Neonatal charity quilt

Over January I  made four cot quilts for new babies, one already born and a couple due.  I used a fat quarter pack that I purchased from a destash sale.  That is the first time I had ever been to a destash and first time I had ever brought a fat quarter pack!  

The fabric went a long way but there were  a few lovely scraps too cute to not use.   I randomly pieced them together to make this neonatal quilt.  It has been sitting in a pile forgotten for months and I found it when I was on a quilting roll.  Which is one reason why I have free motion quilted it!  Well that and the fact it is so small (24" square) and I pieced the wadding, so I was brave and decided to  densely quilt it.   I am pleased with the results, but practise makes perfect and its a long way off.  

 

This quilt has just been straight and ditch stitched but I am now certain that it needs a bit more to anchor it down.  However the binding is on and I lost my quilting confidence when the walking foot died.  It wasnt so much that the foot died, as that it took me awhile to work out what was wrong and I unpicked way too much micro stitches in that time!  So while I am not going to tempt fate with more unpicking I do think this quilt will get some fancy free motion quilting....but I have to wait for some appropropriate quilting inspiration first.  

Happy quilting Sue.

Urban abacus from start to flimsy

I recently had a commission request from a family member for a teenage girl.  Of course pink was one of the requested colours, along with mint green and blue.  I had been quilting for so long I was busting to do some piecing.  But I wanted simple easy piecing and this pattern is certainly that!

Pattern is Urban Abacus by Sew Kind of Wonderful - made using the large quick curve ruler.  Simply the quickest quilt I have made in a long long time.  Blocks are 6 x 8" unfinished and whole quilt finishes at 50 x 67".

My fabric winnings from the guild show are unashamedly very pink!  Now I don't really like florals, so I find it hard to decide on floral prints for other people.  But the super large rose print looks like more of an ombre print when I cut it up. 

And in order to achieve the required nine prints for the pattern I dug through my stash and came across the Tilda fabrics I won for viewers choice at my local groups show in 2015.  This was the first time I had won a prize for a quilt and I was chuffed...but fabrics were very pastel and very very floral!  My friend Ann from Periwinkle Patchwork had donated the prize and it was very generous amount of fabric, but she knew it wasn't to my taste!  Sew its great to have a reason cut into it and use some of it in a quilt someone will love. Ironically I purchased this pattern from Ann and she also taught me how to use the Quick Curve Ruler in a class.

Super happy with the outcome.  I definitely think I will be using this pattern again.
Happy quilting Sue.

Two more bright fun kids quilts finished

I finally got the binding on two quilts I quilted a little while ago.  I normally enjoy binding at night, but a hand stitching project had distracted me.  I briefly lost my piecing mojo but had lots of energy for quilting - a very rare thing indeed, so I ran with it while it lasted!

The next quilt is decidedly girly with pink, purple and green blocks...and a pretty backing of mermaids - sorry it is a bit hard to see here with the light shining through the quilt!

The sun was shining briefly but it was bitterly cold this day, so I didn't hang around for better shots!

 The rosemary is flowering in our garden making a lovely splash of blue.

And then a few of the flag iris have also started to flower, creating more splashes of colour around the garden.

 

There is one more kids charity quilt pinned and another top to be pinned, but they will be waiting awhile now as I have started a new quilt and have plans for a second.  I am finally using some fabric I won several years ago (in our local quilt show), in conjunction with the yardage I won recently.

Happy quilting Sue.

Finishes x three

I think this is Vivid Grid # 3!  Top was made out of 2.5" stash fabrics, just pulled out the red, blue and yellow for blocks and beige background.  I was seriously short of yellow but a lucky find of yellow scrap bag at Periwinkle Patchwork solved that problem.  I enjoyed diagonal quilting this, quick, easy and looks great!

I have been on a quilting roll!  This charity quilt got made at camp in May from some already made eye spy four patches I found in my stash.  A fun musical print was used as sashing and a cheerful orange print that I purpose purchased to brighten this quilt up.

This Eye Spy quilt became very very blue, but I still like it!  I tried a white sashing and it just didn't work.  So I just went with blue.  It used more precut stash and a bunch of left over blue binding strips from past projects.

Hopefully it makes a sick child smile.

Happy quilting Sue.

Homage to Richmond!

Aussie rules football runs through the winter months, so typically occurs on cold and windy days.  It was cold, wet and windy the day I took these photos and I was dodging showers to get out to take photos.  Hence plenty of action shots of the tops flapping in the wind were unavoidable.

This kids quilt is indeed a homage to Richmond Football Club in a Eye Spy format.

