Happy New Year

Unprecedented - 3 posts in one day.  But as Homogamy draws to a close and an New Year is peeping just around the corner please let me wish you all a very happy New Year and I hope and pray that you all have a joyful and fulfilling year in 2012.


Whilst hunting for a possible image to add to this post I came across this inspirational card

image from http://lucypatterson.com/hands-on/category/seasons/spring/

which seemed perfect for a new start and a new year.  

This coming year I'm hoping to get some motivational inspiration and maybe it will overflow and be incorporated within my crafting.  Only time will tell. 

So here's to a Happy New Year, new starts and also some UFO's finishes (again).

Something New Competition Wise

Have you seen any of the mosaic's that are currently being posted around blog land in connection with Quokka Quilts Competition /giveaway - it's something really different and inspiring.  Check it out here for more information and check out the various combinations of fabrics bloggers have made at the bottom of the post.


Well after a few attempts here's mine

You need to select 12 patterned fabrics and 3 plains - go off now folks and have fun.

Finishes this year

A lot of bloggers are sharing a mosaic of their complete projects from throughout the year, so I thought I'd go through my Flickr photostream to see if I had a reasonable number of projects to create a mosaic myself.  Much to my surprise there are way more complete projects than I remember.

and actually if I'm honest there are some projects, worked up in conjunction with the last cushion that I haven't got photos of so I can't share them with you.  Oh and if we are going down the honestly line the second from last isn't quilted yet but it is complete as far as the NTA is concerned.


Now for those of you who follow this blog regularly you'll see another project photographed here, a cushion, front and back images.  Unfortunately full details on this completed cushion can't be shared with you just yet, but visit next month for the reason why.


Amended:  1 Jan 2012 - linked back to Lily's Quilts and Fresh Sewing Day

visit and have a little fun

Aurifil Challenge

This is probably the last finished project of this year - the Fat Quarterly Aurifil Challenge.


In the meantime I'd better introduce myself - my name is Ethne, and I blog at Flaming Stitches.  I've crafted in one format or another, pretty much all my life.  In the early years it was knitting and crocheting, but on one visit to one of those big Hobby Craft Exhibitions, I fell in love with some fabrics.  Picked a pattern and in 3 weeks pulled together a quilt for my niece.  To be honest I hadn't a clue what I was doing.  The front is piece correctly but the sandwiching, well I tried to put it together like a quilt.  Years later I'm still trying to get it off my niece, no luck, she loves the quilt.  I've learnt the correct way to do things now but still experiment in what I'm doing, and work often using instinct.  


This project / challenge is a good example of me going with my gut instinct, in both the design and the quilting - I hope you like it.


So back in this post I mentioned receiving a set of Aurifil threads to try out.  After deliberating for a few days I finally decided on a cushion for this challenge, and, taking into account next years Free Bee virtual quilting bee, I thought I'd also use this project as a bit of a tester for a possible block option - the freeform hourglass block.  


The idea was to make 5 blocks as a panel for the front of the cushion.  These freeform hourglass blocks were sewn together and for any of you wanting to have a go at something similar I have created a little tutorial for this block here.  When the 5 blocks were sewn together border / framing strips added.  Batting added, (Dream Poly, basted into position using washable PVA glue, used sparingly).  Then I started quilting using the Aurifil threads.


Firstly, it was the 40 weight red thread for the ovals framing the hourglass blocks and forming a zone for the front feathers which were quilted using the 50 weight thread.  Now this is the first time ever that I've used this thread, and it was smooth, and I mean smooth.

Though the thread is fine it is strong and flows freely and smoothly through the needle and fabric sandwich.  It was so easy and comfortable doing the ovals that when it came to quilting something into the elliptical shape left in the central zone, instinct took over and I ended up quilting my first feather.  Now I have been sketching feathers on paper, doodles really, for a while but they never seemed to work out smoothly when sewing the LHS.  You see I would draw the RHS first but never got the left to mirror it properly, I'd always over think it.  However when it came to sewing, the RHS worked out really well and the LHS followed nicely too.

So when completed I decided to do larger feathers on the two back panels, one above and one below the zip/seam.  

