'Waste Not, Want Not' coming together

I  have had the four patches for this quilt sewn and assembled together for quite some time in a container with the fabric for the triangles waiting for its turn. 

On Sunday I decided to have a tidy up and cutting session to clear out bits and pieces of fabrics and to restock my strip bins. I came across the container with the bits for this quilt and thought that if I cut the triangles that are needed for this quilt then the fabrics can be put back into circulation. I had no idea that decision would change the course of my weekend. 

Yes, you guessed it. It didn't stop there, I found myself thinking okay I can quickly sew these triangles together. The addiction really took off at this point. The kitchen bench where I do my cutting was taken over completely for the rest of the weekend and we were reduced to using a small section of the kitchen for meal prep. 

The triangles got sewn together, then they got sewn to the four patches and they in turn got sewn together. Sunday night saw me up sewing long into the night after everyone had gone to bed as I needed to 'just get this step completed!'

Yesterday morning when I got up the blocks were sitting on the ironing board, pressed and ready. As I ate my breakfast I couldn't help but lay them out just to see what they look like. No, I didn't like that setting, fiddled a little bit, took a photo, looked at that for a bit. No definitely not that setting. More fiddling and rearranging, another photo, yes that one is better.

Now the blocks are all sewn together and waiting to be pressed and have a border or two attached. How did this go from just cutting triangles - to a complete quilt top? Is it a lack of self discipline or is it taking advantage of the energy and creativity that was released in the cutting of those triangles, the limitless possibilities of the colours, the feel of the fabric under the fingers, the sound of the sewing machine doing what it does best and the satisfaction of seeing something come together into a whole from bits and pieces.

I don't really care, my name is Donna-Maree and I am an addict.  I enjoy the smell and touch of fabric, I love cutting it up and sewing it back together and I love the end product and yes I will do it again and again and probably as long as my body will let me. My house has quilting paraphernalia in every room, I have threads on the floor, the ironing board is up permanently as it gets used every day (and not for ironing shirts) and there is a sewing machine in my living room and I am proud of it.

The decision that will be made today is do I sort borders for 'Waste not, want not' or do I return to the project that is waiting for quilting that needs to be completed to go to Australia as soon as possible? Maybe I can do some of both? Maybe, just maybe.....

Happy stitching everyone, 

Donna-Maree

Orange Crush Update

The setting triangles are made, yippee!

Things are getting pretty exciting as I start laying out the blocks...

These are looking great and I am loving the look of them. Then I add the other blocks

and I am not loving it. Not sure about these blocks together at all. I love both sets of blocks on their own, not so much when they are together. Feels like everything is too busy and both blocks are fighting with each other, not sitting in harmony with each other. Here are the orange and blue blocks on their own...

Just when I thought that this would be an easy job. I am wondering about using the blocks to create two completely different quilts. I also have these that I may be able to use?

I think I have some serious playing and auditioning in my future along with some serious thinking.

Stick around and check back to see how I get on with this one or maybe two quilts.

Happy stitching everyone.

Donna-Maree

Another UFO?

Interesting - I thought I had completed my list of UFO's and you can imagine my surprise when I keep finding more! I have had to add a few more to my UFO list as I tidy the sewing room, but I really did think I had found them all.

I woke early this morning and spent some time straightening up in my sewing room and came across this UFO. It is Orange Crush a mystery quilt designed by Bonnie K Hunter and I had totally forgotten about it. The thing is that all of the blocks have been made and all that is waiting to be completed are the setting triangles. I have been busy this afternoon making the components for those and I am nearly there.

This isn't one of my Top 5, but it is so close to being a flimsy that I just can't help myself. It isn't going to take much more to get this one done. I have one more component to cut and then all of the components can be sewn together.

Watch this space....... Happy stitching everyone.

Donna-Maree

Getting organised - yet again

Yes I find myself doing this again and again - getting organised, re-prioritising my projects and along the way I often find things, projects or components that I had forgotten about.

Here are two bags of the same thing! The bag on the left are 4-patches that were sewn as leader and Enders at retreat a year or two ago. The bag on the right is the one that I keep in my strip drawer and there are already 300 4-patches in there!

I found these when I was sorting another project, my Bonnie Hunter Orange Crush Mystery quilt. The interesting thing is all of the blocks are made - I completed these on the retreat I talked about earlier and just have the setting triangles and pieced border to sort. 

I am further along on this project than I remembered and seriously it isn't going to take too much to get this one to the completion line, music to my ears.

Completed components - looking good.

This week I have compiled an honest list of my projects and yes I knew I had a few but seriously I have been blown away by just how many I do have. However, taking stock of the issue is the first step. From this list I am going to choose five projects that have the highest priority and I am going to work on these projects until they are done! 

Yes, you have read it here and now I have put it out there in print, I am accountable.

