Finished top - YAY

This past week I finished the top of the Sugaridoo Sew Along. I did make a few changes, most deliberate, but a couple of mistakes. This sew along started last November - who knew we would have so much time at home to make it! - and at first I was making two quilts, one for each daughter, but ended up making Bonnie Hunter's unity quilt for the girls instead. 

This is not the first modern mystery quilt I have made. Way back many years ago I made this quilt, which goes on our bed in Winter, to brighten the season.

So what did I change? I didn't like the two circular rows, so replaced them with a row of triangles, and a row of squares. I also changed the order of a couple of rows. My mistake? Well one I have noticed 😀 is I made a row and forgot to put the accent piece in ..... and I'm not unpicking to replace it!

I finished the last block in the Partners in Design By The Sea Quilt Along. Now I have to decide how to make the top. I'm really liking the quilt top Laura from Slice of Pi Quilts made, and will maybe, probably.... do something similar. This was my first Partners in Design Quilt and I really enjoyed making it - even the applique.

A few months ago I won the lucky draw for the first four blocks of the By The Sea QAL. One of the prizes was a subscription to Make Modern Quilting Magazine. In the current edition there is a fabric post card article by Kristy Lea, that was really interesting. As I am interested in making more fabric postcards - only made one 😉 - I checked out the blog post mentioned in the article at Saroy. It is a step by step process of how Sarah makes her fabric postcards - well worth a read. Here is my first fabric postcard, and later today I will design my second - of Emily Bay, Norfolk Island.

I was happy to see the Midnight Quilter back on Youtube, not as part of Craftsy, but under Angela's Quilting is my Therapy. Midnight Stars quilt look wonderful and I'm thinking I should 'quickly' make it up before starting to quilt my red, white and blue 'ROOSTERS' quilt........ mmmm. Watch this space!

Link up Parties:

Whoop whoop Friday

Wednesday-Wait-Loss

Off the Wall Friday

Finished(or Not) Friday

APageant of Finishes

Peacock Party 

Welcome to October

Fussy cutting epp for September had the theme 'Up Above'. Week 37 was motif. I used signal flags. Starting with the top left flag (which is P), can you work out what word I have created? When I posted on Insta, I included a hint in a poem:

I miss the flags that fly up high,

But all the cruise ships are high and dry.

Can you work out what I love?

And what I wrote up above?

Here is a website to help you International Marine Flags

Week 38 was sections and I used dragonfly fabric to make this cross pattern. I used the same fabric in Week 40.

Week 39 was freestyle, so I chose motif as I had this fabric on hand from another project (houses blocks).

Week 40 was my least favourite style of epp - pattern matching. I just think it wastes too much fabric.

This week I also played a little catch up with By the Sea QAL. I didn't realise I was two blocks behind when block 8 came out - making me three weeks behind. I had avoided block 6 as 'too many points on the stars - but once I sat down with the fabric it was fairly easy. I only had to unpick one section of one star. I didn't use the paper piecing, I did my own thing as wonky stars look good. Block 6 was called Stars at Sea designed by Snowy Days Quilting.

Block 7, titled Waves was designed by Laura Piland of Slice of Pi Quilts. Laura's pattern included a template for the waves, but I had this cutting ruler, so I used that. I ironed strips of heat and bond to stips of fabric and traced the waves using the ruler.

I cut two waves from each fabric. Then I decided for the background I would sew together two different fabrics. I had a small amount of surfer fabric, so I added that to one of the waves.

Block 8 was a Mariners Star by Kathleen McMusing. A fairly east paper piecing pattern. I couldn't decide on a light or dark background, I'm glad Peter suggested dark.

This coming week I will be working on the envelope mystery - making mountains and more houses.

