Orphans

 Today I put the borders on this charity quilt

 The blocks were leftovers from this

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Then I found orphan blocks left over from Sisters Choice

I put borders all the way round 12 of them, they will be place mats. Not my usual colour at all, but I can practice my free motion on these -I got a super slider for Christmas.  There were enough for a table runner too.

 I raided the batting and pieced 12 squares for the mats. Not enough left for the runner at the moment.

 The last one used six pieces!

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I have been working on these, that finish at 6"

There were some 2" pieces of red left: I have fallen in love with my easy angle ruler (new toy) so I tried smaller ones out......

 ....and so I have started a leader ender project! These will finish at a teeny 3"

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Then I put borders on this..........

 and this......

and this for more charity quilt flimsies.

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 I pieced a scrappy neutral backing for orphan Moth in a Window  blocks for a charity quilt that I made up about 6 months ago. 

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 I unpicked the burgundy borders from a row of Sisters choice blocks that didn't make it into the main quilt or the table mats

 and there were just enough for another charity quilt.  It will need another border when it it pressed.

I felt like I hadn't achieved much today as I worked on rounding up orphans for lots of things rather than one project, but I guess things are more organised now.  I have thirteen charity quilts from orphan blocks to quilt!  Super slider practice, here I come.

Victorian Ramblings

My son has been clearing the cellar of a lovely old Victorian house.  It was stacked to the ceiling with 'stuff'. He got to the window this week, this is on the inside!   The building is going to need some major restoration.  I wanted that fern for the garden, but he said the brickwork may come away if I pull it out!

From the outside......

That is a foxglove trying to grow in the brickwork!

Some of the rubbish down there is frankly a health hazard due to the damp.  I went with him as he also found a pile of coal. I am an amateur geologist and thought there may be fossils in the coal, but no; it's all high quality consolidated coal, far too compressed for fossils. I was nostalgic for a coal fire, that we always had at home when I was growing up. It was worth a look- obviously plant matter, but nothing distinguishable.

Nice  original tiling in the porch

 but too many Y seams I think!

This is how long since it was properly cleared!

I have always had Victorian house envy. It is because of the large living area windows I think, so much light comes in.  I could never live in a cottage, they  have windows the size of the glass in your oven!

OQD

This week I have had obsessive quilting disorder, I finished another one!

Half and half backing..............

Last stitch in, aagh! A buried safety pin. Just have to sew the seam back up. Rest of the quilt now checked for other spiky prisoners. Loving the border and binding.

Quilted in the ditch with some surface detail. Not bad for orphan blocks.

I think Paddy will like it.  

The pink and blue log cabin is a duvet cover I made over 20 years ago, still going strong, though I had to replace the recycled sheet backing once.  It's nicely faded and soft now.

And another

 

Charity quilt, about 40" square, finished this morning. 

This one was pieced from leftover blocks from 'Kiss in the Corner' a wedding present. This lap quilt will go to an amazing 84 year old who is now confined to a wheelchair: pinned and ready to go under the needle this afternoon.  

Hopefully I will be sewing the binding down this evening. I pieced the batting, waste not want not! 

Air sewing

Needed a break after air sewing for 10 minutes!

These are going together really well, my accuracy is improving. Some really yukky colours here! There is enough variety in the hundreds of patches ready to sew that it will all look fine.

 I am using up reels of gifted poly thread to make these. The received wisdom is never use polyester with cotton: the more modern threads for quilters  are cotton coated polyester, I don't see the difference! I do not use polyester for the quilting especially for charity quilts, as someone may take it into their head to iron it!

A finish, a thimble and a plan.

Another finish this evening, a quilt for Linus about 40 " square. Quilted in the ditch to show off the fabrics.

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I have been manically sewing triangles for a coupe of weeks. They are now all pressed and sorted into sets of four, for charity quilts: 3/5 of these are my ugly fabrics. The photo is about half of them. That is an awful lot of dog ears to snip!  I will be making these up over the year, probably in several simple designs.  

Yesterday I sorted through the charity flimsies I had made from leftover blocks and found there were eight! I spent the morning adding borders and cutting backing fabric. One is pressed and the scrap wadding is pieced ready for layering and quilting  in the ditch tomorrow. 

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As soon as I have enough 'manly' colours sewn into broken dishes blocks with the triangles I will make up a lap quilt for a friend of my son. Due to diabetes he had a second leg amputated last year. He is an amazingly positive 86 year old who is now confined to a wheelchair.  My son is helping to clear his old flat.  I bought this mint antique silver thimble from him, it is a perfect fit, I am really pleased with it

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First finish 2016

Charity quilt, about 40" square