Thoroughly Modern Maples (Marrakech Edition)

It's autumn.  My favourite season. It always has been - from my childhood when I grew up in leafy Warwickshire to my life now when it signals the end at last to months of extreme heat.

Back in April, I asked my wonderful Stitch Tease gals to make maple blocks for my second round. I wanted my own bit of fall in a country where there are only two seasons.

I suggested this tutorial for a 12¨ finished block but left them to make smaller blocks if they preferred.

There are some great variations in Lynne and Kerry's 500 Quilt Blocks. I asked for one block in traditional fall colours and the second in jewel tones - both scrappy with low volume backgrounds.

They sent the most beautiful blocks but summer quickly arrived and they were packed away.

Before we left for England in August, I made some improv. pieced low volume filler blocks and assembled them with the maple blocks in a random arrangement to give the impression of falling leaves.

Fast forward to last month when I basted and quilted it using organic wavy overlapping vertical rows every couple of inches. The batting is my favourite Dream Orient - it has a beautiful drape.

The backing is something I picked up in a Pink Castle $6 yard sale - it's Honeycomb in Sunglow by Freespirit and is very pretty. The binding is a yellow chevron. I wanted a paleish binding which allowed the leaves to be free rather than a dark binding which would frame them.

There was a bit of 'accidental perfection' with the last mitered corner.

Thank you so much to my bee mates Helen, Hadley, Susan, Katy, Ange, Di, Dianne, Val, Cindy, Jennifer and Trina for the beautiful blocks they made.

Now I have my small bit of fall - Marrakech style!

We're now in the third round of Stitch Tease and it was my month again in September. The blocks have started to arrive and they are amazing. I may have caused my bee mates some pain in making them for which I'm sorry - I'll show you them another day and the colour palette may surprise you!

For now I shall link up with Lynne's Fresh Sewing Day.

I Shall Tease You No More

As some of you will have gathered, I have been struggling to find a balance between family life, work and blogging these last few months. My new teaching job has taken up much more of my time than I thought it would with lesson planning replacing any sewing and blogging time. I've missed sharing everyone's makes  - the highs and the lows.  Still, I'm hoping that as this semester winds up, things should improve and I resolve to be a better blogger!

Still, I have a finish to share!

Almost 2 years ago, my sweet blogging friend Di invited me and a few other friends to form a new round robin bee.  We picked a theme and over the course of the next year, we secretly made for each other.

I asked for scrappy curves, and my bee mates didn't disappoint.

Di assembled my blocks perfectly and in spring this year I received my gorgeous flimsy - an eclectic, one of a kind quilt top!

I quilted it with alternate 1 1/2" and 2 1/2" diagonal crosshatch straight lines and bound it using a couple (on the basis I never have enough of anything) of different Anna Maria Horner Drawing Room prints.

I wanted a darker binding to frame the blocks, and I think the colours work perfectly. I used a bamboo and cotton batting from my mum's local quilt shop and the backing is Pagoda Hill by Tina Givens. The quilt measures 72" square.

It's such a pretty quilt, and I can't thank my bee mates enough.  It really is one of a kind!

Top Row (left to right):  Di's wonderful Drunkard's path block, Katy's beautiful abstract appliqued blocks and my clamshells.
Middle Row: Susan's gorgeous portholes in her signature bright colours, Helen's amazing Dresden block that reminds me of millefiori every time I look at it, and Di's beautiful lemon and limes block.
Bottom Row: My lozenges using my quick curve ruler, Danny's beautiful appliqued pebbles and Hadley's exquisite New York Beauty!

Thank you my friends - if I'm not checking your blogs....know that I'm thinking of you every time I look at this quilt.

Linking up with Lynne's Fresh Sewing Day.

Stitch Tease Blocks Revealed

Photo Credits Top Row (Di, Susan, Danny, Helen)
                                 Bottom Row (Dianne, Hadley, Katy, me)

Yesterday I shared with you the gorgeous quilt top I received in the Stitch Tease bee.  Today, I'm revealing the bee blocks that I made for the 7 other bee members. I shall try and whizz through these as quickly as possible as after a year of teasing, you are getting Stitch Tease overload.

Having said that, the first does need a little explaining.

Bee mama Di asked for strips with words on them.  This was easy for me - Di often refers to her husband as Mr.Romance and this was my inspiration photo. Yep, he really is Mr.Romance!

