Season of Mellow Fruitfulness

The days are getting shorter and the lights start going on a bit earlier.  I don't really like closing the curtains too early but it has been a bit stormy this week and the wind has been howling around this old house at times.  I have been working on the Chevron quilt this week.  You may remember I pieced it together while I was on holiday in Canada.  The continuing theme throughout the quilt seems to have been spots.  The Lotta Dots charm pack by Connecting Threads was combined with a bubbly white on white fabric and pulled together with my favourite fabric for the moment Moda Grunge in Patriot blue.  This was an easy pattern to put together but with a bit of concentration needed with the half square triangles with lots of trimming and squaring going on. I hope you agree the chevron pattern from Missouri Star is quite striking and has produced a good size lap quilt. I think Jenny calls it Spice Rack as she uses rustic spicy colours In her version.  I brought the completed top back home to sandwich and quilt.  It has literally been hanging on the frame ready for decisions to be made.  It took me a wee while to decide on the quilting.  

I thought I would like to quilt pebbles or circles to complete the ongoing theme.  I really need to see the quilt flat to decide and I have the luxury of either hanging a quilt on the front of a wardrobe or laying it out on the floor where I leave it for a few days, looking at it from time to time from all angles and imagining the quilting pattern superimposed on the top.  This is the stage I least like, I’m so indecisive and having spent ages piecing I don’t really want to ruin it just because I don’t take time to think it through.  Usually the quilt will speak to me, if it doesn’t it goes on a shelf after a few days, to remain there for some time usually. (I have 3 tops on the limbo shelf at the moment or maybe it’s  4)  However this quilt didn’t hang about for long and was loaded on to my frame.  

I used a plain navy backing fabric and warm and natural batting, the thread I used this time was Glide Sky.  The quilt was all free motion quilted, no pantograph, no stitch regulator, no marking just my not so perfect concentration, which produced the finished article.  I decided to take it slowly - as in only a portion at a time. I stopped frequently and didn’t get myself overly stressed. (hence the extra creases on the above photo because it was rolled on the frame for a bit)

 I only worked on it one or two passes at a time then changed tactics and moved on to a different project.  This seemed to work for me.  Sometimes you pick up a bad habit and lose concentration - other times you get into the zone and everything flows smoothly.  Here is the result.  I still have the binding to put on and then it will be complete.

My Chevron Quilt aka as Spice Rack on Missouri Star

I got quite a surprise when I removed the quilt from the frame and flipped it over - it almost looks like a secondary whole cloth quilt.  I think it looks quite striking.

Does it look like a whole cloth quilt?

I will be secret sewing again this week and I might try just get one of those limbo quilts off the shelf and have another look for inspiration. Oh and I do have my Block of the Month quilt to finish for class, I think it needs to be completed for early November! Better get a move on.

Autumn has definitely arrived here and we have been buffeted by a few storms already and some of the leaves have fallen without actually changing colours.  Autumn brings lots of fruits, windfall apples, brambles, rowans, hips and haws.  I was lucky enough to be given some apples from a neighbour and combined with some rowans this is what I have been making this morning.

A bountiful harvest of apples

and the resulting pots of Apple and Rowan Jelly

  Maybe I’ll make some autumnal leafy blocks this week? Until next time happy stitching. 

Secret Sewing

It seems to me I am doing a lot of Secret Sewing at the moment.  Not that I am sewing in secret its just I can't really show you what I am doing as they will be gifts.  However I will try and keep the blog as interesting as possible and in between these secret projects I will try and do something interesting with my time and produce some smaller, speedier projects on the go to keep you interested and keep me sane in-between these rather challenging bigger projects.

I am still making triangles from the Modern Triangle Quilts Book, I am hoping to get a few more of those done this week.  

I have finished two scrappy quilts one is a little linus quilt made up of leftovers from the Chevron Charm quilt.  I had a few Lotta Dots charms left over too many to go in the scrap bucket so I used them up with the little cute animal fabric which has been lying around for a while.  I do like the stars on the backing. I stitched an allover meander in Scarlet Glide thread for the quilting.

The second is made up of leftover strips of varying widths - I made them into rail fence and slab blocks but inevitably I ran out of blues and didn't really want to add another colour.  I asked at my quilt group and Chris came to the rescue with enough blocks for me to complete this quilt. This too was quilted on the frame with a loopy meander this time using Sky Glide Thread.

