Friendship x and + swap. November.

 I've joined a swap hosted by Susan of Patchworknplay and Carla of Lollyquiltz.

This is how it works.

You team up with a virtual blogger friend, or even a real life one.

You pick a colour palette.

Each month you pick a colour combination from the palette and you both make a set of four x and + blocks and a twin set for your partner, you then swap your twin blocks so you'll both end up with eight identical blocks each month. The block instructions are from a tutorial by Amybadskirt., she explains the origins of the block within the tutorial.

I didn't have a friend to swap with! I know its very sad, but Susan came to the rescue and played match maker and I now have a new friend, Jane from Jane's fabrics and quilts to swap with.

We both went to the design seeds web site and with the instant beauty of email we communicated across the Atlantic and soon came up with a palette which we both liked.

image from designseeds.com

We've since adapted the palette and have chosen:

Red

Navy

Yellow

Light green

Green

Light Blue

For our first month we chose red, light blue and light green. These are the blocks I'll be sending to Jane.

Unintentionally, they look rather Christmassy

For December Jane chose yellow, navy and blue.

My family will tell you that I have don't have a mathematical brain and I was wondering if we would have enough colour combinations for the eight months. Most of you will probably realise straight away how wrong I was. With the help from my husband we worked out that there are 20 combinations (correct me if we're wrong) so we won't be short.

Its not too late to join the swap if anyone fancies it. Its good fun.

Maria.

One man and a Jigsaw

Last weekend I read a post by one of my Strip Bee buddies, Julie from Mack and Mabel, about a new flat bed sewing table she had just purchased. These are such a great idea as a set in sewing table helps prevent sore arms and shoulders when quilting as you can rest your arms on the table.

This set the seed of a thought in my mind that maybe I could get my husband to set my machine into my sewing table.

There's no going back now!

Or now!

Yay! My machine is now in place. It sits on a shelf under the table made from a panel left over from when the kitchen was fitted a few years ago, I'm glad it hadn't been languishing in the shed for all that time for nothing.

We may fit a piece of perspex in the gap round the machine instead of using the machine's plastic flatbed.
I have to lift it out to change the bobbin but that's no hardship.
We set the machine quite a long way, about 10 inches, so I can rest my forearms on the table.
The new position may get some getting used to but it should make quilting much easier.

I recently finished my Siblings Together Quilting Bee quilt. So for one last time here's some more photos of this quilt.

Fabric: S'more Love by Cosmo Cricket, kindly donated by Moda.
 
Wadding: Kindly donated by Lady Sew and Sew.


Backing: Type by Julia Rothman for Windham Fabrics, kindly donated by Sew Fresh Fabrics.