Sunshine Sampler

After my play day last week, when I woke up this morning to yet more snow, there was no way I could afford another play day! I was due at work to make up some of the hours I missed last week. Flexitime's, a great tool both for the employer and the employee. I normally quilt on Mondays, and bake for my local Quilt Group meeting. We get together every other week, my friend Jean and I have tried to make a set day to get together for a bit of creative therapy on the alternate weeks.

This evening I logged onto Stashbusters and got the instructions for the first block for the Sunshine Sampler challenge. The aim is to choose an ugly fabric, add some yellow and piece a block a month for the next 9 months. At the end of this time we will have enough blocks, with a few extras thrown in to make a quilt top, at least lap size or bigger.

And so this bright, ugly ' All Hallows' block was born. The ugly fabric has parrots all over it, really quite awful. I think I was originally going to use it for a stack n whack, but didn't have enough repeats. Hopefully the pieces will be small enough not to be able to see how ugly this fabric started out as. I may make the alternate block too.

Bright quilts are not normally my thing, but I do think its good to go beyond comfortable.

Sunday Update

I managed to get bindings sewn on to these three quilts, hopefully I will get them sewn down on the back during our quilt group meeting, or at least get a good start on them. I'll post a complete picture when each one is done and has its label on. I have to thank all the bloggers I have been visiting and the ladies of 'Stashbusters' for shaming me into finishing some of my UFO's. And Tracy for reminding me that sometimes I have just too many things on the go to get anywhere.

I have tried to be a little more focused. Small steps :o)

Blue Horizon - progress

Yesterday I was lucky enough to have most of the day to myself. Instead of going into my office and getting on with the quilting on my frame, I had a whale of a time sitting sewing corner triangles on my blue horizon blocks. I'm almost done with them, just a few more to do, and then I will be ready to join them into fours to make and 8" blocks.

I really should have made the most of our play day, I now have to work a few extra hours tomorrow to make up the flexi-time I took on Thursday. So instead of having 2 days off this week I just have the one. I will just have to procrastinate no more! I hope you like the progress so far :o)

Play Days

The snow that came on Thursday caused havoc on the roads, many schools closed their doors, and here my DD's school decided that it was no great shakes if it was too dangerous to get to the doors of school. So having tried in the car and walked a couple of miles trying, we gave up and decided on a play day instead. Along with the snowman, and sledging someone had a good time. Me, well, I procrastinated on a great scale and failed to achieve anything of note. Other than lots of computer time.

Bad mummy!!

Orange Pile Challenge

Its been a very productive weekend, on the quilting front and the housework front. I managed to get all the washing and ironing done before Sunday morning! (shock horror, ) Was I feeling ok? .... I guess I was on a mission.

I decided to participate in Pat Sloans Orange Pile Challenge. So here is a picture of my first sweep of my orange stash. Needless to say, they weren't all in the one place, that would be far too organsied. but at least they were all in the same room. What do you think to them?

How about joining in?.... its a virtual sew along retreat, should be good fun! The Link on the side will take you to Pat's blog.

Aims for the coming year

My very dear friend Jean gave me a beautiful book for Christmas to use as a quilt journal. We ended 2008 with a pact to use what fabric we have rather than buy more. (unless it is absolutely necessary to finish a quilt! :O ) We've both done very well on that score, restraining from great sale offers, and the urge to just pop out to the LQS.


If this quilt journal was going to record what I make, then surely I should record what I already have on the go? Over a period of days, my list of ongoing projects, started or identified and fabrics put to one side, got to about 26, then there are the quilt tops waiting to be quilted, and the hand quilted projects.... need I go on with the torture! "lol"


Sometimes it is good to remind yourself what your aims are... when I look and see that actually I have started another four projects since the new year and have only struck one off my list as completed.


Perhaps I can be a little self righteous in that all my new projects have all been from my stash, Yeeaaah!


So when you see me blogging about another new starter, please, someone remind of my aims for this year!

The best laid plans...

My intention was to piece my 'Blue Horizon' for Superbowl Sunday. Plans are made to be modified. Or should we just say that the plan is the first scratch or draft of what we hope to achieve? After a unexpected trip to my partners' parents, I ended up with a request for 2 quilts for single beds in yellows, creams and browns. Mmmm... so my evening was spent preparing and cutting fabrics for a strip twist. The initial trip for colours was very productive! After an evening of pressing and cutting strips, enough for more than a few quilts, I reduced this pile to a more civilized pile. But it didn't really put a dent in the pile. Sunday was spent frantically piecing and cutting blocks. As much as I am pleased with the results, I think this design is a little too busy for the recipients. Back to the drawing board! The day wasn't over, it only took about 3 or 4 hours to get this far. The blocks will be saved to piece together in a quiet moment, when I am not pushing myself to achieve it all in one day!

So back to 'the plan', I did manage to piece my strips and get them cut to size and start with some of the corner triangles. I've nearly done all 360 blocks, and then have to do them all over again with the alternate corner. I'll keep you posted. I'm really loving how fresh the colours are looking already :o)