february heart, scrappy mini quilt, charity blocks

I have just finished the february BOM for the hexie challenge,  this time it was a heart so I have been busy cutting out card for the hexies.   I used the sizzix machine and 1" hexie die and have cut out about 400 pieces,  using old Xmas cards and cereal packets which are much easier to work with than papers.  I take the easy route and cut the fabric in a rectangles,  2. 5" by 2. 75" using the rotary cutter,  I know this way I waste a little fabric but it is so much quicker.   When I tack the fabric to the card I do not stitch through the card, this means it can re reused time and again,    why on earth have I cut so much card out you might ask,   well I am not really sure but I will make lots and lots of hexies ready for the next challenge and quite like the idea of doing  a bigger project too so if they are tacked together it will save time when the next challenge is posted at the beginning of march.    what a woffle that was.

I am not sure what to use as a background so have decided not to stitch them to the backing till all 12 are stitched then I will decide what to use and if sashing is required etc.

Last week I saw a blog about  a fab 4 link up party on quilting lines blog.  I should know to read all the info but no saw the design and rushed in with my scraps.

Having re read the blog today I think I am meant to use 4 fat quarters but reading again I think that might be incorrect as it is all to do with the Beatles. They are the fab 4. Patricia asks us to either applique the names of the Beatles or stitch or applique your favourite verse from one of their songs or add a silhouette of a favourite photo of the boys,  Well I misunderstood all that so will not link up with mine.  When Helen saw it she thought it would make a nice blanket for her cat Alfie  I don`t think so!

Lesson to learn from all this is to read all the details first!   not rush in like a bull in a china shop.   Must own up to being guilty of this in the past and should have learnt my lesson then 

Have now to decide how to quilt this piece. 

Last week I did have a go at machine quilting the sashing on my batik Tula quilt,  just straight lines either side of the ditch and now wondering about quilting the blocks, would like to do them in different colours and different patterns but not sure how that would work . The backing is blue so have blue thread in the bobbin.   Will ponder some more.

Prior to doing the batik quilting I made 2 blocks for little island quilting, she wants 12.5" blocks as quilt as you go so these are my first attempts with the machine quilting.  

Alison is sending the quilts when she has completed them to Mexico for the poor children,   well no not sending as they are unlikely to arrive, not sure who will be taking them but it is a worth while cause.