NOTHING LIKE A CHALLENGE TO GET SOMETHING DONE

You may remember Here where I made the massive statement that I would finish 6 UFO's this year.

Well .......I AM ON MY WAY!!

Here's an update.

1. Material Obsession Avalon?

Complete. (Even though the photo is before I have completed the binding.

2. Chevron 

Fully complete.

This was made for classes at Finders Keepers Giftware and Fabric.  It used Layer Cakes. I machine quilted it. I even added a little hand quilting. I'm up to my 4th group of students for this.

3. Whirlygig

Nearly done.  Just need to finish sewing down the binding.

This one made me a little discouraged.  The cutting instructions were wrong in the pattern and even though I had the top finished it sat in the cupboard for over a year.

4. Rotherfield Grey

Fully complete.

Even though this is not a great photo the quilt is beautiful.  This was a BOM from Homestead Hearth.
My sister in law Leanne and I both did this.  We kept each other motivated.

5. Nundle Squares

Fully complete.

This was actually made about 5 years ago.  I think it was our last weekend at Nundle.

6. One Bite at a Time Sampler

Off to Merediths in the morning.

I have been teaching this quilt to a group of ladies for over a year. They are doing a beautiful job.  They are now up to joining the blocks together.  The techniques they have been learning are piecing, paper foundation piecing, machine appliqué and curved piecing. 

My own design.

And just cause I could.

7. Brigitte Giblin Hexagon Quilt

At Meredith's

Another not great photo. It is the bright  one with the black spot border.  I'll post a full size when it is finished. 

8. Material Obsession Mystery Quilt

I need to buy some backing for this and then it's off to Meredith as well.

This was a 2009 BOM.  A mistake in the pattern meant that it has been put away since 2009.  In May I dug it out and worked it out myself.  Had to go to the far recess of my mind for Pythagorus Theorum.

So that's it!

On the way to having 8 finishes for the year.

Funnily enough I only realised it was 8 tonight.

A Little MoRe

From 17/1/16. For some reason I forgot to hit publish.

Update.  Not quite as productive as least week but the idea is to at least do something.

Mum, Caroline and Leanne came today to do some work on this quilt that we are doing together as a block of the month.  

First off we spent a bit of time getting Caroline's piecing up to date.  Now she just has a bit of appliqué and she'll be caught up with the rest of us.

Mark cooked us a magnificent roast in his new BBQ.  Pity that my pan gravy was not the best. 

We got to work on

1. Antique Wedding Sampler

Pieced block 12 and appliqués ready to go.  Also traced and cut out the pieces for Block 6.  Ready to hand piece.  Sorry no photo of this but I'll upload one when the block is a bit more advanced.

ONE FINISH AND A LITTLE MORE

A very productive week has been had.

1.  First Finish of the Year 1/2016

When Finders Keepers first opened and I was working out what would be the first class I would teach to beginners I decided to adapt this pattern from the Material Obsession book. I made two versions of it. Mainly because I bought thefull width of the fabric and had left overs. I used green sashing on one and white on the other.  The white one was finished straight up and is now hanging in the shop classroom.  I decided that it would be better to start with a smaller project so the class could learn how to quilt and it would be too hard on a big quilt.  

I finally finished sewing down the binding on the green one.  Looks pretty good too if I do say so myself.

2. Mrs Billings

 A few more blocks done.

3. Layer Cake Christmas Quilt

Ten years ago when I went to the US I bought a beautiful Christmas quilt book. I'd always wanted to make a one colour quilt since I saw that book.  I had decided on the pattern for the next layer cake class and thought it would be well suited to one colour.  I know this is a dark photo but I only have 7 blocks to go now out of 56.

4. Rotherfield Greys

Leanne and I finished Rotherfield Grey at the 4 day Tocal weekend. When we layed it out on the floor we were dismayed to find that one of the borders looked crooked.  In the end it turned out that the pattern of the fabric, even though cut on the straight grain, made the quilt look wonky.  This weekend we both pulled out that border and replaced it. Leanne was lucky enough to find the same fabric but we cut it to make the pattern straight. Looks much better.

