Finish-along Seconds out - Round three! Ding Ding!

Get my boxing reference?

Anyway I think this means we are half way!


I am pleased to have finished all these quilts so far in the six months of Rhonda's Finish-Along!  Well the second ones in each row are not quite finished yet but they are now completed tops so more of them in this round!

Would you believe that quilt 1 top row is made with the same pattern as quilt 3 2nd row!?  They look so different don't they?  Both were made using Carolyn Forster's Kaleidoscope Hexagon pattern (see one of her versions here!!


This plan of Rhonda's seems to be really working for me so far.

In this quarter I am planning on finally finishing the Friendship Garden Quilt (2nd pic, 2nd row) started in 2005!  Eek!  I have a proper deadline too as it is our silver wedding day on 5th September 2012!  I have bought some backing fabric and have had the wool wadding/batting for quite a while so there is really no excuse!




I also have a commission quilt for a wedding in August, my many bee blocks and my purse swap to complete in this quarter so I am nervous of adding too many other things to my FAL list.


However I am wanting to finish Fright Nite (2nd pic, 1st row above) in time for Hallowe'en - I have a plan for the back - but need to get started on that to finish in time!  


And I would really like to complete the Granny/churndash quilt which I have started handquilting already in an overall clamshell pattern!

If I succeed in finishing these three that would leave just two projects to finish in the final quarter and any that have slipped from Q3!

The bottom two tops are two sides of the same quilt.


Don't think that the UFO thing is over for me then - those were just the projects that were furthest along.  I have to confess to another 8/9 at the block stage ...here is one...

but I may not get started on them till next year or FAL 2013?  What about it Rhonda!? 


Linking up to Rhonda's Pre-Third Quarter Linky Party - see you there!

Last of the FAL projects round 2!

I stuck my hand up to complete 4 projects for this round of Rhonda's Finish-along!

I have completed three but think one doesn't really count as it is only a finished top and not a finished quilt but that will be sorted out in the next round I hope!


So I have less than a week and one project to finish!


I have been putting this one off a bit ....shall I tell you why?


I love this quilt and really didn't want to spoil it with awful quilting!   


I started quilting it a couple of days ago....




I am FMQing it - to death !  Or what some poeple might call custom quilting it...!


Now I looked in my gorgeous case of Aurifil threads and bravely  foolhardishly chose one that would show up - a lot!  Still it didn't seem too bad at the start on the dark coloured hexagons

But I don't like the look on these!

So a change of top thread colour gave me this

Which I am happy with ....pity I quilted seven hexies in the dark colour before I decided on the colour change!  Oh well my unpicker and I will become good friends soon but not till I quilt the rest of it!


Here is the back

Will I finish by Staurday?  Well that remains to be seen....


Wish me luck then!

When in Lewes with Janine I bought this green fabric:

 Lily Ashbury Trade Winds Ornament Malabar Green 


So I can finish off this:

Started in 2005 at a 'learn how to applique course' at the Quilt Shop in Dorking with Julia Illman, this poor quilt has lain unfinished for years.  


To begin with I only did handstitching and only applique - the blocks are all handstitched needle-turn applique.   At the time it was the HST borders that put me off finishing!  I got them completed last year.  I you look closely some HSTs are missing a few points - those are the ones I made in 2005.  The ones I did more recently look a lot better - I could have changed them all but I wanted this quilt to have a story - my story - so I left them in!


Then as I haven't done much recent applique it was the borders that stalled me last year - but I did manage two!  Now they are all done and to be honest it didn't take that long!  


Just the quilting to do and I'm hoping to finish this quilt in September - in time for our Silver Wedding Anniversary!  It may have taken 7 years to complete but it will represent 25!


Another Finish-along project done!  Just one more to do by the end of June!

UFO from the FAL list!

[Or Unfinished Object from the Finish along list]


I have started working on another UFO quilt - one that is actually on my Finish along list and has been kicking about forever - ok not quite forever but it seems that way!

I have been putting off doing this one because it is big!  And I didn't fancy basting it never mind quilting it but as I must have been in an action mood yesterday I just got on with it!


It is now basted!


Not only that but I have started quilting it on the machine...


Here is my start ...

I am quilting the pieced blocks based on the patch design though the quilting isn't so obvious on the front

 and for the blank alternate square I am using designs from this book...

...picking out the thirties designs to go with the thirties repro fabrics!

Am thinking it should be a quilting design sampler too!  Have changed a few details on these designs - just because!


And here is the back (which is polycotton - I was going for cheap when I bought it - never again!) Hoping for a wholecloth effect!  Ok just don't look too closely but it is a start of something more adventurous....

