Other Quilting news ...

With the Celtic Mystery Quilt, the Nearly Insane blocks, the preparation for the holidays I didn't had much time for blogging before Christmas, and there are a few things I wanted to catch up on.


'Quilting Wide Open Spaces' by Judi Madsen

Firstly, I finally received my copy of 'Quilting Wide Open Spaces' by Judi Madsen, of Green Fairy Quilts.  I ordered it back in the summer, but there were delays on the printing, so I have been waiting quite a long time for it - but not as much as Judi had to wait for her first published book!  The book is about quilting with a long arm quilting machine.  I don't have a long arm machine, and tend to hand quilt most of my quilts, but I have always been amazed by the beautiful custom machine quilting that Judi does, as it is so neat and well thought out. I could be converted ...

Finally, some very sad news.  A few days ago I found out that my favourite local quilt shop, Busy Bees in Newport, Wales, had had a serious fire during the night, and it looks like EVERYTHING has been destroyed.  I can't imagine how heart-broken the owners must feel.  I had just started attending a Worker Bees group there once a month, and some of the fabrics in my Celtic Solstice quilt were purchased from there, so I had only visited there quite recently.  It makes you realise what an important role LQS's have in building your local sewing community.
 

Day 1 - Twelve Days of Sewing at Fabadashery

Nearly Insane Quilt, Block 69 - In Progress

As promised, I have started my Twelve Days of Sewing.  The main aim is to get some of those cornerstone canoe blocks done, and as you can see I am on course for that. 
I have also put some time into the next Nearly Insane block.  The majority of this was done during the two hour Downton Abbey Christmas Special, whilst we waited for a plot line to emerge...
Since I have a bit of time off work, I will also keep you up to date with what sewing I am up to.  As you know I have my Nearly Insane project, and the Celtic Solstice on the go.  I still have a few gifts that need a final touch, and some other UFOs that need to be done before  the end of 2013.
I will keep it short, as it is 2 o'clock and NO sewing has happened today, so I had better get a move on.

Suzi the Cat, enjoying the sun

If Suzi is in the mood, she reckons she might pose for the twelve days as well.  Today, she is enjoying the winter sun shining through the window, without the inconvenience of getting her pink paws chilled from being outside - beauty and brains!

Happy Christmas

Patchwork Christmas Tree

Happy Christmas!

Nearly Insane Quilt - Block 85

English Paper Piecing - Nearly Insane Quilt, Block 85

Here is a detailed photograph of Block 85 of the Nearly Insane Quilt.  I hope it shows how the block is constructed, compared to the final effect.  You will see that I have used scraps of different fabrics to make up the square inside a square effect, using English paper piecing.

Block 85, Nearly Insane Quilt

Again, this block is my latest favourite.  The more scraps I can use, the more I love it, and I like the way the triangles make up the red square.I like the bright red square in the centre, I like the midtone half square triangles around the edge, and the white space.


Construction - Block 85 Nearly Insane Quilt

I am very aware that the Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt eats up a lot of my sewing time at this time of year, so I make sure that any time watching Christmas TV is productive, and Nearly Insane gets moved on.

Canoe Block Cornerstones for Nearly Insane Quilt

After Christmas I have hatched a plan to get a few more of my canoe block cornerstones completed.  I hope to do a "Twelve Days of Christmas Project" where I aim to get just one cornerstone done a day.  That will be twelve more done for the start of the New Year.  They are only small.  It should be easy enough.

NUMBER OF PIECES:  49
DIFFICULTY: 2/10
SMALLEST PIECE: Triangle, 1/2" (13mm) x 3/8" (9mm) x 3/8" (9mm)
LARGEST PIECE: Triangle, 2 1/2" (63mm) x 1 3/4" (44mm) x 1 3/4" (44mm)
TECHNIQUE: English Paper Piecing (EPP)
FABRICS:
Scraps

Part 4 - Bonnie Hunter's Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt 2013

Part 4 - Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt 2013

After sewing all those 4-patches for Part 4 of Bonnie Hunter's Celtic Solstice 2013 Mystery Quilt, it is always fun to play with the blocks and guess the layout.  I must admit I am ready to pull out the green and neutral again, to calm down the overdose of orange, pink and yellow.  It took several sessions to get the 4-patches required for the small quilt, and after the third go, I still have the final count to do.  I hope I have enough - I have presents to wrap! I have presents still to make!


