FW31: Eva & FW32: Fanny

These were the first blocks I attempted after Christmas. In my usual style I had a few mishaps. For some reason this week I totally fell in love with other people's versions. So much so, it made me sad about my rubbishy fabric choices. Hence I bought some new fat quarters. I had run out of a few of mine and knew when I started that I didn't have as many as they say you need (30?). So I didn't feel too bad about it. They were way off my original palette a bit though.

Sarah from PrettyfabricsAndTrims made this Ava block. They are all available to buy on her great website. It was so easy, I just had to do it. It was the Kokka orange flowers and the orange dots that I liked really. It just seemed very jolly. I bought the wrong dots though which is a shame but it's still fresh and different. Heaven knows if it really goes but so many people seem to just be doing every colour under the sun I just decided it couldn't hurt, plus I am always a bit disappointed with myself when I see I have yet again used exactly the same three fabrics in a block.

Kerry made this Fanny block and I was totally sold on the bright colours. Mine all seemed boring and recessive in contrast. I felt depressed. Then I thought to myself: 'why can't I just change my mind? Do what I want? do what other people are doing? so what if they don't match? Live a little!'

So orange and yellow and maybe a patterned bright pink were on the cards. I sifted through my stash but apart from solid yellow, I had nothing to match so I delved into Pretty Fabrics and Trim and bought the same fabrics I had seen. It was very rejuvenating. That's the great thing about seeing current projects people are doing. All the fabrics are still available! A bit of a splurge but I feel excited again so I think it was worth it.



They feel much brighter and fresher. I am excited by the yellow. And the white spots might make for some cleaner blocks. It'll either look terrible against my grey blocks or it will work. I kind of think it should look like a big happy variety of colours.

Look at this amazing combination of colours by Jen Kingwell. How am I ever going to reach those heights if I always stick to the same colours? I would love to do that block of the month. If I had $50 a month I would be right in there. I do have one of her other patterns which one day I hope to do so I could be using this current project as a test of putting a wide range of colours and styles together.

FW31: Eva


This came together pretty quickly considering how complex it is. There have been a few like this one now so it felt like familiar ground. It's a familiar colour theme which I need to stop doing if I want variety but it does use some left over fabric I had from Rose Madder which I bought years a go to make my sewing machine cover with so it was a slight stash buster. And everything lines up which is pretty amazing.


I didn't think I was going to like it. It felt like another Alice block which I did not enjoy, probably because I had to do it twice and because it was the first really complex block I tried. I had visions of it taking ages but now I am in the zone it was pretty easy. And I really like it!


Even the back is pretty neat. I didn't even press my seams open, it just all fitted together. Great.

FW32: Fanny

Another 'fit to page' casualty. Damn my printer! It amazes me how I can make such a lame mistake again. It's so annoying. I was gutted, especially as I am only just getting back my mojo. It's half an inch too small on the left. D'oh! In the end I just tried not to think about it and made another one straight away.


The process is pretty easy. I just kept on chugging. I do find that the more lining up there is of different units then the more you need to iron and starch inbetween if you want those seams to line up perfectly. It's slow work but it makes a very tidy block. I was worried I would rush the second attempt but I was very good! Gold star.


I swapped out the green fabric and used the flower fabric which I rejected from the Jitterbug quilt. It's perfect here and I am really happy with the change. It feels less ice cream coloured somehow. And behold! The first use of yellow. Daring... I think I like it though.

FW27: Dinah & FW28: Dolly

Some belated blocks. The last ones I created before everything stopped for Christmas. Some good points and some bad ones...

