Elaine's latest quilt finishes

 I'm not sure if Elaine is keeping a tally but she has certainly created a lot of quilts from her stash in 2020.

Her latest...

Continuing our latest Zoom

We had a very small Zoom meeting yesterday (I think daylight saving threw a lot of people). We then headed down to our lunch gathering and finished our afternoon back at mine drawing our next fabric and discussing blocks.

Jeanette has sent through some of her latest creations. These Christmas decorations look like fun.

This quilt is made for a friend who lost her dog - it looked like this one.

I love the hexies used for the dog!

I'll send out an email about our 2021 ideas and plans.

Elaine is going great guns!

 Wow! Look at this one. I love it.

It looks like a stained glass window and the light in it is so vibrant. Well done Elaine!

Bargello Waves is looking good

 We have three more blocks to arrive. I am fairly sure they are in the post. Of course we'll discuss final layout when we get the others.

It is really looking good so far.

Elaine's latest show and tell

 Elaine has finished her lovely Christmas placemats...

Betty's Show and Tell

 I'm progressing well with my doiley quilt blocks but as part of that I have finished the 'cushion cover' using the bunch of silk violets that Karen found for me some years ago. Hope you like it Karen.

 We have another quilt finish!

Friendship Stars that had the Japanese stars on it has now been finished.

Thank you Elaine for the final touches of a label.

Lynette won the quilt and has decided to donate it to charity.

I've started on the Doileys

 My friend Kerrie came for a sleepover last night and we had fun with my doileys project.

They are large blocks that will be quilt-as-you-go and are fun to create. Last night I did a bit of quilting on my first one but this morning we arranged 3 more for me to take with me when travelling as small projects.

Kerrie also brought with her a quilt she made from fabrics she used last year for book bags for her book club. Great work Kerrie.

Another finish from Elaine

Elaine is certainly doing a lot of patchwork at the moment. She has finished her table setting of runner, coasters and 8 placemats after she was inspired at our last Zoom meeting.

 It certainly looks great Elaine.

Elaine's latest show and tell

 Elaine has finished another "window" block quilt and, as per usual, it is stunning.

The 3D effect of the blocks is great!

Jeanette's latest news

 Here are two pics of the last quilts Jeanette finished..... "I rather like 3D things. It was basically red scraps. 

After the winding ways, I finally finished quilting a churn dash/ goose on the pond quilt. 

Looks like you might be getting some lovely rain.  Dry & hot here ....40° today. Too hot too soon."

Our Ohio Star top so far

 Yesterday I was inspired to finish filling all the gaps and joining up the Ohio Star quilt top. It is not quite one piece yet but I hope you like it.

It was mathematically challenging working in units of 3" then counting how many lots of 3" were in each row. I did not want to make it a simple grid and think I have succeeded. Each row will be 12" finished.

I have no time to finish it up today but it should be a finished flimsy by the end of the week ready for decisions about borders etc. If you'd like to be part of that process just book a day with me via email or phone.

I hope everyone is coping with the bargello block.

Winding Ways top from Carol

 Carol has put borders on our Winding Ways quilt. How stunning!

Once Carol delivers it I'd love some help making the quilt sandwich if anyone is willing to come and tack. Just ring or email to find out if I have it yet.

More Show and Tell from Christine

I was disappointed to miss out on Friday’s chat – hope everyone was well and had interesting show and tell.

As I mentioned I have joined a group called Uniforms for Kids who convert redundant uniforms from various services and makes clothes, bags etc to be handed back to each service who provided the uniforms for distribution in remote and underprivileged communities.  Attached is a photo of my first effort made out of fabric from a police officer’s shirt.

 

Also attached is a photo of my piece ‘created’ at a recent workshop – I really enjoyed this as you are only limited by your imagination and embroidery skills plus you get to use those pretty bits and pieces you tend to keep thinking one day they will be useful.

Carol has done it!

What an amazing job Carol has done with our disparate blocks...

 She will continue with a border or two.

Thank you Carol.

Carol's challenge

Carol came to collect her next fabric the other day and took home the Winding Ways blocks as I had received the last ones and made one more to complete another row. Carol's challenge is that the blocks are a mixture of 9", 9 1/4" and 9 1/2". So we've decided to trim to 9 1/4" and stretch the 9" ones. Some blocks will lose their corners. Que sera sera!

Today, because I had received the last of the Ohio Star blocks back I started to randomly pin them up on the design wall. I think it is going to be quite a good overall look and will end up about 48 x 49". Ask me about the maths sometime.

All the spaces between various blocks can be filled with the flying geese and other scraps we have available that people have made and maybe even some strips of the focus fabric. We'll see what happens when anyone comes to help. It is interesting to see how the contrasts work and how some don't.

Update on current projects

Elaine visited a few times last week as it coincided with delivering and collecting her machine from the repair man. We have now tacked the sandwich for Lynette's Japanese (foreground below) and it now needs to be quilted.

In the background in the photo you can see the next quilt top in construction. Together we started trimming the blocks and adding the borders to each block.

