Green and pink again!

I've had this gorgeous quilt hanging on my wall for a while now, and I'm not sure whether I've shared it in its full beauty.

A French Braid made with jelly roll.

I have so much fabric left over, I'm now seriously wondering what to make, it's so beautiful.

This fabric deserves to be made into something and enjoyed!

I used some to make a Christmas decoration. Maybe I can go down that pathway.  I have a special soul sister that is always sending gifts for our boy, and I know she loves pink. 

This is an option.

Meantime, I'm enjoying this view. 

 

The pink French Braid

Whoever said red hair doesn't go with pink was looking at the wrong pink.

This gorgeous French Braid quilt is hanging on my wall.

Why do I always seem to make things from pink and green? They are colours of the heart. But they're not the number 1 choice for my home decor.

I keep needing to make vignettes and change the colour of the decor from time to time. Especially when I make more quilts!

Do you find that you consistently choose similar fabrics?

 

Have you seen this yet?

I've been making a French Braid, using the Rainbow ruler and pattern by Blue Willow Designs. 

Now it's time for my own twist and variation. How to put this together, using as much of this car fabric as I can. I also have 5 inch squares of the cat fabric. 

I am trying to think of the fabric designer's name. Her designs are very distinctive. I will come back to it. Pieces of gold throughout. 

The beloved loves cats, so I thought it would be suitable for out bed. 

We also need it to be in dark colours, as the children all play in our bed, it's an energy centre of love, I guess.

Once upon a time I made intricate quilts for display on my bed. Not anymore. After children, those ones have to go on the wall.

There's a few of the 5 inch squares on the side to start the border treatment. I want to make this as big as I can, using as much of the fabric as possible.

To be continued....

 

Lily of the Valley quilt

It's great to be back to sewing group at my LQS. Today I finished a table runner (gosh, that green is stunning) with leftover French Braid strips.

Most of the French Braid strips were used in this quilt. I bought a jelly roll and about 4 metres of other fabric, and now I have so much fabric left I can make more table runners or quilts.

I loved playing with this fabric, but it needs to go away for a while. I have some cat quilt fabric that is meowing at me.

Right, I need to send this to Mum to be quilted. So every excited to have my first personal piece on it's way to completion for the year!!

 

This is what happens...

Okay, here's the thing (WARNING: quite a long post here)...

I finished this little quilt top, and thought I would start another one straight away...

I tried out 3 different ways of foundation piecing....

(a) the "usual" way i.e. using a lightweight vilene as a foundation - my block ended up 4in x 4.25in instead of 4.25in square

(b) a "new" way for me - with freezer paper (you fold all the sewing lines onto the foundation, then you don't actually sew through the freezer paper, but right next to it) - not accurate enough for me with these little blocks (and isn't that what foundation piecing is for?) see the little pieces don't look like squares?

(c) using an iron-on multi-directional stabiliser. This worked the best, but it was tedious.... so much paper to remove!

Next, I am going to try the new washaway product in my LQS. I will give you an update...

I didn't feel like I was getting anywhere... so I put those aside and went in search of something else to sew. This is when my list of 5 was needed, where was it? which was here on the computer... not at home with me!!

I wandered around the house with itchy fingers.

Then I found 2 PIGs and made them up!

Two soft books I made from panels. The first one (Tiny Tailors) had really good instructions, so I used that idea to help make the Maisy one. The Maisy squares had to be cut out individually and arranged to make a book that told a "story". That took a little bit longer....

Then I looked at these bits leftover from my French Braid, and put them next to the sewing machine to use as "leaders and enders". If I make 2 braids the same length I can join them side by side to make a tablerunner for my sister's birthday (she never reads this blog, just not interested!!).

So, that's what happens when you have a day off, on a cold, rainy day and there is no applique prepared!!

I can blog.

Zippidy doo dah! I love it!

Finally, I've got my French Braid quilt hanging to take a good photo of it for my blog. Mum quilted it with an allover seaweed pattern for me. Thank you Mumsy. *hugs*

I've said it before, and I'll say it again... it's wonderful to finish so many quilts because Mum can quilt them for me.

You know what else I love? Simply by writing this blog makes me take more photos of my projects in progress.

It's quite satisfying to see my projects unfold rather than say "Oh yes, I am still working on the applique centre"... etc... Not only does my blog give back to the bloggers who inspire me (I hope), but I plan to print these records into books and keep them for future generations in my family.

No, I am not a diary writer, but I can blog.

The One-Day Quilt

When I say it's a one-day quilt I mean it in two different ways.

I always wanted to make a French Braid quilt "one day"... One day I will get around to it... you know what I mean?

Well, I've just had that day (well day and a half really, as I didn't sit and sew and cut and iron for the entire time)... Here are pieces from a "Berry Bliss" Bali Pop (it's like a jelly roll, that is, it's 40 2 1/2 inch strips of fabric cut across the full width bolt - these are batik fabrics).

That's the Blue Willow rainbow ruler I used with their pattern for making the quilt.

Here are my pieces all divided into little piles.

Ooh, aren't these strips looking nice.

As I sew, I am seeing a real sea-theme. I think I would like to see this quilted with seaweeds.

And here's a close-up of the fabrics...

And here is my finished quilt top. OMG!! It's gorgeous!!

It could be more masculine, or you could keep it for yourself like I will....

I can't believe it really, here I am thinking I will have seaweeds quilted on it.. and there are anchors, shells, seahorses and turtles in the border print!

I still can't believe it, I made the entire quilt top in (almost) one day...

Now that's a one-day quilt!!!