Block 27: Dinah



The great thing about this block is that it didn't phase me. It's got a lot of very tiny pieces but I just concentrated on the process and did each bit slowly and everything came together pretty easily. I think you just have to take time colouring in the diagram. Sorting fabric out into piles for each unit, ironing and starching at every crease. It came out pretty good except for the middle which has a bit of a wobble because I took the paper off for some reason I forget now. The only negative is that it is a colourway I have used a few times now and I need to move off it if I want this quilt to have the varied look I think it is supposed to have. It's a bit like my grey star and peach phase. I seem to stick to the same colourway for three or four blocks then try and break free. Anyway I felt like I had graduated into experienced Farmer's Wifer... only took 27 blocks (with a few omissions).

Block 28: Dolly


Not so happy with this. I think the fabric choices are just a bit messy. I am starting to think that these more complex blocks need more solids in them. I also feel that my low volume fabric looks a little grubby and recessive. If I liked this block a bit more I might redo it, or if I see someone else's that I like I might try it again.



In the meantime I just stare at it and change my mind about it. I am sort of falling out of love with every block. I feel a bit like the Swoon monster, I am just spending too long with them. Maybe time to stand back and look at them all together...

FW25: Crystal & FW26: Daffodil

This week I almost decided to drop both blocks. I wasn't that sure about them, then I started to see other people's versions and I relented... a bit. I did decide to drop Daffodil in the end. It's just not my kind of block. I haven't really been into that kind of foundation piecing where you make a representaion of a real object as they always look clumsy in their geometric confines. So I decided to drop it. I might go back to it but for now it's on hold. So one block this week!

FW25 Crystal



This block came together much more easily that I thought it would, It looked like a bit of a pain to be honest. I probably spent more time choosing the fabrics. I saw several really nice versions which convinced me about it. MyBearPaw has created a version that is pattern galore. I have been looking at several of mine thinking the patterns clash with the complexity of the block so that in the end you can't really see the block you just get a mess. So what makes me like this version? It is obviously doing something right that I am not! But it was this block by ThePatchSmith that finally convinced me to make the block. All her blocks great and I think that could be the white fabric she uses; it makes them cleaner and coheres them into a set. It makes me a bit sad I didn't use white! but after the Jitterbug I wanted to use more greys. So I used my grey for the white and kept to the same tonal values. And here I have used a fat 16th of fabric I got from Maggie Wise years a go which I have never been able to unfold from the pack I love it so much. It feels a bit blowsy now but here it looks perfect. This could be my favourite block! And I feel like I broke through some fabric hoarding instinct.



The only glitch was the final sewing of the two halves. There is another block like this coming up soon as I will use the sew from the centre out each way technique next time.

Farmer's Wife Roundup

So as with this time last year, so far January has been a washout due to Penelope waking up during the night, every night. All good intentions go out the window and the days are just about making it through to bedtime. The sleep has started to get better slowly and the sewing is beginning again but my mojo was flagging. I was starting to get bored and actually I was starting not to like my own colour scheme!

I considered bowing out gracefully. Sewing what I have into a small lap quilt and moving on...

The I started to think about what I needed to do in order to change my own mind. It would be sad to watch everyone else continue on this, my first ever quilt a long and feel that I was somehow off the bus. I needed to get excited again and I need to make it easier on myself. I felt overwhelmed by how far behind I was and how little time I had to catch up. What could I do?

I decided to totally miss out the Christmas week Blocks 29 & 30 Doris and Em. To just move on. I didn't love either block. I would cut out a massive chunk of work by just leaving them behind. Done. The backlog suddenly felt manageable.

I decided that I needed to lay all my blocks out and see how it was all coming together. I've only done 28 blocks so maybe I just needed to make some drastic changes to my colour scheme. There is no floorspace here though so I decided to photograph them properly. It's usually dark here most of the day and everywhere seems to cast shadows on the blocks. So I made a little ledge support in the brightest room and waited for just the right amount of light, then photographed every block so far. I feel much better about being organised and having a little set up to photograph each block properly at last.

Then I laid them out in a grid. Originally I had planned not to do them on point, but I have laid out both ways and realise that many of the blocks just work better on point. Something to think about.



