WIP's - Works in Progess

Well I have finally finished the Garden Window Quilt - YAAAYYYY and have the sore finger to prove it from hand sewing the binding & label on. I am really happy with this quilt and like the FMQ that I have done. Now to save the money to fly to Melbourne to give the quilt to my MIL. I can't wait to see her reaction. I tried to get a photo on the weekend however because I wanted to get a photo the wind outside picked up making it impossible to hang my quilt on the fence to get a photo as it kept blowing off the fence. I don't have a space big enough inside to get one. As soon as I can I will post the finished photo.

So I started working on my next quilt for a friend who is getting married. The wedding quilt is a really quick and easy quilt to piece using HST and I started with 10" squares as you see below. The quilt will have 3 colours: a blue, a coral and while/cream background.

10" Squares

You place a white and colour square with right sides together and sew all around the edge, once sewn you then cut them diagonally from corner to corner as shown below and you end up with 4 HST.

Cut diagonally to make HST

4 HST

 Once I had sewn all the 10" squares together and cut them diagonally it was time to mess around with the placement of the HST. I tried two different layouts and ended up choosing the bottom one Layout 2 of the two pictures below.

Layout 1

Layout 2

I will 3 rows of big blue diamonds with some machine embroidery marking the big wedding day in the middle of the a couple of the blue diamonds. 

Block 1 completed

It hasn't taken long to get to this stage so the quilt top should be rather quick to finish except for the machine embroidery will probably hold up the whole process as I need time to sit at the machine and do this. I am still really new at machine embroidery. 

I also belong to a group on facebook called quilting guys and gals and they are doing a quilt of many colours monthly block. There are no specific pattern, it is up to the individual what pattern you want to use or can use different once for each month, the only stipulation is the colour. A different colour for each month. 

I saw on Pinterest a quilt pattern making butterfly's using the dresden plate pattern, so I feel in love as I love anything with butterflys. So I decided for my quilt of many colours to do this and have a different colour butterfly each month. How this is all going to go together at the end I have no idea but am loving the creative process this is creating.

September is Red:

I got a start on October as well which is Yellow:

An update on my Diamond Hill: I have one corner of the border completed and slowly working my way through another corner. However my life keeps getting in the way and not much progress is happening. Now if I could only make work go away just imagine how much I could get done lol.

Well that is my progress this week and I am quite happy with how much I have accomplished considering my work and personal life has become extremely busy and not likely to slow down anytime soon. Till next time.

Garden Window - Nearing the end

For the past two weeks I have been plugging away at FMQ my Garden Window. It is a massive king size quilt that I have been FMQ on my Janome 6600. I love having my sewing machine sunk into the table it really helps with the FMQ and stops the drag on the quilt. I must say that it is difficult to FMQ a very large quilt on your normal sewing machine but I always manage to get it done. I love this creative part of quilting and deciding on what to put where and what will enhance the quilt top etc. I also love the challenge of FMQ and to try new things. I have only been quilting for approx a year and a half so am still really new to FMQ so to speak, though I think I would probably call myself a beginner or still learning even after 10 years of doing this as there is still so much to learn. I am enjoying the learning process.

Centre of the Quilt - The flower panel

I have FMQ using some metallic thread though the photo's are not really picking up the thread very well. Mind you metallic thread is not the easiest thread to FMQ with or sew with really, but I accepted the challenge and managed to tame the wicked metallic.

First border beside panel

 Here I used my pounce pad & stencil for the first border and kept in a flower theme, you can still see the chalk powder on the material & I just noticed a dog hair from Buddy.

Third border on sides

 There are three red squared on each side which I used my Westerlee Rulers with. I also used some more metallic thread here however the metallic thread was thicker than the center ones used and was believe it or not more painful to sew with than the normal metallic though I think it might have been my needle. I used a metallic needle size 80 as that was all I had and even tried a 90 universal needle but the thread kept shredding on a regular basis. So when I get the chance will investigate different needles for using metallics with. In the end I got the job done after a lot of sighing, swearing & cursing & of course walking away before I do something rash, but it was completed and I am very happy with the result.

Third border on the sides

These strips are with the red squares and I used the Westerlee rulers again also with metallic thread and it actually looks like a mermaid's tail, so a cool effect I created. 

Applique border

 I am currently sewing the applique border. I just started with a variegated green cotton to mark the leaves and do the swirls of new growth. I am loving doing the swirls which you can probably tell as I think I have gone overboard with them but it looks so nice.

applique border

applique border

 I still have to do the yellow center's and then stipple in black in the back ground I will probably go with a largish stipple for the background.

When the metallic thread became to much I went back to work on my Diamond Hill BOM and have been turning edges and glue basting to my corner and have completed one corner. Sorry I forgot to take a photo of it on my design wall, hopefully soon I will have all four corners to show. I now have the freezer paper pieces to iron to the material to create a second border and repeat the process all over again.

I have been extremely busy lately and can't wait for my life to quieten down so I can get more sewing done. Till next time.