May blocks for BOM sampler block

More blocks for my craftsy.com monthly challenge:

Log cabin variations

Wonky log cabin

Modern log cabin (is meant to be various, unmatched widths!)

See some previous blocks and info here  or use the block of the month label in my side menu!

And very excited this week to receive a thank you card from a Southland mum who's prem baby in the Dunedin NICU unit received one of the baby quilts I made last year for that purpose.

And also this week, from the Fat Quarter Shop in the USA, I received my order of yardage of Amelia's Flowers polka dot fabric so I can finally make my own version of Hot Cross Buns (as in the Moda Bakeshop pattern) using the layer cake I have of the fabric (I used a charm pack to make my Flowers for Anna quilt)!! Can't wait!

Jigsaw Blues quilt - a UFO!

Found this queen-size quilt top in the UFO box when I was having a sort-out on Easter Sunday!

I put it together in 2009, intended as a gift for someone, but did it all in quite a rush in the tiny little office space that I was using and then wasn't happy with some of the (non!) matching of seams, so packed it away (we were moving house anyway) with plans to sort it out later (and gave the person something else!)


Jigsaw block (from Nicole Chambers' pattern as used in my Family Treasures BOM quilt)
(photo shows the adjoining blocks on each side, block is square)

Well, it's now later...three years later... so I spent Sunday afternoon putting the borders around the top and it is now ready to be taken for quilting...

April blocks for BOM sampler quilt

I had always thought English paper-pieced hexagons would be tricky so was not thrilled to find out that it was one of the techniques for the Craftsy BOM sampler quilt that I am doing this year.

However, the whole reason I joined the BOM was to try new techniques or patterns, so I was pleased to find out that they are really easy to do. It was also nice to be hand-sewing rather than having the machine chugging along.

I made the first block for April - Hexagon Stripe - as guided by the project website, but decided for the  second block to do a complete block of hexagons so I could really practice the skill.  I am really pleased with it.

Hexagon Stripe - hand-pieced and appliqued.

Random hexagons - handpieced block - will be trimmed to size when quilt is put together.

2012 Free Motion Quilting Challenge March Update

In my effort to learn new techniques this year I have signed up for this series of monthly tutorials based on free motion quilting organised by the SewCalGirl site.
I hope it will give me more ideas and skills to apply to my smaller creations.

Here are the samples I have done based on the March tutorial by Ann Fahl which was based on the use of loops and swirls, incorporating spirals, stars, hearts and flowers.

I haven't yet tried the flowers but here are my loops and swirls...

This one has stars and hearts

This is just spirals