Nearly Insane Quilt - Block 76, visits Giverny, France

Monet's Garden, Giverny, France
Nearly Insane Quilt, Block 76

On the journey back through France to the UK we stopped off at the village of Giverny, the former home of the impressionist artist, Claude Monet.  Behind the block you can see the water lilies, the inspiration for many of his most famous paintings. All I can say is that it was extremely busy.  The poor block had been folded up in my pocket for quite a while and is looking a little the worse for wear in the photo. It was a great relief to get it home and give it a good press.

Nearly Insane Quilt, Block 76

Most of the strips are are just 1/4 inch wide. To make my life easier I should have foundation pieced the quilt block, but EPP is a hard habit to break, especially if you are travelling whilst you sew.

This is the last of the blocks which I completed whilst on holiday. Thinking about it, these photos were taken four week ago.  I am catching up on the posts slowly!

NUMBER OF PIECES:  37
DIFFICULTY: 4/10
SMALLEST PIECE: Strip, 1/4"  (6mm) x 1" (25mm)
LARGEST PIECE: Strip, 1/4"  (6mm) x  6" (152mm)
TECHNIQUE: English Paper Piecing (EPP)
FABRICS:
Cherry Sketch Basic Collection by Timeless Treasures #C8224
Red Garden Pindot by Michael Miller Fabrics
Wishes Red on Vanilla Doilies SKU# 5531-14  by Sweetwater, Moda
Tangled Threads in Apple Red on Cream, Mama Said Sew, by Sweetwater for ModaSSS-Silly Safari, Red by Cheri Strole for Moda
Prairie Paisley by Polly Minick and Lauri Simpson for Moda

Doughty's Fabric Roadshow

Doughtys Fabric Roadshow - Thornbury

I have started to think about a colour scheme for a Dear Jane quilt.  Lots of ideas have been auditioned and there are lots of ideas that will work, but it is time to settle on something.  I have had my eye on some Kim Diehl fabrics and searching online I found that Doughtys Fabrics had several from her Hearthside Seasons collection by Henry Glass Fabrics.  A little further searching online and I discovered that Doughtys Fabrics do a roadshow around the UK - and guess what - there was one near me this weekend!  Basically they bring their van full of fabric to a local hall, and fabricoholics queue up to get their fix!  Most fabrics went for £7.00 a metre, with the batiks at £8.00 a metre.


'Hearthside Seasons' by Kim Diehl for Henry Glass

Having done some research online I knew exactly which fabrics I wanted, I just had to hunt for them as the range had been split up amongst the colours.  I managed to find ten different fabrics and along with the new Vintage Farmhouse range that Kim Diehl has just released I think I will have a great colour palette to start my Dear Jane once the Nearly Insane Quilt is done.  I still have to choose my background fabric, but have an idea of what I am looking for whilst I am out and about.

Gwent Quilters Exhibition, Newport, June 2014

It seems to be the 'quilt exhibition' season.  A few weeks ago I visited Newport, Wales, to see a display of over 100 quilts by Gwent Quilters.  Here are a few of the pictures I took.

"Scrappy Triangles" by Brenda Edwards

I must have spent at least ten minutes just gazing at this quilt - I think it is amazing.  Brenda has done a great job.  I have seen it on display before and I was mesmerised by it then.  I recognised it as a scrap quilt design 'Strictly Triangles' available in Katharine Guerrier's book 'Scrap Quilt Sensation'.  I have had the book for ages and just can't decide which quilt I want to do, but Brenda has done a great version with great use of bright yellow to give it some zing.  If you are a fan of Katharine Guierrier, she is having an exhibition of her work at Cynon Valley Museum and Gallery, Aberdare, Wales, 20th July until 19th September 2014.

'Rhapsody in Blue' by Pat Cleary (One Block Wonder Quilt)

At the moment I am slightly obsessed with one-block wonder quilts, and there were quite a few to see at this exhibition.  These are quilts where, with the use of fussy cutting, you can make clever quilts out of one single fabric.  My research so far has worked out that you need to be very selective with the fabric you choose.  I love the colours Pat has chosen. Another one for the 'bucket list'.


'Cosmos' by Maureen Packer

This was a small foundation pieced sampler by Maureen Packer.  It is a pattern by George Sigiliano based in the USA.  I like the dramatic impact the black fabric has against the bright colours.

'Christmas Folded Stars' by Gwyneth Proctor

This elegant hanging is by Gwyneth Proctor.  It was part of a Gwent Quilters Challenge, using cut and fold quilting techniques by Carol Nartowicz. The pattern had a subtle three-dimensional design element, which may be hard to see in the photograph.  I would have never chosen this combination of colours, but I think they work perfectly together.


