New Projects and Challenges

Hello Hazel here! Are you ready for our challenge? We're asking you to make a quilt which includes pieced letters. It can be any size you choose so you have plenty of freedom in the design and it can include other blocks too. I gave some links to useful websites in a previous post here.

Today I've been playing in Electric Quilt (EQ7) software to make a banner design for YMQG - what do you think?  Electic quilt has  classic pieced alphabets and a foundation pieced lower and upper case alphabet which I used for this design. There are even Greek and Hebrew alphabets if you want something a bit different! I can't live without EQ7 because I use it to design and adapt quilt patterns for my classes and it really is brilliant! You can create your own block designs or use hundreds of pre-drawn ones on a choice of quilt layouts. There are a multitude of possibilities to choose fabrics, colours and sizes of blocks and borders too but it's very easy to use. I can also export pictures of the blocks or quilts to illustrate my instruction sheets. I don't have any affiliation to Electric Quilt but if you're interested check out the Electric Quilt Blog to see some projects designed in EQ7.

With the New Year there are many new projects and challenges out there in blogland. I came across a link to a new 'Skill Builder' Block of the Month on our new member Sarah's blog Duck Egg Threads, which looks fantastic. Sarah's also taking part in the new Craftsy 2013 Block of the Month. Both of these are free so well worth a look!

If you fancy a different challenge how about a Mug Rug swap? Michelle at Quilting Gallery is hosting one. It costs $5 to join but you get two lovely free mug rug patterns included. Visit Quilting Gallery regularly to find a weekly coupon for fabric and pattern discounts and enter the weekly show and tell to be in with a chance to win a prize. 

Have you set yourself new challenges this month? Leave a comment below to share your favourite new projects, swaps and blog hops!

Sit and Sew Day

You are invited to our Sit and Sew Day!

When: Saturday 16th February 2013 10am to 4pm
Where: Clifford Village Hall, 7 Albion Street, Clifford LS23 6HY Click here for a map
Cost: £8 including tea and coffee plus a free raffle with quilty prizes

Come along and spend time sewing with friends! This will be an informal get-together to share ideas and inspiration, see other quilters projects and spend time working on your own projects. We'll have a 'show and tell' of your quilts (finished or WIPs) to get the ball rolling then Hazel will demonstrate some easy free-motion quilting designs for those who are interested. Most of the day will be just for you to sew, whatever you please, with like minded people. There will also be an opportunity to buy some fabrics and supplies for those who wish to do so.

There will have to be a limit on the number of quilters attending so it is essential that you book in advance. To do so please send  an email with your name and contact details by clicking here

Shattered

Hello, Hazel here. My new quilt's name seems appropriate as the New Year has started with some very sad news about a dear friend who had a sudden bereavement last week. I'm thinking of her constantly and send her my love.

I actually started this new quilt before Christmas but then got sidetracked with making other gifts, but have managed to finish the quilt top in the last week. It's from the 'Quilting Modern' book and uses the insert a strip technique to make very large blocks. This measures about 50 by 60 inches and was great fun to do. I used a plain white fabric which I dyed using Dylon machine dye in black. I just added a small amount of the dye and it worked well although it was a little more blue than I would have liked. Perhaps I didn't stir up the dye packet enough. The dark fabric is from the 'Scraffito' range from P and B fabrics which I love.

Because I had to piece the backing and was a bit short of the plain black I planned to use I decided to make a feature of the backing. I'd seen a photo of a quilt on Pinterest which inspired me but I just can't find it again to give you the link - sorry! Anyway here is my version:

I now have to layer this up ready to quilt but can't face crawling around on the floor so I'm going to take it to one of my classes and stay late to layer it on the large tables there. I can't wait to get started on the quilting.

What have you been working on recently? If you'd like to share it with us how about doing a guest blog with a photo or two? Let me know in a comment if you'd like to have a go.

I'll be back soon with more details for the next sit and sew day but to get the ball rolling we'd like to set a challenge: make a quilt (any size) which includes pieced letters in the style of the book 'Word Play Quilts' by Tonya Ricucci. Click Here for photos on Flickr. Here's a link to step by step instructions for all the letters of the alphabet: http://patcherymenagerie.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/red-letter
 If you want to join in please bring your challenge piece to the next SASD on February 16th.

