WiP Wednesday

After making some progress on my orange, aqua and grey Hexy MF quilt (see below), I thought that I was completely justified in starting another EPP project.  Well it is getting warmer and there isn't an 'r' in the month, although we are enjoying a beautiful early summer with completely tolerable temperatures...if only that would last.

So here are my scrappy Tanuki blocks made from 2" squares and 2" diamonds. The idea comes from Jessica Alexandrakis'  fab book Quilting on the Go! The blocks will be made in to a panel approximately 18" wide (about the width above) and then pieced with neutral strips of fabric on either side.

I've also made some more progress with my orange, aqua and grey hexies.  It feels so good to be getting on with this project and with perhaps the end in sight.  All your cheerleading here and on IG have really helped me get on.

This quilt was part of Katy's Hexy MF QAL a couple of years ago. I tracked down the posts which you can find on the Fat Quarterly blog.

I made my own bias binding for the stalks and it was a little tricky to appliqué exactly where I wanted it.  The flowers and buds were also machine appliqued, using some leftover blocks from the main panel. So just the leaves now. These are proving slightly troublesome as you have to tuck the twiddly bit at both ends behind the leaf. I've tried both freezer paper leaves and EPP diamonds and I think I'm going to stick with the diamonds. These pictures show some of the leaves - I have a few more to make to balance up the border.

So almost one end finished and then the other end to do.

What are you working on this week?

Linking up with Lee at Freshly Pieced.

Window to the Soul - A Quilt for Juliette

Back in 2011, I made my Marrakech Rose quilt and soon after it went to live in Paris with my friend Margot's young daughter.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago when Margot contacted me to see whether I would make a quilt for her other daughter, Juliette - aged 13 1/2. Juliette had seen a free Amy Butler pattern and wanted it in exactly the same fabrics - her Organic Soul collection.

As this was an old line, it took a while to track down all the fabrics.  Many were on sale at Hawthorne Threads (score!) but it took a couple of Etsy sellers to finalise things - and the centre fabric was ridiciulously difficult to find.

While it wasted quite a bit of fabric, I love the fussy cut centre and first border.

The top took no time to whip up before I straight line quilted it in vertical 1" lines. That took a bit longer...

I took these shots before rushing to the courier - I wasn't trusting this baby to the Moroccan postal system!
The bright sun doesn't do these fabrics justice, as well as the shadow from the railing!

I really love this quilt - it was quite difficult to part with but knowing that it lives with its warmer sister in Paris makes me happy. As does knowing this is my third finish of 2014.

Quit Stats
Pattern: Amy Butler's free Window to the Soul pattern
Front fabric: Amy Butler's Organic Soul collection
Backing and Binding: Amy Butler's Organic Soul collection
Size: 68" x 72"
Batting: Dream Orient

Well Love It or Hate It..

...it's finished.

So I left you a couple of days ago with the completed quilt top. On Thursday, I knocked up a pieced back using bright and colourful pieces of fabric which continued the nature theme.  Cabbages and roses on the front and  flowers, squirrels, bees, swallows and butterflies on the back.

This quilt definitely has a split personality. Looks like this baby will be getting a little bit of her mad English aunt (the one with threads permanently hanging off her clothes) in the quilt after all.

After Frankenstitching some Quilters Dream cotton batting (thanks Hadley and Trudi for introducing me to this concept of joining leftover batting together with a wide zigzag stitch), I started quilting. I followed the diagonal lines first, crisscrossing the quilt an inch either side of the seams.  Then I did the same thing either side of the horizontal and vertical seams.

I love the pattern it creates when the lines meet.

When it came to the binding, I encountered a few problems finding a fabric that worked on the front and the back and that I had enough of.  In the end I went with this Riley Blake fabric and I'm super pleased with it.

So it all turned out fine in the end. This quilt was made without buying anything new for it.  It measures 40" x 44". Perfect for some kicking...

So that's it.  All we need now is a baby to lie in the centre and look cute. For now, you'll just have to make do with this oversized cutie who is still thankfully a baby at heart.

Weekend Whim

A huge thank you for all the brilliant suggestions as to how I should quilt my Lark quilt, which I got all basted up on Friday.  I particularly like any suggestions for 'organic' quilting as my quilting is quite naturally wonky organic.

We had surprise visitors of the family variety over the weekend and so I still haven't gottten to the crucial quilting decision yet. I make no secret of the fact that I really don't enjoy the quilting bit.  I'm a patchwork girl and love the piecing process...and I guess that's why I have so many unfinished projects!

With it still ridiculously hot here, we went up in to the foothills of the Atlas mountains yesterday for lunch and some relief from the heat.

The simple cafes make the most delicious tagines and in the summer the tables are placed in the glacial stream so that you can kick your sandals off and get cool.

Here's my handsome boy leaving a sulk on some steps down to the cafe. He is so difficult to photograph now as 'we' have entered the silly photo face season. I'm reliably informed that this phase lasts quite a long time.

And here are some jolly musicians crossing the wibbly wobbly foot bridge.

Hope you had a great weekend!