Scrappy hexagon quilt

Finally, for all the hexagon fans out there, here is a scrappy hexagon quilt.  The hexagons were about 1.5", and the overall quilt about 4' x 5' (this is from memory!).

Chantilly Fat Quarters by Lauren and Jessi Jung for Moda

What is a quilt exhibition without a few purchases?  I bought this little bundle of fat quarters from the Chantilly range by Lauren and Jessi Jung for Moda.  Do you see that red and white spot - how has this fabric avoided my radar over the past 18 months?

Nearly Insane Quilt - Draw 27

Nearly Insane Quilt Blocks 5, 52, 82 - Draw 26

Here are the Nearly Insane blocks from Draw 26 which I completed whilst I was on holiday.  Gauging how much you will get achieved whilst you are away is always difficult.  I would hate to be in a situation where I had run out of sewing!  The build up to the holiday is always combined with preparing the Nearly Insane blocks and the other bits and pieces that go with the quilt, and if I am honest this is more of a priority for me than what actually goes in my suitcase.  I usually cut plenty of cornerstone pieces as I know they can occupy me for hours, but take up very little room.  I usually choose to tack the sashing pieces when we are travelling on the more bumpy and windy roads ...


Zig Zag Border, Sashing and Cornerstones

Along with the blocks are the sashings, the cornerstones, the half cornerstones which go around the edge, as well as the zig zag border.  I have phases where I have a bit of a push of these, knowing I will need them to get the actual quilt together, but I have not kept up with them as well as the blocks.  I hope you don't mind if I use this post to get a grip on this ...
At the moment I have done

162 / 196 (82%)  - Sashings

57 / 87 (65%)  - Cornerstones

18 / 28 Half (64%) - Half Cornerstones

21/80 (26%) - Zig Zag Chevron

So still a bit of a way to go on this, but enough bits to get over half the quilt together.  However there are still blocks to do too.  Here are the next ones in draw

 

34 - 35 - 76 - 93

After these are done there are just 4 blocks left to do of the 85 total.

Linking up with Slow Stitching Sunday at Kathy's Quilts

Nearly Insane Quilt - Block 52



Block 52 - Nearly Insane Quilt

Block 52 of the Nearly Insane quilt was one of the lucky ones to travel with us on our tour in Europe.  Sadly, it never got to have its picture taken by a landmark as when I put it together I realised that I was one tiny square of fabric missing.   It had to wait until we got back home to be completed.


Block 52 - Nearly Insane Quilt

If any of you have done the Nearly Insane quilt, I don't expect you will recognise this block.  At its heart it is based on the original block used by Salinda Rupp in the 1870s, but nearly 150 years on it has evolved into this, at my hands.  I won't even go into the details of how I changed it - it is completely transformed thanks to my Electric Quilt Software. If the Nearly Insane Quilt Police arrive - I'm busted!

Reverse Block 52 - Nearly Insane Quilt

It seems a while since I have done a picture of the back of a block, so here is one for your inspection.  The papers are still in.  The papers are still in because I know in the next few months I will be putting this beauty together, on point, and I have a *few* concerns about bias.  The papers will keep it rigid enough until that is sorted. 

It feels like I have been on this journey a long time, but I am still surprised when people write to me only just realising that it is all hand pieced using the English paper piecing method (EPP).  Sometimes it feels like the only way I know.

NUMBER OF PIECES:  85
DIFFICULTY: 1/10
SMALLEST PIECE: Square, 1/2"  (18mm) x 1/2" (18mm)
LARGEST PIECE: Square, 1 3/8"  (36m) x  1 3/8"  (36m)
TECHNIQUE: English Paper Piecing (EPP)
FABRICS:
Red Garden Pindot by Michael Miller Fabrics
Cherry Sketch Basic Collection by Timeless Treasures #C8224
Homeschool Mini Mono Floral Red, LB Krueger for Windham Fabrics SKU# 35182-3
Tried and True Raindrops Garnet(04273) by Nanacy Halvorsen, Benartex
Cream Heart Paisley # 14766-15, Midwinter Reds by Minick and Simpson, Moda
Christmas Past  (#14547) by Polly Minick and Lauri Simpson for Moda
"Prairie Paisley II" by Minick and Simpson for Moda (14739 21)
Cream with iridescent stars

Joining up with Crazy Mom Quilts

International Quilt Festival Luxembourg 2014

'Shooting Stars' Birgit Schüller, 2009

The other day I told you about the wonderful quilts I saw on my visit to the Association Jurassienne de Patchwork exhibition in Switzerland.  Well - whilst in the area I picked up another quilt show leaflet, this time for the 6th International Quiltfestival in Luxembourg in Wilwerwiltz, 2014.  This is where taking a holiday in a campervan really pays off - Switzerland to Luxembourg (via Germany and Belgium) is 'doable', so we headed north to the 4 day event.