My extra pieces of batting were beginning to mount up again so I have spent the morning sorting and stitching pieces together to be frugal and a thriftier stitcher.  I now have a much tidier shelf and the pieces of batting have been measured and the sizes have been pinned on to each piece - but what can I do with all those pieces of fleece?  I have had a computer clean up too and updated my list of projects, photos and my journal.  I'm happier now I've got all that done and tidied.  

It is blowing a hoolie outside and the rain is battering on the windows, I am so pleased to be sitting inside and don't have to go out.  It is almost coffee time so I will sign off now, have my coffee and then decide how I will use some more fabrics from my stash to embark on another quick and easy project to spell me while I concentrate hard on the two secret challenges. This is a clue for one of them - and this is the second attempt to try and get it right so hence the need to concentrate hard!!!  

Keep cosy and enjoy your week

Catch up!

I'm a bit confused (not unusual tbh)  I haven't been posting here for a while and I wasn't entirely sure which photos I had posted here and which projects I had told you about so I had to go back and reread my previous posts - theres nothing worse than repeating yourself.

So for the month of September I have been taking part in The Great British Quilter Challenge over on Instagram.  This has been set in motion by @sarahashfordstudio and @kerryveryberry.  A fun challenge which requires you to put a photograph on instagram pertaining to the particular challenge of the day.  There have been all sorts of challenges ranging from favourite fabrics, to your sewing machine, current WIP, stash, quilt on location, favourite quilt block  all good fun and my photos can be viewed by clicking on the instagram tab above.  Ive managed to keep up and we have only 3 more days to go!  It has been very interesting seeing other peoples projects and ideas.

I have been managing to do a bit of sewing and can now let you see my finished mini quilt for our Group Challenge 'Modern' the block is from Nine Patch Revolution written by Angela Walters and Jenifer Dick.   It was fun to do and is reversible.  The ladies of the Group once more excelled themselves making a variety of very interesting quilts. 

       

        

The chevron quilt top has been completed and is, as I type hanging over the quilting frame ready for me to load it up, choose the thread and then the quilting will commence.

 

The Sparkle Plenty HST is almost complete - I have straight line quilted it but I am wondering if it needs something else?  It is hanging on the front of the wardrobe in the other room, I am hopeful it will 'speak' to me soon and let me know!

The Modern Triangles have been growing and I think I now need to start and put in some background squares I have 20 done so far.

And as if thats not enough I have started another longterm project - North Stars by Elizabeth Hartman 

I enjoyed doing the little hedgehog from Forrest Friends and some of the creatures from Awesome Ocean.  When I saw this new pattern which has only just been released this autumn I just had to give it a go.   I bought the special bundle of fabrics and Im using Grunge in Silver for the backgrounds.  It may take me some time...............there are so many little pieces

I think thats me all caught up again so until next time, happy sewing!

Back on Home Ground

There will be photos today!  We are back home and I'm back on my PC to write this post.  We had a lovely holiday and a well earned rest.  We are now back to a new routine and hopefully soon we will be over the jet lag.  Its is very strange, sometimes it can affect us quite badly, other times not.  I am afraid I am suffering a bit.  I have been awake very early since returning home and have not been able to get back to sleep, so I have had to have a nap in the afternoons.  I hope this does not last too long.

So some photos for you of what I have been doing while I was away.  I don't suppose you will want to see our nice clean air vents nor the clean carpets and sparkling windows...............so lets get to it

Project No 1 was just to get me started and again its HSTs, this is beginning to get a bit boring.  A kit from Connecting threads Sparkle Plenty.  Grey, teal, rust, yellows a good combination and not too much concentration needed. There is something quite satisfying when you see all the shreddies when the blocks are trimmed.  I did have to do some unpicking on the last leg - unfortunately a couple of the blocks had got flipped and one of the points had disappeared.  It was only noticeable in the photograph I took as a record.  It is always a good idea to take a quick snap to check the layout.  You can be working too close to the design sometimes to see any errors.  This top is now complete and ready to be loaded on to the frame for quilting.............or maybe I will just do straight line quilting with the walking foot, decisions decisions.

Project No 2 was my 'Modern Challenge' for our quilt group.  Sorry I can't show it yet as we have Show and Tell on Tuesday night.  I did enjoy doing it though and sat one afternoon sewing the binding on with my feet up.  Listening to music, drinking tea and eating a home made cookie with the view of the mountains was just bliss.

Project 3 - Chevrons and Charms.  On a visit to the LQS I bought some Grunge and some white on white, always good staples for your stash.  Jenny Doans Spice Rack was chosen to use up some CT lotta dots charms.  Oh oh! not more HSTs.  Just little ones this time and I was able to use the short cut to make 8 at a time.  Some maths was required - not my strong point, but I got there in the end 

The top now has its final 2 rows attached and is now waiting for the borders to go on.  I think you will agree I have been quite productive this holiday.

I'm now looking forward to getting back to the Modern Triangles, it will soon be time to decide on the arrangement and where the plain blocks should go, although I think I have a few more blocks to make still

This post has certainly made up for the lack of photos in the last two posts!!

I hope you all have a lovely weekend and enjoy any spare minutes doing what you enjoy doing most.

Chores Done

We have had a mixed week, the maintenance chores are all done and we have managed some days out allowing us some rest and relaxation, even some retail therapy - what more can one ask for.  The house is looking much brighter, fresher and cleaner. The sun has been shining and the smoke seems to be thinning out. We did have a thunderstorm the other night with a heavy downpour which has cleared the air.

The sewing machine has been humming and although I can’t post pictures here check out the Instagram tab to see what I’ve been doing.  My ‘class challenge’ is almost complete, just one side of the binding to be stitched down.  I’m not sure when we are showing off our challenge items but I am happy I’ve almost finished mine.  This was not what I originally planned, nor was it my second choice but limits on my time this summer has beaten me.  I know everyone’s time is precious but when you belong to a group and a challenge is set I think it’s important we all take part.  I’m looking forward to seeing everyone’s take on a mini quilt with a ‘Modern’ look at the start of the new session. 

Maybe no Photos

I am back to writing blog posts from my tablet so this may or not work.  There may not be any photos either but you can follow the sewing progress by hitting the Instagram tab at the top of the home page.

We are on a short break which we are both in desperate need of.  It’s been a hectic time for us over the last few months so we hope to have some chill out time relaxing and enjoying the slower pace on the other side of the Atlantic in the Rockies.  

Sadly North America is suffering from lots of forrest fires as the smoke is drifting up to Alberta from British Columbia, causing all sorts of problems. The air quality which is normally clear and fresh giving us clear blue skies and sunny days is thick and hazy and yesterday the sun was shining through a grey veil turning it orange/red.  This may of course be a good colour combination for a quilt.

We have lots to do this time while we are here so I may not manage to get the sewing machine out this week.  Perhaps I might manage some knitting or hand sewing while I sit on the deck or the den with my coffee.   We may of course have to try and travel a bit further afield to find clearer sunny days where the smoke has not yet reached but that may be just too far to travel.

I hope you are all managing a bit of sewing and planning ahead for projects for the winter months ahead.   It won’t be long before the trees start to change their colours - I imagine that might be sooner than normal due to the dry summer we had this year.  Start planning now, clear your decks, sort your stash and choose a nice pattern which will stretch your quilting ability that wee bit further and give you a bit of a challenge this winter. I will post the progress I made with the Modern Triangles on instagram.  

Relax and enjoy - what ever you are doing.  

Satisfaction

There is something quite satisfying when you manage to clear the decks before starting a new project.  Threads all hoovered up from the carpet, scraps sorted and put in the scrap bin, scissors, cutters, threads etc all in there proper storage space and last but not least your machine all cleaned of fluff and a new needle in place.

A sewing space never stays tidy for long and before you know it fabrics will be scattered everywhere, blocks hung on the design wall and threads strewn on the floor - but oh what a happy place to work!

My new project is from the Modern Triangle Quilt Book by Rebecca Ryan 

and I will be using some really funky fabrics which I bought when K and I had a road trip to Jedburgh a couple of months ago to visit Stitchin @ No 1.

So featured on the design wall this week

These are fun blocks to make and just totally different from making squares.

So the finish for this week is Bee-Charmed, have I mentioned this one before?  Half a charm pack of black and white fabrics lurking in a basket, combined with a bright sunny yellow spot produced this 40 x 40 lap quilt.  Its bright and cheery and quick and easy to put together.  I quilted it on the frame using another of my glide threads a nice buttery yellow.  I think it looks a bit like a bumblebee although it has flowers and butterflies in the border and not a bee in sight.

                                                                                                         

I have had very little sewing time since my last post but at least I have a finish and a new start to show you.  Happy Stitching!