Matching!

Remember that polka dot fabric that I used for the garden projects in last week's post?

There is quite a lot left!  But to start me off on how to use it, I've made a small tray mat.

The tray is grey to match the garden furniture - a Poundland bargain!

Hoping to have more time for sewing over the next week or two.....
 

Garden Sewing

Fabric isn't just for indoors, is it?  

I'm experimenting with fabric 'jackets' for these less than lovely (but very useful!) black plastic plant pots that home our bamboos.

They give us a lovely pop of colour on the decking!

The are are some members of the family who think that using the left over fabric to make a compost bin cover may be taking things a step too far.... we will make a decision in the next few weeks as to whether it stays or goes!

Loving my cattle trough pond and solar fountain, though!  Lots of fun.

 Despite lots of time spent on the garden, there was still time to bake and enjoy this!

Another adult in the household!  Crikey!

Happy birthday, Georgie!

Cushion Cover Complete

Limited sewing time this week, but just enough to make this cushion cover using the mini starburst that I showed last week.

A grid to cover it, and freehand feather style quilting in the corners.

 The colours are more accurate in the lower photo.  It's made a lovely spring coloured cushion!

Mini Starburst

Just time for a mini make!

I enjoyed the starburst quilt from last week, but wondered if I could try some more untrimmed Half Square Triangles in a small size to see how accurate they really were.

This was the resulting mini top  - finishing at just 8" square, rather than the 62" of the original.

I chose my fabric (the pale one is a solid pale green, it didn't photograph well!).  I wanted spring colours (think new growth and crocus flowers) but without heading down the yellow and green route!

Then I cut 16 x 2.5" squares of each fabric, and set to, making it exactly the same way as the larger one.

I have to be honest, I didn't know exactly what size it would come out at.

I think that it might become a panel on a file cover or perhaps part of a bag.  

Fun, but not really a practical size to use, or small enough for an interesting display piece.  Still, it's good to be able to sew simple stuff without necessarily having an end goal, isn't it? 

Starburst!

I've had fun making a simple quilt top this week.

To make a two colour quilt top, you could do this too.  

Take16 squares of a print and 16 squares of something contrasting (my squares were 10" square).

Place a pair of contrasting fabrics together and sew around all four edges of the square.  

Cut into four with two diagonal cuts.

Open out to show the 4 half square triangles, press and trim the 'dog ears' off.

Reapeat with all the squares that you have.

Put together 16 HSTs in this pattern - this makes a quarter of the quilt.

Sew them together.

Repeat three more times

Put together all four quarters - make sure that you pay attention to get the 'starburst' pattern.

Sew together and admire your quilt top!

I really like this colour combination, but every time I see it I'm reminded of my granny's 90th birthday, when one of my cousins bought her a t-shirt in these colours.  Funny how colour can bring back memories, just like smell can - that the birthday party was 45 years ago!

You could always make an alternative layout - but I don't think that this is as pleasing.

I haven't got any further than this - helping DH with a garden project has taken over for the moment, - but I really enjoyed this fun and fast quilt top that finishes like this, without borders, at 52" square.  You could easily add a border to bring the size up a little if you wanted to.

If you'd like to see a video of this pattern being made, hop over to Missouri Star Quilting Company to see it here.