Finish Number 3 and progress update

Yes!  It’s finished, my group quilt for which I made two blocks, trimmed, fudged, and stitched the blocks together, sashed, layered, quilted and bound.  As I did so much of the work I am claiming at as a finish.  What do you think?

Circle of Friends made for Paula, 50 x 40 inches, quilted with concentric circles, half inch quilting in the borders.  The backing was chosen by the group as it is one of Paula’s favourite colours and it was also used in the borders.  It is 567 Hearts, The Henley Studio Makower UK.  Jan from the group made a lovely matching label, which reads: 

For Paula

Made with Love

By the “Special Smarties”

2016

xxx

We were originally two groups, the ‘Smarties’ and the ‘Special Needs’ but as numbers dwindled we joined together as the ‘Special Smarties”

And this is where I spent the morning hand stitching the binding, and some of the, what seemed like hundreds, of threads to be buried. If I'd finished it yesterday I would have taken the pics earlier when it was bright but now it's cloudy.

I thought it might be fun to make a list of my WIP and UFO, too.  In my book a WIP is something you are working on now and a UFO is something which has been temporarily abandoned, temporarily as in not worked on for up to X many years but something you mean to finish one day.

Work in Progress

Sticks and Stones - needs quilting

Little House in the Woods (log cabin) — needs layered and quilting

City Lights - needs layered and quilting

Ugly Christmas Sweaters - needs almost everything done barely started

Elephant and I - Cut out, needs the background strips stitched together and paper piecing finished

Several mug rugs and coasters in various stages of completion

UFO’s

Wedding ring quilt, some of the rings are made but needs a LOT of work.  I don’t like the background fabric and as I’m making it by hand it takes forever.

Lanterns Quilt - the blocks are in various stages of completion.  I was seduced by a layer cake, I am now luke warm about it and dislike the other fabrics included.

Baltimore - I think it was a case of too much hand appliqué and going through an iffy stage in my quilting journey.  

I am sure there are more, as I am changing and reorganising my sewing room they will be unearthed named and shamed, or discarded.

To everyone who asked after Indi she is down to five tablets a day from tomorrow and is improving, much more like her old self.  She is due to see the neurologist in a few days for blood tests.  I’ll let you know how she gets on.

Ella has been cut, I forgot how small she is without all the hair.  I think she likes it as she thinks she’s a puppy again.

Linking up with Freemotion by the River,  Lets Bee Social, Needle and Thread Thursday, TGIFF (Celtic Stitches), Confessions of a Fabric Addict,  and Crazy mom quilts

Until next time

Smiles from

Kate 

Edit  Just to let you know Blogger changed my settings turning me into a no reply blogger.  Sorry if you have tried to contact me in the past, it has now been changed.

Progress has been made…….

Yes, a definite improvement on last week.  Although I desperately wanted to start quilting my sticks and stones quilt which is already layered what I HAD to do is finish the quilt top for the group quilt.   As it was my suggestion to make it, it was taken as read I would be the one to put the blocks together, do the borders, layer, quilt, and bind it.

The lovely Jan has made the label, stitched by hand and decorated with two appliqué hearts.  Jan does wonderful hand appliqué, I must try and show you a pic sometime.

This is my progress so far.  The process reminded me how difficult it is to make a quilt from the blocks of several different people.  It seems we all have different ideas of a 1/4 inch seam and the blocks ranged from 12 inches, to 13 1/4 inches.  I admit I took out a  ‘couple’ or so seams and redid them and I had to fudge it a bit, but the end product is fine and the most important thing is we all contributed.  I had a bit of trouble with the circular quilting and so am taking some out but it should be finished next week for our group meeting when I will hand it over for a couple of the other girls to deliver.

On a good note my little Indi is recovering from her recent illness.  She does love my rocking chair.  This was taken before she took ill, you can tell how stressed she gets.

Indi is down from 13 tablets a day to 7, and in another week it will be 5.  The treatment for meningitis in dogs is antibiotics for two weeks and steroids for about 6 months so it will be quite a while yet but at least she is doing well and more like her normal self.

My other dog Ella is being cut today and we just found out the lady who we booked is the owner of the dog who won Cruffts this year (the most prestigious dog show in the UK), most impressive, hope she has a magic wand.  This shows Ella quite nicely but in reality she has and extremely thick long coat which tats up, and does she moult!