Just to make sure I got a good feel for the differences in threads I decided to use another cotton thread (grey) for other background quilting - and I can honestly say that there is a difference, a notable difference.  The thread worked fine, it did it's job, but it didn't feel as silky smooth to use in comparison to the Aurifil thread.


So in conclusion I can say that I will be slowly starting to build a stock of the Aurifil threads - probably the 40 weight for quilting and piecing, but if necessary the heavier grade for piecing if necessary in projects like bags. So if you get a chance buy a spool and try it out for yourself.  And thank you Fat Quarterly for the opportunity to try the threads out.  

So in conclusion here's a photo of the cushion, completed and washed.

So remember to visit the Fat Quarterly blog again to see what other bloggers think of the Aurifil threads and what projects they created using them.

Seasons Greetings

Wishing you all the very best for this holiday season.
May you have joy and laughter, the richest blessings of family and friends.

vintage postcard from http://9teen87spostcards.blogspot.com

And, thank you all for your support, encouragement and advice with my crafting during this last year.
Warmest Blessings to you all ........ .........                  

Looking for a something new?

Are you a bit tired of traditional blocks?  Working on, or not quite understanding the Modern or Improv style of quilt blocks / quilts, that are around the quilting world at the moment, and wondering how you would get started.  Well there is something new to the quilting market, created and developed by one inspiring quilter. 

Interested?


Well can I suggest you visit Jenny on her blog 'Sew Kind of Wonderful' and on her new (and developing) website, which is only days old.

These quilts are created using Jenny's new curved ruler and though there are only two quilt patterns available here at present, Jenny has made more using the ruler and they are just stunning.

Urban Birthday - Pattern 101 by Jenny Pedigo

Urban Abacus - Pattern 101 by Jenny Pedigo

For glimpses of the other quilts Jenny has created using the 'ruler' please back track through her blog and check out her Flickr pages.

Now is there something new your want for Christmas - if so start dropping a few hints in the right direction, remember the mailing window for Christmas is getting very limited.

Please let me (and Jenny) know what you think of these inspirational quilts.

Aurifil Challenge - hourglass block tutorial

I've hunted out some hand dyed fabrics and worked out a plan of action or should I say cutting/piecing in my head, now to get down to the nitty gritty.


I could probably save on fabric and plan a little more but I've decided to work on 2, almost equal sized pieces of fabric to make the 'hourglass' block.  They've been laid down right sides up and then I've let fly with the rotary cutter - 2 long cuts - pull the pieces to one side then the two shorter end cuts.  

The fabrics have been swapped around - top middle unit matched up with the bottom border units and vice versa.  The two short seams sewn, then pressed open.  Then you match (a wee tip is to mark with chalk across the central panel into the two side panels, remember they won't match up top to bottom with the central panel being shorter with the fabric lost on the 2 seams).  


Match your chalk marks, by laying the side panel over the pressed middle panel, right sides up - THE CURVE WILL NOT NOW MATCH - use your side panel as a guide and carefully trim you central panel to match the curve on the side panel.  Turn the side panel over on top of the central panel - right sides facing - pin the panels together at the chalk mark, to stop the fabric slipping.  Ease the 2 fabrics along the curve to the nearest end and sew together. 

You DO NOT use a 1/4" seam for this, probably about a 1/8" seam and smaller stitch size - this is the Ricky Tims Caveman Quilting technique - a video can be seen here.  Make life easy for yourself and don't try to pin down the curve.  When the seam is sewn, spray the seam with water, and press the curved fabric down to lay flat - you will be manipulating the fabric here a little, but that's OK.  

Now do the same with the second side panel.


Note if you've used two similar sized fabric pieces at the start you'll be able to make a positive and negative version of the same block.

Now that I've got the block complete I want to add a thin feature strip done through the centre of the block - it's done using the same principle as described above.

I've now got three positive and three negative blocks complete - two more of each to do then I've got to add the feature strip down through all the positive blocks for the panel I'm making.  But before I can piece them together there are the 'leaf' shaped blocks to make

Building a sample pack

Looking ahead at the Free Bee challenge next year I've been scanning the internet for improv quilt inspiration - you can check out some of what I've found to inspire HERE.


