Sentimental Journey

At the beginning of 2012 I made a start on the Sentimental Journey BOM making excellent progress on the twelve main blocks.  I placed them carefully in a large zip top plastic bag intending to complete the quilt the following year.  Several times I pulled those blocks out, read the instructions, and after realising just how large this quilt would be and the difficulty I would have in quilting it on my Janome QC6260 popped them back into the bag for later.

 

One day while surfing the 'net I came across a U-tube on 'Quilt as you go'.  Aha!  Perhaps this was the answer!  In the meantime I made another quilt that I divided into three parts and did use this particular method to put the quilt together.  But ... that method used strips to join each section; not exactly what the Sentimental Journey quilt required.  So back into the bag it went.

 

Earlier this year another U-tube showed yet another method ... a light bulb moment.  Over the last several weeks I have joined blocks, quilted them row by row and joined them together.  The borders were completed and this morning I put the final stitches into the quilt!!  Yay!  A project completed and a satisfied person who now can almost claim the title of "a quilter".

 

Easter chook

Easter is on the horizon and while thoughts stray to chocolate and chocolate let us also remember the reason for Easter.

 

Youngest grandson tends to become hyped up when over-indulged in sugary treats, and this includes chocolate.  This year I have stitched Red Brolly's hen, and with the purchase of a couple of fluffy chickens and a small supply of eggs in the nest hopefully we will avoid too much hyper activity.

 

This chook, called La Verne in the tutorial is a wonderful addition to Easter decorations; she is easy on the eye, with the additional plus of not increasing the waist line. 

 

My chook, a plainer version, is a speckled hen has the bonus of being able to be stored from one year to the other.  Heather has tartan wings in keeping with her Scottish heritage.

Music and the last fish

Although my blogging has been slack my sewing has occupied a lot of time.  I didn't make any new year's resolutions as they are easily broken, but have promised myself to spend less time 'researching' and more time stitching.

 

Youngest son has a birthday next month and as he is a lover of music I decided on a cushion ... the first one I made was not his colour-way!! He does use it because it is comfortable.  Mother took the hint, searched the 'Net for more musical fabric that arrived from overseas at the end of last week.   I began with the cushion and to use up much of the fabric added a table topper. 

 

Earlier in the month I completed Stanley, the last of the fish BOM ... I do have all the where-with-all to complete this quilt but as yet have no idea where/who it will end up with. 

 

In 2012 I made all the blocks for the Sentimental Journey quilt.  Since then it has sat ... stored.   My Janome machine does not have a wide throat and the thought of quilting a large quilt sent shivers down my spine.  Another search of the 'Net gave me a way out!  Quilt as you go ... QAYG.  Two rows are completed ... the anxiety the maker of headaches, but now I have had a break with the cushion and table topper the old 'lets get into it' is beginning to surge through the blood stream.  There are borders to be added ... maybe a completion date by Easter?

Going Fishing!

Four more fish from

http://www.fatcatpatterns.com/bompdf/fcp025_wfishy_instructions.pdf 

with one left to go.  I was late in starting this BOM and had to catch up with the first three.  Needless to say I am keen to download the instructions for the final block on 1st March, and have all the necessary fabrics to complete the quilt, though must admit it won't be exactly like that pictured on the above link. 

 

I have had fun naming these fish, and introduce Number 14, Leila, along with Numbers 1 [Spike], 2 Dougal, and 3 Yolande.  As I stitch the fish my mind turns over suitable names, and before the block is finished a name has sprung to mind, not that a name is essential. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quilts for dolls

Every so often a challenge arises.  Recently I put my hand up to make some quilts for doll's beds for the Mrs Claus project and over the weekend completed the last of five.

 

It was fun to sort fabrics suitable for these mini quilts;  I did some 'quilt maths' resizing from a book of Quilting blocks but to save myself too much maths I did make sure the blocks I chose could use the same sizes.

 

 

Lets go fishing

The Fish BOM is nearing its conclusion.  Fish number 13 is completed.  An elderly lady fish I have named Constance has entered the ocean to reign supreme over her younger relatives. 

Not long now until I can put this quilt together!

January sewing

Today is Australia Day; today is the day my daughter has become an Australian citizen.  In recognition of that fact I made a wall hanging for her ... it is in the post!  This project took a lot of time, hence my lack of postings. 

I did manage a few small projects as relief from plugging away at the wall-hanging.  A girl needs a diversion every so often.

 

A mug rug where the theme was cats or dogs had me practising my foundation piecing, and to be honest I found it hard to part with the cool cat.  Foundation piecing is fun, though I am not sure I would care to tackle a large project!  The cat, dressed in his 'night prowling' clothes didn't take long;  there were no signs of incomprehension as may have happened this time last year.  Pushing oneself to not only tackle a new method, but to keep at until it becomes less stressful and more normal.

 

 

The Quilter's Cache offers patchwork blocks, some simple, some difficult.  This year I am attempting to complete two quilt tops using blocks from this site.  Both these quilts are BOM's; one block, the House that Jack Built, is completed.   

This was the year when I intended to complete unfinished projects, but already I have a mental list of new projects that I fear will take up much of the time I had mentally set aside as 'finishing time'.  Oh well, 'tis just as well I never made that a New Year's resolution!!