Thursday 14 January 2016

Dear Jane Quilt - Block I2 Kaye's Courtyard

Dear Jane Quilt - Block I2 Kaye's Courtyard
Dear Jane Quilt - Block I2 Kaye's Courtyard
If only they were all this easy - I12 Kaye's Courtyard is another easy peasy Dear Jane block.

I am pleased to see that another Dear Jane fan is starting their own journey. Pop over to UK City Crafter who has started a Dear Jane quilt for 2016 in some lovely blue fabrics.

Techniques: English Paper Piecing
Pieces: 13

Wednesday 13 January 2016

Dear Jane Quilt - Block K9 Scout's Honour

Dear Jane Quilt - Block K9 Scout's Honour
Dear Jane Quilt - Block K9 Scout's Honour

I did this one in no time at all - Scout's Honour!

Techniques: English Paper Piecing
Pieces: 21

Tuesday 12 January 2016

Dear Jane Quilt - Block M4 Stepping Stones


Dear Jane Quilt - Block M4 Stepping Stones
Dear Jane Quilt - Block M4 Stepping Stones
Here is block M4 Stepping Stones for my Dear Jane quilt.  With all its papers in it looks like it is squeezed into its 4.5" square - obviously too much to eat over the holiday period.


Dear Jane Quilt - Block M4 Stepping Stones
Dear Jane Quilt - Block M4 Stepping Stones
Just as a reminder that this is mainly being done using the English Paper Piecing method, here is a picture of the back of the block.  Quite tiny pieces in this one, which was a bit of a shock to the system after such an easy run lately.

Techniques: English Paper Piecing
Pieces: 49
 

Monday 11 January 2016

Allietare Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt 2015 - Part 6, Border, Quilting and Finished!

Allietare Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt 2015
Allietare Mystery Quilt 2015 - Fabadashery
It is finished!
In my last post I had the Allietare quilt top almost done, but I was pondering on the borders.  I devised something a bit different to the ones offered in Bonnie's original design which I am really pleased with.  Don't ask me for dimensions or instructions - I really don't know how I did it.  All I do know is that I had a lot of bias edges to deal with during the quilting process!

80's by 80's superfine cotton lawn - Great Flower Designs
80's by 80's superfine cotton lawn - Great Flower Designs
Back in November when I had chosen my colour scheme for the Allietare Mystery quilt, I picked up a couple of metres of this fabric at the Knitting and Stitching Show with the intention of using as my backing.  It is superfine cotton lawn which is lightweight and soft - it feels lovely.
Allietare Mystery Quilt 2015 - Fabadashery Long Arm Quilting
Allietare Mystery Quilt 2015 - Fabadashery Long Arm Quilting
Using my long arm quilting machine I have quilted an all over swirl and feather pantograph, Wave on Wave by Patricia Ritter.
Allietare Mystery Quilt 2015 - Fabadashery
Allietare Mystery Quilt 2015 - Fabadashery


So it is quilted, the binding is on and I have even made the label for it.  I hope to get it on the bed tonight. Thanks again to Bonnie Hunter for gifting this pleasure to us all.

Linking to Crazy Mom Quilts

Sunday 10 January 2016

Dear Jane Quilt - Block K12 Doris's Dilemma


Dear Jane Quilt - Block K12 Doris's Dilemma
Dear Jane Quilt - Block K12 Doris's Dilemma
I am not sure what Doris's Dilemma was.  All I had to worry about was whether to have an orange square or a tan square.  When you have a Dear Jane block as simple as this you wonder why every quilter in the world hasn't completed a Dear Jane quilt.

Techniques: English Paper Piecing
Pieces: 11

Saturday 9 January 2016

Dear Jane Quilt - Draw 15, I2, K9, K12, M4

Dear Jane Quilt - Draw 14, B9, C6, K4, L6
Dear Jane Quilt - Draw 14, B9, C6, K4, L6

Well, it looks as if winter might have arrived here in the UK.  Yesterday we had our first frost and I had to scrape the ice off the car window.  It soon warmed up though.  Since 2016 kicked off I have been on sewing overdrive and I have lots of projects to share with you once I stop sewing and have some time to do some blogging. 

Meanwhile, here is another set of Dear Jane blocks completed and the next selection of blocks that I will be working on.

Dear Jane Quilt - Draw 15,

I2 - Kaye's Courtyard
K9 - Scout's Honour
K12 - Doris's Dilemma
M4 - Stepping Stones

The colour for this Draw will be my old favourite - ORANGE.

Thursday 7 January 2016

Dear Jane Quilt - Block K4 Thea's Turn

Dear Jane Quilt - Block K4 Thea's Turn
Dear Jane Quilt - Block K4 Thea's Turn
Now the rush and excitement of the Allietare Mystery quilt is over it is time to get back to updating you on my progress with my Dear Jane blocks.

