November 2018 Bee Block Round-up

The bees have finished up for another year and in Stash Bee our final queen is Morgan (@cedacanthus). She asked for the Not Quite a Sawtooth Star in navy and yellow from Coriander Quilts. I really enjoyed making this block and I’m looking forward to seeing how the quilt comes together. You’ll notice that I raided my late spring garden for some of these photos. I kind of like the effect it gives.

October’s queen for Stash Bee was Velda (who I’m also in Bee Inspired with) at Freckled Fox Quiltery. Velda used a tutorial she came up with as part of a blog hop to make these houses in a sort of Halloween theme. I’ve used a pumpkin fabric but my cats in the attic are more crazy cat lady than scary black cats. I saw this Modern Fans quilt made using the same pumpkin fabric so I’m inspired. Maybe a Halloween cushion wouldn’t go astray.

The background fabric is Magic Castle Plans from Michael Miller fabrics and is one of the many many fabrics I have picked up at my local quilt store sales as it prepares for closing. The chain has now announced the closing dates for all but two of its stores and one of the remaining ones is my local. I’m pretty much shopped out now though and I desperately need to just sew it all up. Live in Australia or New Zealand? You can get the same bargains (50% off already discounted-for-Australia prices till Sunday followed no doubt by their next sale) at their on-line store. They have ridiculously poor photos but if you know any of the fabrics you might be able to pick some out that you fancy. Like castle plans.

Bee Inspired finished last month with Queen Kate from Smiles from Kate. She came up with a  tutorial for these simple blocks made using two 2 ½ inch strips. I had some batik jelly roll strips in my stash and they were just right for these blocks.

Signups are open for Stash Bee 2019 at the moment. I feel extraordinarily guilty about living so far away from the majority of bee participants any time I get a block that has been posted as a parcel instead of as a letter so I’m not signing up again. I highly recommend the experience if you’re on the fence about it.

We are all staying together again for a third year in Bee Inspired but we are shaking things up in 2019 and running activities rather than bees. This will work out better for some of us who have other commitments that take priority over bee blocks. We’re going to be sewing charity quilt blocks, making a mini sampler and running a couple of challenges. If you fancy playing along we’d be glad to have you and the schedule is here if you're curious. Follow the blog for further updates.

Happy sewing

Sue

Linking up to Lorna at Sew Fresh Quilts, Needle and Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation and Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter

Happy Go Lucky Progress

 

The Happy Go Lucky Sew-along is winding up and I have finished the blocks set out in the pattern. I’m going to be making it wider than the original so I still need to possibly add in a few more blocks. Sharon’s been giving us alternative blocks every week as we go through so I’ll be heading back through those to pick out some extras.

To finish up we made flying geese and sawtooth stars. I’ve always dreaded making flying geese and so I lashed out and bought an EZ Flying Geese ruler. You can make geese from 2 to 6 ½ inches finished with this tool and everything is cut from a strip of fabric, cut the corners off and the pieces fit nice and snugly together for simple sewing. And they turn out perfectly.

Along with the hera marker I think this is a great little tool. Have you got a favourite?

Sue

Linking up to Lorna at Sew Fresh Quilts, Needle and Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation and Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter

Making Progress #1

I have made a start and finished the flimsy for my Regatta Quilt Along project. The QAL is being held by Roseanne over at Home Sewn By Us. This is a Quilt Along with a start date but no set finish so you can pick it up whenever you like. I need a seaside inspired cushion for my front lounge room and this is the perfect design (front lounge sounds very formal but it functions more as a casual neat (rarely used) study slash storage room than lounge since it has only one over-sized lounge chair in it, a desk and lots of shelves). I downsized the pattern by making the strips only 1 inch wide finished and reducing the number. I love the stripe variation this pattern gives. The free pattern is by Block M Quilts and is available here.

Modern Plus Sign Quilts book, co-authored by Paige from Quilted Blooms and Cheryl from Meadow Mist Designs is out NOW(!!!) and I can show you a smidge of what I’m working on for an upcoming blog hop. Yep, it’s got plus sign blocks in it. I love them! And if you do too, you should definitely check the book out.

I have made another two Hold the Pickle Quilt blocks. 

I’ve had a bit of interest in these blocks and I’m in the process of writing a tutorial. I’ll be posting that next week.

I’ve included a photo of the pattern for my latest knitting project to avoid confusion ;-). So far the shaping (I think it’s the rabbit’s stomach) is looking very suspect and I think by the time I come to knit the head and nose area it should be hilarious. I’ll keep you updated. My aim is to finish this by Easter which should be very do-able even for someone who knits as little as I do. The pattern is available for free here and uses DK yarn.

And finally. I have a product recommendation for you if you come across fabric that bleeds. This stuff, Retayne, really works. I had some dark purple good quality well-known brand solid that was bleeding like a haemophiliac (yes, I’m a confirmed pre-washer). I was thinking I was never going to be able to use it until I came across this product – it really works wonders! In Australia I bought it from Punch with Judy. You can buy it from a lot of on-line stores but you can’t post it internationally, well not to Australia anyway. Perhaps it’s explosive.

Happy sewing

Sue

Linking up to Lorna at Sew Fresh Quilts, Needle and Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation and Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter