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!

Beauty in the Unity

Another catch-up of a project from the past year or two that hadn't yet been shared...better late than never!

This quilt was a mystery QAL kit from Donna Ward at Donna's Quilt Studio (the store is now closed and Donna is focusing on longarm quilting), that I completed in 2022.

It had a good mix of different blocks eg flying geese, stars etc.

It is a large lap/small twin quilt that measures 57"square, and it made a good practice piece for learning to quilt with my Bernina Q20 longarm machine - I used both free-motion and ruler work.

I love the colour and boldness of Kaffe Fassett fabrics, but have not used them much - only on this little zip pouch - so chose this colourway for the project (Donna usually had three colour/fabric choices for customers to choose from when she offered a QAL).

Another chance to use some stash fabric for the backing - a batik that has been waiting for just the right project!

My Mystery Mosaic

This was one version of the MeadowMist Designs Mystery Quiltalong for 2019-20 

(I had pulled two lots of fabric from my stash and couldn't decide between them, so made two!)

The quilt finished at 58" x 69" and is such a lovely, vibrant colour scheme.

The quilting was kept fairly simple, with some echo quilting and a geometric point-to-point design in the larger black shapes.  The backing was also from my stash.

I had the top finished back in February but did not get the chance to quilt it until during the 

Covid lockdown and had no idea what I would do with it when finished.

The day I finished binding it, I heard news of one of my awesome pupils from last year, Jesse, has been diagnosed with non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and undergoing chemotherapy treatments. When I saw the quilt drying on the floor of my lounge the next morning, he was the first person I thought of and I knew I wanted to gift it to him, so I appliqued his name to the bottom edge.

Update: 27th June 2020: Jesse had the wonderful news this week that his chemo treatments 

have been successful and he has been given the all clear! Well done Jesse!!

Ziggy Zaggy and Mini Mosaic

Catching up on some projects from January- March (now that I finally have photos!)

Two neonatal bassinet quilts made with leftovers from one of my Meadow Mist Designs' Mystery Mosaic quiltalong projects from last year (still to be quilted, photos to come.)

Ziggy Zaggy is 19" x 23.5"

Mini Mosaic is 18.5" x 21.5"