Friday again

Although I did do some work today, it was only putting together the tops I showed yesterday, so essentially, they look the same as they did yesterday. I did move a few of the pineapple blocks around, but otherwise, nothing has changed. Not too exciting, but I only had about an hour free to work, what with one thing and another.

So instead of showing that, I'll show what came in the post - two more lotto blocks, these from Jana, and 8 fat eights of Japanese fabric, from my Just Japanese club. And that's all she wrote...

Rivers and stuff

Finished up the river postcards (below) and did this week's journal quilt as well - using a river like the ones on the postcards, and a sun like the ones in the sun postcards - only with this one, I used my little soldering iron to trim the sheer around the sun. And a wee bird charm just for fun.



Also spent some time playing with two other things - the first is the set of pineapple blocks I received from various quilty friends as a comfort gift when my dad died in the autumn. The wonderful Sophie organised these pineapples, and I have been trying to find an arrangement for them. There are actually 37 blocks, so I played with arrangements of 35 (5x7) and 36 (6x6) and decided in the end on the arrangement below. The main challenge with arranging these blocks is that some of them have black corners and some have brown. The black ones work much better on the diagonal, so I have decided to keep them clustered together. This arrangement leaves out two blocks - one of which has some black corners and some brown, so it was very hard to use, and the other of which had brown corners, but I chose to leave it out because the fabrics were less tone-on-tone than some of the others and therefore stood out more. The two extra blocks I will either make into cushion covers or use on the back, or find another use for. Now it only remains to sew them together. And decide if it wants a border. And quilt it. And...probably I shouldn't have used the word "only"! Looking at it again, I can see some of the black blocks are very light in the brown logs, so I might move them around a bit. but the basic idea stands.



The second thing I am working on is the background for a challenge quilt with my small virtual group - the challenge is to do something with the theme "Forest" - I used lots of fabrics with trees on them - I've been hoarding them for a while now. Once they are together, I will do lots and lots of quilting (trees, of course) on it, adding various other things, like fibres and who knows what all else. I imagine it will take a while, but luckily, it's not due until September.

Misc Wednesday

Someday, I will get better at blog post titles - so hard to think of anything interesting! Anyway, here's some of what I did today, in addition to running Sarah to the doctor's (hayfever, not asthma), taking a big load of stuff to the school for the fair, doing my online grocery shop, and so on.

I decided that the heavy dark piece of fabric at the bottom of the ALQS piece was really going to bother me, so I extended the geese down to the bottom of the quilt. I am happier now. Now I just need to get a label on it and get it in the post.

On the right is a prototype postcard for "R is for" - I have decided to do River. The card looks ok here, but looks MUCH better in person, as it uses lots of shiny bits of fabric and so on. The background is just plain cream fabric, which I added the bits of river to - shiny turquoise silk as the river bed, some blue wool roving, two colours of sheers, ribbon, and so on. When that was all couched down I used fabric paint (Stewart Gill MetaMica - my favourite kind of paints) to fill in the background. Obviously it needs edging and so on, but at least the basic idea is there.

I also did some postcards for the swap Here Comes the Sun - these, again, don't look as good in the photo as they do in person. I have used a hand-dyed fabric background, some orangey yellow wool roving and a piece of sheer fabric (peach coloured) on top, then done FMQ onto the sun - it's a simple card, but I think it works.

And in case you were worried that I didn't get any post, I did, don't panic! These lovely blocks all came from Diane, for the birthday block swap - there's an 18 inch block and 5x 6" blocks. Now Diane did technically owe me two blocks, as we were both in two groups, but she's really outdone herself here, don't you think? And there were some quitly notecards too, which seem to have escaped the photo.

And two more offerings - an "R is for" postcard from Jeannette ("roses") and some more block lotto blocks, these from Marilyn in Australia. Great green fabric, isn't it!

Post to show in lieu of work

Although I did some work today, it was testing the pattern for the August bag tutorial, so I can't show what I did. Instead, I will show the lovely post I got yesterday and today - first up, some birthday blocks. On the left, from Sherry (and as usual, the purple fabric doesn't really show properly). On the right, two blocks from Christine. What a great selection of blocks I'm getting...






And some more blocks from the block lotto - can't remember which is which, but the ones above are from Michelle and Ellen - and the two below from Cindi. The postcard is for the Here Comes the Sun theme, and is from Diane.

Quick post with giveaway & winner...

Just a quick post tonight - my hayfever is really bad today and I don't feel like doing much on the computer or watching telly - think I might go to bed early with a book. Anyway, I didn't do any work today, as I spent the afternoon doing some stuff around the house and some tidying up on the computer - sorting out loads of photos, etc and installing new anti-virus software, etc. I did get a couple of things in the post, but I will share them tomorrow.