4-Patches for Part 4 Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt 2013

My 4-patches are made up from pink and orange fabrics from my stash, which don't have a lot of contrast, unlike the colour combination of Bonnie's colour scheme.  I hope it works out.  Last year, Bonnie threw a rapid fire finish at us, and it caught me unawares, so I am determined to make sure all my blocks are trimmed and in order as we approach the end of December.


Part 4 - Celtic Solstice Quilt, Twosies

Bonnie shared a quick method to pair up the twosies for this stage, but I must admit I like to pretend I can mix the pairs up manually to avoid any repeats, so I did it the old fashioned way.  Obviously, there will be repeats....

Nearly Insane Quilt - Block 39

Block 39 - Nearly Insane Quilt

Here is another attractive block for the Nearly Insane quilt.  Stripes, scraps, and a bold pattern. A good mix. However, it didn't go as smoothly as I thought it would (especially for just 29 pieces and mainly square shapes!)  I had mixed some pieces up and I was trying to line up two pieces that clearly didn't belong together - something was wrong.  I put it away for a few days until I knew I had the time and patience to unravel what had happened. All sorted now.


Block 39 - Nearly Insane Quilt

Also at the weekend I had a 'shout out' over at the "in hand EPP link party",  where you can see lots of English paper piecing - lots of busy people using found moments to get a bit of stitching done, creating wonderful masterpieces.  I always carry my stitching with me, as you never know when you may have some time on your hands.  A traffic jam, getting stuck in a lift, waiting for a train - all of these are attractive scenarios when you have your stitching at hand. Today for the first time in AGES, I left the house without my little bag of sewing.  Once I realised, it made me feel quite anxious.  I know Sarah had a similar experience a few weeks ago.


Clover Clamshell Case

BTW - Did any of you see the 'Great British Sewing Bee - Christmas Special' last night?  Stuart made one of the clamshell accessories cases that I made a few months ago.  He was using it as a hanging Christmas decoration - a great idea!

NUMBER OF PIECES:  29
DIFFICULTY: 3/10
SMALLEST PIECE: Square, 11/16" (18mm) x 11/16" (18mm)
LARGEST PIECE: Square,  5/8" (16mm) x 5/8" (16mm)
TECHNIQUE: English Paper Piecing (EPP)
FABRICS:
Scraps and Calico

Part 3 - Bonnie Hunter's Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt 2013

Part 3 - Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt - Pinwheels

Are you enjoying Bonnie's Mystery Quilt as much as I am?  I can't believe we are into week 3 already.  This week it has been half square triangles and pinwheels.  I love pinwheels, as you can see here, and here.  Also, I am enjoying my cheerful colour scheme, especially on a day like today, when it has been so dark and dreary.

Part 3  Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt - HSTs

These are the only four pinwheels I have done so far.  I dithered over the number of pieces I had to cut out.  I must admit that cutting out the pieces and lining them up is my favourite bit.


Cutting from strips - Celtic Solstice Quilt

Bonnie is always referring to queries from her reader about how long the strips should be when cutting out, so I thought I would show you my selection.  You can see that they vary - a lot! Some are charms squares, some are the width the fabric comes off the bolt.  There is no science to it, I just make an estimate of how many strips I need, and cut more if I am short.

Part 2 - Celtic Solstice Quilt - Chevrons

I got really behind last week, and even though I had cut out the pieces, Bonnie had published Part 3 before I had really started sewing Part 2.  I was determined to keep up, so this weekend has been a bit of a catch-up, but all my chevrons are now complete.  I took time to press each piece in the right direction and it paid off when I started sewing them together.


