...finally finished - A bee Quilt

I have been, at different times in four different bees. One of them is the do. Good Stitches bee and has very clear guidelines in the due dates to finish quilts for which you have been responsible for the design so have finished the three quilts I have been responsible for in that one. 

That leave three bees for me and until earlier this week the total of finished quilts I had for them was zero. To be fair two were in the late quilting stages but had languished in that phase for ages and had been in various stages of construction for nigh on two years. The other is a spring chicken at only about a year old but still at exactly the same form as when the blacks arrived back in my mailbox. 

But thanks in part to the Olympics and the cold nights I have finished off the hand quilting on this one. And in a rare display of some good solid forward planning and because of the placement of the machine quilting I could hand stitch down the binding right away instead of waiting for the interest in getting it done to outweigh the laziness of needing to change to the walking foot because I attached the binding at the time of the machine quilting.

The blocks were completed by the lovely ladies of the Bee Seam Piecing Downunder bee with a theme of 'Circles'. I also asked that each sign a siggy block that I later embroidered and pieced into the back with a couple of blocks that didn't make it back in time to be sewn into the front. 

The sashing and borders took a few different forms before this final version - 2" finished sashing in Kona Coal and scrap 2" finished squares for the border. 

The backing in this Aqua print from Spotlight (with the extra blocks, siggy blocks and some sashing) and the binding in yet more scraps from the feature fabrics. 

Machine quilting in the sashing was with some 12wt Aurifil 1/4" inside each seam and then the border squares each had an X quilted inside with a 40wt Aurifil. An echo or feature circle was hand quilted inside each of the block in DMC Perle 8 in a light grey.

Finishing at about 58" by 71" this one is a little wider and shorter than average but great for the couch at night. 

Thanks to Pam, Bec, Emma, Erin, Kelly, Kelly, Rose, Sue, Liz, Nicole and Abby for the blocks and for a wonderful year of patchwork and an another year of quilting!

Bee Seam Piecing Downunder - Quilt Top Mark II

A while ago I sewed this top together but I stalled at the basting stage - I have come to realise that I didn't like it and I think it was the sashing. 


So I have changed it. 


I used the squares for the outer borders and sashed each of the blocks in come Kona Coal. 

I like it much better now.

Next step, choosing a backing and basting.  

... from blocks to a quilt top

...and back again.  Or a quilters prerogative to change her mind. 




I put this together awhile ago and thought the top was done. But I couldn't get around to finishing the back and sandwiching. And in the last few days I worked out why. 


I don't like the way the sashing make it look. The blocks, each different and wonderful in their own way and made by the lovely ladies in Bee Seam Piecing Downunder, don't pop in this layout. The sashing takes away from the massively. 


So I have ripped all the seams out and and back to blocks (with a little sashing on the edge ones) and have some more decisions to make. 

The plan when I decided to make changes was to sew all the blocks together without sashing and to use the sashing (plus a few extra squares for a 3 square deep border.

And then as I was pressing all the blocks again last night I wondered about a Kona Coal border /sashing around each of the blocks to frame them and then attach the border. 


Decisions ....decisions


What do you think?

A blocky weekend!

A bee block weekend was had by me last weekend



The end of the month was fast approaching and I had some bee blocks to make before they were late!


First up were two sets of blocks for Bee Seam Piecing Downunder with the February blocks for Erin being delayed after it took a whole month for an envelope to arrive in the mail from Adelaide. Continuing frustration from Australia Post is becoming the norm for me lately!


Erin had previously asked us for our favourite colour and sent us some fabric in that colour as well as other fabric and set us a free choice block. With the flying geese kick I had been on recently this was the first block I made.

Originally it was to be three rows of flying geese until I (thankfully checked) the instructions and noted Erin had asked for 10.5” blocks.

More triangles for block two seemed fitting and a pinwheel emerged from the machine.


Next up was two of these blocks for Nicole in the same bee but for March. Based on this quilt by Red Pepper Quilts that was apparently originally based on another seen on flickr she asked us to create these, full of squares and half square triangles. Unfortunately we were all a little short of the yellow as the bolt appears to have been narrower but this and the almost finished second was sent on the way.

This will be a wonderful quilt but with so many small pieces in each block is it one that is helpful to have some assistance in piecing!

Also on the list was the this scrappy stashbuster block for Crystal in Bee (a little bit) Japanese.

Thankfully she had precut all the tiny little squares for us and these came together surprisingly quickly.

A lovely detail that she requested was that we sub in two squares of our own and then raw edge applique another scrap of this same fabric to a label/siggy block to help her identify and remember everyone's contribution in the final quilt.

She also asked for our favourite quote to be included on the label - I went with the one I consider most fun.

The final bee blocks for the weekend were two for the Faith circle do. Good Stitches {a Charity Bee}. Kathy Dougherty of Material Obsession fame (both the store and the books) had given permission for us to use the stashbuster quilt pattern so long as it was not published publicly.

As this quilt will be going to a little baby girl I included some fun prints and a little pink.

