Whilst confined to barracks, I have spent a couple of days (when I should have been doing housework really!) getting on with the Christmas quiltmaking. The top for Gabby's quilt is now pieced and I am on the borders. It is good to not be unpicking all the faults I made into it 3 years ago! It's not perfect but I am not looking too closely at some of the point joints on the Pinwheels!
Below is what will be the outer border. The inner border is plain white, and I've sewn one side on this morning. I began on the outer border on Monday afternoon and although the cutting and piecing is a fairly slow process, it's coming together.
Today was my patchwork class, and I finished the red and white cushion (which used the spare pieced top that I then hand-quilted). It's been years since I last did any hand quilting so I need to get more practice in.
Below is this afternoon's work (I was surprised I did so well with it). It is a table topper in a design called "Round the Twist" and came complete with materials (the 5" squares were pre-cut, which speeded things up no end!) and instructions. However, the instructions were somewhat confusing and I really needed the help of my patchwork teacher as I couldn't make sense of some of them! No homework on THIS piece as the next stage involves cutting out off centre squares using a template we have transferred onto clear plastic so you can see the alignment of the main guidelines (it just doesn't work properly if you were to use the card it's printed on). I guess if you are familiar to this design, it all makes sense, but after a night of broken sleep (again) I needed all the guidance I could get!! I really love the colourway used anyway, and such pretty prints. It was an indulgence at the time as it wasn't cheap, but no regrets.
Tonight I rustled up some plain mince (Keith) which will do for two meals, and for me I made what was going to be a Chilli, until I found out I had used the last of the Kidney Beans, so they have been added to my shopping list and a tin of Taco Spicy Mixed Beans bunged in instead. That should be really tasty and filling now the cold wintery nights have arrived.
I will try and remember to put up the recipe for the Venison casserole I made for Keith's birthday celebrations last week. It is from the stable of Antony Worrall Thompson and very rich. No photos as we ate half and the other half is in the freezer.
Wow they look lovely. I have been having Accuquilt lessons today with my cousin and have come away with lots of blocks that have been cut to stitch up and then make into something (probably a cushion cover to start with) and then some hand quilting. I am very much looking forward to playing and am going to start a play time time table for the coming weeks so that at least I get to do a little of what I like. I am only a beginner really with the patchwork but yours looks lovely. However my cousin has helped me a lot today and I realise that it is now down to me playing and experimenting. Plus I have to get to grips with the two new machines. However well done you, your quilting looks superb and I do hope the recipients love everything that you have done for them as you are putting heart and soul into every stitch. I think they would be hard pressed not to. Take care. Pattypanxx
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that you got to have a play today and hope that you can get your first cushion cover pieced and quilted soon. I am very much a learner too but it's coming along. I have discovered the Twister top is rather wasteful on fabric, as you cut out the "twisted" bits to piece them, so I will have to make the remainder into another bitsy something or other.
DeleteYour quilts are lovely. You do a wonderful job.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Hi Jackie. The quilts are coming along. Not perfect, but then, neither am I!!
DeleteMaking Pinwheel point come together properly isn't as easy as it looks--I think you did well. There's a little trick to snipping the backside threads at center so that the seam allowances can all be spread out and pressed flat--it helps, but took me awhile to get into doing it. That outer border is going to be the perfect finish.
ReplyDeleteQuilt making is slow work, but a completed quilt is a treasure.
I shall have to go across to the Missouri Star Quilt Company and see how they do it. (Just back from there and Jenny makes it look SOOOOOO easy! Hmmm. I bet I wouldn't have perfect alignment without using pins as she does.
DeleteI have now discovered (typically) that I didnd't buy enough of the Makower Spraytime as I hadn't intended doing the border I'm doing now. I can still buy it but don't know which exact colourway it is. I sense a trip to Calico Kate's coming on!! (oh my goodness, it is your sort of quilt shop - 12 rooms of fabrics, colour-co-ordinated, pattern-co-ordinated. Bliss!)
Hancocks of Paducah is one of the big mail order quilt emporiums in our country. I went to their huge store with our niece shortly after we moved here--we had been indulged by our husbands in a day long tour of the largest quilt festival in the states. The vast selection of fabrics was nearly over-whelming.
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ReplyDeleteLove the shades of pinks
ReplyDeleteI'm not normally a pink person but these went nicely together, and I especially liked the Paisley pattern.
DeleteMy attempts to cut out some star shapes today shows how awful I am at crafting
ReplyDeleteMeasure twice, cut once is my motto! And I STILL get things wrong!!
DeleteThe colours in round the twist are so pretty, although I'm confused as to how you get to the finish. I'm patiently hand sewing together four inch squares for a half square triangle quilt (cannot get accuracy with the sewing machine and I so much prefer sitting on the sofa hand sewing than hunched over the sewing machine quick unpicker to hand!). I've taken note of Morning Minion's comment as I thought may arrange my HSTs in a pinwheel design - or maybe not. This is a big departure from my earlier log cabin quilts cut with scissors and measured with a ruler and I don't want to stretch myself too much. Crafting should be fun although I have found that once a quilt is hand quilted and washed and spread on the bed they always look beautiful. Still adding slowly to my white linen wholecloth quilt sandwich and loving that too.
ReplyDeleteIt didn't make much sense to me either Sarah. Go to Missouri Star Quilt Company on You Tube, and look up Twister - here's the link. It should make things clearer. https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=missouri+star+quilt+company+-+twister+-+youtube&view=detail&mid=920917331361A92
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I have to say, I have been forced to move on from scissors and an ordinary ruler and things are easier with quilting rulers and a sharp Rotary cutter and self-heal mat! I have gained confidence from my class and can't WAIT to start on a quilt for our bed - Morning's Minion kindly sent me the material for this particular one years ago and I kept saying to myself, I'll make it when we move. Yet we're STILL HERE!!
The first quilts I made--in the early 1980's were cut with scissors and rulers or cardboard templates. My late friend Edie and I bought the grided plastic rulers and rotary cutters a few years later and never looked back. I've collected a modest assortment of rulers and 'squares'--have mostly avoided the patterns where one must buy a specialty gadget just for one project.
DeleteYour quilts are gorgeous and I especially love the pink fabrics. I'm wanting to go through my stash now, but first I need to finish the everlasting socks!!!
ReplyDeleteHow many pairs of socks have you knitted now? I loved Manchee's woven jacket. Clever clogs.
ReplyDeleteI have been sewing much of today and am sick of the sight of the machine tonight.