Rogue One

Postal services have been very slow lately - it's taken 3 weeks for a bundle of fabric to arrive from USA and I'm waiting on more parcels that are taking even longer.

The turquoise and rose fabric arrived yesterday for the Smitten "Butterfly Patch" backing along with the check to use in "Sweet Escape", when I'm ready to start that one.

Fabric is on the way to back "The Good Life" version of "Butterfly Patch", "All Wrapped Up" and "Go Four It" - my backings chest is pretty empty.

"Go Four It" quilt top will be finished tonight.  I decided to add borders after all for a few reasons:  to stabilise all the bias edges around the perimeter of the quilt top; so that I won't have to deal with points when sewing on the binding and to use up more fabric in my stash.  The spot is a fun fabric that I've had for quite a few years.

Took a photo of the quilt top before adding the borders

and noticed a rogue block in the bottom right hand corner.

Very happy I found that block and was able to turn it around before the top was quilted.  So far there are 4,534 pieces of fabric in this quilt.

Four Patches Are Done

Received a lovely surprise in the mail on Friday - the first block for my Aussie Bonnie & Camille Beehive 2019 quilt arrived.  A surprise because I'm not due to receive blocks until May.

This year I chose Bonnie Olaveson's "Christmas Cheer" quilt

and the girls are making the Santa Hats and Christmas Stockings.  I'll make the rest of the blocks.  Will be lovely to have a new quilt for Christmas time.

Finished making four patch blocks for "Go Four It" and sewed them into the nine patch blocks then lay out the blocks on Saturday night/Sunday morning.

Started sewing the blocks together late yesterday afternoon - will be a couple more nights' sewing before the quilt top is together.  I think it will be about 85" x 93" without borders.

It's looking a lot better than I thought it would 4-1/2 years ago when I made the first few blocks.

Mum and I went to see "Swimming with Men" on Saturday afternoon - a lovely movie.  The Brits make this style of movie so well - not schmaltzy but heartfelt.

Some wedding sewing happened yesterday and finally there's progress - about time I got it right - and an end in sight for the main piece of sewing.  Little Sweetheart's dress is next.

Four Patches Galore

All of the A blocks for "Go Four It - Rainbow Rows" have been made as well as many of the B blocks.

I ran out of four-patches, so some of this week's sewing has been making loads more four-patches.

Some more B blocks to make and then I can start assembling this quilt - it's going to be pretty big once it's all together but I'm thinking I'll make it rectangular rather than square as in the pattern.

A couple of weeks ago I made the first month's "Summer Moon" blocks.

UFO's

I don't have many UFO's but they are very old - one going back to 2000 (and I'm not ready to work on that one just yet).

A couple of days ago I pulled out "Sylvia's Bridal Sampler" - this has been almost finished for 4 years, after starting in May 2010 when my friend Diann bought me the book for my birthday.  We diligently made a block or two a week (each choosing what to make) and then kind of lost steam. A while later I decided to make only the blocks I could machine piece and ended up with 64 blocks, 32 set on point and 32 set straight, and started sewing the blocks in rows.  In September 2015 I had 4 rows sewn together and then packed it all away.

A few hours sewing (plus a couple of good movies) and the quilt top is together - wrinkly photo of a rather large quilt (84-1/2" sq),

as well as the backing and binding.  The binding fabric is the same as the sashing and border fabric.

After finishing off SBS, I felt like working on another UFO - "Go Four It" or "Rainbow Rows" designed by Lissa Alexander from Moda Fabrics.  I started sorting fabrics for this quilt in May 2015 and commenced sewing the four patches when I went to Quilt Camp in Tasmania, November 2015.

I made 700+ four patch blocks at camp

and sewed some of them into the nine patches that make up the quilt.

I have a boxful of four patches ready to sew into nine patch blocks

and a large bagful of strips ready for when I run out.

A few more blocks have been made.

The quilt is made of  block A with 5 four patches and block B with 4 four patches.  I have 93 Block A and 92 Block B still to make.

Loads of quilty memories in those fabrics.  I'm really enjoying sewing up these blocks - great chain piecing while catching up on some movies.

Two Little Sweethearts came to stay for the weekend.  They had such a hilarious time playing on my newly-finished quilt, "Summer Nights", while I was trying to take photos.

Labels need to be added then the quilt will be completely finished.  Mum sewed down the binding on this one, which was a big help.

Gulliver loves to cook and he pretty much made our dinner - soft-shell tacos.

Another Start

Carrie Nelson is one of my favourite designers - I love her style and way of designing/putting quilts together.  Carrie writes the Moda Fabrics blog posts and they are always entertaining and informative.  Carrie's new book has been on pre-order since last year and it arrived this week.  Being a big fan of both scrappy and sampler quilts, I am looking forward to making "Summer Moon".  The book is beautiful and the instructions are very easy to follow.

I've had a little stash of Anni Downs (Hatched and Patched) fabrics for quite a while and think the soft, gentle colours will look lovely in this quilt (even though most of them are Christmas fabrics).

The idea is to make the quilt over 10 months, with 3 blocks in 3 different sizes to be made each month.  Had to make one to see if I would like it and, of course, I've since made a couple more of the blocks.

"Seaglass" is ready for quilting.  I had cut out way too many strips for the "Seaglass" Variation quilt, so it made sense to make another quilt.

I love the teal spot fabric.

"Seaglass" Variation

Everyone knows I love Susan Ache's quilts (@yardgrl60 on Instagram).  I'd previously made her "Seaglass" quilt (from her book "Start with Strips") and in very early January Susan showed photos of a different version of Seaglass - this time with sashing strips and small 8-patch blocks as posts.  Such a wonderful pattern to use up all the last little pieces of very favourite fabrics.

I finished sewing down the binding last week - some nice, relaxing sewing during a huge few days.

The quilt is made using loads of FigTree & Co fabrics with Primitive Gathering's "Snowman Gathering" for the background.

"Orange Peel" quilting - 2019 is the year of "Orange Peel".

FigTree & Co "Aloha Girl" fabric for the backing and "Strawberry Fields Revisited" for the binding.

The quilt is a gift for someone super special who came into my life very unexpectedly in 2014 - I'm hoping not to see her again after April this year.

"The Good Life" version of "Butterfly Patch" is finished - no borders this time.  Waiting for backing fabric to arrive then it can be quilted.

Elizabeth and the new Little Sweetheart are doing as well as can be expected - of course, he is the perfect little baby during the day and is not-so-perfect most of the night.

Magoo Monkey

Little Sweetheart has been staying with me overnight this week while her Mummy and Daddy were in hospital.  Her baby brother was born on Tuesday night after a very long day.  Now that he's here, he looks much smaller than his 4.19 kg weight would suggest.

I asked her if she'd like to help me make something for "her baby" (as she calls him) and gave her the choice of a monkey, giraffe or elephant (all Melly & Me patterns).  I was hoping for the elephant but Magoo Monkey was the decision.  She helped pick out some fabrics and we cut out all the pieces.

Started sewing him together once Little Sweetheart was in bed and finished him off the next night.  Love how quickly these fun designs come together.

During the last while I've also been stitching down the binding on "Seaglass" Variation.

Elizabeth and the baby will be going home from hospital tomorrow - will be quiet at my house when Little Sweetheart goes home with her Daddy tonight.