Then I looked at them on point like they are supposed to be. Better I think. Seeing them all laid out made me realise that they are far too samey. I thought the grey background would bring them all together and the use of dark purple would help but it just looks weird having some grey, some purple and then some pink and low contrast.

Then I sat back and made a few decisions. 

1. To only make 1 block a week. I know I said this at the beginning but I have been straying by making both which will just end up in a huge quilt that I will never finish and I just don't get the time now to make two a week really. Making one halves my workload and makes it all seem less pressured. Suddenly I felt better about continuing. I even managed to start catching up a bit. 

2. To relax on colours and fabrics. The best thing about a quilt-a-long has been seeing other people's fabric choices and colour schemes. I see quite a few people are using a wide variety of colours and fabrics rather than a tight scheme so I have thrown caution to the wind and opened it up a bit.

You'll see from the grids above I had added my newer blocks using my new fabric! I bought some new fat quarters. Here I was committed to only using my stash but there is nothing quite so revitalising as new fabric. It really helps inject excitement back into a project.

After seeing Kerry's use of yellow and feeling jealous as I had banned yellow from mine, I blew caution to the wind and bought some. I mean if I am already dissatisfied with the colours then it can hardly make it any worse. Yellow and orange are now IN. So far so good. I feel quite daring. 

So we'll see. I feel a bit like I managed to fall back in love with this project. I just hope it lasts. 

The Year Review

This year I made...
1. A Zakka sewing case
2. Bricolette block – I made it into a project bag for Rachel for Christmas. Post to come.
3. A mini quilt – Not finished yet
4. Mug rugs
5. A cowl
6. A mini quilt – fractal block
7. A teeny tiny feather block
8. A bigger fractal block – Unfinished, but more blocks to come
9. Penny's jolly little sofa quilt. I haven't posted a finished picture of this but I will!
10. Knitted cowl – No post about this. But I will do!
11. Feather project bag
12 & 13. Neutral half squares
14. Jitterbug
15. Donut Quilt
16. Farmer's wife - ongoing!

Not as great as last year but this year saw me lose my day off to sew which I had last year. And it also marked the end of naptime so sewing time is taking a bit of a break. I still get my evenings so I am still chugging.

There were a few quite big projects in there which I had not anticipated such as the donut quilt, the Jitterbug and the Farmer's Wife. They aren't all complete, but I need to bump up my year's offering so I am including them plus most of the hard work goes into the tops of these monsters.

I think the big success has been in learning to foundation piece. I started off making a simple block, then the fractal pattern, then finally the farmer's Wife and the Briolette. By now, I am finally learning all the tricks and I feel like I have got the hang of it. Jeez, when I look back at my first attempts I am horrified by my messy seams and bad technique. So I feel pretty good about that. I also love my triangle quilt. I have it at work as a lap quilt and I love just looking at it. It's just, well, rad.

I did pretty well with my 2015 project list, out of 7, I only have three are to be started. So over half is good enough for me. This year I did learn how to foundation piece. I started off small and now I seem to be in a big year long quilt a long! It's good to have a new skill. I really enjoy it.

Resolutions from last year
Use up all the fabric I bought from Birmingham – done!
Use scraps – done a bit!
Make small things from my project notebook – a few
To finish things and not have piles of projects lying around – um
Make more time for sewing – err...
Try to knit a bit – well one thing
Try to crochet a bit – nope
Learn to foundation piece – done!

Resolutions for 2016
To finish all the quilt tops in the queue
To do more hand piecing
To make a useful bag
To keep projects manageable. i.e. small
To start my Posie quilt finally!

