" Mottled Monet" - NINE PATCH PIZAZZ

This is one of the patterns taken from Judy Cisneros' book Nine Patch Pizazz.
Such a great opportunity to create a lovely quilt.
This was a challenge between my Aunt and our friend. We had one fabric the same (the green gingko batik) and that had to be used somewhere in the quilt. This worked well with the Japanese style fabrics.
Love the way this turned out and it was the first quilt I sent off to be professionally quilted.
The name is inspired by the name my Aunt gave her quilt.
Quilted by Sharon Vickridge Smith with a gingko all over pattern.

SOMETHING NEW?

Got so many other things I could be doing (housework comes to mind) in preparation for arrival of family for my Grandma's 100th birthday on Jan 6th or even finishing a UFO? But why do things like that when you can start something new and kid yourself that starting to use all the pink strips on quilt as you go blocks will be quality usage of your time tonight?
Pulled out all the pink strips and strings.
These are 4 blocks that will get used somewhere but not sure how.
Will do the tops at 9" and the batting and back at 8.5" so can sew the tops together with no sashing to keep the pattern.
Managed to mess up one of these so instead of ditching that one, cut all 4 down before I realised I would lose the pattern if I had to sash.
Not a drama, can probably use these in the border. 

BONNIE HUNTER: PATCHES AND PINWHEELS CONTINUED

Patches and Pinwheels ticking along quite nicely. Finally sewed all the half triangles together during the week and squared them up today ready to sew together to make the pinwheels.
Although this quilt won't be massive it will still be large (78" x 78") and it really hasn't dented the stash much at all. In any case, I'll love it.
Happy Quilting.

BONNIE HUNTER : GRAND ILLUSION, MYSTERY QUILT

So, many months on, the top is together. Borders to come. I've put a black and white version so you can see the pattern better.
There is one mistake with a turned block. It's not bothering me but conveniently it is near an edge so I can get it out and turn it if I thus choose. It's not so obvious and doesn't affect the motion.
This quilt is huge and is currently about 80" x 80".
I'm getting my tops ready to take to the quilter. I am hoping to leave 3 or 4 with Sharon to be done. Once the borders are on this, I am sorting out about 3 backs from my yardage.
Happy Quilting

CHALLENGE: ONE BLOCK WONDER -SCQUILTERS CANBERRA RETREAT 2015- PART FIVE

15/07/15

Vertical strips are now all together, so now just to sew each of the long seams together to make the top.

That will be tomorrow's job. 

CHALLENGE: ONE BLOCK WONDER -SCQUILTERS CANBERRA RETREAT 2015- PART FOUR

13/07/15 Managed to get 2 rows sewn tonight. Once again, so glad I took the photo of the layout.

14/07/15

Managed to get rows 7, 8 and 9 sewn today and then row 1,2,3 and 4 (bottom photo).

Hope you are enjoying watching this come together as much as I am.

CHALLENGE: ONE BLOCK WONDER -SCQUILTERS CANBERRA RETREAT 2015- PART THREE

And so here we are with the first 2 rows being sewn into strips. So glad I took the photos. I stcked up and put sticky notes but the photos sure help making sure you have everything in the right position.
Will have it sewn together before I go away so will definitely be able to sew those borders on before heading to retreat. #notchasingmytail

BOOK REVIEW: NINE PATCH PIZAZZ - BY JUDY SISNEROS

Aunty Anne, Lorraine and I got on to this for a challenge to take to Townsville retreat in 2012.
We got to choose all our own fabrics for this one and whichever design we wanted.
I chose an oriental with beautiful cranes on it. Really enjoyed making this quilt with some nice bigger pieces and classic 9 patches, it really is just lovely and as Judy says, some of them are just "mushy" which makes for a nice calming effect.
My quilt is still needing to be bound (has binding on one side and is the subject of a recent post, "Current Projects".
You can see from the photographs below that I have more defined non patches where as Aunty Anne's quilt is more "mushy".
Both fabulous quilts. I had mine professionally quilted by Sharon- "The Patchwork Quilter" here in Adelaide.





Click here if you cannot see the book in your email.

My Quilt- Yet to be named

Aunty Anne's Quilt- Monet's Flight

CHALLENGE: OLDEST UFO TOP "The Blue Train" - RAIL FENCE BLOCK

My Aunty Anne, friend Lorraine and a number of other SCQuilters decided at last years retreat in Launceston  that one of the year's challenges was to complete our oldest UFO before Canberra's retreat (at the end of July). I had designed this rail fence quilt from blue fabrics. The blocks had been sewn together already. Somewhere in moving house I had lost the pattern, so was left wondering how I had laid it out. Today, after it has sat on my sewing table for 6 weeks screaming to be put together, it has been and has taken 3 hours. I cut this when I knew not much about fabric, seams and really anything about quilting. The light fabric is some sort of poly- mix so a hot iron is a killer for it. So have managed to get it flat with a very low iron. This fabric means I will have to quilt it myself which will be the next job for the year. In the ditch or cross hatch is the question?
I've had to square up the 4 blocks, then square up the rows. I reckon it was originally sewn on my old Janome.
Still deciding on borders as it is under 4 feet square, to make it usable for me I would want it at least 5.5' square for use on the couch. I've got some spare 2.5" strips that I could use as a thinner border, all sewn together lengthways, then add some of the navy cotton I bought in Egypt 14 years ago as a bigger border.

Based on it being a rail fence, I have called it "The Blue Train".
I love train travel and "The Blue Train" is a journey I would love to do one day.
Click here to read about the journey.

Whatever is under your needle, spend 20- 30 mins sewing and enjoy.