Wednesday 25 November 2015

UFO progress - linking with Jo's Country Junction

I am linking with Jo's Country Junction's UFO Challenge which she put out to Quilters Blog Land three (or four?) weeks ago. 
As a lead up to Bonnie Hunter's new Mystery Quilt which will be revealed on Friday this week, Jo challenged other quilters with Bonnie Hunter UFOs to finish them before that deadline on Friday.

Well, I won't finish this quilt by Friday but the Challenge did spur me on to finish this
Spider web UFO which was still at a handful of blocks stage.
I have begun hand quilting it with my usual Perle cotton choice but there is no rush to finish now as this is my Handwork Project that will go with me to Patchwork group meetings.  I love Spider web Quilts and am excited to see how well this one has come together.

Ta Dah!

 
And, just to prove I have started the hand quilting, a close up  of the centre spider webs:
 
 
Linking up with Jo's Country Junction UFO Challengejoscountryjunction.com UFO Pre-Mystery Challenge
 

QAYG blocks for Soy Amado

Now that I have finally surfaced from over a week in bed dealing with a heavy cold which got worse and worse and worse - thank heavens for antibiotics, I say! - I can finally write a post about the three QAYG blocks I made for Alison's on going project, Soy Amado Quilts

I have made a couple of lots of QAYG blocks for Alison in the past and thoroughly enjoyed making them.  I am full of admiration for Alison because she continues to make these quilts for a great cause: they are sent to a children's home in Mexico where every bed has one of her colourful quilts to cheer up the rather utilitarian surroundings. I am sure the children must be delighted as each quilt is completely different.  Have a look at Alison's blog: littleislandquilting.blogspot.co.uk
and her Flickr Group page: Soy Amado - quilted blocks for charity

As I finished the group quilt top and looked through stash for suitable squares for making lavender bags I thought I would take the opportunity to use up some orphan blocks and scraps to make a few blocks for Soy Amado.

Firstly I made two blocks using two orphan blocks from the group quilt top:

 
 
I surrounded the centres with scraps found from stash and the leopard print FQ I also  found in my stash.
 
When I made the lavender bags I discovered a bag of 3.875" squares and striped blocks I had used to make a Pinwheel Quilt for my sister - back in April 2010!
 
I used the 4 striped orphan blocks to make the centre, halved the squares and joined to make borders and created this QAYG block:
 

 
 
Two of the blocks had pieced backings, again using scraps and the rest of the leopard print FQ whilst the third used a leftover piece of fabric which has lingered in my scraps stash for several years.
 
 
 
All three were hand quilted using Perle thread - a process I so enjoy.
 
They have been waiting patiently for me to get better, so now I hope to get them mailed in the next couple of days.
 



Saturday 14 November 2015

Working on making gifts

My Patchwork Group is busy working on another surprise quilt for another of our members.

The Spiderweb Quilt is well on the way.  Sandwiched and the binding machined on by one of our members, it was ready for me to start the hand quilting at our meeting on Thursday morning. During our time together I managed to quilt a double row of stitches around the cream star centres on the quilt, using a bright pink variegated Perle thread from my stash. The quilt has now passed on to someone else to continue the hand quilting.

So, the second quilt:  A few weeks ago we chose a design called "Sherbet Lemon Quilt" from a Jelly Roll book belonging to one of our group.  I was looking through the book when I spied this quilt and thought we could adapt it and use it for our next Gift Quilt. I had to adapt it quite a bit so I could make up Kit Sets for 7 members to make 2 sets of Block A and 2 sets of Block B each.  Those were then given back to me so I could put the blocks together to make this quilt top:

 
Another friend now has the top, batting and backing that I bought so she can sandwich the quilt ready for everyone else to pass around the group so the hand quilting will be completed.
Everyone is very pleased with the result - they are pleased with how the design has turned out and we all agree the colours are exactly right for the lady who will receive this gift.
 
Yesterday I did a bit of my own sewing!  I needed some lavender bags for our wardrobes and decided to make a few more:  three for my sister and three for my daughter who loves having lavender bags everywhere!
 
These are functional, rather than works of art, so I quickly added ribbons and buttons so they could hang from coathangers in the cupboard:
 


Eight for me (already in use) and six for gifting.
 

Wednesday 4 November 2015

Renamed, wrapped up and delivered

Well, baby Ella Rose was born on 21st October so the Wonky Star Quilt was hers.

I decided to rename it "Galaxy of Stars" as although I know what "Wonky stars" means, I thought it might sound as though I hadn't tried very hard and had been a bit slapdash in sewing the blocks!

I embroidered a label and tied it up with a pretty deep pink ribbon and popped it into a lovely pink and white paper gift carrier bag.  Yesterday DH and I went down to see our step granddaughter and the new baby.  What a sweetie she is! Asleep most of the time we were there but I did manage a cuddle and we did take a few photographs.  Mum and Dad were very pleased with the quilt so I hope it get lots of use.

Here's the quilt:

 
Today I have been busy sewing more strings on my Spiderweb triangles.