More Quilt Tops

Still sewing up the stacks of blocks.  "Berry Parfait" is a quilt top I made to test a pattern for Thimbles and Needles - another great, scrappy design that goes together so well.  I love a pattern with pressing instructions.

Last week I sent "Berry Parfait", along with three other quilt tops/backings to Karen (Quilting on the Coast) and the first one is on the way back.  "Happy Stripes" designed by Quilty Love.  This is a baby-sized quilt and I think the texture will be wonderful.

"Dwell 2" blocks have been sewn up and this quilt top is pretty bit (around 91" x 95") - quilting will shrink it a bit.  I'm starting another pile to send to Karen.

"Sewcialites" blocks were finished in June last year but I've been dithering about the layout.  Saw this layout on Sister's Choice blog and liked the look of it.  I think I'll add a white border then it can go onto the pile to go to Karen.

"Fireworks" blocks still to be sewn together then I think I'll be up-to-date but I've been sidetracked by a container of half-square triangle offcuts that I started sewing up and trimming.  These are all sewn and I have one more lot to trim then I'll have the 400 needed to make Thimble Blossoms' 25 HST Blocks - 25 different blocks from half-square triangles (16 per block).

The blue triangles in the photo above ("Happy Stripes" offcuts in "Nantucket Summer") will be made into a "Moda Love" block - might be a cushion cover.

Here it is sewn together. 

Recent photo of our littlest sweetheart that Jenni posted - he is the funniest little fellow.  I'll be spending Thursday and Saturday night with him - can't wait.

Making Quilt Tops

"Starlets" blocks are very quick to make and because I'm making the small throw size, I had the number I needed pretty quickly .  I put these blocks aside to sew together on another day - I seem to do that a lot.

I hadn't kept count when I was cutting out the house blocks for "Dwell 2" and I cut way more blocks than needed - turns out I have enough to make quite a large quilt

Decided it was time I sewed up some of these blocks I have piled up on the spare bed and started with "Swoon", which has the least number of blocks.

Backing and binding fabric for Swoon.

Next up is "Dwell 2" - this is just over halfway.  I'm waiting for some more red fabric to arrive to make another two stars.

I hope to sew up "Berry Parfait" next, then it might be time to send a couple of parcels to Karen.

The laundry is finished

Before

After

but the "new" room (5th bedroom/study) isn't quite done - the skirting boards need another coat of paint before furniture is moved in.  The paint on the skirting boards was damaged when the floor was polished - I painted them a week ago but that didn't quite cover the damaged areas.  Might have time next weekend to paint.  The light fitting is in.  I'd love to be able to afford new white windows in all the rooms.  Still trying to decide on a blind.

Spent Saturday with my friend Lynell packing - after 40 years in her home she and her husband are moving (to my suburb) - it's a big job.  Yesterday I visited Mum then went to a lunch with another friend.  I'm really pretty shy and it's good to meet/chat with some new people.

All Stacked Up

"All Stacked Up" is a Kaffe Fassett design and has been made using mostly Kaffe Fassett fabrics.  A friend gave me two identical bundles of the Kaffe fabrics - I really like the stripes and a couple of the prints but am a bit unsure about some of the other prints/colourways.  I added some leftover Jen Kingwell fabrics and a couple of stripes to the mix.  The quilt is large lap size.

Karen quilted this with "Featheration" - I've used this design a lot lately and it looks good on this quilt.

I'd like to make All Stacked Up again using a different fabric range or enough stripes to have a stripe section in each block. 

A couple of weeks ago I cut into my Bonnie and Camille "Merry Little Christmas" fat quarter bundle. "Dwell 2" designed by Thimble Blossoms.

These houses are so quick to piece.  I cut out way more than I needed, so I'll need to spend a bit of time working on the layout - think I'll need another two stars.

I now have five bundles of blocks ready to be sewn into quilt tops:  Sewcialites, Swoon, Fireworks, Berry Parfair and Dwell 2.  Maybe I'll sew one together next week.

