Its Been Gifted!

In a process that started over a year ago, I let my DD2 choose a short list of quilt designs that she liked - and then relinquish the rest of the process to me, to make her Uni quilt.

After looking at the options, I chose this pattern, called Hearts Crossed, by Darcy Fox of the Dandelion Quilt Studio.

It allowed me to use lots of different fabrics, all the warm colours that I thought my daughter would enjoy.

I even found some fun print fabric for the backing - with foxes and woodland creatures on it.

Although I made the quilt top last summer when she was away, I hadn't had a chance to complete it until she was away for a few days last month.

Pleased that I managed to do it.

Then I had to decide when to actually gift it  - that was nearly harder than making it, as I'd started to wonder if I'd got the right colour family for her!

I'm pleased to say that when I passed it over, she was delighted with it!

The rest of the backing was made up with this improv strip - that used up lots of the scraps that I generated in making the front of the quilt.  Always a nice idea, and it gives a quieter side if the front is too much!

When I quilted it I added leaves and a few flowers to the meander quilting that I was using.

You can see the front and the back together here.  I love them!

Of course I added a label.  Now it's all ready for her to take to Uni in September, after her year off.

This is one of the blocks - you can see the hearts quite easily here.  On some blocks they point in, in alternate blocks they point out.  Nice variety.

I love this pattern, and can see me making it again!
 

Puffin Folder Cover

This is my completed folder cover!  Let me talk you through the steps.....

First of all, get a lovely friend to unexpectedly gift you a frame of mini hexies made of bird prints, and a puffin print panel. (thank you so much, Benta!  I absolutely love them!).

Apply the frame to the puffin print to the best of your ability.

Pull your folder of patchwork notes / patterns / scraps of papers with quilting designs on, and decide to make a cover for it.

Apply the puffin and hexie panel to the seagull fabric that you bought for another project and forgot to us (see post from two weeks ago!).

Try to keep it straight!

Back with some 'frankenbatting' (wadding scraps, for example from quilt edge trimmings, sewn together to make a larger piece) and quilt.

Trim (in this case to 13.5" x 23"), add a lining piece of the same size, and two 'wings' of 13.5" x 8" folded WST and pressed).  Place the larger peices RST with the 'wings' between them and pin.  Sew around the outside.

Trim the corners, turn through, and top stitch close to the edge.

Ta-da!  You have completed your folder cover!
 

I'm so pleased with it!  It's a perfect fit, and a lovely cover to a well used folder.

Pickle Dish Workshop

Through the Miniatures Group, part of the UK Quilters Guild, I took a two part workshop with Judi O'May.  She was a great tutor - lots of patience with showing and re-showing different techniques to achieve the Pickle Dish blocks.

These were my starting point

And now, the crescents made and trimmed, with the squares and centre 'eye' shapes, all ready to join.

I had to remember to reverse the order of the fabrics to get them to be opposite each other, as that is what I wanted to do.

Playing with scraps is always such fun!

And here are the shapes, all joined up.

I made four, in order to make a small wall hanging.

Judi even gave us quilting ideas, as well as layout ideas and instructions on how to join them.

I went with echo quilting the shapes, with a denser infill - you can see it clearly on the reverse.

And here is the front in it's full glory.  Already hung on my study wall.  I'm very happy that I've made it, but I'm not sure that I'd want to tackle a full size quilt with this technique, lovely though it looks!
 

Bird Hanging - The100DayProject - Complete!

I forgot to take a separate photo of the last 10 birds that I made - doh!

But, it's because I was so excited to be putting them all together!

Here they are (laid out on the design bed!), after I'd sewn the rows.

And here I am, proving that I do own an iron and ironing board (not usually much in evidence in my work!).

And, ta-da, the completed wall hanging!

All 100 days of birds put together.

The hanging is roughly 2'6" square.

It has a floral backing.  I forgot that I bought some seagull fabric that I thought would be fun for it!

And, finally, here it is in my living room, right by my favourite place to sit.

It was a fun project to sew, and has make me think more about different ways to create images with fabric and thread again.