the last quarter list

time to set goals for the last quarter of the 2013 finish-a-long and I'm pulling out the big guns !

well the old quilt tops anyway :)

I've got a few blocks of the month from last year that I was going to add to my list this quarter but I'm not sure that I've actually got all the backings etc organised - as I don't want to have a fabric order holding me up I thought I'd re-visit the pile of quilt tops I have in my cupboard.

first up is a quilt that I finished in September 2011 - one of the first "big" tops I did - when I pulled it out of the cupboard a few days ago I couldn't believe that I haven't finished it - I love it and now I've decided that I need to see it every day !

I think I was going to hand quilt it but I've now decided it will look good with straight line quilting so I should actually be able to get this done relatively quickly - you would think anyway !

next is my max and whiskers wonky quilt - again I finished this at the end of 2011 and I've decided to stitch in the ditch on the large blocks and then I'm going to hand quilt around the inset blocks - another top that I can't wait to have on display !

Also going on my list is the pink side of the mod mosaic using the blocks from my design camp 2 - I managed to finish the chartreuse side last quarter so fingers crossed I can get this side done.

I'm also adding the double wedding ring to this quarter's list - the NYC Mod Quilters challenge deadline is 1 December but if I get it finished by the end of the year I'll be more than happy !

And just to push the envelope I'm adding the bloggers' quilt-uber-fest quilt to the list - this was a quilt fest organised by Scott Hansen from Blue Nickel Studios over 16 days in October 2011 and I decided to join in even though my sewing machine was off getting a new motor - I did manage to finish the blocks in December 2011 so to have the quilt finally finished this year would also be wonderful !  I need to put sashing around all the blocks and sew the top together.

the fabrics I used were a diverse group from designers such as Marcia Derse, Basic Grey, Cloud 9, Anna Maria Horner, and Jay McCarroll.  The backing I have for this quilt is art gallery fabrics oval elements called prune brown - two years later and I still think its a terrible colour name!

so there you have it - a very hopeful list !  I also have the usual bee blocks, the extremely overdue Star of Africa blocks, a blog hop at the end of October, and a mini quilt swap due at the end of November so I might be in need of a holiday by the end of the year :)

double wedding ring

A year or two ago I was sorting through some old magazines and saw a double wedding ring quilt that was gorgeous - I decided I was going to make one so I had a look at my fabrics and discovered a fat quarter bundle of Lost and Found by My Mind's Eye for Riley Blake.  I tied it up with a ribbon and labeled it double wedding ring.

then of course I misplaced that magazine - I have looked for it a few times and I know I put it somewhere for safe-keeping - don't you hate that !  but a few months ago I learnt about the double wedding ring challenge by the New York City Mod Quilters.

They had a blog hop to let people know it was on and were giving away template sets and I was lucky enough to win a set from Emily of Em's Scrapbag !

as the bundle has been patiently waiting and now I have the templates I thought it was the right time to make a start on my quilt ...

all the pieces are cut out and its quite quick to chain piece the arcs

I had to sew one arc to make sure I was on track

and yesterday I did a mock-up of one block - I was a little worried about using the grey for the corner squares but as its way lighter than the grey I'm using for the centres and melons I think it looks ok - I'm really looking forward to seeing this quilt put together now !

the challenge deadline is 1 December and I know I'm the worst with deadlines but its nice to have a dream !

Q3 finish along update

I posted earlier this week about Lucy's Quilt - my one finish in the third quarter finish-a-long however I'm still pretty happy that I've got some near finishes this quarter.

My 3rd quarter list wasn't that big but its the quilting that has let me down again !!

I was hoping to quilt my Mod Pop quilt but after trying to fight my way turning it around in the machine a couple of times using the walking foot I decided that the quilt design I had in my head would only work with free motion quilting!  I had decided to do echo quilting in the "U" shapes and do a spiral in the centre circles - but after having issues with the curves in the U shape I knew I wouldn't be able to do a nice spiral.