As I complete these projects and they get crossed off the 'Top Five' list, other projects will be promoted to the top five list and they will have their turn to shine. My objective with this system is to overcome the pressure that is stalling me from working on anything because I can't decide what to work on first as there are so many. Check back and see if I am on task and which project I am going to tackle first.

Until then, happy stitching everyone

Donna-Maree

The hexie bug has hit!

More and more people are sewing hexies at club - I have heard the phrase 'insanity quilt' mentioned a few times too. Not sure if I will go that far, but I do have several hexie projects on the go at the moment.

This one is supposed to be just a quick little project to fit in amongst everything else. I thought it would be a good little project to have for when I need hand work, like at club meetings. This project has somehow become the main project at the moment and has superseded everything else!

3/4 inch hexies - the beginning

Ready for the next step

These beauties are going to be appliquéd onto a square which will be part of a pillow.

This is a Bonnie Hunter pattern 'A little bit hexie' which is a kit that Bonnie has put together for her Peru cruise participants, but she has made the pattern available free through her website. You can check it out here.

I really like the pattern and I don't need a wallhanging but could do with some new cushion covers. Nearly there, just have to sort the background fabric and the hourglass fabrics and then just put it all together and it will be nearly done.

Please do check back to see my progress.

Happy stitching

Donna-Maree

Progress on Easy Street

Progress is happening on Easy Street, bit by bit, one step at a time. Last night I completed the last of the block units that I need if my counting is correct. 

I then started putting the blocks together and boy do they start coming together quite quickly. I have been working on two at a time, webbing them like Bonnie Hunter does. I am definitely converted to this method, it keeps me straight and true and once you get used to it, I am pretty sure it is quicker as I am not spending time laying my block out again and again checking I have everything where it is supposed to be and that everything is going in the right direction. I will keep chipping away at these and I am sure I will have a flimsy before we know it.

Will keep you posted of my progress.

Happy stitching

Donna-Maree

Oops ....

I am converting to webbing my blocks together like Bonne Hunter does and this is why...

The turquoise block pieces on the right are correct the ones on the left aren't. Somehow I always seem to turn my blocks if I just pick up the block units and sew them. 

Using Bonnies system, I find I have much less unpicking. Last night I was thinking about something else when I was sewing and wasn't paying enough attention and so today I have some reverse sewing to do before I can move on. I will definitely be using the webbing system to complete the rest of the blocks.

I'm off to do some unpicking and resew these units. Although I am currently working on another quilt (the one I took to retreat last weekend) I was gifted these units for Easy Street from a friend and I thought that I would just make one of each block to see what I think of them.

Happy stitching everyone, until next time 

Donna-Maree

Progress so far...

I thought that I would lay out the blocks for Orange Crush, a mystery from Bonnie Hunter that has been sitting as a UFO which I worked on last weekend while on retreat.

Looking good so far, what do you think? Let me know in comments below.

Cheers Donna-Maree

Results from Retreat

I am very pleased with what I got done at retreat this last weekend. 

This is everything that got completed. I know some of you might be disappointed that this is all to show for my time away, however I am thrilled. This UFO is Orange Crush a Bonnie Hunter Mystery that I started in 2011 and it has been sitting until now awaiting its turn to come out of the cupboard.

There are 20 blocks here on the left, I made the little corner units for these and put them all together this weekend. On the right are 30 of the border blocks that are required, not many to go and the units in front are for the rest. Feeling great about getting this flimsy much closer to the completion mark.

Now for anyone that hasn't been convinced about Bonnie's Leaders and Enders, check this out

These piles are what was sewn together as Leaders and Enders by my friend and myself over the weekend. They were twin units waiting to be sewn into four patches, which they are now. They aren't for anything specific at this stage, I just grabbed them as they were sitting ready it go. My girlfriend didn't have anything and was sewing onto a scrap and of course I had something better, so we shared them.

I will save my other photos for a later post, so until then - happy stitching everyone.

Donna-Maree

Some precious stitching time

I had a need to do some mindless stitching and have sewn some string blocks using my scraps. 

Our son moved back in with us for a month and was staying in my sewing room, so when he moved out I set up my machine and grabbed the first things I saw, some squares of paper and some string scraps and I sewed for several hours - such a tonic.

 I love the way your mind can wander when sewing strings as the only things you have to worry about is whether the scrap is going to cover the paper where you want and the contrast between what is on the paper already and what you are adding. I often watch Bonnie Hunter's Quiltville Quiltcam while I am sewing or something from TV on demand. If you haven't caught up with Bonnie yet you should give it a try, it is great sewing along with somebody else - technology is just wonderful isn't it?

At this stage I don't know what I will use the squares for, I have a couple of ideas forming but will wait until I have made a few more before I decide.

I have also made some cushions for our window seat and I am quite pleased with them.

