Nearly Insane Quilt - 1st Anniversary Review

Fabadashery - Nearly Insane Quilt , February 2014

It is exactly one year since I started my journey on the Nearly Insane quilt.   This morning I have laid out all the pieces on the floor, so I can get an overview of how I am doing.  I have done 59 blocks which represents nearly 70% of the quilt. Doing a few sums I reckon I have another 6 months to go on the quilt - so August 2014.


Red and white Nearly Insane Quilt

You would think that I would be tempted to lay it out more often, but it took ages to place all the bits and pieces.  As soon as I can, I hope to start sewing some blocks together, but at the moment there always seems to be a piece of the puzzle missing. For now, just having a photographic record will suffice - I know my photos will be the source of much contemplation over the next few weeks.  

Glass half full? Glass half empty?

You can see from this photo how much I have left to do - all English paper pieced.  I am pretty much up to date with the sashing, but even with my 12 Days of Sewing over Christmas, I still have lots of cornerstones to do.  Part of me is pleased with the progress, the other part is frustrated with how little time I have to work on it, so I can move onto the next project.


Sashing, cornerstones and blocks - Nearly Insane Quilt

Here are the statistics for the quilt so far ....

Blocks = 59

Edge blocks = 20

Cornerstones =44

Half Cornerstone = 11

Sashes = 135

Border Units = 13

And here are the sums for how many pieces I have done so far. 

Blocks and Edge Blocks = 3424

Cornerstones = 396

Half Cornerstones = 66

Sashes = 135

Border Units = 52

TOTAL = 4073

Electric Quilt EQ5 - Nearly Insane Quilt

From the Electric Quilt image, you can see that the quilt is filling up with the blocks.  I have also spent a bit of time adjusting the borders, so that the chevron border appears less heavy. I think this stage is the hardest part. 

I can see the end in sight, but currently I feel in a hurry to get it done.  Lately my sewing time has really been curtailed by my day job, and I am eager to be working on other projects, but I am quite disciplined when it comes to finishing projects, before starting the next.  I could really do with a sewing retreat.

 

Nearly Insane Quilt - Edge Block 94

Edge Block 94 - Nearly Insane Quilt

The two most recent draws have both pulled out edge block 94, so I will showcase them together in this post.  In the quilt, a block is split in half to make up two separate edge blocks, which are placed on opposite sides in the original quilt.  

Edge Block 94 - Nearly Insane Quilt

Again, these blocks have been done whilst watching the 2014 Sochi Olympics. With only 18 pieces each, they were quick to do, and after a slow few weeks, I finally feel as if I have moved this quilt along.

Edge Block 94 - Nearly Insane Quilt

It is almost a year since I posted my first block on my Nearly Insane journey. I think we are due an Anniversary review ...

NUMBER OF PIECES:  18
DIFFICULTY: 2/10
SMALLEST PIECE: Triangle 3/4" (18mm) x 1/2" (13mm) x 1/2" (13mm)
LARGEST PIECE: Triangle 3 " (77mm) x 2 1/8" (54mm) x 2 1/8" (54mm)
TECHNIQUE: English Paper Piecing (EPP)
FABRICS:
Tried and True Raindrops Garnet(04273) by Nanacy Halvorsen, Benartex
Polka Party III by Holly Holderman, Lakehouse Drygoods #03035
Redwork Rendevous by Alex Anderson for P&B Textiles
Quilter's Memory", Stof Quilter's Basics #4517-118
The Block in Apple Red Mama Said Sew by Sweetwater for Moda  #5491-11
Apple Line Red Swirl by Alice Kennedy for Timeless Treasures  # C5710
Homeschool Mini Mono Floral Red, LB Krueger for Windham Fabrics SKU# 35182-3
Solid Red

Nearly Insane Quilt - Block 8

Block 8  - Nearly Insane Quilt

Thank goodness for the Winter Olympics.  It has been an excuse to sit in front of the television, stay inside from the rain, and catch up on some hand sewing.  I finished this block watching Jenny Jones win bronze for the Ladies Slopestyle for Team GB.  In blogland, there is a lot of talk about the patchwork logo being used for the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics, and if you pop over to the Patriotic Quilter, she has also given details about the patchwork designs on the USA snowboarders outfits - great stuff!

It feels like a long time since I finished a block.  I will give you the full details when I tell you about Block 45... Block 8 has almost 200 pieces in it - 193 in total.  When I had the whole pile of pieces in front of me, I knew I had a long job ahead of me, but it was fun seeing the blocks within a block emerge.  There are little pieces in this one, the smallest being 3/16th (9.5mm) square.  When designing this one, I have added pieces here, and taken them away in other parts.

Block 8 (reverse)  - Nearly Insane Quilt

This photo shows the back of the block, so you can see the English paper piecing. The blocks with lots of tiny pieces in them, have a lovely malleable feel to them when they are complete.  This block does not feel as if it has stiff paper in it, but as if I have created a beautiful soft new fabric.  I'll enjoy it whilst I can, I know I will need tweezers to remove the paper!



