Bags More Quilting!

Victim of my own success!

Well Mary was so pleased with the 'London' Bow Tucks Bag, when I delivered it and the two cot panels on Thursday, that she asked me to make another one; this time in a cute dog fabric (as well as quilt two more panels). I just couldn't leave it alone and, alongside starting quilting the top for Lesley, I had it finished by Saturday lunchtime!

Then It was back up in the loft for a seven hour stint to complete this free-motion design, with a new twist on those flower petal feathers zigzagging down the open spaces. Val's piecing was superb and it was an absolute joy to work on - so pleased with the result.

(Followed by a long soak in the bath with a large Sauvignon Blanc!)

So did I give it a rest today?            No!!
  
I made a start on the other pieces Mary gave me. This is the first, a whole piece of brushed cotton which she wants as a playmat for a nephew. The front is patterned and doesn't photograph so well. But here is the back; it is a plain chocolate brown and really shows up the texture. 

Next up is an over-sized 'queen' top, which is technically too big for my frame. But I have agreed with our new group member, Sue, that I will give it a go. What's more she has asked for metallic thread (which I will look for at Olympia next week). So that's another challenge! If I go quiet for a week or so, you will know what I am up too!

Happy Quilting Everyone!

Janet

www.englishquilter.co.uk   

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Triple Threat!

Foundation Piecing, Fussy Cutting and Glitter!

Three of the most testing things to contend with, at the otherwise enjoyable Connecting Threads workshop presented by Kate Percival the weekend before last;
1) Foundation piecing - still THE most trying technique - fiddly and wasteful.
2) Fussy cutting - just unbearably wasteful!
3) Glitter (Christmas fabric) - AAAGH! It gets into everything - my machine, my cutting mat, the ironing board and therefore everyone else's project, my hands and, by the end of the day, my face!!
Still I managed to get through the day and made this little snowy house block, having bravely cut into a couple of the Christmas FQs from Duxford. Now I've made a start, I will make it into a wallhanging or something for Christmas.

Then I went back to Michelle's charming Wild Flower quilt which finished up lovely. The 'osnaburg-like' background fabric was a bit challenging for my machine which gave me a few skipped stitches, but it came out well in the end.

After that I found I just couldn't live with the mistakes on the Halo block and set about unpicking it! It was incredibly tricky to dismantle just enough to get to the three sections that were wrong. Then I had to replace the little triangles without the foundation backing and put it all back together again. Lost a little accuracy on the points, but at least all the colours are in the right place.

Next job was for Mary, who wanted me to quilt these two cute panels as cot quilts to give to her friend. I like how the texture came out on the back of the Hungry Caterpillar. 

Mary also asked me to make this 'Bow Tucks' Bag designed by Penny Sturges. I've made several of these in the past and they are no small task. It took me twice as long as the two quilts to put together, but it was very satisfying when it was done. Lovely 'London' print fabric!

Now that I have all these tasks under my belt I can start on quilting this top for Valerie, who has pieced it so beautifully for her friend Lesley (who chose the lovely colour combination). I'm going to enjoy this one - I can feel more of those flower feathers coming on.

 

Happy Quilting Everyone!

Janet

www.englishquilter.co.uk   

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Three for Three!

Flower Feathers!

Very pleased with my progress this week. I finished Gill's sweet pastel quilt with my first attempt at these flower petal feathers in the border. They were so pretty and such fun to do  - I think I will be doing a lot more! 

Then I moved on to a complete contrast; this striking black, grey and white strippy quilt, with its bright red accent, was a group project from Studio Quilters led by Elaine.

(You can't really see the quilting black on black in the pictures).

Next up is this  version of Janet Clare's block of the month design featuring wild flowers in raw edge appliqué, beautifully executed by Michelle. It's all loaded up and ready to go. I will start quilting it next week, when I have time to do it justice.










Meanwhile, I will be doing even more foundation piecing on a Christmas runner project at tomorrow's workshop by Kate Percival at Connecting Threads. I might cut into the silvers and blues that I got at Duxford! Who knows, it might be finished for this Christmas.

Happy Quilting Everyone!

Janet

www.englishquilter.co.uk   

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Line Tamer to the rescue

And More Foundation Piecing!

I've been hard at work up in the loft these last 2 weeks. First of all I took on Pauline's beautifully pieced top, made with Janet Clare's 'More Hearty Good Wishes' fabric, in nautical inspired blues and neutrals. She asked for an allover  wavy design and once I got into the groove, I couldn't  stop until it was finished. Unfortunately, I have no pictures to share! 

Then I moved on to Gill's sweet quilt for her Grand Daughter.

It is made with a jelly roll and charm pack from the 'Darling' Little Dickens' range from Dreamy Quilts, which features rabbits, ducks and sheep in delightful soft green, pink and 'puddle' blue. 
 

Another beautifully pieced top- I have noticed how Gill chooses to press her sashing seams flat, which creates a challenge for me, as there is no 'ditch' to stitch in.  
This is where my 'Line Tamer' came in - a nifty little ruler tool with a channel down the middle to guide the hopping foot on my long arm machine, as I outlined the blocks.

Once I'd got the whole thing stabilised, I did more complex arc ruler work to create curves in and around the blocks. You can see the effect so far from the back.

I think I will do a new freehand petal shaped feather design in the borders.


But I'm taking a little break from it for a while and yesterday I started on The Halo Block designed by Sue Garman (who sadly just passed away). 

This is a block of the month programme from The Quilt Show. In my last but one blog I told you how challenging I find foundation piecing - but I felt I should give it a go anyway. I was literally stitching until 3am and still hadn't finished all 19 sections.
I carried on today and, as I added the final row, I realised I had got 3 pieces the wrong way round!

