Delft Dreams - the finish!

This little quilt has been on my list for some time - it is one of my UFOs from October 2009 when I did a workshop with Margaret Hughes at the Quilt Room in Dorking.

The workshop was called I Love Scraps, which I do, and features curved piecing.  I later found the block we did in an old quilt book by Jan Halgrimson and the block is called Rose Dream!  

 As my quilt is all blue and white I felt I could hardly call it Rose Dream so since then I have been calling it Delft Dreams to recall the lovely Deft pottery from the Netherlands in blue and white.


On the back I added some solid (Kona Ash) to the blue florals in an attempt to lend it a more graphic modern feel and I could not resist putting in a large broken dishes block.

Can you see Saffy's fluffy tail?

The top is all pieced by hand - this represents lots of hours waiting around for children to do swimming, piano and guitar lessons and keeping my hands busy!


The back is machine pieced.  I have FMQed it with loopy stitching in my lovely Aurifil 28 this time in a sea green shade and last night stayed up late stitching my binding down which is a matching solid sea green shade!

Part of my label....

And finally the obligatory rolled up quilt photo - this time able assisted by Miss Bernina 1030! 

This is my first finish of 2012 - let's hope I can do a few more as there are lots of UFOs to come!

Plaid String-along!

I signed up to participate in another QAL.   I guess you could call it a string-along!


The host is Julie of juliekquilts,  who made the original lovely churndash nine-patch quilt I have been trying my hand at in the last couple of days.  She has fairly ripped along with the QAL instructions and is just about finished her quilt if not actually finished.  


Julie's quilt is in plaids and very scrappy.  She has also featured a reader's quilt on her blog which was made of prints.  Both are lovely!






By contrast I have been a real sluggard and slow poke to get started but now have four blocks done and tried out fabric to set my blocks too.




But first here is my pile of plaid strings 

I have set my blocks in a similar way to Julie but instead of a nine patch cornerstone I have a simple print one.

I think this will either take hold of me and I will get my blocks done quickly or it will be done at a leisurely pace - a lot depends on the children as two are on holiday and one is in her last week at school.  Both she and I will be leaving our local Primary!  She has been there for seven years and I have been there for 12!  It will seem strange not to be standing in that playground... 


I am trying out a different colourway for me - you can probably tell from previous quilts that I love green.   For this quilt I thought grey would go with all the fabrics and then I added pale yellow so the sashing wouldn't be too gloomy.  I think I need more blocks to tell whether it will work or not...


Which colours are you drawn to and which do you avoid?   Fess up all those pink lovers - you know who you are...heehee!


As for me  -  I've told you I love using green and I don't much like taupe! 






Nicky







Block size 6" square finished
Sashing in Kona Coal from Mandy at Simply Solids and yellow scraps

Inspiration Julie of juliekquilts

The end of the Galaxy!

No doom laden post this!  No, indeed not, but a finish instead!  Please excuse my excitement and little joke....




The Front

The Back

I have added more quilty stitchery in those lovely blue and grey colours that I bought recently and I think I have covered sufficient ground to ensure that all stays in place.






The Detail

It is bound in leftover scraps, which doesn't sound very nice but actually I think it looks great.   As it was leftovers this is not bias binding but just straight grain instead.   Must do more scrappy binding! 

I am over the moon about this quilt (heehee) which is my own design and has just sort of evolved as I went along.  I am just so excited - I love it so much!  Have to say using pre-used fabrics makes for a soft cosy feel.




Nearer my year end target - one more UFO down!  Haha!   Maybe I should add a little green man somewhere??


Nicky




This quilt has a history: 


1  http://mrsssewandsow.blogspot.com/2011/04/lonely-star.html
2   http://mrsssewandsow.blogspot.com/2011/05/lonely-star.html
3   http://mrsssewandsow.blogspot.com/2011/06/galaxy-of-stars.html
4  http://mrsssewandsow.blogspot.com/2011/06/in-galaxy-far-far-awayis-quilt.html

Utility Stitching - progress but not quite finished..

I have posted about this little quilt here but now I have a bit more progress to share with you.

Last time it looked like this:

Now it looks like this:

I have not completely finished my quilting as yet but I have finished the Amish Wave/Baptist Fan quilting in the border and so have been able to bind this one.  I picked out a different plaid fabric, in similar colours and made my binding on the bias - love checks on the bias, don't you?

I will finish off the quilting in the strips as and when I feel the urge. 

I can tell you that I love big stitch quilting in cotton perle and that I am a big fan of fan quilting!   So thank you Carolyn Forster for another fun workshop!  And I'm looking forward to seeing your new book on Utility Stitching!

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