Parson Gray Quilt Ta-Da!

This is a long overdue post about another quilt I have finished for Siblings Together. I've been having a few health issues ( still not resolved) which has curtailed my activities for a bit :0(  Anyway, here it is:

This quilt started life at the Fat Quarterly retreat 2014. We were divided into ( volunteer) groups and kindly given a jelly roll to make into a charity quilt. We were given a Parson Gray jelly roll and decided to make simple rail fence blocks. The only others in the group that I can remember taking part were Nick  and Kelly @the_original , so apologies to anyone else who helped. I volunteered to take the blocks home to make them into a quilt and this is the result. There weren't enough blocks to make a large enough quilt ( I had to make up a few by piecing small strips to get a 4 x5 ft  'inner' section) so I added two solid borders. I also felt the whole quilt needed a bit of a proverbial lift. The fabrics are way out of what I would normally choose and a bit grungy and dull imho! I spent quite a while trying to match the solid colours to the inner fabrics and Kona chartreuse and teal seemed to fit the best ( I definitely wasn't going to choose brown!!). I think it has worked reasonably well.

 

The back is a batik fabric from Ikea which came in a long strip and I had to piece. I had planned for the lighter strip you can see to be in the middle but somehow this failed miserably. I'm hoping the lobsters will appeal to a child/teenager.

 

 

I quilted it with a zig-zag  design which was wasted really as you can't see it on the front.

 





It was terrific practice for me though and I like the effect, even though you can't see it ! I quilted the edge with straight lines.

 

The scrappy binding was sent to me by the lovely Mary and is a perfect match.

 

Quilt Stats:

Size :58 x 71 inches

Front Parson: Gray jelly roll ( don't know which line)and Kona chartreuse and teal

Back : Batik from Ikea

Binding: Parson Gray scraps with a small amount of Kona solids

Wadding: Hobbs Premium Cotton 80/20

Quilted with So Fine 408 50/3 in pale grey both in bobbin and on top

 

This is also another finish for FAL Q2, my original list being here.

 

 



Pink Wonky Log Cabin Ta-Da!

I have managed one finish in the second quarter of FAL with Adrianne already- woo hoo! This is number 5 in my list for this quarter ( original post here ). I'm Queen Bee for April in Siblings Together Quilt Bee and had to come up with a large block, so I chose this quarter wonky log cabin. I liked the block so much ( and it was brilliant for using up scraps), that I ended up making a whole quilt and therefore will end up with 2 of these quilts to give to Siblings Together.

 

 

Here is the finished quilt:

 

 

I made a pieced back from 2 yards of Denyse Schmidt fabric I bought in the States some years ago and left over scraps from another extra wide backing.

 



 

I quilted it very simply just with wavy lines as the front is busy enough and any fancier quilting would be lost. The binding is a purple solid I had in my stash, but I'm not sure which particular colour it is.

 



 

This is such a lovely cheerful quilt and I  hope it will be loved.

 

Quilt Stats:

Size: 57 x 79 inches

Front : Made with scraps and fabric from my stash

Back: Denyse Schmidt and scraps of pink spot on spot by Robert Kaufman

Wadding: Hobbs Premium 80/20

Binding: Purple solid from my stash

Quilted with : So fine white ( 401) both bottom and top 

 

 



 

Also linking with Scraptastic Tuesday

 



My first Sew Together Bag

I'm always very slow on the uptake, as these bags have been around for a while. My partner in the UK miniswap admired one of these bags on IG ( that someone had been gifted ), so I thought it was the perfect extra. I had also seen these fabulous tote bags in Tula Pinks' Elizabeth fabric. Initially, I thought I would make one of these but they involved piping ( the pattern uses ready- made piping, something I couldn't source in the UK) and I had already purchased the Sew Together bag pattern some time ago, so I combined the two, et voila:

 

Little did I know it would cause me such pain!. My sewing machine didn't like the thick layers of fabric and I broke 2 needles and ruined my 1/4 inch foot.