I've decided to put it on my list for next year's Year of Free Motion Quliting :)

I also didn't quilt my whirlygig top but it is basted and ready...

I did manage to get one side of my two sided mosaic top done - I'm putting this on my 4th quarter list and hoping for a finish !

from this...

to this...

and after thinking about this quilt for the last few days I'm now thinking I might just make two quilts rather than a double sided quilt !

I also sewed the hexagon quilt together - while I was sewing it together I decided to use a solid at the end of each row and so I got the rows sewn together while I was waiting for the fabric to arrive - I finished sewing the top just before the end of the third quarter - I was going to try to have it finished but it wasn't to be!

from this...

to this...

so with one total finish and two nearly finishes I'm more ahead in my UFO list this quarter than I was in July :)

Lucy’s hourglass quilt

First up let me say yes Mum - its finally finished !  well, actually I did finish this quilt in mid July but it was too cold and grey to take photos !

I promised my mum in early May that I wouldn’t mention this quilt again until it was finished – I think I’d told her I was about to work on it about 4 times before I actually started the quilting on it !

I finally just straightline quilted either side of the seams and I’m pretty happy with the way it turned out.  I also did the binding by machine - I was looking at one of Maureen Cracknell's quilts and she seemed to get the binding done very quickly so I asked her what she does and she told me she binds them by machine using a method very similar to the tutorial by Allison of Cluck Cluck Sew.

I figured as Lucy was only young and there was so much white on the quilt it would probably get washed quite a few times so maybe machine binding was the way to go - I'd told her mother that it could just be put in the washing machine so I certainly didn't want the binding to come undone !

This is my first finished project for this year's Finish-Along and just in time for Lucy's birthday - she turned one last week so this is her birthday present :)

Stats:
name: Lucy's hourglass quilt
size: 40" x 50"
fabrics: A Walk In the Woods - Aneela Hoey
pattern: based on Allison of Cluck Cluck Sew's pink classic
quilting: straight line diagonal seam outline - Gutermann 50wt cotton
batting: warm and white cotton

linking up to the 3rd quarter finishes for the 2013 Finish-a-long over at She Can Quilt

sugar block club update

I'm doing the Sugar Block Club with Amy Gibson of Stitchery Dickory Dock this year and I'm pleased to say its one thing that I'm up to date with.

Back in March I posted my January, February and March blocks so I thought it was about time I did an update.

I also signed my mum up to the BOM as part of her Christmas present last year - I thought it would be fun to do a BOM together - she sent me a photo of her January block which I posted in March but I've got a sneeky suspicion that she hasn't done any of the other blocks !

I'm using the fabric I received in the January Blogger's Choice fat quarter bundle from Fat Quarter Shop which includes some cute fabrics from Pam Kitty Morning and also Hill Farm by Brenda Riddle - they seem to suit the theme !

April - Sunny Days

May - signed sealed delivered

June - Home Sweet Home

July - Lime Sherbet

August - Camp Out

September - Come Fly with me

I made this block according to the instructions...(excuse the terrible photo !)

then thought it looked weird for a Granny block so I changed it

then I read the instructions again and discovered that it was a play on the granny block - oh well - its now a granny block !!

October - Lucky Star

There are two more months to go in this BOM so I'll have another cute top to get my quilting practice on next year !

modern blocks QAL

In May I saw a new quilt-a-long over at and sew we craft - a group of Aussie quilters who decided to do a block of the month based on blocks from the Modern Blocks book.

I've had this book on my wishlist for a while so I thought it was a good excuse to buy the book and actually make some blocks from it !

I gathered a few fabrics to use as a base with the idea of adding others if needed and got started - I'm using white as my background fabric.

