Another Start

I've started another quilt top!

This time I'm making another MSQC one - their Wallah! or Voila! pattern.

It started off with me needing to cut a lot of 5" blocks.  I cut 96 background and 96 mixed others - the background from yardage, the others from smaller pieces of fabric, although I guess that you could make it with just two colours if you wanted to.

These were my piles.

There are two 'sets' of four patch blocks that you need to construct.  One has three 'background' squares, the other has just a single 'background' square.

When they are made, you need to cut across the odd one out in each set, from corner to corner.  Then make a 2" strip with your next cut.

After that, swap these strips around.  I found it easiest to make these in pairs.... then I knew where I was!

You can see how little triangles start to peep out in this 'magic' technique.

When you sew them together, you end up with a block with a stepped edge.  Don't panic  

Then you need to trim it to 8.5" square, as shown here.

When you have four of each type (I called them darks and lights in my head - but you don't need to call them anything, just count them!)  You can lay them out into 'big blocks'.  

You can see the light star in the darks block and the darks star in the lights block.

I won't sew them together until I've made them all - that way I hope that I can get rid of too many places where the same fabrics in my mixed part end up next to each other!

Plenty more cutting and sewing to do before I have a quilt top to show you.  I shall work my way steadily  through my pile until I'm done!
 

Homework!

I came away from my quilting group meeting (I'm a member of Richmond and Kew Quilters - if you are local come on down and join us!) with several bits of 'homework'!

First there was this fabric postcard to finish - it felt like cheating, as I actually did nothing but machine stitching on it.

Then, the lovely Benta had stitched all the committee members and hangers on (like me!) fancy felt 'starter' patches.  I wanted to make mine a little sturdier, so mounted it on a couple of extra layers and added a brooch back to make it easier to wear at meetings.  It will help make me more visible to other members so that they can approach me if they have a question or suggestion.

Lastly, another Benta initiative, was to make some covered corner blocks with teal squares that Benta provided to us.

Next month we will gather the squares in and turn them into a quilt top ready for donation.

So, all my 'homework' is done for the month, and I'm ready for our May meeting!
 

Improv. Nine Patch

A few weeks ago I took a Zoom workshop with Brenda Gael Smith, on improv. crosses called 'The X factor'.  You might remember the tiny 4" quilt that I made at the time.

This is my full size quilt with my resulting blocks.

Although I have one 'x' in the very centre, most of my blocks are actually nine patch crosses, which were more economical with the fabric.  Several different techniques used.

I was using fabrics from my stash.  As I ran out of the paler background fabrics, I decided to stick with  the number that I'd made and add improv strips to two sides to make it roughly square - almost 60".

On the back I used some pale blue chambray, made to the right size with a floral strip.  I was pleased that this worked, as this gives it a link to another quilt that I made earlier in the year when the floral was used as the backing.  I wanted this, as it is destined for another friend - the third leg of a trio that dates back to when I was eight, and moved house and school.

I think that it's worked out OK.  I just hope that my friend likes it too!  It's quite a random gift to arrive out of nowhere, I realise!

This is the only 'flat' shot that I have of it (from when I was about to baste it).  You can see that I was aiming for a darker cross shape within the block layout, then with filled in darker corners too.

I'm just about to take it off to the Post Office.  Safe journey, latest quilt!
 

Scrap Cutting and Fab Hab

My scrap drawers were starting to groan with the number of scraps that I'd been adding to them.

You know how it is, sometimes when you finish a project you just want to get on with the next one, instead of sorting out the scraps properly!

It's time to sort them out!

I'm cutting to my usual 'recipe'.  10" squares from the  scraps that are large enough for them, then 5" squares, 3.5" squares, 2.5" strips, 1.5" squares, 1.25" strips.  Anything else that appears (for example 2" strips, for some reason!) is put into a colour coded bag of scraps.  

It all packs into the drawers a little better, but reminds me that I need to start planning some more scrap projects!

And my 'fab hab'?  This darling little mini cupboard (it said on the box that it was a tea box) that DD1 gave me for mothers day.  Perfect for storing / displaying my coloured threads - the neutrals will stay in the cupboard!

Not the vintage haberdashery display counters and drawers that I lust after on the auction sites, but a mini nod to them!