I'm talking about the dark blue border.  It looks so much better. Now off to Meredith  for quilting. 

All in all a pretty productive week.

ACCOUNTABILITY

Ok ... So things are getting out of hand.

Each of these boxes hold a project.

The blue bag and the bottom shelf hold tops ready to quilt.

Tops ready to quilt or partially quilted.

Wooden box holding old projects. Plus Mrs Billings just waiting on its final border. Rotherfield Grey top which is done but I don't like how one of the plain borders makes the whole quilt look skew wif.

I have challenged myself to finish at least 6 of these in 2016.

First two on the list.

• Sew the binding on the large square panel quilt. Maybe give it a name as well.
• Continue making the hexies for the Mrs Billings border.

All these new quilts in my head I want to design and make but not until I've completely finished a few of these.

Hexie Force

A few more done.

Dark - 16/48

Light - 13/52

A long way to go.

Four Days with Di Ford

U Yes you did read that title right.

Four days with Di Ford!!

Well to be totally honest and thanks to Maitland Patchwork and Quilters. 

Two days of free choice sewing and two days of Di Ford Workshop.

Let's start with the UFO's.

Rotherfield Greys

Well this one really can't be called a UFO as Leanne and I are both up to date for this BOM.  We completed the current package which is the square outer border.

It's looking great!  One more side of these to go and then we are up to the last paper pieced stars border.

One Bite At A Time

I've been slowly working on the quilt I plan to teach at Finders Keepers next year. Three more blocks done.  I'll add a photo of the whole quilt when I get a few more done.

Wall quilts

To decorate my lovely new sewing room - Actually I think I might try to call it something quilt related as that's all that really happens there - I decided to finish a couple of small quilts to hang on the wall.

This one is a hand pieced Trip Around The World.  I started it as support with Susan but thought I'd done enough.  Much quicker I think to do this pattern by machine.  Sorry hand piecers.😀 I quilted and bound it on the weekend.

This is a small kit I bought from Material Obsession in their bargain box.  Foundation pieced circle appliquéd on a beautiful piece of fabric. It's something you'd probably use for curtains.  Looks pretty good in the photo if I do say so myself.

I'll grab another photo when I get them on the wall.

Mrs Billings

Still working away on these. Not as quickly as I would like but slogging away. I am enjoying them though but I am keen to start other things.

Current count

DARK - 13/48

LIGHT - 10/52

DI FORD - DI FORD - DI FORD - DI FORD

An absolutely fab workshop.  Probably one of the best I have been to.  Di is the most giving person both in class and out. So generous with her time and help.  There were 20 in the class yet Di did a great job of helping everyone. Probably done it a few times before haha!

Di was happy for us to pick any of her designs.  I had such a dilemma as there are not many of her designs that I don't love.  Mum and Marilyn are working on Sutton Grange. Di's latest design.  Leanne is working on Route 66 and learnt some great fussy cutting techniques.

I changed my mind a few times but in the end decided to do the quilt that I actually bought Di's book for.

The Burnt Quilt

I didn't get a lot done but I'm very happy with how it's looking.

Di had a great technique of tracing the appliqué pattern onto a pice of interfacing so you know where everything goes but it won't get into the way of your thread.

Oh and the birds gotta go.

At the end of the weekend I had lots to show and was on such a quilting high.

As usual MPQ and in particular Robyn have done an exceptional job at organising the weekend.

I'm typing this slowly pretending it's a sneaky whisper. - I've signed up for the Antique Wedding Sampler BOM starting in February.  Gulp!!

Just can't help myself!

Yes I've started 2 new quilts this week.

On the left is a Figtree Honey Bun I've had for years.  My friend Cheryl came for a visit and was doing this pattern.  After we got her started I had an impulsive thought and started it as well.

Unfortunately when I went into Finders Keepers on the following Tuesday I fell in love with "Beauty Queen" by Jennifer Paganelli hence the new quilt on the right. Very happy with it. Adjusted a Brigitte Giblin pattern.

Also keeping up with this.

DARK - 5/48

LIGHT - 6/52

Jo x