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 

Modern Mystery Part 3

Part 3 was similar to Part 1, only an extra rectangle around the first 2. I made 18 of these.

Now to wait for Part 4 - half way - woo hoo.

Happy Sewing
Allison

Modern Mystery Part 1

A FB friend asked where Part 1 was - oops forgot to post, so here it is.

The pattern says to use solids on a light background, but I chose a black background to make the colours more bold.

Part 1 involved cutting random rectangles within a size restriction. I cut heaps so have now also added to my strip stash.

Before I started I couldn't get my head around what I had to do, so I actually drew a plan LOL.

To remember which fabric was the centre, I placed a pin in the middle until I had sewn two sides.

All the seams were to be pressed open. I usually press to the dark.

Adding the ends to make a rectangle inside a rectangle.

The finished part 1 blocks.

Happy sewing
Allison

Modern Mystery Quilt part 2

I like holidays - it gives me time to do what I love - sew.

After finishing a lap quilt for grand-daughter Ava, and a Halloween lap quilt for Emma, I continued with the I Spy jar quilt wall hanging and I'm very happy with it. I only have the appliqué on the bottom shelf to do and it will be ready to back.

 So I started on part 2of the Modern Mystery Quilt. I printed out the template and went through the kitchen cupboards trying to find a plate, bowl or lid that would fit - no luck. I didn't want to make 30 patterns or make a plastic template so I decided to use freezer paper.

I traced over the template and then folded the freezer paper in half before cutting. This gave me a circle.

I folded the circle to make a semi circle again and placed it around the long end of the background fabric. I pinned 4 layers of fabric together and used a dressmakers pencil to trace around the freezer paper and cut with scissors. The pattern says to discard the cut out fabric - YEAH RIGHT!!!! I'll use it for something. 

The larger circle I ironed onto one piece of fabric. I used scissors to cut around it. 

 

I then pinned the paper and fabric to about 4 layers of fabric and cut around that.

After cutting 15 circles I needed to cut them in half to make 30 semi-circles.

 I did this by folding the original paper and fabric circle in half and using my rotary cutter and ruler i carefully cut each group of 4 fabrics in half.

 I watched the Amy Gibson Craftsy video again to see how to sew circles. She is so good with her explanations and hints.

http://www.craftsy.com/lecture/September-Curved-Piecing/551.html?t=1958
 You will need to register for the class - it is free - and the whole class is full of different hints and ideas, it is well worth it.

After sewing 2 or 3 blocks it became easier to pin and sew the curves.

One good hint was to pin the middle and the two ends a couple of times with one pin, and all the other pins only once picking up a few stitches only. This allowed the fabric to move to where I wanted it to be when sewing.

Amy's video showed exactly how to sew and lift the foot to move the background fabric around so it wouldn't pucker.

And here we are with 30 finished part 2 blocks.

Some school work to do then back to start sewing part 3.
Allison