Charity quilt WIP

Although I planned to make a quilt featuring stars for my charity quilt challenge, at the eleventh hour I changed my mind. I saw this pattern by Cluck Cluck Sew and thought it looked quite fun.

I found it a bit of a challenge getting the blocks to look balanced with the bundle I had, so had to raid my stash for a few extras. It is looking a bit more intense than I imagined.

I quite like it though. It never fails to surprise me how fabric kind of takes on a life of its own when you start cutting it up and things often turn out differently to how you imagined they would. Or is that just me? Ready for quilting woo hoo!

More starburst blocks

I had to go to Wellington for work over the weekend, but managed to make a couple more of my Starburst blocks this afternoon after I got home. The introduction to this pattern reads "this is a simple quilt to make and a great one to whip up for a loved one". I really enjoy making these blocks, but they don't exactly fit my idea of simple as far as construction goes, and "whipping up" suggests a couple of weekend's work - definitely not my experience so far!

This is a quite a different (and scrappy) look from anything else I have made so far, so making it feels like an act of faith. I have no idea how it will look when I put it all together, so fingers crossed I won't hate it! I have to make 25 blocks and I have made six to date, so it is definitely a long term project :-)

Baby plus quilt {finished}

Thanks to everyone who made helpful/encouraging comments when I posted about my ditch-stitching frustrations. As many of you pointed out - now that it is all done, the wobbles are not too noticeable.

I really love this quilt - pity I only made it baby sized! (It's around 30x40 inches) The overall effect is soft but vibrant at the same time. I really like the depth that the low volume background gives it - I think there may be more textured backgrounds featuring in future projects.

The back is also really cute. Look at those little fairies - irresistible!

This is my challenge quilt for our Monday Modern exhibition that is coming up. We were challenged to create a baby-sized quilt that represented an idea or ideas about modern quilting. I wrote in my blurb about the influence of the internet and how you often get to observe an idea being created and then reinterpreted by others. I think the idea for this quilt was first developed by Ashley who took her inspiration from the Marcelle Medallion quilt (Alexia Abegg). Then different versions of it started springing up on Flickr or blogs. So my quilt represents a very modern process rather than a design element.

If you are local you might want to check out our little exhibition - its on at Highwic Wednesday 18th Sept until Friday 29th Sept. Our little group have set up a roster so that we can take turns at looking helpful and/or shooting icy looks at any children with chocolate on their fingers. I must go and buy some white gloves so I can look the part ;-)

Monday Modern charity quilt challenge

Helen (who used to have the Little Craft Store in Pt Chevalier) wanted some help using up the last of her fabric so she has challenged our group members to make charity quilts which will be donated to needy children in South Auckland. She brought two boxes of fat quarters to our last meeting and told us to pick what we needed. Talk about feeling like a child in a candy store! I was instantly drawn to select from my favourite colour palette. Aah, my pretties...

The only problem is that I wasn't really thinking 'child's quilt' and now that I have the fabric on my sewing table I feel a bit short on inspiration. Any ideas my quilty friends? I have to be able to complete it before Christmas so no suggestions that involve 1000 hours of paper piecing. Or stitching in the ditch for that matter :-)

Blurred lines

Alas, not the Robin Thicke/Pharrell kind, just the annoying unable-to-sew-straight quilty kind.

I have been thinking about how to quilt my little plus quilt given my limited repertoire consisting of straight line variations. I decided that I might try some ditch stitching and sent away for this foot for my Janome:

It's got this guide thingy (that is a proper technical term you know) and I thought that it might help me improve my accuracy.

It might be good, but it isn't magic. I've still got lots of wobbles. 

Sigh. It will be a while before I can go around claiming my ditch stitchin' is bitchin' (very uncouth, sorry about that). I also have a very annoying cat to contend with when trying to quilt. She thinks it is her job to stop me. 

I'm looking forward to getting this one finished, blurred lines aside I am loving the overall look.

Starburst blocks

I have been making some more Starburst (by Jen Kingwell) blocks. I wasn't so sure about the first one, so remade it with a lower volume background.

They are fun blocks to make even though they have quite a few pieces in each one and thus offer numerous opportunities to make mistakes:

I'd like to say I only did this once, but that wouldn't be true.

This is my favourite block so far - those little bunnies are having so much fun playing with the moon and stars! Linking up over at Lee's today, having finally organised myself a bit better :-)

Aladdin's cave {a quilt in progress}

Thank you all for your helpful comments about my mis-matching Kona Ash situation. You were completely right, once I got over my bad mood and started putting the sashing together I realised you could barely see the difference.

It is quite difficult deciding which colours to put where so I'm trying to embrace my inner random. I decided (fancifully) that the quilt top was starting to look like a whole lot of jewels sitting amongst sand which has made me start calling this project Aladdin's cave in my mind. Fanciful of course (as it scarcely needs pointing out), because I have never seen jewels tossed into sand - boy those Disney cartoons have a lot to answer for!

I love this Cuzco fabric, especially the peacocks. I beheaded one accidentally, but for the most part have managed to keep them intact :-)

I'm off the the ballet tonight to see Swan Lake. Quality sewing time followed by music and dance. Happy days.