Sylvia's Bridal Sampler

These are the first two photos I posted relating to "Sylvia's Bridal Sampler" on 20 May 2010, after my friend Diann bought me the book for my birthday.

The quilt was finished on 20 April 2019 (it's not my oldest UFO).

Me and My Sister's "Oh Cherry Oh" fabric has been used for the quilt top and it's is made up of 64 traditional quilt blocks - I decided to leave out all the foundation pieced and applique blocks and just make the blocks I could machine piece.  Some of them have very small pieces and accuracy was an issue for me, especially in the early stages.

So pleased to have this quilt finished.

I asked Karen to do Orange Peel quilting on this one - I think she'll be fed up with that design for a while.

Binding

A parcel from Sarah arrived earlier this week - two "Butterfly Patch" quilts.

Along with "Sylvia's Bridal Sampler" I will have loads of binding to keep me busy while catching up on some tv shows over the Easter weekend (in between wedding sewing and spending time with family and friends).

"Butterfly Patch" in Bonnie and Camille's Smitten fabric quilted in wavy lines:

and another "Butterfly Patch" in Bonnie and Camille's The Good Life also quilted with wavy lines:

Picked up my sewing machine on Tuesday and finished off the Flower Girl's dress - it's very sweet.

I've been making this month's "Summer Moon" blocks and need to catch up on this month's "Christmas Cheer" row.

Tomorrow is our annual sewing day with The Girls and I've cut out "Dashing" in FigTree & Co's new "Chantilly" range to start sewing.

So many pretty colours in this fabric range.

The family is coming for lunch on Sunday - looking forward to lots of fun with my sweethearts.

Another "Seaglass"

Bound my third "Seaglass" quilt on Tuesday night.

The first one was made as per Susan Ache's pattern in her book "Starts with Strips".

The second quilt was a variation on the original Susan posted on Instagram and was given away yesterday.

And the third is a lap-size quilt - started because I cut too many pieces for the Variation quilt :)

Saturday is Jenni's Bridal Shower and this photo came up in today's facebook memories of us getting ready for Peta's Bridal Shower 7 years ago.  Jenni is going to be a beautiful bride.

After almost 9 years making "Sylvia's Bridal Sampler", I will be picking it up from Karen tonight

and dropping off "All Wrapped Up" for quilting (which has been finished for a couple of months).  I have three quilts away being quilted by Sarah in Tasmania, so there will be more binding to do over the next weeks.

In between wedding sewing there has been some progress on "Nine Patch Waltz" blocks - lots of chain sewing and trimming with this quilt.  I think I'll make some "Summer Moon" blocks tonight.

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.

Rainbow Quilt

Over the years I've made a few quilts with Me and My Sister fabrics - the girls use such lovely colours and all their ranges mix well.

Basket Case designed by Cluck Cluck Sew

Jelly Rolls Gone Wild designed by Me and My Sister

Snippets designed by Bonnie Olaveson (Cotton Way)

Churn Dash

and Sylvia's Bridal Sampler which I've been making on and off (mostly off) since May 2010.  Some blocks are sewn into rows.

I currently have three quilts on the go using Me and My Sister fabrics - all the blocks (plus a couple of extras) have been made for the Jacob's Ladder Quilt.

Decided to use a rainbow layout for this one (as in Jelly Rolls Gone Wild above) and might start sewing the blocks together later in the week (there are sashings and posts between the blocks and rows).

Had such a fun day with Gulliver on Friday - we visited Centennial Park so he could ride his bike and play in the park before going home to make lots of Lego vehicles.

Gulli loves a selfie

A Sewing Weekend

Another great weekend has come and gone.  Dinner with Barbara and Jenni on Friday night - we thought about going to the pictures but, as often happens, too much to chat about.  On Saturday afternoon I visited my brother and sister-in-law to drop off a wedding present for my nephew.  Mum was there too.  Also visited some friends then spent the rest of the weekend either in the sewing room or on the couch stitching.  Saturday was a beautiful day but the cold and rain is back again.

Yesterday morning I finished putting together Oh Cherry Churn Dash.  These blocks have been finished since early March.  I need to find a backing then it will go on the frame to be quilted.  It's a whopper ~79 " x 93".

Continuing with more Oh Cherry Oh fabric - a few Sylvia's Bridal Sampler blocks - working out block settings.  Some blocks will be on point and some will be straight.  These blocks have been hanging around since October last year - probably time to put the quilt top together. 

Next a couple of rows on Picnic - am about halfway with this quilt top.  I have a deadline - September.

During the week I started stitching the next Gingham Girls block - finished one little stitchery last night.

"Broadchurch" started on Friday night.  Anything with David Tennant is worth watching and this looks like it's going to be a top show.

I'm Done

Over the last week I've sewn up the rest of my Sylvia's Bridal Sampler blocks.  I've decided to call it quits at 63 blocks.   Steps to the Altar was the last of the traditionally pieced blocks in the book for me to make. 

Steps to the Altar

There are 140 blocks in the quilt and the rest of the blocks in the book are made using either foundation piecing or templates.  Being more of an "instant gratification" type patchworker lately, I went looking on-line for alternative insructions to make some of the blocks below rather than follow the instructions in the book.

Rolling Star

Rocky Road to California

Flock of Geese

Gentleman's Fancy

Lemoyne Star

Next Door Neighbour

North Wind

Windmill (Pinwheel 2)

And hot off the sewing machine, the last block, and probably my favourite because I love all the colours together:

Love in a Mist

Had a wonderful day out yesterday with my two girls wedding dress shopping.  Although we came home empty handed we had a lovely time.  Found lots of styles that don't suit, so that's a start.  Some of the sales assistants were horrified that Elizabeth is marrying in 3 months and doesn't have her dress.

I'm off to trace some Christmas stitcheries.