Red scrappy bargello, finished!

It is truly difficult to get a good quilt photo inside, but the size of this quilt and the wind were against me when I tried to take an outdoors shot.

The kids had to help hold the quilt up, while standing on a chair, it was all a bit precarious!

 Close up for the quilting pattern best seen on the red border, quilted by Vicki Jenkins.

Quirky but cute bird fabric found in the Spotlight bargain bin, perfect for backing, alas I had to piece a red strip in to make it big enough, but still looks good!

I am at the Melbourne quilt show today to see the quilts and spend a bit of money!

Happy quilting, Sue.

July is Red

The RSC colour for July is Red.  I finally got the solid red border on this quilt last weekend.   

 With some help from my friend Lisa I found a suitable back.  The back got made and the quilt got sent to my long arm quilter, Vicki.

Then I finally worked on some RSC blocks, these are my red Scrappy Sprouts (leaves).  I haven't made any of the other blocks yet, but I have unpicked the left over strips from the bargello.

Thereby ensuring I have even more scraps to work with!

Happy quilting Sue.

PS the bargello is back from Vicki, who has worked her quilty magic in an amazingly quick turn around.  Just stitching the binding on, will show you very soon.

Reds, neutrals and WIP's

Not sure why photographing fabric is so tricky, but this is the true colour of the three cream neutrals I brought in a gorgeous shop in Nhill at a bargain price. I will be going back HERE to shop again!

 And this is the true colour of the red I brought in Bordertown. 

The neutrals are for my stash and the red is for the scrappy red and purple bargello quilt, which at least I have added a neutral border to, since taking this photo.  I had to exhaust all possibilities hunting for the perfect border fabric that didn't exist to work out that a solid was the best idea...well that and the wisdom of my quilting buddies who convinced me to go with a solid!

Finally a bit more action taking place on the dresdens.  More single units made, stitched into pairs, then fours....

Nearly got the plates all made up...then to decide on a background fabric....hmmm, more fabric shopping required?!
Red is the Rainbow Scrappy Challenge colour for July.  I haven't made a single red block for RSC and we are nearly halfway through the month.....but school holidays finish Monday ; )
Happy quilting Sue.

Scrappy Bargello in red and purple

 I  spent time sewing strips last week...then cutting strips...and resewing strips!

Scrappy Bargello in Red and Purple - free pattern by Bonnie Hunter.

Last Friday at my new Sit and Sew group I got two more panels finished.  Then was able to finish the last panel and sew them all together that night.  

I have found the right fabric for the first border in my stash, but the second border will require a trip to the shops.  I am not sure going to the shops is a good idea...I think I had better stick to working on some more UFO's!

Happy quilting Sue.

Binding party!

There is a great Kim Diehl book to be won over here on Julie's blog and all I have to do is blog about what I have been binding this month....well a lot it turns out!



well firstly there was the red basket mini which need finishing (and happened to be a Kim Diehl pattern)  and just snuck into May so it could hang in our exhibition, 

then I finished the AFL Hawthorn quilt for my son...so big binding was in order.  

Then I followed that with a table runner, 

and a charity quilt.

Finally a bit more binding, around my mini which was sent to the USA for a dolls quilt swap.

And guess what, I have a callous on my middle right finger, from all this binding!

Sheez if that doesn't win me a new Kim Diehl book, then I am going to have to reward myself with a thimble!

Happy quilting, Sue.

May is Green

Green, or more specifically dark green is the Rainbow Scrappy Challenge colour for May.  I have plenty of dark green scraps.  But not a huge variety of greens, there are lot of repeat offenders from backings, borders and the big green quilt (Luck of the Irish) I made my in laws many years ago - which you can see HERE.

 I am continuing to make green leaves for my Scrappy Sprouts quilt.  I did the maths this week to work out how many blocks I needed to make a single bed quilt....and I am half way there, which is good to know.

All the time I was focusing on finding enough variety to make a star block....I failed to notice my star point boo boo.  So out came the unpicker!

Sew I have only made four scrappy nine patches and one star block.  But I did spend quite a bit of time last night unpicking "left overs" from this now completed charity quilt - Scrappy Bargello, which is a free Bonnie Hunter pattern.  So I now have some more variety to add to my green 2.5" squares.

This quilt used up a LOT of 2.5" strips and while it is predominately brown, then blue there is green in there!  I decided to use the controlled palette ....well truth is it was forced on me a bit, as these were the longest and most plentiful strips in my collection.  But I figure it makes for a good "blokes" quilt.  The quilt finished at 56" x 72".

On the back I got to use up even more stash...ironically most of these were backing left overs from other quilts, except the blue which I used as the border and binding - that was a purpose purchase for a "one day backing"!  I don't normally piece backings, but I have decided this is a great idea, as it didn't take very long and looked far better then I expected.  

Happy Quilting, Sue.

Little Red Baskets on show

I have brought a couple of Kim Diehls books and this pattern, Esther's Baskets (from her book Simple Appeal) called to me from the beginning...I love baskets and who doesn't love red and white quilts.  Plus there is still plenty of room on my wall for another mini.

I started piecing the baskets (I also love that they are not on point) at home and took the handles to patchwork group for hand sewing.  Then they sat in my sewing bag neglected (until I brought more red fabric), until last week when I thought I could work on them, because I had finished everything that I wanted to...for our exhibition.  

The baskets were spotted, and someone kindly asked..."are you going to finish those for the exhibition?"

....well it wasn't my intention, but its only 13" square so I did!  I did finesse the borders for something a bit more interesting than the pattern instructed.

Then last weekend I started something new....ignoring my self proclaimed drive to finish some UFO's!

This is  a Bonnie Hunter pattern called Scrappy Bargello.

Made out of  2.5" strips it currently measures 65 x 48". It is made using the same method as Scrappy trips, so I found it quick and easy to make, just a lot of pinning to ensure matching points.  I am on a mission to reduce myself of the extraordinary volume of stash fabric that I don't love anymore...because its not reproduction fabric!  So just need a border and then to quilt it.   That's a job for after the exhibition....but one I am looking forward to!
I will have photos of the Horsham quilt show tomorrow, but Judy has some up now HERE...including the sign I made!

Happy quilting, Sue.