Photo Credit - Diane Stanley

...and here's the strip I made for Di. It's a biggie at 72" long!

12.5" x 72"

So my words for Di were 'I LOVE US # MR ROMANCE'.  I appliqued one of Di's favourite flowers and the one in the photo, a sunflower, pieced a heart and as Di and her husband were learning Country & Western dancing this time last year I appliqued Mr.Romance in a cowboy hat. You can see the whole of Di's quilt top here.

Next up was Susan - Susan's block was a quick and easy make.  She asked for white wonky stars in amongst bright and scrappy squares and rectangles. You can see Susan's whole quilt top here.

20" x 30"

Danny was next.  I dithered and procrastinated over this one.  Danny gave us free reign to make what our heart desired but with so much choice it was tough to decide exactly what to make.  Eventually I made a strip of different blocks and incorporated a few of my favourites. You can see Danny's quilt top here.

12" x 70"

Helen's was a lot easier for me.  She asked for bright wonky stars against a background of Kona Ash.  Easy peasy. You can see Helen's quilt top here.

24" x 24"

Dianne asked for pinwheels - any pinwheels, any shape or size.  Now I had never made pinwheels before but after a perusal of flickr and pinterest I learned that there were many types.  I decided to include a Dutch pinwheel (far left) which I really love. She can see Dianne's quilt top here.

16" x 32"

Next up was Hadley - she asked for squares and rectangles of fabric in teals, aquas, oranges, greens, blues and greys.  By her won admission, she was quite specific about what she wanted in her block. There would also be a few white blocks randomly placed.  Now this block was simple but fabric choice had to be considered carefully.  You can see Hadley's quilt top here.

10" x 60"

Last up was Katy's block.  Katy asked us to replicate characters from her focus fabric.  I made the last option available - an appliqued space rocket! After this photo was taken I realized I hadn't finished the legs properly so I changed them but don't have another photo. You can see Katy's quilt here.

24" x 24"

So Round 1 is over and Round 2 kicks off next month. Big strips and blocks are gone and in comes more manageable 12.5" blocks!

The Grand Stitch Tease Reveal!

For the last year we've teased you, we've been coy and dare I say a little coquettish but today...at last...we can reveal our Stitch Tease quilt tops!

At the beginning of 2012, I received an email inviting me to join a mystery round robin bee.  The sender was bloggy pal Di.  She also sent the email to a few other bloggy friends and resistance was futile.  After a few emails ironing out the details it was agreed that we would make 2 starter blocks and post them to the person assigned to eventually making up our quilt tops which in my case was bee mama Di. The blocks we made for each other would remain secret until we received the assembled top!

I uhmmed and I ahhed about the theme for my quilt and eventually decided on curves.  This was my inspiration mosaic.

1. single girl - it's a wrap!, 2. Pear Blossom 4, 3. Detail of "Spot On" Circle Quilt, 4. asterisk detail, 5. For Quilt around the block, 6. Drunkard's path clamshells, 7. Drunkard's Path QAL, 8. Color Study: Drunkard's Path ~ 2009, 48"X52", 9. detail shot of the modern drunkard's path, 10. yellow drunkard's path block, 11. Not so little hint..., 12. Improv curve notecards, 13. FTLOS, 14. Squiggle pillow, 15. Baby Girl Quilt, 16. Drunkards Path for Amber aka One Shabby Chic - PTS 6, 17. anjas_amybutlerquilt_detail, 18. New Block Design :: Half Moon Rising, 19. Oregon born, NC bound, 20. Camera Roll-1097, 21.Sonnenschein lieblingsdecke krabbeldecke quilt frankfurt, 22. Retro Flowers Quilt, 23. retro flowers no. 3, 24. Neighbours, 25. Drunkard's Path Quilt

I asked for blocks measuring 24" x 24" and made my starter blocks.

Clamshells

Beads using Jenny's curved ruler

Each of us bought a yard of fabric which we would use in all the quilts - I used this Cloud 9 fabric.

In hindsight I realize that my theme was a little unfair but you know what, the girls did an amazing job!

So without further ado, here it is...!!

...yup, the wrong way round! You can probably just make out the puzzled expression on hubby's face? As I was walking down the steps, I heard my husband say, "Shouldn't it be the other...?" "What did you say?" I asked. "Oh nothing..." he replied. Yes my clamshells and beads are the wrong way round but never mind!

Just look what everyone made.

