The First* of May and a Giveaway!

Edited: This Giveaway is now closed. Thanks to all for Entering!

Modern Scallop - Pillow

Get ready to get excited everyone because this month I have finished something! And not just one thing but two.  Oh yes, two things. First up is my scallop pillow. I adore this pillow and now I finally get to use it.  I thought it would be a simple matter to just add a backing with a hidden zipper.






Scallop Pillow - Back

Well it might have been except that I chose a fabric that my machine hated more than anything in the world, but just for the top-stitching, you know, the part that everyone can see! Oh and I carefully sewed down the flap covering the zipper before sewing the back and front together and then forgot to leave the zip open a bit for turning. That was a fun 15 minutes...



Modern Scallop Pillow - Finished

Despite all that it now happily resides on the couch in my craft room/guest room/. Along with that blue scarf which is waiting to have the ends sewn in.  It's a bit long, I measured when I was sitting down and then added a bit extra for luck and now it touches the ground when I put it around my neck :(  I might have to make it into a pillow too.

I've also finished my binary code. All 104 numbers aligned as well as I could. The numbers finish at 1.5" x 2.5"  and the centre panel is 15.75" x 40.75".

I'm not that happy with it.  Maybe the making stage took too long? It was started over a year ago. I kind of wish I'd chosen softer colours. Grey maybe? I always planned to put it on a canvas to hang in my home(yes, I am that nerdy) but now that its on there I'm really not sure about it.  The border seems too wide and it definitely needs a edge/binding to break up all the black. I did make the borders wide on purpose so I had enough to staple and so if I wanted to turn it into a quilted wall-hanging later I could.  I might. I'm just not sure. Any suggestions are welcome. For now its just hanging out on my dresser until I decide what to do. Obviously I removed all my junk treasured memorabilia before I took this photo ☺ Not sure why both the dresser and the panel look bent? I blame the photographer.

Binary Code Pieced Quilt Panel

I made a binary code panel for a friend a few years ago(just one word) and loved it.  I'd been searching for a word or a phrase for a while and this quilt seemed to have just the right one. For anyone who'd like to know what it says you can go to a translator here and type in all the numbers or just have a look at the link above.

Lastly(thanks for hanging in there) a GIVEAWAY!


Down Under Quilts Magazine, Issue 157, 2013.

To celebrate that I've reached over 50 Followers(!), to thank you all for being patient and sticking around during the post-drought and to happy-dance that this quilt got a little mention in the latest Down Under Quilts magazine I'm having a giveaway!

I'm giving away a copy of this magazine, a charm pack of the fabric I used and a little Dresden related surprise! To enter please be a follower and leave a comment telling me your two favourite colours. This giveaway is open worldwide! Please make sure you are not a no-reply blogger or leave your email in the comments so I can contact you to find where to send your prize! Giveaway will close at the end of May.


I'm linking up to Lily's quilts for Fresh Sewing Day.



*(For any calendar police, I know this is posted on the 2nd of May.  It's just that my computer hates me and did not want to cooperate in editing and uploading photos, no matter how much I tried to encourage it by swearing and promising untimely demises.)

I said what? Help me, help me now...

Remember that quilt I've been working on?(actually I'm working on a few, I just haven't got around to sharing yet ;) ) Well its driving me crazy! Its the Secret Squirrel one that is based on the Table Runner tutorial from the Moda Bake Shop(by Kim Walus,  bittybitsandpieces.blogspot.com).

Dresden Plate Table Runner - bittybitsandpieces.blogspot.com

So my plan was to make it four plates across, by five down, or twenty Dresdens. Then, since I'm using mostly the same fabric, have a dark brown border, then a diamond border using the same fabric as the light coloured diamonds around the Dresden, then another brown border and binding. Oh and with smaller Dresdens in the corners. Sounded good.  Just one problem, it's not working for me.  I like the Dresdens and the diamonds around it, that make it look like a little sunburst but I get to the borders and I just go aaaaaarrrgh!!

Now I've been driving her crazy getting some help from Katie and The Husband(TH for short!) and I've narrowed it down to nothing. Yep, that's right, I'm even starting to question my plan for the middle.  It's a lot more geometric than I thought it would be and I'd like to make it softer. But how?

