Where is it!!!!!

Don't you just hate it when you can't find something!  A few days ago I cut out my next two BOMs for the LQS BOM!  I know I cut out a red one and a Kaffe one - AND NOW I CAN'T FIND EITHER OF THEM.  I also can't find the pattern which isn't such a big problem coz I can get another copy but I wish I knew where the blocks are!  I was so organised cutting them out and storing them in sip lock bags and so on.  Grrrr! 

On a more pleasant note look what the postie bought me today!  These are my swap blocks from Celia.  We are both doing the Rainbow Scrap Challenge and each month we swap some block of our own - I send her four 5 inch stars and a hexagon flower and Celia sends me four 5 inch crumb blocks and a stitchery.  I always love what I receive.   I think the stitchery is really cute but I also love the little teddy and the cute little girl.

 This is what I sent Celia. 

More quilty love turned up with the postman again today.  Last week I round out that I had won a quilt from Once Upon a Quilt.  Christine had a giveaway for anyone who sponsored her SIL, who needed sponsors for the Bridge to Brisbane to raise funds for Legacy.  I was the lucky one to win her quilt and I am delighted.  It is just lovely - beautifully quilted!

 This will be it's permanent home in my living room between my grandparent's old rocking chairs.

I had hoped to get some more work done on Bruce's quilt but no such luck - tomorrow hopefully.
Till next time.........happy stitching!

Rainbow Scrap Challenge - White

Start with some white scraps, cut some 2 1/2 inch squares, pair with some more scraps squares and you end up with four patch blocks.  Add in some 5 1/2 inch squares in bright colours and you end up with a rainbow hued quilt.

Seems kind of appropriate for the RAINBOW scrap challenge.    I have managed to get the first four rows sewn together tonight and I am hoping to get the next four sewn together in the next day or so.   I have to get the blocks pinned and rows numbered by end of tomorrow anyway as the floors get mopped on Tuesday and, as you can see, the bottom blocks drape on the floor - not good! 

I have a special home in mind for this quilt but I am not saying anything until I know  can get it finished in time.  I am still trying to finish Bruce's quilt and I don't want to let that slip by.  I also have a lot on this week so I will just have to see how much I can get done!  I am off to a sew in to finish off quilts to go to those affected by the Queensland Floods so my goal is to be quilting this quilt by Saturday......hmmmm.....watch this space I guess!

So, can't stop to talk - lots of sewing to do!

Till next time........happy stitching!

What did I achieve today?  Well, let's see.  I trimmed the pastel quilt we worked on on Wednesday.

 It is not a great photo but you can see the striped binding at least.  And here you can see the pretty floral backing which I hadn't shown you before.

Next I made the binding and rod pocket for my Christmas quilt and got them sewn on.  I did the hand sewing tonight while watching TV.   It was a bit of a struggle because my hand was really sore but I really wanted to get it done.  There is just one problem with this quilt.  I am not sure where I can hang in at Christmas time.  I am not sure that I have a wall big enough for it and I don't want to lie it on a sofa etc.  I will have to give it some thought!

 And the back

 And a close up of the backing so you can see what it is like - one of my favourite Christmas fabrics that I have had for ages and am glad to have finally found a use for.

 After finishing the binding a spent an hour or so on my Rainbow Scrap Challenge quilt.  Yes, the colour is white but I teamed it with lots of random scrap squares and got this and tonight I added some squares of the bright blue to some of the four patches.  I have a companion print to the blue which will be the border so I am pick out all the colours to cut some more squares to go with the four patch blocks.  I think there will be some gold in there too somewhere.

 The end result will be something like this and then I will add borders.  I need to do some cutting tomorrow when the light is better, and when I am not so tired.

Now before I go -

You have to see this gorgeous quilt over here.  It is called "Bird of Paradise" and the detail is amazing!

Till next time......happy stitching!

Just the binding to go

I always love coming to the end of  a quilt.  Today I finished piecing the backing, layered and pinned and even managed to quilt my Christmas quilt.

I felt the quilt was busy enough so I ditch stitched around each block and the borders and left it at that.  Tonight while watching "The Green Hornet" DVD with Guitar Hero and DH I sat and sewed in all the ends.  Tomorrow I need to trim the edges, make the binding and sew it on.  I am aiming to have the quilt completed by next Wednesday.  I want to share it with my quilt group on Wednesday and then take it to the quilt shop on Thursday morning.  The teacher who ran the class I started it in will be there, but also a bunch of the lovely ladies that did the Retreat class with me.  I would like to share it with them too. 

I will take a photo of the completed quilt as soon as I get it done.  The quilting doesn't really show up as the backing is very busy and it is in the ditch on the front.

And last but not least - Christine over at Once Upon a Quilt is having a giveaway and this is one you will want to check out!  A Go Baby and three dies!  Woo Hoo!!!  Good Luck!

