Bloggers Quilt Festival

I've been loving seeing everyone's entries to the fall edition of the Bloggers Quilt Festival hosted by Amy over at Amy's Creative Side timed to coincide with quilt market each year.

Since the last Bloggers Quilt Festival, production has been a little down to say the least for one reason or another and to be honest I had decided not to enter a quilt. But then with Round 2 of the Modern Christmas Tablerunner Swap kicking off, I thought of the tablerunner I made for my partner in Round 1 at the end of last year.

This is still one of my favourite makes. I wanted to created something that would look the same from wherever anyone was sitting at the table. I love it because to me, it manages to feel Christmassy yet none of the fabrics used are Christmas fabrics. I used a palette of deep reds, greens and blues.

It turned out pretty much just like my preliminary sketch!

 

On the back of the runner I made a large central starflower so that it was a reversible tablerunner...

...and I tried out some random free motion quilting, which was a first for me and appliqued a small Fatima's hand, the symbol traditionally used here in Morocco to give protection against the 'evil eye'...

...before packaging this tablerunner off to my swap partner in Canada.

So this is my small entry in the Blogger's Quilt Festival. If you are visiting for the first or umpteenth time, please leave me a comment!

The tablerunner measures 18" x 36" approx.

Special techniques - free motion quilting, applique

Quilted by me!

Best Category Favourite mini quilt

It`s Beginning to Feel a Bit Like...

...Christmas!!

More fun post has arrived chez nous.  You`ll remember the terrible saga that was my Christmas tablerunner from the swap going missing. Well it hasn`t turned up sadly but I did find out who made it for me and that was the lovely Susan all the way away in Oz.  Susan made this amazing tablerunner for me.  Isn`t it stunning? Thank you so much Susan and being the eternal optimist I have a feeling it may one day turn up!

Well a few weeks ago, I was contacted via flikr by swap buddy, sweet Maggie in Salt Lake City enquiring as to whether my `runner had ever appeared.  When I said no, she said she was popping something in the post to me and it arrived!

A very cute tree mug rug, which Zaki has already claimed as his own.  Thank you Maggie - it means so much that someone who I have never met could think to do that. This won`t be put away for Christmas but will join my growing pile of mug rugs!

I`m still waiting on my linen so that I can get on with my pouch for the Mouthy Stitches` swap.  I`m not panicking yet as I know I can make it fairly quickly once it arrives. It is giving me time to get on with the mini quilt for the For the Love of Solids swap.  The top is finished. It will be 20 inches finished.

For the back, there will be one biggish wonky block against a white background. It should be completed over the weekend.

I shall leave you with a funny story.  I have to pick Zaki up from pre-school at 11.30 and the two and a half hours while he`s away are a whirlwind.  I`m not late to pick him up but I cut it fine.  This morning I collected him from the gate and I thought the gardian was looking at me strangely.  Zaki was his usual smiley self and it was only in the car that he asked why I had material hanging in my hair. I pulled from the top of my head a long strand of half inch thick Kona teal. Oh where have my groomed days disappeared to?

Don`t forget to check in tomorrow.  It`s my turn in Jennifer`s Modern Mini Challenge and I need your loving support!

Breaking a Rule

I`m breaking a self-imposed rule not to blog when feeling less than happy with the world.

I`m feeling a bit meh about things at the moment.

`Things` meaning blogging.

Someone somewhere in blogland has irritated me.  

It was bound to happen. But I won`t bore you with that.

Instead I`ll show you some photos of my Red City throw quilt bound and finished.

The fact it is slung on top of our Across the Seas quilt may give you an indication of my mood.

...and my other finish this week is my tablerunner for the Modern Christmas Tablerunner Swap 

..which is on its way to its new owner along with a couple of these...

...half inch square tree ornaments made using this tutorial by lovely Leanne.

I made a couple more blocks for my tramodernal quilt.  Here`s a mosaic block...

...and this is a lucky pieces block (it wasn`t so lucky for me as the seamripper came in to play on more than one occasion)...

and here`s a group shot.

Now I`m off to snap out of it.*edited to add - thanks for all your lovely comments.  I`m feeling much better and have officially snapped out of my funk!

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree...

It`s been raining and really quite cold here all day.  It  feels like the Sundays I grew up with.  The perfect weather to get my modern Christmas tablerunner finished.  Just in time.

I really wanted to straight line the runner with echo quilting, keeping the top `clean`, but I always have to complicate matters for myself  and this time it was adding a big star to the centre of the back.  It is 16 inches square and doesn`t really line up with anything.

I thought of removing it and having a plain background but after putting a photo of it in the flikr group people seemed to like it.  So I plumped for some random free motion quilting.

The binding is Souq Screen in Sand from Moroccan Mirage by Kristian A.Howell. I appliqued a little Fatima`s Hand on the back to remind my partner that the runner was made in Morocco.

