Sew Together Bag

I brought the Sew Together Bag pattern from Periwinkle Patchwork .... dont remember when, but hoping it was only last January!

Anyway Ann was on her way to town, bringing her shop for our local quilt show....and a pattern I had requested from her.  And the lovely fabrics I had purchased at Quilters Harvest were staring at me!

SEW I knew that I had to get that pattern made up!  Plus I had finished all the boring stuff (binding, quilting, hanging sleeves) for the quilts going on display.  So I deserved a treat.  

 I was warned this isnt the easiest pattern, but I didn't find it too bad.  The pattern its self is really really well written but you have to have your thinking cap on - I made it over two days, which I think really helped - making this in a rush would be a recipe for disaster.

 I was lucky in that I also only used interfacing (thank you Lisa for introducing me to the joys of interfacing!) and not wadding.  Mind you I still broke a needle :(  when I was sewing it all together.  I do not like machine sewing binding on, but I did do it on this project - because there was no nice soft wadding to make hand sewing easier.  It went OK, not fantastic, but acceptable.  I like this bag so much I am thinking about making another one ;)  
Happy quilting Sue.

I spy quilt finish

Generally when I need mindless sewing I don't quilt!  

But this quilt had been pinned for at least a month and it go the better of me.  Stitched in the ditch everywhere except the border where I stippled.  I changed my Bernina BSR foot attachment from transparent to open toe and found it much easier to see.  Plus did the stippling in the daytime, so the light was better.  

I will be donating this quilt to Very Snuggly Quilts (Victorian Quilters) program, but only after I deal with the threads on the back!

Happy quilting Sue.

   

Bits and pieces

I am stitching hanging sleeves onto quilts and writing descriptions ready for our local quilt show.  Its all boring, so I have been entertaining myself with some fun stuff in between.

I finished a few more mini spools to use up the last few strips cut from Miss Kate charm pack.  Plus I am keen to make this block part of my Rainbow Scrappy challenge project.  So that means making some more from my other scraps!

Opp's I started a new project!  Although technically its now a UFO, because I cut this out to do at quilt camp in March but didnt get it started.  I made the body of the mini quilt in a day, but the border is fiddly.  This is a mini replica of a antique quilt, pattern by Ann Hermes, from American Patchwork and Quilting Magazine, February 2011.  

 

Finally made some more flying geese, this is just a sample. I have mixed them up a bit, having some reverse colours and using some darker backgrounds as well.  Not sure where this project is heading, but its good mindless sewing and happy to sew along when I have time.

Happy Quilting Sue.

Midwinter Red Quilt - finished

 To make this quilt I used a Midwinter Red layer cake by Moda and used the then free Disappearing Pinwheel tutorial by Missouri Star Quilt Company. 

  It appears this pattern is now only available for sale via their website now, which you can find HERE.

 There was no wastage in this sew, cut, resew style pattern.  However all the bias edges end up as the blocks outside edges.  Which leads to very careful pinning to put the top together.  Stacey and I made this quilt top together at a camp June 2015.  Stacey got her top together quickly that same weekend.

It took me a lot longer, mainly because I didnt want to deal with those bias edges.  And then when I wanted to I had to go shopping for the sashing and border fabrics.

 SEW glad I took my time and find the right fabrics.  I had the quilt professionally quilted by Vicki Jenkin and love the swirl design we picked.  Vicki always does a great job and she was very nice and said my woopy corner wasn't that bad...she definitely quilted it flat, I didn't peg it on the line straight!

 Happy Quilting, Sue.

Quilters Harvest buying frenzy

 None of my usual retailing road trip friends were available for a quick shopping trip to Warracknabeal, but that was fine, as I had limited time to dally.  Off I headed to Quilters Harvest, a 45 minute drive away, to buy up at their sale.  While it is always nice to get a bargain, there was no celebrating, because no buyer for this lovely business :( means they are going to have to close the doors.  

 Toile, not normally high on my buying list, but my new book Jo's Little Favorites has a great mini pattern that uses a lovely red/cream fussy cut toile print.

 Ahh, all of these (except the toile) were just "because I love them too much to leave them in the shop"!  And without a doubt would kick myself if I had.  

 Yep not much excuse for buying these either.  Middle shirting and bottom print (a Kim Diehl),  I brought the rest of the bolt.  It was my plan to buy enough of one background to make a large Irish Chain, but alas there wasn't enough yardage.  Still they came home with me!

 Complete bargain (30 cm each of six prints) this roll of fabric, and l already had that bottom print in the other colour ways, so in the basket it went!

 More wool, baby measuring panel, neither of which I have a specific project in mind for.  Well I am going to make some Very Snuggle Quilts, but the panel may or may not work, as it is very narrow.    Oh but the red and white stripe, I did need that for last weeks binding of my mini spools.

 Progress shot of my completed Woolly Baskets wall hanging (by Dawn Heese of Linen Closet Designs).  The final border fabric was purchased in this same shopping trip.  So I guess there was a purpose to shopping frenzy after all!

I brought about four different fabrics, because I couldn't make up my mind, for a border print for this project.  But I cannot find the photo I took of them. Pink is not normally my thing, but trust me I brought a lot of pink on this trip.  

I ran out of shopping time, but as you can see I did try my best to help Del and Shirley out by reducing their stock.  Thanks for great customer service ladies, hope to see you "around the traps" in your retirement/new adventures.

Happy quilting Sue.

Spools wall hanging finished

Thimble Blossom pattern Spools, which is a mini/wall hanging.  Finished size:14.5x17"

Fabric from Bonnie and Camille charm pack called Miss Kate.

I stippled in the background and quilted straight lines in the spool centres.  I have started wearing reading glasses in the last year or so. But I am going to have to get my eyes checked as I found seeing where I had quilted (so I didn't double back over my stitching) really hard.  It was partly the quality of light and also the foot getting in the way, but my eyesight has deteriorated :( 

How did the pioneer women ever cope with just candle light??

Red and white stripes were required for binding and I didn't have any in my stash, but with two other projects that need borders I was up for a road trip to my "local" quilt shop, Quilters Harvest.
Needless to say binding was purchased and I enjoyed myself!
Happy quilting Sue.

Rainbow Scrappy Challenge updated - Red for March

I am really behind in my Rainbow Scrappy Challenge reporting.  I have been slowly sewing in the background.

 Making four patches should be easy but I had to do a bit of unpicking.  I had made two scrappy checkerboard (four patch) borders for another quilt last year, then decided they looked odd and made the quilt the wrong size.  So I am now repurposing the pieces for RSC.

I had made one star, but no nine patches. so had to forage a bit more for some variety of fabrics.

I really want more red stars, but I have run out of cut neutral triangles and variety in the red triangles, so two will sufficience until I have more scraps to cut up.

Hence a new block ;) Well that's my excuse and I am sticking to it!

Happy quilting Sue.