Well, it's a Start!

OK, so it isn't much to show for a week's work but I've cut out all the fabric for the star border on the Di Ford mystery quilt.  I've got four stars complete.  Just another 32 stars in nine different colourways.  I'm really enjoying the fussy cutting. 

Ships Ahoy

I have managed to add another couple of borders to the Mariner's quilt.  The colours were starting to make the quilt rather dark, so the ships border lightens it up.  I added broderie perse cockle shells to the corner blocks of the border.  The blue in the outside border is the same tone as the blue in the compass.  I am planning for the next border to return to somewhat darker blocks.  I have done all the rotary cutting for a border of pieced Ohio stars.  I'm not sure they will work in this quilt, so will piece one side ...and if not, may go for smaller broken dishes blocks instead.  I think there will only be one further border after this.  The quilt will probably finish at about 66 inches square.

Yahhhhhhhhh!  My Nov\Dec issue of Quiltmania has arrived this morning. The material pack arrived last week...so now I'm able to start the final part of the Di Ford BOM! 

I'm now torn as to which quilt to work on...but I think I'll start the fabric cutting for the Di Ford quilt.  It contains 216 EPP diamonds, so I'll be working on this for a while!

Decisions, decisions!

Happy quilting!

Gradual Progress

 

OK, so not a huge difference since last week.  I finished border 2 and added some EPP diamonds to each corner, and then embellished with metallic thread.  

I may add some more small applique pieces to some of the diamonds on this border...not sure yet.  I have added a further narrow border in brown.  

I now want to lighten the quilt up with the next border.  I have plans, but won't be sure until some fabric I've ordered arrives. 

This morning at my patchwork group meeting, I managed to do all the rotary cutting for a border of 6 inch Ohio stars (21 pieces for each star).  I am thinking of using these two borders further out from the brown one.

Lots of options and lots to think about, but fun!

Where does time go?

I haven't achieved much in my sewing room since the end of July.  Life has got in the way. :) I've made some small progress.  I've kept up with the Di Ford Mystery quilt.  I'm just waiting for the final part instructions and fabric to arrive. I've made some progress big stitch quilting my spools quilt.  That is going to take some time!

I adore medallion style quilts and have wanted to design one of my own, but am not sure I have the skills.  I have established a nice stash of Dutch chintz and Moda fabrics in my favourite patterns waiting for the 'right' time.  Two days ago, I started.  To say that I am designing a quilt is overstating it!  I am making my design decisions as I go along.  I have no idea what the quilt will look like when it is finished or how big it will be.  It's an adventure...if you like, my own mystery quilt!  I want to incorporate a little needleturn applique and some EPP.  I have some favourite blocks I'd like to piece into the quilt.  I adore mariner's compass and star blocks.  I also love broken dishes blocks.

Anyway, I have pieced a mariner's compass and added a mitred chintz border.  I am adding a pieced border at the moment.  I'm not sure it isn't too large, so it may get removed and moved to a border further out.  I'm loving this and having fun!

Part 5 of the Mystery BOM Completed

Part 5 of the 2014 Quiltmania BOM by Di Ford is now finished.  I am sad that there is only one more part to go before the end of the project.  I have had a lot of fun making this, so far, and have learned SO much.  Firsts for me include hand piecing, broderie perse and EPP.  I had made an attempt at needleturn a couple of months before the start of the project, but was very unhappy with my technique.  Somehow, miraculously, my needleturn seems to have improved with practice.  Points are still not as clean as I would like, but I hope to continue improving as time goes on.

My sister, Heidi, stayed with me for the past two weeks and I was able to give her the quilt I made for her.  It is now residing in Canada.

The weather has now taken a turn for the colder after a wonderful September.  The quinces from my 2 year old tree had all been picked and were ripe, so I got around to making quince jelly this morning.

Couldn't be easier to make! Heaven in a jar - good on buttered toast, in tarts, or served with red meat. Quinces contain a lot of pectin, so jams and jellies set well.

RECIPE

1. Wash and chop up quinces into chunks. No need to peel them. Remove any pips. Just cover with water. 
2. Simmer until soft: 1 to 3 hours. Add more water if necessary. 
3. Place in muslin bag or jelly bag. I tie the bag to handle on kitchen wall cupboard and allow juice to strain into a very clean bowl overnight. 
4. Measure the juice. I use 500g of granulated sugar for each pint of juice. Add the sugar to a pan of juice and heat gently until all the sugar has dissolved. 
5. Increase the heat under the pan until you have a rolling boil. 
6. Allow to boil until a small tsp of jelly wrinkles when placed on a cold plate.  (About 20 mins)
7. Remove from heat immediately and pour into warm (not hot) jars (fill up to neck) and seal. 

Easy peasy!

Tea Dyeing and Basting

I now have  'before' and 'after' photos of Part 4 of the Mystery quilt...taken before and after I tea dyed the cream triangles that I found too bright for the quilt top.  I just dabbed the tea on with a small sponge.  Magic!  SO much easier than unpicking the border and resewing with another fabric!

Before

After

I have now finished basting the spools quilt.  The basting took a good 6 hours!  I now need to decide how I'm going to quilt this monster.  I haven't a space big enough to photograph it!

Basting (In more ways than one!)

I haven't managed to do very much in the past couple of weeks due to a week of teddy making followed by a week's holiday.  I have, however, managed to complete Part four of the Di Ford Mystery Quilt.  I don't expect the fabric pack for Part 5 until the end of September, so this is now packed away until then.

It wasn't until I took this photo, that I realised how bright the cream triangles looked, so I carefully tea dyed the triangles with a sponge. Much better now!

I added an extra border to my Spools quilt.  It now measures eighty inches square, so will fit our bed nicely.  I have started sandwiching and basting the quilt using the Sharon Schamber method.  She has a couple of very helpful videos on Youtube showing this method.  I am paranoid about getting wrinkles anywhere on the quilt - front or back, so I am basting it to death!

This process is likely to take some time, as the only space I have large enough for this that is out of the way is my conservatory.  It is very hot in there during the day, so basting will be confined to early mornings! Not only is the quilt being basted, I feel like I am, too!

Last week was my 60th birthday, so I've eaten far too much cake and chocolates!  We had some lovely days out.  We visited Ypres (now called Ieper) in Belgium, and did tours of the Houses of Parliament and St Paul's Cathedral in London.  We also visited Chislehurst Caves and the quilt exhibition at Danson House.  Mike's back at work this week, so normal service is resumed!

I am a bit obsessed by spools quilts at the moment, so was very taken with this lovely bed quilt at Danson House.