economy blocks, CQJP blocks, projects for 2014,

I seem to have got a bit carried away this week!  Having made some economy blocks and run out of scraps I then launched into some fat quarters and completed another set so now have 100 blocks.

not sure what will happen to them all now,  I expect they will be put in a box or bag  for a while till I decide whether to make them into one big quilt , will also  have to consider whether to add sashing or not, I expect that will depend on how big I want it to be.   decisions decisions.

I have also constructed the 12 blocks for my CQJP and Helen called yesterday to approve them! Not sure what I would have said and done if they did not meet her expectations,   probably told her to do it herself

I hope it is not going to be too pink!  have included a bit of grey but this is what she asked for. The stitching and embellishments she wants in the same colours, will see how it materialises. Glad I have them all made.

Now to my projects for 2014

I did not realise till I sat down what I had committed myself to.

1. finish of the Tula Pink challenge

2  CQJP 2014

3  do something with the economy blocks

4  quilt the stack and slash wallhanging

5  I have signed up to the hexie BOM for this year.

6  Have the chicken run blocks from R Glewe to do, these are foundation pieced so will have to master foundation piecing first, there are only 3 in the series.

7  I have just bought the instructions for the aiming for accuracy 2013 quilt, this really appeals as it has blocks of different sizes which I have wanted to do for a while.

8  Craftsy BOM with Laura Nownes from 2013 is also on the list, this has 10 not 12 blocks but this is one project I might pass on.

9   Craftsy Mickey Depre pieced hexies project.

10  I could not resist buying the hardanger SAL from Mabel   (sorry not sure of her surname)

11  Last but not least is the round robin I joined with embroidery friends, not sure what has happened with this as so far I have only had 3 to stitch on, it seems to have come to a standstill, hopefully the lady holding it up  will be in touch soon.

numbers 6,7,8,9,and 10 have not even been started yet

Well I think that is it but no doubt I will see other things I want to do too.

Tomorrow I am at the modern quilters group meeting.  I have bought a tablet as we are going to be shown how to use pinterest and similar sites, not having an ipad, lap top or modern phone I would not have been able to take part so with tablet in hand I will boldly attempt to follow what we are told,   do not hold out for much though as these contraptions are all a bit beyond me,  will make plenty of notes so hopefully will get the knack in the end.  I am also hoping to get some advice on my stack and slash quilting, have got some yellow hand quilting cotton to use,   struggled to find the cotton and when I did could not get the colour I wanted, Gutermans is the only make I could find and they do not do a large range but I think the yellow will work

Will let you know how tomorrow  goes 

economy blocks, Tula, Greek crosses

I am today posting the last 4 of the 100 blocks from the Tula Pink sampler.  I have still to do something with 75 of them and the 15 that I have sashed and joined together are no further on than having the batting and backing attached and tacked together.

97

98

99

100   all done!!

This week I have made some economy blocks following a tutorial on Rita`s blog Red Pepper Quilts.  I was using up the few scraps I had that were big enough and ended up with 51    5.5" squares.  Think I will need to make at least 19 more but preferably another 49 before I can make it into a quilt so it is now on back burner till I have more fabric I can use.  I have enjoyed doing these as they are only simple and  only took a day and a half which is quick for me. One has not had its  photo taken as I found it on the floor later!

I follow Sarah at http://sewmeblog.blogspot.com/2014/01/bee-blessed-january-2014.html  hope I have the link right!  She was asking for some Greek cross blocks so thought I would have a go and made some which have found their way to Ireland.  

not sure what has happened here, there are only 5 blocks really but the collage has put the first one in twice.  I have sent 4 to Sarah and kept one as a reference for myself in case I want to do some more.

Sorry the link does not seem to have worked but I did try.

Being quite new to patchwork I was surprised how so many patchworkers did not seem to complete quilts but had so many UFO`s,   when I was just doing my hardanger and things I only worked on one project at a time usually and did not start another till the one I was doing was complete,     now I understand why patchworkers work  in a different way having 2 quilts waiting to be quilted and lots of assorted blocks which I keep in a large hat box. not sure what they are waiting for!

disappearing 4 patch block and Tula

I learnt about the disappearing nine patch which I really like and now I have found out about the disappearing 4 patch   form Sarah at Sew Me here is a link to the page "More Like Magnus":   I can not believe I have achieved this,   will just click and see if it has worked  yes it seems to have.  I cut my blocks 3" two of each colour making four and joined them up as in a four patch block.  I then cut them 1" away from the centre on each side of the centre seam both vertically and horizontally

this is the block cut

here I have flipped the pieces to make the correct pattern

the finished block.

I can see me using this again but will try and be more accurate next time.

Two firsts for me on the blog today,   managed to give a link to another blog and have given a mini mini tutorial!

Now for the next 6 tula pink blocks, we are still in the stripes mode with these.

Block 61,    this has been personalised, the 4th row is not correct the two orange strips need to be swapped, I call it personalising it but really it is doing it wrong but I did not notice until I loaded it onto the web page

block 62

block 63

block 64   rather like this one

block 65,   this is my favourite, I had a jelly roll of batiks which I have used up making little bags etc and  have used the rest up on some of my blocks,  must get some more batiks for my stash!

block 66

That is it for today, only 34 more blocks to add,   they have all now got their sashing on and I have ordered a 8.5" square so I can get them cut accurately, will then be back asking what I should do with them!

patchwork blocks

I am today adding the latest Tula Pink blocks,   another six as I forgot to add the three for last week.

 block 55  have put this on the wrong way so have redone it at the bottom. This is the last of the triangles section.

 block 56     we are now into the blocks made of stripes.

block 57

block 58

block 59

block 60

this is block 55 as it should be.

I have now bought the fabric for the sashing which is going around each block individually,    black is the colour.  Many thanks go to Susan who kindly did the sums and told me how much I needed,  thank you Susan
I went to York for the fabric and when I got home found they had given me one metre short of what I asked and paid for,  a quick phone call and the extra metre was in the post.  Now to start cutting up 6.5 x 2 and 9.5 x 2 strips for each block, have washed it so no excuse not to start.

I have the october block for the CQJP challenge to do first and in a rash moment signed up for next year too.

I am also taking part in a round robin with 5 other girls from embroidery friends which is a group started when the EG stopped the forum on their web site, this group is open to non EG people as well    just as well as I have decided not to renew my membership this year.  My piece I started was based on gardens,  I stitched a pedestal which I see as a bird bath and then sent it on to the next on the list, wonder what every one is going to do with it.  Her is a photo of what I did.

so far I have stitched one more and today have received the next one to do so must get on with that too.   One lady taking part is in Australia, one in the Netherlands and the rest in the UK.

Tula Pink and biscornus.

I have been pressing on with my Tula Pink challenge and have now completed 9 blocks. This is a challenge as they are so small some pieces end up only half an inch wide but I`m enjoying the process ans think I can see improvement.

I purchased a jelly roll a few years ago and I am using some of that on these blocks as they only need small pieces.   9 down 91 to go!

I have also been asked to share some of the biscornu designs I have done so I am adding a collage of 8 of them

The one on the top row at the end is the original design for stitch magazine but the variegated thread I had used for it was no longer available so had to stitch it in another colour, I am glad about this as if they had used the original I would no longer have the biscornu.  .

I must now think about the CQJP for june,  I have decided to use an alium as the flower for the centre as they are looking glorious in the garden at thee moment. Mine will be a rough interpretation of the real thing.