This morning I decided to do the next step on this which was to join the blocks into rows. This is now done and I have added the orange border top and bottom to check that we had enough of that fabric as we did not have any spare. As you can see, all is good and it is looking great. We probably need another border as it is quite a small lap quilt.

Some weeks ago we put the Winding Ways blocks on the design wall. We have one spare so chose to leave out the one that was much paler than all the others. I think it will be a challenge to put together but it will be fun to bring out the circles in the quilting. Though I do like Carol's blocks set on point too.

So arrange a day to come and do the next step in our quilts and make sure all you blocks are back for the next ones.

Carol's Show and Tell

 It seems Carol was also inspired by the winding ways block and has re-covered two chairs. I love them.

Jeanette's show and tell

 Jeanette was inspired by the Winding Ways block and did a whole lap quilt with it.

It is amazing and you can really see the circles that appear. I love it when people get inspired.

Elaine's Show and Tell

 Elaine has finished her English paper piecing quilt done while in lockdown. 

It is really quite magnificent in real life.

Two quilts done

 Today Elaine and I were able to photograph and draw the latest two quilts - Seminole 1 and 2.

  

 

It would be great if we can find someone who would like two matching single bed quilts. Helen V won the draw but after redrawing they will be donated to charity.

Elaine's Show and Tell

 Elaine came yesterday to do some sewing and also to photograph her latest Covid quilt made entirely from bits and pieces. It is beautiful.

Quilt Progress

 Stephanie called to drop off her Ohio Star blocks and we looked at the Winding Ways collection so far.

As we were just "throwing" the blocks randomly on the table three of the blocks  came together with the large pieces of the focus fabric starting to make the pattern below. We both saw it together and decided to see if this arrangement would work. 

After a bit of juggling it did work and the secondary pattern is the lozenge shown below.

If you have your blocks waiting to be returned please post them now as this will be the next set to go up on the empty side of the design wall.

Elaine came the following day and progressed with the next border of Lynette's Japanese quilt so that is now off the design wall.

I have now quilted both the Seminole quilts and have bound one. Progress is happening!

It only took a day!

 I'm thrilled to report that my machine was only at the doctor's for a day and is now working like a dream. I have started quilting the second seminole quilt and might even do a bit more on the first one once I have finished the binding. 

One of the difficulties with these quilts is that I cannot start at the centre but have to go in the same direction for the whole length of the quilt. I've been rolling the quilt as I go and unlike the tiny machine it actually fits under the throat of the machine. I have now worked out how to clamp it in place so it is easier to manage. Yay!

Hopefully these two quilts will be finished soon because I now have a project of my own in my mind. I devised it while in Norway and drew it on a serviette so we'll see if I can bring that to fruition.

My beautiful sewing machine is sick

Yesterday I had to deliver the sewing machine I bought when Surrey was sick to the sewing machine doctor. He says he can look and it will cost a fortune but not as much as a new machine.

That left me in the lurch as I am up to quilting the seminole quilts and my other machines don't have a long enough throat for so much quilt to go through. So I tried my treadle machine. That was the right size but as I need two hands on the quilt I found it awkward stopping and starting because you also need a hand to spin the wheel to start the treadle. I don't have three hands.

My small machines have no table extension so I have now moved one of them to my large table and was able to do one of the quilts (not well). I've now added the binding quite easily though. 

        

I think I'll wait until my machine returns to do any more quilting.

A very productive Friday

Yesterday Kathryn came for a bit of fabric therapy. We had a great time tacking the first seminole sandwich and it is now ready for quilting. We've decided a dark blue binding will look best and perhaps a red binding on the second one.

After we had had our afternoon tea we played with the blocks from the next quilt in the boxes. This is Jenny's Flowers. We decided to make 6 more blocks to create a quilt of reasonable size.

We then played with sashing and cornerstones and have come up with the arrangement below.

Kathryn has now arranged it on the design wall and (the other two blocks are still on my machine). The sashing will be a green patterned fabric as shown above between two of the blocks.

Meanwhile after Carol had finished creating the top, I did the quilting and binding of Carol's quilt and as it is now labelled and finished I used random.org to draw the winner.

 

And the winner is Elaine! Congratulations. I am yet to hear if she would like to keep it or donate it to charity.

Progress on a Rainy Weekend

Over the last few wet days I have quilted Carol's Cabins and am now enjoying the warmth over my knees in front to TV in the evenings as I hand stitch the binding. Then it will be finished.

And this morning I have finished the borders on the two Seminole quilts and am much happier with this than the previous calico borders.

These two quilts are now ready for sandwiching which takes two people so if you are ready to come and help with that just let me know via email.

Two more visitors this week

Some progress has been made!

Elaine visited on Tuesday and finished the back for Carol's quilt, then Kathryn came on Wednesday. After making her next block while I completed most of the border for the Seminole quilts we assembled the sandwich for Carol's quilt. It is now ready to tack so I am calling for visitors who would like to do that. I am happy with a visitor who has been basically isolated safely as I have. Just let me know.

Kathryn decided that my word "floof" to describe floating the layers of the quilt over the table was an interesting one. We agreed that floofing actually requires at least two people.

Lots of fun, lots done.
More to do, just waiting for you.