Still got that bug!

Spent a lot of time today making one 8.5"  square block!


This one...

I made the pattern a bit easier but the original is available here (second one down) thanks to Charise and the Sewing Out Loud QAL.

The story so far...

Got the paper piecing bug!

I made a paper pieced seam ripper yesterday and decided I would do a bit more work on my sewing words UFO quilt today.  I am wanting to add blocks that illustrate the words I have - some word are simpler to illustrate than others.  

I started with the seam ripper but rip isn't actually one of my words so I think I will team it up with stitch! Maybe unstitch would be more appropriate? But it has started me off paper piecing..

Today I carried on and made a pink fluffy cloud to surround my dream word - this one will be more applique than piecing once I decide what my background will be

I improv pieced a notebook and pencil to go with my design word - definitely low tech here!  I don't know how to create a paper pieced pattern so I just stitched and trimmed till I got what I had drawn..on paper! I am handstitching a spiral binding in grey so it is not quite finished yet.

Then I made an iron based on the design by Leila in the Sew Out Loud QAL  - patterns still available!

I haven't included 'iron' or 'press' in my words so I will team it with piece!

I found some safety pin fabric to surround my baste word block - as I don't use spray!  I may even attempt a large pieced or appliqué safety pin!

I hope to be making scissors, a rotary cutter, a sewing machine and maybe a few others if I find or can design suitable patterns.  Feel free to let me know of any other sewing type patterns you have seen and suggestions for how to interpret layer, and bind would also be appreciated!

Not in the mood...

....for quilting today so I got out some paper piecing patterns I have down loaded from here - all free and all fabulous!

I was a bee member of Sew and Bee Happy oops about two years ago (my first bee) and I still haven't got on with making the hanging I promised myself from the gorgeous word blocks my bee mates sent me!

So if I tell you all the words they made are to do with sewing you will not be surprised by the block I pieced to go with it!  It is part of a block designed by Susanne...

..but I might just leave it like this!

More paper pieced sewing instruments are calling my name....anything rather that listen to the man with the electric drill breaking up the brickwork of our old front step in order to make a much bigger one - no pain, no gain they say!   My ears even ring when he stops for a short while - argh!

Time for a cup of tea!

The second one!

The second quilt I'm working on is back to lots of colour!

It is my schoolhouse quilt and Kona colour chart which has become Konaville in my head.

I finished lots of blocks using my Kona colours bought during a year of fabric club with simply solids!  

 And as it is a school house I chose lots of text or school subject related background fabrics.   

I was particularly pleased to find this one! Eek!  Bubbling test tubes!

Konaville came together quite quickly once I knew what I wanted to do and I had the block sorted in my head again.

Until it became a top!



I bought this letterpress fabric as backing

And have basted it all together.

I then started machine stitching a grid in the ditch round each block but quickly realised I wanted something a bit MORE!

So I am now outlining my school houses by hand with cotton perle in a related colour - just hope my collection of colours sees me through...?

All in all there are 81 blocks - I have done 18 so only 63 to go!  If I stick to schedule I could finish on 15 May!  Already I have slipped a bit behind....but don't want to hurt my finger too much.

So I have started working on something else ...of course!

And then it was done!

Couldn't help myself!  

But it seems I have finished my mountain quilt...

....as long as I believe everyone who tells me not to unpick that big spiral and leave it as is...

Glad to tick another one off my list...and that leaves 11 to do.   And I'm already working on the next one....

One isn't enough!

I have my beady eye fixed on finishing two quilts at the moment!


The blocks of the first one are delectable mountain blocks - made in the way Bonnie Hunter describes in her excellent tutorial


I wanted to have a more modern look to the layout so I went for this with lots of negative space which meant lots of room for quilting.  I thought that would be a good thing! 

When it came to the quilting I really struggled with deciding what to quilt. 

After a couple of failed attempts - and lots of unpicking - I have settled on this design which Angela Walters and others call spirals 

I had been looking for a link between my block - the delectable mountain - and my quilting and the spirals remind me of these

Fossilized ammonites!

So I am relaxing into this swirly pattern and enjoying it!  


Hoping for a finish as soon as I fill up the rest of the space and unpick this bit!  Argh! Which I don't like anymore....

I'll save the other quilt for another post!

My April in fabric

I had an awesome April!   Even if I say so myself! 

Farmer's Wife finished with quilting in the shape drawn round a pizza base...

Round and Round the Garden finished  - a baby quilt of my own design but based on a bear paw and using those bonus HSTs!   Mama bear on the sidelines watching her baby bear going for a wander - meander quilting to match

Wonky House quilt based on blocks from several swaps and two from Helen!  So jolly it makes me smile.  Corduroy backing and QAYG 

My Scrappy? Sew Bee It quilt which I adore!   Love the catalogue of fabrics in this!

And as March had 4 finishes too I am hoping May will be just as productive...?

Linking up to Lynne for Fresh Sewing Day!