Hope you all have a great weekend.

Till next time................happy stitching!

Close to the end and then Getting STARted

Today I managed to get the borders on my Christmas quilt  (photos tomorrow) and I pieced the backing for it too.  I still have a narrow piece to add along the side where the stars are and also along the bottom just to frame in the stars and label block.

 I managed to piece my label AND insert it in the backing - something I always want to remember to do and often forget until the quilt is already pinned! 

 After getting this far it was time to stop and feed the kids and after that I decided to leave the final touches till tomorrow when I am feeling fresher.

I did manage to get stuck into planning a quilt I am making for a friend of mine in the States.  He and his wife are friends of ours from when we lived there and he has just been diagnosed with a rare form of bone marrow cancer - I hate cancer!- and so I am aiming to get this too him by the end of September if I can.  Before I could go too far with planning I had to make sure I was happy with one of the ideas I had.

I googled and found this pattern for a five point star.  It has to be a five point star as that is the logo both the New york Yankees and the Dallas Cowboys.  I decided the best thing to do was to sew one up and see how it went.  It wasn't too fiddly and I am sure it will get easier as I do more.

I am going to do some with football fabric like this and some with baseball fabric with red stars and I think I will combine with with some other more simple squares.  Not quite decided what design they will be yet.....any suggestions?

I am also going to include these in some way

I bought these on eBay and there are two of each.  I think I will sew up the star blocks and then think about it some more.  I think I need to look at some inspiration pics and sleep on it. 

Till next time.................happy stitching!

Working Wednesday

Worked hard today.  We had our sewing bee but it was only a relatively small one.  There were four of us.  First we layered and pinned this quilt, then I quilted it and did the machine sewing on the binding.  Just the hand sewing and label to do!

 I should have taken a close up of the centre.  It is just smaller squares with a thin green border.  It was an orphan block donated to us.  The rest of the quilt was built around it.  This quilt is going to the local Retirement Village for a raffle prize.

While I quilted another quilt was layered and pinned ready for quilting.  I didn't get a picture of it - all pretty pinks, greens and blues.  No home for it yet so no urgency to quilt it.  Once I get it out again I will photograph it.

The final quilt we worked on was this green "golfing" quilt. You can't see here too well but the alternating blocks are gold course fabric with red golf bags and blue golf buggies.   This quilt is for Quilts for Keeps, hopefully for a teenage boy.  Here Irene and Sharon are pinning it so I can sew it together.  I should have taken a photo before the girls started taking it of the design wall but I wasn't quick enough so this will have to do.  It is enough for you to get the idea anyway.  I think this will be finished off with some more red spot and maybe some more green strips to make it big enough for a teenager.  Red spotty binding for sure!

 Finally tonight I headed out to my fortnightly sewing group/class.  I gave myself an easy night tonight.  I sewed the two blocks for the LQS BOM.  These are both for the first month.  First my Kaffe Fasset (out of my comfort zone) block.

 This is much more within my comfort zone and really works for me!

I also cut out the red block for the next month's block and started thinking about the Kaffe version. 

I am hoping to get lots of sewing in tomorrow - hopefully borders on the Christmas quilt plus make the backing, including the label.  I also want to get the golf quilt sewn together so it is a top waiting for borders and not just a bunch of blocks pinned.

Till next time............happy stitching!

More Christmas Quilting

I have been determined to get as much done on my Christmas Quilt as possible by the end of tomorrow as I go back to my evening sewing class with Amanda who designed the applique picture for it tomorrow night and I want to be able to show her.  It has to be more satisfying, as a teacher, to see students finish things.

This is where I am up to.  It took me ages to fussy cut all the green borders/sashings so that I got the word "Christmas" in the correct place but I am really happy with the result.

 I hope you can see it a bit better in this picture. 

 These are two of my favourite blocks - I like to fussy cut little details like "Merry" on his nose

 and "Hope" on the pot.  One day I am going to make a whole quilt with all sorts of details fussy cut into it!

 Believe it or not this is how much of the green fabric I had leftover.  I couldn't have cut another strip with the words positioned in the correct place if I had wanted to and this last strip was unusable for that reason - the words were in the wrong position. 

My next decision is which border do I use?  The one on the left has cute little reindeer on it on a check background but maybe it is too dark.  The one of the right has "Peace on Earth" and other lovely phrases on it and was used in the quilt.  I think I am siding with the lighter fabric but I am not sure!  Input gratefully received!

Just before I go...

I have a few people ask me where to get the pattern for the Japanese Lunch Bag - my favourite little bag pattern.  It is available from Chandler's Cottage and you will find it if you click on STORE, PATTERNS and JAPANESE LUNCH BAG.  I tend to make my bags out of one fabric for the outside whereas their panels are pieced but I guess it depends on what fabric you have on hand.

That's it for me tonight....................till next time......happy stitching!