New projects...

Well I have kept busy this week with a few new projects, some still in progress and one finished.

As you may remember I have been making hexagons for a cushion cover which is coming together very slowly.  I wanted two pillows for the bed which will go with my Birds & Bees Quilt, so I decided to use the same fabrics and create this simple square block.  I am going to quilt this before making the cushion so it has some texture and feels that bit stronger.

I got this beautiful bundle of Joel Dewberry's Notting Hill that I got Sew Love Fabrics which I have been itching to cut into.

I really love this collection.  Here are a few of my favourites.

The second project I started had me cutting into these beautiful fabrics.  I signed up for Amy Gibson's Craftsy BOM 2012.  Yes, just a little behind but I liked the blocks used and thought they'd be a good challenge.  The beauty of doing this a year late is that all the BOMs are posted and I can work through them at my own pace.

And the last project, which is the one I got completed, is this Metro Bag from Grand Revival Sewing Patterns.

I am linking to WIP Wednesday and Fabric Tuesday.

WIP Wednesday

It has been a while since I've checked in so I have a few things to share today.

I have made a little progress on the Rapid City quilt with a few more blocks completed.  Other blocks can be found here.  I am slowly getting there.

For my second WIP.  I have joined a few rows of hexagons.  I found the hexagons were quick to make but sewing them all together is taking me some time.  I have been sewing them when I get a chance to watch tv and am not too tired to focus.

I would love to know how small you do your whip stitch when joining them.  I have been doing them quite small as I want the hexagons to eventually be a cushion cover but I am wondering whether I am going a little crazy.

And for something new to show I have started work on a cot quilt.  This one is an order from a family member and her only guidelines were for it to be purple and green.

I've used the Abracadbra Quilt pattern along with a Posy by Aneela Hoey layer cake.  I love the colours in this collection and I think this quilt design really shows off the cute patterns.  I have added some Kona  Lavender blocks to bring out the purple more as well.

I included a couple of photos as the ones I took outside look a little washed out.

I am linking to WIP Wednesday and Fabric Tuesday.

One last finish for the year...

I'd like to wish everyone a wonderful 2013 and I hope the new year brings many wonderful times for everyone.

I am so fortunate to have one last finish for the year.  My Birds and Bees quilt is finished! Yay!

I had given it to a long arm quilter by the name of Joanne with no deadline on when I needed it (there was no big rush as it's a keeper) so wasn't expecting it back before Christmas. Joanne called the week before Christmas to let me know it was finished so of course I raced there to pick it up and home again so I could get the binding on and all done.

I am very happy with the finished quilt.  It fits over our king size bed which is going to be great in winter.  I have been trying to get a photo of it on the bed but we haven't had much sun on that side of the house.

The back was pieced from Beatrix Weave in Limeade which worked well.  The quilting was completed with a variegated green cotton that matches in very well.

There are two patterns with the quilting.  The white sashing is completed in a different pattern so it stands out.

I finished the quilt off with Cotton Couture Charcoal which makes for a great frame.

And lastly is a little review of the projects I've done since I started sewing May.  It was busy but I was having so much fun I didn't realise how many I'd done.

Have a great new years to all!!

Going Hexie...

I am in love with Hexagons and how easy they are.  I love that I can carry them with me.  I love that I can do  them while watching my favourite tv shows.  I love that you can use your scraps.

That's enough about why I love them.

I cut a heap of hexagons as I wasn't really sure how many I'd need for a cushion cover.  The fabric might look familiar, I am using the scraps from my Birds & Bees Quilt which you can see here.  I am very excited that the quilt is with the long arm quilter so the final reveal will be in the new year.

Originally it was only Birds & Bees fabric but after looking at them all together it was a little busy.  I think the white mixed in is great and gives the eye somewhere to rest, along with incorporating the solid from the quilt.

We are heading off to the beach for Christmas so these little guys are going to be packed in my bag to be finished and when I get home I think I'll make a simple square patchwork cushion cover to go with this one.

I am linking to WIP Wednesday and Fabric Tuesday.

