Sunshine Garden Quilt

For February I am working on the Sunshine Garden Quilt – a kit designed by Darlene Zimmerman, for my one month goal over at Elm St Quilts.  It is a quilt for one of my sisters. I am going to have to enlarge it a little to fit her bed, so will do that in the borders I hope.

Here are the blocks I was making in January

I have since added the sashing and basted it together, with the help of my trusty fan!

And now I have started to quilt it.

I am using for the first time Marti Michell’s way of using encased seams to add the border later on as this would be too large to quilt on my Bernina home sewing machine. A little nervous about that – but nothing ventured, nothing gained. The piece I am quilting at present is about 57″ by 68″. Getting the middle quilted is easier this way.

So my goal for February is to take this as far as I can. Goal will be achieved if I advance further than I am now!

Steps I hope to get done, however quilting the middle will be good. Working on starting the borders will also be included in the goal, even if I get two sides placed on.

• Quilt the middle
• Add the side borders. (I still have some borders I need to piece as part of the enlarging.)

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Hearts Quilt Progress

I am joining in with Elm Street Quilts one month goal for January.

My goal was to add the final sashing to my log cabin hearts quilt and baste the layers together and stitch in the ditch along the main sashing lines – which I have done.  Just as well I did this early in the month, as I was asked to make a very large quilt by one of my sisters.

I did what I set out to do, and then had to set it aside but it feels good that I have advanced its cause!

And the back of it.

Log Cabin Heart Quilt

Joining in with the One Month Goal at Elm St Quilts.

This month I am going to further one of my 2019 long term goals to finish some quilt tops.

For January I want to work on my Log Cabin Hearts top.  It’s a small lap size I think. Actually haven’t measured it!

• I want to add some sashing to one side.
• Prepare some backing fabric and link together some pieces of batting for the inner part. I have found three pieces I can put together for it.
• Give the top a good iron and some tidy up of fraying threads.
• Pin baste the three layers together.
• Start some stitching in the ditch.

 

 

Keeping up with the Splendid Sampler 2 in December

My goal for December – to keep up with the Splendid Sampler 2 as the blocks are assigned.  Linking up with Elm Street Quilts for the one month goal.

December 6th week blocks

December 13th Blocks

The one on the top right was the most challenging as it had EPP and hand applique – which aren’t my favourite ways, but I was happy I completed it reasonably well and felt I had learned something new.

As it turns out after this there were bonus blocks that I won’t be doing as I need only 101 for the setting I am doing. I took the lull for the holidays allowance to make the sashing for some of the blocks already made so I am on track and goal accomplished.

2019 Quilt Plans

In 2018 I completed nearly all of my quilting related goals. Quilts I finished can be seen here. What I did complete I am very happy with and I think I advanced my skills in piecing, using different ways for quilt as you go, and advancing with some free motion work.  I was most happy with my I Love Home Quilt that I pieced in 2017 as part of a BOM with Jacquelynne Steves and then quilted in 2018 as one of my goals. Just finished it in December and am really pleased that my fmq skills are developing.

So what do I want to do for 2019?

1. Complete quilting my bookshelf quilt.
2. Quilt my hearts quilt.
3. Quilt my Sunny Skies quilt.
4. Quilt my Scrappy Crossroads quilt
5. Continue to work on my Splendid Sampler 2 quilt and at least complete the flimsy of it.
6. Make a simple quilted bag or two!
7. Make a couple of mug rugs.
8. Begin to piece another scrappy quilt  or two or…
9. Complete the flimsy of the second memorial quilt in memory of my mother. I completed one this year.
10. Work through an online class on free motion quilting and develop  more skills.

December OMG – Keeping up with the Splendid Sampler 2

Linking up with Elm Street Quilts for December.

My goal this month is to keep up with the Splendid Sampler 2 six inch blocks being released in December. Most weeks they are releasing four a week. So to complete whatever is assigned. Except maybe for the last week as they will only have just been given. So I guess about twelve blocks.

Starting with the ones that have just been released this week.  Splendid Sampler Sew Along December 6th

And this is my version of  First Aid designed by Jane Davidson and one of last weeks blocks.

 

November Goal – Quilting Author Names

I am linking up with Elm Street Quilts for this November goal.

My goal was to quilt author names on the bottom two rows of my bookcase quilt, and I am happy to say that I achieved it.  I am so pleased that I noticed Leah Day quilting words on to quilts and this is working out just as I wanted it.

As I have quilted these author names it has been with happy memories of all the books I read that have brought me so much reading pleasure.

First an overview….

These are authors from childhood. When I was growing up there was no library in my small country town and one (expensive) bookshop. My main book diet was Enid Blyton a prolific English author.

The rest of this shelf. As I grew up I found romance authors – lots of them, no longer remember their names.  Zane Grey – while cowboy stories, they could be termed romance as well!

Now there is more of a mix between English and USA authors and the occasional New Zealand author as well. I discovered the Outlander books very early on when the first one was published now a long time ago!

Now I am reading so many more USA books – with the advent of the internet, the influence of other readers helps me discover new authors. I think Jodi Picoult, is the only one found at that time in my local bookshops. By this time Amazon and other second hand bookshops like Thriftbooks are available.   The ereader was not yet being sold!

 

 

The Splendid Sampler 2 Goes Up a Notch

This week the Splendid Sampler 2 ratcheted up a notch. Now there are four blocks a week to make, instead of the one a week, and we are working from the book. I purchased the Kindle version this time and I have to say I am very pleased with it, especially that I can just print of the PDF’s which makes life easier.

Top left is Estelle, designed by Joyce Beenes,  it has so many pieces to it to make this 61/2inch block! But I have learned from doing the Splendid Sampler 1 that sometimes you just need to starch before cutting and I am happy to say it came out the correct size! Yay!

Top right is Ticker Tape designed by Debby Brown.  This was a paper pieced block and turned out really nicely.

Bottom left is Hashtag Love designed by Jane Davidson. This was an appliqué block, and is rather cute.

Bottom right is Curves Forever designed by Jenny Pedigo and Helen Robinson. This was a great way to do the curves, although I had to have a second go at this one because I couldn’t follow the directions that well for cutting down at the end, but on my second round and after watching a video I was set to succeed!