 

 

 

 

 I don't know if you can see it clearly but the needle drilled a new hole at the rear of my plastic 1/4 inch foot making it impossible to sew with anymore.

 

 

I put out a call on IG and Victoria @sewgoclimbing came to my aid and suggested a walking foot. Fortunately, that did the trick.

 

 

I used fabric from my stash for the inside ( didn't have enough Tula).

 

 

 

Before I started I did a bit of research and found The Quilt Barn's Sew a Long invaluable. I also chose to use longer zips and cut them off ( easier to sew) , though I think zip tabs is probably a good solution as well. I'm sure, as many others have found before me ( as I said I'm a little slow!!) the next one will be a lot easier. I've also ordered a new metal quarter inch foot! I've now sent off my UK miniswap but foolishly didn't take a photo of the contents. I just hope my partner likes it all.





 

 

 

 



FAL2015 Second Quarter

These lists make very boring reading, I'm afraid, but they do provide a much needed incentive to get things done.
I managed 5 out of my 9 projects listed last quarter, so not too bad, all things considered. I therefore have 4 quilts to carry forward to this second quarter. These are:

1)HST quilt

 

All the blocks are made ( though not trimmed!), so still a fair bit of work to be done.

 

2)Trajectory Quilt

 



Still waiting for a few blocks to be sent to me, then I can finish this one.

3)Graces Quilt

 

Just need to quilt and bind this one, so no excuses for why it's not finished

 

4)Wonky stars quilt

 

 

Again, just need to quilt and bind it.

 

5) Wonky Log Cabin 1

 





Just need to quilt and bind it ( can you see a theme developing here!)

5) Wonky Log Cabin 2
This is the bee block for STQB for April, so should have all the blocks in the next few weeks to get on with this one.

 

6) Boy quilt from FQR retreat 2014

 

These were blocks made in the FQR retreat, that I have to do something with. I have been waiting for some solids to go with these blocks, and they have now arrived.

 

 

8)Recession Quilt

 

These blocks are bee blocks for Together@do.good stitches for this month, so I should be able to get this quilt done this quarter

 





9)Geese all round
I'm still waiting for some of these blocks to come in, but hope to get it done this quarter.

 

10)Carlton's Quilt

I'm planning to make an eye spy economy block quilt for Carlton.

 

 

I think this is more than enough for one quarter.

 

Linking with Adrianne

 



UK Mini Swap 2015

Just a quick post because I have finished my UK mini swap quilt ( taking place on IG). This is my first ever mini swap, so I'm a bit nervous. I have reservations about mini quilts, though now I've made one I can see how useful it is for trying out new things without committing to a full quilt. And certainly, my sewing room could do with a bit of decoration.
Anyway here it is:

 

And the back:

 

 

I nearly forgot to put in the corner triangles on the back, so it could be hung on a wall without damaging the quilt, but remembered in time!.

 

The design is not my own, it is a complete copy of a beautiful quilt ( called Portal) by a South African quilt artist called Susan Wessels. I haven't been able to find out much about her, except she makes exceptional quilts. I drew it out on paper ( I don't have the computer skills or package to do it any other way!) and then worked out how to paper piece it in sections. It seemed to work very well. I will be very sad to part with it because I absolutely love it. I just hope my partner does too. I spent hours agonising over a suitable design and pinning loads of alternatives, until I saw this one.

It is quilted quite simply with straight lines using Presencia 50/3 in a mid-grey.

This will also be my final first quarter finish in FAL 2015.

My original list for this quarter is here:http://therunninghar.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/fal-first-quarter-2015.html

 



Scrappy Log Cabin Quilt - Ta Da!

