Mystery QAL catch up

Hooray, I've finally caught up with Sheilas Mystery QAL (see button on the side if you want to join in). I did have a bit of a pratt attack, the simplest part should have been the plain panels used to join these blocks together. Really, really simple. Just cutting.

Firstly I chose a fabric that I didn't like so had to do it again but for my second go I cut the pieces too narrow and when I say narrow I mean half the size they should have been! Being very annoyed with myself by this point, I took the lazy route and just added on another strip rather than removing them and recutting properly!

Will I come to regret my laziness? Who knows.

I am now finished work and don't haven't anything else planned until October. I've been looking at the projects I have outstanding and need to make a list and prioritise them, there are that many! Watch this space..

Finally something to show you!

No, I didn't fall completely off the face of the earth over the last month, but this work malarkey is a nightmare!

Not only have I worked my first 5 day week in over two years (I'm sure you all feel very sorry for me about that!) I've worked days over the weekends as well and have the prospect of worse to come over the next two month. The good news, apart from the money I'm earning which is the whole reason for doing it, is that I'm over half way through now and have 9 weeks left to go! I'm going to be counting those weeks down, let me tell you.

This all means that my time sewing has been severely restricted, just a bit at weekends in between unpacking the suitcase, laundry and repacking for the next week. But, yes! I've finished something.

This is the quilt from Lynne's QAL over at Lilys Quilts and I have to say I'm very very happy with it.

Doing the curved seams scared me but on this large scale they were a lot easier to do than I thought. Each block was quilted separately and it made such a difference. I could never have got quilting like this if I was struggling with it all at once.

I was a big nervous as well about putting the quilt as you go blocks together and read loads of different instructions but in the end I went for my own bodge and it worked out fine. Most instructions end up with some hand sewing for the back and I just couldn't face that. I sewed the front seams with the wadding and back folded and pinned back. Then I trimmed the wadding to size so it just matched up and then folded the backing fabric over each other to create a seam. Then I sewed this is a sort of straight line from the back so I got as close to the edge as possible. I then did a few more wonky lines down the sashing so it all sort of blended! Not for everyone I'm sure, but I'm happy with it. Very, very happy with it.

The joins on the back don't totally line up, but who cares, I certainly don't.

The binding is a lovely stripe I had in stash that went really well.

Overall it is about 60x 90 inches, so one of my biggest every and when I think how much easier it was than the last one because of the quilt as you go I smile inside!

Pyjama Party Sunday

Marg is hosting a pj party so head over to her at http://sunshineparadiseplease.blogspot.com/2011/04/pyjama-party-sunday_24.html for some more fun.

I have to confess I didn't spend all day in my Pjs, but I did most of yesterday so hopefully that counts.

I got a few more string blocks finished and a bunch of my paper piece blocks for Sarcastic Quilters QAL, none of which I actually remembered to photograph! Ah well.

I also tackled the big white elephant in the corner of the room - well not actually white but yellow with coloured blades. Yes, I went to quilt one of my dresden blocks for Lynnes QAL.

I started by straight line quilting the inner and outer circles and then the blades from the inner circle out to the first border. Then I went for the centre - which if I do say so myself came out quite well. I used a template to get the inner flower shape and the first round of petals then just followed on from that.

I was going to do the blades in a zigzag from the centre out, but after doing 3 I realised it wasn't working and had to unpick! Yuck. But, I'm glad I did because my second attempt worked so much better and was easier. I FMQ'd a loopy pattern through the blades to the first border. This is one corner.

I then straightlined around both sides of the first colour border and left the outer border for joining my blocks. This is what it looks like from behind where you can see the pattern more.

Then I went to the V&A to see an exhibition on "The Cult of Beauty: The Aesthetic Movement 1860-1900". What does it say about me that I kept seeing quilting patterns in the designs!

As usual there was always something new to discover in this wonderful place. This was a set of tiles but I could see a beautiful quilt in this.

And a whole new area that I hadn't seen before that must have been a courtyard of something before being covered over with glass.

And after all that, I didn't even eat any chocolate! How good am I? Well it's only because I don't see my Mum until tomorrow and get my egg then. Hope you enjoyed your holiday weekend, however you celebrate.

