them to me.

I love this quilt.  It's sooo last year but it's very pretty and perfect for spring.  It's a quilt for my mum's room so now she has two quilts!  She was in Marrakech just recently after bringing forward her trip but it's on her bed waiting for her when she's here next.  In the meantime it may just get a snuggle or too...or not as it's warming up here and my quilting days at the machine are shortening.

Statistics
Front Scraps, Kona Snow
Back Hopscotch in Lake, Cameo Amy Butler
Binding Spot on, Robert Kaufman
Batting Quilters' Dream
Size 60" x 60"
Quilting Vertical Straight Line

Happy Easter to everyone who celebrates it!

Little Sign of Snow

Despite me being a day ahead of myself and thinking it's Friday today, I have had a good couple of days of sewing.

Yesterday, I re-did the granny squares I had made using Kona White with Kona Snow.  Here's a group photo of the grannies placed on an old sheet.

I was quite surprised to see how much orange and green were in the blocks but I'm very happy with that.  There's also quite a lot of purple - another surprise. I have loads of 2.5" pieces of fabric cut so I guess I shall keep going until my meagre supplies of snow run out.

Today I added a border to James' quilt -  a monochromatic Union Jack in shades of blues and varied neutrals. This is the first time I have shown a full view of this quilt. Don't ask me why as I have absolutely no idea - like days of the week, clearly.

After gathering all the solid scraps I could find and the improv. blocks I made the other day I pieced a backing.

I'm hoping this will be another finish for February using resources I already have. It really depends on the thread situation. This was not on my FAL list but with granny progress slowing, this may be a substitute finish.  Are they allowed?

Thanks for all your comments on quilting style - some more polite than others *cough*. It seems many of us are unsure as to what our style is, are still trying to find one or are simply embracing the fact that quilting gives us the opportunity to do the same thing but differently.  I like that.

What's Written Down Gets Done

As I continue to work on my outstanding bee blocks over the next couple of days I confess my mind is already wandering to the next project...

Anxious not to lose the momentum gained over the last few weeks, I have decided to link up to A Lovely Year of Finishes hosted by Melissa.  I missed January but the idea is that you publicly pledge to a doable  one finish for the month, so I am digging up the scrappy grannies.

These babies are on my FAL list so by signing up to Melissa's linky I should be able to keep on track for the first quarter.  Now the grannies were probably started almost this time last year when granny mania was sweeping this comfy corner of the blogosphere.  Since then, they have lain abandoned poor things. This is even more disgraceful given they are lovely blocks to make!

My mum is visiting in April and we are about to do up the spare room and make it hers.  It's a small bijou room but we can make it lovely I'm sure. Up until now, she has shared Zaki's room but they are both getting a bit big for sharing.  I'm thinking of this quilt for her room. Grannies for granny.

So that's it.  Oh and if you fancy linking up there are prizes too!

Less UFO Sightings Reported

You wouldn't believe the mayhem going on behind this quilt as I was taking photos.   Short of a responsible adult to hold the quilt, I enlisted the help of Zaki (age 4) and his cousin Salma (7 years old).  Behind the quilt, one of Zaki's 'big' cousins was restraining another 'small' cousin from jeopardising the photo shoot.  Light was going and I had to be quick.  Hence the wonky tilt to the quilt!

I have definitely made a big old dent in the UFOs lying around since I joined Leanne's Finishalong 2013. This is my third finish of 2013.

Last October, it was my second turn as quilter in the Care Circle of do.Good Stitches.  I asked the lovely members to make bright scrappy patchwork wheel blocks. The blocks look so pretty when assembled together - there is just the right mix of dark and light in this quilt.

When you look at the quilt sometimes you see hugs...

...and sometimes you see kisses...

I made a backing using white cotton and some of Tula Pink's Birds & Bees, and used some for the binding too. I bought some half yards last year and never did work out quite how to use them... 

...especially these squirrels...so it makes me happy to see them off the spare bed and in a quilt.

When I returned from England at the beginning of the month, I was uncharacteristically slack when I gathered up my sewing kit and caboodle and left behind fabric (*gasp*) and my hera marker at my mum's.  So I chose simple straight line quilting again and as this is a smallish quilt (48" x 48"), it was done in a flash.

Thank you to all the wonderful women who contributed to this quilt.  I am sure it will give lots of quilty hugs and kisses to a sick child when I hand it over to  Project Linus UK.

Things will be a bit slower on the quilt making front but it has made me realize that if I lived somewhere where I could buy batting or thread at a local quilt store or online and have it in a couple of days then I would probably be much more productive.  I bought 4 kilometers of thread (4 x Gutermann's 1000m spools) back with me along with 3 lots of batting - the batting has gone as has over 1 kilometer of thread but I'm looking forward to finishing bee blocks and working on some quilt tops - after all my favourite part of the process...

Linking up with TGIFF being hosted by Laura this week!

Over Two Years

Have you ever forgotten your birthday?  No, I haven't either.  However, it appears I have forgotten my blogiversary, which in blogging terms is forgetting your birthday. Clearly I was too busy entertaining a 4 year old on his holidays and making quilts.  It was on January 20 apparently.  Yep - one week ago marked two years since I started my little blog.  My witterings.

I have also been hovering around the 400 follower mark for a while now.  So together with my blogiversary I think that calls for another giveway.  I shall get back to you on that one very shortly.  I have a cunning plan.

Today, I assembled the blocks for my second Care Circle quilt top. Last October, I asked the circle to make bright blocks using Elizabeth's Patchwork Wheel block.  You can find the super easy tutorial here.

