Hand Piecing Bedside Table Project

I finally found a use for the edge strips of batting that I have been so reluctant to toss out. Another hand project! 

I piece wider strips of batting to use in Linus quilts. Ever frugal, I feel the batting is so expensive (I buy a bolt) that I'm reluctant to throw anything out.  These little gems are made from scrap users system  2 1/2" x 4 1/2" pieces, with (at the moment) an old polycotton sheet that was my mums, for backing: I'm going to vary the backing  as I use things up and throw in the odd surprise to add interest. Always scrappy! The blue stripe is an old shirt. I anticipate a lot of odd stuff will find its way into this quilt. 

I have decided that quilting isn't necessary as the batting is caught by the stitches as I sew the borders down around the edge. 

You can find the basic instructions for this  quilt as you go project at Stitch with Rachel on Youtube. I'm not using the template, eyeballing is working! 

There is a little stash on my table for bedtime bingewatching: I don't do sitting still at all. If I have to fidget, it may as well be productive. 

I'm using an EPP whip stitch to join the blocks with strong quilting thread in pale yellow, it blends with the cream backing and it was the best option in the stash.  The Aurifil thread I'm using for the piecing won't be strong enough.

I use silk pins with small heads to hold the sandwich as I stitch. Small quilting needes are better as the thread sometimes catches on the pin heads, but I don't want to drop teeny needles in the bed at night when the lighting is poor! 

I started joining the first two rows yesterday.  I couldn't face another tub of stuff accumilating, so this one is continuous assembly. 

It has been heavily overcast here, sorry about the dull photo quality! 

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Linky: Finished (or not) Friday

Rainbow Scrap challenge

Oh Scrap!

Hexies

The Random Hexie has about 30 more to go and the top is done! 

I did a lot last week whilst watching the snooker. 

I haven't counted yet, but I recon there are about 4000 hexies. 

Finished pic soon! 

And the next handquilted project will be...........

The rainbow hexie: these are old pictures, it is in a more advanced state of completion now.

I'm moving my machine to a bedroom, then I will be working on machine quilting

four charity quilts.  

A lot to finish this year, last year I did very little sewing

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.

Catch up

I have used some mindless sewing on the road to recovery to occupy myself over the last few weeks. 

I sewed some more bow ties, about 300, I guess: I can't wait to start putting these together, but I must finish the sets I have kitted up, so I have maximum variety-this is a sample I made earlier to try a layout.  There will be about 1200 when I'm done, all finishing at 3". I think there are about 900 done already, the double quilt will need 1000 or so.

Most of the knots don't match the bows exactly: I had all the squares cut and waiting, I refused to cut more fabric so I raided the 1 1/2" strip bin for most of the bow tie  'knots'.

I have sewn some strips for the rainbow hexie

 ........and the Darwins Flower garden now has-almost-all the corners done-red, orange, blue, green, so just the border paths on the four 'corners' and the green 'hedge' edging to do, the end is in sight.

 Centre.... 

..before I sewed the orange up...

  ....and the blue corner almost done.  

The blues are really vibrant, I have a new phone with a truly rubbish camera, this picture is adjusted for white balance!  I have a new camera too, but its barely out of the box, I will have to get familiar with it.

Over  Christmas I lost myself in making the nine patches for the black and white quilt 'Morphine', about 100 of them.  I will be cutting triangles next for this quilt.

I have plans for a design wall, I will definitely need to to lay this one out. 

I got really bored with black and white, and started sewing randomly coloured mis-matched nine patches as leaders and enders, from pre-cut 2" squares, taking care to use up all the uglies.   They took over and I made about 200!  I haven't  decided what to do with them yet. 

I have not been working on the random hexie, though I know I only have about 5 more sets to sew before I have enough for a double quilt, this seems to have grown faster than anything else.  The top will definitely be done this year.  Not hand quilted though, there are others in the queue before this!

I can remember roughly when and how I acquired all these random fabrics!  Why can't I remember where I put the car keys!!!

 This year needs to be about machine quilting- I have a bout 10 tops ready to go.  I keep putting it off as 'I'm not good enough'. Things will get out of hand with the number I have to quilt soon-as if it's not already out of hand!

I have decided on the next leader-ender project, it will keep me busy for the next two years at least, it's Bonnie Hunters Perkiomen day dreams, each little square finishes at 1 inch. 

This is the basic unit......

Pale blue, yellow , red, and dark blue.

About 10,000 squares in a double. Gulp.

Summary for 2014

1. Two projects started!! (Random nine patch, black and white 'Morphine' nine patch)
2. Significant progress on Darwin's flower garden, bow ties and rainbow hexie.
3.  Another project planned. 
4. Promises of finishes!

Weekend work

This weekend, a little bit of outdoor work in the shade.......

Green Darwin's flower garden corner section

 and 4/8 VE1 series table mat  done

Booksnobbery

This weeks read was the Sugar Camp Quilt, which I read via Bookcrossing.   I have realised I'm rather snobbish about my reading having studied it at university level~these books are well enough written, sometimes a girl needs a gentle easy read with a bit of history, quilting and romance for good measure!  It did me the world of good in a very stressful week.  



On to this, that I was sent by the author in a RABCK (random act of Bookcrossing kindness).  I will be sending it to the International Sweepstake winner in Canada when I'm done, so its back home to Continental America for this book.

Next,  The true history of the Kelly Gang, for a swap with another Bookcrosser.

Sewing is still Kiss in the Corner, I am approaching the second corner!!  One long side, one short side done by the weekend!  I think my technique is improving slightly, though its a good job there is a 'busy' backing.  Moo!


I have been watching shows from thequiltshow.com whilst I sew.




A few brown hexies over the last week or so at lunchtimes and at a picnic.......

Remember these from past posts?

Vitreous enamel sample plates from work as design inspiration.  I asked if we had a manual of defects (not that we EVER make aything like that!) and we did.........

Dry old reading for most people, I know, but it's an atlas of quilting inspiration for me!

I'll be doing some design work on this at the weekend.

A Pieceful job

I'm recuperating, but have a serious case of the fidgets: I need something to keep my hands busy whilst I sit and rest.  I got up early and laid out the orange corner flower bed for Darwin's flower garden.  This should take me a couple of days to make up, whilst I watch as many David Attenborough documentaries as I can: 'Africa' is first on the list. 

 This weeks read is 

About half way through and my Kindle died-nasty things happening on the screen, so I guess this one will be finished on the computer, not my favorite way to read. Enjoying the book so far.

Yesterdays fidget job was unpicking 60 blocks that I had sewn up wrong for 'the big green one'.  I did that four weeks ago and put it away as I couldn't face doing it at the time.  There was only one seam to undo and actually it didn't take that long.

I had sewn the four patch and triangle pair together, then had to join two of these sets, I put them the wrong way round: moral?  Keep referring to the drawing, even if your sure!

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!