Next Aussie Hero quilt

Last week I started a new quilt for Aussie Heroes.   I finally got the "right" split nine patch layout...using a two colour palette combo really helped to see the pattern, but more importantly was having the expertise of Pennie and Mary who have made this pattern before - and brought over a sample!

I took this quick shot so I would have a picture of the layout to use.  As you can see I don't have enough variety of Australiana fabrics.  Then there is the problem of getting the animals facing the right way up.  I have run out of fabric, so I  need to buy some more Australiana prints that are non directional...could be interesting!

My friend Lisa and I have decided on a new leaders and enders project - Scrappy Sprouts.  I hadn't kitted up the pieces until recently and with all the little kids quilts I have been making I had enough progress to show you what they look like.  I have a large collection of green  and blue scraps.  But trying to increase (cut) a range of other colours for a more interesting result.  

In the meantime I am having a big sort out in my sewing room. I need to declutter and that means sacrificing some scraps, patterns and other items that I don't want/don't use/don't need.  

Don't worry I will share/give away if I think it is still useful to someone else!

Happy quilting Sue SA.

Kids Quilts

Not quite sure what has driven this recent obsession with starting more kids and cot quilts, but I can assure you I am not pregnant/nesting! I have precut a large amount of squares out of my novelty stash.  When I want some "mindless" piecing I open the box and go for it.  

I love four patches, and even though the animals heads sometimes get cut off, 2.5" squares in the smaller prints looks effective.  I didn't have enough of the little squares to make a whole quilt, so I teamed them up with the 4.5" cut squares.  While I like this layout and it uses up some more stash, it is a very busy pattern.

So I thought I would make one in a split nine patch format with some colour to break up the pictures.  But I couldn't work out how to make "the pattern" AND keep the animals up the right way.  I am not sure that this layout is anymore soothing to the eye!

SO I found one novelty print (which I swear I did not buy - must be from Mum?) and teamed it with some left over pinks out of my stash.  There is not a lot of pink in my stash so I was pleased to have a "girl" quilt.

AND THEN I found my 2.5" strip and square box.  There were some orphan pink and white four patches in there.  That started a whole new sewing session of four patches.  Which then lead to this quilt top!  So while I now have four new WIP, I think will consider it a glass half full - because there is a whole lot less fabric sitting in my stash!  

Next step is to find them all borders and backings....from the stash!

Happy quilting, Sue SA.

August All Day Quilting - in the Pink

On Saturday we had All Day Quilting - with a pink theme, to raise money for breast and gynecological cancer research.  We raised $180 and had lots of fun!  There was pink food.

Pink show and tell.  This is Brenda's first quilt she ever made, looks pretty good to me!

 Bronwyn made this quilt, cute isn't it!

 Stacey made this braid quilt. 

 Monique (on left)  was inspired by the quilt that Sam (right) made.  Sam had to borrow this quilt back from her neighbour, whom she had gifted it to.  Wish I lived next door to you Sam!

There were pink and non pink projects in progress.

 Bronwyn got a yellow border added onto this machine pieced hexi quilt.  I have a new found love for yellow.

 We talked Bronwyn out of a another border for this quilt...got to love those giraffes!

Stacy challenged herself to a jelly roll race and won!

 Stacy was very productive and started a second project,  following the Missouri Star Quilt Company YouTube instructions for 

 a Disappearing Pinwheel Churn Dash Quilt.

And incidentally won the prize for best dressed - nobody could come close to 8 pink items of clothing!

 Monique was sewing up her Sashiko stitchery.

 Vicki was making a modern version of 9 patch.

Sam was using her curved ruler....I am going to watch this quilts progress with interest, as I have avoided curves for a long time!  But  Sam said they were "easy", so I could be tempted.

 Heather was making a a raggy quilt in red, black/white and grey.

 Cathy was repairing a raggy quilt - which belongs to her dog and he loves so much he has chewed a bit.  I think making a quilt just for your dog is a good idea if it stops him chewing the ones for you!

 Sue (not me!) was working on her beautiful needle turn applique.  

And I was mucking around, playing with disappearing nine patch blocks,  starting new cot quilts with various bits of novelty fabric.  Pretty happy with this, given it was all from the deep stash and made from scraps.