But I don't think it matters too much - I have used such pale colours and I did at least get the pink 'halo' in the right place. I am not making the full quilt and will incorporate this as a panel in my ongoing project using my favourite treasured fabrics.

Happy Quilting Everyone!

Janet

www.englishquilter.co.uk   

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Two New Year's Resolutions Fulfilled

Cathedral Window

This year I have resolved to do a bit more hand sewing and also to try out more stitches on my new Brother machine, which I bought to take to workshops. Yesterday I achieved a little of both, with varying degrees of success.

We had our first Studio Quilters Saturday meeting of the year and, as I had finished piecing  Bonnie’s Mystery quilt, I was ‘in between projects’ and very happy that Susan had planned a demo on ‘Cathedral Windows’. She went over the basics of the traditional hand piecing method first. (I have already resurrected a project that I half started several years ago- making 2 ½” squares – which I will keep strictly for hand piecing in ‘at home’ meetings).

Then Susan showed us a quicker way of doing it all by machine, using the blind hemming stitch to neatly catch the edges on the ‘windows’. After much fiddling with the setting on my Brother I eventually abandoned that stitch. It seemed illogical – I could shorten the stitch length but not the width and it wouldn’t do it in mirror image to go round the other way where it might have been easier. I tried a few other decorative stitches but nothing seemed to follow a neat curve easily.

When I got home I replaced the window insert, now ragged from so much unpicking, and got it right first time with the equivalent stitch on the Bernina which seemed to do everything that the Brother couldn’t! As I had to join the two panels into a little pin cushion, I found I couldn’t do the back window under the machine, so had to do that one by hand.

Long story short – cute little cushion with tiny buttons – too pretty to stick pins in!!!!

This weekend I have picked up 3 tops to be quilted so I’d better get up in the loft now. The ‘En Provence’ quilt has already slipped down the list.

Happy Quilting Everyone!

Janet

www.englishquilter.co.uk   

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No Sunshine 'En Provence'!

Mummy, Mummy, why are your pins so sharp?

Because I never use them!

I waited until this morning to photograph my Mystery Quilt, which I completed last night. Sadly, it is looking like rain all day, so it doesn’t do justice to the colours. But I am very pleased how it came together – albeit quite a bit larger than I imagined. Bonnie Hunter’s clever design gave as (529) units of 3 ½” squares, so the final assembly was a breeze – I didn’t use a single pin from start to finish!

Now I am deciding how to quilt it – I am thinking edge to edge Baptist Fan, as it would be good to practise that. Then again, all that ruler work might be back aching on such a large quilt. Maybe I will just do it around the border and freeflow across the middle. See pictures of everyone's progress at:

 http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2017/02/mystery-monday-link-up-finale.html

The ladies at Connecting Threads were surprised that I had no show and tell at our first meeting on Wednesday evening. But considering I had no access to my sewing room for 2 weeks over Christmas, I think I’ve done well to catch up and I will show it next month.

Yesterday's workshop was another story, however. I started out with all good intentions of completing 20 little blocks to make a pretty ‘Heart Cushion’ demonstrated by Ann Shuker. I even got out my ‘treasured’ scraps to match my Hunters Star quilt. Then I remembered why I don’t enjoy foundation piecing!

It’s not that it isn’t an excellent technique (sometimes essential), or that I don’t get how to do it – but if it tries even MY patience, then it is just not for me. 

So I satisfied myself with making just these 4 very pretty little units (which have inspired me to start on a sort of sampler project I have in the back of my mind) and just enjoyed the company of the other lovely ladies.

Have a wonderful time in 2017 everyone and Happy Quilting !

Janet

www.englishquilter.co.uk   

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Happy New Year!

UPDATE!! All units completed and ready to start assembly now the final layout has been revealed! 

Check out Bonnie's blog to see pictures of some people's who have finished already. I will be posting more as I complete the blocks.  http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2017/01/mystery-monday-link-up-part-6-7.html

Review of 2016

While I wait to get back into sewing the next clue in Bonnie Hunter’s En Provence Mystery Quilt, I’ve been looking back over what I have achieved in 2016. Here are some of the things I’ve finished for other people and for myself - some of the highlights from earlier this year, before I started my blog:

First on the frame this year was a group project made up of basket blocks pieced by the ladies of Studio Quilters, using selected ‘half square triangles’ from the exchange I organised the year before. Susan made a lovely job of setting them in a cream background with pretty coloured sashings.

Soon after, I received a plea from a lovely lady named Eirlyss, to help her finish a project she had started some 40 years earlier. The fabrics give its age away, but it was an ‘heirloom’ project to her – so I went all out to make it special by adding a turquoise background and some full on feather quilting!

After that I finished the appliqué and quilted this lovely Edyta Sitar designed ‘Spools’ quilt which was sold on its first outing! (Might have to make another one - great for using inch wide scraps!)

Then I had another request to finish an old hand pieced project for another dear lady, Rita. This one was harder still in many ways – involving more assembly to create a fitted bed cover with binding around inverted corners.

At last, I was able to complete my Hunters Star ‘Pretty in Pink’ - a pattern I had been saving for six years or so! I think I might put it in for FOQ next year - it is my best quilting to date and I have it on my bed!

I think I’ve made good progress this year, with plenty of practice and inspiration from Youtube and Facebook groups – and you’ve seen my more recent finishes.

Next year I plan to use some of my scrap piecing units (strips and strings) to make some charity quilts for Africa/Linus; try some hand sewing (stiff thumb joints permitting) and make some small items in between larger projects.

Have a wonderful time in 2017 everyone. Thank you all for your wonderful company and encouragement. Happy Quilting !

Janet

www.englishquilter.co.uk   

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