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

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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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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

www.englishquilter.co.uk   

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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   

Thank you for visiting my blog and for leaving your comments. Please share on Facebook, Pinterest and Google+ etc