Keeping in Touch

A couple of ladies from my classes got in touch this week to show me what they had been up to recently - in a patchwork way of course..........
First from Helen, her block for Japan,

This lovely block will end up in a multi-national quilt which will then be auctioned to raise funds to help the Japanese Earthquake victims - still time for you to make one, you know it would make you feel good. Click HERE to see how you could help by making just one block.
Meanwhile, Helene (subtle difference in spelling) as been busy making this super quilt in time for her niece to take it off to Uni.

Helene tells me she got the pattern from Triangle-free Quilts by Judy Hopkins and found it quick and very satisfying to make. She also used spare strips to piece her backing........

This quilt is a classic example of what has got me all excited about quilting again through reading lots of blogs. This huge modern quilt movement says to me that quilts don't have to be labour intensive and hugely complex to result in something beautiful. They can be simple, and let the fabrics speak for themselves. I am sure your niece will love this one, Helene.
I bought myself a pile of fat 1/4s back in February, when I wen tto the Quilt show at Ingliston.

They have been lurking safely in my drawer since then - I have spent many hours trying to decide what to do with them and this week got the rotary cutter out! I have looked a dozen times at this pattern.
It's a sort of stack and whack idea and something I have never tried before. The advantage to us Brit quilters is that our fat 1/4s are bigger than US equivalents and so the 9 fat quarters required can produce 36 of the wonky 9 patch blocks.
So far, I have made 9.....

I quite like them but my seams don't all match - I think this may be because I didn't cut my fat 1/4s neatly to begin with, I just used scissors and whipped each one into 4 pieces. I only have 45mm rotary cutter and with a fresh blade it did get thro 9 layers but when faced with seams too, it was tricky. But, in the end, with a following wind, I have ended up with 8 1/2" blocks (might realistically have to trim again). I made thes inside an hour so once again, could be a quick quilt. Watch this space for further developments in "Sheila Goes Modern".
In case anyone out there in the Universe hasn't heard, I got my Brit Swap Quilt this week - last post tells the story.
Here it is again tho, in situ...........

I am waiting to see if I have a place in the Doll Quilt Swap 11.........ideas for tiny quilts have been floating around my mind for a week or two now. But, I thought you might like to see a real one that I have on my wall here at home - it was made for me by my pal Janet for Christmas, a few years back and I have to tell you it almost made me weep (with joy!!) when I opened it. She knew  how much I loved Storm at Sea and she made it in colours that I loved. This little beauty measures 10 1/2" x 13 1/2". 

Now, I titled this post Keeping in Touch, and I am signing off to do just that with some real life friends before they cut me off.


PS - Keep forgetting to do this but have finally linked to WIP Wednesday with Lee over at Freshly Pieced.