I still can't get over the fact that these blocks were made with lots of different stashes - they just go so beautifully together.

This won't be a very big quilt - it will be 48" square. Once made, the quilt will be donated to Project Linus UK and give comfort to a young sick child.  I'm hoping to make the back, get it basted and start quilting it tomorrow or Tuesday and perhaps there might be one last finish for January.

I'm not promising as I have some important bee blocks to attend to including a paper pieced one.  Have I paper pieced before?  No.  What am I paper piecing?  A Union Jack from the book, Modern Blocks. Off to find my seam ripper...

Linking up for the first time with Plum and June and the Let's Get Acquainted Monday Link Up!

Solve

Solve the equation. What does n represent? 

n = x + y (+Care Circle) 

Ughh.  Algebra. Mathematics and I didn't get on well at school and it was only when I had to teach the subject to 6th graders that I started to enjoy it.  6th grade math is. as. far. as. I. go.

I've been a little quiet over the last week or so but I have been a busy bee I assure you.  Last weekend I decided to have a computer and sewing machine 'lite' weekend so that I could have some time doing fun stuff with Zaki.  Then on Monday he appeared with his 'dossier' - a huge tome of all the things he had done since September.  It had a whole end of term feel to it and yes, he was on his holidays (having only been back at school for 2 weeks).  Somehow, we hadn't got the note. If I checked my husband's coat pockets, I'm pretty sure I might find one in there as he usually does the last school run of the day (there are three as Zaki comes home for lunch). Thanks honey!

Anyway, I have had Zaki at home and have been sewing although trying not to be chained to the machine.  I do have another, yes another finish for you!

I know, I know, I'm starting to spoil you as this is my third finish since December 24, 2012.

n = finish!

Last year, I was a quilter in the Care Circle of do.Good Stitches - a really lovely group of women.  I asked the circle to make super sized scrappy x and plus blocks based on badskirt's original tutorial but a bit bigger.  They did good.  Very good.  So on Tuesday, I whipped up a quick back using a couple of spare blocks, basted it and then started quilting it using 1" straight line quilting.

I finished the quilting on Thursday.  As I too go to the school of  'we'll cross that bridge when we come to it' I then had to figure out some binding.  I ws thinking of going scrappy to  match the whole scrappy vibe going on but then found a half meter of some Sherbet Pips' fabric in amongst the huge box of mystery fabrics I had bought from Lynne when she had a destash last year. I like how the binding kind of just blends in.

So this quilt was destined for last year's Siblings Together appeal by Lynne. Siblings Together is a UK based charity which provides camps for siblings separated by the care system. However, for one reason or another I didn't receive all the blocks until July and the moment passed.  Lynne has just started her Siblings Together appeal for this year and I'm very happy that this is done and will go back with my mum after her visit here in April and to the summer Siblings Together camp.  I'm really hoping this will make a young girl very happy! If you want to join in by making a quilt or donating fabrics or batting then the flickr group is here.

Oh, and I almost forgot - this is my second finish of the first quarter of Leanne's Finishalong!

Quilt Stats

Quilt Design x and plus blocks

Quilt Front Fabrics Scrappy!

Quilt Back Fabrics White sheeting and 2 blocks

Binding Sherbet Pips

Measures 55" x 65"

Linking up with TGIFF over at Nat's, who is hosting it this week...even though it's Saturday :-/

2013 FAL - 1st Quarter

We're home! We arrived back home on Monday and while the sun is shining, it's chilly and I'm really struggling to settle back in to our normal routine.  However, before we left I was delighted to be reunited with my machine.  It was fixed under warranty and as suspected, it had a faulty bobbin casement.  She is clean and shiny and purrs while sewing like a dream!

With a to-do list as long as my arm, I'm linking up with Leanne's FAL (Finishalong).  Perhaps this will be the kick up the butt that I need!

So what would I like to get finished this quarter?

First up are the two quilts for the Care Circle of do.Good Stitches. I promised Rachel that these will be done by the end of January. Before we came home, I bought thread, backing and batting so these should be among the first finishes of 2013.

There's the already pieced X and Plus quilt top...



...and the unpieced Patchwork Wheel quilt top



Another important finish for me and long overdue is the Stained Man with a Curious Nature quilt for my husband. It was the last thing I quilted with my machine before it broke.  I hated the quilting and so it was a relief to unpick it all so that I could steal the batting and use it for my mum's quilt, now known as the Turning Corners' quilt (thanks Flo!).  I have new batting for it, a recovered machine and no excuses!



Another one languishing sadly in a plastic body bag is the Drunkard in Central Park quilt top.  I finished it in December 2011 and loved it.  Only it was too small.  Then in a serendipitous moment last month, Amy was having a destash of Central Park and I snapped it up! It arrived the day after we left but I shall ask my mum to send it over and somehow use it to make this quilt bigger.  It may mean some deconstruction but it will be worth it as I love the colours in this top.



Lastly, it is almost a year since I made my granny squares - I jumped on the bandwagon and made a few and then there may have been a kona white crisis and I stopped making them.  So I would like to finish this one too. This is a little ambitious as there are quite a few more blocks needed.



So I'm linking up with Leanne and crossing my fingers. This is very optimistic I know.  I have a gagillion bee blocks to figure in as well.  Wish me luck! So what are you hoping to finish?  If you fancy joining in and haven't yet done so, the linky is open until Sunday January 13 at midnight MST.