Just coming in under the wire with this one.  It`s been a fabulous swap to be involved in - the participants are incredibly talented and everyone goes beyond what is required to try and come up with a design which their partner will like.  All overseen by the lovely Susan who has been a huge support and hasn`t lost her sense of humour. I see a bright future for our Susan.

Now I just have to whip up a little ornament and this one will be mailed off.  It has a long journey ahead of it.  Or has it?

Linking up with Megan`s {Sew}Modern Monday.  Click on the button below to transport you to wonderfully creative people.

Like the Turkey, I`m Basted ..

...and at last ready for quilting.

I (and thankfully for me, a couple of others) are playing chicken with the clock (thanks Rhonda) in Susan`s Modern Christmas Tablerunner Swap as the last day for posting our runner to our partner rapidly approaches. Now Susan must be extremely patient or trusting but she has been super good about those of us dragging our heels! 

As with all students late with their homework I kind of have an excuse as I`ve been waiting on fabric - specifically white backing fabric.  It was ordered ages ago and I can only think it has been caught up in the Eid postal backlog - along with some Lark fabric and fabric I ordered for The 4x5 Modern Quilt Bee.

Our mailman generally calls with packages around 2PM and as 2 o`clock came and went, I decided to see what I could find to use instead.  Finding nothing suitable and or big enough I thought I would have one last look at the back at the cupboard and hey presto, there was some lovely white fabric.  I confess that I scrunched it up and kissed it.

I pieced the Christmas trees, made a wonky star and added the scrappy border...

...then this morning, I made this big 16 inch star for the backing...

..it sits in the centre with white either side and this is where I`m at now.

Basted and ready for quilting.  Now I just have to decide how I`m going to quilt it!

What`s New Pussycat?

So what`s new pussycat? I`m still suffering with a horrible head cold, sore throat and cough and so no sewing happened over the weekend.

I did however book flights back to England over the holidays for a mammoth 4 weeks for Zaki and me!

Yesterday, I made this block...

so that it could become scrappy mates with this block...

and today,while I continued to wait for fabric to arrive, I made the trees and scrappy border for the top of my tablerunner for Susan`s swap...I know my partner likes trees and a palette of reds, greens and blues.  It still needs a star, which will be in the centre of the tablerunner. Go on.  Try and imagine it.  If the fabric doesn`t arrive tomorrow I`ll be continuing without it.  Come on postie - there`s a deadline approaching!

I also found out that I`m not only in the Do. Good Stitches Bee (which makes quilts for children in need) but I`m a quilter and so every 5 months I`ll be responsible for planning a quilt, coordinating the making of the blocks and then making up the quilt.  And if that wasn`t exciting enough, I`m in the Care hive (which provides quilts for local charities) with amongst other lovely ladies, Cindy, Kat and Karen who I hope I can call bloggy friends after meeting them through various swaps.  Win.  Win.  Win.

What`s new with you?

again, sorry if I haven`t responded to your emails or visited as much as I usually do but if I can shake off this cold I`ll be back!

Fingerless Thursday

Well almost.  With a Kona solids drought chez nous, I decided to cut out my Drunkard`s Path blocks for the QAL being hosted by Kate and Kristie. It`s going to be one crazy mix up of Central Park with no solids.  That`ll be because I basically don`t have any until the big silver bird brings some over the pond.  So until that happens, I can only make blocks using patterned fabric.

So today I printed off the template.  Call me old fashioned you gals with your Go! Babies but I used my hands, picked up a rotary cutter and cut some curves.  All fingers on my left hand are still intact and it took less than 20 minutes.  Phew.

So I had a little play this evening and got myself completely befuddled by the amount of options available as to how to lay these pieces out. I`m not sure why I`m worrying as it is going to be a big crazy mix up of oranges, yellows, greens and purples.  And you thought I was going in the direction of muted. Shame on you.

What else?  With fingers intact it meant I was still able to tap away on the computer and use a credit card.  So I bought Lark in the Glamor colorway and to say I`m excited is a slight understatement.  I love Amy Butler and all that she comes up with and this collection is so beautiful.  Here are 3 of my favourites.

and I forgot to mention that the other day I also ordered the Swoon pattern so as soon as my Kona white arrives, I`ll be whipping up a block or two.  I wonder what I`ll use.

November promises to be another busy sewing month.  I have my modern Christmas tablerunner to start working on.  I`m shamefully behind everyone else but while I wait for fabric supplies for the back and binding,  I am going to offer my secret partner an alternative design involving stars.  I saw the most beautiful Christmas star block today and am very excited as it could look beautiful.  I`m quite `starry eyed` about it. More on that tomorrow.

I think I`ve kept you long enough.  I`ll just quickly mention that I`ve made it to the gym 3 times this week and that means my lovely fitness buddy won`t be making the 8000 km trip over here to give me a pep talk.  I had the old weights and measures taken yesterday and they did not make pretty reading.  Hoping next month may be better!

Thank you for all the lovely comments about my FMQ. Keep fit and happy - it`s nearly the weekend!