WIP Wednesday

When does a work in progress become a UFO I frequently ask myself as I stare at the growing pile of quilt tops on the spare bed (or granny's bed as it is affectionately known in our house).



For example, do you remember my Lark quilt top, which I made one afternoon back in.... January? No, I don't expect you do.  I know it's very simple but I really wanted to show off Amy Butler's fabrics, most of which are large scale.

While I was in England I picked up some batting and my mum bought me this Amy Butler fabric for the backing as part of my birthday present. So guess what I'll be doing tomorrow?  Yes - I'll be on all fours basting.

So my question for you this fine evening is: what do you think about the quilting?  I would like to do some straight line quilting and any suggestions would be very gratefully received.

So in honour of resuscitating this UFO and Lee's return from her summer break,  I'm linking up for the first time in a very long time with WIP Wednesday here. Head over and see what more productive people are up to.

Modern Minimal

A week or so ago, I was sent a digital copy of Modern Minimal by Alissa Haight Carlton, to review.

You all know how I love my quilting books don`t you?  Well this book has been in my amazon wishlist since I first saw that quilt on the front cover.  It`s full of designs for bright modern and graphic quilts using solids.

Alissa has included 20 gorgeous designs in total from baby quilts to a 90 inch beast over 5 sections - White Negative Space, Colorful Negative Space, Improvisational Piecing, Monochromatic Quilts and Baby Quilts.

Each design is clearly explained with instructions and diagrams in a highly visual way.   Alissa gives lots of great and easy to find tips about how to vary the design and also colour value which is really important when working with solids. Unlike some other quilting books, Alissa also gives you 2 ideas for quilting (usually 1 straight line and 1 free motion quilting) for each design so that`s a whopping forty ideas in total!
 
There is a section at the end of the book entitled `How to Make a Quilt`, where Alissa goes through all the basics (tools, piecing, basting, quilting and binding etc.,), which is great for a beginner quilter. 


This book is full of eye candy for those who love contemporary and graphic designs. The quilts are simply beautiful.  As a newbie to solids, using them more in my quilting and using lots of negative space is something I really want to do more of. I don`t think I would ever follow a pattern to the letter but would rather use the book as inspiration and put my own spin on it. However, if I was a beginner quilter interested in modern quilting, this would be a great book to start with!

When I am next vacillating over which binding to use or wondering whether my quilting is good enough, I shall remember the advivce - the best kind of quilt is a finished quilt!

My first all solids and improv.pieced mini

So you`re all wondering how I got my hands on this book hmm? A week or so ago, I saw an interesting post on Amarette`s blog about how she reviewed books for C&T Publishing as part of their Creative Troupe.  C&T are responsible for fabulous titles in quiltmaking, embroidery, sewing, fibre arts and their stash books, which I love - titles such as Block Party - The Modern Quilting Bee, City Quilts, Modern Blocks and Elizabeth Hartman`s soon to be released, Modern Patchwork!

I emailed the Creative Troupe, heard back within a couple of hours and had received my first book for review the next day - sent to me digitally. You can choose whichever C&T book you want to review.  Once you receive your book, you have 20 days to write your review and then you can ask for your next one.  How cool is that?

I could have chosen Zakka Style by Rachida Coleman Hale, and joined in the Zakka Style Sew Along, or Modern Mix by Jennifer Levitt or any other of C&T`s publications.  There are other perks too including product testing and discount offers. In fact now I have belatedly jumped in the Sample Swap for the FQ Retreat, I better get my hands on Zakka Style so that I can whip something up!  Off to email the Creative Troupe to get my copy.  Why don`t you give them an email too?

A To Do List

I am longing to return to some sewing. It is weeks since I did any. What with moving house, a two week holiday, 3 months of scorching temperatures and a 3 year old to care for, it has been tough to get motivated. My photography has been my creative outlet and I have loved every minute of it. I love the memes I join in with every week and I have found some incredibly talented photographers along the way.

However, after a week at my in-laws where the temperature is a good 10 degrees C cooler, I am feeling quite rejuvenated and ready to take on something else. Last weekend, I signed up to Jennifer and Sarah`s Across the Sea QAL. I am super excited as it means I will be doing some virtual sewing for the first time with lovely bloggy friends Di and Susan. They are both prolific bloggers and quilters and I get inspired every time they create so I`m looking forward to learning more from them and having some fun along the way too.  Susan also twisted my arm (she`s very strong) to enter this swap, which should be a lot of fun too!

Now I am not a person for lists (preferring to keep everything in my head and promptly forgetting everything) but I have compiled one highlighting just what I have to do and what I have committed to. I can`t wait to get started.

So here`s the list!

tie this quilt

baste, quilt and bind this quilt

post fabric choices for the Across the Sea QAL

make Zaki a pair of  PJs from Susan`s `ugly` rocket fabric

buy fabric and design a quilt for my mum (colour duck egg blue hues)

make a quilt for Baby `George` arriving November (fabric winging way from the States)

make goodies for the swap

make a coin quilt using Parisville fabric

I think that`s it...if I have forgotten something, someone let me know?