I really love this quilt (it is on the long, long list for things I might get to one day) and was pleased to be able to have a small hand in one in the meantime.

To round out the weekend I finished the final two blocks I still had to go for the Quilt Bloggers Blockapalooza

and fixed an earlier one when I found some more orange stripe.

Sewing the top together is the next step!

This weekend it is all about the double wedding ring quilt top (and back hopefully!)

Sometimes all it takes in an hour....

I really enjoyed making Claire's quilt for her and I have mentioned many times on my blog and earlier on my facebook page that I enjoy crafting for others and I find completing charity projects or collaborative quilts to be enjoyable and personally satisfying way of doing this.

But as you can see on the RHS of the blog I have a VERY long list of things that I have started, have planned or would like to try and there are only so many hours in the day and big projects can get left unfinished.

But sometimes all it takes is an hour (or just over if you keep ducking into the other room at the end to watch the beginning of City Homicide) and a little bit of mess.

These first two blocks were made for Abi from the Bee Seam Piecing Downunder. She very sweetly asked the other members of the bee and I a few weeks ago if we would be willing to make some quilt as you go blocks based on sewtakeahike's tutorial.

She will be adding these to those she receives from another bee she is involved with after forgoing her month and asking for these blocks in return. Of course they went right on the list.

This block is to be included in a playmat quilt for another member of this bee, Kelly, and her yet to be born second child.

Nicole had the wonderful idea and suggested stars of various styles from this tutorial from Silly BooDilly based on a concept by Gwen Maston from Liberated Quiltmaking - the first one.

Of hand sewing and quilting

In the past I have posted about my frustration and dislike of hand sewing.


And for the exception that proves the rule I have done a lot (for me) of it in the last week and am planning a lot more this week. And I have been enjoying it!

The petals on the Doll Quilt are almost all sewn down, and the hand quilting is up next. I had a great time chooseing the thread colours on the weekend.

I also need to sew down the binding on this quilt. I pieced the top in April last year, basted it in September and quilted it a month or so ago. It has been a great couch quilt while it has waitied to have the binding sewn.

I think I have (finally) chosen the final border for the BSPDU quilt so as soon as this is on that will be basted and hand quilted. I got some more perle cotton coulours on the weekend for that purpose as well.

Embroiding the labels for the back is also on the list.

I can see a more social sewing week in my house. Not so much time shut away at the machine and more in the living areas of the house.

From Scraps... to blocks... to a quilt top.

Back in late October I sent out bundles of some fabric and some grey squares for my month, November, in the Bee Seam Piecing Downunder Bee with the inspiration word 'circles'.

I deliberately didn't provide a particular pattern because I wanted all the bee members to tackle the project with some opportunity to implement their own creativity and to tackle curves seams that make so many people nervous in the way they felt most comfortable. I'm not completely mean so I did provide links to some tutorials and some inspiration blocks.

Soon they started to arrive back, and now Christmas has passed and the summer holidays are a distant memory I thought it was about time they were sewn together in a quilt top and then a quilt.

There are 12 members of the bee but unfortunately 2 blocks were lost in the mail and 2 more have never turned up so I now have 20 blocks instead of the 24 I planned for. No number of calls to the Australia Post Dead Letter Office (like the Bermeuda Triangle of mail apparently) is having much luck with the missing blocks.

In order to make up the difference in quilt size with the limited number of scraps with the coordinating fabric I have I have decided to make scrappy sashing with 2" finished squares between the blocks.

So this week I have been cutting and sewing and cutting and sewing these strips together in sets if five to form the sashing between the blocks with grey posts. I am thinking at this stage that I will also do a grey border and a scrappy binding, I think I have enough of the coloured fabric for that.

Any suggestions for the border fabric? I have this at the moment and would like to add 6" borders I think. At the moment the quilt top measures 50"x60".  

The road less smooth

You know when there are those days and weeks that you just need everything to go the way you want them to, and if a couple of unexpected things fall your way you will be incredibly grateful? 


For me, this was one of those weeks.


Unfortunately it was not the way things panned out.


Good things did happen. I got some wonderful blocks back from my Bee Seam Piecing Downunder Bee, look what I have so far

1. Block 1, 2. Block 2, 3. Kristy's blocks 001, 4. Kristy's blocks 007, 5. Bee block 2 for Kristy, 6. Bee block 1 for Kristy, 7. BSPDU block 1 - circles, 8. BSPDU - November - Circles for Kristy No 1 Close Up, 9. BSPDU - November - Circles for Kristy No 2 Close Up, 10. BSPDU - November Block2, 11. Kristy November block - 2, 12. Kristy November block - 1, 13. BSPDU~ November block #1, 14. BSPDU~ November block #2, 15. BSPDU Block 2 for Kristy, 16. BSPDU Block 1 for Kristy


TWO wonderful mug rungs in the Scrappy Mug Rug Swap with some extra goodies and I do have today off work.

Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bubbles-135/5203550536/in/pool-1533394@N22

THANK YOU Bubbles@135!