That corner is such a lovely place to sit with the sun streaming through the windows, my son nearly fell asleep the other day when he was visiting. It is a favourite place to sit and read awhile or just to think.

What has been under your needle? Leave a comment as I love getting feedback.

Until next time, happy stitching everyone.

Donna-Maree

Orphan blocks progress ...

Hi everyone

I thought that I would let you know how I got on sorting the orphan blocks. Well here is the progress to date.

I had a look in my scrap 2" strip drawer and found snap lock bags full of goodies, things that I had forgotten about. Then I saw some bonus blocks left over from another project that I had trimmed (before realising it was going to take forever to trim them all and stopped) and thanks to the Bonnie Hunter way of thinking - I decided to use what I have and that if my star block was going to be different from the rest, that it will be quite different at least when you look up close. 

On closer inspection there is a bag there with 300 x 4 patches - labelled and ready to go - clearly they are for a project, but I have no recollection which one. Will have to give it some thought.

I will put these aside until I can remember what they are destined for. But it is a reminder for me to label things with more details.

So here is a collection of block parts that I have chosen to use to create the block bearing in mind the colours and contrast that has been used in the original blocks. I think it is going to look okay. 

I love this tray and use it to lay out block pieces - it was going to the secondhand shop when my mother in law was moving recently - I immediately saw its potential.

I used Bonnie Hunters webbing method of joining the block. It has taken a bit of effort to break my original habit of joining blocks but it has been worth the effort - Bonnie's way does definitely makes it easier and more streamlined and a bonus is that the block pieces are always in the right place reducing the need for frogging or reverse sewing.

Here it is all sewn together - when sewing blocks together like this I don't press until the block is put together, as then I can work out which way I am going to press the seams after I have sewn everything together. This is dependent on which way the seams are going and that decision I make as I am sewing.

Here it is amongst the others - can you spot it? Bottom third from the left.

I am trying to sort out what size to make the tramming and the four patches and am leaning towards 2" strips. This is the smallest that I have pre cut stored ready to go, so would prefer to use these.

Right then I need to go and make some decisions - see you soon.

Donna-Maree

Bonnie Hunter's Quiltcam

Yesterday afternoon and again this afternoon I have caught up with Bonnie Hunter's Quiltcam where you can see and hear her sewing in her studio while she is working. Yesterday afternoon Bonnie had over 400 people tuned in to watch her sew. It was a real hoot!

I am not sure how many people were logged in this afternoon. I do have to state that it is afternoon here being Sunday while it was Saturday night in Bonnies studio. Bonnie is counting down to her Bali trip which sounds like such fun.

I did hear that Bonnie is planning a trip to Melbourne, Australia in October 2016. I wonder if Bonnie is aware how close New Zealand is to Australia and if she would consider coming here to do a class or two. Well wouldn't that be just fantastic!!!

I didn't get to sew along with Bonnie yesterday or today but I did do some chores while watching and listening, and yes the chores were definitely less boring than usual.

The family were very impressed that I could see Bonnie sewing in her studio live on the other side of the world. Isn't technology fantastic!!!

Stitching group with the girls ...


Last night was stitching group night, we meet once a month on the second Thursday of the month. I was really looking forward to last night as for a change I had some show and tell!


I haven't achieved much stitching in the last three years due to making a commitment to study. However, I have been stitching whenever I can since then and I have something to show for my effort.


So here is my progress so far:

This is my version of the Log Cabin Quilt from Quilt along with Emilie Richards - Lover's Knot Book 7. 

I had completed the top at some stage last year, but finally made a decision about the border and added it last week. It is now however waiting to be quilted.

I saw the pattern to this quilt on the front of a magazine and liked it immediately. I made this quilt using 2 Jelly Rolls plus extra lights and are quite pleased with it, another waiting for quilting.

I took this quilt last night for some advice on borders. This is Bonnie Hunter's pattern Pineapple Blossom, isn't it great. http://quiltville.blogspot.co.nz/2005/06/pineapple-blossom.html

This one is another Bonnie Hunter pattern, Weed Wacker which you can find here: 
http://quiltville.blogspot.co.nz/2005/06/weed-whacker.html
This one is waiting for borders and was another one that we discussed the border options on last night.

These are my Barrister Blocks that I have completed so far.  I read about Randy and these blocks on Bonnie Hunter's blog and couldn't resist making a few myself. I do need to catch up though as I am way behind.

The first block is Jacob's Ladder and the second one is Bears Paw and are the first two blocks that we are doing in the stitching group this year. Each person in the group got to choose one block each. The maker can use whatever colours and size that they like, they can also make more than one of each block - the choice is theirs. These are my blocks. The Bear's Paw will have tramming around it. The next block is a house block - this can be pieced or appliqued. The block after that is a star block - any kind, again your choice.
So watch this space to see what I do for those. I keep changing my mind with the house block ...


Cheers
Donna-Maree