It's been a funny old week. Last Monday, I had 3 dental implants fitted. My teeth are the product of post war dentistry (where dentists were rewarded for doing things to your teeth) and as a consequence I have had 4 teeth removed in the past. I decided now I'm a lady of leisure to have the implants ( after some research) and duly went along. I declined the sedation offered ( I am an anaesthetist ! and think sedation, which is very tricky even in trained hands, should be avoided if at all possible) but then again, I am also very stoical and knew it wouldn't upset me like it does some people. Everything went to plan and it only took an hour. I was put on a course of antibiotics as is usual after having foreign bodies drilled into your bones. I had  underestimated how under the weather I would feel for some time afterwards. My mouth is really very sore and as both sides of my mouth are involved ,eating is difficult and painful. The antibiotics have also reeked havoc- I won't go into detail as that would be tmi! It's left me feeling a bit low, which is not like me.
Anyway, I have forced myself to finish my scrappy log cabin quilt, which I had never planned to do but as is often the case with these things, is now a firm favourite. I joined in the #scrappylogcabinqal on IG and then had to see it to fruition.

 

It's raining outside, so I can't get any sunny pictures sadly! This photo does not truly convey the lovely colours. I bound it with Kona Midnight again ( like my blue chequers quilt) because it matches the back so perfectly and I had used some Kona Midnight in the log cabins but I added two small flashes of colour as well.

 

 

 The design evolved organically again. I made 20 log cabin blocks which exhausted my supply of longer scrappy strips. Fortunately, I had a smallish piece of the Kona Robins egg which I was able to use for the border. However, I didn't quite have enough to go all the way round, hence the coloured blocks in the border at each end to make up the deficit. The back is more of the Lizzie House constellations.

 

I quilted it with an overall pattern called Greek Key, again using freehand free  motion quilting, not a pantograph. This gives a slightly more graphic look which I like.

I had never intended to make this quilt, but it has turned into one of my favourites. I'm going to be sad to send it off to Siblings Together!

 

Quilt Stats

 

Size: 58 x 71 inches

Top made up of scrappy log cabins

Back : Lizzie House constellations

Binding: Kona Midnight

Wadding : Hobbs 80/20

Quilted ( top and bottom threads) with So Fine 50 wt in light grey ( 408)

 

Linking with Scraptastic Tuesday

 

 



Blue Triangle Quilt

I started this quilt some time ago, so I'm very glad to have finished it. It is also on my list for the first quarter FAL 2015  with Adrianne .I was inspired by this quilt by Lady Harvatine. However, I soon got bored and hence the quilt is quite small, though very suitable as a baby quilt. This is just as well as it's destined for the grandson of my friend Liz!

This was my first foray into using blue and green, a theme I currently seem to be obsessed with. It is also my first  solids only quilt ( well except for the backing and the binding). I'm really hoping to make some more solids only quilts in the future.
The back was made up from scraps.

 

The Moda green dottie was left over from Eleri's quilt and the Riley Blake zigzag was a freebie from Fat Quarter Shop. I should explain: I ordered 2 yards of this extra wide backing and in error they sent me half a yard instead of the 2 yards I had ordered so I got to keep it ( and they sent me the original order, which I will use for another quilt)

By chance I had some Michael Miller clown stripe in aqua and white which was a perfect match to use for the binding.

 

 

I quilted it with straight lines about a quarter inch apart. This is far from perfect and I did learn some lessons. Firstly, the blocks are biased edged and therefore stretch a little. I also think in future I shouldn't try to 'lock 'the stitches when they need finishing in the middle of a block, but should finish them off by hand sewing. With quilting this dense, the quilt is a little stiff, despite using a fairly thin wadding. Maybe it will soften up with washing. I'm just glad to have finished it.

 

 

 

 



 



Quilt Stats

 

Size: 38 x 49 inches

 

Front made with Kona solids in Blues and green

Back made with Moda green dottie and Riley Blake zigzag

Wadding : scrap from stash

 Binding: Michael Miller clown stripe in aqua and white

 Quilted with Presencia 60/3 in white

 

 My original list for this quarter is here: http://therunninghar.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/fal-first-quarter-2015.html
 

Linking up with Fal 2015