International Quiltfestival in Luxembourg 2014

It was really a delightful festival.  It was set in the countryside with displays in a handful of local villages surrounding Wilwerwiltz in Luxembourg.  It encompassed a wide range of quilts from international professional quilters to projects organised by local church groups.  There was something for everyone.

Sheena J Norquay, Inverness, Scotland

One of the displays was by Sheena J Norquay, who had travelled from Inverness in Scotland.  Most of her pieces were based on small, colourful squares of fabric.  On reading information about her work I soon recognised them as they were the same sample squares which I had used from the online store Strawberry Fayre fabrics for my Scrappy Single Irish Chain Quilt.

'Blummenzauber' by Christiane Langmantel

It won't surprise you that this red and white quilt by Christiane Langmantel was one of my favourites.  It is from an original design 'Floral Beauty' by Irene Blanck, which you can purchase from her website. I love the dog tooth border, and some of the blocks use some cute checked fabric - what a great quilt.

Minature Quilt - Yvonne Schmitz, Button Quilters, Luxembourg

This miniature quilt is a good example of how the internet does not always represent a quilt accurately.  Yvonne Schmitz of Button Quilters had made several miniature quilts, and the pieces in these sampler blocks were TINY!


'Walking in the Sunshine' by Gritty Winandy

I love the amount of yellow used in these oblong string blocks, which is probably why it has such a sunny title. 

Detail 'Shooting Stars' by Brigit Schüller

The photo of the quilt at the top of the page is by Brigit Schüller a longarm quilter from Germany.  Again, the photos do not show off her amazing longarm quilting skills and the thousands of rhinestones that decorate the quilt


Veronique Straus - Halztauer

Perhaps the most fascinating part about the festival was the creative ways each group had chosen to display their quilts.  Some were in barns, some were outside, others in community venues.  They had set the rooms with accessories which really enhanced the experience.  This quilt captured my interest by the way it had been mounted in a rustic window frame with a shelf.


International Quiltfestival in Luxembourg 2014

Whilst it felt that the event was in the middle of the countryside, it was very busy and it really brought the village alive.  They really made the most of the venues and we all appreciated the time they had taken to help us enjoy the displays.

International Quiltfestival in Luxembourg 2014

Naturally there was a large tent selling fabric and quilting supplies from stores from Germany, Belgium, France, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. This event was near the very end of our trip and the Euros in my purse were very low.  Unfortunately (for the stalls and me!) there was not a cashpoint in the village, the bank was shut, and none of the stalls seemed to take credit cards.  I came away with just one fat quarter of fabric, but plenty of inspiration.

This is only a glimpse of what I saw, for more inspiration from the 6th International Quiltfestival Luxembourg 2014 visit Paula at BatikQuilt and  Stufen zum Gericht.

Patchwork Exhibition - Association Jurassienne de Patchwork, Delémont , Switzerland 2014



Association Jurassienne de Patchwork,
Patchwork Exhibition, Delémont, Switzerland 

When planning a trip in a campervan you can be quite flexible with the route you take, but it is good to have a few key sights you want to see before you leave.  If we are heading off, I always check to see if there are any quilt exhibitions in the area we are heading.  This time we were lucky as the Association Jurassienne de Patchwork were having a display of their work in Delémont, Switzerland, 24th May - 9th June 2014.

AJP Collectif - Lanterne Magique, 2012

You never know quite what you are going to see when you turn up, but from having been to a few 'international' quilt shows, quilters seem to be the same all over - friendly, talented and good at making cakes!  Here are some of the quilts that were on show ...


Quilt 'Oasis' by Maria Vuillemier 2012

Several of the quilts on display were by Maria Vuillemier, and they were the ones I was most drawn to.  She had certainly been busy!

Quilt - 'Code 25 - Écriture morse', Maria Vuillemier, 2013

This quilt, 'Code 25 - Écriture morse' by Maria Vuillemier was a really interesting quilt.  On the left, the tiny blue dots and dashes provide the Morse code to decipher the message on the right.  When it came to my 'Viewers Choice' selection, this quilt got my vote.


Quilt 'Blanc Noir Rouge' by Gaby Stebler 2014 

My husband chose this White Black and Red quilt by Gaby Stebler as his 'Viewers Choice'.  I love the way she has used the fabrics to create an optical illusion.



Quilt 'Fusion' by Violette Moser, 2012

This small quilt by Violette Moser caught my eye as it reminded me of some of the designs you might find on an alter frontal in a church or cathedral.  See how even she has managed to keep those curves - amazing.


