A Works in Progress Update

 

Back in June, I decided I'd start working on some long term unfinished projects.  there were a couple of reasons for this:

1     to stop me wasting time aimlessly and continually doom scrolling on my phone (this has the added advantage of helping me to sleep aa bit better at night) and

2    to alleviate the guilt I felt for all the started, yet boxed up projects, using beautiful fabrics and threads.

So I thought I'd provide an update on what I've achieved and where I'm up to.

• The floral applique embroidery piece is now at a point I deem finished.  I added some small Liberty fabric pieces with small flowers and leaves, which were then embellished with vintage lace and embroidery,  I think these add a little lightness to the piece now,  Next mission, getting it framed.  

• I've also pulled out my Liberty X/+ epp blocks  which I started back in July 2022 and over the past three weeks I have joined them all,  I do have plans to add a border made up of liberty and low volume fabrics too, I'm just playing with some options and giving my shoulders and fingers a rest from hand sewing.  This will be known as my Liberty Kisses quilt.

• The epp hexi travel kit still comes to work with me every day. I think I've made about 500 to sew together now.

I'm taking a wee break from the quilting and hand sewing now, I may have taken advantage of some of the recent fabric and pattern sales, so am feeling very inspired to make some seasonally inappropriate clothing, one of which will hopefully be my Auckland Frocktails garment. Stay tuned.

A Finished Quilt

 

I've finally finished my "Make it up as I go" quilt. My first and probably only quilt finish of the year.

Started back here in 2023, it's been a slow process.

Very much inspired by the fabulous seedling quilt from Tales of Cloth, I made a Mandolin block as my first block, then pieced or stitched other blocks I liked, but didn't necessarily want to make a whole quilt of.  In hindsight, I should have made the quilt in a log cabin sequence, it would have made fitting pieces a lot easier.

Always using my loved low volume and bright combination this quilt is approximately 70" square.

The backing is a fabulous rainbow Ombre from Northcott fabrics. 

The magical e2e quilting by Quiltmekiwi is Gingersnap design 

Binding is in Yarrow by Kona fabrics, I wasn't sure on the gold colour, but I think it frames it all nicely, and has a light brightening effect.

The final seal of approval has been given by Meeka.

Works in Progress

 

The other day I sent my "make it up as I go quilt" off to Leeanne at Quilt Me Kiwi to work her magic on it.  Instead of starting a new exciting project, I've pulled out some long time works in progress and started working on them.

First up is the  applique story project I started in the 2020 lockdowns, I've been embellishing and edging some of the raw edge pieces, adding stitches and some subtle colour with variegated threads.  I'm thinking it needs a little bit more of some smaller delicate flowers where I have very roughly sketched them in on a photo.  I figure I can always add them, then remove it if I don't like it. And, once I deem it is finished, I'm intending to get it framed.  It's far to delicate to be used in a quilt or cushion.

The other project I am working on is my scrappy Hexi quilt.  I pondered about making one here, and over the past few years have been making up scrappy 1" epp hexis.  These are normally made on holiday, or sewing days  with friends.  I find it an easy pick up and sew mindlessly project. I've made about 400 of them and have now run out of templates, so have decided that instead of aimlessly doomscrolling on my phone on my lunchbreaks and in the evenings, I'll start stitching them together into small blocks, so I can remove some of the templates and reuse them.  I'm not sure how any more I'll need to make to have enough to do something with.

I've another quilt top that has been sitting in the WIP pile for a few years too, that I need to either leave at the size it currently is and call it a lap quilt or make another couple of borders for it.  Will I get it finished this year?

Groove is in the Heart - A Finished Quilt

 

Over the past few days I have put the final stitches in my Groove is in the Heart Quilt.

I started this project in October 2020, and in October 2021,  I finished sewing the blocks together to finish the top as well as making a vibrantly bright scrappy backing with some of my favourite fabrics.  I've decided that life is too short to save them all and they deserve to be used. 

As with most of my quilts,  I seriously debated hand quilting it, but with a change to my work hours (I'm now full time not part time) I realistically came to the conclusion, I just don't have time.  Once again I sent it to my friend  Leeanne to work her magic.  She was given a few ideas of quilting styles I liked, and I very trustingly put my faith in her picking the right one for the quilt. She picked E2E design Sugar n Spice and I  couldn't be more happy with the quilting design and how it looks.  

Binding was not the relatively simple choice I thought it would be,  Initially, I figured because of all the colour on the back and so many low volumes on the front, that a solid black/charcoal colour would frame both sides, but they looked flat and dull. Luckily a lovely customer at my local fabric store was happy to pull out bolts of fabrics and offer suggestions, till we found one that worked.  A vibrant pink/orange splotchy dot from Kaffe Fassett.

I love the look of this quilt and am so glad it is finished and ready to use this winter. Meeka has already given it the seal of approval.

Pattern is Groove is in the Heart from BlueMountainDaisyQuilts.

Fabrics are from my never decreasing stash.

