Last minute lulu!

Yes that is me!  Trying to keep plates spinning, juggling balls in the air and sending my son off to Turkey for a holiday with friends while getting ready for FQR and hosting a patchwork 'how to' at our church!

So much fun all at the same time!  Lucky me!  

However before I can give my whole attention to FQR there is one bit of housekeeping to do - writing my Finishalong list for Quarter three.

I have had a serious case of startitis this year - causing my dear friend Helen to have lumps on her head as she bangs it on the desk in despair of me ever finishing anything.  

Last quarter was a bit thin on finishes!  Argh!

Only this one!

So I still have all these to finish from Quarter 2.

You've seen this one every quarter I think - and it is still hanging around!

No progress made on the Wonky houses this past quarter but only a border to add....

This is for my daughter in the above photo - she loves red and has tidied her bedroom - best room in the house now !   She deserves a finished quilt...

This one will be done by Friday!   Quilting has started - just need to add a bit more and bind!   It is the Stingy Bee group quilt for Siblings Together.

 These blocks are the product of my first bee Sew and Bee Happy - to make a hanging for my sewing room.   

I want to add in some picture blocks of sewing stuff....I was thinking Foundation Pieced but maybe I should fussy cut some printed pictures after all there is enough sewing related prints out there....even got some in my stash!

My Kona colour chart to be!  I have many more colours to add...

But my plan for Quarter Three was to add these to the mix!

My International book shelf from my Star of Africa bees!  

And Sana's red riding hood block which I love but can't find my own photo to share with you here so Sana said I could use hers!   Isn't it just the cutest and Sana's first attempt at this sort of thing - you have to agree she has mastered it first time around!

My Rose Star quilt - I'd just like a bit of progress on this one!

My basket sampler - an oldie which I fell out of love with - it was just too pink until I added the grey round it!   Now I think I could do something with it!

Yes I did start the Farmer's Wife...

And the Hexalong with Lynne...

Well now I will just have a mammoth list and will see how far I get through these UFOs.


And just in case I don't have enough I might tackle these more recent projects!  They are more my current style I think...and therefore easier to work on I think....

The Scrappy? Sew bee it quilt - My Charmers top nearly done!

My Arrowhead Star bee quilt!  I am getting some of my blocks at FQR when I meet some of my lovely Modern Stitching Bee mates!   Eek excited about that!

And another bee quilt in the making - my choice as QB for August in Stingy Bee - the offset cross quilt

Then there is this Pyramid quilt I cut out inspired by the lovely Annabella!

And Baby Bear Paws inspired by Lucy and Janine - both lovely too - and hosting a Bear Paw group on Flickr!

And I have this project - Tulip Star which I want to write a tutorial for - there is only one block so far but you can do wonders with a mosaic!  

And finally a project I haven't shown on my blog yet!  Made in purple and grey from delectable mountain blocks but sewn in a more contemporary layout.  Modern mountains perhaps??

OK only 18 projects here!  Haha!  I am crazy but my nature is such that as soon as I tell myself I have to do one project that becomes the last thing on earth I want to do!  Stubborn, procrastinating, obdurate, timewasting - all good descriptions of my wayward ways.

I thought if I list everything I might get something done or a bit of progress on every one would be good! 

Linking at last with the lovely Leanne....

One step forward....

I have just finished the Smitten quilt which will be joining a whole heap of quilts being donated to the Siblings Together charity.   It was quite a big pile of quilts last year but I think this year we might top the previous total.

Here it is!

And I'm rather fond of it!


Lizzie Allen kindly donated the beautiful feature fabric which is Moroccan Mirage by Khristian A Howell for Anthology Fabrics


I added the background, the wadding and backing and bought the Smitten pattern to put it together.

After a consultation with the lovely Helen I decided to quilt flowers in the blocks and loopy quilting in the background.

I think it works well and I like the scrappy binding!

Hope the young lady who receives it will love it and know that we care!

Bee block for my Bee a Brit Stingy mates in August!

As I am going to FQR soon -  eek a week tomorrow! - I thought I could post my bee block for Bee a Brit Stingy here, a bit early, so anyone going who is super organised could give me their blocks ( sorry Sheila - only if they have finished yours first of course)  and any not coming would not have to wait for me to post the how to when I get back!   We do like to save on postage in this bee and who wouldn't at the price we have to pay these days.

