I can finally tell you about the hearts quilt

I have spent the last couple of months busy at the local theatre, doing two shows back to back is not to be recomended I underestimated the time I would spend but it was massive amounts of fun and look forward to doing the next show.  This quilt has been on the machine for far too long but is now returned to its owner and I can now blog about it.

Many of the blocks were made by a group and put together with more blocks and a center panel by another group and I have quilted it. Sylvia asked for clam shells so I put them in the center for her, it was very time consuming, I hope she likes it.

I think the plan is to raffle it for a cancer charity around Valentines day, I will let you all know when I find out.

I do have another quilt to show but it will have to wait till later in the month as it is part of a competition with an on line group I belong to. Entries were supposed to be secret but someone has already guessed my work, perhaps it has something to do with my love/obsession with feathers. Ha!
Till next time
Liz X

Not much to blog about

We recently said goodbye to Master Chaos no 1, he will be spending the next two years working in Cape Cod. I was snapped between my lovely boys I am 5ft 8 inches and yes I am wearing high heels.

I have been dressmaking and bag making from gifted fabric and gifting them back but I have eventually finnished this Linus quilt I put together at a session run by Lynda, the feathers in the purple triangles saved it for me.

 I made a bag from leftover fabric from a baby quilt I made some time ago. I messed up rollng on the panto and had lots of free space so filled it with echo quilting and vermichelli. I like it much better than if I had got it right first time and may be my bag of choice for a while.

 I had this top in the waiting pile,it was a donated to Project Linus, and had to prove to myself that I could roll on a panto properly. In real life it is more red not orange as it appears here, so I like it and may be a little reluctant to see it go.

 I had planned to start quilting a quilt but find I have no suitable thread, so rarely happens, so have just placed an order and with a wing and a prayer it will arrive midweek so I can make a start.
Till next time, Liz

Quilts leaving my house

 I quilted this from Lynda's Linus stash.

 This I made for Help for Heros and when I gave it to her Brenda said she had only this week had a  request for a turquoise quilt, good timing I thought.

 This I quilted for a chap in the coffee shop we go to ocasionally. It had lain in a bag for 20 years.

 This is a fun little thing I made for Project Linus.

Lastly his is the latest Flutterwheels quilt which is going in the post in the morning to the Alzheimer Quilt Project at Hampden Park. Oddly I like this quilt more in picture than in person.
Till next time
Liz

A finish, nearly!

Tonight I will be putting the binding on this quilt. I made the top after christmas, a very generous gift from my friend Holly. Thank you Hun.

In real life the turquoise is not so dominant.

 I quilted it using a panto I picked up at a longarmers get together and Wonderfil Spagetti thread I bought at the NEC. I love the colour and look of the thicker thread but it gave me some tension issues. It is not perfect but I like it.

I am going to try to link up with Amanda Jean.

A pin cushion or two

Jane showed her little pin cushions here

http://janeweston.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/ring-for-quilter.html

I am a big girl with big hands

 I  made my smaller one first with a very big yellow button and found it useful when hand sewing but what I really needed was a pin cushion for my long arm and big pins.

I had been watching Calender Girls ( I love that film) while doing a pile of ironing and I thought a sunflower pin cushion would be good. I made up the pattern using a plastic lid from a Pringle tube and I have sewen it inside to ensure the pins don't come through to the back of  my hand. I used Batik fabric from stash, I used the walking foot to stitch cross hatching over the central brown bit to suggest seeds and made up the petal shape. I stuffed the center with chinchilla sand and used some wide flat elastic which goes round the widest part of my hand leaving my hand free for pinning on.

I got half way through and thought I was spending a rediculous amount of time doing this but now I am glad I have completed it because I really like it.

Thank you Jane for the inspiration.

Liz

New York Beauty Blocks

I tried a couple of new techniques yesterday while confined to barracks waiting for a delivery that never arrived, even though I phoned in the morning to check, Grrr. Anyhow I tried foundation piecing with freezer paper and using fabric glue instead of pinning pieces together.

 Using glue to join pieces together is something I will be doing again. I enjoy hand sewing these curves together but it is a lot quicker by machine so thank you Jane for the idea and sorry I can't remember the name for it. I did find the glue stick gave too much glue at a time so I will either need to cut a greater seam allowance or use an applicator of some kind.

I think I will be returning to my old method of stitching through paper for these foundation blocks as I think the points came out more accurately that way but I would concider using the freezer paper method if I ever get around to making a storm at sea quilt as the accuracy needed there is less important. I saw Dorothy was using this technique for making Log Cabin blocks very neatly and I like the idea and will be storing it for future use.
Only one more block for the set of NYB blocks but what can you do with 10 blocks? I think I will be drafting some of my own to add to them.

Till next time
Liz

April is here already

 Where is the year going?
I enjoyed a morning in the garden as Young Master Chaos enjoyed a post scout camp duvet day. Not wanting to tramp mud into the house and being too lazy to take my boots off off I rang the door bell and said the gardener required a box of tissues, a lipsalve and a cup of tea. I did have to ring the bell again to remind mater chaos the need for tea was getting desperate and this is what I found on the door step, tissues, lippy, tea and a slice of the marble cake I had made the day before with added chocolate spread on top. Got to love that boy X

Back to quilty progress, I was given this top some time ago and it has made it to the top of the pile primeraly because I had backing loaded and this fitted. I bought a panto at a LAUK get together and this is one of them, I quite enjoyed the flow once I had got into it although it is a little tricky. I am glad this is now bound and ready to be gifted.

I spent ages yesterday pressing seam alowances on  a quilt top that has been screwed up in a bag for years. I have done only 1/4 of it and my elbows are screaming at me I will have to use my lighter iron and press it in small sections every day untill it is ready to load.

Unfortunately the weather had taken a turn for the worst and we have rain (although that is probably best for my elbows or I would be tempted into the garden again) and we have a childrens party at the railway this afternoon so I am hoping it will clear later.

Till next time

Liz