Craft Hour

Still on Target!

Snuck in a ‘crafty’ hour in the sewing room to get up to date with Clue 5 of the ‘En Provence’ mystery quilt. I also took the opportunity to listen to the QuiltCam that I missed the other day too!

Bonnie had been very kind and made it quick and easy this week and, as I am only doing half the units, that meant just 32 half square triangles to cut and sew. Dark purples and neutrals for this clue – I hope we get to use more of the light mauves, as I seem to have a lot more of those.

Now I have a nice long chain of them, ready to be snipped and pressed another day. Bonnie was chatting about how she cannot bear to cut the last piece off from her machine and always has to leave something under the needle. I’m afraid I am just the same now – see how I always have a couple of ‘project specific’ crumb strips on the go to use as leaders and enders.  (Visit Quiltville Monday link up to see everyone else’s blog pictures of their progress so far). 

I wonder how we will use the yellows and greens.

Happy Quilting Everyone!

Janet

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One Day Rush!

Still on Target

I’ve been up in the loft all day, trying out the Westalee Rulers I bought at Festival of Quilts in August, whilst keeping an eye out for Clue 4 of Bonnie Hunter’s latest mystery quilt ‘En Provence’, as I wanted to get on with it before the busy few weeks coming up. 

As soon as I saw that the instructions were out, I broke off and got stuck in. Here are my 40 finished Tri-Rec units (half the number required for the full size version) made from the dark purples and the neutrals – all scrappy – plus one spare neutral triangle because I miscounted again! (Visit LINK UP  from Monday to see everyone else’s blog pictures. It is such fun to see all the different fabrics other people have chosen.)

Back to those rulers; It’s the first chance I’ve had to practice with them on something not too precious, as I’ve been working on pieces for other people and things for the craft fair these past few months. They worked quite well but I had difficulty with the ‘spinning’ ones that  are pinned to the quilt. The pin underneath keeps catching on the bed of the machine and gets stuck.The first attempt below was very wobbly even after I unpicked it three times. 

The second attempt was actually not too bad. But I am sure there is an easier way of doing it, so I’ve posted my problems on Facebook to a group of beginner long-armers and already have had some helpful suggestions! Practice makes perfect.

Happy Quilting Everyone!

Janet
PS: Just got some lovely new fabrics which I've added to my store:
Pumpkin Pie by Edyta Sitar (Laundry Basket Quilts) and 'Darling Little Dickens' by Lydia Nelson of Dreamy Quilts.

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Purple Haze

Clue 3 finished!

Bonnie Hunter’s latest mystery quilt ‘En Provence’ is coming along nicely, although I am not sure I will be so on top of it over the Christmas period – I may have withdrawal symptoms by NewYear. This week I got to play with all those lovely purples and mauves I picked up last week. The instructions were to make 168 four patches, like the neutrals in week 1. But I am aiming for a smaller quilt so I made 84 (plus a few spares where I miscounted –again!) This is the first time I’ve done a mystery quilt and it is such fun wondering how it will all come together.  (Visit http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2016/12/mystery-monday-link-up-part-3.html from Monday, to see the latest linkup on Bonnie's website, for pictures of other people’s progress from participants all over the world.)

Also this week, I said goodbye to my ‘Scrappy Stars’ quilt that I exhibited at Festival of Quilts in 2015. Much as I enjoyed making it, I have nowhere to display it in my house, as it is 7ft x 8ft and the wrong colours for my bedroom. Yes- by that I mean it is not pink!

I sold it on ebay. Although you never get the price you think it is worth (given the cost of fabric, 60 hours of machine quilting and countless hours piecing that border), it seems like it has found a good home. 

The buyer tells me “It is to go into a collection of mainly old quilts that exists to educate and inspire” and she asked for a short resumé about me and the quilt. So I am very happy about that. 

And now I have room to make something else!

Happy Quilting Everyone!

Janet

www.englishquilter.co.uk   

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Ask and you shall receive!

Studio Quilters to the Rescue!

Having dived into Bonnie Hunter’s latest mystery quilt ‘En Provence’ last week, without reading the introduction first, I realised I didn’t have all the colours I needed in my stash – surprisingly! 

I was a bit light on mauves and purples - not a colour I tend to collect – and I didn’t have the ‘key constant colour’ magenta either. I pondered all week, whether to substitute a few pinks and blues, of which I have plenty, to achieve more of a spring flower palette, rather than follow Bonnie’s original lavender inspiration.

Then I sent out a request to the lovely ladies at Studio Quilters, to search through their stash for suitable yardage they would be willing to swap with me - and of course they came up trumps!

Not only did Gloria come up with the perfect magenta in sufficient quantity , but there were mauves and purples aplenty. 

Thank you Ladies – now I am spoilt for choice! 

By the end of our session today I had pieced the 50 ‘triangle in square’ units required by the instructions in ‘Clue 2’ issued on Friday (I am going to make half the number of units to produce a smaller quilt). Great practice with the brilliant Tri Recs rulers too.

 So I am up to date!

 (Visit http://quiltville.blogspot.co.uk/2016/12/mystery-monday-link-up-part-2.html to see the latest linkup on Bonnie's website, for pictures of other people’s progress from participants all over the world.)

Happy Quilting Everyone!

Janet

www.englishquilter.co.uk   

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