Saturday 4 October 2014

Finish Along 2014 Q4 List

Linking up with Katy at www.the-littlest-thistle.com  (sorry my add link will not work)


Finish Along 2014
So here is my Finish Along 2014 Q4 list. I am slightly fed up with making quilts as I do not really have anyone to make them for now.   I suppose it could be that I am fed up with looking at the old ones I have on the go so I have ditched some items off the previous list as I will never fancy finishing them and added a couple of new ones as well as some the same, still at the same stage of non-completion as last time.  To contradict my previous sentence most of the list is quilts!

Number 1:  Making a welcome return from earlier in the year is the AMH Art Student Tote Bag.  Everything bought and help, advice and re-written pattern instructions (not by me!) in place.



Number 2:  A new entry in at Number 2 is an I Spy baby boy quilt




Number 3:  Supernova - on its way




Number 4:  Gypsy Wife - also started



Number 5:  HST Summersville - making a re appearance.



Number 6:  Top - also making a re appearance.


Number 7:  Added as a displacement Activity.  I have decided cutting up 2 1/2 " squares is much easier than tackling the Art Student Tote.  They will be put to good use in a stash busting Scrap Vomit Pattern Quilt - always years behind the band wagon. For some reason my add link does not work but the version I am following is from I Am a Ginger Monkey Blog.


Well that's plenty of Autumn sewing to be getting on with.

Happy Sewing

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A Finish but not a loved one!

Number 3 on FAL 2014 Q3 list

I have finished making the duvet cover from the On A Whim pattern with AMH fabric Maybe and I added wide borders in Moda Bella Solids in Sea to make a kingsize.  I am so glad to see this finished  as I really do not like it one bit.  I thought there was an issue with weight so I weighed it and it comes in at 5lb 4oz whereas a shop bought cotton king size cover is 2lb 14oz. Its other vital statistics are W89" X H83" which is in part due to my lets make it up as I go along approach to this.  I knew from very early on I had made a mistake - never again!  I almost slid in a layer of wadding and thought about quilting it. The fabric used on the back was bought in error - I bought lilac instead of blue but used it anyway just to get rid of it.  Anyway here are some photos of the duvet cover -

My Duvet Cover 2280 grams



Shop purchased Scion Duvet Cover 1309grams
AMH on the back needing an iron

That's me all done with duvet covers!
Who knows maybe I will take it apart and turn into a regular quilt.

Happy Sewing

Come in Number 4 Your time is up

My first finish this quarter was my last Marcelle Medallion (ever).   I added a couple of rows of extra borders so this is now huge.  I made it for my husband and have added lots of quirky touches that are relevant to him – rhinos and bears being two of them!  The quilt  measures W 74" X H 76" but it has not been washed and to be honest I never intend to wash it!  I pieced the back from various Fat Quarters I had.  I absolutely love the quilt and every time I look at it I am amazed that it was actually me that made it – and two previously!  I hope this is my last MM - I love it but why oh why did I start three?  This was number 4 on my Finish Along 2014 Q3. 

  Marcelle Medallion number 3 - This is your Life

 
 

 I used these fabrics for the simply pieced extra borders


 
 
On the machine
 
 




 




 
Thanks for looking
Happy Sewing
 
 
 

Tuesday 8 July 2014

Finish Along 2014 Q3 List

Well its happened again - some items to carry over from the Q2 list although they are a bit further forward - so here is my Q3 list

Number 1 - Stairway to Heaven - pattern from Geta Grama - I have now cut out two sets and partly pieced them with just the small task of  layering and quilting left!

 

 
 

Number 2 - Half square triangle star quilt - As this is slowly coming together I can see that it will look really good when finished.



Number 3 - On A Whim duvet cover - I am adding the borders which have to be wide to make a king size cover.  This is one of those 'not sure how it is going to turn out' type project.  Making it up as I go along.  I do have a problem in that it seems to be quite heavy for a duvet cover.




Number 4 - This is my last Marcelle Medallion - ever!  This just missed being finished in Q2 so it should be an early finish in Q3- if it is not I will hang my head in shame.  I have sewn this a bit a**e about face.  When I finished FMQ the outer borders I sewed the binding on and then carried on sewing in the middle.  The theory behind this is that if I finish the binding it will stop the flappy edge of wadding annoying me and getting caught up everything- so I need to sew that down then!  Miles and miles of hand sewing...




