Blogger's Quilt Festival Entry "Sunnyside Up"

I decided it would be fun to enter a quilt into Amy's Blogger's Quilt Festival.

 

 There was only really one choice of quilt to enter as it is the only one I've completed in about a year.

I made this medallion quilt for my parents for Christmas from the Flora range by Lauren and Jessi Jung and  a variety of other fabrics. The central panel is a "storm at sea" and I decided on the rest of the borders as I went along. I haven't measured it but it fits their double bed so is quite big.

I'm entering the quilt in the Home Machine Quilted Quilt category. You can see why I'm not entering it the quilt photographer category!

The quilt is fairly densely quilted in a variety of free motion designs in an aurifil 50weight light grey thread. As you can imagine, it was, at times, quite a struggle to wrestle it through my domestic machine but it proves that it is possible to quilt a large quilt on your home machine. Personally I quilt my own quilts as although I love how professionally long armed quilts look, I like the satisfaction of knowing a quilt is all my own work.

The reverse

I'm pleased to say that my parents love the quilt, or so they say!
 I don't normally name my quilts but as this is being entered in the festival I thought it should be given an identity! When I was making the quilt it I would often lay it on my bed and when I walked into the room the colours would glow giving the illusion that the light was on or the sun was shining into the room, I've therefore decided to call it "Sunnyside Up".

Thanks for visiting.
Maria

Summer top sewing.

Over the last few weeks, inspired by the BBC television programme "The Great British Sewing Bee", I've been slightly distracted from quilting by dress making. I've made three and a bit summer tops. My favourite is made from a gorgeous Rayon Challis fabric from the Field Study range by Anna Maria Horner. It has a beautiful drape and is really easy to work with. The top is made from Simplicity pattern 2892.

The Front

The Back.

I may be brave a get a photo taken of me wearing it and show that too!

I have done some more of my Jazz Hands blocks but have also had a little break from these too recently.

I'm back onto these now and have nearly finished another. Hoping to start basting a quilt today so sore knees and back expected later!
Linking up with Plum and Junes's Monday Link up, hosted this week by Blossom Heart Quilts
Bye for now, Maria.

Butterfly cushion two completed.

Today, after a lot of fiddling and faffing trying to sew in the invisible zip, I finished the second of my new sofa cushions. I'm leaning on one as I write. It's a shame I didn't have four of the large butterfly prints.

The back is an Amy Butler print.

 

Here they are together.

So that's the first of my Finish-a-long items done. I have quite a few small scraps of this fabric left. I have a plan for something to make with them which involves a patchwork style I've always disliked! I'll reveal more next time.

Now to finish my son's quilt. ( I just had to add this: my son just asked if I made the new cushion, when I replied that I did he said "I thought so as it's awesome". It's nice to be appreciated!)
Linking to Finish it up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts.
 
Maria.

I've joined Leanne's 2013 Finish-A-Long.

As a push to get some UFO's finished I thought I would join the second quarter of Leanne's 2013 Finish-a-Long (button in side bar).

Firstly I want to finish this cushion. Anyone whose visited before may remember the cushion I showed in my last post made from a layer cake of Cocoon by Valori Wells. This ones made from the rest of the layer cake (apart from small scraps which I have plans for) and is a wonky log cabin design. Unfortunately there were only three squares of the butterfly prints so I had to use one of the other prints.

Secondly I need to finish a quilt I'm making for my 11 year old son. I haven't touched this one for a couple of weeks and feel a bit guilty as he asked me the other day how it was going...   He helped choose some of  the fabrics, he loves the bright yellow one with the black wavy lines but I must admit I hate it. I'll explain what design I'm doing another time.

My third one is a quilt top that I started last year which needs quilting. The fabric is a Joel Dewberry jelly roll I received for Christmas 2011. I had to add some other fabrics as the quilt needed 40 strips and the jelly roll only had 30.     

The design is called "Spiral Strips" from Jelly Roll Quilts by Pam and Nicky Lintott.

