Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Hoping every one has a merry Christmas and a happy and safe New Year.

Merry Christmas

Some hand felted Christmas decorations I made some time ago

Top of this larger one

and the base.

These next two are smaller

Some Christmas beading - also did these some time ago.

Have a safe and prosperous New Year

Friday Night Sew in

Thank you to Heidi for hosting the Friday Night Sew In.

I did nearly forget about it, but made it in time...my Friday night comes a bit sooner than most countries 

so I am lucky and can do two :)

So - I have done some more work on my WCQ

I need to keep going on this as some of the markings are really fading. 

I am nearly round another section.

This is the top of course

and this is from the back.

Also ....

I have also sewn around another block ...Row 5 block 7 - so I can now sew this to the fifth row and I will have only one more blockto go for that row.

Then a heap of sewing to get the 4th row to the third row..Lots of hand sewing there...

Once those 5 rows are all together, I think I will add the bocks one by one to those rows

It won't seem such a lot to do that way.  I hope.

Only another 32 of the white surrounds, small squares and the smaller of the blocks to go.

Andrea has kindly said she will sew some of the 'threesies' of the white for me. 

She has done this lots for me before and it is such a help.

Now I am off to sew some more of the WCQ

My Labyrinth quilt is soaking :)

Patchwork Of The Crosses (POTC)

Last night I Skyped with Joanne and Wendy - both in Canada - the marvels of our computer world. 

We were all sewing our different things and chatting. Its lovely to catch up with them each week :)

I actually got one of my POTC blocks joined to the 5th row.

I keep track of the main blocks and the small corner blocks with masking tape as you can see.

I have two more blocks in this row to put on...the blocks are all done - I just put the outside cream ones on and then join them. 

I have the first three rows sewn together, and when I have done the 4th and 5th - which as you can see are joined - then I will sew those rows together before I put more rows together.

Now ... back to my
WCQ  which is slow going :)

Labyrinth Quilt - FMQ

At last - a finish!!

Just over a month from start to finish - not bad for me !!!

and some photos to follow showing some more of the details....

The second border row is why I will have to wash and soak now to get the blue lines out. 

No other marks anywhere :)

Can you see my trademark Ladybug ? Nestled in the corner?

Its not really very big, and hard to find when looking for it on the whole quilt - but that is the fun part.

Swirls to match the fabric - sort of..

I unpicked the border I mentioned earlier and "Leafed it"

Thank you again to Kim Stotsenburg for her book 'just Leaf It'

It worked a treat Kim and I also did some on the outer border

Blogger turned the one above and below sideways :(

Some of the back

The lower section of the back - as you can see my backing didnt work too well and I have a couple of 'gathered sections' 

I need to starch a little more for the nwxt big quilt.

As I didnt have enough of the cream fabric for the backing - I added some more batic - the brown and some of the same one in the outer border.

The outer border was done with green on the back as wlell as a darker shade on the top.

The leafed border I re=-did...is sewn with blue at the back as in the fromt.

I used Aurifil 50 weight on the top and bobbin, and for the dark blue Guttermans 50...but this was not nearly as good as the Aurifil  I only used up what I had.

I used mostly Microtex 70 needles but the best where the 70 titanium needles.

Now I think thats more than enough of this quilt!!

I am weary.... so today I will rest  and then...

start again on my WCQ.

Labyrinth Quilt - FMQ

I am actually onto the last border. 

Yes!!  I have decided to do some feathers...  I have also included my trademark Ladybug - somewhere in the quilting.

I have 'sewn' a design onto some paper - no cotton in the machine - and pounced the design on.  I . wont stick to that ( doesn't it look a mess ), but it will guide me. 

I might add I am covered in chalk as I had to keep patting the design so I could change some places. 

Large cream border

The blue here has large circles in the middle to fill the extra space.... The borders are all odd sizes.

First time I have attempted this one...all large circles in a line - to match the fabrics a bit.

More lines - and I may put some circles in the centre of this one too.

The small border i really loved doing -

If I have time I will undo this border and do it again....  its a bit too shakey for my liking... and I think I need to fill in some of the space with some thing like feathers of leaves...like I have done the small border.  I just don't feel it goes.  My DH thinks I am mad !! :)

The larger border of the 'circles' this was the first I did and was a bit of a challenge.

So there it is at the present. 

11.30pm and I am off to sleep as I can get onto it again in the morning. 

I guess the feathers will take me some time, and I also have to decide which thread I will use.

Also think I will use a different colour on the backing.

The backing is pieces of fabric I had, as I couldn't find any big enough for the whole quilt!

I will show it again when I finish... maybe before I do the binding .. or after if time permits!

Giveaway from Carla Barrett

Do go and check out Carla Barrett's Blog. 

She is having a fantastic 'giveway' of some of her wonderful beadwork.

Plus her next Quilt whisperer class starts in January on her StepOnPins.com site.

It s creative class on quilting designs for all levels of quilters.

I have done this previously and its  really fantastic!

Labyrinth Quilt - FMQ

I have been quiet  but busy.

I am working on some of the last few borders - working things out as I go along.

This is what I have done so far...so still a way to go. 

I am not doing anything feathery or leafy, as I want all the borders to show up, and feathers and/or leaves didn't seem to go.  All mostly lines and fillers.

