Another new quilt commenced?!

Months ago I signed up to go to a patchwork camp I haven't attended in years...mainly because I already go to two small private retreats each year - an indulgence that I hang out for!  However this year one was cancelled and so I had to decide what I would want to do at a "normal" camp.  Normal being, lots of ladies, no cooking duties, but not so much private space to spread my stuff out!

 Enter one jelly roll that has been sitting in my stash for way to long.  I purchased some yardage for background at Quilters Harvest sale before they closed the doors :(

 I started cutting the pieces from this fabric for a new version of Vivid Grid!
This is going on camp with me.  So hopefully there will be some progress to show next week.

Happy quilting, Sue.

Quilty progress

Despite the distractions of school holidays, work trips and feeding orphan lambs (while the real farmers in my family were away on holidays)....

I have made some quilting progress on a couple of small projects.

This is my start on quilting the spring table runner from Quilts and More magazine.   

I followed the pattern for straight lined quilting in the centre, but my borders are plain instead of appliqued. 

So I was forced to decide on a pattern on my own.  This was the only quilting stencil that I own that fitted the width of the border.  The bonus with this stencil is with such gentle curves,  I can use my walking foot.  I ma very happy with the results.

 I am yet to decide how to quilt the border on my Jo Morton mini.

 Giving serious consideration to some micro quilting on this mini, but happy with central panel being cross hatched and stitch in the ditch for multiple borders for now.  I have to sit and think about this project for a while.  In the meantime I am quilting yet another table runner...I only seem to be able to focus on little projects at present :)

Happy quilting Sue.

A new project is born!

Oh go ahead, start a new project, they are only tiny little 4" blocks...it will be fun!

 Sew much fun I thought I would make one in scrappy colours and another in red/pink.

But then the second Marvelous mini Monday pattern from Temecula Quilt Co came out.  And it was way more difficult then a four patch!  We will see if I manage to keep up or not ;)

While I am confessing my "sins" this is another new project.  A table runner designed by Jacquelynne Steves for Spring from the Top your Table series running in Quilts and More magazine.  I normally avoid iron on applique, but for a table runner I figure I will get sick of after a few years, why not? 

It has gone into the pile of things to be pinned and quilted.. 

 

I started another mini from Jo Morton's book Jo's Little Favorites, this one is called Bordered Toile.  I really have to credit my friend Lisa with pointing out the beauty of this pattern to me. And then I found the perfect toile fabric at Quilters Harvest, so it was meant to be! There are quite a few more borders to go before I can call this a finish.  The bonus is that the left over 1" strips from the borders are going into my Marvelous Mini Monday blocks!

 

I have had a final THREE shopping trips to Quilters Harvest in Warracknabeal plus a phone order...or two!  They are closing at the end of this month and I will really really miss this shop.  But I don't have a picture of my last lot of purchases, because they were not really fabric orientated, mainly notions and a new ruler.  This fabric came from Somerset Patchwork in suburban Melbourne, purchased over the Queens birthday weekend.  Unfortunately this reproduction specialist shop is also closing - but will maintain an online presence.  I dont shop online...I do enough spending in the flesh, to venture online would send me broke!

This is the yardage I purchased in 15 minutes with the family waiting in the car.  This is the evidence your honor, the reason I do not dare shop online...guilty of buying reproduction fabric in yardage, not fat 1/8's!

Happy quilting Sue.  

Vivid Grid Quilt = Finished!

The pattern for Vivid Grid by Sharon McConnell (ColourGirlQuilts.com) was published in Quilts and More magazine, Spring 2017.  I started making the blocks in February and finished sewing the binding in May 2017.  

The red fabric came out of my stash, the teal tone on tone dot was a wide back left over, the white polka dot backgrounds were all left overs from another quilt.  I confess to buying 30 cm of hot pink and bright orange from Spotlight.  Kicked myself later as I found some hot pink yardage in my backing stash!

Basically the bulk of fabric for this quilt came out of my collection of 2.5" strips - many years ago I cut up my stash and scraps into strips.  There are a few pieces that were actually left over binding I simply ironed flat again!  I did buy this cute aqua with a white spot for the backing, given most of the fabric came out of my stash.  And there was sufficient to use it for the binding as well.

My LAQ Vicki Jenkin always has a good sense of what works on a quilt.  And as I am predominately a traditional quilter and this is very modern I just thought/said "bubbles?" and Vicki guided me to a pattern that looks good stitched out.  To be honest I find it hard to pick a pattern off a picture, but I trust Vicki and I am really really happy with this quilting.

 My quilt finished at 69 x 59" because I made it 6 x 7, the published pattern was 6 x 5 blocks.

I love this pattern so much I have plans to make another one in a different palette.

Happy quilting Sue. 

Vivid Grid - a new quilt commenced!

I brought the Spring 2017 edition of Quilts and More and fell in love with Vivid Grid by Sharon McConnell.  

This pattern resonated with me because my 2.5" strip box had a reasonable amount of bright fabric in various colours.  I don't have anything against a bright palette.  It's just not what normally captures my attention first, which is why they were still in the box.

As the 2.5" wide strips were already cut, I just had to cut them to the two different lengths.  I was going to kit up enough blocks to make the quilt and then leave it for quilt camp.  

But a girl has to make one test block right? 

And then play with all the pretty colours!

Honestly within two days I was two blocks off finishing the top!  Its about now that I read the rest of the instructions...well the start where it tells you that the finished quilt is 50 x 60".  That's not big enough for me and while I confess to buying 30 cm of hot pink and orange - there are still plenty of my scraps (and a few fat quarters) to use.
So I am going to make another two row....that's only 12 blocks, and this time I will find the strength to just kit them up to take to quilt camp?!

Happy quilting Sue.