Birds and Bees ready for quilting...

Not much sewing happening around here lately so all I have to show this week is the completed top and back for my Birds and Bees quilt.

I am now in the process of trying to find a long arm quilter to complete the next stage.  This is proving harder than I thought with messages being taken, phone calls not returned.  I know Christmas is fast approaching and they may not want to take on extra work before then but a return call to say that would be helpful.

The back was pieced with Beatrice Weave in Limeade.

I'm hoping to get back into the sewing room again soon and have some new projects under way.

I am linking to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced

Still sewing...

Over the past week I have been busy enough and have made progress on a couple of quilt tops but with being out of action on the weekend (hurt my back shopping of all things!) I feel as though I could have done so much more.  

I am happy to say I have pieced the quilt top and back for my friends 50th birthday present and am really happy with it.   I didn't manage to get a photo of the back but it's a scrappy piecing using what fabric I had left.  I'm waiting for my husband to get home so I've got some help to baste it and then I'll jump into the quilting which I'm planning on keeping simple.

I paired up the Bella collection with Bella Solids Charcoal, Clementine and Citrine along with Kona Royal Blue and Emerald.

I can't believe that on the days we've had sunshine and could get outside to take some photos the wind has been crazy.  I just keep clicking until I get a photo with it mostly front on.

I've also got 3 columns of my Birds and Bees quilt together which I am really loving.  I am hoping to piece the backing over the weekend.  I am thinking about taking this one to a Long Arm Quilter due to it's size.  I'm not really sure how I want to quilt it either.

Again the wind was not letting up!

And totally off the subject of sewing, I thought I'd share this gorgeous magnolia.  I am in no way a green thumb and really have no interest in gardening.  On top of that I have allergies to some flowers so needless to say I had to do some research before planting flowery plants out the front of our house.  I couldn't have made a better decision though!  These have really grown all by themselves.  I haven't actually watered them since they were planted, that's how good they are!  They are covered in flowers!  I'm guessing they like tough love :)

I hope you all enjoy the rest of the week.  I will be back later in the week to share the finished table runner from my sewing class.

Lots of cutting...

Hi, how is your week going?  It is all go here with another couple of quilts underway.

Firstly, I have finally cut into my 'The Birds and The Bees by Tula Pink' collection.  It is now cut into 360 pieces of glorious colour.  I searched for ideas on using this fabric for a while.  I wanted something that I could really show off the fabric design.  In the end I took a look at Tula Pink's book and found the Dream Weaver quilt design.  I felt this design was perfect to show off the larger prints and to allow as much detail in the fabric to come through.  It is amazing the small details in this collection when you look closely at it.

I have the fabrics laid out in the order they are going to be sewn.

I have managed to get blocks of 3 sewn together so far.  I am really eager to get back in the sewing room to get these sewn into columns.

Then I have the HSTs which I shared last week.  I have made a start and have 2 HSTs sewn together.  It is tricky getting the corners to align exactly.  I did a lot of unpicking and in the end moved on to another project.  I know I will have to go back to them, and I will.  I just think I am going to have to do this in small periods of time.  I find unpicking frustrating and to spend a day doing that will drive my crazy. 

So this is how it turned out the majority of the time, always a couple of millimetres out.

And this was as close as I could get them.  It's still not perfect but I am happy enough with it.

That's all for today.  I hope everyone enjoys the rest of their week!

I am linking up at Freshly Pieced:

The Birds and the Bees by Tula Pink

How exciting is that moment when you are ripping into that new parcel of fabric??  The race is on to get into it as fast as possible to check out your purchases.  This is how I felt when my delivery of fabric, Tula Pink's The Birds and the Bees, arrived from Hawthorne Threads.

This is such a beautiful collection!!

Those swallows and squirrels are adorable.  I can't wait to cut into this fabric.  It'll need to be a special project.

Then there are the trees.  When you take a closer look their are apples in the trees, bees flying around and the birds.  Very cute!

I recently got the Tula Pink's new book, Quilts from the House of Tula Pink, so I am thinking of using one of her designs for this fabric.

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend.