Bunting quilt

After completing all the cutting out, and there was lots of it, I sewed all my bunting blocks together and then placed them on the design wall.

First placed in pairs, then mixed them up a bit.

After deciding on my placement I sewed all my blocks together into rows. I followed the simple, but effective quilting of straight lines... I was going to add more photos here, but my computer is having a small meltdown. Perhaps tomorrow :)

I spy top completed

With the borders now on the top is complete. I ideally wanted hexagon corners, but after several attempts I couldn't get the measurements right so gave up and took the easy option. It still looks OK, very green, but hey, this is my favourite colour and it is for me to get cosy with on the couch.

My quilt includes piggies, 50's children, foxes, abstract apples & pears, handbags, birds on trees, rabbits, retro trucks and much more! I spy with my little eye something beginning with F.... FUN!!!!

Bunting quilt by Deborah OHare

This latest project was a birthday gift for a friend which I did on the spur of the moment with only three weeks to get it done, nothing like a bit of pressure. Added pressure when I found out it was a foundation pieced quilt, something I have never done and am ashamed to say never did the paper piecing as required, went a bit freelance.

Stitch fabrics

I selected all the fabrics in a lunch break at Stitch, Colombo Street, so bit of rush, but they had all I required - black, purple and electric blue (as requested by my bestie!).

Mock up of block

Because I wasn't going to follow the exact foundation piecing that the quilt instructed (I didn't have the time to learn the techniques, next time perhaps) I decided to sew up a mock block for starters to make sure I was heading in the right direction, luckily I was. 

Block bits are ready for sewing

The cutting up took forever. I managed to get flat feet in the process! Cutting up is my least favourite thing to do, but with these blocks the pieces had to be exactly right cos otherwise I knew they wouldn't line up.

Bit by bit getting their wings

Slowly but surely the pieces came together

What a marathon...

To be continued...

I Spy quilt

My first and most likely last I Spy quilt began in August and is almost finished, well the top at least. I started with cutting out the hexagons and triangles with scissors (shopping list: smaller rotor cuter!).

Next came placement, putting this with that, and that with this. The lime green triangles really made the quilt zing! Probably not for everybody's taste, but I have always loved the colour green.

These cloths for placing your fabrics are excellent eh! I have mine pinned in the hallway, not the most ideal place, but one wall that was under utilised!

These funny half triangles had to go at the top and bottom and get chopped to shape the quilt into a rectangle. This is where following the pattern comes in handy...

The majority of my novelty fabrics were brought when I was building my stash. They looked pretty at the time, but I had no idea what the dang I was going to use them for. Luckily this pattern came along!

This pic show how I was planning my blocks....
it took forever before they all fell into place.

At last I planned how all my blocks would go. I selected each row at a time, walking back and forth to my sewing room before placing them back on the wall, just in case I got the configuration all wrong. Luckily they were all sewed up OK.

Purple bag

This is the purple bag I made some time ago, but the straps needed to be shortened. My friends said "just tie a knot in each strap"....... Heavens to Betsy, like I would ever do that!!!

The bag had to have the lining unpicked, turned inside out, more unpicking to get to get to the straps and then they were altered and sewn back into place. Seams sewn back in, turned right way in, and lining hand stitched back in place. A lot of fiddling, but I strive for perfection. I would rather turn out something that looks great than looking good. I imagine every other quilter feels the same way when they make gifts for family or friends.

The photos don't do the bag justice, but the purple bag really is purple and not blue!!! In case you are asking the pattern can be brought at Quilters Quarters and a few of the sewing group did them at our classes. It is called "Spice of Life" by Monica Poole.

Inside out before I sewed the seams

The finished lining with zipped pocket

The finished bag with my made up latch

Close up of chalky black fabric which I love

Straps at the desired length, not too long and not too short!

Sunlight harvesting

I have a huge project on the horizon.

I work in a biology department where beautiful wonders are everywhere. The latest quilt inspiration has come from an academic's poster outside his office, a vision from an oil painting by Glynn Gorick (Sunlight harvesting). It all starts with tiny photons of sunlight entering the food producing region and ending with the earth's atmosphere. When the academic heard about my desire to make a quilt from his poster he gave me a couple of biology books to perfect my quilting styles of algae!

I know this will be a huge challenge and one I will not take lightly. It will involve a lot of insight and forward planning. I have never done a landscape quilt before. I probably shouldn't start with such a huge project in mind, but hey, life is too short to just chose the easy ones! I will no doubt be searching the web on tutorials on "how to" and inspiration from my fellow sewing group. Sometimes if you dream it, it will come true :)

Paisley purchases

I love paisley fabrics. I think it stems from my paternal grandmother and seeing her wear paisley dresses and anything she made with paisley fabrics. I love their unique patterns. I love the colours, I just love, love, love them! Here are two of my latest purchases I obtained from Cottonfields on Merrin Street, Avonhead. 

My blogs have been short and to the point lately cos I have busy sewing, who hasn't. Sometimes it's hard to find the right words to go with your projects, but hopefully I explain myself properly when I do. At the end of the day this is all so that I can look back and see what I have done visually, my own record of keeping my unpicker at the ready!