Christmas Eve

A week ago I finished quilting this quilt for Sarah to give to her daughter for Christmas. Sarah used leftover pieces to make up her binding. My favourite binding at the moment is a pieced binding and it uses the leftover strips. even quicker if you're using a jelly roll. This was one of the two classes we did with Jan Krentz in 2010. I think most of us have finished this design and only Janet has finished the quilt from the three day class. That is one of my must finish UFOs for 2102.



Details
Pattern: Jan Krentz
Thread:
Pantograph: Blustery Breeze

Loving Cinderberry thread

I love this quilt which was a delight to quilt. The owner, Liz Webb is so precise in her piecing which makes for a better finished product. I have bought this book as a result of seeing Liz's friend Katie's version and I think both are nicer than the example in the book.

Katie chose a parchment coloured thread for her quilt which matched the backing. Liz gave me free rein and I chose Cinderberry (great name) which matched the colours in the border fabric.

Visiting tutor, Lynne Edwards, suggested a book evening for Caesarea Quilters and I think it's a great idea to see the books members have actually used and the quilts they've made. Unfortunately this is a Christmas gift and will be going to England very soon.







Details
Pattern: Building blocks from: Two from one jelly roll quilts by Pam and Nicky Lintott
Fabric: Grace by Moda jelly roll - I think
Thread: Cinderberry
Pantograph: Field of Flowers

Are you busy too?

I've been busy getting over my second chest infection of winter 2011. Three of us are visiting a school in England on Saturday so I want to get rid of it asap. Farmer's Wife Friday is taking a break until the New Year but here is a photo of 36 of my blocks so far.




I will be returning before Christmas to share another customer's beautiful quilt and also one of mine which is being bound this week.

Angela's quilt

I have just finished trimming Angela's Thimbleberries BOM 2008 to take it to her at the workshop we are hosting with Lynne Edwards this week. Today is the final of three days of "curvy things".

In order to accomodate Anglea's quilt, I have now extended the table for my machine to 12 foot. Thankfully the room it's in is about 12foot 6 inches long!! I had thought I'd take the table down again to 8 foot but I have now changed my mind and I am ready to quilt all sizes up to about 11 foot wide. I have no other quilts waiting to be quilted so I think it's time to finish another of my own, but I need to source some wide backings first.





Pattern: Thimbleberries block of the month 2008
Fabric: Thimbleberries block of the month 2008
Thread: King Tut by superior threads Sands of Time
Quilting pattern: English Oak by Patricia E Ritter free from www.IntelligentQuilting.com

It's feeling a lot like Christmas

I have been waiting impatiently to buy in some wide backings and wadding to enable me to finish my own quilts and also have some for clients. I have now found out that the two references I gave haven't replied. So I'll have to wait a little longer. I can't wait to be able to stock some Riley Blake and Accuquilt too.

I have finished a quilt for myself this week, having recovered eventually from the nasty chest infection that's doing the rounds locally.





Pattern: Modern V from Modern Basics by Amy Ellis
Fabric: Mostly Flurry by Kate Spain
Thread: King Tut by superior threads #907 Aswan
Quilting pattern: English Oak by Patricia E Ritter free from www.IntelligentQuilting.com

Farmer's Wife Friday

After having quilted two pieces for others on my long arm last week, this week has been very quiet as I recover from a chest infection. Everyone seems to be suffering with one bug or another this month. Today I have finished one farmer's wife block and also a challenge block for Chez Soi which now needs the official wadding and to be quilted.

45 grape basket

Field of flowers

Having been caught in the rut of the blustery breeze pantograph, I have expanded my horizons and used the field of flowers pantograph twice this week.

Yesterday and Sunday I took advantage of the family being away and had an open day to show off my HQ Avante. Eleven ladies came and played over the two mornings. One quilt was collected, one dropped off and the promise of two more. Everyone had a go and were instantly smitten.

