Nearly Insane Quilt - Block 14

Hand stitching with red thread ...

I really am making progress on this quilt.  Look at that spool of red thread.  There were 500 metres on it when I started, but there can only be about 3-4  metres left.  I always feel that reaching the end of spool of thread is a sign that I really DO do a lot of sewing, and it is justification for buying more fabric!


Block 14 - Nearly Insane Quilt

Moving onto Block 14.  I have used a lot of the 'Mama Said Sew' collection by Sweetwater, which was the collection that really got me going with the whole red and white theme for this quilt.  I originally had a layer cake, and I am near the end of my Red Hoops for that one.

Just 33 pieces, so quick to come together.


Block 14 - Nearly Insane Quilt

  Also working on secret Christmas gifts at the moment ...

NUMBER OF PIECES:  33
DIFFICULTY: 2/10
SMALLEST PIECE: Triangle, 3" (76mm) x 1 7/16" (40mm) x 1 7/16" (40mm)
LARGEST PIECE: Square, 1/2"  (13mm) x 1/2"  (13mm)
TECHNIQUE: English Paper Piecing (EPP)
FABRICS:
Christmas Past  (14547) by Polly Minick and Lauri Simpson for Moda
Cream Bias Check Mama Said Sew by Sweetwater for Moda  #5495 11
Red Hoops (5493-31) Mama Said Sew Collection, Sweetwater for Moda
Red dot (unidentified)

Nearly Insane Quilt - Draw 16

Salinda Rupp Quilt Blocks (Nearly Insane)

Here are Blocks 49, 66 and 81, and with the latest round of Nearly Insane blocks finished, it is time for the next draw, which are ....

14 - 29 - 56 - 95

 

I haven't had a chance to look at them yet, but over the weekend, I hope I will be able to make a start on them.

November 2013 - Red Berries

Unusually for mid-November, most of the trees still have their autumn colours, and we have had a few unexpected sunny days where they have looked really beautiful against the blue sky.  The bushes are also thick with red berries. However, we have had our first frost this week, and it looks like we finally have the start of winter here I the UK.



Fabadashery - Celtic Solstice Quilt Fabric Stash

Along with the winter comes Bonnie Hunter's Mystery Quilt.  This is what my fabric stash for the quilt is currently looking like, since I last wrote about it.  Plenty of green, yellow and pink, but struggling on softer / tangerine oranges.  However, over at Sparrow in Flight, there is a Givewaway - FOR INTERNATIONALS ONLY, sponsored by Fluffy Sheep Quilting, where I see they have a great range of orange fabric.


Suzi the Cat - waiting patiently ...

Suzi loved doing the Easy Street Quilt last year and can't believe that there are still two weeks to wait before we can print off the first set of instructions!

Joining up with Crazy Mom Quilt!

Nearly Insane Quilt - Block 66

Block 66 - Nearly Insane Quilt

I have a lot of 'proper' work to do today, so I thought I would just finish this block off quickly at the start of the day, so that my sewing fix was satiated.  I started it last night during the final episode of Downton Abbey, but was too tired to get the whole thing finished, despite the extended episode.


'Nearly Insane' book by Liz Lois, Block 66

This is what the pattern of this block looks like in the 'Nearly Insane' book by Liz Lois. I was a bit disappointed when this block was drawn as it only had a few pieces, but somehow I think I have managed to turn it around.  I think the key is to use a good variety of different fabrics, which makes the block look more complex than it really is.  Although the block only has 29 pieces, I have used four different fabrics.


Cherry Sketch, Timeless Treasures

That Cherry Sketch fabric is in there - look out for a lot more of it the forthcoming blocks too!  Looking online that particular print comes in a wide range of colours, some tone on tone, others with a white background.  For this quilt, in particular, it is working well as a medium tone blender.

I have a few Christmas projects on the go at the moment, and I am cranking up for the Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt in a few weeks, so I am pleased that I have still managed to keep churning these lovely little blocks out. 

