Bloggers Quilt Festival

I often have trouble picking quilts for this, but this year was not a problem,

my favorite quilt I've made this year - Contraflow 

for those of you who already know how this quilt came about, sorry, to the new comers, welcome!

It all started back at the Fat Quarterly Retreat in London in July when I bought Brioni's new Book, brand new fresh out of the box from the publishers, and a Simply Style layer cake from Justin atSimply Solids

I knew, exactly what I was going to do, the minute I got a peak at the book and how I intended to quilt it!

So unlike last year and many of my friends, there was no quilters sensory overload and block, 

I set straight to the piecing almost the minute I got home ...

and before long had the top pieced

I delved into my stash for a backing and the Joel Dewberry won hands down

I loaded this up onto my table top frame and set too with my Juki to quilt my little heart out

the limitations of space with a 9" harp made me a little more creative in how I filled the space,

and the first time I had actually tried doing pebbles down the middle of a spine

It didn't take me long to get it done

and it was bound and ready to ship off to Justine to be on her stand at Festival of Quilts just 2 weeks after Retreat!

the quilt is now hanging in my LQS, and I can't wait for it to come back home for a little snuggle time!

Quilt Deets: 

Pattern: Contraflow by Brioni Greenberg

Fabrics:  Simply Style by V & Co, and White on White from my stash

Size:  76" x 86"

Quilted by Me, on my New English Quilter table top frame with a Juki 98P

So, my dilemma is to which category I add this to for the Blogger Quilt Festival, and I think I will enter it in the Home Machine Quilted category.  Whilst I could have added it to the professionally quilted category, I didn't send this out to be quilted, and my set up is definitely only a domestic machine and not long arm.  Though to be fair to visitors for the festival, I do quilt for other people on this set up.

don't forget to go check out all the other entries in the festival!

a new week, a new finish!

Yep, another one!

(that sat languishing waiting for photo opportunities) 

fabrics are mostly from Art Gallery Fabrics, with some Pure Elements too

this one is a class sample for a class I will be teaching at my LQS

Stitchcraft Studio in Grantham 

14 January 2014  form 10 am til 4 pm. 

the backing is Sherbet Pips by Aneela Hoey for Moda

if you fancy a Churn Dash of your own, then contact the lovely Ladies and get booked in!

Beginners

Yesterday was week 3 and the last week of the beginners course that I Have been teaching at my LQS, Stitchcraft Studio in Grantham.

So this was what they've been working on ...

and I also ran up a working runner for demo purposes

oh, and the spool block I turned into a quilted sampler for demo'ing how to add binding

and this is just how awesome my group of ladies were!

Thank you to all the ladies, it was great fun, and I can't wait to see your finished runners and follow your progress on your quilting journey!

If you're interested in a Beginners Class, I am repeating this class again

Saturday 18, 25 January and 1 February 2014

and 

Saturday 22, 29 March and 5 April 2014

contact the Shop if you are interested in booking a place.

oh ... and speaking of gifts

Recently Nicky came to visit, 

well, her husband was visiting family in the area, 

in fact so close, it was almost the back garden!

and way back in the summer, we both agreed to a personal swap, 

each making a cushion ...

and Nicky brought hers with her ... I was completely taken aback!

isn't it beautiful!  hand applique'd and everything,

she confessed to have stalked my flickr faves and quite frankly 

she got it spot on!

the detail on the back is stunning as is the free motion quilting!

and there is a little label inside under the zip cover too

(but i didn't get a photo, and its dark!)

honestly Nicky, I feel ashamed I have not fulfilled my end of the bargain, 

I need to rectify this!

whilst she was here, as well as inspecting the studio and the fabric pantry,

a serious inspection of the quilts was made, 

sadly we ran out of time to look at them all, 

I think that's a damn good excuse for another visit!

(I counted them as I folded them up again, 54!)

Catching up on Birthdays

I have been busy, but just not blogged, so I thought I better get some blog posts written, 

first up were some birthdays for the Kitchen Guild ladies, 

(if you've been on IG, you may already have seen some of this)

first up is our hostess with the mostest Lynne 

now, she's a tough cookie to make for!

It is all about the piecing for Lynne so I had to find something that was challenging, yet traditional, with that real traditional red white and blue feel to it.

enter the Lone Star - challenging, and traditional

The star fabrics are from French General, and the background fabric is from , Etchings by 3 Sisters for Moda, a Parisian architectural print, all very personal to Lynne

and of course, you know I don't do straight line quilting,

but for this project it was the right thing to do :) 

I used Aurifil 50 Wt colour #2123 (a lovely yellowy cream)

the back, zipper inserted in the Sew Mama Sew way

I'm really pleased with the finished result, the piecing came out almost perfectly, 

the quilting (although I nearly went mad) was just right

and best of all Lynne loves it!

Secondly, was Brioni 

now, for this one it was all about the quilting and I knew exactly what I wanted to do, 

and whilst I cannot explain where the inspiration came from, 

lets just say, it's very personal for Brioni!

and the back

Plain White Kona I got from Justine at Simply Solids, and the background was quilted with Aurifil 50 wt colour # 2021, my go to piecing thread!  The colour wheel was a mix of all sorts that is in my thread stash...

(yes I have one of those!)

sometimes, it all just comes together!

and even I was a little gobsmacked I managed to pull off these two gifts,

 for two very special talented  ladies

Catching up ...

Its been a while since I showed you some of the customer quilts I've been working ...

this one for Carol is massive!  But oh the piecing!

and all of these Hexi's were hand pieced, including all the background and borders

 are individual hexi's too!

these birdhouse were great fun to do

and then there has been some secret stuff, and I can finally tell you about this one 

if you haven't seen it already, I quilted this Cotton Reels Quilt for Katy, and it is in the new issue of Love Patchwork and Quilting Magazine.

Katy has a giveaway on her blog if you are interested, better get over there quick I'm not sure when she is drawing the winner!

and thank you very much to Lynne for sending me a spare copy 

and its good!

I feel a few more quilts may be started, when I should be finishing some!

Finish Along = The final Quarter 2013

I need to get this is fast!

and perhaps you won't notice that I've gone for blind panic, and the more the merrier slant,

well, what's the worst that can happen, I don't finish any of them!

so here goes:

#1.  Siblings Together - carried over from last month, this is a top that now needs to be quilted and bound.

#2  12th Street - another top, (pattern testing) and just needs quilting and binding

#3  Merry Go Round Quilt - yes, another top that just needs quilting and binding, this one is now a class sample so I better pull my skates on!

#4  Patch Fabrics project - I need to finish piecing the project and produce the finished article and write a blog post/tutorial

#5  Chevron Quilt -  I have quite some way to go on this one, piecing to finish off, quilted and bound

#6   Christmas quilt -  carried over from earlier in the year, piecing to finish, quilt and bind

#7  Kaleidoscope quilt -I have half  blocks, so again piecing, quilting and binding

#8  Black and White 2 for one - piecing started, so finish piecing, quilt and bind. 

hmm, ambitious, yes, but hey, nothing like a challenge eh?

and of course the theme ... 'just needs ....'  lol

Linking this up with Leanne for the final quarter of this years FAL

Phew!