Say Hello, Wave Goodbye

Way back in January I made a couple of Quilting Aims for myself.  I didn't get there with all of them but I did stick to Number 1 which was most important to me - Quilt because it makes me smile not because it is one more thing on my to do list.  I have really enjoyed this fabulous hobby this year.  I have also made some great bloggy (and real life) friends and am chuffed by how many of you follow and comment on my posts - so thank you!


I didn't make all the quilts in my head because 324 is a bit much in one year but I did make some quilts, quilt tops & knickers that I and thankfully the people I gave some of them to (not the knickers) really like.





I only have 2 aims for 2012 - continue to quilt because I love it and use up some of the fabric I love that I have been hoarding.  My work in progress list is down to 4 which is unheard of for me so I am going to spend the next couple of days planning some new quilts so expect a post on that and a giveaway as part of my "Year of the Stash" project for 2012.


Linking up with Fresh Sewing Day on Lilys Quilts.

Happy New Year!

The quilt I really wanted to make

Ever since I first started quilting I had this quilt  by Cluck Cluck Sew bookmarked and later favourited on Flickr and later again pinned on Pinterest.  I don't quite know why it has taken me until now to make it.





I bought the fabrics 18 months ago and have been making HSTs every so often for the last 9 months or so.





For some unknown reason I decided that the 3 weeks before Christmas was the ideal time to finish this.





Thankfully it quilted really easily!





I love this one!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Why have I never made a cushion before?

I love making quilts.  I love choosing the fabric, not quite so keen on the cutting but love piecing, quilting and the final hand sewing of the binding.  But it takes quite a long time to make a quilt.  I can't quite believe it has taken me until now to realise the potential of a cushion (pillow if you must).  It's like a quilt in miniature.  Ok it doesn't keep you warm but it looks pretty and takes a fraction of the time to make.


Remember this quilt I made my Granny for her 80th birthday?





I decided to make her a cushion to go with it for her Christmas present.








Fabric are all Tanya Whelan Delilah on the front and Amy Butler on the envelope back.  I am really pleased with how it went except for the missed line of quilting I have just noticed now I have taken a photo :( .


I see a lot more cushions in mine (and my nearest and dearest's) futures.

Bye Bye November

There wasn't a lot of sewing this month but I am really pleased with what I did get done including finishing a quilt and almost a quilt top as well as a lot of trimming of triangles and a little hexagon making.


Linking up with Lily Quilts Fresh Sewing Day 

and I just about qualify for the Small Blog Meet

A finished quilt

This quilt has been a Work in Progress for a very long time.









Pattern: Wild Thing by Camille Roskelley 
Fabric: Momo Oddyssea & a creamy white solid (can't remember which one)
Backing: Pieced Momo Oddyssea in an attempt to use some of my stash
Quilting: 1/4 " outline on the white bits - note to self for future reference this took forever

Lovely post

I've received lots of lovely things in the post recently.  Firstly lots of lovely 10" squares of Echino as part of a swap organised by Sew Sweetness





And a prize - 6 mini charms packs from I'm a Ginger Monkey's lovely Quilt Market giveaway.




Now I just need to decide what to make with it all - answers on a postcard please (or in the comments box below!)


PS - check out this exciting news from Katy, Lynne & the Fat Quarterly gang - it has made my day, week, month.

Fresh Modern Bee 2 - the end

Things have been a little hectic yesterday and there hasn't been a lot of sewing going on and what has been sewn hasn't been blogged so there will be a few catch up posts.


First up is my last Bee Block for Fresh Modern Bee 2 is for Yvonne from Nellies Niceties 





I am hoping this looks like the tulip I had in mind. . . . .





And to finish off the Bee - a mosaic of all the blocks I made.  Hopefully I will be posting a finished quilt top of the blocks made for me by the end of the year.

Stop procrastinating, start sewing!

Work's been a little busy for me so far in October and no sewing equals no blogging.  But now I have a couple of weeks with some time to sew and I need a little focus.



