Postage Stamps

A while ago I decided that my original piecing for Perkiomen Daydreams was not good enough to continue with for a large quilt: I sewed up completed blocks into a cot size.

I may try one of these in a different colour set in the future.

So, I needed work on my piecing accuracy. It's not bad generally, but with 1" finished pieces the 1/16" and 1/23" errors quickly add up.  I had cut lots of 1 1/2" strips from all the ugly fabric I came across, but was not using it. I spent several hours running strip sets through the machine this week and have cut and stitched the strip sets in batches.

The pieced strips are 105" long.  I have played with the assembly, four, eight, six and random patches so it doesn't look too uniform. 

I am keeping back two of each symmetrical four patch I make for future projects, as I would never cut this much variety for one or two quilts.

I am working on 25 patches now to use up part Perkiomen rejects.  

All of the uglies have gone in here! 

Just about had enough of this fix now, it will go away for a bit as I have two large tops to quilt. My accuracy has definitely improved in the last week working on this. 

3,465 of  11,025 1" finished squares in the completed strips so far, with partials done as well. Almost 1/3 done!

Linking for Move it forward Monday
and Oh Scrap!

Orphans, thimbles and uglies

This solid silver thimble is unblemished. It came into my possession from a house clearance. I was told it was worth £25 so paid it on the spot as it is a perfect fit.

The modern S, M, L, sizes don't fit me properly.  

As  a girl needs more than one thimble, I started looking on Ebay for antique thimbles in a 16 or 17 size. 

I bought two plain thimbles in sterling silver very cheaply. 

If I had cash to spare I could really get into collecting these, but of course only in the sizes that actually fitted!

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This small quilt is now finished for Linus, about 45" square

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I finished this flimsy that will go to a small local charity

 whilst watching Bonnie on archived Quiltcam

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I cut borders and binding for the next big quilt I will be working on

 I also chopped this UGLY (what was I thinking!) for binding and some mini broken dishes blocks (cut it small says Bonnie).

 This ugly will be used as a border on a charity quilt at some point.

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The trimmings from the binding were made into mini broken dishes blocks immediately in an effort to control the crumbs.

 I trimmed them to size guided by the neutrals cut with the easy angle. Looks like you can't cut that reindeer fabric small enough!

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I found two old spiderweb trials-I tried sewing to old sheeting but the result was too thick for a quilt, even if the look was good.

 I put a border on one, cut some heavy duty fabric for a back, and turned it into a cushion cover.

 Antique buttons on the back, and the raw edge of the fabric turned out for interest on the button flap.

 In this trial I didn't like the blocks completely random, The flimsy I made has sections in colour family, this has been a UFO for about 4 years!

I have been working on the rainbow hexie in the evenings. 

Linking for Scraptatsic Tuesday

Odds and ends

Still finding little stashes of random bits-today's find was a bag of blue two patches that must have been left from making  250 nine patches some time ago-I am using them as leader-enders to make nine patches to add to the stack whilst making more box kite blocks. 

I need 99  of these 9" finished blocks to make a quilt with no borders or sashing inserts.

 Today's hoard:

 I have watched all of Bonnie's Quiltcam archives from the last year in recent weeks whilst I have been sewing.  Time to go back to the beginning now!

A boring jobs next: I have to draw diagonal lines on the goosey squares I have been cutting to go with the pinwheel blocks; also lots of sets of box kite triangle pairs to press.

Discoveries and Excess

A couple of months ago I finished the top (no borders yet!) for 'The Big Green One'. It took ages as I was never in love with the colours and kept putting it aside.  It will look OK with a red border, I have decided. 

 Leftovers: lots of triangles.  Lots. So I am making up some pinwheels and for x four patches, using my seam guide on this machine for the first time. Accuracy much better!

. I still need to mindlessly sew to de-stress, so this fits the bill for now. Pinwheels will finish at 6". 

I have a design in my head-for this I need geese. I have to work on the accuracy, this practice strip with randoms from the stash bin is 1/4" plus longer on one side, so it must be about my piecing.   I will try some more today to get it right.

Liking these colours. 

I have done a few Perkiomen Daydreams leader-ender blocks-hoping the seam guide improves my accuracy here to. 

I found a random bin that I had stuffed things into-these were another attempt to use up all my strings-scrappy meandering braids.

 Yards and yards!

I found a pattern on pinterest that I can use them for

Genius!

 

 

But- no!  I found some more strings too, just when I thought I had cracked it and used every last one up!!

I also rediscovered these blocks- they only need laying out and putting together-a job for the next wet weekend.

One of Bonnie's patterns-she had been keeping me company on Quiltcam archive.

Bow ties

I spent the afternoon powering through
bow ties, they go fast, but yet again, I think I have done enough for two doubles!!  I realised I have overdone the black, so I'm putting them aside now for use in another project as a feature or edging.   Watching Bonnie on Quiltcam archive as I work. 

I feel another WIP coming on.......

This is Bonnie's current quiltcam project, a baby quilt.

Whilst I was tidying up I found this old leaders and enders project that took over as 'a not too much concentration' sewing afternoon about a year ago and hasn't seen the light of day since as I had no object in mind.

You know where this is going don't you!

I have two baby quilts to make..........I don't know the sex of the babies yet, but by sashing the blue blocks with a bright pink I think they will do for either.

I'm going to sew up the blocks this weekend and wait for a coupe of weeks to find out about the babies and then choose the sashing.

I have hundreds more 2" blocks cut, so I can make a pink one if I find the parents would prefer that without too much trouble. 

Where is that seam ripper?

 

The green hexie corner is stripped and stashed away. 

I set myself a comfy spot, and put Bonnie's latest Quiltcam on this morning whilst I sewed a couple of Brown Hexie flowers up.......................

......and got these done.....

 

                                                                                          

I got out the quilt which needs the machine quilting ripped out last night, thinking it would take 10 minutes- but I couldn't find a seam ripper-it was impossible to get the small 'in the ditch' stitches out without risking damage so that's postponed until I can get a new one. Grrr!  Moral? 

Be tidier!

 

I'll be sandwiching this playmat next, which will be simply machine quilted  as I need to get at least one of the five done quickly.

Early bird lazy Sunday

Annoyingly, I was awake at 5.30 am this morning. By 6am I had a pint mug of tea and I was set up for some hand sewing in bed whilst watching Bonnie's now pre recorded QUILTCAM, also available on Youtube. 

All ready to go by 6am on the dot.  The feed was so much better than before. I now feel I have really indulged myself and its not even 8am yet. 

I didn't get a great deal done, but never mind.  

I think I will make the Isle of Man handpieced log cabin my quiltcam project. 

I drew diagonals on the backing fabric and I love the way you can correct and little inconsistencies by lining the folds up with these diagonal lines. The actual sewing part is really quick, it's the folding and lining up that takes a bit of time. I match the sewing thread to the backing so slight 'variations' in my stitch length aren't so visible on the back!