Happy quilting, Sue SA.

 

Red and white school house blocks

In January I made these red and white school house blocks and turned them into a cushion.

At a later date I made more blocks, but smaller and all the one tone. And got stuck.

Then I attempted to make them into a wall hanging.  Which I hated.

So more recently I have pulled them apart AND have been been considering....

a) another cushion for the four white on red blocks and

b) a wall hanging with the red on white blocks - with a blue star, or 

c) a wall hanging with the red on white blocks - and a red star.

The answer seems a bit more obvious to me now...I had been lacking contrast? Sometimes I need a bit of distance from a project o decide which way to go.  

Either way I think that once I stitched these blocks up...my love affair with the school house block will be over and I am ready for a new beau.

Happy quilting, Sue SA.

Quilts from the Heart August 2014

I have just posted an update of the latest lot of quilts donated to charity by the Quilts from the Heart group on their blog.

You can find them HERE.

Happy quilting Sue SA.

Remember this UFO?

Do you remember this top?  Well its not really a UFO, more a WIP.  However I have managed to make a backing for it, so its one step further towards being finished.  

I also made a backing for this...gasp and FINALLY finished stitching the last few bugs...honest it took all of 30 minutes, but has been in the cupboard FOREVER!  This is definitely a UFO!

This wall hanging needs quilting now, but its definitely a custom job.  I am going to get a quote for quilting and one for basting....and then decide!  I am very tempted to practise my new found love for FMQ on it.  But we will see....its isn't very big (less then SB size), so might be quicker to outsource...not to mention will get finished finally!

 This baby however is definitely going to the long arm quilter.  I have put off finishing it forever, because I wanted to put on a pieced border.  I wanted to make it larger.  But as the cream fabric was from my stash (along with all the blue's) and I had run out, it all got too hard.  There has been suitable time lapse for me to think, what the heck, doesn't matter if it is only DB size, at least it will be usable!  So the backing was purchased and it is all ready, with its two friends for delivery to the long arm quilter...when she comes back from holidays, so slight delay there, but that's OK, I am just happy to make some progress!

 Last but not least I made this table runner out of some orphan 9 patches I have had for a long long time.  Luckily I had something to match in my stash as this dirty plum colour is a bit tricky to match.  So I am planning to practise some FMQ this weekend, plus continuing machine applique.

Happy quilting, Sue SA.

A new jelly roll = a new project

I had a big impulse moment last week that resulted in a new jelly roll - a farmyard themed one!  Not that I don't have a couple of lovely jelly rolls, waiting for inspiration in the cupboard already.  And more to the point, with all the cot quilts I have finished recently...I don't need more cot quilts!   So normally when I purchase on a whim it gets shoved in the cupboard.  But I actually found a pattern and started two blocks.

 I sat on them all week, as my paid job was extra busy (I am getting a new boss next week) and I worked extra hours.  I wasn't sure I liked the pattern.  But it is growing on me, even though it is super busy.  The blocks are 8", so I think with sashing in between, 12 blocks should be enough to make a decent sized quilt.

I like the way you get a snippet of a cow or tractor here and there.  The chicken wire print is the closest thing to a tone on tone, so it made for good pin wheel centres.  But my favorite is the cow hide print!  

Lastly but not least, I found some orphan blocks and decided I needed to do something with them.  I didn't intend on using this block as anything other then a practise piece.  It is a 13" square and just having the restrictions of different shapes, made it look like a good practise piece.  I am happy with the outcome.

I have had three classes in Free Motion Quilting (FMQ) over the decade and a half I have been a quilter.  However I rarely practised after taking a class, so quickly lost my confidence.  In reality I should call myself a Piecer, as that is my preferred technique.  But FMQ is definitely appealing to me more and more, so I am going to make a few more practise pieces.   I don't think big leaf vines on the border was the right combination to go such a small piece.  But I really like that pattern, and now I know its within my capabilities.  I am not so keen on the "pebbles" in the background of centre star, but they make it "pop" and that is what I was trying to achieve.  I might need glasses before I do any more fine work like that again!

 I am happy with the outcome and it will make a nice table centre, if I can find something to bind it with!  I am also keen to attempt a circular feather in the very centre, but need to do some homework on how to first.

Happy quilting, Sue SA.