Hurrah!

At last!  I've finished making blocks for the 365 challenge!

These six are the last ones that I made.

A good distraction from 'real life' where Storm Doris  blew down my favourite tree in the garden - a beautiful large Acacia tree which had just come into bloom.  The garden looks very bare with it lying on the ground, mostly in our neighbours garden.  I'm keen to replant, but we might change the tree type as we haven't been very lucky with Acacia's in that spot - we lost the last one that we'd planted there to frost!

 The colours in this photo of the two blocks is closer to what I see - the one above has made the colours a little harsher than they appear to me.

 Since finishing the blocks I've spent a little time working out what layout I'm going to use for them.  I've come up with something that will be 72" x 102" and which will use most of the blocks.

I've also started playing with the bits and bobs that are left over as scraps from the year.

These little pincushions were the result of my first play time.  The two smallest are just 2" finished.

Plenty  more leftovers to play with though, so I'm back to pressing and trimming again.  I think that I'll make a mini quilt with some of these (and perhaps a couple more pin cushions along the way!).

Next I want to start joining some of the blocks up, making progress towards having a finished flimsy. 

I've ordered some wide cotton fabric for the backing.  Plain white as that was the most economical, which is OK as I'm not planning on spending much time looking at the back of it!

Small Step Forward

I knew that it might be tough to get many blocks made this week.  It turns out that this was the only one that I made.

I might have made a couple more, but I slipped over on our long weekend away and it's taking me a couple of days to get back to normal - in addition to being tired from half term and our short holiday!

Not to worry!  I've got an appointment with my splendid osteopath tomorrow, so I should be sewing with gusto again by Friday!  I'm still hoping to finish the blocks by the 28th February!

Happy sewing everyone!

Block Bonanza!

 Nothing as tricky as last week's Twenty T's, so I actually made more blocks than I expected to this week.

 Of course, they aren't all mistake free, but I'm not going to worry about the 'unexpected design outcomes' as my friend Benta might call them!  A phrase that she shared at our Quilt Guild meeting last night, which I shall borrow shamelessly, thanks, Benta!

Thanks to her too for a stack of batik charms - in case I needed a little extra to get me to the finish on this project.  Very sweet, and if they aren't used in this, then they will team very nicely with some other charms that I have and will make a cheerful little quilt - something fast and fun and quick to finish as a breather after this one, perhaps!

 I was pleased to manage 14 blocks in between a little card making (well, it is Valentines day after all) and having my DD's home for half term.

Of course, as I'm typing this I realise that I haven't set a single stitch since they broke up from school..... oh well, there will be plenty of time when they go back next week to make more forward progress again.

 I'm still revelling in having my blocks either made or cut out up to 25th December - so the end of the block making is definitely in sight!

But which was the quilt that won my heart last night in the 'timeless treasures' trunk show?  This one - just part of it shown here - which was a Canadian Red Cross quilt.  Made in WWII it was sent over from Canada and went to a family who had been bombed out of their home three times.

There is a fabulous use of fabric.  Not a scrap turned away - whatever type of fabric it was, it was included.  No fabric trimmed if it could be helped, so as little as possible was wasted.

The quilting stitched were erratic, but there is clearly a cable pattern quilted across it.  It is a wonderful vibrant piece, that seems to embody all the best of people crafting for utility - and to show that it doesn't have to be perfect to be used and cherished, which is the message that I wanted to take from it this week.  It is also another bell ringing in my head to remind me to get back to making for Project Linus.  There are still people around who need something to wrap them in a bit of love and I love the chance to be one of the people who is lucky enough to be able to spend some of my time making for unknown recipients, just like a Canadian, or group of Canadians, in WWII.

Sew, Press, Trim, Repeat!

 This block - "Twenty T's" - has been the most time consuming so far, I think!

Any block instructions that start off with making 88 half square triangles of just 1" square should come with some sort of health warning.  I enjoy piecing but didn't really look forward to trimming all these pieces!  Still, block complete.

 In addition to that particular one, I made six others.  Some of them simpler than others. 


 These were all straightforward, though!

I'm just about to make the 11th December now.  Just 20 more blocks to make - and 20 days left in February until my target date for completion of the quilt top.  With over a week of half term, including a few days away, it's going to be touch and go as to whether I'll make it, but I'll be giving it my best shot!

Happy Sewing!

Good Progress

 Are you fed up with just seeing progress on one project?  It feels like it's been a bit of a long time since I've worked on anything else!

Another 14 blocks this week.  I'm up to the 4th December, which is great!

I also tidied my table top this week and found some lost blocks, so I'm confident that I've got all the dark blocks in one place ready for when I get to assembling the top.

 These blocks are all 6 1/2" square - and all 'bright' blocks.  Nice and sunny to compensate for our grey days this week.

 I've been working through these - some easier than others to piece.

This is quite an exciting stage of a project - speeding towards the end of the piecing!  Then there is the fun of the layout and sewing the sections together, following by the basting (probably my least favourite part of the process, even with spray baste) and quilting  - but that's all in the future.  This week will be another week of  piecing!