Top Middle Susan has such a distinct style colourwise - just like her, it's always bright and cheerful.

Susan is the only member of the bee I have met (so far) - here she is sitting in her home at her favourite spot last 'summer'. I could have picked her block out blindfolded (well almost).  She made some super cute pieced balls which look like juggling balls and cleverly used Lu Summer's portholes technique for the rings at the top!

Top Right So Di assembled the quilt top and did a wonderful job and had to deal with the fact that I had asked for Kona white to be used but made my own blocks using Kona snow...go figure! She knows how much I love the Drunkard's Path block and made me some beauties using some of her gorgeous fabrics.

Middle Left Danny made me a beautiful block of appliqued pebbles - the prettiest pebbles you could imagine finding. I have made a small block of these myself and appliqueing them is not that easy but I love the effect and they bring beautiful movement to the quilt!

Middle This stunning Dresden was made by Helen in Switzerland and is a perfect centerpiece for the quilt.  It's bold and beautiful and uses some gorgous fabrics.

Middle Right This very cool block was made by Katy and uses the most beautiful palette of aqua, greys and yellows. I love its originality - it reminds me of a branch of beautiful blossom.

Bottom Left Hadley paper pieced this utterly gorgeous New York Beauty for me and boy is it beautifully pieced and Hadley used such lovely fabrics!

Bottom Middle We have 2 'Di's' in the group and this Di made me this stunning 'lemons & limes' block. I know Di doesn't like curves but these are so beautifully made and sounding like a broken record made in the most beautiful fabrics.

And I rotated the photo so you can see the quilt top the right way round!

Isn't it wonderful?  Thank you so much to my friends in this group - Susan, Hadley, Helen, Di, Katy, Danny and last but not least, our wonderful bee mama Di. I couldn't be happier. Round 2 starts next month.  We're sadly losing Danny but gaining 5 new members to bring the tally to 12.  I can't wait!

Do check out the other blogs today as the grand reveal continues!

Any Suggestions?

After the euphoria of finishing a quilt so early in the new year, my mind turned to starting something new.  Perhaps using these...

...my 24 FQs of Anna Maria Horner's Field Study.  I bought one of the colourways in the sale from Pink Castle (I think) just before Christmas and my mum bought me another colourway for Christmas. I love AMH's designs and saturated colours and these fabrics make me very very happy.

Perhaps you can help with what to do with them and what solid would work well with them...if I was indeed to use a solid.  I like the idea of just letting the fabric sing, so perhaps simple squares or strips, clamshells or a plus quilt or a swoon...I have had the pattern for ages but done nothing with it? If I do use a solid, it won't be white. So what do you think?

Since returning to Morocco, I have been working on my bee blocks and I still have a few to do.

This month,  Nicole in the Sew Euro Bee An bee asked for 2 X and Plus blocks using grey and black fabrics with an accent colour - red in one...

...and orange in the other

In the mystery round robin bee, Stitch Tease, Hadley asked for a 10"x 60" strip of rectangles and squares in aqua, green, teal, orange and grey with some white for the eye to rest on.  I can only show you a pixelated version as these quilts won't be revealed until April. That's 6 strips down, just 2 to go!

Now the next bee block is very embarrasing.  The EEEEP EPP Bee, an English paper piecing bee, is a very relaxed bee (perhaps too relaxed) with a 2 month trunaround for blocks and back in September Helen requested 2 HST blocks which turned out to be cursed as far as I was concerned.  First, Helen's templates and Kona snow got lost in the post and having no Kona snow I ordered some. Then I was half way through the block and spilled coffe over it. Then there was Christmas and so finally I got to make the first block again (no coffee this time) and it's too big and I'm running out of Kona snow! Gah.

Thank you to Helen who has been so incredibly patient. So next up is trying this block again and trying to get it the right size!

Some Secret (Santa) Sewing Revealed!

I've been a bad blogger, a bad follower these last few days...but it's all in an attempt to be a good daughter. I've been working on my mum's quilt (which she has been waiting a loooong time for) and because of the block I close, I had to make a few of them.  After stealing the batting from the quilting fail that was my Stained Man with a Curious Nature quilt, it's basted and ready for quilting on my mum's machine after we get back tomorrow. So there should be a finish before the New Year...and I shall re-quilt the man quilt in January!