More joining in

As if I don't have little enough time vs quilting plans I've joined a mysery quilt a long over at Bluepatch quilter. The button is over on the side and below. Do the clicky thing if you want to get more details and join in.

Paper Piecing

I've done my first few blocks for Sarcastic Quilters paper piecing QAL and they are coming together really well.

I love this block, it isn't too complicated but can be put together into so many interesting ways. These aren't the layout I will be using, but they show its variety.

If course, I should also be getting on with Lynnes QAL but I'm still avoiding the curved seams bit!

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I finished my 4th top from my big pile yesterday. This one has also been hanging around for about a year. The top was made with AMH Good Folks range. I have to confess, once I had it pieced I didn't like it at all although adding a piano border helped a bit.

In hindsight, I realise it needed something else to break it up, such as a solid in the way my Innocent Crush top worked once the solid was added. But a year ago I was less experienced and just stuck it out. However, the fabric itself has a really lovely soft texture.

I used a new poly wadding (well new to me)  and it had a really high loft so I just did a loose wavy loopy FMQ and it kept it really puffy. Its not that big 42x56 inches before washing, I forgot to measure it afterwards.

For the backing, I used some dots and flowers. I had a shopping spree earlier in the year that I didn't admit to where I bought loads of on sales fabrics, 2 yards of each just to have in stash for backing. These ones went very well I think.

Finally, I have decided on the fabrics I will use for Sarcastic Quilter's Paper Pieced QAL (see button on the side). It will be very scrappy, in shades of green and yellow.

More dresdens

I've done my 6 dresdens for Lynne's Quilt Along over a Lily's Quilts.

Once they are cut out they sewed together a lot easier than I expected and every single one laid flat! Hooray!

I made them all out of Pat Bravos Paradise and used both colour schemes.

Whoopee - First Dresden done

This is my first dresden plate, made for Lynne's QAL over at Lily's Quilts (see the button on the side) and I was really worried that it wouldn't lay flat when it was all sewn together - but it did!!!

I have to say I'm glad its so big, (each blade is 9 inches) as I would loose a lot of patience on doing lots of small ones.

I even pressed the seams open - shock. I've only ever bothered doing that once before, but as there are only 6 mega-size blocks in this quilt I thought it was probably worth the extra effort!

I've got two more cut out so I'm nearly half way through already. I'm still nervous about how we are going to attach it to the background but I'll trust in Lynne.

Two Quilt Alongs in one Week!

I must be going a bit doolally as I have never joined in on a Quilt Along before and now I am joining two in the same week.

This second one is with Becky at http://sarcasticquilter.blogspot.com/2011/03/quilt-along-post-1-suppply-list.html and I saw the design she was doing a few months ago and it was so lovely I knew I wouldn't be able to resist.

She has so many wonderful layouts from the same block I've spent all afternoon trying to work out which one I want to do.

I have finally (maybe but nearly definitely) decided on this one.

I am going to do in in greens and yellows with a bit of white. One of my cousins has asked for a quilt for her cottage in Ireland and was very vague on colours as she hasn't decorated there yet. So green, white and gold seem fitting.

I've just been trawling through my stash for all my greens and yellows (well some of them) as I am going to do it quite scrappy. I figure as long as the values in each part of the block are the same it should work out ok. Now I just have to sort them into the correct values!!!! I've never done that before but I think it will be okay.

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I finished another quilt today - hooray.

The top was finished some time last year and is a string quilt that contains lots of my scraps from 2010. It was lovely quilting it to keep spotting little bits of fabric and remembering what they got used for and where they came from.

I just did straight line quilting in a cross hatch pattern. Its hard to see with the amount of patterns and colours so it wasn't worth doing anything else.

I had made the top using muslin as the foundation rather than paper. The extra layer it adds is noticeable, it makes it a bit heavier. I'm not sure if I prefer it; obviously it is lovely not to have had to peel away all the paper foundation but the overall texture is different. It doesn't seem as soft and snuggly.

I'm also joining my first quilt along. Lynne has designed a lovely quilt which will take me right out of my comfort zone. Dresden plates, curved seams and quilt as you go blocks!

These are the fabrics I've selected which are Pat Bravo Paradise collection with the yellow background.