Little Blue Christmas

 

This is my art quilt entry for the 2023 Bernina NZ Colour Challenge, currently touring Bernina stores around NZ. Quilts had to be 12" square.

The challenge was 'Favourite Colour' and mine has always been blue.  I looked in my stash and found a small set of fat quarters with this blue and white Christmas theme.

I took elements of the different fat quarters to create a collage scene of houses and trees; then I machine appliqued and hand-stitched over top, with some metallic threads and beads for added sparkle.

The photos are not the best as I took them indoors at night; I only finished this a couple of days before entries were due to be handed in, so had no time to take nice photos outside in the daylight.

Sharing with quilting friends and fan(atics) on Kelly's Needle and Thread Thursday linky, with Michelle's (Bolt to Beauty) Beauties Pageant and with Wendy's Peacock Party - hello everyone!

Three Wishes

 

Finished in early February after starting it in January to join in with the Moda Love charm pack challenge.

It uses a 'Wishes' by Sweetwater for Moda charm pack and the Moda Love quilt pattern.

It was great to a) make the charm pack version (I had done a layer cake version before), b) use a charm square pack that had been in my stash for a few years, and c) create a small project to use as a ruler work and free motion practice piece on my new Bernina Q20 longarm machine.

Here is a link to my demo video of my quilting practice (on Instagram).

The backing is a cute birds print from my stash.

It is 33" square, so ideal for a cot quilt or very small lap quilt.

Sharing with quilting friends around the world via Kelly's Needle and Thread linky party - kia ora!

Sweet Celebration

 

A bassinet quilt for the neonatal unit, using leftovers from the Three Wishes cot quilt I made in January (will share that one next!).

The prints are leftovers from a charm pack of 'Wishes' by Sweetwater for Moda; the yellow print, the blue border, the flannel backing and binding are all from my stash.

I did some straight line quilting and the loopy free motion wishbone in the border with my domestic Elna 720 - I do love a quick project that uses up leftovers and creates something that might bring a bit of colour into someone's life.

It measures 20" x 23" in size.

Pretty Pieces

A baby bassinet quilt to be donated to the local neo-natal unit, made from leftovers of the Pretty Medallion lap quilt that I made in April, using a charm pack of 'Papillon' by 3 Sisters for Moda.

This one measures 18" x 21" and I used the walking foot on my Elna 720 to do simple 'straight' line quilting on the diagonal (probably should have used the ruler foot and a ruler by the looks of these photos!)

The backing is from a flannel sheet that has been in my stash.

Pretty Medallion

 

A small lap quilt that I worked on in the April school holidays (while confined to the sewing room with a mild dose of Covid!) 

The pattern is the Medallion quilt from Cheryl Brickey's 'Just One Charm Pack' pattern book, and measures 39.5" square.

I used a charm pack of Papillon fabrics (by 3 Sisters for Moda)  and a tone-on-tone white/cream print, all from my stash.

I was able to practise free-motion quilting of some different motifs with my Bernina Q20 longarm (so happy!) and when it was all finished I tucked the quilt away until the end of May when it was given as a thank you gift to our wonderful neighbour (and dog-sitter) Janet Pollard when we moved house.

I gave feathers a try in the outer border...

...and did some other motifs in the white areas.