Working my way up to those scary feathers that Trudi does so prolifically!

So what have you been up to??

Noah and friends!

Trying not to let the dust settle too much after finishing all four of the UFOs l committed to last quarter - mini GLOAT! 

I finished my first Finish-along project yesterday!

I admit I chose an easy one to start - it was a rather dated printed panel and some blocks for the backing but it has lain around in my cupboard since Noah's survival of the flood was recent news!

Ok maybe not quite that long but it feels like it!

I have sewn those blocks together as the back 

 And here is the panel all quilted up...

with an all over wave pattern ..doesn't look too bad ....and only had to unpick a little bit which shows that I do need to keep practicing my FMQ or my skill level will quickly revert to zero!

Part of the reason I hadn't finished was, that I didn't know what I was going to do with it, but now I realise it was destined to go to the toddler group I help out at, which is run by the church I go to.  They have a baby corner and the babies can sit, lie or roll on it.  

Close up of wave pattern - which works for wind too I think!

Close up of waves - as well er waves!

They will probably wee, dribble and puke on it too but it is in dark colours so won't show the dirt too much and can be easily washed in the machine!  Match made in - dare I say it - heaven!

My preferred label - FMQ onto the quilt top!  Remove that if you will!

Job done and first tick of my quarter.  That feels good!  It will be handed over next week when mayhem in the church hall resumes!   Argh!

In the meantime I have made a start on attaching Kona cerise borders to Fruity Polo and she likes them very much thank you.  

But I think I will wait to give you the full colour impact for another day.  She will also have a tumbler border round the outer edge as I seem to have so many leftover from that project - ha and I laughed at Carolyn when she revealed the surfeit of tumblers from her quilt - I should be eating humble pie right now!  Yum, yum!  Sorry too full as I just had breakfast!

I'm Fixing a Hole where the Rain get's in....

And stops my mind from wandering....where it will goooooooo! Where it will gooooo!  (Beatles Sgt Pepper - for you youngsters!)

I was going to put this quilt top on my next Finish-along-with-Rhonda list to encourage me to put circles on every round hole which was the next step to finishing this UFO.  I am happy to say that having started all my hand sewing with it's sister quilt - the little back number - I just got on with it and filled in those holes, all done now already see:

The pattern is the same as my little black number but looks quite different I think!  It is called Kaleidoscope Hexagon and was designed by Carolyn Forster -  but this one I started calling my Polo Fruity Quilt as it reminded me of the bright colours of Polo Fruits.


I was then on the hunt for a border fabric and having tested out several bright solid colours and with a bit of help in narrowing it down from Saffy and the girls - we decided on Kona Cerise !  I only have a half metre of this so have ordered 2 more metres in the hope that I can make nice wide borders of yumminess to hold all that colour.

Can't wait for that order to arrive!  


I know I could prevaricate for Britain but it didn't really take that long to get this step done and I have been putting it off for ages.  Why?




I think that with the help of a few deadlines (thanks so much Rhonda!) and a bit more determination to finish, I may get most of my UFOs done.....




Unless I keep starting new things again!  My wishlist of projects I want to start up is getting longer and longer....can I hold off?


Stained Pink - still haven't decided on the fabric....
Swoon  - in Echo
Retro Flowers - maybe in Liberty, maybe not...
Granny Squares - probably in 30s repro
Carnival - possibly in Liberty and Oakshott cotton 
Hopscotch - do not know what to make this one in!




I think I may need professional help!  I am a serial patchworker - is that such a crime?

The little black number....

I have been quiet for a little while....the reason being I wanted to finish my fourth Finish-along project (to see my list please follow here!) and still had quite a lot of work to do.

But then the sun came out....the flowers came out....and I started working in the garden in the sunshine....not digging, stitching!

There wasn't too much hand quilting left to do or rather I couldn't do too much handquilting because of this....argh!

But there was still the border to quilt and no time to get new thread I thought so I finished the border with some machine stitching and do you know what I like the extra definition of the machine stitching.  I don't usually mix the two!

I thought this quilt had an Art Deco look because of the colours, well I think the machine stitching adds to that...and here's the big picture

And here's the back - it's actually a polycotton but don't tell those quilt police and I might get away with it.  The handquilting looks a bit like flowers which is nice.   The stitching isn't perfect - but it is done!

I tried a variation on the usual rounded or square corner - yes this was deliberate!  Not sure if it works but I was trying to add to that Art Deco feel!

So now I can feel like I have met the challenge!  Four Finish-along projects completed in this quarter - but oh so many more UFOs to do....!

Both Saffy and I are exhausted!

Better get ready for the next quarter then!


PS Linking up with Rhonda!