But things also went contrary to the plan as well. The day off was to travel across the country for my brother's wedding tomorrow. And I'm still in the airport in Melbourne, I should be ion Perth by now.

The Double Wedding ring quilt top isn't finished. I'm stalled on the first column. And I forgot to take a photo.


The house is still a mess cause work went unexpectedly crazy this week. And we got to the airport on time this morning but couldn't get on the flight. So we were up at 4:30am, for no reason. And now we are sitting in the airport...waiting.

The worst thing, I was looking forward to a rest on the plane, maybe even a little nap with my sleeping mask I whipped up last night using a pattern from In Stitches, fabric from Prints Charming.



I think I'd be looked at a little strangely if I did that at this time of the morning.

Bee Seam Piecing Downunder- November blocks for ... Me!

November is my month in Bee Seam Piecing Downunder. And I tell you, it's exciting.


I have known for a little while that I have wanted a 'circle' quilt and for it to have variety in the theme so I thought a bee would be the perfect way to achieve that, having 12 different  takes on it.


But some people are really scared or unconfident with curved seams so asking for these blocks was not an easy decision to make. And I can't say that it was a request met without trepidation but the wonderful ladies in my bee have really been gracious enough to say they will give it a go.


I sent out reasonably large pieces of 12 different fabrics

With two squares of Kona solid in a grey colour to act as the background of the block (the quilt will not have sashing so this offers the continuity)

I also sent some pre-made pieced circles - with different outer fabric that I have asked the ladies to embroider (or mark for me to embroider later) with the name and location. These will be pieced into the back as the label.


I made a mosaic (follow the links there are some just fantastic blocks out there)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/handmaderetro/5077052704/


and a few myself.

There are already some great blocks showing up on the Flickr page (link on the left of the blog) and I can't wait to see what else people come up with!


In case you were wondering (as my bee buddies where) what each of the fabric are there is a picture over on Flickr with all the fabric labelled. They all came from my LQS, Amitie in Bentleigh, Melbourne Australia. I made a mad dash there afrer work one day and the ladies were nice enough to stay open a little longer and help me put together the bundle of prints.   

Bee Seam Piecing Downunder- October Blocks for Rose

The whole time I was sewing these blocks I had a little tune in by head, sung to the tune of the Farmer in the Dell. It went a little something like this

'A quilting we will go, a quilting we will go, hey ho the dairy-o, a quilting we will go'

Obviously a ran out of inspiration a little when I go to the dairy part but you get the picture. It was only the one verse though and it did get a little repetitive after not very long. The singing was warranted, however, because these blocks were the first sewing I had done with my machine in the new house. I sewed these during last week, on the 20th I think, which makes it 29 days between machine sewn projects and I was glad to get back at it.

Rose requested quilt-as-you-go log cabins using the technique from Sewtakeahike that I am also using for my Blue and White Quilt.

I love the collection of fabric she has sent and the inclusion of the final white strips for the sashing.

The second block was a little wonkier that I had intended, but luckily Rose likes it anyway!

The first one is a little straighter, and I love the grey fabric that is also the centre of the second block.

I can't wait to see it all sewn together!

Bee Seam Piecing Downunder- September Blocks for Kelly (and Bella)

September is Kelly's month in the Bee Seam Piecing Downunder Bee and she asked for pieced squares within sqaures sashed with white to make a quilt for her toddler age daughter.

She sent this great moda basic grey - blush offcut range. I separated the pre-cut squares into patterns and designsn to help with placements. I chain peiced the sides and they came together well.


I came up with this

and this

They are on the way to Kelly and Bella now.


I hope they like them!

Bee Seam Piecing Downunder - August Blocks for Abi

I know it is only just August. And that many of the other Bee participants have not got their packages yet.

But mine arrived on Monday. And I had a really long day and would have started right there and then if I hadn't been just a little bit too tired.

As it was I made these blocks for Abi last night.

Abi's packages came with just the right amount of vinatge sheets and pillowslips pre-cut into 1 3/4" strips to make two 9.5" log cabin blocks.

I really like log cabins and find myself making a version of them often. So I was really excited to make these blocks. I had also never used vintage sheets before.

I had always read about these on blogs and internet posts and heard about people finding stashes in op shops and had thought it was one of those things that was the domain of quilters from America, Canada and Europe. I have really no idea why.



And then came Abi's package from New Zealand with all of these vibrant sheets. And they reminded me of sheets I had slept on at my Grandma and Grandad's house as a child, and sheets at the bottom of the linen cupborad I used to play in at my house (it was a lareg old farmhouse with big cavernous cupboards and not at all as horrifying as it sounds inside the cupboard).



I think the blocks are wonderful and I am especially glad because it is something that I would never have thought to do for myself and that is one of the things I love about Bees.

And then as I climed into my bed after I finished them last night I found myself wondering why we don't have patterened sheets anymore. Is it just fashion do you think? Or something else?

Now I think I might go and enter the giveaway at Simply Solids so I can make some more Log Cabins!