30 September 2017

17 in 2017 September progress

Here is my September progress for Meridith's 17 in 2017 challenge
https://pomegranateandchintz.wordpress.com/2017/09/30/17ufosin2017-september/

It's been a Sarah Fielke month this month 😃

I am still happily hand quilting the 2016 BOM 'Happy Days', I am really enjoying not so big stitch quilting and I love how this Liberty quilt is turning out!



I have also been deciding on the next border fabrics for this year's BOM 'Down the Rabbit Hole' The fabrics I have chosen for this quilt are really not in my comfort zone, so choosing them is taking a lot of time but I love working with these happy colours - I see more quilts with modern fabrics in my future!





21 September 2017

Not so Big Stitch Quilting

I am really enjoying the hand quilting of Happy Days; I am using Aurifil 12wt thread and a crewel embroidery needle, which seem to be the perfect combination for me. I have been steadily stitching an hour or so a day and find that my stitches are quite even, and although larger than fine heirloom hand quilting, are not so big that they detract from the appliqué and piecing.

I have stitched from the middle to one corner and am slowly working towards the next...





12 September 2017

Hand Quilting Happy Days

You may remember that last year I worked on Sarah Fielke's BOM 'Happy Days' I used Liberty fabrics and loved every minute of it.


The only thing that I really didn't like about this quilt, was the bottom right Black Star block.  This was my first attempt at paper piecing and it didn't go well, the block turned out the wrong size, the points were a mess and all that Black!!! what was I thinking?


I really wanted that block done and finished with, and I convinced myself that it wasn't that bad, so I had the quilt machine basted by a long arm quilter and it has been sat waiting for the cooler weather so that I could quilt it. I bought some Aurifil 12 wt thread ready for Big stitch quilting


and watched Sarah's video several times explaining the technique.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DXN5Ger_jo

I started with my favourite block


so far so good, but every time I took the quilt out to work on it, my eye was drawn to that black star and I knew I needed to replace it or I would never be happy with the quilt.
So ... I carefully unpicked it ...


no going back now...  and made a new star, with pointy points! in soft colours!!


and pined it in place, and slip stitched it down...


I really like this new block :)


It changes the look of the whole quilt


Can I just say, that replacing a block after the quilt has been basted and you have started to quilt, is a really STUPID idea and I don't recommend it!!
I was careful and took my time, but I was worried I would ruin everything.  I will spend a lot of time hand quilting this one and I knew I wouldn't be happy if I didn't swap out that block.  Next time I will listen to my head and replace any block that bothers me before assembling and basting the top!


08 September 2017

New Quilt Group, New Project ...

My quilting mojo is back with a bang! My head is swimming with ideas for new patterns and quilts I want to make, after so many months it is a good feeling 😃

I have finished the appliqué on my Down the Rabbit Hole quilt and now just need to decide on colours for the pieced border (this could take some time!)

I have joined a new quilt group - The Queen Bee Quilters which meet weekly on a Thursday morning, several of my friends who worked on the Magna Carta Quilts with me are members, and I am looking forward to sewing with  them again.  I decided that a new group needed a new project 🤣

Last year I subscribed to a BOM for the Lucy Boston Patchwork of the Crosses quilt


EPP in Liberty fabrics, I loved the fabrics so much that I appropriated some of them for my Happy Days Quilt!


Which left me with a pile of 1" square and elongated hexagon papers - what to do with them? As usual I knew I wanted to make some kind of version of Lucy's quilt but with a twist. Then I stumbled across this modern version 'Lucy's Terrace' by Jodi from Tales of Cloth where she has taken the blocks and set them on point.


I love it! Jodi has very generously shared her pattern for free, you can get it HERE

Her version uses 1 1/4" pieces and I have 1" so I may have to adjust things as I go, but it is a start. I also wanted to explore making a low volume (low contrast) quilt, something I have never done.  I have bought some new fabrics just for this quilt 😃 Jodi also does a lot of fussy cutting, so I bought 1/2m of some so I could do the same



I have decided to make most of the blocks very low volume, with the greys, mint, pale blues etc and use the coral fabrics for the setting squares. I am not sure if it will work but it is fun trying! I have cut the first few blocks.