Mini Hexagon purse

I had my last job for three years and used to travel the 10 hour return trip to Adelaide about four times a year.  The bus trip takes longer than driving but I could read, answer work emails and calls and .... yep I used to sew!  These are tiny hexies and I had just a few paper templates that were given to me, so I was constantly taking them out and reusing them.  I just haphazardly kept sewing hexies (using pre cut 1.5" scraps) around the edges with little thought for design.  

When I finished work in May, I ended up with this strange shape and no idea what to do with it!  So it became a purse and the left overs got thrown away.  The stitching wasn't very good because the road is bumpy, but it now serves to remind me that even the smallest scraps are precious and can be used. 

I had this pattern for a appliqued purse from a sewing day out I did with the Quilters Harvest, its a Shelly Kelly pattern.  I appliqued the clams and basket onto some prairie cloth (pre quilted muslin)  I brought years ago.  

This little scrap purse is now a happy reminder of what is important in life. 

Sometimes we get distracted, but we can always get back on track with a gentle reminder.

Happy quilting Sue.

Back with completed Urban abacus

Urban Abacus, a Quick Curve Ruler pattern by Sew Kind of Wonderful was made into a top over a weekend in August.  This was my choice of pattern and fabrics, in answer to a request for a quilt for a 14 year old girl. 

The quilting pattern was chosen by my long arm quilter, Vicki Jenkin.  She is always right when she suggests a quilting pattern, so I was thrilled with the results = best seen on the  aqua backing.

I am really pleased with this finish!

a) it was a quick and easy pattern to make

b) I used two different lines of fabric and they melded well 

c) its modern but there isn't too much negative space

d) faster turn over for a quilt I have ever made = greater sense of accomplishment!

It has been safely delivered and I am contemplating how long before I make another!

Happy quilling, Sue.

Two new cushions and a mini that became a cushion

I just launched into a week of starting new projects with no rhyme or reason!

The bottom block is a Kim Diehl pattern from her book Simple Graces, and featured on the front cover as a quilt.  The book includes a pattern to make the block into a cushion cover and I justified the new start by telling myself it was better then making a test block which would never be used for anything. Plus I would have more cushions for the couch....because six cushions is not enough, right?!

I was able to use up some of the cushion inserts sitting in the cupboard and the zips I have purchased randomly...not sure why but I do that!  I also pieced the wadding scraps to quilt the top and did some new to me quilting patterns using my new walking foot - on the brown border I did a square spiral.  

This pattern is called Prairie Points from the book by Temecula Quilt Co, called Quirky Little Quilts.  The quilt in the book features lots of neutrals and solids but I wanted to showcase some of my shirtings.  I ended up using a lot of older shirting scraps already pre cut in my 1.5" strip container.  It was lovely to play with some old favorites!

I quilted the top using my new walking foot....as my other foot decided to die!  I honestly had no idea that I could wear out a foot, but my good friend Vicki (long time Bernina owner) talked me through all the issues my walking foot suddenly presented one afternoon (after being perfectly fine in the morning), and deduced the foot was no longer walking!  I borrowed Mums foot and presto the machine performed perfectly, so diagnosis was confirmed and I had to fork out serious $ to buy a new one.

It came with a stitch in the ditch plate, but after using it on the mini I am not super impressed. However prepared to give it another go on a larger quilt without so many seams. 

I started making this wool applique block about a month ago, so that I had some hand work.  Decided to add some pieced borders to make it bigger, then decided to turn it into a cushion.  Quilted the heck out of it, to a) use my new walking foot b) because I pieced the wadding from lots little scraps c) because I didn't cut the border pieces on the straight and they were wavy d) it filled in my day while the painter was in the house!  Very happy with the results., but did have to buy a zip to match, well close as I could get to this vibrant green.

So it was the Temecula Quilt mini that became a cushion, because I wasn't in love with the quilting, although I love the top.  

I will make another as a mini....someday!

Happy quilting Sue.

  

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.