Sunday, March 22, 2009

A New Baby Quilt





I've been chain piecing today. Sewing together the first block in the Jelly Roll Quilt pattern that Claire gave me. I got the material from Chilford apart from the main dark green which I got from a splurge I had in Liberties.

Friday, March 06, 2009

Current Status

Condition: Frenzied

It's two weeks until Chilford. Two weeks to get some projects moving so I don't feel too guilty to buy anything. Two weeks to work out what I need. Eeek! Here is a breakdown of the current project list as requested by Ray:



Unfinished Project 1: The Neverending Broken Dishes Quilt

It has sat folded in a bag for years. It is my favourite quilt that my mum has made. She made it at the very beginning of her illisutrious quilting days, but I still always choose it from the pile by the sofa at home. I think I just like the way the dark and lighs make the pattern.

I decided to finally do the bit I hate the most, backing the quilt. It just requires a lot of space and the tacking is a bit laborious. But I thought it really needs to be finished and I could buy some more wadding if I need it. So I need to iron the backing, Iron the top, find some wadding, see if it's big enough. Iron that, then stick the backing to the floor, lay the other two layers on top and get down to tacking it all together. I WILL have done this by Sunday night. I WILL.

In the meantime I might add the following to my list of things to buy
1. Ironing board matt that's big enough for my whole table.
2. Wadding






Unfinished Project 2: The Country Quilt
Another long time finished quilt top, but I stopped at the bit where you learn applique. Applique is a technique where you sew material shapes on top of your patchwork base. I spent one Chilford just looking for small patterned fat quarters just for this job. Maggie Wise who created the pattern had the quilt at the show so it meant I could trapse back and forth comparing it with what I had bought. Since then I have done nothing but wash the fabric in preparation. Now I realise that I needed to make sure I had enough wadding and anything else I might need in order to learn applique. Maybe I need one of those funny turning edge thingies that creates even stems. Maybe I need a tiny ruler, who knows? My mum of course! So I might get an intensive lession when I go home so I can sit on the sofa in months to come sewing little leaves and stems on top of my patchwork. In the meantime I have been very industrious is sorting out the backing which needed to be pieced together and sorting out the wadding, so those two things are OFF my shopping list. Because I have ironed them so beautifully I couldn't think of a way to store them in the meantime that means I won't have to re-iron them, then I remembered the ridiculously large poster tube with the ridiculously large original collectors edition Factory Records screenprint in it and I knew at last it had come in useful. Here it is with the quilt back wrapped round it on top of the unsightly Ebay pile which is the perfect storage postion.



Things on the shopping list are:
3. Any applique things I can't borrow off my mum that she says I need.




Unfinished Project 3: The Sawtooth Star Quilt
Well I haven't really started. I bought the lovely japanese textured fabric from Birmingham. I bought all the white patterns from Chilford last time. I got the sheet with Ray from the Charity place. I saw the magazine with the quilt in, then I lost the book with the measurement in for the Sawtooth Stars so I had to buy it again! Well I lost my mum's copy of the first book. This book is three books in one. It basically lists 501 blocks and gives you a range of measurements for making them in different sizes. This weekend I plan to make a dummy square just to check I have worked it out all right. Then I'll get on with all the cutting! You need to make 'Flying Geese' for this pattern and I am keen to try and improve my accuracy so I am on the hunt for any rulers or techniques that will help.



Things on the shopping list are:
4. Books, rulers or tools to make flying geese.


Apart from all that I also need to think about a baby quilt for Charlie. I was thinking that I might find an easy kit or pattern at the show.

AND Claire gave me the pattern on the cover of this book.

Things on the shopping list are:
5. I have a Jelly roll but I could get some plains to go with it as it will be very patterned otherwise.
6. I might look into the ruler they say you need.


That concludes my current project status and my shopping list for Chilford, Sheeeesh!

Sunday, March 01, 2009

Pencil Roll



I just finished my Pencil Roll whose offcuts spawned the Speaker quilt. I am really pleased with the vibrancy of it. I really enjoyed creating the spectrum of colours. I made it slightly taller so I could keep my knitting needles in it. I've got a bit of a mismatch of my own, my mums and my grandmothers needles. My mum has a huge bag of them so I get to borrow what I need. I am aiming to get the whole range of spotty needles in the end but they don't go down to the really small sizes. In the meantime I keep searching for coloured metal ones like some of my mums but so far I haven't had much luck. Next I might make one for crochet nedles! Perhaps I'd better get back to some crocheting first.

If you're looking for a fun, quick, project to get you started in the world of patchwork and quilting then I highly recommend buying this pattern from Pink Chalk