My friend Lisa is a avid Richmond supporter and loves cats, there are lots of cat prints in the black background fabric...as well as Star Wars, so something of interest for everyone!

Sticking to my tried and true method of polka dot sashing and diagonal colourways to make a colourful quilt top.

And for my third top I stuck with the winning formula of blue, blue and a splash of orange!  This is because I have an abundance of blue blocks but I do admit I really like it!  I will have to go back and do a count of how many kids quilts I have made out of this donated Eye Spy fabric, because there are still a pile of made blocks and pre cut squares in my sewing room - somewhat diminished, but enough for a few more tops yet!  

But for now I am going to be busy quilting!  Its all good because a) its winter. reasonably wet so I am stuck indoors b) I quit my job and need entertaining while I "look" (wait is a better term in regional Victoria) for another part time job to apply for c) the builder finally arrived to renovate our ensuite 9 mths after we discovered the shower was leaking - so I need to be home but out of his way!

Happy quilting Sue.

Blue ribbon for Warm Regards and rich blessings

Last Sunday I came in from gardening checked my phone and there was a message to say that my quilt had won an award at the Victorian Quilters show and presentations were on Thursday at noon.  I was so excited, but nervous!  Nervous because I had no idea which prize I had won and also because the timing was ordinary; my husband was away with work, Thursday was our oldest sons 13th birthday and finally the builder is here renovating our ensuite as our shower had been leaking!  

After lots of juggling and after considerate negotiations with our son I managed to hand over his birthday gifts on Thursday morning then a friend Antoinette drove us down to Melbourne (its a 7 hour return trip) in time for the ceremony where to my surprise, my quilt Warm Regards awarded first prize in the section Mainly Applique, 2 person Amateur.  Vicki was on hand volunteering (for the whole show) so was able to take this photo of me trying to pin the rosette on my quilt.  

This quilt started life two Christmas ago when good friend Lisa gave me the book Simple Friendships by Kim Diehl and Jo Morton then suggested we (together with Vicki) make a quilt together (theme of the book is block swaps) but each make our own version.  Lisa is making the Jo Morton pattern and Vicki and I both enjoy applique and made the Kim Diehl pattern.  In February Vicki told me she had a cancellation in her long arm custom quilting schedule and was booking Warm Regards in for March.  So this push forced me to get cracking and finish the top.  Vicki gave me further assurances that it was of a good standard for the state show and Lisa encouraged me the whole way, as she regularly enters quilts.  Both Lisa and Vicki have won prizes before, but I never thought that I would too! 

We were home in time for take away tea and birthday cake that my new teenager requested and my brother and parents facilitated organising school run etc so that I could go for the day.  I would never been able to  go and help my son celebrate his birthday if Antoinette had driven me, so I feel very blessed to have such good friends and family support.  

My prize was a very generous cheque sponsored by Geelong Quilters, a queen size batting from Nu-Wool and 5 yards of Moda fabric from PK Fabrics. 

Because my husband is away for 10 days (including over the weekend of the show) I never planned on going to the show and hadn't been for a few years because it clashed with our sons birthday. So as much as it was a flying visit it was lovely to see all the quilts and fit in a bit of shopping!    I had already purchased some mats for my Go Cutter and decided that was sufficient, because I am between jobs.  After I found my generous cheque I went back and brought some fat quarters from Somerset Patchwork!  I also got to deliver the six Very Snuggly Quilts (childrens quilts) that I had finished to the guild.  And to top off my exciting week I also got some lovely feedback on a quilt I had made for a friend who is having a really rough time. 

Happy quilting, Sue.

Sea Glass finished

Ta da!  Made from fabrics purchased at Periwinkle Patchwork, pattern is called Sea Glass from a book called Mini Wonderful Curves by Jenny Pedigo and Helen Robinson for Sew Kind of Wonderful - who make the mini curve ruler.

On display in my backyard while the sun was shining and the wind blowing.  Its winter so I cannot complain, just grateful for the rain!

I FM quilted this myself with three long swirls to cover each clamshell, in matching thread.  This pattern was suggested to me as it looks good if you don't manage to quilt back over the stitching line exactly it still looks good.....which was a great idea as my FMQ is still a WIP!

Bound in a grey Cotton and Steel fabric, I am very pleased with this finish. Its is to be gifted to a friend who needs a quilty hug. 

Super pleased our gazebo now has a roof but still waiting on the electrician to put in lights and plumber to hook up to the storm water.  Hubby is going to attach wood slats to the west end and around each side to semi enclose from the weather.  That process has commenced (varnishing wood) but paid work has to take priority at the minute.

Happy quilting Sue.