E2E Sugar n Spice Quilting by Quiltmekiwi. Batting is a poly/wool blend from her too.

Hopeful Hearts

 

One benefit of lockdowns, is the time one gets to sew, (I'm lucky cos my kids are now independent teens, so when I'm not doing work things, I get quite a lot of free time), and create and play with our quite substantial fabric stash.  Sometimes instead of starting a new project, old works in progress get finished.

This is the case, with  my Groove is in the Heart Quilt, which I started here almost a year ago.  I had the majority of these large blocks made, and stored in a box.  Over the past week I finshed off the last six blocks I had waiting to be sewn, then stitched them altogether.

The pattern itself had 49 blocks, however I made this up using 36 blocks.  It's quite a large quilt already, but after looking at the photos, I have decied to make another six blocks, so I have a slightly more symmetrically balanced quilt.

Now, that the top is finished, and I have stepped back and watched it flapping in the wind, I am quite pleased with how it has turned out.  I think this one will be a keeper.

Pattern available from Rachel Daisy here

Still Grooving Along

 

I'm slowly making progress with my Groove is in the Heart quilt I started back here.  I actually prepared 14 heart halves that I took away to Mangawhai Heads to sew up, and only completed two, so have been stitching away quietly these past few evenings at home.  I've made 21 out of 49 blocks so far, it's going to be a big quilt one day . I'm feeling it's looking a bit flat compared to the original quilt that inspired me here, so am going to need to work out what it needs to give it a little more pizazz.  Hopefully by the time I've made another few blocks it's looking a little brighter and more me.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend wherever you are.  Thinking of my friends in Melbourne who are entering a five day lockdown.

Stay safe, wear a mask.

Kia Kaha.

Finished - Folk Flower Quilt

 

I have finished my Folk Flowers Quilt and I love how it has turned out.

Originally started back in November 2019 at a workshop with Ann Maria Horner, I excitedly started making blocks, only to decide that 13 blocks was my limit because I couldn't get the appliqué to sit as smoothly as I would have liked.  Not wanting to waste the fabric or blocks, I decided to piece all the blocks together so I had a quilt top, (which I did earlier this year,) and then when I had it quilted I would donate it to my local hospice.

The backing was made from a Kona solid in a shade of blue,  and a Jennifer Paganelli floral, which was then packaged up with the top and sent to my friend Leeanne of Quilt Me Kiwi to work her magic.  All I asked for was "perhaps a swirly type floral design"  I couldn't be more happy with the design she picked, which is called Precious, and the fact that all the things I was unhappy about in the blocks have disappeared.

Now that I've bound it, it's really hard to give away, but I hope that it can give someone, whether a patient or supporting family member some comfort when its being used at the hospice.

Fresh Cut - a new project

Last year some time I bought myself Sue Spargo's Fresh Cut quilt pattern, a mix of wool and fabric applique embellished with beautiful embroidery.  Then it sat unused while I deliberated over background colours.  Much as I love how the black felt background made the blocks POP, I thought it would attract too much dust and be impractical.

Fast forward to June this year, when I spent a day in Rotorua with my Mum, and we visited Cottage Flair quilt shop. They had a fabulous sample made up with different black fabrics as the background, and ironically this really appealed to me. I bought some of the patterned black fabrics but have had to wait three months till solid black fabric arrived in New Zealand, before I could actually start this project.

 A week ago I received a call from my local quilt shop to say they had it in stock, and it was subsequently sent out to me.  I have started my first block, which is block 5, and am slowly rediscovering how to make all the fancy stitches required. 

I can see this will be somewhat of a long term slow stitching project.

Staying Home - Week 5

Another week of lockdown - this time at level three.  It hasn't really had any impact on me, but I have noticed the traffic noise has increased in the early hours of the morning, there are tradespeople and contractors out working again and we can online shop, get takeaways through drive through or click and collect.  We are also able to go to beaches, or regional parks for exercise as long as we practice socially distancing still.

We celebrated a birthday this week.  Miss B turned 18, unfortunately none of our plans to celebrate this occasion was able to come to fruition.  Miss B really enjoys her coffee, so I decided to make her a coffee cake.

Panna cotta was our dessert one night.  Not really a hit with the boys,  recipe from here.  I liked it, but don't feel the need to make it a regular feature on my dessert menu.

Back to working on my lockdown challenge applique project again. I've added bullion knots, some kantha style stitching, more french knots.

I've traced another Burda Style pattern, and started sewing it.  I think that this fabric was possibly not my best choice for it, I'll persevere with it, but suspect it may not be totally wearable.  It's hard to press the seams and darts, due to the fabric which I think was a georgette or chiffon, and I possibly should have invested in some plain sheer black fabric for the inner  lining pieces.

And some really exciting news, today, The Scout, Mr J and I went to Tapapakanga -  one of our regional parks for a short hike.  It was so nice to walk somewhere new, to not have to give way to other people or cyclists and just get out of my neighbourhood. Real fresh air, a brisk breeze off the sea, feeling much happier now.

Kia kaha