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.

A Finished Quilt Top

Well, to all intents and purposes I have a finished quilt top.  It's been a long time coming and not without a couple of hiccups, which involved a lot of unpicking, measuring, remeasuring,  inserting strips, trimming blocks and then resewing the affected blocks together.  It measures roughly 70' x70"

In hindsight I  should have built rows around the very centre block, rather than making strips, and rows to piece together, that required gaps to be filled.  The quilt is a mix of English paper pieced blocks, hand sewn to background fabrics, foundation paper pieced blocks and machine pieced strips.

I plan to hand some applique along some of the low volume areas around the centre block, so am currently working on making components for this.  I'm also deciding whether to piece a backing and try and use up some of my stash or just use a wide backing fabric from my quilter. 

I need to think of a name for this quilt, I can't keep calling it the make it up as I go quilt. 

January - Looking back

 

Well the first month of 2025 is over, and my intention of blogging twice a month has already passed.  So this post, hopefully not too long and rambling, is a summary of the highlights and fun stuff I did during the month, starting at the end of the month, as the title says - looking back.

• The best part of January is always my summer break away at the beach.  Just my husband and me (it's quite lovely now my kids are young adults and can look after themselves now), at our favourite beach at Mangawhai Heads.  I paddle boarded each morning before breakfast on amazingly clear calm waters, lazed around reading, ate gelatos and had a fabulous day boogie boarding at the surf beach,  We took a day trip to Whangarei and visited the Hundertwasser Art Centre and the Packard Car Museum.

• One of my intentions this year is to finish the top of my "make it up as I go" quilt.  I haven't touched this since 2023, so have sort of forgotten what I had intended.  I've since drafted a rough plan, and jotted down some ideas, and have started some epp which will be appliqued to a panel.

• I'm trying to walk each morning for 30 minutes before I go to work.  I've noticed its already getting darker in the mornings, but I have been treated to some amazing sunrises.

• I have lived in Auckland for 28 years and never walked up to the top of Mt Eden the highest volcano (196m) in Auckland.  It is dormant and offers fabulous views across the city in all directions.  I finally got to do it on a warm and rather blustery day.  

• My first garment make for the year is the Gibbons Slip Dress from Elbe Textiles.  Its a relatively simple dress, cut on the bias, so fits beautifully but not tightly.  Mine is made from a black linen viscose blend from spotlight

Wishing you all a wonderful February.

"Make it Up as I Go" Quilt

 

I've started a new quilt.  I have a really vague idea of how it will look, as it's sort of very loosely based Tales of Cloth's Seedling Quilt.  I've made a lovely central block and lots of lovely rows and columns of various blocks and strips of bright prints and low volume.  There will be a mix of English paper piecing and machine pieced blocks.

I still have a way to go before I can actually piece all the strips and rows together, but I'm having a lot of fun hunting through my stash for interesting scraps and fabrics.  I'm hoping I'll at least get the top finished this year.

Things Here Lately

Wow - it's been an age since I last updated my poor neglected blog.  I've sewn lots, hiked, read and cooked, so I'll do a round up post in the simplest form possible.

Quilting: Recently I finished the flimsy of my Kismet Kiss Quilt - I've made it bigger by adding borders and have plans to hand quilt it.  I've also started another of my "make it up as I go" sampler type quilts, that I'm enjoying using beautiful colours and fabrics on.

Eating: Cold nights call for decadent saucy desserts - this was enjoyed by all my family 

- Rum, Raisin and Chocolate Self Saucing Pudding.

Planning: Somewhat anxiously, a bathroom renovation, perhaps I should say facelift, each quote I get, changes the plans somewhat.

Sewing:  I'm still making clothes, but have slowed down a little. I have to admit I do so much prefer making and planning a summer wardrobe, although I am contemplating a new winter jacket/coat.

Walking: I'm trying to be good and walk at least 5 days a week, most are before work at 6am, so it's dark but quiet.  The other day I had a late start at work so was able to walk as the sun was rising.  So worth  the slow walk to watch it.

Hiking:  About a month ago The Scout and I attempted to hike to Bog Inn Hut in the Pureora forest, we actually ended up turning back due to track conditions.  Some ancient old trees, lots of interesting fungi and the beautiful Waihora Lagoon made it and interesting hike.

Reading:  Currently I'm enjoying All the Days of Summer by Nancy Thayer.  I have also been reading and enjoying the Verity Kent crime series (set in the early 1920s) by Anna Lee Huber.

I'm sure I've done lots more over the past six months, it's hard to actually get back into blogging after such a long break, fingers crossed I can at least manage one post a month from now on.

Something New

My design board has been moved back into my sewing room, and is slowly getting covered with an assortment of  blocks.

Another new quilt is in progress. I was inspired by a short video my sister sent me of a quilt reveal. I watched it, had an AHA moment, and raced off to find a pen and notebook.  It will be another of my scrappy many different block quilt, based slightly on Tales of Cloth's - Seedlings Quilt, fetureing low volume ,Liberty and lots of other fabrics from the stash.  I'm trying to not buy new fabric for this one.  

Apart from the log cabin blocks I have just made, it is going to incorporate some English paper pieced blocks, three of which I have made already, probably a lot of my hexis that are sitting in a tin waiting for the right project,  it may also include some of the the Liberty/low volume x/+ blocks I have been making.  I'm quite enjoying being this inspired about a quilt, especially as I seem to have lost my sewjo for garment making.  Hopefully it returns with the warmer days we have been experiencing and an upcoming trip to Brisbane to look forward too,

Also enjoying the small posies I can make from violets and cyclamen currently flowering in my garden.

Folk Flowers Workshop with Anna Maria Horner

Our workshop's scrappy quilt.

If you have followed my blog for a while, you will know that I am a rather huge fan of Anna Maria Horner fabrics.  They are bright, bold and beautiful and  usually always feature lots of florals in a clashy yet co-ordinated bohemian style.

When I heard that Anna Maria Horner was coming to New Zealand I hoped I would be able to attend a quilt show of hers, never imagining that I would be attending her Folk Flower quilt workshop (imagine me jumping around in excitement when I booked my place)  in Tamahere today, organised and hosted by Donna's Quilt Studio. 

We had been sent a list prior to the workshop detailing what to bring.  I have to admit that choosing background fabrics caused me some angst.  How much was too much fabric to take along?

I couldn't comprehend the enormity of choosing all my fabrics for a quilt, at this point so decided that I would make scrappy blocks at the workshop, with the hope that one day I'd have enough for a quilt of some description.

We watched Anna Maria make a block, explaining and demonstrating various techniques to us, including reverse applique, a technique I was not familiar with.  Then we set to work on our own.  For a lot of us it was the first time we had used the applique stitch on our machines so it was very much learn as we go. I'm sure I am am going to attempt to unpick the applique stitch around one of my flowers.

At then end of the day, all the blocks made were attached to a quilt so we could see what a scrappy version would look like.

I had a wonderful day, catching up with some of my original weekend sewing crew and meeting lots of other like minded sewers.