May - follow the leader

June - spool

July - Megan's star

August - quartrefoil

The blocks are pretty quick and easy to make and I've actually managed to keep up !

its a 12 month project so I should have a nice little quilt in April next year :)

If you want to join in the quilt a long - The Book Depository offers free postage worldwide !

oh and they have prizes for linking up each month - I just found out that I won some Japanese blenders from Blossom Heart Quilts - just for linking up last month - so that's a bonus :)

modern quilts

Way back in April I purchased the spring issue of Modern Patchwork magazine and as soon as I saw the Lava Lamp Revisited quilt by Jacquie Gering I knew I had to make it !  Lava lamps are way cool and this quilt was very quick and easy quilt to make.

When it was finished I was a little shocked at how washed out it looked - I don't think I've used so much white in a quilt before !  I'm planning on using a bright varigated thread to quilt with or maybe using a few different colours to put a bit of colour in that white !

Of course its not at the quilting stage yet as I haven't organised the backing - I'm thinking of using this fabric from Emily Herrick's Technicolour range - I think it may have been made just for the Lava Lamp quilt !

Also in the magazine is the Retro Rubies quilt by Alyssa from Pile O' Fabric.  Alyssa used Oakshott fabrics in this quilt and as I have a big box of Oakshott I thought it was about time I cut some of it up so I made the Retro Rubies as well.

I was kind of making both quilts at the same time and I didn't read the instructions fully for putting the rubies together so I ended up sewing half of them the wrong way !

lesson learnt to make sure to read the instructions every step of the way !!  lucky I love my quick unpick - lol ! apart from my little mistake, the quilt went together really quickly and I really like the design.

I've ordered some thread to quilt the Retro Rubies and as its a wall hanging I'll just use a solid for the backing.

Hope to show these quilts all finished sometime in the near future - I think my free motion quilting is improving a smidge :)

quick charm pack quilts !

back in January this year I decided to tackle free motion machine quilting so I thought I'd buy some charm packs on sale and make up some practice quilts !

my idea was that charm quilts would be quick and easy to make and wouldn't cost that much !  I wasn't really thinking about the added cost of the batting, backing, and bindings !

I purchased 5 lots of 3 charm packs and after searching for patterns for a while at the Moda Bake Shop I finally did some mockups in EQ using different solids so I could see what the final quilts would look like.

This pattern is called Honey Honey Layer cake.

I decided to go with the poppy as a solid for the Tapestry rather than the snow but when the solids arrived I discovered the poppy was entirely the wrong colour so it was back to the drawing board !  I finally found a solid from the Tapestry range which was double the price of the kona solid I chose for the others so there goes my idea of a cheap practice quilt !

Thankfully the other solids seem to work well - I purchased Ash for Kissing Booth, Carrot for Serenade, Charcoal for Odds and Ends and (not shown here) Chocolate for Oh Deer.

I still haven't worked out which pattern I'll use for the Serenade charms - my first choice was this giant star that I'd seen on Jeni's In Color Order blog but using half square triangles instead.

when I ordered the carrot for the background I didn't order enough so I've come up with these other two patterns !

 

the one above is based on a pattern from the pillow I received in The Pillow Swap - I can't seem to get away from half square triangles - which I love to make but they are time consuming - and these were supposed to be quick and easy !

for the Odds and Ends charms I'm using another Moda Bake Shop pattern - Happy Weekender quilt.

 

Hopefully when I start this quilt it won't take too long to put together !

I'm going to use the garden fence pattern by Hyacinth Quilt Designs which I love for the Oh Deer charms but as it only needs one charm pack I'll have to find a use for the other packs.

I chose the chocolate for the background of this quilt - it seems I like bold colour rather than light backgrounds !

I'm using another Moda Bake Shop pattern - charming stars - for the Kissing Booth charms with kona ash as the background.

After 6 months of searching patterns, getting the right backgrounds, and generally stuffing about - a few weeks ago I finally made the Tapestry quilt and I love the celery solid !

Unfortunately I only have backings for the Serenade and Oh Deer charms so I'm still no closer to having some quilts for practice!

At this rate I think that 2014 is going to be my year for free motion machine quilting - LOL :)