Here is the quilt that was dropped off yesterday as the new quilter has been visiting Jersey and this is her first quilt. I am in awe of Katy's talent and whilst I was quilting away she started her second quilt with friend Liz Webb.







Details
Pattern:Building blocks fromTwo from one jelly roll quilts by Pam and Nicky Lintott
Fabric: Grace by Moda jelly roll
Thread: Masterpiece parchment
Pantograph: Field of Flowers

Jill's quilt

My first professional quilting assignment which I finished last week ahead of my open day to show off my handiquilter.



Details
Pattern: Garden Trellis by Pam and Nicky Lintott
Fabric: Moda jelly roll
Thread: Karnak - King Tut for Superior Threads
Pantograph: Blustery Breeze

Farmer's Wife Quilt week 20

Just one block this week, but I'm very pleased with how it came out. I am not a fan of green so I have to make sure to include enough green in my blocks for an overall balance. Is there a colour that you avoid or find difficult to use?

60 Noon & Light

Pinwheel Party finished

Here is the finished quilt which has been too long in progress. Once I had finished the quilting I couldn't find the binding. Once the binding was located neatly put away in my cupboard it was quick to apply as I had already pieced it together with a diagonal seam from leftover jelly roll strips. I like the effect of the pieced binding.



Fabric: Lovely by Sandy Gervaise for Moda
Thread: Valley of Kings
Quilting pattern: Blustery Breeze

The quilt is made of two blocks with contrasting colour choices from two identical jelly rolls.




I used some more leftover jelly roll to make a feature of the join in the backing and added an embroidered label made from an extra block.



The quilt pattern is almost complete so finishing it is my next job as well as quilting Val's third charity quilt. I have also finished a quilt for Jenny and one for Lorraine. I will share photos once the bindings have been added.

I also need to get ready for an open house on Sunday 23 and Monday 24 October. Further details will be available next week.

Farmer's Wife Quilt week 19

Progress has definitely slowed up and farmer's puzzle had me doing lots of unpicking. I thought I'd finished and then I spotted the sashing should be patterned. Never mind, it's a finish.

32 Farmer's daughter



33 farmer's puzzle


All blocks up to number 35 done and 35 left to do.

Farmer's Wife Quilt week 18

I am two thirds of the way through the 111 blocks for the full quilt and all the easier quick blocks are now done, so progress is now slower. So here are this week's blocks:

27 darting birds


28 duck and ducklings



That means I have done all the blocks up to nunber 31, so I guess 32 and 33 are next.

Farmer's Wife Quilt week 17

A week late with this post but last week I was busy getting ready for a jelly roll workshop on Saturday. Nineteen ladies who mostly finished their 60 blocks for a garden trellis quilt in the one day. Photos to follow.

62 Old windmill



63 Ozark maple



Some quilted quilts will follow tomorrow.

Second charity quilt

Thank you to Val once again for letting me practise on three charity quilts she has put together with her Thimbleberries Block of the Month leftovers. The use of the ferny yellow fabric and a selection of creams gives a lighter feel than you would usually expect from a Thimbleberries quilt. There is a story to that yellow fabric that I'll allow Val to share.








Fabric: Thimbleberries from various Blocks of the Month over a number of years
Quilting pattern: Trailing leaves
Thread: Karnak - King Tut for Superior Threads

I've learned a few things from this quilt:
* don't be mean with the wadding and backing
* A tension gauge will be a good investment
* I want to order some 100% cotton wadding in for clients or 80/20 but no polyester

Farmer's Wife Quilt week 16

Since returning from holiday I have been getting to grips with my Handiquilter and unpicking something I wasn't happy with, so sewing has taken a back seat. However in the company of crafty friends, Lorraine and Jenny, I had a bit of a sew on Thursday, completing one block started on holiday and finishing another from scratch. I don't think there are any simple blocks left for me to do now,so progress will be a bit slower.

