Monday...

First official day of the holidays, and I wake up with the beginnings of the flu.  Great!

Luckily flu like symptoms are not enough to deter the sewing frenzy.

Today's lucky project started as three lonely orphan blocks - so old I'm not even sure when I brainwaved this idea - a jelly roll pattern, a roll of bright geometrics and dots, and an eye popping combination of black and white prints - it was going to be queen sized but I realized after the first three blocks it would have driven me insane.  WARNING:  your eyes could explode, implode or start bleeding from overexposure to these blocks!

The ever faithful newspaper print carries on the black and white theme, without requiring medication...

and the bluey/green fabric reinforces the boyish tones in the blocks without imitating them.

The top construction was quick and painless... roll on FMQ using Angela Walters book and Craftsy quilting negative space class as inspiration (if you've bought the book and are struggling to implement the designs, I really recommend the class).

The back of the newspaper print strip...

The back of the blocks...

The front of the blocks - funny how the light parts of the four patch don't show the quilting at all - so it looks like radiating lines in the dark sections, where above you can see the star shape.

A dividing line of pebbles, with a forward/backwards stripe and signature AW swirl...

You can see the irregularities better from the back :0)

This quilt finished up at 36" square(ish).  Now I'm tucked up on the sofa with a hot chocolate, home decorating programmes on the TV, and binding to hand attach.  This will be the first finish of 2013.  Fancy that!

And so progress continues

Four more blocks knocked off the list.

The Temperance Block:

Birds in the Air (some birds were slightly damaged in the construction of this block, damn all those little pointy bits):

Yankee Puzzle Block:

Progress so far:

Those of you with eagle eyes will have noticed that I've removed the less than impressive crazy block.  It is just plain ugly and I'm a bit cross to have wasted this much fabric on it.  Click to make it bigger if you need further proof of it's ugliness.

This string block had the thin yellow strips removed and I'm much happier with it now.

While all these pieces have been put together, Block 17 from the Tokyo subway quilt also got finished as my leader/ender project.  After battling with the triangles, it is so *NICE* to sew squares.

Last up is my quick sketch of a possible idea using the greek cross block with sashing with corner stones... same idea as Ms Lotties Creme Brule quilt click here - just because I'm not allowed to start it yet doesn't mean I can't add it to my sketch book :0)

Using some of this luscious bundle that has a bit of a funny story behind it, can't you just imagine the snowball blocks made out of the bird/floral fabric, and greek crosses madefrom the selection of co-ordinates?   I'd need to buy something for the corners... something to think about anyway.

Like I need anything else to think about...

Not a bad start

So far so good in the progress department. 

I spent far more time than I should have looking for things first thing this morning.  First the fabrics, then the completed blocks.  Like, I knew I had seen the wonky log cabin block - not even that long ago - but could I find it???  Determined that I wasn't going to start it again, I just kept looking, and luckily did manage to find it lumped into other projects.  I will never get a good housekeeping award :0)


I finished the wonky log cabin... which I LOVE

 
made the Greek cross... which I LOVE

and then finished the Octagon block (which turned out better than I thought even though I chose the ugliest fabric out of the bundle) and the wonky 5 sided shape block (not the greatest improv block ever made - the top block in the first picture), so will reserve judgement until all the other blocks have been made.

As you may remember this project is a combination of two separate Craftsy BOM classes.  So far most of these blocks are from the BOM with Amy Gibson.  A lonely two blocks belong to the Civil war quilt with Kaye England.  I really need to do a couple more of these blocks (maybe tomorrow), but they involve a lot more pieces and tricky triangles... then once I've got some more scraps, I'll reread the instructions for the spiderweb block - we'll see how it goes.

All in all, not a bad start to the holidays.  Now I suppose I should do the dishwasher which has been somewhat overlooked in the order of things today!

Plan of attack

School holidays for the next two weeks means lots of sewing in my immediate future!  Making specific goals for the Lovely Year of Finishes seems to really have an effect on my productivity, so I think I should make some goals for this time off work.

I realize I've let my various BOM commitments slide recently... unfortunately it is impossible to do everything :0)

* So first up on my list is to do the Craftsy 2012 BOM blocks for June, the Greek Cross block and Octagon Orb block (both nine patch variations).  I need to finish start my spiderweb block from the March blocks and do surgery on the other string block.  I need to find finish the April log cabin blocks and I am not going to do the EPP blocks that I detest.  Making this decision, and mental distance has reignited my enthusiasm for this project. Unfortunately the Greek cross block is calling out to me as this would be the perfect block for a particular bundle of fabric (especially if I steal Ms Lottie's quilt layout)... but no, no more, I am going to exercise enormous restraint and only complete what I need to do for the BOM - no tangents.  Enormous restraint!  Enough said.

