Cherish EPP to top stage

In June of 2024 I finally finished hand-piecing together the twenty full hexagon blocks and five half hexagon blocks of my English-paper-pieced 'Cherish' quilt (pattern and EPP kidset, with acrylic templates and precut paper shapes, from Jodi at Tales of Cloth in Australia).

I had bought the kitset at the end of 2020, and ordered a fatquarter pack of Lewis and Irene (for Moda) fabrics of their Teatime range as I loved the china blues and whites; I added other blues, yellows and greens from my stash and scrap bins.

Blocks 1-10

Blocks 11-20

Having hand-stitched the 700 pieces together, I felt I should stay traditional and also have a go at hand-quilting it - though will admit to cheating/being efficient by first basting the quilt with the basting stitch on my Bernina Q20 longarm machine, which made it so quick to prepare.

Then I spent many winter evenings with some slow stitching, working my way around the blocks with Wonderfil 'Spagetti' 12wt - 3ply Egyptian cottons.

I watched a few different hand quilting tutorial videos to get some tips and chose not to work with a hoop/frame as I didn't want to have to keep adjusting it all the time.

I've got about two thirds of the blocks completed, but have not picked the project up for the past three or four months; I will get back into it maybe when the nights get darker again with autumn/winter.

Measures 60" x 64"

Colours and Critters (In The Garden)

This is an FPP (foundation paper-pieced) double/queen quilt that I began in 2022 and finally completed in 2024. 

It was a block of the month quiltalong called In the Garden, with patterns by Kirsty Lea @QuietPlay - and I sewed the blocks on my Elna 720 domestic machine. I have done a sample block of FPP before, and have got a pattern for a gorgeous zebra that I intend to create one day, so felt that this project would be a good chance to build my skills with a technique I have not really used.

All of the fabrics were pulled from my stash and scraps bins, with yardage of a white organic cotton from Spotlight, and then I started in 2022 with the lily blocks:

They were super easy, and I'm keen to one day make a quilt just using this block, using up scraps.

Then I began the large blocks; I chose to do the 15" size (the other option was 12" but I felt that they would be too fiddly for me as I am not always the most patient of sewers!)

I love this little bug!

October 2023 - finally all done, ready to assemble and quilt!

Measures at 67" square

I quilted it on my Bernina Q20 longarm frame, free-motion quilting using an allover motif that I had seen as a panto online (but I don't have a panto so practised freeehand drawing it first until I felt ready to do that with the machine).

I used a wide-back gingham for the backing, a practice lily as the label, and a polka dot binding.

This one is definitely staying with me - it gives our bed a lovely, fresh look!

And while it was laying on the floor to dry, Bess decided she had the right to test it out!

Allsorts For You

This one was actually finished in late 2023 but I didn't take photos until I had finished all three in 'the set' of quilts made from my licorice-allsorts-inspired fabric strips.

Measures at 38" x 46"

Licorice Allsorts and Rainbow Bars

I quilted this on my Elna 720 domestic machine, as I wanted to match up the thread colours with the fabrics and it was easier to do this on the domestic, plus the quilt is not too big to wrangle on the table-top.

I used a mixture of straight-lines, swirls, zigzags and diagonal lines, in various coloured strips, and a ribbon motif was used in the polka dot sashings.

A polka dot binding for this one!

My handy helper hubby! He's (usually) very patient...

You can check out my other quilts made with these bright strips by clicking on the 'allsort' label in the side bar.

All Out of Allsorts

 

Another of my 2024 creations using the licorice allsorts-inspired fabric strips - you can see the other creations by clicking on the 'allsorts' label in the side-bar.

I used my longarm to do straight-line ruler quilting using a variegated Wonderfil thread - Fabulux trilobal 40wt polyester 'Ocean Breeze', which ran so beautifully through my Bernina Q20 longarm - and I love the way the colours show up in the white areas (where I simply followed the same lines of the black sashings).

It is 46" x 54" in size.

This one is staying at home on our sofa as I love the bright colours.

Licorice Allsorts and Rainbow Bars

Love a striped binding!  And made use of some prints from my stash for the backing.

This was the final quilt made with the colourful strips, so I am now officially all out of allsorts!

Rainbow Bars of (All) Sorts

Using up leftovers from this quilt and I think this was one of my favourite finishes of 2024!

I love licorice All Sort lollies and the longer Rainbow Bars.

My workmate Andrea Russell admired this one when I first shared a finished photo earlier in the year, so found herself the recipient of it as a Christmas/thanks-for-all-you-do gift.

Simple straight line quilting for this one, using my Bernina Q20 longarm and a ruler.

When working out a way to use up the strips in an effective and efficient manner, I decided on the graduated sizes and am really pleased with how it turned out.

Finished size is 51.5" x 54/5"

These colours, and the licorice black of the sashing, totally calls for a striped binding, and I used an orange batik from my stash for the backing.

Rainbow Bars - I think yellow is my favourite, but then again...they are all yummy!

You can see all my other quilts using the allsorts theme/colours by clicking on the label 'allsorts' in the side bar.

Cat inspection and approval given.

Gizmo -she looks grumpy but is the sweetest little cat.