Link up Parties:

Whoop whoop Friday  

Wednesday-Wait-Loss 

Off the Wall Friday 

Finished (or Not) Friday 

From Bolt to Beauty

Wendys Quilts and More

 

Catch -up

This past week I started to catch up with Moda Blockheads 3. My blocks are 12" finished and I'm using green tones. This is block 34, Fulfillment, designed by Lisa Bongean. It has been a while since I made any of these blocks and I recalled last time that I didn't follow the directions exactly. I don't like sewing lots of triangles together, so would make the blocks a little differently and still end up with the same completed block. One 'advantage' of this method is that I often end up with bonus half square triangles.

I remember when making Blockheads 2, I had containers with the different coloured bonus half square triangles and did use many of them in other blocks, but I forgot this time and made mini blocks out of them. I will start to collect them now - just in case. Last night I cut out all the pieces to make block 35 (to keep up) and block 6 (to catch up), which happens to be Lisa's design as well.

The September Sugaridoo/Bernina SAL row was released and it was a straight line row so I completed that this week. Using cool colours, I have left out the two rounded rows, and have one row left. I will decide then if I will add two rows or leave it as is. The next row will be a purple shade I think.

The next block in the By The Sea QAL came out this week, and some exciting news, I won the randomly picked international section for the first four blocks of the QAL. I haven't won anything for a long time, so I'm super excited. I have already chosen two of my prize patterns and can't wait to start them. This weeks block was Head or Tails, designed by Sandra Healy Designs. Another applique block, and I'm getting use to it. Comparing block 1 with this one I can see the improvement. I still need to find the right buttons for the eyes. You can get the pattern here.

The last sewing machine project this week was the new Simply Colourful Mystery quilt. It is called 'Envelope Mystery' and the first clue was very interesting. Looks like roads to me. At the moment I'm doing half size, but will see as more clues come out whether I add more or not.

That's about it for this week. I did some hand sewing and travel blogging as well as looking after Miss Mackenzie.

Here is this weeks Link-up Parties:

Whoopwhoop Friday

Wednesday-Wait-Loss 

Off the Wall Friday 

Finished (or Not) Friday

What I Finished.... And What I'm Working On.

QAL By the Sea block four is Sun Block by designer Sherry Shish of Powered by Quilting. This block is a foundation paper piecing block, but as it it a large block and the pieces are big, I decided to do it the traditional piecing method. I don't mind paper piecing and have made some lovely projects using it - Mosaic Table Topper and My House is my Castle and even this little Ugly Sweater Coaster.

I went through my template box and found all but one of the templates needed, so made that one. I made my templates out of old cards.

I didn't have a lot of yellows as it is not a colour I use a lot. I was lucky my Auntie was clearing our her stash and I ended up with a few yellows. I chose these colours.

 Cut the templates.

..and here are my first four blocks.

This week I finished the Christmas masks....

and while I had the Christmas fabric box out I thought I would make a Christmas Stocking for new granddaughter and send the face masks and stocking at the same time. This is the first part done.

I don't like waste, and keep all sorts of scraps, even small 'crumbs'. I used the scraps to make the stockings and also to make 6.5" squares that will eventually be sewn together to make a picnic quilt. It's too hot in Australia for lap or bed quilt at Christmas, but a picnic quilt to sit on at the beach or park would be perfect.

This week I also finished some bunting.
 

Link Up Parties:

Whoop Whoop Friday @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Wednesday-Wait-Loss @ The Inquiring Quilter

Offthe Wall Friday @ Creations … Quilts, Art … Whatever

Finished (or Not) Friday @Alycia Quilts

Saturday Catch Up

Busy week this week with stuff other than sewing. I did manage to do the next block for the By the Sea Mystery. Block 3 is called Signal Flag by designer April Adams of JANDA Bend Quilts. I really liked this block and the secret message it says. This week we were to be going on a cruise for our 40th wedding anniversay, but with Covid restrictions sadly we are not. Still this block made me think about making some cruise related items for myself and my cruise loving sister. I will be adding signal flag placemats to my list of future projects - its a long list!

I have almost finished block 3 of Chick-Wheata, just a little more embellishments then I can start on the the next block.

