Fabulous Finish-A-Long 2016 First Quarter!

Time shifts so quickly but we are already at the end of Q1 of the 2016 FAL! Now you know that the 2016 FAL has gone global this year - a community of bloggers across the world are jointly hosting the FAL. Our hosts are:

• Debbie - A Quilter's Table - USA

• Jess - Elven Garden Quilts - Australia

• Stacey - SLO Studio - Canada

• Jennie - Clover & Violet - USA

• Helen - Archie the Wonder Dog - UK

• Nicky - Mrs. Sew and Sow -UK

• Cindy - Fluffy Sheep Quilting - Ireland

• Rhonda - Rhonda's Ramblings - USA

• Leanne - She Can Quilt - Canada

I am thrilled to say I finished loads this time.  I find the approaching quarter end gets me focused and I actually get things done, instead of just thinking about it!  

And how did you do?

Are you ready to link up the projects on your 2016 Q1 FAL list that you finished?

First, a huge thank you to our fantastic sponsors:

Oakshott Fabrics - £75 (75 Pounds) gift certificate	The Tartankiwi - choice of 3 patterns	The Intrepid Thread - $50 gift certificate	Happy Quilting - choice of 3 patterns
Green Fairy Quilts - $25 gift certificate	Blossom Heart Quilts - copy of DIY Block Design	Mad About Patchwork - $40 gift certificate	Clover & Violet LLC - choice of 3 patterns
Fluffy Sheep Quilting - �25 (25 Euro) gift certificate	Christa Quilts, copy of Machine Quilting With Style	7 Acres Cleared Fabric Shop, $50 gift certificate	Make Modern Magazine - 6 month subscription
Porch Swing Quilts, 2 winners, 3 patterns each	Sunny Day Supply - $30 gift certificate	Sew Sweetness, copy of Windy City Bags	Sew Sisters Quilt Shop, $25 gift certificate
On the Windy Side, pattern pack	Mariners Compass Quilt Shop, $50 gift certificate	Fat Quarter Shop, $50 gift certificate	Laurel Bee Designs, 2 pin bowls for 1 winner
Imagine Gnats, $40 gift certificate	Sew me a Song, $20 gift certificate	Simply Solids, £40 (40 Pound) gift certificate	Knotted Thread, $30 gift certificate
The Quilt Ranch, $25 gift certificate

InLinkz.com

For the 2016 FAL, we also will feature a tutorial week. Here is the schedule so you can visit them all:

• April 1 - Leanne - She Can Quilt - Improv Herring Bone Table Runner
• April 2 - Cindy - Fluffy Sheep Quilting - Napkins
• April 3 - Nicky - Mrs. Sew and Sow - Quilt as You Go Technique
• April 4 - Jennie - Clover & Violet - TBD
• April 5 - Rhonda - Rhonda's Ramblings - Enhancement to Pillowcases
• April 6 - Stacey - SLO Studio - Canada - Fabric Printing

The 2016 Q1 link for your finishes will soon be open below on my blog and on each of the hosting blogs - you only need to link on one blog for your finish to appear on each blog. Link-up "rules"

• Add one link for each Q1 finish. If you want to link a round up post of all your finishes, use that link to enter one of your finishes and then link the rest of your finishes separately. Please, only one link per finish, as your link is an entry into the randomly drawn prize draws.
• Please use the 2016 FAL button or the hashtag #2016FAL
• Please ensure that the photo or blog post you link up contains a link or reference back to your original Q1 list so that we can verify your entry.
• Please become part of the FAL community. Please check out the links of others and comment. We all need encouragement so let's applaud each other. The 2016 FAL Facebook page is here and follow us on Instagram @finishlong and tag your photos #2106FAL.
• Our hosts will also link their finishes to share in the community, but they are not eligible for any of the prizes.

The Q1 Finishes link will stay open from now thru April 7 - link up your finishes early and if you have a last minute one, add that one later so you don't miss out. The prizes will be awarded as soon as we can verify all the entries and do the drawings. We will post the winners on each host blog. Start making your Q2 FAL lists as the Q2 list link opens on April 8.

An InLinkz Link-up

My taste of Hawaii

I made two appliqué blocks based on a Hawaiian theme, one as normal and the other using reverse appliqué.

This is as I picked them up today.

I thought I might manage to finish them and clock up another finish from my Finish-Along list.  Well I did scurry along and having completed the blocks I wondered what to do with them.

The lovely Trudi suggested a quick finish making them into coasters but I rarely use them and so I decided to make a fabric box instead.  My appliqué blocks could form two sides of the box and some black Essex linen the others.

I soon constructed the outside and added a lighter yellow fabric for the lining.

I'm happy with this as I never seem to have enough containers for all my scraps and other things !  Perhaps this will help me be more organised?   Well if not it still looks quite pretty....

I will be linking this project to the Finish-A-Long 2016 at the quarter end

This bag is on my FAL2016 list here

Taking my Karen Lewis Textiles on the go!

Now that I've finished my handbag made from Karen Lewis scraps in blues and green with some lovely Essex linen and a Lotta Jansdotter lining I can take Karen with me wherever I go!

It has an internal zipped pocket and leather handles in navy blue!  Apart from that it is a basic bucket bag - the sort you throw everything into, and then delve into, to find the thing at the bottom that you need.  I love them and quite often use them for crafting stuff too.

I started this bag ages ago - it has been on my Finishalong list - well several of them.  I wasn't happy with its floppiness but I asked Di how she made her bags stand up and went with her suggestion.  

So I have finished it ! And it is my ninth finish off my Finish Along 2016 quarter one list.

I always show my Karen Lewis textiles on my plate so why change just because they are 3D ? 

Looking forward to going out and about with Karen!  

I will be linking this project to the Finish-A-Long 2016 at the quarter end

This bag is on my FAL2016 list here

Scraptastic Tuesday - all the squares!

I didn't believe I would get this quilt finished this quarter.  I only had a few nine patches made and thought it would take a long time to make enough to for a quilt.

I had been cutting squares for it, so I got them out, sorted them into ninepatches and used them to quickly build my blocks.  It is astounding how quickly these can be chain pieced together.

Originally I thought of a 10 X 10 layout, then thought a border would lend those edges extra robustness and made it 9 X 9.   After looking at several options I settled on a 3" border in grey sketch - it is a quiet border that supports that edge, rather than one that shouts! 

This photo shows the lovely backing fabric that Sarah donated to help me make quilts for Siblings Together.  She is a lovely generous lady and her comments on my quilts always make me feel happy and energised to make more for this worthy cause.

And here it this scrappy nine patch quilt finished....

For more news about the 100 Quilts for Siblings Together campaign go here!

Linking this finished quilt for Siblings Together to the Link Up as part of the tally towards our 100 quilt target.

I will also be linking this quilt to the Finish-A-Long 2016 at the quarter end

This quilt is on my FAL2016 list here

Bee a Brit Stingy Row Quilt!

My last post about my Bee a Brit Stingy row quilt was here.

I stitched my gorgeous rows together and added borders all around.

So this is what happened next....

I quilted it in the ditch.

I wondered whether I should add lots of custom quilting or not.....

I did have to add some quilting to get my 4" minimum required by the wadding; I quilted more densely in the more detailed blocks with a white background and less so in those with a dark background and bigger scale!  I thought the quilting should be in scale with the blocks.  


I picked this backing fabric which repeats a lot of the colours in the top.

And here is the finished quilt!  Can't thank my Bee mates enough for this dramatic beauty which goes well beyond my expectations...

I am linking this quilt to Finish-A-Long 2016 

This quilt is on my FAL2016 list here