Must Do Better

I seem to have become a slow blogger.........fortunately my productivity in the sewing room has not suffered. Nw what have I been up to recently?
Well, this is a busy old time for me - my classes are all labouring away at current projects whilst I am labouring away at next session's projects.
My sample needs to be ready by the end of March when this current term comes to an end. I am planning the next Open Day in April (how can it possibly be a year since the last one?) and of course there are always a few personal projects on the go.

I got my blocks done for Judith's Bee Blessed, very suitable choice for February,

Next on the schedule - my Stingy Bee blocks for Emily. So far I have only one done.

I got going on a quick cushion - a birthday pressie for SIL......

Yes, I know it looks squint, nothing to do with my imperfect sewing, it's a reflection on his driving.

My favourite way of making a cushion now is to quilt it completely which leads me on nicely to another project / sample that I am working on - not quite finished, but a cushion for An Intro to Patchwork workshop.

And then I got going on another project, a bit later than many. I was reading Alison's blog  couple of weeks back and her call for quilted blocks to make quilts for Mexican street kids...........Alison was the maker of my first ever swap item so I have a wee soft spot for her. How could I not help her cause.

As I said, she asked for quilted blocks that she would put together using QAYG techniques. I have quite a stash of orphan blocks going back to when my classes began, not very pretty blocks.............hmmm, like these (look away Hadley) I might as well join them together.......

I had a wee quilt top that I had pieced by hand before the beginning of time -

 And more blocks............

How could I brighten up this lot?

Sash them with bright green................make some corner blocks,

and join.........

Looking a tiny bit less brown? What else could I do?

.

Dusted off the embroidery machine and added Soy Amado - Alison tells us this means "I Am Loved"

There was a lull in proceedings as I progressed other projects and gave some thought to backing. Enter light bulb moment - I had a bag of stuff in our porch awaiting a charity bag - in it, a very large duvet cover, and - result, it was 100% cotton!! Yippee. Although this wee quilt will only come in about 54" square and within my quilting limits, I decided to quilt the three sections that you can see in the layouts above. An unexpected window today and I quilted those three sections, in a nice bright orange Aurifil 40wt. Too dark for pics but I hope to wrap up this project during the week.

It won't be the brightest quilt around but I have enjoyed the challenge of making a useable quilt from nothing and I do hope it brings some comfort ......................

Do you have any orphan blocks lingering in a dark drawer somewhere? Why don't you quilt one or two up and send it off to Alison - details can be found here.

So - tomorrow my two pals and I are having a Sewing Day, 10 - 4 uninterrupted sewing, such fun!!