1 1/2" triangles - Off-cuts

After all the trimming of the chevrons of Part 2, I have accumulated the inevitable pile of 1 1/2" triangles.  I still have the off-cuts from a similar exercise we did for the Easy Street Mystery Quilt. What did I do with them?  I would love to say I have converted them into placemats for Christmas gifts, but no, they have gone in the bin. One less thing to worry about in 2014!

Nearly Insane Quilt - Block 59

It was almost a month ago since I asked for all your opinions for the colour choice of Block 59. It is only now that I have finally got around to getting it together.  Thank you for your thoughts.  In the end I went with Joann, Carole and Tubakk, and have made No 4.


Block 59, Nearly Insane Quilt

Today, I have just started getting ready for Christmas.  The Christmas decorations have been taken down from the attic and the Christmas cards are finally in the pipeline.  I would love to be doing more blocks for this quilt.  I would love to be catching up with Bonnie Hunter's Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt, but at the moment there are other priorities.


Block 59, Nearly Insane Quilt

There are only 33 pieces in this block.  It was easy to make. Just not so easy to find the time.  Roll on the Christmas break.

NUMBER OF PIECES:  33
DIFFICULTY: 1/10
SMALLEST PIECE: Square, 11/16" (18m) x 11/16" (18mm)
LARGEST PIECE: Square,  1 13/8" (36m) x 1 13/8" (36m)
TECHNIQUE: English Paper Piecing (EPP)
FABRICS:
Cherry Sketch Basic Collection by Timeless Treasures #C8224
Ivory on Red Cameo Bud Yardage # 14764 Midwinter Reds by Minick and Simpson, Moda
Apple Red on Cream Sewing Guide Mama Said Sew by Sweetwater for Moda  #5490 11
Zig Zag Chevron Stripe Fabric in Cream Red 5498-31, Sweetwater Mama Said Sew, Moda
Calico

Part 2 - Bonnie Hunter's Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt 2013

Part 2 - Bonnie Hunter's Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt 2013

I have been away over the weekend, so getting Part 2 of Celtic Solstice done has not been so easy.  It felt like an age waiting for the second part to be released, so to avoid disappointment, I took my fabric with me and I managed to get most of the pieces cut.  Most of the fabric is prepared, but these are the only four units I have sewn together so far.  I have already learnt that you need to concentrate to sew the right side of the line, that the diagonals have to be in the right direction and that you need to sew the two neutral triangles together.  Let's say its a job that needs a bit of concentration.


Part 2 - Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt - Chevrons

Now, my hunch is that theses chevrons are for the border.  I only say that because I am working on a similar one for my Nearly Insane Quilt.  Following this gut feeling I felt that the chevron pattern needed to stand out, so I have switched my yellow and orange around from my original plan.


Part 1 & 2 - Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt

I must admit, I am finding it quite refreshing to have some different colours on the blog besides the red and white of my Nearly Insane Quilt.  It is great that we have  used all our colours already, and I can't wait to see it all come together.

Don't tell Suzi, but I had the help of some old friends.  This is Tiger resting his head against the pile of cut pieces for Part 2 of Celtic Solstice.  Good company, but not as keen on quilting as Suzi - so far.  Below is Pod.  I don't think he moved from this spot all day.

BTW, my sister has decided to join me this year for the Mystery Quilt.  She is using Inklingo.  She showed me what it involved.  She also showed me the shapes of the pieces to come!  Yes, Inklingo users get an insight of all the shapes in the quilt up front!  I am pretending that I never saw it.


Terry's Chocolate Orange

It was lovely to see so many people linking up last Monday at Quiltville.  The blue and orange units reminded me of one of my other favourite things over Christmas!  I hope to get the rest of the units sewn up during the week, ready for Part 3 on Friday.
 

Nearly Insane Quilt - Draw 17

Blocks 14, 29 and 56 - Nearly Insane Quilt

Another few blocks done, and time for the next Draw.  The next blocks are ...

39 - 59 - 85 - 98

Nearly Insane - Edge Blocks

Here are some of the recent edge blocks

With the paper still in them, the blocks have an attractive crunch to them, which made them hard for Suzi to resist.
Joining up with Feline Friday.