I was fortunate to get some more tables and rearranged my sewing area -

As you can see it really worked out wonderfully.

Now I am surrounded by tables!

Nessie is performing so well - she runs like a dream.  I am actually managing the tension so much better...lots of learning!

Before I brought the extra tables in, I had some mess transference to do :)

As you can see I have a heap of sorting out to do here in the shelves !!

Back to my quilting now.

 

FMQ

Yesterday I sewed together some pieces of fabric that were left over from the Labyrinth Quilt.
Last night I did some FMQ on the sample to see what I may do on the quilt

I was trying different thread, and different designs thinking I would use some of the 'Just Leaf It' book I got from Kim Stotsenberg - thank you Kim, its a great book!

This is the front view

This is the back

Showing the front with my leaves

.....and a close up of the back.

It all seemed a bit much, so I have decided to do all the ditch sewing first

( and there is a HEAP of that) and work out which way I will go from there.

The fabrics are a bit busy, so maybe it will be easier to 'see' when that's done..I have also ordered more thread too.

I did love doing the PPP though :)

I had a lovely Skype time with Joanne in Canada,  who was busy as we chatted,  quilting on her Dresdon Plate quilt.  Its looking wonderful!

I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving.

Labyrinth Quilt and a giveaway

Firstly,  Wendy at Inky Threads is having a giveaway of Jennifer Chiaverini’s

newest book: The Wedding Quilt. Wonderful givaway!

And

I am a bit further along with Pin-basting.

I am using Harriet Hargraves book and pining as per her instructions for the first time...SO much easier this way.  I should have tired it before!

I am thankful I actually remembered where the  book was!

Labyrinth Quilt

Labyrinth quilt top has been completed.

Its on my design wall now - floor to ceiling!

It is I think 85" x 105"

Now I need to work out how I am going to quilt it. 

No idea why I made such a big quilt.... and as its for a GS

I dont think feathers would be right...so this one wont be easy.

Now I need to get my cutting table cleared so I can put this on there to layer it together  - with clamps if I can.  Its too big on the floor.

No thread basting here - back to the safely pins!! 



Friday Night Sew in

More of the Labyrinth Quilt for the FNSI.

The rows are being sewn together  two at a time. The bottom half are all sewn 2 x 2 rows and the top ones are sewn singly.  I was worried if a sudden gust of wind would come along and mess up the plan, so I have been working hard.

Andrea was able to help me immensely with getting the design in order...otherwise I would have taken so much longer.

This is as far as got with the Friday Night Sew in.

A big thanks for Heidie for hosting it.



Labyrinth Quilt

I am going cross-eyed!!

The jig-saw so far.

I cut it all out in the last couple of days...and I am begining to think I am dyslectic as I find it difficult to see where the pieces go on the diagram!... I guess it will work out.

I have something wrong on the right side of the plan and cant work it out.

The squares are mostly 4 1/4 inches  and will finish at 3 3/4 inches..

The quilt will be 90 x 110 inches..

Think I need my head read!!

I think I need to go do some FMQ to soothe my soul

Time to walk away from it for a while.



Labyrinth Quilt

Things may slow down again - Health issues in the family again which tends to take a toll of me too...and any free time I may have. 

However  I have accomplished some things!

I have made a start on my Labyrinth Quilt !!

As I need to concentrate to make sure I don't cut some pieces incorrectly - it is taking some time.

It also took me time to actually work out which fabric was for which part...but as you may notice I have the fabric numbered and pinned now in order on the design board.

I have taken my POTC quilt ( as far as it is done) off the design board, as I think I will need to use  a large area for putting the pieces of the Labyrinth quilt together in order.

I really did have to clear fabric and other stuff off my cutting table - to actually DO the cutting out)

Also on the go is...

The next block I am putting together - also slowly -  of my Grannies Hanky

And ...

A very grateful thank you to Denise  for this great tip of marking the ruler...and to Joanne for reminding me of it.

All the borders are completed on my Quilt Along, and its ready to be put together...WHEN the Labyrinth quilt is cut ...and I can put the layers together on the cutting table...sigh!!

Now I am off to bed as I feel I may be required to get up early in the morning for Andrea...and I hate getting up early :)



Joannes Quilt Along

I have been concentrating on clearing my cutting table ( so I can actually SEE it ) and get the last 2 or 3 borders of my Quilt Along  cut out.  Joanne of Threadhead  Quilt Along BOM

I didnt get to get it finished,  as I wanted get some squares done for the second border...
then change my mind and put it in the too hard basket!

I did get as far as trying to work out how to do the quilting - and of course I cant remember how I actually did draw the design in used Photoshop - so need to go back and re-do the lessons :(
All a time thing isnt it!

However this is what I have come up with last year ...  before I got to trying to work  out how to finish with the borders.

This is actually the one I like as I can try to work out a nice feathered border and maybe go into the triangles....

This is what I was going to do before I had the thought for the top photo

Of course the dark borders would be 1" finished...the light border is 5"  finished and the binding will hopefully finish at 1"

As I said I do like just the outer dark border, but any thoughts would be appreciated before I cut out the 1" inner border.... or not :)

I have also been ironing and starching fabic ... have a bit more to do of that yet. 

Having wasted WAY too much time over the last two days... sadly... I have now got lots to do.