Number 5 - Supernova Leftovers -This is a paper pieced pattern and I have printed out some papers so no excuses now.  (Also an Australian pattern like below)




Number 6 - Culture Blend - with an attempt at more interesting photos which blend cultures as well - Australian pattern and Chinese Bamboo.  I have even bought a 24" 10 degree wedge ruler.





Number 7 - Skirt, Trousers and Top - I have the patterns and fabric (for skirt and top) just need to muster up the enthusiasm.

I will be making the top

 
 
Number 8 - Super Tote - Noodlehead.  I have some laminate Echino  Stag Deer with glasses in pink on its way from Hong Kong so I need to overcome my fear of bag making!  With some bag patterns there is such a long list of items required - I don't know what half of them are - usually starting with the word Pellon. - how many blinking types of Pellon can there be?
 
 
 
So there we have it - a very ambitious list but here's hoping...

Enjoy your summer stitching wherever you are , whatever you are stitching
.
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Tuesday 24 June 2014

Giant Vintage Star Finish

Number 4 on my Finish Along 2014 Q2.
The Giant Vintage Star quilt is now finished and living in Kendal, Cumbria.  Luckily my friend loves it.  I used the free tutorial from  In Color Order
 


 
 
This quilt top was a very quick and easy make but looks great although it is quite large so a bit of a pain to quilt.  I kept it simple as my dodgy FMQ would have shown too much.
Overall I am more than happy with how this turned out and it was a present for a dear friend so all more for the good.
 
Happy stitching whatever you are making.
 
 


Medallion Finish

Number 2 on my Finish Along 2014 Q2  list is finished.

A Marcelle Medallion with a V and Co Kaleidoscope centre block looked like this


and now by magic it looks like this




 
 
A medallion style quilt is perfect to practice FMQ as there are lots of small areas to quilt and the scrappy fabric look hides a lot of not so perfect attempts at patterns.  Not all my piecing is precise either as everything seemed to come up larger so I had to cut in half a few triangles but hey ho!
The recipient has no sewing experience whatsoever so was very very pleased with her quilt.
So a success all round and I am very happy to be able to tick one of the list.
 
Happy sewing.
 


Monday 9 June 2014

Swanky New Peg Bag

As all quilters know the post delivery can be the highlight of the day or even as in this case the highlight of the month.  I was part of a pay it forward type thing (I think that's what its called!) and Mrs Soy Amado of Little Island Quilting made me a peg bag.  I did not want a coat hanger type one so the bag Alison made was just the best.

So this is what I had



Now I have this



I have added a tag so I can clip on a carabiner and clip it to the line. 

So all in all the best sort of parcel.
Now I need some sunshine.

PS Click on the Flickr button on Little Island Quilting and be amazed with a riot of fantastic quilts
made as a collaboration with quilters worldwide and Alison.

Tuesday 29 April 2014

Zebra Tote can earn Brownie points!

As well as the Lucky Stars quilt I made for my mum for Mothers Day I made this cheeky little tote bag.  I followed the reversible tote bag pattern from Skip to my Lou.  I used quilted panels for the front and back and made it slightly bigger but that was the only changes I made and the instructions were totally great even for a pattern following scaredy simpleton like me.


 
I think he's gorgeous





Monday 7 April 2014

Finish Along 2014 Q2

Well its not good to be starting a new quarter with 4 items out of 6 from the previous one going at the top of this one, but that is the sorry state of affairs happening around here.
So to start we have the...

1. Marcelle Medallion - progressed to layering and quilting


2. Frankenstein Marcelle Medallion - still needs some borders



3.  On A Whim duvet cover - needs some stitching together and then working out how to make a proper duvet cover - all professional looking!



4.  Giant Vintage Star - still  ready and waiting for some machine quilting.


And to finish we have some that were not carried over - making a list of 6 again.

5.  HST quilt - needs piecing onwards.



 

 
6.  Geta Grama Stairway to Heaven - need to think about starting! This photo is awful so have a look at Geta's blog - stunning quilt patterns.
 
Thanks for looking.