Block 8 - Nearly Insane Quilt

Lots of pieces, but lots of detail  - I love the block like that.

NUMBER OF PIECES:  193
DIFFICULTY: 3/10
SMALLEST PIECE: Square  3/16" (9.5mm) x 3/16" (9.5mm)
LARGEST PIECE: Square  1" (25mm) x 1" (25mm)
TECHNIQUE: English Paper Piecing (EPP)
FABRICS:
Red and White Stripe (Unidentified)
Red Garden Pindot by Michael Miller Fabrics 
Cherry Sketch Basic Collection by Timeless Treasures #C8224
Tried and True Raindrops Garnet(04273) by Nanacy Halvorsen, Benartex
Christmas Past  (14547) by Polly Minick and Lauri Simpson for Moda
Polka Party III by Holly Holderman, Lakehouse Drygoods #03035

Red and White Quilts - Sew Cal Gal Quilt Show

Red and White Pinwheel Quilt, July 2013

Over at Sew Cal Gal, they are hosting a  "Year of Red and White Quilt Challenges".  Red and white quilts?  Here? On this blog? For once, it looks like Fabadashery has lucked out!


Red and White Pinwheel Quilt

Starting off with a Quilt Show of Quilts Made Prior to 2014, I am offering up my Red and White Pinwheel Quilt. Regular readers will be familiar with it.  It was a BIG FINISH for me last summer and it was displayed in the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham.  The design was my own, inspired by antique quilts.  I did draw up the design in Electric Quilt for reference, but mainly I just muddled along.  The reverse is a red and white spotted Laura Ashley fabric, which had been lingering in my stash for many years.

Red and White Pinwheel Quilt

The quilt was hand stitched using the English paper piecing method, and hand quilted. Red is probably my favourite colour.  Red also has a tendency to bleed - but see how vibrant the red stands out against the white - it is all thanks to the Colour Catcher.

Suzi the cat under the Red and White Pinwheel Quilt

Meanwhile, I have been working on my Red and White Nearly Insane Quilt (which is due a 1 Year Anniversary reveal soon ...).  I hope I will be joining up with Sew Cal Gal again later the year.

Bonnie Hunter's Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt 2013 - Update

Bonnie Hunter's Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt 2013

I just had a call from my sister reminding me that there was a Link UP for Bonnie Hunter's Celtic Solstice 2013 Mystery Quilt today, so I thought I had better put up a post.

Bonnie Hunter's Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt 2013

I haven't done anything more to the quilt since you last saw it at the beginning of January, but I have been busy sourcing a suitable binding and backing for it.

'California Girl' line by Fig Tree and Co for Moda

The fabric I have found for the back is part of the 'California Girl' line by Fig Tree and Co for Moda.  I had used a yellow colour way of this print in the actual quilt, but had originally only bought a fat quarter.  Once I saw this lighter background, I decided it would be perfect for the back.  The range was distributed several years ago, and I have spent quite a lot of time sourcing it on the internet.  Several shops had it, but no more.  Some shops still have it, but only in small yardage, which will not be enough for a back.  As a result I have had to buy bits from here and there, and slowly they are arriving in packages in the post.  Once it has all arrived, I just need to get some wadding and there is nothing to stop me starting the quilting ....

Nearly Insane Quilt - Draw 20

I have done NO sewing this week.  I have been busy at work.  In a spare moment, I have indulged in a bit of Pinterest.  I have a board 'A Lifetime of Quilts To Make' to which I have added a few quilts. However, with the progress I have made this week, I am going to need more than one lifetime! Oh well ... back to the latest Nearly Insane update. 

Red and White Nearly Insane Blocks - Draw 19

This round has been one of the easiest, especially Block 31 which only had twenty pieces in it.  It was almost like a normal quilt block!

6" quilt block

It is always difficult to portray the actual size of things on the internet, so here is one of the 6" Nearly Insane blocks adjacent to my 6" square ruler.

The next blocks are as follows

3 - 8 - 45 - 94

 No promises when these will get done.

Nearly Insane Quilt - Block 31

Block 31 - Nearly Insane Quilt

It feels as if this block has the least pieces in it so far, at just 20.  Looking back through the blog from the past year, in fact I have had some with less. The original of this one has 24, but my final design had two square blocks next to each other which were the same, so I merged them.  I have added pieces in other blocks, so I thought it was fair enough.

You would think that just 20 pieces would make it easier, but I find the blocks with just a few pieces in them, far more challenging to select fabrics for.  I came back to this one several times, and even now, I am not quite satisfied with it.  The next one I am working on has over 150 pieces and I am much happier!