Today I am joining up with a new Link PArty  - the Splish, Splash Stash EPP linky party, recommended to me by Kristin, and also Judy at Design Wall Monday.

NUMBER OF PIECES:  29
DIFFICULTY: 1/10
SMALLEST PIECE: Triangle, 1 1/2" (38m) x 1" (27mm) x 1" (27mm)
LARGEST PIECE: Square,  1 1/2" (38m) x 1 1/2" (538m)
TECHNIQUE: English Paper Piecing (EPP)
FABRICS:
Somerset Shirtings c 1890 by Julie Hendrickson and Nancy Gere, Windham Fabrics # 35205
Cherry Sketch Basic Collection by Timeless Treasures #C8224
Days Gone By for Exclusively Quilters
Red Garden Pindot by Michael Miller Fabrics 

Nearly Insane Quilt - Block 30 (Revisted)

Nearly Insane Quilt - Progress October 2013

I have shown you this picture before, it is the latest review of my Nearly Insane Quilt progress.  I have looked at it a gazillion times, and each time the block which is marked, jumps out at me. 

BEFORE: Block 30, Nearly Insane Quilt

Block 30 is a nice block on its own, but when placed with the other blocks, the red is dominating.  The block needs to be sorted, and I have known this for a long time.



Unpicking Block 30 - Nearly Insane Quilt

Finally I have got around to unpicking it and redesigning it.  There are a few of the early blocks which I have considered doing differently, but this one in particular was not working visually with the overall quilt.  I hope this is not the thin end of the wedge, with regard to redoing blocks!

AFTER: Block 30, Nearly Insane Quilt

So here is the block after its makeover.  It is much lighter, but still maintains its contrast.  It is easy to put off this sort of thing, but it actually only took a short time to change the strips and sew it all back together. I am looking forward to the next Nearly Insane review to see how it looks.
 

Nearly Insane Quilt - Block 81

Block 81, Nearly Insane Quilt

Here is another red and white block for the Nearly Insane Quilt.  They are quietly getting done, and with just 41 pieces, this one was relatively painless.  My new 'favourite' fabric is  the 'Sketch Basic' cross-hatch fabric by Timeless Treasures.  It is a great medium tone for the blocks.  Medium tones have been quite hard to find on this journey.


Reverse - English Paper Piecing

For a  bit of variety, I have included a picture of the reverse of the block, showing the English Paper Piecing (EPP), and all my numbering to make sure each piece is put in the right place.

I have also spent some time this week building up my stash for my 'Celtic Solstice' Mystery Quilt, starting on 29th November.  I'm still looking for 'tangerine' orange, but it is quite elusive in the shops in my area.

Sparky 1995 - 2013

Sadly this week I have also had to say goodbye to one of my feline quilting helpers.  Sparky was over 18 years old, but pretty much 'lived the dream' in cat world throughout his whole life.  He will be missed.

NUMBER OF PIECES:  41
DIFFICULTY: /10
SMALLEST PIECE: Triangle, 1 1/2" (38m) x 1" (27mm) x 1" (27mm)
LARGEST PIECE: Square,  1 1/2" (38m) x 1 1/2" (538m)
TECHNIQUE: English Paper Piecing (EPP)
FABRICS:
Cherry Sketch Basic Collection by Timeless Treasures #C8224
Holiday Treats Red Packed Peppermints by Timeless Treasures
"Days Gone By" Exclusively Quilters (Rose Print)
Red Star on white
Red with white pindot (unknown)

  

Nearly Insane Quilt - Block 49

Block 49 - Nearly Insane Quilt

I said that the blocks from Draw 15 did not have many pieces.  I was clearly deluding myself, as this block has taken more time than I thought it would to put together.  No wonder, as I count up the pieces they total 100.  Just for being time consuming it gets 5/10 for difficulty.

English Paper Piecing, Nearly Insane Quilt Block 49

The half square triangles in the centre are half inch square, so just that centre block has 64 pieces in it.  I find that at half an inch, the pieces are just about easy enough to handle, but if they get any smaller it does become a bit tiresome, in which case I have tended to switch to foundation piecing.

When I am covering the template pieces, I always trim off as much as possible to reduce the bulk and weight of the final quilt - every bit counts.  After all, this quilt is going to need quilting one day ...


Looking at the original pattern for the block, it is another which I have altered.  The HST combination in the original is all over the place, so I have twisted and turned some to make a new pattern.  It's amazing what you can do in Electric Quilt software. Indeed, this is quite a clever block, and if you had the whim, by rearranging the direction of the centre half square triangles, and the colour combinations you could make a whole quilt using this block, with each one looking very different.  I can't currently think of a reason why I would need to do that, I guess I am just stating its potential.

Since it has taken a while to finish, I am joining up with Crazy Mom Quilts.

NUMBER OF PIECES:  100
DIFFICULTY: 5/10
SMALLEST PIECE: Triangle, 3/4"  (18mm) x 1/2" (12mm) x 1/2" (12mm)
LARGEST PIECE: Rectangle, 3 3/8"  (86mm) x  7/8" (21mm)
TECHNIQUE: English Paper Piecing (EPP)
FABRICS:
Designer Beads (Red) Freespirit for Westminster Fibers
Polka Party III by Holly Holderman, Lakehouse Drygoods #03035
Cherry Sketch Basic Collection by Timeless Treasures #C8224
Red Garden Pindot by Michael Miller Fabrics

Nearly Insane Quilt - Draw 15

Nearly Insane Draw 14 - Blocks 19, 50 and 58

I love doing these little sets of blocks, its a quick reminder of the diversity of the patterns and fabrics that I am using, and how a scrappy mix always seems to work. 
The next few blocks are

49 - 66 - 81 - 88

I have had a quick look at them, and some seem to have just a few pieces, which strangely I find more difficult in making the fabric choice for.  The half edge block 88, is the other half of the previous basket block I completed - I just need to remember to make sure I do the left side of the block!

Bonnie Hunter's 2013 Mystery Quilt - Celtic Solstice Introduction

Last week Bonnie Hunter over at Quiltville released her 2013 Mystery Quilt, which she is calling Celtic Solstice.  I have pretty much been looking forward to doing her next 'Mystery Quilt', since I completed the last one, 'Easy Street', in January.  With all the hand stitching that goes on here at Fabadashery throughout the year, machining a quilt over the holidays is a real change for me, as I get to sit on the sewing machine and see a whole quilt come together in just a few weeks.

'Celtic Solstice' 2013 Mystery Quilt colour scheme

With colours inspired from her trip to Ireland earlier this year, Bonnie has chosen a bright blue, bright green, bright yellow, orange and neutral colour combination.  The fabric colours above are my interpretation, taken from my stash. Also, she has also provided fabric yardage for two sizes of quilt.  I love the idea of doing the large size, but I need another large quilt to quilt like a hole in the head, so I think I will be opting for the smaller size this time around.

Last year for the Easy Street Mystery Quilt, I mixed up the colour scheme a bit, using warm reds, purples, greens, and tan.  I was really pleased with the result, and it makes for a lovely winter quilt.  However, when I pulled it out in the heat of the summer to show a friend the colours just looked WRONG for that time of year.  Since then I have had it in my head to do Bonnie's 2013 Mystery Quilt in a summer colour scheme. If I am honest I have had this colour scheme in mind for a quilt all year, so whatever Bonnie chose, I was going to adapt it to the colours I have been building up in my stash!


Celtic Solstice Quilt - Colour Alternative

I will be using lime green, yellow, tangerine and soft pink. Comparing the colours in Bonnie's Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt, I still have green, yellow and orange, but have shifted it around the colour wheel towards red / pink instead of the blue, and as you can see, my fabrics are less saturated in colour. 