* Make another basket block and two more sampler blocks from the jelly roll sampler book.

* Piece block 17 Tokyo Subway quilt

* Wagon wheels quilt hand quilting finished... but that might just be dreaming.

* Make something out of three orphan bright blocks, and three orphan pastel blocks.

* Buggy Barn Folk Bloom applique blocks - turn into a modern styled quilt top.  It really bugs me when I read the various definitions of modern quilting and they always diss applique... I'm sure you can make a modern applique quilt... I intend to do it... whether it gets finished over the next two weeks is really the question.
 

No photos to tempt or tease... is anyone still reading??

Busy! Busy!

I have done hardly any sewing this week - it's just been a long tiring week.  But the weekend has proved to be a lot more promising.

I have completed my goal for the Lovely Year of Finishes... already!  I know... amazing.  The problem with bags is that when you are in the middle of construction, they don't play nicely with other projects - different feet, machine settings, needles... aahhhh!  So I figured it would be easier to just get it done.  And I did.  Behold, one bag completed up to step 45 - and I've set the exterior aside until next month before I dare look at the instructions for the interior.

Lola's Medallion has also been growing.  From this on Friday...

To this, this afternoon...

Even Dylan was impressed.  He's nine.  That's saying something!

I am auditioning different ideas for the cornerstones this round... big enough for something a bit more adventurous than a plain square.  I'm also thinking about future rounds, and considering different ideas from the Marcelle medallion quilt... it was after all a starting point; now I'm quite liking the circles on this quilt pattern...

From the Material Obsession Two book (although there are other aspects of this quilt I'm not so fond of).  HMMM, I think I have a bit of figuring to do.

New Goal for April - LYOF

So much is on the go at the moment, but after lots of thought and new inspiration I have decided to tackle the Sewing Circle Tote by Elizabeth Hartman and conquer my fear of bags.  I thought this would be the perfect addition to my ensemble for Taupo Symposium (the two yearly quilting event in NZ) which is happening in July this year.

By the end of April I want to be up to step 45 - and set the bag exterior aside.

After a long and tedious trip to Whangarei including a visit to Spotlight, I have chosen the following fabrics: solid grey as main exterior, large spot for handles and interior, other prints to feature on pockets etc.  I had bought the funky prints from the Auckland Festival of Quilts last November - and they've quietly waited for the perfect project - like good fabrics do :0)

In other news, Lola's Medallion is progressing slowly:

Block 16 and 17 are this months goals for the Tokyo Subway quilt.  Block 16 currently under construction.

And the newest little addition to our family - a currently un-named guinea pig to be a friend for Cream.  For those readers who don't know what guinea pigs are, they seem to look rather like rats with no tails, judging from this photo - but I'm sure it will grow to be much cuter!

Linking up with Fibre of All Sorts linky party.

Yay For Easter

An extra sewing day means another block almost finished.

The third and final block in my cunning scheme - fabric ordered, so once the last of the blanket stitch is finished, it can get tucked away until the fabric arrives. 

This is my secret shame, I am incredibly untidy when it comes to fusible applique!

 
These blocks are from this book by the team at The Buggy Barn.

 It has setting instructions for the white version...

And the black version...

 The Country Yard are running this as a block of the month with the black background.  Leeanne over at Quilt Me Kiwi was responsible for creating the shop sample: check out her lovely version here.

Now you might remember that I originally bought the book to create more blocks to join this lonely block which uses fabric from Riley Blake - Lola's Posy range:

The blocks in the book are a generous 20" - but my starter block is 25" - to try to wrangle the pattern under my copier and enlarge it to the right size, and do all those little sections to then sellotape them all back together... Let's just say it didn't happen.  My block remains a lonely block.  But, have you noticed all those cool Marcelle medallion quilts that are being created in blogland at the moment?  Svetlana over at SOTAK handmade has her finished top here.  Now, I don't want to make exactly the same thing... obviously it will have an applique centre to start with, but you get the general idea.  Can't wait to finish that blanket stitch and get into this one.  I've done some preliminary planning in EQ6 so with tomorrow being a school holiday too, should manage to get a few borders sewn on.  Although we do have some important guinea pig business to complete tomorrow as well.

Funnily enough I found the same thing happened last year - in amongst new projects I found solutions for those "headache" projects that have sat around for far too long.  Hopefully the enthusiasm for this one continues to a finished quilt.   Now wouldn't that be nice?

Tokyo Subway - Block 7 has been laid out, ready and waiting.  Now that it's officially April, and this was the bonus block for March :0)  This has been the first block that has required significant thought about what joins up to what and where etc.  Obviously it adjoins block 6, but it's also under block 2 and above block 12.  Make sure all those paths of colour flow nicely!

 

April is going to be light green month.  These need pressing and cutting... a good job for tomorrow if it's not too hot.