Anyway, I thought I'd do the giveaway, as everyone is always waiting for that :) - and the winner is, number 4 - Joyce D. I think I have your address already, so I will pop it in the post to you!



As for the next item to find a new home, you will probably not be surprised to see the wonky teacups (or coffee cups, if you like!). The blocks themselves are slightly less wonky than they appear in the photo - the photo was taken with them lying on a sofa I was sitting on at the time, so not the flattest surface. Anyway. There are 4 of them, they are 4.5" square and the handles, while sewn into the seams, are not sewn down onto the blocks. But if you want them, they could be yours - leave a comment here before Monday and I'll enter you into the draw.

Minis, minis, everywhere

So today I did manage to get quite a lot accomplished, despite the lure of a very sunny lovely day outside (well, I did take the kids to the park in the morning for a little while - Alex was practicing riding his bike - he's better about using the brakes to stop (instead of running into stuff) but he's still not great at steering, so every time he begins to go off course a little, he brakes. It's cute, but a little annoying for those of us who have to start him up again every time). I finished the mini quilt for my own swap (ALQS), though there is still a label to be attached; I also worked on the revised teacups which I like a lot better. Next step is to do some sort of flower arrangement in front of the teacups, I think. We'll see. The piece has a mitred border and a mitred flange - which is a new one for me - it really wanted to have the flange, but it also wanted to be mitred, so I gave it a go - it works ok, though it's a little thick at the seams. The colour is not quite true in the photo, it's a little brighter, but it's not far off.



I also finished the silver & gold cards, and my journal quilt from yesterday - the cards use the leftover bits of mylar (or whatever it was) which I used in combination with my May bag to create an insulated lining as the background, and then have some ribbon and a few bits on them. I quilted the mylar in gold (well, it's kind of yellow, but close enough) with a kind of flame design - I started to add lots of bits and pieces, but in the end, my DD1, Sarah, was right when she said that the best part was the flame design and I should make that the focus (she didn't say it in quite those words, but as it happens, she was right).

Goals...

So, this week's goal round-up and so on... A quick recap of last week's goals:

• finish testing July bag pattern for bag challenge (done - can't show it until July, but done)
• set of Silver & Gold themed postcards for Arts in the Mail (deadline 12/6, I think)
• PC for Quilt Swap 5 (haven't done this yet - not sure whether I'm going to do this or not, might drop out)
• quilt Spring Fling Round Robin (deadline 8/6) (done, also bound and sent on)
• start pounded fabric pieces for surfacing swap (deadline 30/6) (this has to sit for a week or more doing nothing, so it needs to start now) (forgot all about this - really must get to it early next week)
• journal quilt for the week (deadline 7/6) (done)

So, next week, I will be doing more of the same:

• test bag pattern for August bag challenge
• start pounded fabric pieces for surfacing swap
• journal quilt for the week (deadline 13/6)
• set of postcards for "Here Comes the Sun" theme (deadline 11/6)

There's lots of other stuff I might have a go at if I have the time, but I think that's what really needs to be on the list.

Bumper post day

Not a lot of work done here today - at least, not sewing-wise. I did manage to get all three kids to have a big clear-out in their rooms, though, so that's some serious accomplishment (we always do this before Christmas and before the summer fair at school - a good chance to give some unneeded stuff to people who might need it more). I did do the prototype for a silver & gold postcard, but otherwise, not much happening.

I did, however, receive a good lot of stuff in the post - I got these birthday blocks above from Amy, who made one main one, several smaller ones, and one tiny one made from the "wrong" flying geese she made for the centre of the main block (I'm so glad I'm not the only who has days like that). She also enclosed two lovely pieces of fabric as a hostess thank you - how cool is that.

And then, I got three sets of block lotto blocks, from Cathy, Cat and Randi (not sure which is which at this point, but they are all great) and this surprise parcel from Jovita, who lives in Lithuania but is visiting the UK at the moment - the chocolate is already proving popular in this house!

Hawaiian, revisited

When I drew up my goals this week, I wasn't really thinking about the dates - today is (was? not sure of the grammar of that) my dad's birthday - so I decided to work on quilting the second Hawaiian shirt quilt despite it not being on the list - seemed fitting, somehow. And amazingly, I had just enough time to finish the quilting - here it is (well, some of it) laid out across the dining room table. I will get the binding on in the next few days and then get it in the post. Why is it that you always run out of bobbin thread when you have only 10 minutes of free time left and about 8 inches square left to quilt?





And two other things to show today - another set of Buckeye Beauty blocks arrived in the post, and I have finished the Spring Fling Round Robin, which shall go off in the post tomorrow to whomever it's due to go to (not saying, of course, just in case she's reading!)

Anyone for teacups?