Colour Wheel

Also, I noticed that the two greatest amounts of yardage are the blue and orange - opposites on the colour wheel.  Oh dear, I am trying to second guess the outcome of Celtic Solstice already!

2 Peak in 1 Ruler - Creative Grids

Like last time we will be using the Easy Angle Ruler, and this time Bonnie is introducing the Tri-Recs Rulers.  Again, I don't have these, but I do have what I believe to be the Creative Grids alternative, the 2 peaks in 1 Ruler.  Do you think this will be OK?

With the colour scheme sorted, the next dilemma I have is to set up a Leaders and Enders project ... 

Nearly Insane Quilt - Edge Block 98

Edge Block 98 - Nearly Insane Quilt

In the Nearly Insane Quilt, the blocks are set on point, so as a result there are these half triangles on the edge. Despite having done fourteen of these edge blocks, this is the first 'star' one I have done.  Each one is repeated twice, and I have found that they tend to be more standard blocks, and that they are perhaps not quite as challenging as those I have faced with the full blocks.

Half Canoe Block Cornerstones, Nearly Insane Quilt 2013

Alongside the half blocks are the half cornerstones, which I mentioned I had been working on in my post last week.  The cornerstones are 2 inch blocks, so when cut in half diagonally, the red triangles are REALLY thin - too thin for even me!  So this is why they are still full size on these half blocks - I will sort the excess when I come to it.


Nearly Insane Quilt - Set on Point

To give you an idea of how all this comes together, here is a mini layout, with the edges, cornerstones and sashing.  I really am itching to start getting this quilt together, but there just aren't enough blocks done yet.

NUMBER OF PIECES:  18
DIFFICULTY: 2/10
SMALLEST PIECE: Triangle, 3/4"  (18mm) x 1/2" (12mm) x 1/2" (12mm)
LARGEST PIECE: Triangle, 13  (76mm) x  2 1/8" (54mm) x 2 1/8" (54mm)
TECHNIQUE: English Paper Piecing (EPP)
FABRICS:
Kimono Ditzy (843) by Henley Studio, Makower UK
Pom Pom de Paris by French General for Moda #13575-13
Designer Beads (Red) Freespirit for Westminster Fibers

Nearly Insane Quilt - Block 58

Block 58 - Nearly Insane Quilt

I love the visual effect of pinwheels.  The original Block 58, had a half square triangle arrangement which didn't make much sense to me, so I have used my initiative and tidied it up to make the centre panel pinwheels. I think I have also changed the proportions of some of the shapes too, however, it somehow still ends up having more pieces than the original.  I pushed the boat out on the stripes too!

As you know, I EPP (English Paper Piece) my blocks together, so my photos always have the tacking thread in them still.  I am sorry for the green tacking thread - I don't think you get to see the blocks at their best.  When I put the blocks and sashing together, I like the rigidity that the paper gives, so the paper and the tacking usually stay in until the very end.

Autumn leaves, October 2013

Also, this weekend the clocks go back for Winter.  In the last week Autumn has arrived with vengeance and they are predicting bad storms in the next few days.  Besides the weather, it makes it difficult to take good photographs for the blog, as they are usually indoors, and artificial light often plays tricks on the colours.  I think it calls for a bit more creative imaginations on my part ...

Anyway, here is the summary of this block.  As I said, mine has a few more pieces than the original, but with this one done, I can start thinking about Draw 15.  Joining up with Confessions of a Fabric Addict and  Crazy Mom Quilts, for my finish this week. 

NUMBER OF PIECES: 56
DIFFICULTY: 3/10
SMALLEST PIECE: Triangle 1" (25mm) x 3/4" (18mm) x 3/4" (18mm)
LARGEST PIECE: Rectangle 2 3/4" (72mm) x 3/4 (18mm)
TECHNIQUE: English Paper Piecing (EPP)
FABRICS:  White on Cream Print
Red and White thin stripe (unidentified)
Red with white pindot (unidentified)