So along with the quilt inspiration I need to choose a Kona Solid fabric to be used with the Bee Quilters scraps - do I play save and stick with black, white or another single colour, or do I select a range of colours the quilters can select from.  Well there's one huge problem, for me, with picking any colour from the Kona Solid range, and that is that I don't have a local shop with a decent range of the fabrics or a manufacturer's colour card, and making a colour selection from internet images is just too dicey, the colour reproduction is never quite true.

Fortunately I've found a supplier in N Ireland who sends out sample charms from her stock of fabrics - River Fabrics.  So the other day I checked out the colours I liked in these FQ bundles and selected the fabrics that were stocked by Janette 

Here's my little bundle of samples.  And, gosh was I right that the internet images don't give you and accurate indication of what colour the fabric actually is.  

One things is for sure:- I will be building up this sample library for reference purposes


Thank you Janette for the samples and prompt service - you can order samples HERE and buy any fabric you need from either the River Fabrics online shop or ebay pages.


Samples, brilliant though they are I've still got a problem - what colour or colour range do I go with - and the decision has to be made by March, along with an idea on design style for my block.


Other Kona Solid sample fabrics I bought from Janette were for this fabric - I still need to get the dark russet fabric - possibly Paprika.  So I'm waiting patiently until I find it in an online UK store or on some trip to a quilt shop.

Finishes and Samples

The two UFO's I'd hoped to get finished this weekend are now in the 'Finished' listings 


Threave Quilter's 2011 challenge - take 1 FQ (given out by the Guild) and create something using one or two other fabrics.  Inspired by Jenny's work at Sew Kind of Wonderful I created a mini quilt 

And, finish number 2 - the hand dyed fabric laptop bag - I started this a few months ago and just had to sew it up, add binding and create the handles (I maybe should have forgotten the handles, I've just sewn over the edge with perle cotton and blanket stitch.)  I think I'll be revisiting this later to see if I can cover it with a bias strip.  This will be tricky and fussy sewing and something to do when I've got LOTS of patience.

 

There's a giveway over on I'm a Ginger Monkey's blog - fancy a set of 'not yet released' Robert Kaufman fabrics

from I'm a Ginger Monkey blog

So pop along and join in for a chance to win something delicious to play with next year.

Fat Quarterly Aurifil Challenge

A couple of weeks ago on the Fat Quarterly Blog there was a post about the Aurifil Challenge - you can read about it HERE.


Well I threw my 'hat' into the group and was picked to try out the threads.  I've received a sample pack of threads - various colours, various grades, 4 cotton and one wool. 

So over the last few day's I've been considering what I could do to try the threads out and as I'm partaking in a Quilt Bee group next year I thought it would be helpful to explore an improv quilt block and use it to make a panel or cushion.


To that end I've searched for improv blocks and quilts in blogs, Flickr, Pintrest and through Google Search - there has been lots of inspiration and an amazing amount of stunning work to view, but, I do however get distracted by quilts with lots of solids, they just seem to draw me in more.  Which doesn't help me in some ways as the blocks we are to make each other in the bee are to make use of our scraps, and well you know scraps, they are every pattern, colour, shape and size.


Though this challenge block design won't be created with scraps I feel that it could easily transfer into using scraps for the central shapes.  I want to use this block as a potential piece for an exhibition next year so this first one, using the Aurifil threads will be made using hand dyed fabrics but I think it could be recreated using scrap fabrics (another tester block may be required).  So what block have I sketched out - well it's based on Wooly Fabulous' Contemporary Embroidery work - you can see her photostream here and here it is

now to select the fabrics and decide on how to use the threads

November Progress

It's the beginning of another month, the last of this year, and to be honest I'm wondering where the year has disappeared to.

So being the start of a new month it's Fresh Sewing Day and Small Blog Meet over on Lily's Quilts.

I should be sharing lots of lovely things that I've created this month but many are still works in progress - quilted pieces and yarn spinning.  The only piece that I completed was the Brit Quilt Swap Pillow Fight cushion for Charlotte.

I do however have to get some things finished for Monday night so hopefully this weekend there will be a post with photos of something finished.