Let the Quilting Begin!

 The quilt top is complete!

This is always a lovely moment, isn't it?  Quilt top completed.  Although the photo here shows it sideways (DH didn't want to trail it on the damp lawn!) you can see the 3D effect on it.

It was a 'proper' patchwork in the final section when I discovered that I had more light diamonds than I wanted, and not as many darks.  Creative use of the scraps was required to make up the missing shapes that I needed.

 Now backed and basted (aching limbs testify to this - crawling around the floor with fabric, masking tape and spray baste isn't always my favourite thing to do) I'm ready to start quilting!

Feed dogs will be lowered later today and a free motion whirlwind will last until it's complete!

 I also finished a small hand sewing project.  Inspired by the redwork portraits of Tisha Dolton I thought that I'd try a self portrait.

Does it look like me?  I don't know - but you can decide by comparing the stitched image to the photo I used below.

I think that the biggest lesson I learned was to choose a photo where my lips were closed rather than open - that blank space in the mouth looked even worse when I tried to add teeth in!

It's made me reflect on how little I know about what I look like.  I don't wear make up or spend a lot of time on 'image', so as a consequence I don't spend much time in front of a mirror or even considering how I look.  Perhaps a bit longer might be a good thing? 

Anyhow, I'm thinking that I'd like to try and make portraits of my DH and two DDs.  They might look good shown as a set of four.  I wonder if I'll let each family member choose their own thread colour?  Mine, if you can't tell, is purple.

All good fun - and nicely portable for summer holiday projects!

Good Progress on my WIP

 It did take a while to make and trim all the HST blocks.  Then to make them into diamonds - remembering to make 'left hand' and 'right hand' diamonds for the pattern to work.

Now I'm starting to lay them out and sew sections of the quilt together.

 The larger blocks look like this

 Put together with the small diamonds they look like this.  This is one third of the quilt top.  I'm pleased with it!  Hope that my lovely niece will be pleased too with how her chosen fabrics are looking!

Enough spare time to make this postcard for a birthday swap.  Fun to use some scraps and add quilting to it.


Now time to go back to my diamonds and sew up a storm until my DD's break up from school on Friday!

Happy summer sewing!

The Excitement of a Project Start!

 Oh the thrill of a completely new project with completely new fabrics!  The anticipation!  The possibility that this may be the quilt when all the seams are perfect, when all the corners meet! 

Aren't these fabrics fabulous?  Chosen by my SiL and niece for a specific quilt pattern that my niece has chosen for her 'Uni Quilt'.

 Added to these low volume prints that they also chose, all I had to do was to start cutting and sewing!   I spent some time procrastinating.  I want the quilt to be perfect, but I know that I'm only prepared to put in the time and effort to make it as perfect as it turns out, with just an ordinary amount of effort!

 All the coloured fabrics cut into the squares that are needed.

 All the fabrics cut and diagonals marked on the squares that needed them.

It hardly seems enough fabric to make a complete quilt top, does it?

 The first blocks finished.  Twenty four down, 336 to go!

 Here's the start of those HSTs.  They are going to take me a while to make, press and trim.  I'm sure that I'll have more to show you next week!

The pattern, by Karen Lewis of Blue Berry Park, was published in Love Patchwork and Quilting in October 2014.  I've been wanting to make it since I first saw it!  I'm excited that I'm finally doing so.

Rather more instant gratification gained by making these bead and knot necklaces along with some of my gal pals.  Perfect summer colours for me, although I confess to not being much of a necklace wearer!

Happy sewing and crafting, everyone!

Another Scrap Finish

 Another week, another finish!  This will be the last finish for a little while, though, as I'm about to start a quilt for one of my nieces that will take me a little longer to make.  More on that next week!

This is a 44" lovely, made from my 2" strips and squares, the surprise additional size that I cut when I was tackling my scraps.

 It will look less folded once it's out of the washing machine, I'm sure!

I put the strips together 'lasagne quilt' style, stopping once I'd got to a size that I thought I could cut up usefully.

I thought that adding the sashing and border to bring the size up a little was a good plan, and rotating alternate blocks seems to work well too.

I shall pass all three of these scrap quilts on to Project Linus at my quilt group next week.

After watching a terrific  Patsy Thompson DVD (thank you Avril!) I decided to quilt with a loop de loop vine.  My leaves need some work on consistency, but its a good start point for me!

You can see here the leaves  amongst the loops on the back of it here.

I'm off to fondle some fabric and perhaps even iron and cut it - planning and starting a new project is always fun, isn't it?