Quick work

I have to be quick, I have lots to do by March. 

Lengthened stitch,  number 4 on my Bernina, walking foot, sewn in green and white variegated thread  on random diagonal lines to match the colour movement of the patches: charity quilt for Portage, West Sussex.  I quilted across the border too as the thread blends with the fabric, so no sewing ends in!  Awaiting binding.  I'll use this stitch again.

Large  'single', lots of ends to sew on this one. The picture is from the layering process at work.  I will heavily free motion quilt the purple border. 

Quilted with King Tutt variegated thread, hides the wobbles nicely!  Not the best quilting, but this was the largest thing I have stuffed under the machine so far-by the end I had the hang of it!  Like the King Tutt thread a lot, but its pricey!

The reverse thread was Guttermann variegated pink, blends nicely with the fabric and picks up the directional pattern.   LOVE this backing fabric.

Now off to Leah Days site to choose a pattern for the border quilting, and cut some binding. .

Could I possibly.....

.........get a quilt done as a Christmas present, with all the other sewing commitments that I have promised?   I have been tidying up.  I found these blocks, that I was going to add to to make a bigger quilt.  The project had been temporarily shelved as non-urgent.   There are enough here for a double bed topper once the sashings are on.   This is the trial layout.  I can already see things I'm going to move! I have four favourite blocks, all of which I would like to use in a quilt on their own. The blocks will finish at 12 inches.

If I didn't use 'made' fabric in these just strips from the bins, they would  be quite quick to do.

Another four projects. Agh!

Last night I had a bit of a practice  for the baby quilt, then got frustrated and actually started it.  In the end I came up with a design I've called Lollipop trees.  I am not at all happy with my quilting, but this is my first complete quilt that I will have free motioned all over, so I mustn't expect too much of myself.  The first few were not good, I wanted to unpick them but didn't! I will finish these this evening. 

The border will be the adapted Wormholes pattern I used on the pink charity quilt border.

Then I have four things to sew sashings on!

I have one orphan block, and lots of the 'made' blue fabric left, enough to make another 'orange and blue', I think.

Oh! Shedloads of ideas for free motion quilting

Have a look at Flicr (or the net) for Zentangle.    If you search 'groups' there are some that have step by step instructions for building your patterns.

I have tried this myself but lack the imagination and the will to practice with a pen, stitching interests me more!

And of course, there is Leah Day, the queen of invention!