Naive Melody

A few years ago I joined in with a Modern Quilt sewalong.  It was hosted by Lucy Engels and we did her Naive Melody quilt.

This is the quilt that started me using my Terra Australis fat quarter pack.

I chose Needleturn applique...

The backgrounds were larger pieces I had in my stash and I also had a bit of metreage of the orange in the range (which I used for the orange backgrounds and binding)

For Quilting I outlined the shapes and did a fairly small meander in between to bring out the shapes...

I was so pleased to have spotted this backing at the shop.... just perfect...

A quick show of the other quilts I did using this range for the colours and then adding different backgrounds...

National Quilt Museum Block of the Month 2021 (free on line)  Different techniques used..

Dotty (made up myself) purchased black and whites for the 4 patch backgrounds... Machine appliqued the coloured circles...

Puzzle Box, free pattern by Christa Quilts.  I purchased some cream grunge for the light backgrounds...

Chandelier Quilt, free pattern online.  I purchased dark grey for the background...

With the last little pieces left I made a bunch of these little card wallets.  Most of them have already been gifted.

I think there may be a couple of small pieces dropped in the scrap baskets.....  So pleased to have so well used the fabric pack and I think I will make it my mission to do so again with other packs I break into.   

It's been fun seeing how different they are with using different background colours....

I have a quilt on the frame which I had finished the top in 2019 - so now it's going to have it's turn for quilting!  

Righto, Gotto Go... Tuesday girls sewing and I have made a trifle to take.... all it needs now is a load of cream on top!

All the best as we ready ourselves for Christmas... I am so not ready and beginning to panic!  I'll just go and sew!

Lots of love xx

Back to quilting.....

This quilting on this quilt was done before we went on holiday..... so once I was feeling well enough (post jetlag) to use a power tool I sewed the binding on....

On Tuesday sewing with my regular group I sewed down the binding....  and here is the end result...

I used Terra Australis range (again) and mixed it with black and whites - machine appliqued the circles then joined the blocks together...

The backing is more circles - and you can see the quilting better... I used a curved ruler throughout...

I am happy with how this one worked out... it is a healthy sized lap quilt...

Another quilt using Terra Australis is on the quilting machine now.... this time I will go with an organic wavy line throughout to contradict those squared off edges...

Once I had finished the binding I did a little needleturn applique and sewed a few pies onto backgrounds.... my long term EPP project but I'm glad it includes applique too.

Good to be back sewing, catching up with friends etc....

Hope you are all keeping well....xx

Terra Australis

I loved this range from when I first saw it ....  and wanted to use it for some more modern quilting...

Naive Melody was an online sewalong with Lucy Engels in 2020/21.  I used needleturn applique for mine....

(I don't think I ever shared the completed top here)

We tried for a stain glass windows look in the sunshine .... hmmmm

I have that delicious teal/blue/green backing and some binding done in the same fabric as the orange background blocks in the quilt...

I will have to think hard about the quilting....

Then I used leftover fabrics for this online BOM by National Quilt Museum...  these blocks are all finished now ... shown HERE ....

Still lots of fabric left so I have cut up big and little squares to go on that dark grey for  a Chandelier Quilt... (free online pattern) by Lella Boutique

Then I cut up a whole bunch of circles which will go on top of black and white 4 patch blocks

Pattern by me (though I expect there are similar out there)

I have to put notes in the boxes ... since I tend to forget what it was all for!!!

... and I still have a good little pile of the range (though a couple of them are finished - eg my much loved lizards)

- so I will need to think of something else to make with it.... any ideas?????

Righto, Gotto Go ... I have black and white fabric to slice and dice....

Keeping busy

I have had a couple of people ask if I was getting bored being at home so much..... hmmm .... nope. 

Though of course I miss my physical sewing times with friends and seeing my local family ... internet chats are real boosters at the moment.....

My circles quilt now has it's navy shadowplay borders on... and the binding made in the same fabric....

.... and into the Quilting Queue....

This quilt was fun to make, I gathered the circles around a template and starched and pressed and then the needleturn was pretty easy in the evenings....  trimmed back the background batik and this got them all to fit together so well....

The snowmen have been stitched down and cut.... perhaps this will be a good one to sew outside at the weekend....

Here are all 12 of them together... they need a backing sewn onto them, turned through and a bit of stuffing added then a ribbon to be able to hang them up....

My favourite LQS has shut it's physical doors but started a Facebook group sharing positive thoughts, tips etc and this Easter runner was a freebie link ... 

I already had lots of the strips together from a previous quilt... so it was great to find a use for them... and I love those colours

 if you feel like joining in go HERE ... I do love seeing what people are making and happy for positive sewing groups.