Anyway totally smitten by Karen's blocks here I decided on the cross block but a little bit different!

I am keeping this block as a rectangle and off-setting them when I put them together - like this!  It means sewing a few partial seams but I'm not afraid of those -  Mwahahahaha!  A technique picked up from Sarah Fielke's Craftsy class Big Techniques from Small Scraps (loved it BTW)  but also in her book Quilting from Little Things in the Night Garden quilt!

To make these blocks you need a focus print - the orange deer in the example below and some Low Volume background.   

Cut 2.5" strips of both 

The cross is made from two 2.5" squares and one rectangle 2.5" x 6.5".

The LV background is made from two 2.5" squares and four 2.5" x 4.5" rectangles.

Sew as per photo in rows and sew rows together with a scant quarter inch seam. 

Please do check that the 2.5" squares are aligned opposite each other as the cross looks all wonky if not.  That is the only tricky bit I think!   The long cross bar should be horizontal as all mine are!

[here is a tip from Sheila to help with this bit!]

Press all seams towards the focus print - this helps the cross to stand out.  

My colours seem to be anything bright but no red, brown or black!   And I seem to have gone quite dark with some of my background so would prefer lighter LV prints if you have them!  No matter what I seem to include - novelty, large print, small print, text, spots, geometrics - it all seems to work!

Your blocks should end up as 10.5" x 6.5" unfinished.   I'd love two blocks as above and if you don't mind a siggy block in reverse like this one!

The LV is the cross and the focus print is the background.   As you can see I have embroidered my deets on this one but I do not expect you to do this!   Writing your deets in pencil is sufficient.   I will be doing the embroidery - unless you insist!

I hope this is sufficiently easy and laid back, after all the holidays are here and who wants to sweat over something complicated when chilling or running after the kids is what you need to do!

I must say I am finding them quite addictive!   This could be another big quilt!  

In a bind!

It has been sunny today!

It tempted me outside with Kelly's pincushion....

I was stitching down the binding of....

This quilt....

I think I may need to make another of these!

This one was made by ladies new to ptchwork in my church - haven't they done well!???  

We are going to donate it to a charity called Ark based in our church which helps the homeless in Horsham.

In case I didn't have enough quilts to finish.....

I decided to start another one!

Well before you call up the medical people and shuffle me off to my own private room I committed to this one ages ago.   The fabric was donated by Liz Allen to make a quilt for Siblings Together.

It is this lovely fabric here!

Now this fabric is not something I would normally buy and obviously I am missing a trick as I love how it looks with this pattern!

So yesterday after buying enough cream background fabric I got very busy cutting out.

Nice enough pattern but oops that is not quite right!

 That's better....

Then after a bit of HST magic .....so pretty, even if I say so myself!

Quilt in a day?  Well almost!  My sewing machine is now slowly cooling off - we were both steaming from the ears!

All blocks are done and are now stitched together - I just need to add a few borders and quilt it!! 

Maddie says: What??  Another quilt??  We really need one of those!  
Me:  It's ok Maddie this one is going to be given away!

edited to add:  Just looked again at the fabrics and particularly that top left/bottom right print!   No wonder I thought the fabric and pattern were suited - that print is the pattern!  Duh!

My June in fabric

What did I get done in June?

Well some bee blocks of course!   

Two Rocky Mountain Puzzle blocks for Susan, a four star block for Lynne, a rose star for Lucy, 2 Scrappy Trip blocks for Collette, an apple and a leaf block for Jodi, and more apples just for fun!

Some beautiful things came my way - yippy yay!  Thank you May, Cindy, Nikki, Nati, Nikki again and Julie!

And then there were quilt tops made with help from friends for good causes - my Stingy Bee Mates for Siblings Together and my fabulous mainly first time patchworking ladies in our church.  Plus a couple of little things - a new purse and a FQR nametag for a special lady!

And then there was this quilt!  

Which drove me slightly mad and challenged me at every turn but I did get there in the end.   I made this as part of the Made in Oakshott challenge courtesy of Lynne and Michael Oakshott!  Many thanks to them both!

The photos are taken in the garden.  On one of those rare sunny days!

Linking up with Lynne and all those other fabricators over at Fresh Sewing Day