another month goes by…

It has been over a month since I have spoken to you.  I’ve been busy with work but have found sometime to do quilting.  I have been working on some projects and been doing some pattern testing.  I have never tested a pattern before and I found it very challenging.  It made me release how much work is put into designing a pattern.  The pattern was lovely and I  was very happy with what I have done so far.  The range I used was Fancy and consisted of pineapples and a Dresden Plate.  It took me several goes to get the Dresden plate right.  The pattern was Parade by Valarie Rigney.

 

It seems to be the time to also pull out the baby patterns and make some more baby quilts.   My youngest has started to make a baby’s quilt for a friend and I have 2 that need to be done.  This is again another one which is a boy colour on one side and a girl colour on the other side.  The range is Storytime Rhyme, and the design is again Through the looking glass.

2 baby blankets and a few blocks

Again I’ve been busy not only with work but completing quilt.  Two lovely ladies I know were having babies – one was having twins and both were having their first babies.  What do you give them….well a baby quilt of course.  The problem with giving a baby quilt is that you feel you have to give each child a quilt which can be challenging and time consuming.  I made a decision that I would make my baby blanket as double sided blankets – one side for  a girl and the other side for a boy.  Thus I have made a family  baby blanket.  I originally brought this quilt called Through The Looking Glass Little P Quilt patterns by It’s So Emma.  When finished it measured 38.5″ x 42.5″ which I think is a good size for a baby blanket.   I’ve done one quilt with pastel colours and the other done in bright colours.  I love the fact that you can get a range of fabric which can be used for either a boy or girl and you can use it in one quilt.  The range I used for the bottom one was Celebration which has a girl and boy range.

I have also been trying to complete Berries and Bluebirds by Gail Pan.  I’m not very happy with my leaves or my berries.  I intend to unpick the berries and redo them so they look more rounder.  But it is slowly coming together.  I did find doing the ric rac challenging but do like the way it to

Oh and my sewing machine did come back and was fully repair and working well.  I have attached a walking foot to it and I did not know what I would do without it.  I plan to do some machine quilting having just got some chalk and templates to decorate some of my quilts.  I didn’t know that you needed to quilt through the fabrics to stop the layers moving.  I guess I learn from mistakes and through looking at how to do things differently.

Well it’s going to be another hot day with our temperatures here in Australia being up to 41°C and I have to wait a few weeks to get the fan fixed on my car.  I hope it is cooler where you are.

Been busy and sewing machine trouble

Well I have been busy. I have been trying to finish off my scrappy quilt. I found that placing the pieces out and taking a photo of them helped to remind me how it was set out.

While sewing it together, I found that I really needed to buy a walking foot.  I looked everywhere for a singer walking foot and eventually I got a walking foot for my singer sewing machine off ebay.

I have also been busy making other quilts.  I have attended a couple of classes making quilts at Whatever Whereever.  I learnt how to make hexagons and turn them into stars and how to applique jugs.  I enjoyed doing these.

I have also discovered that a friend was having a baby.  What’s a quilter to do…you guessed it make a baby’s quilt, but what color when you don’t know the sex of the baby.  Thankfully, I discovered a range called Celebrations which came in boy and girl colors.  So the challenge was on…do I make 2 quilt or one.  I found the pattern called “Through the looking glass” by Sarah Price and brought 2 kits – one boy one and one girl one.  I cut them out and sewed them up and decided to sandwich them both together.  I discovered that by starching the tops they sat nicely.  What I do is use a lot of starch, allow to dry then iron and the tops look great.

I used three pieces of wooden curtain rods and rolled each of my pieces up with them and slowly pinned them together.  Once done, I trialled my new walking foot.  Was a bit of a challenge getting the walking foot onto the sewing machine but the effort was worth it.  I commenced sewing with a fancy stitch,  almost finished and got new bobbin  in then my sewing machine decided to tell me C4 error.  I am trying to fix it but I’m not getting there fast.

 

Now I have to try and fix it or send it away.  And I was so close to finishing this baby quilt…