QCA Handmade Swap 2012

Quilt Club Australia or QCA for short, is having it's very first Handmade Swap.

The rules are simple ... 

1.  Secret Swap ... so stalk and sew in secret.

2.  Sneak Peeks are fine, but no whole pics so as not  to spoil the fun!

3.  Parcels in the post by Saturday 30th June, 2012

4.  Have fun with this project, designing and creating something for your partner ... knowing in a secret location something is being made for you!!!

Can't wait to see what everyone creates.

High Praise

Well the quilt has been deemed a success.  As Lachlan got under his quilt, but on top of his doona, he was heard to say, "Best owly quilt, ever!"

Who am I to argue?

I am very pleased with how it has turned out.  I used Saffron Craig's  gorgeous owls, a layer cake of Moda's Half Moon Modern and some bits and pieces from Spotlight. I tried some new things, and know that I need much, much more practice.

Lucky I have several quilt tops, I have prepared earlier .... or maybe onto a new project?  

Almost done

Just a few pics ... 

Lachlan's Owl quilt which I will put the binding on, in the morning.  

 

The binding is a white with a black spot, and is all ironed in half and wound around my temporary binding roller.  

Tried some pebbling in this block.

It will be school drop off first thing tomorrow, then attach the binding, and label, for a mid week finish.  

Minnie Mouse

A sunny Friday afternoon and the weekend is almost here.

I have been finishing off the Minnie Mouse Baby Quilt.  Baby arrived safe and sound on Tuesday, perfect timing for an arrival home.

I bound the quilt in a left over piece of red and pink fabric from Tenille's 'Sophie' quilt.  The red and pink really tie it all together.

Happy to have finished another one!

Heart this quilt

So I have been thinking over my design for the quilting of Minnie Mouse.  I wanted to incorporate hearts, as we all really do, heart Minnie … don’t we?  

I had a stencil which I used down the center of the quilt.  I then decided the original plan needed tweaking, so I have free motioned hearts around the rest of the wonky stars.  I promised I wouldn’t work on it too late this evening, as I have been running all over today.  Here is what I have done so far.  A step out of my comfort zone, however I hope to get some more done tomorrow.

My gorgeous Mother in Law is down to help with the children this week.  On my day off today, we hit spotlight, Gail B’s and then stopped at Eastland for a spot of lunch and shopping.  I did, of course add to my stash with these gorgeous fat 18ths.  No real plan yet, however there is one in the wind. 

I really hope I have squishy mail tomorrow!

A new baby quilt

Friends of ours are expecting a new addition, of the pink variety.  I had planned to make a quilt for her.  The baby is due VERY soon.

Part of my new years resolution was to push myself, to try new techniques and really make a dint in some of this fabric I have here.  I had a fat 1/8th pack of pink, red and black fabrics, with a special cut of the delightful Minnie Mouse.  Stars have been on my to do list for a while, and here was the perfect opportunity to give them a go.  I followed the tutorial by the lovely Victoria Gertenbach.  

I had lots of fun putting these together.

I had a vague plan about how I envisioned the quilt top, so it was nice to see it come together.

I used a grey homespun from my stash, which has given the desired effect, modern, yet versatile!!!

 

I decided the quilt top needed borders and have pieced a border to run either side, then used a border strip of red, top and bottom to frame it.  I have some red and pink fabric which will be perfect for binding, or maybe I'll use a black and white spot.  I am still deciding.

The backing is a single piece of pink fabric I had left over from Tenille's 'Sophie' Quilt from last year.  It was her suggestion in fact, that got me to get it our and audition it.  It will also help to disguise some of the free motion quilting which I am going to attempt on this one.  I am stencilling the quilting pattern on the front now, and will hopefully have some progress to show.

BOM is up to date

It has been a while since I last posted a bloggy blurb.

My machine has needed a little TLC which I have been hesitant to give.  Reading far and wide a learnt how to take apart my machine.  I gave it a good old clean out and dropped the tiniest bit of silicone oil into the race.  Changed the needle, bobbin and rethreaded.  It would seem that this has done the trick and the machine is running well again.  I am still to do any quilting, instead decided to get up to date with my Craftsy BOM’s. 

As I was behind, I finished both the months of Feb and March over the weekend.

I didn’t have any of the troubles with sizing.  I sewed with a scant ¼ inch seam and found I had to cut down only minimally.

Here are the blocks all up to date.