Raggedy Wall Panel

Very little in the sewing department happening today, or this week to be honest.  It’s getting towards the pointy end of the year, and so much is happening.  Christmas shows seem to start earlier and earlier, we’ve already had a couple of them that we’ve had to go to and it’s not even December!  And don’t get me started on how early the Christmas decorations go up in the shops!

Still.  I’ve two little ones who are still very much into the awe of Christmas and I remember how wonderful that was, and I try very hard to ensure they are having as much fun as they can this season.  And if that means dragging them over the country side so their ballet group can perform in Christmas dances, so be it!

And as there has been so little sewing, I’ve got an oldie but a goodie to show you.  I couldn’t tell you who this designer was, but when this panel arrived at the shop – oh a good fifteen years ago, I think – I knew I had to have one for myself. 

It was such a cutie, and it came in those wonderfully rich, country colours that were so prevalent back in the nineties.  I miss them.

Bit hard to read what the panel says, but it’s all about buttons. 

 

 

I machine quilted the outside, and hand-quilted the cross hatching in the centre.  And if I do say so myself, I think it looks quite nice!

It’s never seen the light of day as a functional quilt, or wall hanging.  I have a cupboard full of things that I have never actually use.  But as I say time and time again, it’s not about the end result, it’s about the pleasure one receives whilst one is making it.  And that’s what it’s all about for me.

Later this week I hope to show you some photos of some little stitching I’ve been doing to give away.  But the computer is not being co-operative (what’s new!) and so I will wait. 

See you soon!

Suzie

Carpenter’s Wheel Cushion

I don’t know if this is something I have shown you before or not.  I had to make a Carpenter’s Wheel block for a combined charity quilt our guild was making.  I’ve always adored the Carpenter’s Wheel – it’s just challenging enough for me without making me want to tear my hair out.

I have blocks that I love, that I keep going back to and this is one that I have always adored.  I may have to make a whole quilt out of it.  Team it with thirties prints, and what better block could you have?

I hope you are enjoying your quilting time.  Life remains hectic here, but I would haven’t have it any other way.

Till tomorrow,

Suzie

Another Flimsy

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve had this sitting on my design wall for a few days now, and I’m just so pleased with it.  It brightens up my room such a lot.  I’m only going to take it down because I’m worried the bias will stretch, as it’s un-quilted. 

I am such a sucker for these thirties prints.  I can see how they would have made such a difference in cheering up depression households.

The design I think came from another blog and I am in no way claiming it was mine – but as I’m so supremely disorganised, I cannot find who the designer was.  Do you know?

Anyway.  Love it to pieces.  Lord only knows how many of these thirties quilts I have now.  Never enough!

Suzie

Pastel Stars Quilt

Hi!

Another in my ‘stuff we made whilst in the shop’ posts.

This one was a made up pattern.  We received the beautiful panel with the children on it (and it’s so familiar to me, I must have read a story book in my youth with it), and knew we had to make something up in it. 

At the same time, we received a lovely Nancy Halvorsen range of fabrics that went beautifully with the panel and we (mainly Mum) just made it up as we went along.   I used to love doing that – you’d add a bit with something you fancied, add something else on the side, and just keep going until the quilt was big enough to call finished.

It was a bit of a bugger though when you were asked ‘Do you have a pattern for that?’  And people always wanted a pattern of the shop samples we made.  Sometimes we were clever and wrote things down as we went along.  Mostly we didn’t.

But this little quilt is very sweet, and we had a lovely time making it.

I look at it now and I realise there are lots of obvious flaws in it – nothing we made in the shop was ‘our best work’, sadly.  But there were only so many hours in the day and admittedly, we did rush through things often.  We wanted to get the quilt up on the wall so we could showcase the fabrics, and we cut corners more often than we should have.

But I figure if a little girl received this, and she’d never had a quilt before, she’d probably adore it.

 

 

 

 

 

Chopped off points in the sawtooth square.  So be it.

The Nancy Halvorsen fabric was just too, too sweet.  I’ve a big bag of scraps left for ‘one day’.  There’s a lot of bags left for ‘one day’.  I hope I live to be 110.

Till tomorrow,

Suzie

Quilt Show–Part Twelve

It’s the final post, so I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing how we set up our quilt show.  We took a lot away from it for next time, and I hope we can learn how to do a bigger and better one.  Life is all about learning, isn’t it?

Till tomorrow

Suzie

Quilt Show–Part Eleven

One more post after this one and then we are done with the quilt show. 

I’ve been sewing up a storm the last few days, trying valiantly to get some UFO’s done.  Hardly going to make a dent in the pile but one can try, yes?

Till tomorrow,

Suzie

Flimsy–another UFO bites the dust

I finished this UFO ages and ages ago, but didn’t have the space to photograph it.  Or at least I thought.  I bought some bull dog clips and nailed them into my design wall and made a perfect photography backdrop!

Some of you may remember me working on this in previous posts.  I made two quilts with string blocks, and whilst I managed to use up a large amount of scraps, I was well and truly bored brainless with the concept by the end of them.

I then began one of Bonnie Hunter’s mystery quilts and lo and behold, there was a truckload of string blocks in that too!

I may well live my whole life with never making another string quilt again.  I am officially over them.

 

 

 

 

I am thrilled to pieces with this quilt, and included that final photo of the red fish to show you that everything can be included in a scrap quilt, even flying red fish fabric.  Just like Bonnie says, you just have to cut it smaller to make it work.

I hope you’re quilting up a storm out there,

Suzie

Quilt Show–Part Ten

No time for a long post today, just some more show and tell.  Today is a busy, busy one!

 

Till tomorrow,

Suzie