I have had this grouping sewn up and on my design board all week.....

Yesterday when I had a spare hour I started chopping where I had sewn...... 

... now it looks smaller and a bit different.... some more stitching to do outside over Easter....

Hand sewing is happening too .... I had the binding for my Easter runner to sew and am doing this cute stitchery given by The Quilters Angel on the above mentioned F/B page...

Pretty teal colours and it will fit in perfectly in my sewing room....

Righto, Gotto Go.... Hubz is working from home today... and I am going to pin a quilt while listening to a book.

Have a lovely day, keep safe, keep smiling and keep stitching... and #stayhome

FNWF

My Blogger outlay has changed?  Has yours?    I had to rediscover how to do a blog post....

Thank you Cheryll for hosting FNWF..... I did a few things during the day too.....

I did get the binding on my little Friendship stitchery....

… and it has been placed up in the sewing room.  We moved the little pincushion display to another side as I want to hang up a quilt (maybe Hubz can be persuaded to do that this weekend)

Nearly all of those goodies there are from friends.. so it's perfect

There were a few little blocks left from my circle quilt... now I have little coasters... useful for desks etc... I use them all the time

… right now I have one out.... can you see the game in the background?  Maria suggested it and Hubz had a birthday this week so I ordered it on-line.... perhaps if he puts up the quilt rack I will reward him by playing a game?

Last night for hand stitching I did the white on these snowmen.... didn't get much done... I was tired and went to bed early.

Righto, Gotto Go.... Keep Safe, Keep Smiling, Keep Stitching.....

Here comes April....

I think this will be the oddest April we have experienced..... the blog is my happy place and I'm very happy for it.  

Take care everyone, give yourself a break and if a plan doesn't happen let it go... breathe... and go to plan b....

So... I have plans for the month ...

WOOFA.....

I want to make up my FRIENDSHIP stitchery into something I can hang in my sewing room....

that won't take long, I have done the quilting I want on it so it's just getting the binding sewn down and disturb Hubz working from home to hang it up for me....

SUNDAY STITCHERS CHALLENGE #2 which is also a WOOFA

I want to add the borders to my circle quilt so that will be a top 

I got some navy blue shadowplay fabric for the borders.... another not too big a job to get that done...

there is 5 little blocks spare.....  

… these will become coasters.... that work I did is not going to waste!

I also want to keep working on my scrappy Pineapple blocks

I made quite good progress with them sewing the circles together and they have their next round on them

I needed a few more so there are 4 newly started blocks …  this will give me 25 blocks to start with....

WORKS in PROGRESS ...

Field Journal.... continue stitching these... I want to do at least one a week.

This is my latest one....

Crochet Blanket... make at least one block a week

I am making 2 blocks from each ball, just going around from both ends but trying for different sizes... then I will surround with black.  Using up pure wool that I was given.

Happy Snowman Hearts.... work on these

I did have a 'prepping' session on ChooseDay so they are ready in their project bag for stitching....  they are not very big so shouldn't be a problem to get done....

NEW PROJECTS.

I have an Angel stitchery to sew..

this will become another little one for my quilting room

Start prepping Love quilt (Natalie Bird's Blue quilt)

I bought this book a few years ago....

.. and even got a bunch of fabrics kitted together for it.....

as I said I will do 'love' in the centre … which is an option provided in the book....

Once I start on this one I will have trouble putting it down, and there are lots of other gorgeous projects in the book so I must be careful not to get sidelined too often!!!

I still have these pretty fabrics to sew together then chop up again for a Pinwheel Quilt

I am going to take a page out of Janice's book and take my little Elna Stella out on the veranda on a lovely Autumn day and sew them….

This is another hand project I want to start, even if I just cut some of the fabrics and start basting I will be happy.... 3D half hexagons

While I was digging looking for what was in the Planning Queue I came upon my pile of I Spy Fabrics and I had bought a soft grey to border them....  maybe some more cutting and sewing outside?

… and I do want to take a quilt from my Quilting Queue and get that done....  hmmmmm

oh.. and a bag.  I saw this Poppins Bag on Cheryll's blog and I love it... the pattern and stays arrived in the post this week and I found some lovely fabric at my favourite quilt shop …. I hope this one is not too hard for me

I always, always have a stitching plan that is too long.... but it does make me push myself and keep going.... and I don't mind if I don't tick them all off....

Righto, Gotto Go... I am going to frame up the Friendship stitchery, a nice quick one that can be ticked off today.....

Take care, keep safe, keep smiling and keep stitching.....