Fabulously Fast & Slow Fat Quarterly Quilt ✓

Now, the first thing I'm going to address about this finish is the name, the pattern is The Tile Quilt from The Fabulously Fast Quilts Book by Amy Smart and to make the top was fabulously fast, but my aversion to basting and quilting made this the Terribly Slow to Finish Tile Quilt!!

It was started back at Fat Quarterly Retreat in July, with a class by the lovely Amy Smart and was a real eye opener to the speed and ease of chain piecing with jelly rolls and she was a darling of a teacher! It then went on my 2014 Q4 list and was unfinished and then on my 2015 Q1 list, but thankfully the beauty is done!!!

The top was all together back in November and then it sat in my I Hate Basting Pile, with the excuse I couldn't pick a backing. I did favour a vintage sheet, but then I spotted this Strandkrypa duvet cover set in Ikea and I knew I had ran out of excuses.

I quilted it with straight lines in a grid, following through the centre of the four patches and it was a pretty harmless affair, considering I really don't enjoy the quilting bit as much as the piecing!

So the details:

Pattern -  Tile Quilt by Amy Smart from Fabulously Fast Quilts

Size - 60"x40"

Fabrics - Jelly roll of April Showers by Bonnie & Camille 

Kona White for the background

Backing - Ikea duvet with Lecian Dots on the side 

Binding - Lecian Dots and Yellow Stripe from April Showers

This was the first time I had set blocks on point and it was a really fun way to lay it out, it also seemed that they came together quicker, but I just had to remember not to stretch them as your working on the bias. 

I am so so pleased I knuckled down and got this finished as it is a beautiful quilt, not forgetting that the fabrics are perfect, I don't think I've disliked a Bonnie & Camille fabric line!! 

The quilt has been claimed by the little lady of the house for her new room and due to the fact that the new room is so far off being liveable, it is being dragged around the house by the children to different sofas. 

So that is the last finish of this quarter squeezed in and I'm being honest it was finished a few weeks ago, but I've not been able to get decent photos...........this was the debacle of my afternoon today trying to get a dry and bright shot of a massive quilt with very little help from a puppy and a 4 year old!! 

The new house is having a quilting hanging spot if it kills me!!!! 

Sorbet Churn Dash Update #5

We have had more block arriving and stupidly I really wasn't expecting any this week and then these beauties dropped through the letter box!

I love the fussy cut centres, thank you so so much Ellie!! They are perfect for the quilts!
I am still looking for blocks for the Siblings Together Camps and if you think you don't have time, I won't be thinking of putting the tops together until the end of April, as we are away for a late Easter holiday, so there is still plenty of time!!!
Block count 66 of 98
I'm off to drop the teen at a birthday party! The children definitely have a better social life than me!!!

Sorbet Churn Dash Update #4

This week I have had blocks arriving from three lovely people.
First up are these 4 blocks from Jen (The Lilac Cat)

Next to arrive were 2 blocks from Kelly.

And lastly 2 blocks from Melissa all the the way from America!!

Thanks so much ladies, this brings our block total to 60 of the 98 blocks needed. We still have a way to go to get that second quilt made, so I know I keep asking.......but if you have a spare half hour to make a block, it would really make a difference. 

Camera Challenge 2 - Understanding Aperture

Now, I love those kind of photos where you can blur some bits and not the others, but to be fair it been more luck than judgement that I have achieved it previously. But thanks to this months Camera Challenge I think I have got it.
So, here are my shots on my Nikon D3200 with my bunch of volunteers.

f 5.3 Not the lowest on my camera, but fairly low!

All are focused on Mr Happychops at the front.

f10

The man in the shoulder pads is now clearer.

f20

R2D2 and even the Tennis man are nearly clear at this stage.

And then lastly at f36

They are perfectly clear here, although for this photo and the f20 I did have to use a kitchen barstool as a tripod, as any movement between the shutters closing ends up with ones like this!

Which make you think you have been drinking and gives you a headache without the alcohol!!
And then I thought I'd see what Auto gave me.

Mr Auto picked f5.3 Aperture.

This was a really good thing to fiddle about with and I think it hopefully give me some tricks to try when taking blog photos. I think writing the blog post and editing the photos has also helped me to see it clearer, all those times the teacher told me writing it out helps was right!
I'm not claiming to know the full scientific reasoning, but Katy's explanation and putting it to use, has certainly made it clearer or blurrier depending on how you look at it!!

Swap Sewing

It's not just been all collecting blocks around here recently, there has been just the tiniest bit of sewing going on, and by tiny I mean the smallest of paper piecing.
Back in January I signed up (very late) to the UK Mini Swap, now I am not really a swapper and this is my first mini swap and the reason for this is I am petrified of Swapping! I am such a worrier and I'm lethal at procrastinating, the thought of interpreting somebody else loves, like and dislikes sends me into a spin and I do anything but tackle the project. But I decided to put on my big girl pants and do something that pushes me and the win is I get a mini back that I've not had to make or worry over!

So this is where I am up to, I am using this Cotton + Steel Good Fortune Quilt pattern as my inspiration, but as the templates are for a 15" blocks, I scaled down a mockup of the block on Touchdraw. These block are unfinished at 6½" and as the mini must be no smaller than 15" I should be good with 9 of these little fellas.
The next decision is what 3 colours to do next, I'm not sure between the either of the greens......

or a purple.