With the hand stitching of this applique time consuming (I'm not complaining), I have done just a little of the Paper Moon baby quilt and I'm almost ready to move onto the next part. I haven't done this weeks - or last weeks - fussy cutting EPP, so that's a catch up for this coming week.

I did finish a face mask order, and got out the embroidery machine to make a few footie ROOSTER face masks.

Today I am going to make some (hopefully my last) Christmas masks and then two Christmas Stockings for family and add to my Christmas bunting collection.

Linking Parties to visit:

Whoop whoop Friday

Wednesday-Wait-Loss 

Off the Wall Friday

Finished (or Not) Friday

 

Applique! When Did I Start Doing Applique ?

Applique, I have never really liked applique. Patchwork is what 'I do' - not applique. Why then am I working have two applique projects?

Well, Granny and Chick-Wheata was a kit I purchased many years ago as something I could hand sew while we travelled in our caravan. I did the preparation for the first block and off we went. I recall appliqueing the first piece at Genoa on the Victorian / New South Wales border, and didn't really like doing it. After that??? Now some years later, as I was scrolling Instagram, I came across Shutdown Stitchalong by the Next Stitch. With Victoria in lockdown again, the commitment is to hand applique a little each day, and try to make it a routine. So rather than start something new I pulled out my kit.

 I couldn't find the first block that I think I finished so I started on the second block. Each block tells the story of Granny and her pet chicken Chick-Wheata. This block is the cat hiding from Chick-Wheata.

The week I started on the next block. Granny is old and needs help waking up in the morning, so Chick-Wheata knows how to wake her. The circles top left are a clock. Lots on embellishments on this one.

 

Last week I started QAL By the Sea, another project I found on Instagram. However this applique is done on the machine. Block 2 is Terry the Turtle by designer Jennifer from The Inquiring Quilter. Jennifer used batiks so I thought I would too. I don't have a lot but had enough variety to make this block.

First, after cutting all the pieces I thought this is going to be difficult - remember I'm not use to applique. Surprisingly it wasn't and I'm actually enjoying it. I played around with the threads .....

 ... and I'm not sure about the eyes. I went around a couple of times to make the eyes stand out. Can't decide if they need more emphasis.

This weeks linking parties:

Whoop whoop Friday @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Wednesday-Wait-Loss @ The Inquiring Quilter

Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

Off the Wall Friday @ Creations... Quilts, Art... Whatever

Finished (or Not) Friday @Alycia Quilts

Clever Chamelon 

Oops! I Started Another Project!

I really didn't mean too, it just happened. 😄 

I have a lot of projects that I'm working on, some on the machine and some by hand, yet at times I have 'nothing' to do! How can this be? This new one is an applique quilt along and I'm doing it on the machine.

This new QAL started last Tuesday with a new block is released each Tuesday. It is called QAL By the Sea and is from Partners in Design, a group of quilt pattern designers on FaceBook. Block one is designed by Bec from Pretty Piney.

I think it turned out very well. I cant wait for Tuesday and the next block.

While starting this new QAL, and looking around Pretty Piney, I came across this really clever 'trick' for making the pleated face masks. And I made it and it works a treat. The highlight of the week though was the birth of our grand-daughter number 5. She lives in England and we live in Australia, so it will be a few years until we get to meet this tiny precious baby. On a brighter side, I'll have time to finish her quilt.

I did finish a reversible bag for grand-daughter number 1. She loves sloths (at the moment - could change at any time) and after 12 months of looking for suitable sloth fabric - since her last birthday, I found some.

 Cute, right? I made it reversible with her favourite colour yellow.

I made an inside pocket for a pen, phone, and other - I put tissues and stuff in that one in mine.

That's it for this week. Here are my link up parties for this week. Check them out for some great inspiration:

Whoop whoop Friday

The Inquiring Quilter

SmallQuilts and Doll Quilts

CleverChamelon

Finished (or Not) Friday

What I Made Monday