Happy Stitching

Hazel

A Date for Your Diary

It's that time of year when I get out my Christmas quilts for a few weeks and the photo shows my favourite - a panel given to me in a Secret Santa gift some time ago. It was fun to quilt and I really love it. Do you have a favourite Christmas quilt? Like Janet I've made one or two Christmas gifts and will still be working on one or two more this weekend! Here's a little bag I made yesterday from a pattern in a fabulous book: 'A Passion for Patchwork' by Lise Bergene

Now for something to look forward to in 2013 - our next sit and sew day! It will be on Saturday February 16th  at Clifford Village Hall, Clifford near Wetherby. I'll be posting more details in the New Year but our theme for this meeting will be quilting, both with the walking foot and free motion quilting. So put the date in your diary and in the meantime you might want to browse some of the quilt photos I've added to our YMQG Pinterest boards  and my Free Motion Quilting board. This Flickr photostream  shows lots of lovely walking foot quilting designs from the '31 Days of Walking Foot Quilting' I mentioned in a previous post.

Have a lovely Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Hazel

Christmas Gift making.

This is the time of the year when we like to make gifts for family and friends. I always over estimate how much time I will have available for this activity but I do have some completed items to show.

I used some of my Alexander Henry fabrics to make bookcovers for my two sons.

The one on the left is simple applique - broderie perse, if you are posh or just fussy cutting motifs from patchwork fabric for the rest of us!

The one on the right is a single piece of fabric which I have free machine quilted around the skulls - fun to do and very quick. This has given each skull a nice raised appearance.

 Here is a photo to show both sides of the applique bookcover.

 I also have two great nieces whom I try to make hand made gifts for. Their Mum is very appreciative so that really helps! I studied a lot of tutorials on apron making and came up with my own simple version. Each is made from a fat quarter. The applique pockets will help them remember which one belongs to them. I used this great 'wordy' fabric which is so educational! The neck straps contain elastic so they will be nice and comfy.

My simple squares quilt is still 'in progress'. The top is finished and the next job is to make the pieced back. Rob is now home from Uni so I can't always work on it, although he does spend long periods sleeping!!

Wishing you all a Pieceful Christmas and New Year!

Janet x

Simple Squares - Progress!

I have started work on the quilt of the previous post which I have decided to call 'Simple Squares'. Due to the dull weather conditions and limited daylight hours all photos are taken in my extension room where there is the most natural light so you will be seeing more of my new blue Ikea sofa! The design wall in the sewing room is just no good for photos at this time of year.

I will give directions of how I am making this quilt, just in case you feel inspired to join me!

I decided to use twenty 10 inch squares - these can actually be cut from 5 fat quarters - as long as they are metric FQs (20 x 22 inches).

I then cut fifteen strips of 10 x 3 inches and joined the squares and strips as shown in the photo below. This produced five rows, each containing four squares.

I then cut four strips 3 x 46 inches to join the five rows together as shown in the photo below.

This has produced a quilt top of 46 x 58 inches.

I will add borders next, probably of 5 or 6 inches, also in the plain grey.

The layout of squares is not random, can you see the pattern? The vertical rows are all set in the same order, just starting at different points in the sequence.

Hope you are finding time for quilting at this busy time of the year?

Janet x

A simple modern quilt in time for Christmas?

Yesterday I visited the Knitting and Stitching Show in Harrogate. It was lovely to meet up with Hazel and Anthea of Quilting Antics.

I purchased some Alexander Henry fabrics in order to make my youngest son, Rob, a University Quilt.
The poor lad started Uni in September without a quilt, what sort of a mother am I? Sad to say that Rob is a victim of that well known condition, second child syndrome. I have made loads of things for his elder brother but sadly Rob has missed out.

I have decided to set myself the challenge of making a simple modern quilt for him in time for Christmas (or maybe New Year!). I thought I might chart my progress here on the blog and perhaps even inspire some of you to make a similar quilt. After all there are some lovely fabrics out there!

Here are the fabrics for starters

It is my intention to cut these half metre pieces into 10 inch squares.
I will then join these with sashings of a lovely grey/blue solid.

Hope you are all enjoying your quilting!
Hazel and I will have news of the next YMQG Meet Up soon!

Janet x