I didn't manage to get a ver good photo as the wind was about to send it across the lawn.

Lastly is the oldest project. I'm guessing I must have started this at least 2 years ago. I didn't use a pattern, it's just windmill blocks in a rainbow layout. All I need to do is finish the binding but it's a pieced binding using colours to match the appropriate area of the quilt it's near so it takes a little extra effort which I think has been putting me off.

As these are also WIPs I'm linking up to WIP Wednesday at freshly pieced (button in side bar).

Right, I better get on with finishing these now.

Maria

I've finished something!

Yesterday I completed my first finish of 2013. A couple of posts ago I showed the cushion (pillow) top I had completed using "cocoon" by Valori Wells. It's now been transformed into a lovely puffy cushion for our sofa.

The back is made from Honeycomb in sunglow from the Modern Meadow range by Joel Dewberry.

I managed to insert an invisble or concealed zip using my new zipper foot. I inserted it about two thirds of the way down the back, next time I'll insert the zip  in the side seam which should be easier.

Once on the sofa the family will lean on it, I know that's what it's for but I still have trouble dealing with it! I have some more of the Cocoon fabric to make another cushion but need to decide what design to use.

I've also finished anothe "Jazz Hands" block. Four down, nine to go.

 

 

 

Photo taken in the only shaft of sunlight I could find.

 

 

Whilst looking on my computer for a photo I found this mosaic of some things I've made over the last few years. Three of the items were for swaps so have new homes now. I don't think I've shown them on the blog before.

 

Bye for now, Maria.

"Jazz hands" quilt blocks and machine quilting.

I fell in love with the quilt "Jazz Hands" by Sarah Fielke from the book Material Obsession 2  by Sarah Fielke and Kathy Doughty. In this Book both authors make a quilt from their own interpretation of a particular concept like a certain block or style.

Photo from my copy of Material Obsession two by Kathy Doughty and Sarah Fielke.

I was put off making the quilt for a while as it is hand pieced, but I decided it would actually be a good thing to have some hand piecing to do in the evenings. Not that I haven't got some cross stitch to finish and some knitting to complete! The quilt needs lots of different fabrics and seemed a good way of using some more of my scraps. I love how Sarah uses polka dots as the background and I did have to purchase some of those.

It only uses one template but it does take quite a while to draw round the templates and mark the stitching lines. Each block requires 75 individual pieces. I've now found my rhythm and as I'm someone who gets bored doing the same thing repeatedly I don't do all the preparing at one go, I'll sew for a while and then prepare some more pieces of fabric.

 Suz at patchworknplay made the most stunning quilt using this design but she English paper pieced hers. It's beautiful so do go and have a look.

So here's my first three blocks completed.

This is going to make me sound really old but isn't the internet an amazing thing? I posted pictures of these blocks on instergram and Sarah Fielke, the designer of the pattern, "liked" them (I must be old as I put liked in quotation marks!). She even wrote a comment on one. I was really excited, yes I'm old and sad too!

In an earlier post I said I would show some pictures of the quilting on the medallion quilt I made for my parents, well here they are.

Back of quilt

Back of quilt.

I'm linking up to Plum and Junes Let's get acquainted Monday Link Up.

Linking up with  Fabric Tuesday, link in my side bar.

Bye for now, Maria.

New cushion front

I was lucky to recieve a layer cake of the Valori Wells Cocoon collection of fabrics for Christmas. I decided to make some new cushion covers for our sofa with them.
I haven't got very far yet but here's the first completed front.

Each block is a paper pieced and I FMQ a different design on each inner block and the outer triangles and left the inner triangles unquilted which gives some puffiness.

I bought an invisible zipper foot for my machine a while ago which I haven't tried yet and I'm intending on using it to insert an invisible zip on the reverse. I just need to buy the zip.....which is invisible so it may be difficult.
I've succumbed to joining instagram and would love some followers if anyone fancies joining me.
Maria x