So, today's round up. This morning was my little quilt group - every other Thursday morning - we drank coffee, ate some cake and worked a little on the little nine patch. Then I went down to Garson's Farm - a somewhat local Pick Your Own farm - where I picked the last of the asparagus, and the first of the broad beans, strawberries and peas. Yum. Amazingly enough, I did have some time to try a little work, but I'm not happy with it. I saw this pattern (left) in a magazine and thought it might make a nice Summer Four Seasons Quilt (or rather, the basis for one - the quilt is too big) . The teacup blocks in the original are 6" blocks, so i thought I'd try to reduce them to 4 inches - but I wasn't happy with the proportions or the handles - I couldn't use bias handles as in the original, as the blocks were too small and the bias strips wouldn't turn enough in the space. So I dunno. I might try some with different handles. Or I might try them at 6 inches - they clearly work in that size. Or I might try something totally different.



And here's what I got in the post - my first set of Buckeye Beauty Lotto Blocks, these from Laurie T, and a postcard from Carina, as a thank you for something she won in my blog giveaway - totally unnecessary, of course, but that's ok with me.

6 unimportant things

Anna has tagged me to play this game - list 6 unimportant things about myself - of course, you guys know me and how well I play along with the rules on these things, so while I'm going to try to think of 6 unimportant things and share them, I'm not going to tag anyone (I know, you're all shocked). I quite like what Anna did - throw all the names of the blogs she reads into a hat and pull out six, but even that is too much work for me. So the usual dictum - if you want to play along, do. If you are more of a playing by the rules type, you can find them on Anna's blog...

1. I eat most things, but I don't like marmite or bananas
2. I have owed (or owned jointly with my DH) 6 cars in my life, none of them new - yellow, green, white, blue, white again and now red
3. At various points in my life I have had the following pets: cats (3), dogs (2), fish (many), hermit crabs (2 or 3), guinea pigs (2, then about 12 when they had babies, then back to 2), gerbils (3)
4. I prefer red wine to white wine (this might technically qualify as an important thing, but what the heck)
5. All four members of my immediate family have/had first names that start with K
6. I love cookery magazines - I even cook from them from time to time

ALQS progress

Today I attached the binding to the Spring Fling Round Robin which I quilted the other day. It still needs to be sewn down, but it will be done soon. I decided to go with lower left (I think) as the correct way up - Margaret, who attached the directional border, told me which way up she designed it, so I thought it was only fair to go with that version...

I also laid out all the diamonds for the quilt I am making for my friend Caroline's sister - several times. I eventually found a layout I like, and starting stitching them together. As that was desperately boring I also dug out the ALQS which was last seen in this state and started doing stuff to it. I cut, sewed, attached and eventually, when I got completely bored of the diamonds, quilted. And came up with this:




Here's the front, all quilted, and the back, which shows the quilting a little better. I was very pleased with the way this came out, in particular, the gingko leaves (see below) which I quilted in about 5 or 6 places. I really like the shape - I might have to work out some kind of continuous pattern using them. In this piece, which is approx 16x20, I have just done them as is, and quilted around them, rather than trying to add them into any sort of continuous quilting pattern - as it is a wallhanging and not likely to be washed frequently (if ever) I just did tiny stitches at the stops and starts rather than burying ends, so having the leaves not attached isn't really a problem.





Here's the diamond quilt - did I mention that sewing all these diamonds together is boring? Now I remember why I don't like one-patch type quilt tops.

And here's something I got in the post - a little mini quilt from Anne - in "mud and sand" colours (her words, not mine) - I love it, of course, and have found it a nice little wall to hang on in the upstairs hallways. In return, I will be sending her a collection of spots and dots fabrics - I have got them all cut and stacked today and just need to get them in the post tomorrow.

And also in the post today - these Japanese fat eights from my Just Japanese fabric club, and a Q postcard - Q is for Quarterback - an American football position.

ATCs galore

I didn't get anything done today as there was a longarmer meeting at Lana's - the last one before she goes to India - lots of show and tell and chat there, very enjoyable, but no work accomplished. Luckily, I got these lovely lovely ATCs in the post today - they are so lovely I had to take lots of photos of them closeup so you can see the details.

The ATCs above were made by Shannon Sawyer, Greta Young, Margaux Lashbrook and Joanie Hoffman.

From left to right, the ATCs below were made by Sue Lee, Janice Perkin, Martha Franklin, and Fiona Brockie.



And the two on the left below were made by Linda Garcia and Nicole Austin.

And finally, the left hand one in the right hand-hand photo was made by Carol Murphy, and is a bonus gift - Carol Murphy IS Altered by Design, and it was her image sheets we were required to use in this swap. In addition to the fabulous ATC, she also included this special image sheet and a baggie of lovely bits and pieces to use in our work. How fab is that.

And finally, finally, the right hand one in the above photo is not part of this swap, but did also arrive today - it's from Anna, as a return for one I sent her a while ago.