NUMBER OF PIECES:  20
DIFFICULTY: 1/10
SMALLEST PIECE: Rectangle 3" (76mm) x 1 1/2" (38mm)
LARGEST PIECE: Triangle, 2 1/16" (59mm) x 1 1/2" (38mm) x 1 1/2" (38mm)
TECHNIQUE: English Paper Piecing (EPP)
FABRICS:
Days Gone By for Exclusively Quilters (Rose Print & Cherry Print)
Berry Falling Snow by Kate Spain for Moda #27127-11

Nearly Insane Quilt - Block 38

Block 38, Nearly Insane Quilt

It has just gone 16:30 here in the UK, and I rushed outside to take a picture of the latest Nearly Insane block before the natural daylight faded completely.  As I write this the sun is just setting. Miraculously, the photo doesn't look as if it is mid-winter here! The red cherries in this block certainly cheer up the gloomy days. The blocks lately have been quite easy to do, with less that fifty pieces in them.  I think the next one only has about twenty pieces.


Block 38, Nearly Insane Quilt

Sometimes it is only once I have put the block together that I think that a bit of fussy cutting on some of the fabrics may have improved the overall look.  However, when I am actually cutting the fabric, I am desperately trying to use every last inch, which isn't always compatible with fancy cuts.  Also, I want to thank you for tolerating the green tacking thread in my blocks as we go along the journey.  For some reason I feel this block in particular will be greatly improved once the tacking thread is out, but there is still a way to go before that momentous occasion.


NUMBER OF PIECES:  45
DIFFICULTY: 1/10
SMALLEST PIECE: Square 1/2" (13mm) x 1/2" (13mm)
LARGEST PIECE: Square  1 1/2" (38mm) x 1 1/2" (38mm)
TECHNIQUE: English Paper Piecing (EPP)
FABRICS:
Calico
Fine red stripe, Stof Quilters Basic
Days Gone By for Exclusively Quilters
Cream Pin Dot (Unidentified)
Gingham by The Henley Studio for Makower #920 

Christmas sewing stuff

I haven't had time to update you with some of the goodies I received at Christmas which I have added to my sewing stash.


'Floral Gatherings' Layer Cake, by Primitive Gatherings for Moda

Firstly, I managed to finally get my hands on a 'Floral Gatherings' Layer Cake, by Primitive Gatherings for Moda.  These are available in the USA and Australia, according to the internet, but have yet to reach UK shores.  It is one of those ranges that I have had my eye on for months, and I think my Mother picked them up in a flash sale at the Fat Quarter Shop, which helps a bit with the international shipping.  There is also a 'Floral gatherings Shirtings' range, again, which seems to be taking an age to get to the UK, which I am still waiting for.  Both sets have small floral prints on them (as the name suggests!).  In particular there are some red and white prints which I was keen to get my hands on.


Book - Civil War Sewing Circle by Kathleen Tracy

My SIL gave me a book by Kathleen Tracy, 'Civil War Sewing Circle', which has lots of projects in it.  There are lots of small projects in this book which have caught my eye, which I could use the Floral Gatherings for and other Primitive Gatherings prints.


Miniature Quilt Display Stand

Back in the summer at the Festival of Quilts I bought myself a present, a stand to display miniature quilts.  It would hold a quilt 12" by 12.5".  As yet I don't have any miniature quilts to display, but as you can see from the above, everything is in place to make it happen.

Nearly Insane Quilt - Block 77

Block 77, Nearly Insane Quilt

I had some fun with this block. It's scrappy, and I played about with the design to achieve the cross design, instead of the more traditional star design. Below is this is the pattern for Block 77 from the Nearly Insane Quilt pattern book by Liz Lois.  The first pattern that jumps out is the Ohio Star pattern, but I will admit that some of the star blocks in the Nearly Insane quilt so far have not been my favourite.  So with a bit of time on my Electric Quilt software, and some creative adaptations to the block, I came up with the above pattern.

Block 77 Pattern, Nearly Insane book, Liz Lois

After the Christmas festivities, I am back in the swing with these blocks now.  Just as well as Sew Cal Gal is hosting A Year of Red and White Challenges.  At the moment I feel I am ahead, with my Red and White Pinwheel Quilt and the Nearly Insane Quilt, but by the end of the year, I think the hand stitching approach may let me down. He ho.


Suzi the cat in the sun

We have had some miserable weather lately, but today the sun is out, and if you find a nice warm spot, like Suzi has, feeling the warmth of the sun on you is quite pleasant.  Also, this is a good reason to join in the Feline Friday extravaganza over at Sarah Did It!  last year Suzi won the feline prize - a catnip toy - it comes highly recommended.

NUMBER OF PIECES:  33
DIFFICULTY: 1/10
SMALLEST PIECE: Triangle  11/16" (18mm) x 1/2" (13mm) x 1/2" (13mm)
LARGEST PIECE: Triangle  3" (76mm) x 2 1/16" (54mm) x 2 1/16" (54mm)
TECHNIQUE: English Paper Piecing (EPP)
FABRICS:
Red and White Scraps