The other quilt I cut out is "Starlets" designed by Modernly Morgan.  I'm making this quilt with my friend Karen (@countrymum3).

Again, these blocks are very quick piecing.  The stars are very cute and there is no need to worry about cutting off the points with this method of making stars.  This will be small throw size so should come together quickly.

Blueberry Kisses

Three nights of watching "The West Wing" episodes and the binding on this large quilt is stitched down.  "Blueberry Kisses" is 92-3/4" x 99-1/2"

I was very fortunate to receive a bagful of blue fabrics from Thimbles and Needles, the designer of this terrific pattern, and those fabrics were a great addition to my smallish blue stash.  That meant that there are no fabric repeats in the blue crosses.

I wasn't sure which quilting design to choose - Karen (Quilting on the Coast) suggested Wind and Waves and the curves look good against the straight lines of the blocks.

The backing is a lovely Jocelyn Proust fabric - I love her Australian flora and fauna designs.

"Star Pop" in "Nantucket Summer" is together.  I'm waiting for some fabric to arrive for backing for another small quilt, "Happy Stripes", then I'll send them both to Karen for quilting.

Mum and I went to see "Where the Crawdads Sing" on Sunday - Mum has read the book but I haven't so had no idea of the story.  I enjoyed the movie and Mum thought it was excellent.

Pattern Test

I was making good progress on "Star Pop" - another three rows added to the quilt

when a friend on Instagram (Jo, @thimblesandneedles) asked me to test her new pattern.  When I've tested her other patterns I'd make a couple of the blocks for the body of the quilt plus some side blocks and a corner block - many of her quilts are set on point.

Last week Jo sent me (and some other quilters) her latest design, "Berry Parfait", to test.  I didn't have any berry coloured fabrics in my stash that I felt would suit the theme or the pattern but I found a bunch of yellow/pink/orange/green fabrics that all looked pretty together and I decided to make the throw sized quilt.

Didn't take too much time to sew up the blocks for the body of the quilt.

It seemed to take longer to sew up the side and top/bottom filler blocks.  I had a busy time with family over the weekend so didn't have an opportunity to set out the blocks or sew them together.  Maybe later this week.

The pattern has great pressing instructions.

Saturday and Sunday nights I made the August blocks for Chooky's Churn Dash SAL.  One more month of block making then it will be time to start assembling the quilt top.

On Saturday we went to visit Jenni, Kurt and Vinnie - haven't been able to see them for a few weeks because they've been sick and didn't want to give us their bug.  Had a lovely time with them.

Yesterday T&H came for the day - Elizabeth is recovering from sinus surgery earlier in the week.  H and I cooked lamb shanks for dinner and a lemon syrup poppyseed cake using lemons I'd brought back from Jenni's tree.

What's Been Happening

Karen took "Blueberry Kisses" home with her to quilt and sent through a photo yesterday.  It looks fantastic.  The design is called "Wind and Waves" - took ages to decide which design to use.  I wanted something with a curve but not flowery or feathery.

The last four "Fireworks" blocks are finished - still working on the layout for this quilt.  I'm going to add borders and sashing between the blocks and posts at the intersections which will turn the corner triangles into Shoe Fly blocks to make the quilt a bit bigger.  Without sashings it measures 68" square.

The final two "Swoon" blocks are also finished

and the layout is sorted.  Not too difficult with only 9 blocks.

Last Saturday we worked on the laundry cupboard - took a long time to clean it inside and out with sugar soap and then we painted it.  Also painted first couple of coats on the back screen door.  Will be nice to have that back in place before summer starts.  Electrician is coming tomorrow to finish off work in the new room.  The floor is beautiful (in the Swoon photos above).  Might be ready to move some furniture in on the weekend, depending on what else is happening.

On Sunday T&H came for the day, then Mum and my brother turned up, so it was a lovely busy day.