Projects for 2016
My sew together bag – I haven't progressed with this at all! It's all waiting in a project bag though.
Medallion quilt – I started planning this. I have all the fabric selected. I just need to get going!
Donut quilt – I need to buy backing and wadding . I have been putting off the expense.
Jitterbug – I bought backing and wadding. I am all set. It is on the cards this week! I will do it!
Liberty postage stamp – So close! Just need to keep on quilting
Farmer's wife – Just need to keep on with the weekly block and no lose momentum. I already have some Christmas catching up to do but I might drop a few of these blocks as I am not sure I like them.
Posie improv quilt – Just need to sketch out a design and start cutting up my favourite fabrics

And new ideas…
I would like to make this quilt, just a small one. Using some of the newest Cotton & Steel fabric
Mumple bought me this pattern for Christmas. It's all paper piecing! Yikes
I might make this as a test first
I also have this pattern to think about

That's more than enough. I need to find more sewing time first and get back a laptop at home so I can take and upload pictures more easily and some light in the mornings or evenings would be useful.

FW23 & FW24 Charlotte and Coral

So this week I have dropped a block. Coral. It just wasn't that great for me. It just looks odd. Plus I am always making sawtooth stars; I really love them, but it's nice to have a break from them. I spent a long time finding versions I quite liked. I love the colour combination here and here, but I couldn't find a combination of my fabrics which I felt really worked so I have dropped it for the time being.


Maybe I will return to it. But come on, it does look pretty odd having that square in the middle. I just don't see what it achieves.


Block 23: Charlotte
I really like the end result of this block. I basically followed Kerry's idea of using two matching fabric ranges and using a neutral in the boat shapes. I think it works really well. There aren't a lot of other versions on Instagram, but I am happy with mine. I really like the text fabric. I used my best bits I had saved from my fat quarter. It's all gone now so I have ordered some more. I should start using some other low volume backgrounds though to mix it up a bit.


It fits in with the other blocks. I might try and use some of my more neglected fabrics for the next few blocks. The other bluey fabric I have is starting to feel a bit too vibrant but I think I need to stick with it. I also need to get some of my bird fabric in and some more cats!

FW21: Carrie & FW22: Cat

This week I felt on top of things. I even considered doing a third block but then flaked out. It's getting really dark here though so taking photos of the blocks is getting much harder. It's just rain, cold and endless gloom. So sorry if things are a bit blurry. I need to rethink how I can photograph these blocks. I did think about getting some lights and one of those little white cubes people have. Do they work?


Block 21: Carrie
Carrie was easy. It was really enjoyable. All the seams nested together and it was all pretty straightforward. The kind of block you'd make a lot of. I found the colours a bit tricky. Which bit to make the highlight colour and what combination to use. I am not sure why I find it so hard but I do! Maybe that is a good thing. You'd think I would get more used to the possible combinations after playing with the same selection for so long but every block feels like a new project in a way. I just hope they all come together in the end. I liked Kerry's version of this block and wished I was using yellow in my quilt. I decided to make the central cross the boldest colour. I quite like the purplely blue combination. I might do more of this, but I worry that like MyBearPaw said, you start to see two sets of blocks emerge which could make two separate quilts! Maybe two small lapquilts would be quite nice though.



I made it all in the evenings over a few nights and this time I ironed every stage rather than finger pressing as I think it creates a flatter block. Although it still looks pretty lumpy here.


Block 22: Cat
Cat was all on the bias so a little stretchy but it came together pretty quickly. I think my pink and peach sink into each other a bit too much and perhaps the text is a little too much. I am not in love with this. It's one that I wouldn't mind redoing perhaps. We'll see. I have not come across a version which made me wish I had done it differently, but I have avoided the Facebook group so far which I know is far bigger. It just feels like a smaller group on Instagram which I find easier to keep up with.

I am not sure how December will work with making blocks and doing all the obligatory Christmas meet ups and prep for the holiday time. We'll see! I really need to be dropping some blocks unless I feel like making the full size version of this quilt which I reallly, reallly don't want to do! No big quilts, repeat. No big quilts...

