Castle Wall!

Thank you for all your comments on the wedding dresses and your stories about your wedding days.  I think the best bits are when things go slightly wrong - it's awful at the time but makes you laugh hopefully thereafter.

Well I will share one tale from my wedding....

During the ceremony, we had got to the bit where we had to kneel down for a blessing I think and everyone started giggling - not that we noticed at the time - the bestman had tippexed on my hubby's shoes HE on the left one and LP on the right....it was too late by that time and we only found out about it at the reception.  It did make us laugh....HELP!

But back to sewing...

I saw this beautiful quilt for sale on ebay and realised I had seen this block before.

I had noticed it in the second hand book Patching Things Up by Jan Halgrimson and I thought it was ok on the page but this beauty sold it to me.

Is it the pink sashing that appeals?  Perhaps it is the blue castle walls?  Or even the different way the blocks look depending on the value of the various pieces?  Or maybe all of these things, but if I cannot buy it, then I want to make it!

Here is my first attempt at the block, y-seams included, lots of them!  I have not yet squared it up by adding the corner triangles but the little seam ripper was in use quite a lot. 

I have ideas about this block but I am waiting on some fabric to arrive ....

oops another new project....and I was doing so well up to this point, nearly!

Nicky   

Old Quilt Books - but new to me 3!

This is another post about some second hand books I bought by Jan Halgrimson from Abebooks (previous posts relating to them here and here)

I think this book is my favourite of the three, 'Scraps Can Be Beautiful, a collection of over 100 quilt patterns suitable for using scraps'.  There are just so many beautiful blocks here and the more I look at and make quilts the more I seem to be attracted to the scrappy kind as I can pack more fabrics in and lots of colour.

Some of my favourites (so far) are here below:

I think this could look absolutely stunning with the right colour combination although Jan notes that it isn't really a beginner's block despite the name.

another tricky one - lots of bits and curves too but look at those gorgeous tulips - one to aim for I'm thinking! 

I liked the simplicity of this one as there is only one piece for block and border but I think this one could sing with the right light/dark fabrics!

  

And lastly I have picked out this one as Jan says it is perfect for a beginner!  I don't know it and it looks like it would make other patterns too when blocks are joined together, which is fun! 

These are not the only ones I like but an overview of some I do not recognise that interest me. 

Unlike the previous book I looked at, Patching Things Up, these blocks only come in one size although I'm sure the majority could be re-drafted if required.  There are also several pieced blocks to be appliqued onto a background square or circle and some applique blocks too.

As ever I have found interesting and varied blocks in Jan's books, certainly ones I do not know.  It will be a while before I can get started on one of these unless it is just to try it out. 

But which one would you start with?  


And do you have any favourite old quilt books I should be looking for?

Nicky