Association Jurassienne de Patchwork,
Patchwork Exhibition, Delémont, Switzerland 

 

Nearly Insane Quilt - Block 5 visits Mürren and Piz Gloria, Switzerland

Nearly Insane Quilt, Block 5 visits Mürren, Switzerland

This photo of Block 5 of the Nearly Insane Quilt is taken in the alpine village of Mürren, Switzerland.  The only way to reach the village is to take the mountain narrow gauge railway up from the village of Lauterbrunnen.  This means that there are no cars in the village, which makes it a great place to have a drink, admire the view (and take photos of quilt blocks ...) in peace and quiet.

View of the cable car from Piz Gloria, Shilthorn, Switzerland

The block had actually just been on a visit in the cable car up to Piz Gloria on the Schilthorn (2970m).  Piz Gloria is the location chosen in one of the 007 James Bond movies, ‘On Her Majesties Secret Service’ (1969). It is amazing that anyone would think to build something in such a remote area, where there is nothing about besides mountains. Today you can enjoy a meal in its revolving restaurant, and even in May there was some fresh snow if you have the courage to ski down.  I meant to take the picture of the block up at the peak, but forgot as I was preoccupied by keeping warm, and not slipping over on the ice .

Nearly Insane Quilt , Block 5

Back to the block. I have used lots of dotty fabrics in this Nearly Insane block which seems appropriate with the all the snow we were surrounded by in Switzerland.  Again, quite a simple one with just 37 pieces.

I have updated the image on the sidebar, so you can see that there are very few blocks left to do.

Suzi  the cat reducing my WPM!

It seems to be taking me longer to write these blog posts than I had hoped.  Even now I have finally had the chance to sit down and update you on another Nearly Insane block, Suzi the cat is doing all she can to stop me!

Joining up with Feline Friday, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, and as usual Crazy Mom Quilts!

NUMBER OF PIECES:  37
DIFFICULTY: 1/10
SMALLEST PIECE: Triangle, 3/4"  (19mm) x 1/2" (18mm) x 1/2" (18mm)
LARGEST PIECE: Square, 1 1/2"  (38mm) x  1 1/2" (38mm)
TECHNIQUE: English Paper Piecing (EPP)
FABRICS:
Polka Party Petite (Buttercream), Lakehouse Dayz Collection by Holly Holderman, Lakehouse Drygoods (LH05037)
Counting Sheep - Cherry, Calista from Blank Quilting
Red Garden Pindot by Michael Miller Fabrics
Days Gone By Exclusively Quilters
Red with White Dots, Makower
Calico

Nearly Insane Quilt - Block 82 visits the Matterhorn, Switzerland

Nearly Insane Quilt Block 82 - View of the Matterhorn from Zermatt

From my last post you will know that my Nearly Insane quilt has been on tour in Europe.  The first stint of our vacation involved a ferry crossing from the UK to St Malo, and then travelling leisurely across France for a couple of days until we reached Switzerland. Whilst it was a lot of travelling, for me it was a hand stitchers dream, meaning I was able to get a lot of my Nearly Insane quilt sewing done.  I wanted an easy start so Block 82 with just 29 pieces was the quick result I needed.  Here it is visiting Zermatt, with the Matterhorn in the background (shrouded in clouds ... ). 


Nearly Insane Quilt - Block 82

Even though there are just 29 pieces I still managed to squeeze in 7 different fabrics. This is the first block I have used the 'Wishes' fabric by Sweetwater, which I brought a few weeks ago at Hanson fabrics.  I think the fussy cutting of the red 'doilies'  really makes the corners of the block more interesting.  I also fussy cut the centre square from the  Minick and Simpson ' Midwinter Reds' range.  Fussy cutting seems to be the way forward.

NUMBER OF PIECES:  29
DIFFICULTY: 1/10
SMALLEST PIECE: Triangle, 1 1/16"  (27mm) x 3/4" (18mm) x 13/4" (18mm)
LARGEST PIECE: Square, 1 1/2"  (38mm) x  1 1/2" (38mm)
TECHNIQUE: English Paper Piecing (EPP)
FABRICS:
Cherry Sketch Basic Collection by Timeless Treasures #C8224
Red Garden Pindot by Michael Miller Fabrics
Wishes Red on Vanilla Doilies SKU# 5531-14  by Sweetwater, Moda
Somerset Shirtings c 1890 by Julie Hendrickson and Nancy Gere, Windham Fabrics # 35205
Cream with Red Geometric, Midwinter Reds, Minick and Simpson, Moda
Designer Beads (Red) Freespirit for Westminster Fibers
Calico

Nearly Insane Quilt - On Tour

Nearly Insane Quilt on Tour, 2014

You may have found it a bit quiet around here lately.  This is because we have been on holiday in our campervan.  As you will guess, my Nearly Insane blocks came with me and got to travel to some of the highlights of Europe.  I hope to share my adventures with you in the forthcoming days.