The Mystery Continues

It's just amazing how quickly the Mystery QAL posts come around - todays is the 6th and I am posting fortnightly, can't believe we have been going for 12 weeks already.
This week's instruction link is HERE or just click on Mystery QAL on my header. It's never too late to join in, the instructions are all available for free download.If you would like to see some of the great blocks being made pop over to the flickr group.

Meanwhile I am happy to show off another block for Japan - this time from Helene.

Isn't it great? The theme of the block is squares and triangles so I don't think Helene could have got it much better than this - perfect colours too.
You still have time to make a block for this excellent cause - details and pics of other great examples HERE.

Sheila Goes Modern - Episode 3

Ok, so now I have 27 blocks - 4 are duds, but as luck would have it, I only need 23 for the quilt front and the duds, which have not worked out to the right size, can be trimmed down and will "float" on the back.

I had a frustrating time with batch 3 - made a wrong cut somewhere and did quite a bit of reverse sewing. Still a very quick project tho' - if I hadn't stalled I would basically have all blocks ready to join inside 3 hours, well say 4 hours as I have yet to cut the plain.
In the pic above is some yardage of white cotton I bought in Mauritius 4yrs ago when I fantasised about doing some dressmaking - huh, never going to happen. Weight wise, I think I could just about get away with it on the front but I think it will do well on the back. It has self cloured embroidery all over it so nicely textured.
Now here's the question - when I popped my white cotton against the blocks the white in the blocks suddenly doesn't look bright white - so is there a particular white you would recommend to me, all you Kona fans??

Another Swap

I got in!
I have only recently been made aware of the phenomenon that is Doll Quilt Swaps and number 11 has just started - go HERE  and HERE to have a look at what it is all about.
So it seems that it can be tricky to make the cut, especially with not much swapping experience so, with just one, recently under my belt, I feel rather lucky.
I have been allocated my secret partner, spent several hours "stalking" her flickr photos and favourites and am quite excited about it all.
The finished quilt is to be no more than 9" on any one side, and no bigger than 18" on any one side. Teeny.
I have played about on EQ6, as usual, and come up with a few ideas to suit "my brief" - that is the important thing to remember I reckon, it is not necessarily going to be something I would choose for myself, I have a partner with firm likes & dislikes.

This is my plan so far.........I do have coloured versions but I think it would be quite obvious to my partner so I am keeping it under wraps for a wee while yet.
My plan requires serious fabric shopping, I don't think I have anything suitable...lol

Two Extremes

So, fuelled by all your nice comments yesterday, I got on and made another 9 Crazy Nine Patches this morning.
I was a bit more careful in stacking my squares and I think it paid off when matching seams - there are still quite a few that will never match but I can live with that.

I did do a bit of re-pressing of seams to avoid bulk and in general I am pleased and will batter on as they say........For those of you interested in such details, the fabric is "Summertime" by Barbara Jones of Quiltsoup for Henry Glass.
After lunch, this time fuelled by a tin of Heinz tommy soup, I set about making a mini block, in case I am accepted for the Doll Swap............I kept telling myself it wasn't taking any longer than making a normal block and to remember it would end up as a mini quilt. So after a lot of faffing about, trimming etc I ended up rather seduced by the final result.............

How cute is that? - measures 3 1/2" at the moment.

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.

Overexcitement

I always enjoy seeing what the postie brings, but today was really special because my parcel contained my Brit Quilt Swap quilt.........it was from Alison from Little Island Quilting and it came all the way from Guernsey.
Now when I saw this quilt evolve, on the flickr group, I had a very strong feeling that it could possibly be for me - but you don't want to hope too much................but, it was ok to hope 'cos it WAS mine - first of all I pulled out this beautifully wrapped in tissue, package..............

and then -

Isn't it fabulous? Alison read  me just right - this little beauty has been hand quilted which makes it even more special for me as I rarely, never,  hand quilt. So a huge thank you Alison. This has been my first swap - if anyone out there is considering joining a swap but feels a bit unsure - DO IT, it's fun.
AND there was more, in my package............

a beautiful tea towel that will never have to dry a dish!!

Happy Monday!!

Fresh Sewing Day

As a new month begins, many of us in blogland link to Lynne's Fresh Sewing Day - it's a great chance to take stock of what you are doing, what you have done and also gives us a chance to look around at what others are up to. I am also now finding it is a bit of an incentive to finish stuff as I feel I need to have something to show for my month.

So I finally put the finishing touches to Big Little George, didn't feel there was too much of a hurry as I used Christmas fabrics.

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I finished my Brit Quilt Swap quilt too - it is "in the post" as I type...................

I made myself a funky new bag from a pattern purchased from Anna at Noodlehead.Will make more of this one.

I made a block for the 2012 Partnership Quilt for the Tokyo Quilt Show - details HERE.- still plenty of time for you to join in.

I finally made a matching tablerunner for daughter to match the Roman blind I made a few months back.....it's not quilted, just fabric and lining with some quilting lines to keep it flat.

Then of course, there was the caravan cushion made for Alasdair to celebrate him passing his towing test - wish I had bought more than a fat 1/4 of those cute vintage vans........

This is a wee zippie I made for Hadley as part of the Pay it Forward challenge. I also completed the other two PIFs but sent items made prior to June.
I also managed two weeks off from work, watched lots of tennis which brings me to my next pic - and my reason for ending this post.........

he has just come on court for the Wimbledon semi.....gotta go!