Stitcheries and Bento Box

This is what I do when I am waiting at the station for my husband to come home, I sit in the car and stitch, now that Noah is done I found another generous designer to give us a block of the month. These are by Gail Pan Designs and I love them. I am now looking forward to March.

This is what I have been doing when I should have been quilting my stars quilt. I can't make a decision about quilting designs so I started another.

This was a jelly roll of batiks from fabric freedom. There was a thread on BQL about Bento box and I just had to do one. I wanted to play with colour but played safe with complimentary colours for the main blocks and had half a roll of strips that didn't have a pair so I put them together for the border I have a bit of this left and will probably make a bag. I used all of the fabrics in the roll and bought 1.3m for the border and my quilt measures 62" square. At the moment I have only quilted in the ditch and have to decide whether to leave it at that or do some more.

I have bought an ink pad to complete the stamping on my siggy blocks and have now made all 60 and got them squared up and trimmed so another session or two and they should be completed. In plenty of time too! till next time Liz X

Jennie Rayment

On Wednesday evening Jennie came to Lutterworth Piecemakers to give a talk about her quiltmaking style and life as a traveller and teacher. If you have ever met Jennie you will understand that she is quite a character and has a unique sense of humour that had everyone laughing till there sides ached.

On Thursday I spent a lovely the day at a workshop with Jennie. I did manage to keep up the pace and complete all 9 blocks despite

a.not having picked up a sheet of requirements when I booked the day and

b.going home and printing off the wrong set of instructions and staying up till 1am cutting out the wrong blocks. Lucky I was there early and my mistake was realised when Chris turned up with her blocks that were bigger, B*gger. Jennie took over and had the required blocks cut out in about 3 minutes, (from memory no cutting list) amazing lady.

Anyhow so now I have fiddled, twiddled manipulated and generally had fun and produced this. Don't ask what I will do with it.

Ciggy blocks are comming on, although due to some poor pressing I have had to undo a few because when it came to trimming I found they were not square. Interesting as they were early ones and mostly one fabric. Igave it a good dose of spray starch which should mean no repeat of that problem.

My Bento block quilt is getting it's borders soon but because it was a make it up as you go along not a planned quilt I need to find a little bit for the corners. I might get this done when my guys go shooting this afternoon.

Tonight I hope to get tickets to see my Dad on stage, Rugby Operatic society is performing Orpeus in the Underworld and my sister is playing in the pit.

Chuffed

I am pleased because I have managed to upload the picture of Noah's Ark to the Lynette Anderson group page on flickr. I did it all by myself after several failed attempts. I had to find out about geotagging and do that before it would upload, and now its done. Sad I know to be so pleased , but I had to tell someone and now it's bed time. Goodnight.

Noah's Ark

Noah's ark is now put together with a set of rainbow coloured batiks and some patterned batiks I bought ages ago. I am now looking forward to the last set of instructions to finish it off although I can enjoy it just being pinned up on my little pin board. I have done some more ciggy blocks in blue and white orientals and only have 8 more to sew then signatures for all 60. I do have an idea for how to do this and need to buy a special pen.
I have also been playing with a batik jelly roll and bento block.

The strips were nowhere near 2 1/2 inches so required a lot of trimming which at first made me a bit narked but I soon came to view this pile as another excuse to play. I have to think of a border for this now. As it is half term I may not have so much time this week but I have thursday with Jennie Rayment which should be fun I will post the results of our workshop.

Till then Liz

B.Q.L.quilt some signature quilt blocks and jelly roll blocks

I have completed the BQL February challenge, just got to upload it to the site. It is foundation pieced onto starched fabric with red and oriental fabrics as it is not only Valentines day but our wedding anniversary too this month. I think that although paper foundation piecing is tedious to pick bits of paper off, it is easier to fold accurately.
I had tried to use a metalic thread to quilt but the thread kept breaking. I think I have read about a needle for metalic threads, I will have to investigate. I used lots of fancy stitches to quilt although they don't show in my pictures, you know the ones your machine has that you never use. I have done some signature blocks (but not trimmed them yet, I thought I would leave that till last) also from oriental fabrics, but I need to shop for more fabric before I can make anymore blocks.

These blocks are made from the jelly roll we were given for christmas at Rocheberie I need to make two more blocks then think about sashing and borders, another shopping trip needed as I have not got a fabric stach to speak of, I keep using it up.

Lutterworth piecemakers block is also done but I have not photographed it yet.

Lynette Anderson has just relesed her last Noah's Ark block so you know how I will be spending this snowy day.

Till next time, Liz