Quick pictorial update from my mobile

I have done a lot of hand sewing in the last few weeks.......a whole pile of random hexie units completed

and about 20 more sewn into strip sets ready to go (yes, it's organised!).

I cut more hexies as I needed some for the rainbow hexie, one large section complete now......

 More strips ready to go.... (excuse the bare feet!)

The bins were refilled, much cutting (I did a fabric swap with a Bookcrosser friend): this is the random bin...........

Hundreds more sewn up already

This weekend I looked at all the offcuts from the hexie cutting and decided as they were all the same size they should be sewn into strips NOW for the next crumb quilt-it took about 7 hours but at least it's manageable this way, crumbs from one cutting project are the same size-last time I had a giant unmanageable bin of mixed sizes.  I like the fact that every piece is angled.

I had cut more strips for the new leader-ender project, Bonnie's Perkiomen Daydreams; I sewed these into pairs today, that took a couple of hours.  A few weeks of pressing and cutting ahead into 1 1/2" pair units. 

I tried a few out to see how bulky the seams would be on 1" finished patches-seams OK!

I have almost finished the bow ties!  There will be about 1200. This was supposed to be a leader-ender project but it didn't work out that way.  Last few pairs waiting to go......

I sewed the badly cut hexies into units of the right size, these will go into the random hexie bin.  It's going to be fun finding these in the finished quilt. I tried for contrast.

I am all nine-patched out!  I think I have enough for a double with some sashing now; I haven't decided on the setting yet.  I have hundreds more 2" squares cut, its hardly touched the surface. 

 .

All the black and white nine patches are complete for 'Morphie'.  I need to decide on the next block pattern and cut more black and whites, triangles this time.   No planning, this is a decide as I go project.

As this little project will NEVER get done at home, I have taken the 1/2" diamonds to work to do in my lunch break. All the chaps I work with have asked with varying levels of puzzlement, 'What....': they haven't seen paper piecing before.  When I explain it will take about 10 years and need 14,000 pieces they just shake their heads!

This weeks read

Chosen from Mount 'To Be Read' because of 'A Good Read' on Radio 4 this week.

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.

Which quilting design?

Dancing nine patch baby quilt

I'm fairly sure my college won't be looking to see what's going on so here is a pic of the baby quilt ready for sewing-I can't decide on  a design to sew!  Any suggestions?   

I want to sew in the blue squares fairly densely, leave the red and the yellow, and densely quilt the border. Even after looking at Leahs site I can decide!

Gingko leaves

 I was playing around trying things out last night.  I realised my travel stitching needs mere work!  Then I came up with this design for gingko leaves that I quite like (wibbly borders, no smooth curves, I can manage that!). 


I may use this as a background filler for the cream areas on 'Moth in a Window', another one that looks to be done by the end of the year.

Moth In the Window layout trial

Decisions

I'm off on a seaside break soon, what to take?  The  main requirements: portability and  quantity.  I decided on something I haven't touched  yet and won't touch for a while when I get back; no organising or  careful packing necessary......... 1/2" scrap diamonds. there are quite a few-thousand!

I have done some this week to see how I got on with small pieces.  I have to be careful to get the corners tight on pieces so small to eliminate assembly problems, so progress is slower than hexie paper piecing-especially with the half diamond triangles!

Sunday blues

See, I'm motivated!!  I'd like to stay at home and do this until its  finished tomorrow, but I'd better get to work, quilting is an expensive hobby!

oh, and I forgot

• my 'trilobite evolution' idea for a quilt-ideas from earlier here....

• MY OWN quilt thats going to be called Event Horizon

Thats 22 now..........



Torn

I have urgent sewing to to do for the 'shhh' project today and I'm reading Hilary Mantels 'Wolf Hall', a 700 pager, that's holding my interest, I have only 100 pages to go. Also still chopping away at the stash uglies.

I think that sewing will win this morning as the top is almost pieced-I will have to clear away to layer the quilt after.  I have several quilt tops pieced and ready to go-I have never layered a quilt before, my patchwork has previously been for duvet covers and curtains or paper pieced that take years: I have two of those in progress.  One of them is my ID  picture-here are the 'flowers' sewn up for the last round.

Try something new every day, the layering will be it.

I found a blog this morning at http://dutchgloriousapplique.blogspot.com/ that has links to two sister blogs for Kim McLeans applique patterns, haven't done much applique myself but these designs are inspirational

Two favourite quilt artists http://www.glorialoughman.com/ in Australia, beautiful work and http://www.ruthbmcdowell.com/ from the US, she pieces animals with such character, I'm particularly fond of the cows.