So this week I am hoping to:


1. Make 2 more hexagon flowers - thanks for checking up on me Nicky!
2. Get the sashing cut for my Bee Quilt
3. Finish outline quilting the white on the Wild Thing Quilt
4. Finish trimming the Tilda Triangles

Robin's Quilt

I was cutting it fine with this one - I started it 2 weeks ago.





Finished sewing down the binding at 10pm last night just in time for his birthday today.


From this tutorial





He seems to like it (or did a good job of pretending anyway!!!)

Robin's Quilt Top

It finally stopped raining for more than 3 seconds so I could get some photos of this quilt top outside.  Followed this pattern from Moda Bake Shop but adapted it to make the quilt slightly longer than the original.





Backing is done, binding is made and quilt is basted and ready for lots and lots of straight line quilting.

Sewing club

Hmm not much progress made on my hexagons at sewing club at Millie Moon. Too much talking, not enough sewing!

I did get some trimming done on my Tilda half square triangles though.

This little bundle of fabric seems to have purchased itself last night (probably when I was too busy talking!)

However progress has been made on my husbands quilt and the top is finished. Thanks for all the suggestions. Hopefully I can get some better photos when I baste it on Friday

New Quilt Top finished

I have finally got one of my old UFO quilt tops finished.  I started working on this in September last year!  Am planning on making a pieced back this weekend and am trying to decide how to quilt it.  I can't do free motion on something like this yet so am thinking of diagonal lines but am open to suggestions.

I also need to get working on what may be another mad dash to finish quilt.  My husband reminded me this morning that I promised to make him a "manly" quilt for his birthday from my Authentic strips leftover from this quilt (well not really leftover, more because I widely miscalculated fabric requirements).  I have 14 13.5 days until his birthday.  I am sadly required to be at my place of employment for 5 of those days (and for some strange reason they don't allow sewing machines)  and will also be away from my machine for another 5 of them.    Thankfully they are all cut into 2.5" strips already (refer to miscalculating fabric requirements point above) so I am thinking of a jelly roll race or strip quilt of some sort.  Any ideas gratefully received!

Bye Bye August

August has involved a lot of trimming of blocks

A very quite restrained amount of stashing at Festival of Quilts

A Bee Block or two

Laying out quilt designs.

And making lots of blocks

Linking up with Lily Quilts Fresh Sewing Day

and Small Blog Meet-up

Here's to September!

Last Bee Block for Bee Quilted

Bee Quilted has drawn to a close and here is the last block I made for Chocolate is the Best Medicine

This Bee started out as Quilt as you go but in the end only half of the blocks used this method.  I now have tried most of the different ways of quilting as you go so hopefully can put this into practice again.  

To Bee or not to Bee

Back in May last year  I got an email from a fellow UK blogger to say she was setting up a Bee and would I like to be part of it?  Hmm I thought - send my lovely fabric to people I don't know and they cut it up and I rely on them to send back blocks I like enough to make into a quilt??? What?  Why on earth would I do that?  But I was new to this blogging and quilting lark and the lady seemed nice so I said yes.


That lady was Lynne of Lily Quilts fame and the Bee was Fresh Modern Bee 2.  November was my month but I haven't got around to putting everything together and blogging about it until now.

I eventually settled on Tanya Whelan Dolce and Kona Medium Grey (from Mandy at Simply Solids) and asked everyone to make Pinwheel Blocks (inspired by PS I Quilt's Pinwheel Quilt Along).  I struggle with things not matching and was worried that lots of blocks made by different people wouldn't "match" enough.  So I sent some quite paticular requirements.  Luckily no one took offence!

Any doubts I ever had about joining a Bee soon went out the window when these fabulous blocks started arriving in the post.

Little Island Quilting and Sew Justine Sew

Petits Elefants and Where the Orchids Grow

Lola Blue Ocean and Fissiett

Shiner's View and Quilt Happie

The Nellies - Reene and Yvonne

Pioneer Valley Girl and Lily Quilts

Chickenfoot and Scruffycat

Now I just need to make 3 more pinwheel blocks and its ready to sash with lots more grey.  I am now a convert to Bees.  I have made lots of virtual friends and even met one in real life.  I also no longer think people who join Bees or mad; slightly unhinged perhaps and obsessive about fabric but not mad . . . .