It's like a Karen Lewis Textiles paint swatch!
So partner, do you have any preference, or a completely different 3 colours??? Also partner the original pattern has the blocks offset, do you like that or how I have laid them out? Answers and advice from all in a comment please.............I'm off to eat cake and drink a glass of wine, this week has been a testing one!!

Sorbet Churn Dash Update #3

We have had lots of lovely blocks dropping through the letter box over the last two days, it feels like my birthday!!
First up was 4 from Sue.

Next was 7 from Charlotte

Then we had 4 by Just Sew Sue.

These 6 were from Hannah.

And lastly these pretty from Helen.

That brings us to a grand total 52 blocks, so we have enough for one quilt and are 3 blocks onto the second!! So if you have been thinking about maybe making a few blocks please do! It will really make a difference for a child to have her own quilt to leave Summer Camp with.

Here is the lovely pile of blocks 52 of 98 blocks.
The original begging post is here.
And the tutorial for the right sized block is here.
Thank you so so much lovely ladies, it is going to be an amazing quilt! 

Juicy Pebble Beach Shawl

I've got a knitty finish to share, my Juicy Pebble Beach Shawl is off the needles and around my neck!!

I started this back at the beginning of February and have loved knitting it, the pattern has a stitch count for every row and a percentage noted every 5% knitted, which the OCD bit of me really LOVED! So you knew how much yarn you needed, could quickly see where you had gone wrong and knew how long till you finished......not that I didn't like knitting it, but everyone with startitus is wondering when they can legitimately cast-on the next project!!
Also the bonus for me is that it is a one skein pattern, I had 11grams left from my 100gram skein.

The yarn was a dream to knit with, it's a tweed so in my mind I had the thought of a rough and coarse yarn, but it was so soft, not at all splity and had no trouble being frogged on the row I missed a stitch!! The colour is a really perfectly pastel purple and reminds me of a blackcurrant Fruit-tella, all squidgy and yummy.

The lace pattern is really pretty and the picot edging really finishes it off, I think it will be an ideal spring shawl and thankfully spring has arrived around here over the last few days.

The Details:

Pattern - Pebble Beach Shawlette by Helen Stewart

Yarn - 100g Skein of Tweed Sock in Juicy by The Wool Barn 

And lastly the wrinkled/frowning face selfie!!!

I know, as I'm completely addicted to shawls I will make another one of these, for knitting and end result its a 10/10 for me! 

Sorbet Churn Dash Update #2

I've more blocks to share from some generous sewists, Saturday saw a parcel arrive from the lovely Helen with these perfect blocks in.

The colours are just wonderful!
And then this morning saw the postie dropping these beauties from Mary through my letterbox.

I love those fussy cut centres, that boy with the boat is from one of my favourite fabrics.
So we now have a total of 25 of the 49 needed.

They are brilliant altogether, really scrappily matched.  

And I've loved seeing my husbands face as he thinks I've had yet another fabric delivery, only for me to willingly open them in front of him to produce readymade blocks. He thought my online splurges had been rumbled!! Maybe this is the way forward (fabric shops take heed) I'll have to get my next fabric purchase wrapped in a Churn Dash block to get it past him without another "More fabric! Haven't you got enough already?"
Is there such a thing as enough fabric??? I think I'm asking the wrong people.

Sorbet Churn Dash Update #1

Quilty people really are the best kind of people, we already kind of knew this, but I've never put out a call for blocks or help before and I really am staggered by the number of people who are offering blocks.
First up I received these from Jo.

Aren't they gorgeous, perfect colours and I love that background.
And today I received these blocks from Carol.

So so lovely!
The only thing with receiving all of these blocks, is it's making me want fabric that I don't have!!! I must resist!
Here they are with the 5 I had made, so thats 15 of the 49 blocks needed to make a quilt, this is really going to be a stunning quilt!

So remember if you find yourself looking for a quick project in pretty colours, make a Churn Dash or two or five for our Siblings Together Girly Quilt, have a look here at my original begging post and use this tutorial to make them!!

A little thing completely unrelated to make you laugh, Boris and I went to our first puppy training session last night! It was an experience....he nearly pulled my arm out of the socket trying to get to the other dogs, didn't listen in the recall and tried to eat a Sausage Dog and a Pug!! We've not been expelled yet, but I think we both have to try harder next week.
My husband took him to get weighed today and he is 15.8kgs!! No wonder my arm feels like I've been doing a work out, I can't believe how much he has change in the 3½ months we have had him!!

I forgot how cute he was, he's such a scruff in need of a hair cut!! 

Gone Blogging.......

I'm not here today........but I was over at Lynne's yesterday begging for blocks!!!

Go and take a look at what I'm asking for! 

February Makes.

February was a bit of a tricky month around here. It's too short, cold and well thank goodness it is over, I can almost smell spring!
But I did get three things ticked off the list, just.

Butterfly Emery Dress, Wurm Hat & Naiada Shawl.

I would like to hide for March, but that is the major birthday month around this house, so I need to man-up!! And I do have another finish to share just need the man of the house to help me get some photos. 

Next month I need to get a baby quilt done as a friend has just had a little girl, (miles away from me but she still needs a quilt!!) and I would like to crack open a pattern I bought in......... can't remember, but a sale at The Village Haberdashery.....so I might make a quick trip to Walthamstow Market for some fabric for a muslin!! I know any excuse to buy more fabric!! 

I'm linking up with the lovely Lynne's