BOMs Away Monday

Here's the latest progress on some of my quilt projects.

I have finished another block for my Comfort quilt, 

6 down and 10 to go.

Block #6 - Comfort Quilt

I made a scarf out of an 'Etchings' charm pack for my sister for her birthday. I followed this tutorial from the Moda Bake Shop.

I prepped another broderie perse block for my Morrell quilt. I prepared these 'lovebirds' on Valentine's Day because they looked like a romantic couple. This amazing fabric that I had to cut up is called '1840's Birds and Basics' by Harriet Hargrave for P&B Textiles. I'll have to see what else I can create out of the pieces I have left.

And I finished the fourth keystone block for my 12 Days of Christmas quilt.

Check out the BOMs Away link on the sidebar to see what others have been working on.

Have a great week.

Carole

CCCQ Block #4 'Nancy Smith'

This week I have finished Block #4 for my Chester County Criswell Quilt with a little help from Metro Trains and a bat with malfunctioning sonar. I usually get the bus to work but last Wednesday hubby convinced me to catch the train instead. What would normally be a 40 minute journey turned into 2 and a half hours! Would you believe that apparently a bat flew into the power-lines and caused mayhem to the signals. Luckily I had my sewing with me which kept me sane as we sat between stations not even knowing what was going on but I managed to make a lot of progress on the 'Nancy Smith' block.

I was completely cheesed off at the time and I won't be in a hurry to get the train again but as the saying goes, every cloud has a silver lining and this block does rather look like a cloud. 

Continuing Comfort

This week I have completed a couple more blocks for my Comfort Quilt.

Block  #4

Block  #5

This Summer I have also discovered Pinterest in a big way. I'm still working it out but you can check out my boards from the logo on the right. It's a great way to store favourite pics and links from the internet. I started off with one and now I have  eight boards!

• Quilts
•  Embroidery & Stitcheries
• Red Door Renovations
• Christmas
• Sewing Stuff
• Techniques & Tutorials
• My Sewing
• Food

Do you Pinterest?

Oops

I forgot to say what my mistake was with my giveaway post :(

Most people were correct in that I changed from stem stitch to back stitch when I turned the corner at the tail. I just experienced brain fade and when I realised, I couldn't be bothered going back and fixing it. I'll think of it as my Amish moment (not the only one!).

And the Winner is....

Hubby drew the number 8. comment for last week's giveaway so TLC is the winner of the 'Green Tea and Sweet Beans' quilt pattern. CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

Please let me know your mail address so that I can post it to you.

This week I have started the CCCQ #4 block- 'Nancy Smith' . I decided to try the Hawaiian needle-turn method that Sharon described in her last post. I followed Sharon's instructions directly from my laptop:

  

Pin pattern to fabric that is folded into four

Cut out around the pattern and through the slits.

Fold in half again to cut the middle slits

Open out the fabric and tack to the background

Then needle turn

This was a very quick way to prepare the block.

This week I also finished another keystone block for my 12 days of Christmas quilt.

 I've done three now, only one more of these needed.

It's a public holiday here on Monday for Australia Day so to all the Aussies - have a great long weekend!

Stacks of Fun

Last weekend I started on a new quilt, Leanne Beasley's 'The Comfort Quilt'. I wanted a summer quilt for our bed that would use fabrics from my travels in New Zealand and Japan. I was inspired by pics of stacks of fabric for this quilt so I decided to try and stack my own fabrics. My attempts weren't very neat as I have odd bits and pieces....

Grey/blues

Olive/browns

Greens

Then I put them altogether (inside a box lid). I found this a really worthwhile excercise to assess and sort the fabrics that I had. I thought I needed more fabrics before I did this sorting so I didn't need to buy any more (famous last words).

This is the key fabric that I centred my choices around. I love blue and green together and there will be a piece of this fabric in each block.

 I tea dyed some fabrics to dull the bright white.

Each block is made up of 8 different mini blocks, this is one of them...

Each block is the same pattern which is then rotated to give a random overall look. I've had a fun creative weekend completing these first three blocks.

Block #1

Block #2

Block #3

I will be entering this in the Quilting Gallery's 'Show and Tell' as this week's theme is 'New Beginnings'

The pattern for the Comfort Quilt quilt is in Leanne's #3 Vignette magazine.

If you haven't already, please check out the giveaway on my previous blog.

Cheers

Carole

Green Tea and Sweet Beans Giveaway

Back to work and on the buses this week and so to hand stitching. I have completed the first and almost finished the second of the 4 keystone blocks for my 12 Days of Christmas quilt. I have enjoyed using a range of stitches on these small 5" blocks - running, stem, satin, open lazy daisy and colonial knots (I always choose a colonial knot, rather than a french knot, as I find they practically always have a neat finish).

Can you spot my mistake on the blue bird? Click on the pic below for a close-up.

Leave me a comment or send me an email as to what you think the error is and I will randomly select a correct answer to win a 'Green Tea and Sweet Beans' pattern. This quilt by Jen Kingwell of Amitie Textiles was inspired by one of her many trips to Japan. A friend gave me this pattern when it first came out, it's gorgeous but I just don't think I'll ever make it myself.

I'll draw a winner next Thursday 24th Jan and I will post overseas.

Good luck!!