FW19: Carolina & FW20: Caroline

Officially a fifth of the way through! Horrah! It's starting to take shape. Now that some of the fabrics are being repeated they are all gelling together a bit. We are still in sick land here. It is one thing after another. Penelope started vomiting late last night on the first night of not coughing herself awake constantly so she is in bed this morning and I am back sewing. At this rate I might as well do one of the US QAL blocks.


So these two blocks threw me slightly. I expected one to be difficult and the other to be easy, but I got them the wrong way round. I also lengthened my stitch length this week. I was finding it increasingly difficult to unpick blocks so I just made it longer and hey presto, it's all fine. I think I need to investigate seam rippers too. There must be a better tool.

Block 19: Carolina

Y-seam heaven. But actually they weren't very severe angles so it actually came together quite smoothly. I spent more time deciding on fabric.

Even the back seams very pretty easy. I did really starch the fabric to avoid too much stretch.

The 1930's print is a left over from the Jitterbug quilt which never quite fitted in. Here is works perfectly. I'm really happy with the result. There aren't that many versions of this block on Instagram so there are none that I wish were mine just yet. I did wonder if the background should just be plain grey in order to make the pattern more prominent but I am happy.

Block 20: Caroline

This block I am not so happy with. It's a simple idea but I poured over the fabric choices not being able to make up my mind. In the end I decided that I needed some more dark purple in there to balance out the few purple blocks I had done so far so I went with a simple matching pinky purple: a safe bet. The thing that annoys me with this block is that the three central points are all slightly off.


See? it's only slight, but it IS annoying.


And my seams are quite bulky. I should have taken more note of Kerry's swirl seam technique. It's an okay block but it doesn't thrill me. I could almost do it again just to see if I could get it perfect. It would be nice to know I had a learnt to a new technique if I can do the seam thingy.

I really like this version and I like Kerry's use of pink and purple. So maybe I'll try it again... or just move on to something new! That's the best thing about each block, once you've done one, it's over.


So slowly it's coming together; all my pinks peaches and purples. I think I like it... I think

FW 2: Aimee and 3: Alice

Another day, another sick person. I am well! But Penelope is not. We've had a proper full on sick day here. Thank heavens for cartoons. It's been really peaceful. I have been sewing whilst talking occasionally to the patient and trying to ply her with food. I decided therefore to finish up catching up! I am only two blocks behind at long last.

Block 2: Aimee

There's not much to say about this block. It was really easy in the end and came together really quickly. I've only got one other block that uses a big expanse of plain grey and so I think I need to create a few more. Sometimes I feel it's too plain but actually it's great laid out next to a fussy block such as the following one.


I was a bit worried about using the flowers after my blousy basket block, but I do like the print so I decided to stick with it. I think it works much better here. It's probably a bit more recessive than I originally wanted (this was what I was aiming for) and probably not as nice as others I have seen on instagram like this and this, but in general I am happy.



I'd been a bit stuck really. I've been slogging away at block 3: Alice for ages now. I thought that doing it in tiny bits would help me forget just how many bits there are! All that happened though was that I realised my fabrics were wrong. They were just flat, no contrast and they were just too samey. It really put me off and I decided to just drop the entire block. Here is the previous incarnation. I am not sure why it doesn't work for me. It just seems dull and murky and the grey points were lost against the grey dot background.


And because these were from so long a go they were both printed on tracing paper which is just rubbish. I forgot to turn my iron down and so burnt a few sections. That was the final straw really. Thankfully all those old printouts are done now so there's no more dealing with that. In celebration I have bought some Carol Deck Foundation Peicing Paper which I will use for the next batch. It won't be for a while though as I have already printed out up to block thirty.


Then this morning I decided to come at it afresh and just start again. So I printed out the pattern, cut the fabrics, sewed the sections, then sewed it togther. All in one go. It's amazing how chilled you can be when you have plenty of time.

Block 3: Alice


It's very slightly wonky, but I love it. I am just really happy that the new fabric choice turned out so well. I really like peachy oranges next to pink. It is really the theme of the whole quilt. I am also pleased that something I had basically given up on could turn itself around like that. I also like this version and this one.

