bloggers' quilt-uber-fest

Scott Hansen from Blue Nickel Studios has organised a quilt fest for 16 days in October and of course even without a sewing machine I had to join in !

this is my fabric selection - including Marcia Derse, Basic Grey, Cloud 9.

I've cut out the first six blocks and today will do blocks 7 and 8 so I'm keeping up at least. Blocks 1, 2, and 3 in photo

My machine is away for a service (and has been for two weeks) and I got a call from the guy on Friday to tell me there are some dead spots in the motor - so its going to take a week or so longer till I get it back - while I was talking to him, he told me he'd found a 1/4 inch foot in my machine - so that's where it went and for the past month I've been blaming Pippi for stealing it :)  I took it off when I used the walking foot recently and then couldn't find it so it had slipped down through the needle plate - yay I'm so glad its been found.

Anyway, having no machine means I'm doing some handwork so those Polka Dot ladies might get finished sooner rather than later !

fabric for modern block of the month sew along

I've finally decided on the fabric for the Sew Mama Sew Modern BOM.

After putting together the stack and slash quilt I fell in love with Pat Bravo's bohemian soul lace in gold and I loved the orange polka dot in that quilt as well - just needed one more fabric.

I had a look at the fabrics in my Fat Quarter Shop Blogger's fat quarter bundles and I liked one in the bundle that John from Quiltdad put together so I looked up the name and its another fabric from Pat Bravo - nature elements in ocean breeze.  I'll use Kona Snow for the background fabric.

I've put in my fabric order but the lace in gold is on backorder so may take a little while - lucky its a year long block of the month !

the ghastlies

I've joined The Ghastlies blog hop being run by Madame Samm - eeek - that means I have to get this blog live line by the end of October - double eeeek !

I love the ghastlies fabric - it is sooo cute - but I'm having trouble getting a variety as it seems most places are out of stock and they have it on backorder so hope to get some by the end of October - The Ghastlies blog hop starts on 24 October and runs to 4 November and everyone who is in is making something to do a show and tell - I have a few ideas of what I'd like to make - to make everything just that bit tighter (why do I run on deadlines?) my machine is currently away being serviced !

I took these photos at the end of July when I walked out of work and there was a storm brewing - these trees always make me think of the ghastlies - the little spot is a rain drop !  there's also a photo of what the trees look like on a normal winter day.

 

 

 

 

blogger's block of the month

I was visting Sherri over at A Quilting Life and discovered the Blogger's Block of the Month – which is running from September 2011 to October 2012.  The blocks are finished at 8 1/2 inches so I thought it would be a good one to join to use my Sunkissed Layer Cake.

blocks for amy and anabel

These are my blocks for Amy (top) and Anabel.

 
Sarah Fielke from The Last Piece is organising quilts for Amy from Mrs. Schmenkman Quilts and her daughter Anabel following the recent loss of her husband Dan.

Sarah was generous enough to supply me with some Kaffe Fassett fabric which is Amy's favourite and I used fabrics in my stash for Anabel's block.

little handbag

after sewing so many quilt tops - I decided to make a little bag today - its from a tutorial by Rachel at PS I Quilt

postage stamp quilt update

all strips sewn into blocks - only half at a time could fit on the design wall !

all 72 blocks pressed and ironed - just waiting to be sewn together into the top - yay

kate's stack and slash

I've finished Kate's stack and slash quilt - really happy with the way it turned out.  Kate's tutorial at Chasing Cottons is really fun and this quilt is quick - I actually made it over two weekends - the top that is !

fabrics used - a fat quarter of each:
Cloud 9 Happy Nursery, Leaves in sky
Organic Cotton Fruit Punch, Turquoise Crosshatch
Simon + Kabuki Juicy Blossoms, Bubbles Orange
Cloud Nine Happy Nursery, Speckle in grass
Patricia Bravo Bohemian Soul, Bohemian Lace in Gold
Simon + Kabuki Juicy Blossoms, Floating Blossoms Pewter
Simon + Kabuki Juicy Blossoms, Mini Stargazer Teal
Moda Essential Dots, Orange
and Kona Snow

I've decided to go with this Juicy Blossoms Multi Zinnias Collage backing and still deciding about the binding.

a mat for my sewing machine

I was wondering what to do with the leftover L'amour honey bun strips and thought my old sewing machine could do with a little mat - just sewed them together in strips and used the walking foot to do a few squiggly lines.

  

very colour co-ordinated !

this weekend

what have I been doing this weekend ? sewing more postage stamp blocks !