Stop procrastinating ....... just DO it!

Back in January and February 2012 I participated in a Bee Swap on Flickr. I asked for a variety of star blocks using some designs that I had seen being made at that time by other Flickr members. At the time I received the blocks I was having health problems and going through several months of treatment so the blocks were put away.  Over the intervening years I have found them again in various sorting out sessions I have had in my sewing room and each time they have gone back to join other UFOs.

A few days ago I was looking at the Siblings Together blog ( siblingstogetherquiltgroup.BlogSpot.co.uk )  and the packet of star blocks popped into my head.
It's such a worthy cause, why didn't I just stop procrastinating, get out the blocks and make a quilt?

 

As you can see, they are very varied, lots of white background, in one case it was a creamy coloured white which really stood out like a sore thumb when they were laid out on the carpet.

 

But, I had an idea of sashing with multi-coloured strips and set to.  In two days I had created this quilt top:

 

A lot of the fabrics came from my scrap strings, but I also had to cut into lots of FQs for more variety.  The outside border is Delhi Flowers by Amy Butler, a piece of lovely fabric I had been hoarding for ages.
I am really pleased with the quilt.  This morning I sandwiched it, this afternoon I machine quilted the main part of the quilt but I am going to do some hand stitching round the stars and where there is still a lot of white showing.

One of the interesting things about the top is that the creamy white block is now not noticeable at all - magic!

Have a look at the Siblings Together blog - perhaps you will inspired to finish a UFO and donate a quilt.

I am feeling very enthusiastic about those star blocks now - perhaps it was worth waiting for 4 years for an idea to pop into my head!

 

At last, some sewing!

It's been ages since I did any sewing, so ages since I wrote a blog post.  We have been very busy with a succession of visitors followed by a week's trip away to NZ's West Coast.  All great, but no chance to sew one stitch!

I am part of a Siblings Together Bee block - we call ourselves the Wee Bees and each month one of us is Queen Bee and chooses the block design.  Jo's turn for March and she chose a Pinwheel block, each containing 4 pinwheels, half solids and half printed fabrics in each pinwheel. Each of us makes 2 blocks.
I started my blocks yesterday and completed them this morning.  Bright and colourful as those were the colours I had here in my limited NZ stash.

 

 

 

 

These will be posted when I am in town on Monday.

 

I am finishing off two baby quilts I have been making over the past few weeks.  The pink girl's quilt needs its binding hand stitched and the boy's one has to be trimmed and the binding made and attached.  The boy's quilt now has a recipient, baby Josselin who was born a few days ago to one of my daughter's friends. 

 

Just off to trim and make the binding. Then this evening I can hand stitch it whilst I watch the Final of Australian Masterchef. It's going to be a long programme - 7.30 - 10pm - so I will have plenty of time to finish the quilt.