FW 17: Bride and 18: Carol

Well another week has past and I am still in control it would seem. I thought I would fall behind because of half term and because I have been hit by the dreaded winter vomiting. But the only good side to this is that for 24 hours after you are feeling well again you are still contagious so I am in my confinement, feeling weak, but managing to do a little bit of sewing. This might be a long post as I have time on my side here.

Luckily I had cut the templates and fabric all out in advance as it's something very easy to keep on top of whilst watch The Apprentice. In fact, I am often ahead of myself. This can work against me sometimes as when I see other blocks people have created I want to change my fabrics! If I had seen Kerry's Bride block before I cut my own fabrics out then I would have changed my mind totally! Ack.

Block 17: Bride

But I am happy with my block. It really needs to be on point, but I haven't really decided fully about how it will end up. I don't need a massive quilt at the end of this. I really don't. I had planned to make half the blocks and put skip blocks in with it to even out the intensity, but I don't seem to have dropped many of the blocks. So far I have not completed Block 2: Aimee – it's not going well. My colours are not good so I keep putting it down. It's all a bit too fiddely for me and I am sure I really like the block. And block 5: Anne – nope. just not for me. But considering we are nearly a quarter of the way through that's not many to drop. I am in danger or making nearly all of them! I do feel some are weaker then others though and either I redo them in better fabric or i just take them out. Anyway that's in the future. Back to this week. The block was good, it came together pretty easily.


It took me a long time to choose fabrics. Look at my mess! Usually I really enjoy trawling the instagram block tag first for inspiration but it was pretty empty this time. Obviously I love Kerry's block with the use of solids and the variation in the small coloured bits but I didn't see that because I started early, so I looked at Fiona's for inspiration. I really couldn't say how this related to my final block, other than I knew that the big diamonds should be the main flowery fabric. Anyway who knows if I really achieved that as my lawn is quite pale really and I meant it to shine out, but I still like it. The problem with lawn though is the show through. I am hoping you won't see it against white wadding.


I'm getting much better at my seams so the backs are looking a lot tidier.


And I have started leaving all the outside edges untrimmed so that I have some extra leeway when trimming the final block to size. It makes all the difference and doesn't seem to affect putting the block units together too greatly.

Block 18: Carol

I thought this block was going to take ages but actually it was pretty quick. I felt quite bold using the dark purple as it's by far the darkest colour I have used so far but I am in danger of being too safe and having all my blocks look samey. I wan them to look more varied, to step out and create something more along the lines of the quilts I seem to pin by other people. Such bold colour choices I always think. So come on, get emboldening. I have already seen some people using dark colours – black even – to great effect. Check out Sue's and Emmy's. I really like them and this one. So this purple is my stab at it. Need to use it in some more blocks.



Yes I caved in and used coloured pencils after saying I wouldn't. Primarily because I was down in my parents cellar trying to have a little throw out and found my school pencil case with every coloured pencil in it that I have ever owned – quite a collection. I am amazed I never got rid of them but they are Caran D'Ache Supracolor Soft Pencils which I remember being THE BEST. I remember mum buying me and my sister our first tin. I was so excited. I wish I'd kept the tin now. Anyway, the pencil case stinks. It's been in the cellar for at least fifteen years, but they are all there so I thought I might as well start using them to see if they do indeed make life easier. And they do! Result. See a quality pencil crayon is for LIFE folks.


I also created my triangles the normal way instead of trying to make big batches of HSTs. It was much easier and more accurate. D'oh. I am much happier with the end result.


So here they all are so far laid out just to check that the dark purple is going to work. I think it's going to be fine. Do I wish it was black? Maybe, but you know, small steps. Looking at them all laid out makes me think: more dark purple, more orange sprigs, more turquoise, more text print and more bird print. Best get cutting out some more blocks.


Nearly quarter of the way through!