Linking up with Freemotion by the River,  Lets Bee Social, My Quilt Infatuation, Anja Quilts, Can I get a Whoop Whoop, and Crazy Mom Quilts

Until next time

Smiles from

Kate 

Quilts and Cake

Progress update

I had a great time at my sewing group on Saturday, don’t we all just love to get together with other quilters to swap ideas, admire work, chat and of course eat cake!  But, my group meets  only every four weeks (just as well for my waistline) so I LOVE to follow blogs for my daily fix.

I worked so hard this Saturday, and am proud to say I made 20 of the 64 blocks for my City Lights Quilt.  You like?

We are also doing a group project, it’s actually a first although we have been together for about five years, you see we were originally two groups, the Special Needs, and the Smaries but as numbers dwindled we joined together to become the Special Smarties.  There are only seven of us plus Jan who owns the shop, Cotton Tree in Mickley Square, northeast England, who makes copious amounts of tea and coffee and dispenses advice, encouragement, and tuition if we need it.  Sadly our oldest member has some health problems and the travel is getting a bit much, hence the group project.  We have all made blocks to make a lap quilt for Paula.  I just need the final two and my job is to make the top.  

We chose the Circle of Friends quilt because thats what we are.

Noticed the pics are getting better? well..........a bit better.  Partly 'cos I am learning how to use the settings but also I used a 'proper' camera instead of my phone, or tablet.  One of the blogs I follow recently posted about taking pics and annoyingly I forgot to save it.  I'll try to find it, it made me want to do better, if only we could get some sun, and the rain would stop long enough to take them out side............  If you have seen such a post and remember which blog it was I would be very grateful if you would let me know.

The only thing left to say is I haven’t started FMQ a sample yet and yes, I’m still procrastinating, but, I have a day off this week and guess what I will be doing?  No I won’t still be talking about it, promise (I think), I WILL just do it so look in soon and I will post a pic.

Linking up with Lorna at http://sewfreshquilts.blogspot.com

Just learning the linky up thing so please bear with me, I haven't got it quite right yet.

Smiles from

Kate

How my journey began, and how it is today

From humble beginnings

My quilting journey began about 15 years ago when I took a course at a local high school.  In three terms I made a hexagon pincushion, a dresden plate table centre, a cushion, and a carry bag for my mat and ruler.  Not good, all I have left is the carry mat which turned out small so the mat and ruler peak out at the top, I still use it though.  Get those fabrics!!!  I had a lot to learn except I like the blue one with the daisies and insects in fact I still have a piece.

One house move later I found a local shop which did classes and signed up for a handmade sampler quilt, this was better.  I purchased the fabrics and was told to choose a few I liked and a background fabric.  When I turned up at the class everyone had shades of blue and white, pinks and creams, that sort of thing…………I had blue,  green. yellow, burnt orange……. well, she did say choose what you like!  So mine turned out a little different, and I loved it, in fact I still think it’s the nicest quilt I ever made.  I had a go at hand quilting it as I had an older Singer machine but it didn’t work out and eventually Aileen from Border Quilts in Eyemouth in the Scottish Borders did it on her longarm and it was transformed.

Its a world away from my latest finish with circle of squares blocks .  I found it in a Stash Bee tutorial, the link is

http://toefeather.blogspot.co.uk/2011/01/circle-of-squares-block-information.html

I was participating in Online Quilt Magazine’s 2015 global swap and the theme was autograph quilts, it was perfect.  fluffysheepquilting.blogspot.co.uk posted a pic as a 6 by 5 block quilt named Circle of Friends which is wonderful, mine is a 3 by 3 wall hanging the blocks made by my bee mates except the centre one which I made as someone needed to drop out.

.  I spiral quilted it on my Bernina 440QE, don’t laugh, it was my second attempt at a spiral (the first was a 12 inch square) and it’s admittedly a bit wonky in the centre but I’m so happy with it, it’s me!

Like the rocking chair?  Its my favourite place to sit and sew in my sunny window.

The colours on the back are rather washed out in the pic, it’s a dull day here in the UK, in reality it’s a strong bright green.  

Tell you more in my next post,

Smiles,

Kate