Hourglass a Day

Last October, a quilter I follow in Instagram posted a message about making an hourglass block each day using Cluck Cluck Sew's tutorial and then in a few months we would have enough blocks to make a quilt.  I had a few Bonnie and Camille charm packs plus a bundle of already cut 5" squares, so this was a great idea for me to use up those fabrics.  5" coloured square + 5" background square = 2 finished 3-1'2" hourglass blocks.

In November I started making two blocks a day and enough blocks were made by the end of March.

Love this "Hello Darling" fabric backing.

I wanted a curvy quilting design as a contrast to all the angles and points in the blocks and Karen used "Wind and Waves" - it looks great.

I signed up for another quilt-along.  "Another Story" designed by Thimbles and Needles using up the leftover background from "Kaleidoscope" and lots of fabrics from my stash plus some hexagons swapped with two other participants.  Some progress has been made on the blocks.

The design sheet isn't big enough to hold them all.

I need to cut out another six hexagons and then make the side half-hexies to fill in the gaps.

Last week's "Sewcialites" block is "Inspire" designed by Lori Holt - this was a fun block to make.

Last year I had planned to cut out Cotton Way's "Summer Days" quilt but it just didn't happen until a month or so ago.  I changed the Friendship Stars to green fabrics and used yellow to make Sawtooth Stars plus I made 6 of each block instead of 5 so that I'd have a bigger quilt.

The red/aqua blocks are done.

Out for dinner last Thursday night with The Schoolgirls, lunch with work friends on Friday to farewell two of our staff then out for the evening to farewell another.  Had a lovely day on Saturday - Mum and I went to Sydney to visit Jenni, Kurt and Vincent.  They are all going so well.  Vincent is laughing now and is a very happy baby.

Some housework and sewing on Sunday before an afternoon Hawks game - good win.  Games tonight and Thursday night and the season is over (but they might make the play-offs).

Kaleidoscope

The binding on "Kaleidoscope" was stitched down last week.  This quilt pattern is from Emma Mary Designs and I loved it as soon as I saw it on Instagram.   The fabulous backing is a fine cotton and so lovely - would make a beautiful top.

There are 200 different floral fabrics in the quilt top.

Jenny, AngelCake Quilting stitched Bauhaus Baby on Kaleidoscope - it's a lovely design against all the triangle points.

Karen, Quilting on the Coast, will be visiting this week and is bring my Hourglass a Day quilt

along with a fat quarter bundle and bolt of new Bonnie and Camille fabrics - "Sunday Stroll" - I have plans for these fabrics.

Photos

One of Jenni and Kurt's close friends, Steph, is a photographer - she took their beautiful wedding photos.  Steph gave them a newborn photo package as a gift for little Vincent's birth.  The photos are stunning.

Last week's "Sewcialites" block was Steadfast designed by Sherri McConnell.

"Vintage Holiday 2" is together and will be quilted in a few weeks.

Last November I cut out another "Strawberry Social" quilt, using lots of reds from my stash.  The quilt top will be finished this week - the blocks come together quickly once the strawberry leaves are made.

A week or so ago I saw this quilt on Instagram and decided I have to make it - my original plan was to make it as a cot quilt for my cousin's daughter, who is having a baby in September (she loves pineapples) but the pineapple without the borders is too big for a cot quilt.

I decided to make a version as per the pattern first (the colour layout is a bit different) using some of my Alison Glass stash (I've had a buy a few more to mix in with these fabrics) before working out how to make it smaller.

On Friday morning I sewed the last of the "An Hourglass a Day" blocks and now each day I'll sew them into a nine patch blocks ready to sew into a quilt top.

What a Huge Weekend

The stacks of hourglass blocks are growing - another 11 or so days and they will be done.  Then I'll start making a nine patch block each day and put the quilt top together.  It's going to be very colourful.

Sewed the last of the Kaleidoscope blocks together last week - waiting for backing to arrive then it can be quilted.  200 different floral fabrics in this quilt.

All the main Nine Patch Waltz blocks are made and have been "snowballed".  I've been waiting for a special Bloc Loc ruler to arrive to make the points that go into the second lot of nine patch blocks and it arrived yesterday, so I'll start those blocks soon.

Last week the new, heavy, solid back door was hung.  Big change from the other door that was there for 30+ years.

Philip built the new front gate on Saturday - looks wonderful.  He had heaps of help from my grandchildren who were there for the day.  Lots of running around keeping up with the 2 year old :)

Last week's Sewcialite block is called "Zest" designed by Brigitte Heitland.

I made little sweetheart a Busy Book for his second birthday.   First saw this on Instagram and then found the instructions on the Bernina website.

Saturday and Sunday nights were long - Jenni was having her baby.  I spent a good part of Saturday night cutting out two Christmas quilts (Handmade with Love and Vintage Holiday 2).  The peppermints are from Handmade with Love.

A Big Parcel

In early December all the rows for "Stroll" were completed and the sashings cut out.  After all the Christmas dressmaking I really enjoyed putting this quilt top together.  I've been waiting for some backing to arrive and it came on Monday.

This is the last 2019 "Sewcialites" block, "Joy" designed by Susan Ache

and this is the first for 2020, "Serenity" designed by Chelsi Stratton.

I had sewn up all my Bonnie and Camille 5" squares for the "Hourglass a Day" sewalong and was waiting for some more charm packs to arrive, so started sewing the Hourglass blocks in to nine patches over the last couple of weeks.

On Monday, a big box of fabric arrived from my friend Amy in USA.  Amy sold off a lot of her fabric late last year and I've been pretty excited about all the fabric I bought.

Backings, backgrounds, low volumes, loads of Figtree off-cuts and squares etc plus 4 charm packs for my "Hourglass a Day" sewalong blocks - I think it's going to be a pretty big quilt.

Amy also included a Yazzi project box, some American lollies and a beautifully made bag.  Gulli was with me on Monday and was very interested in the lollies.

Each morning I sew four Hourglass blocks and in the evenings I've been making "Kaleidoscope" blocks - this is a fun pattern by EmmaMary Designs.  The photo shows one quarter of the quilt on the design sheet,

and here are the other half of the triangles.

The plan is to use each 5" floral once (giving two triangles) in the quilt and so far I've cut 170 - need to find another 30.  I was able to cut a few from the fabrics in the box from Amy.  Another 200 blocks to be made.

My friends and I are missing the basketball, which normally would have started last October - the season will hopefully start this coming weekend but I doubt we'll have any home games.  Going to the game and out for dinner in summer is always fun.  We'll have to have picnics in front of the tv when the games are on.

All my free time has been spent working with my brother to replace the rails on the two verandas at my house.

We've cut and painted 185+ pickets and 23 top and bottom rails, painted all the veranda posts, Philip has sanded the decks, and the top rails have been attached.  Philip is hoping to clean/oil the decks on the weekend and then the bottom rails and pickets can be installed.

My friend, Gail, volunteered to help with the painting, so her job was the front door.  It looks fantastic!  Marine grade paint has such a glorious shine.

Someone is pretty excited about starting school after the holidays!