So you may remember I'm a member of the Stitch Tease bee.  This is a great group of women and the brain child of lovely Di. A few weeks back, when I had a happy machine, I suggested a low stress Secret Santa swap and the mama and fellow bee mates agreed. We gave some helpful suggestions to our partner and one of mine was a stocking for Zaki.

My partner was the funny and very talented Katy and look what she sent...

Photo courtesy of my mum

...the most gorgeous stocking with dinosaurs appliqued on to it and his name of course. Zaki is completely dinosaur obsessed and a dinosaur quilt is on the bucket list.  I haven't shown him the stocking as I want it to be a surprise but I just know he is going to LOVE it. Because of the unpredictability of the postal systems at this time of year, Katy sent it to my mum's - I can't wait to see it and to give it to Zaki!  Thank you Katy - you did an amazing job!

My partner was lovely Danny, who hangs out in Arizona and has a totally edible 1 year old called Clara-Mae.  One of Danny's requests was for a Christmas toy for Clara Mae.  I decided to make her a Christmas soft book.

I used some Essex linen for the outer cover and  Kona Regal for the inside lining.

I appliqued some Christmas themed pictures...

..and as I am in Morocco, there had to be one of the wise men's camels and a Christmas star.  I think this one is my favourite.

As I was making this on my old machine and without a walking foot, I wasn't able to top stitch the pages or bind the book with a central seam - there was no way I could stitch 3 layers of pages together!  So I had no choice to to tie the book together with some embroidery yarn.

While I like the look, this isn't ideal for a one year old and I hope Danny will cut the ties and whizz the book through her machine. I hope this book will be chewed and loved!

We leave for England tomorrow so more once we're back!

News from the House of Ill

We are officially the House of Ill.  There hasn't been a lot of sewing going on recently for one reason or another.  Zaki and I had to go up to Rabat (the capital) for a couple of days as we had a visa application to make and have both come home ill.  Zaki got sick in the early hours of Monday morning while we were at my sister in law's in Casablanca.

Not quite the romantic image most people have of Casablanca...

It's funny how things turn out but Zaki and I were sharing a double bed and I found him at 3AM burning up.  Had we been at home, I might not have known he was sick until perhaps the morning.  Despite feeling lousy, he was absolutely amazing and a great companion and we were able to do the paperwork on Monday and get a train back to Marrakech...he slept most of the way home (a four hour journey) and we went straight to the doctors. It looks like he picked up a virus. He didn't go to school today but he looks like he is on the mend!

Anyway, there has been a little progress on the orange, aqua and grey hexies.  I love working with these 1" hexagons - they baste really easily and all those precise corners satisfy the usually very latent neat geek in me.

...and I am making some progress with my EPP Fireworks ferris wheel.

and here's a sneaky peek of a block in Danny's strip. I'm on the naughty step in this bee.  Danny gave us pretty much free reign to make her strip in the Strip Tease bee *edited to add that in fact I'm in a bee called Stitch Tease lol - thanks Di!* and I have been paralysed with such a choice and I'm very late.   However, I am going slowly with my old machine (no quarter inch foot, no light but great tension!) and I'm 4 blocks down with 2 to go.

This bee finishes up next spring and I know there are going to be eight very happy chappies as their quilt tops arrive. We really have no idea what our tops will look like...I'm starting to get excited!

Never Mind Spring...

...summer has been declared. Yes, the socks have been put away and the shorts are out.  Well at least for some of us. It`been 38 C (102 F) here today and even though it`s ten years this month that we moved out here, the return of the intense heat is always a shock.

It`s way too hot to sew.  I have to plan some summer hand sewing and would like to have another go at Trish Harper`s Camelot pattern.  With all those Y seams it should keep me busy. I think it could look very pretty in some of Jenean Morrison`s Silent Cinema.

Tomorrow is registration for Rachel`s Handstitched class - registration opens at 9 EST.  Now if we are on GMT +1 here in Morocco, will 9 EST be 1.00 PM here?

After the success of her Curves class, which I didn`t actually do but heard it was great, this looks like huge fun.  Rachel has spaced the classes out more and is even selling a kit to go with the class so that you have everything you need. The course includes hand quilting, embroidery, applique, reverse applique and English Paper Piecing.

But there`s lots to do before that. I am working on Di`s block for the Stitch Tease bee and trying something new for the first time.  Yes Di, you are my guinea pig! But I can`t show you anything yet, and then it will only be sneaky peeks.

So I really have nothing to show you.  Just popped in to say `hi`.