Round Robin # 4 Lightening McQueen

Number 4 of eleven (!) quilts doing the rounds.  This was a late addition to create another boys quilt.  I loved the bright colours, and enjoyed working on my addition, especially as a generous friend shared fabric from her stash.  I received the 4x4 centre and my part began with the red sash.

Learnt a few quilting techniques this round as well; improved pressing, smaller stitch length, cutting off the bias and no back stitching.  Oh and sewing on my Featherweight as well.

Round Robin # 3 Compass

I finished my next challenge in the Round Robin.

Adding to the compass.

It came to me finishing at the pink band. I have added the lovely sparkly sliver of silver (looks white here), some new pattern to the teal band, and then a splash more turquoise and pink again.
Off it goes to the next person, and some day soon the next challenge will arrive :)

Another Barn Square - nearly

I have received some more wool lately, gifted left over sock wool, and the colours are a little different - a welcome change.  I was about the block this finished one up but, as often happened I have made it a little large.

It is becoming not at all demoralizing to unravel these squares.  I often think I must pay attention near the end and top and measure.  But casting off again is no big deal.

Finishing, finally!

Finally I finished recovering an ottoman this weekend!

This will be the second recovering this piece has had since we acquired it - happy with this version.

Quilt Round Robbin Challenge Sharks (#2)

I sent my vintage centre out to the group and I received a school of sharks in the next round.

The idea of the challenge is daunting, the execution, as is often the case, is less so it turns out.  I was able to rummage in a bag of fabric, circulated as part of this quilt group.
It is a nice project to learn about quilting, which I like more and more.  When the piece of fabric is too small you just sew it to another piece - simple really!

New lingo - Round Robin #1 Quilt Centre, Vintage Beauty

This week I faced a challenge, one of the quilt variety.  It came in the form of an invitation to participate in a round robin quilt.  These quilts are going to live in Mangere Women's Refuge.  Lovely sentiment and a deadline to produce by this Saturday and well, a hell of a schedule this week.  So naturally I bowed out.  And, well, there was quilt jargon I did not understand on the original invite, 'make a centre' (meaning what exactly to a non quilter?), so it fell to the side.  . . . .

Then a friend produced her centre and I was inspired.  So I hatched a plan on a swim at Omaha on Monday that just maybe it was possible, if I re-read the email, I recalled a couple of bits of fabric that could just work, and just maybe Thursday would give the window of time required . . . .

Then today a small space opened courtesy of my wonderful husband being in the kitchen, the washing all folded, and well, I made a centre.

Turns out the jargon was not as difficult as I imagined.  The hunt for the original fabric sent me off on a different tangent, and I think I have made a log cabin, a rectangle, approximately 10" in size.  The beginning was an embroidered rescued pillow slip, which seemed appropriate.

Next I put this into a bag, and I have added some extra fabric, and then I will get another quilt centre to work with.  No idea really how this works but figure I can always enlist some help if required!  And this was fun, and a very workable size, and for me a way to use up small pieces of fabric together which I enjoyed.

Needing to make something

Life is busy at the moment, at times the outlook is one full of things that must be done, and fun things on the horizon seems far away, and faint to view . . . . . . . .then the realization dawns, maybe to change the outlook is as simple as picking up a projects!  In fact I confess even the action of wheeling my sewing trolley across to the dining room table lifts the spirits!
So easy to remedy it turns out, re prioritize so that creative time does not get buried. And short of a new project or idea it turns out looking at a WIP comes to the party.

Barn Raising Quilt Blanket in progress  - with Diba the cat

I have 21 out of 42 squares completed - yes the final one is on the needles but I am counting that too.  So a good point to look at the whole thing.  It looks more colourful here that it seems to 'on the floor'.  But one challenge is getting different colours.

But the problem

Barn Square number 22 on the needles

was solved with some donated leftover yarn, a gorgeous turquoise - perfect.

Also happening has been a cushion cover.  This started with an image transferred to calico some time back. In the process of removing the paper my cat acquired some patches, but I believe that gives him character.

Black Cat Cushion Top

I am discovering I like this sort of quilting which allows a larger thing to happen with small left overs, and when the left overs are already recycled (jeans and curtains) well that is the icing on the cake.