46 Hill & valley


26 cut glass dish

Val's charity quilt

I had a few niggles after installing the Prostitcher on the Handiquilter, but I locked the legs as suggested and then the problem moved so I got out the Allen keys and the carriage was moving properly again. So I nervously loaded Val's quilt on to the leaders and I'm delighted with the results. Once the tension was just right you can leave it to the stitch the row for you. Well in theory you can, but I was mesmerised by it working and also nervous it would run out of bobbin thread or the top thread would break, neither of which happened.











Fabric: Thimbleberries from various Blocks of the Month over a number of years
Quilting pattern: Blustery breeze
Thread: Karnak - King Tut for Superior Threads

I've learned a few things from this first quilt:
* backings need to be absolutely square
* don't be mean with the wadding
* By making the pattern about a quarter of an inch bigger on each row I could have avoided a half row at the bottom
* I can do a pantograph and crop it for the last row

Farmer's Wife Quilt week 15

Whilst I was away I put together more than a few Farmer's Wife blocks which I pictured below. I think my progress is going to slow up now as all the easier blocks are done.



Caesarea Quilters has over 70 members and meets on the third Monday of every month and we have incorporated the Farmer's Wife Sampler into our programme for the next 14 months. We are introducing it this month with a talk about fabric choices and the first four blocks which are simple strips and squares. I know members are getting ready as I have been getting lots of questions. Don't worry ladies - we will be handing out rotary cutting instructions every month to make the four blocks demonstrated that month.

Farmer's Wife Quilt week 14

Travelling home tomorrow from our holiday. Here are just a few more of the blocks, 32 now done, 79 more to do!!

107 windblown square


91 strawberry basket

Farmer's Wife Quilt week 13

We are enjoying our time in Saumur. here are this week's little 6" blocks. I will admit to unpicking whirlwind just a few times to get the white triangles to match. This block is done with partial seams.

98 waterwheel


103 whirlwind

Farmer's Wife Friday week 12

Here's this week's two blocks. Less successful than last week's blocks as the contrast isn't as high.

31 evening star


109 windows


I've decided to take this project with me to France during our two week holiday. I always take something to work on in the mornings as the rest of the family are not early risers like me. I can work quietly on cutting out the blocks until they are ready for breakfast.

Farmer's Wife Friday week 11

I have just made some of the design boards shown on Lori Holt's blog To see the instructions on how to make them go to this post. And I'm using one of them to show you my block Prairie Queen. I have made two small changes to the construction of the mini design boards:
1. Her tutorial calls for foam board which is hard to get and expensive so I used some free mount borad which I got from a local framer and for that reason I also reduced the binding to 2" as the sandwich is thinner; and
2. I am not an expert with a glue gun, so I just used fabric glue and popped it under my cutting mat when finished to dry.


70 Prairie Queen




34 Flock



I think both of these blocks have turned out well with good contrast.

Farmer's Wife Friday week 10

The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quiltalong has spread like wildfire and I was reluctant to join in initially until I saw the blocks made in modern fabrics by Camille Roskelley on her blog Simplify So I jumped on the band wagon and have started making the blocks with some of Camille's Bliss range which I managed to find and I plan to add some Ruby to it later in the year. I am also taking the opportunity to use up a variety of white on white fabrics from my stash.

The trend is to post your new blocks on a Friday, so here are the blocks I've made this week. I am writing the name and number of the block in a seam allowance on the back of the blocks to keep track of them as there are 111 in all.

44 Gentleman's Fancy

66 Periwinkle


I will post a photo of the blocks so far at the beginning of September when I have a few more done.

Posie's Patch

Here is my first long arm quilt. I'm very pleased with the results but need to do some more practice before I'm ready to accept client's quilts.




Pattern: Posie's Patch from Modern Basics by Amy Ellis
Fabric: Wing it by Momo for Moda
Thread: King Tut colour 940 by Superior Threads
Quilting Pattern: Freehand flowers and swirls