Super Bowl Sunday Sew-in!

I'm a week late with my post about my sew-in on Super Bowl Sunday.  It started with an email newsletter from Planet Patchwork talking about a Super Bowl Mystery Quilt.  Here's the link:  http://www.planetpatchwork.com/squarecentermystery/squarecenter1.htm

I invited a quilting friend to join me.  We started at 10:00 a.m. Pacific time.  The first clue was revealed at 10:00 a.m. Eastern time so we had a few clues to catch up on.

I chose deep muted colours (almost Civil War-type colours).  My friend Pam chose bright summery colours.  I had a black background.  She chose a white background.  Our quilts couldn't have been more different from each other.  We had a blast!  I think we finished up the quilt tops at about 10:00 p.m.  I love quick quilt projects.  I'm now hand quilting mine.  Pam is going to machine quilt hers.  It will be interesting to see both quilts side by side, finished.

Anyway, here are some pictures of our progress that day:

Here's the first block ~ Mine above; Pam's below:

Aren't they different??  Here are some other photos as we progressed throughout the L O N G day:

Pam at her machine building blocks.



Me trying to decipher the instructions.  We made a few boo boos along the way, but thankfully they were easy to fix.  Both of us said that we don't ever remember reverse sewing as much as we did on these quilts.  But we got 'er dun!

Gorgeous summer colours don't you think?

At this point in construction we're beginning to put the pattern together and a few more colour placement boo boos are revealed...more reverse sewing...

Pam's top done without borders (total time = 12 hours!)

And my top done without the borders; time = 12 hours!

And finally, my finished top with the borders (Note:  I chose a different border than the mystery).

I'm currently hand quilting mine using Bonnie Hunter's hand-quilted (free hand) baptist fan pattern. I'm using a dark slate blue thread which looks great on all the fabrics in the quilt.  Picture to follow soon.    I'm loving it!  I was wanting to start another hand quilting project.  I love have handwork handy near the TV.  Pam will be machine quilting hers and maybe I can coax her to share a photo on my blog when it's done!

Until next time,

Quilting Saturday at Church

The first Saturday of every month, a group of ladies from my church community get together to quilt.  We make quilts for every new baby born in our congregation...and let me tell you there are many.

I wanted to share a few photos of the 'in progress' stage:

My friend Terry deconstructing jeans to make a denim quilt.

My baskets of strips.  I'm making string squares in 6 different colours - yellow, green, purple, pink, turquoise and orange.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Denim deconstruction!

This is what I want my quilt to look like.

My friend Denise finishing off a tablerunner!  Gorgeous!

So many projects ~ so little time.

Mavis

Zip, Zip, Done!!

Well, I hadn't planned on it, but this weekend I dove into a partially completed quilt block project that a colleague at work sent my way when she was downsizing.  She was parting with all of her quilting patterns, scraps and partially completed quilts.  What a score!

I was in the mood to sew but wasn't necessarily wanting to work on my Roll, Roll, Cotton Boll so I thought I would get a start on cutting out a new baby quilt.  Then I remembered this partially completed quilt project.

I decided I could do the applique and that would satisfy the sewing urge for the evening.  Got that done and needed more.  I should say that I had the house basically to myself since my daughter and husband were away at a conference all weekend and my son was home but plugged into his own computer with his own projects.  Play time for Mom!

To make a long story short, I finished the quilt top that night, AND got it quilted and bound it the next night.  It was a great weekend.  I can face Mondays so much easier when I've accomplished something on the weekend - especially something fun and charitable.

And here is my latest baby quilt for one of the newest members of our congregation:

I have no idea yet who the recipient will be but I am fairly certain it will be a girl!  :o)

Thank you to my friend Lisa who had the vision to start this project, and for her generosity in finding it a home in my studio where it could be lovingly brought to life, thereby giving me such great joy.

Happy quilting!
Mavis

Roll, Roll, Cotton Boll progress

Last night I finished all my border units.  I didn't do them until the end because I was waiting for my Companion Angle ruler to arrive.  What a great feeling of accomplishment.

I've now started assembling my quilt top and will post a picture soon!

I had a wonderful pedicure today, complete with paraffin treatment.  I figured that since I treated myself that I should now spend some time taking care of business.  It's year-end and tax time's a comin' so I'm spending the rest of the afternoon on bookkeeping...although my heart is upstairs next to my sewing machine.  Alas...into every life a little work must fall.

Happy Quilting Friends!

Mavis

Strawberry Fields forever pattern

This is my first 'published' (aka 'for sale') pattern.  I've called it Strawberry Fields Forever.  It's a very simple charm quilt with some applique and bias-binding vine.

Let me know what you think.  I'm uploading it for the taking.  Have fun!

Strawberry Fields

Approx. 60 ½” x 72”

This is a “charm” quilt using either pre-packaged 5” charms or scrappy 5” squares from your stash. 

Supplies:

-         99   5” charms (note:  Charm packs usually come 42 to a pack.  You will need 3 packs for this quilt and will have some leftovers.  You could make a matching cushion with the lefovers.

-         3 meters of neutral fabric (for sashing and borders and binding)

-         1 meter of strawberry fabric

-         .5 meters of green for stem

-         .5 meters of green for vine

-         3 meters of batting

-         3 meters of backing @ 45” wide fabric)

The Pattern:



http://www.scribd.com/full/47055595?access_key=key-m5lbd36b6elbatw099l

Strawberry Fields

Block Marathon

I finally finished all of the blocks of my Roll Roll Cotton Boll.  And I ordered a Companion Angle ruler which has now arrived so I guess the next marathon will be the border units.

I absolutely love the quilt tops that I've seen so far and really want to get this one finished soon.

Pictures to follow once I can find the cable for my blackberry.

End of Christmas Vacation

My mini at home quilting retreat ends tomorrow.  Here's what I've got to show for my devoted days of sewing:

I love these blocks but it's definitely more week than a weekend effort.  Are my quilting muscles ever sore!  I was so hoping to catch up this weekend.  I'm closer but not totally caught up.  I am very intrigued by the last step coming this Friday.  I have more cutting to do for that step and am hoping the Companion Angle ruler I ordered from Sawyers will be here soon as it's needed for the last units required for the borders.

These are monotonous little blocks!  These are the result of the 600 half-square triangles.  I am very tired of working on this part so I may go and assemble some of the final blocks.  But then again, it's happy hour!  Maybe a glass of wine and some time with the family will give me more unction to finish them.  Sigh...

Until next time,
Mavis