This is the last block of the latest draw, K4 Thea's Turn.  It looks really simple, which it is. However, if you pop over to The Objects of Design you can see her Thea's Turn and there is quite a striking difference to this one, just because of the clever fussy cutting and fabric choice.  You can really make a Dear Jane quilt your own.

Techniques: English Paper Piecing
Pieces: 17

Monday 4 January 2016

Allietare Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt 2015 - Part 6

Allietare Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt 2015 - Part 6
Allietare Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt 2015 - Part 6
Over the past few years bringing in the New Year has meant just one thing - Bonnie Hunter's Mystery Quilt!  Thank you, thank you, thank you Bonnie Hunter at Quiltville for all your work and generosity.  It has provided me with so much pleasure.  This year I have been working in softer colours than my usual choice and already it is looking like a quilt that is going to blend in to the household quite comfortably.
Allietare Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt 2015 - Part 6
Allietare Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt 2015 - Part 6
As suspected Bonnie released the BIG REVEAL for her Allietare Mystery Quilt for 2015 on New Years Day.  As we are at the end of the road for this quilt, the choice of colours I could use from my scraps for my cutting was limited, but it has just about worked out OK.

Allietare Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt 2015 - Part 6
Allietare Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt 2015 - Part 6 Block
We had two blocks to work on.  With all the work from the previous stages all the pieces were there ready to go.  What I really love about Bonnie's instructions are the details about pressing.  Just knowing which way to press your seam makes such a difference when trying to get accurate points on your seams and the overall look of your quilt.
Allietare Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt 2015 - Part 6
Allietare Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt 2015 - Part 6
For some reason the second block seemed easier to put together (probably because there were less of them!).

Allietare Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt 2015 - Part 6
Allietare Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt 2015 - Part 6
As you can see I have all the blocks together.  With my fabric colour choice the quilt is looking remarkably like an Italian marble floor.  I had hoped to have the borders on for the Monday Link Up, but after several auditions the combinations were not really working.  The Italian floor idea has stuck and after a good night's sleep, my design juices have been flowing and I think I have come up with a solution which I am off to work on now.  Watch this space!

I know how hard I have been working on this quilt over the past few days, so congratulations to everyone who has made it to the Monday Link Up!

To see my journey, see the links below or visit my Pinterest page


 

Thursday 31 December 2015

Dear Jane Quilt Update - 2015 New Year's Eve Edition

Dear Jane Quilt Update - 2015 New Year's Eve Edition
Dear Jane Quilt Update - 2015 New Year's Eve Edition
Happy New Year to everyone.  I thought I would take this opportunity to do a progress report on my Dear Jane Quilt.  Progress has been a bit slow over the past few weeks, so this is also a little motivational post for myself.
Dear Jane Quilt Update - December 2015, EQS
Dear Jane Quilt Update - December 2015, EQS

Here is the layout of the quilt with the completed blocks in their assigned placing using my Electric Quilt Dear Jane software.  The scheduled plan is to get all those white spaces filled up by next December, so I think today I will have a 'Dear Jane' block cutting day.
Dear Jane Quilt Update - December 2015
Dear Jane Quilt Update - December 2015

The Kim Diehl fabrics are really starting to come together now that there are more colours than just orange.  A new Kim Diehl range has just been launched, 'Sunday Best' ,and I am very tempted to get them to add to my collection. They are really hard to get hold of in the UK, but you will see that I have managed quite well so far.
Dear Jane Quilt Update - December 2015
Dear Jane Quilt Update - December 2015
You can see that I have done loads more orange blocks than any other colour and I still have 'purple' to do.  The triangles have not come up in my regular draws, so I expect there will be a glut of them at some stage in the near future.

Dear Jane Quilt Update - December 2015
Dear Jane Quilt Update - December 2015
Suzi has enjoyed me being home over the holidays and has got her sewing mojo back. She is a bit more interested in the Allietare Mystery Quilt than Dear Jane and is currently waiting for the next stage to be posted.

I have started posting some of the blocks up on a Pinterest page where it is much easier to look at them together, but I will keep posting my progress here.


Tuesday 29 December 2015

Dear Jane Quilt - Block L6 Maze of Madness

Dear Jane Quilt - Block L6 Maze of Madness
Dear Jane Quilt - Block L6 Maze of Madness
As I learnt from doing my Nearly Insane quilt blocks, some blocks are reminders of special days or trips.  L6 Maze of Madness was the block I completed over the course of Christmas Day 2016.  There are lots of tiny pieces in this one, including eight 1/4 inch squares.  My main worry is not how small they are to sew, but losing them as I travel about!

Techniques: English Paper Piecing
Pieces: 47