To give you an idea of how much I tortured TH, have a look at the many pictures below. Did I mention I shut the door and accidentally stood in front of it so he couldn't get out, oops! Thanks Darling! Most pictures have only one side of the borders changed because I didn't have enough scraps and I didn't want to cut anymore until I knew what I was doing and since I don't know what I'm doing... see where I'm going with this?  Oh, and the photos are not great since my camera decided it didn't like the quilt either and promptly went flat. So mobile phone it was.

  

Imagine diamonds all around and corner Dresden's HALF this size!

My Evil Friend suggested this one(RHS)

TH's favourite LHS (possibly with mini-Dresdens in the spaces)

I'm going to stick with the coloured strips binding(RHS).

Large cream diamonds and mini's in corners?

Running out of light and ideas, RHS maybe a simple brown border with mini ones in the corners?

I've realised now that unless I completely explain all the photos its probably a bit of a mess but if you cross your eyes and hold your hand up to the screen to block out the other side you can almost understand what I mean.  Almost.

Normally I'd now put the quilt in the Naughty Corner to wait it's turn. Since I'm on a deadline I can't do that. Since it's a gift I would like it to be the best I can possibly make it. I just need some help to get it there.

So have a look(feel free to giggle at my predicament) and please help, any suggestion would be greatly appreciated.

"I'd like to finish it by the end of September." I said what??

Secret Squirrel Progress



Dresden Plate - Hitch & Thread

First I'd just like to say a big HELLO to all who have visited through the small blog meet at Lily's Quilts.  It has been so nice to receive some lovely comments and some new friends.  I need to sort out some issues my google account is having and then I'll be able to come and say hi too! (Probably my fault, but either way it's not working that well!)

So while I haven't been able to visit and say hello, I have been quite busy.  I hope to get the secret Squirrel quilt top complete so I can send it off to be quilted, then have enough time to finish a Rocketship Quilt by November for the birthday of Big Brother. Some ninny(me!) thought for some reason a Dresden plate quilt would be fairly quick to make!

Here is my process and progress this week.

20 Plates with 20 wedges each = lots of wedges, lots of chaining....

Fun to play with!

et Voilà!

Dresden Plates - Hitch & Thread

Dresden Plates - Hitch & Thread

20, 8 3/4" Dresden Plates!

 

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Miniature Dresden Plate

Oh, and I made a tiny one, 'cause I might put some in the borders. The 5c(Australian) coin in the middle is 6/8".  The finished size is 2.25" eeek!!

Shhhhhhhhh,  Secret Squirrel!

Secret Squirrel Quilt - Update

I've been working on my secret squirrel quilt today.  It's for a friend of mine so I can't say too much here, as I'm not sure if she reads my blog but I'm really hoping she will like it, 'cause ya know, every girl needs a quilt!

Moda Bake Shop - Plates For Your Table

Now I found this Plates For Your Table Tutorial at the Moda bake shop, it has four parts but the one I'm basing this quilt on is the Dresden plate table runner.

So to have a break from cutting out all the wedges, my least favourite part, I thought I'd make one Dresden to see if I needed to adjust my seam allowance. While I'm trying to follow the pattern, I am varying it slightly by also adding a couple of little backstitches where the point of each wedge will be, for some extra security.  Ive also been making friends with the quarter inch foot Ella come with.  I have tried it before and wasn't impressed but this morning its been going pretty well.

After a little while I ended up with this. I was pretty happy with it, until....

I measured it :(  According to the pattern its meant to finish up at 8 3/4". Mine, as you can see above, is almost 10", as big as the square its meant to go on.

SO, I had a re-read of the pattern and yes, I had cut my rectangles slightly wider than required. That didn't matter. Then I realised that the ruler I'm using to cut my wedges, the Easy Dresden by Darlene Zimmerman-

might be different that the one stated in the instructions. So I had a quick look and sure enough it is.  Darn it.  I then hunted (for a fair while, since small people don't tend to file like I do) for the instructions that came with the ruler.  Once I found them I saw that my ruler suggested a half inch shorter wedge.  Aaaargh, more cutting....

But WOW! What a difference. The right size wedge, a slightly bigger seam allowance and it went together beautifully. Only 23 more to go...

For those who are wondering, I have used the same fabric as in the  moda tutorial.  I thought she'd like it and its got a nice variety of colours rather than just three or four. But remember if you know who its for, Secret Squirrel!

Sunshine and Simple Abundance

There was another beautiful day here last week. Perfect sunshine, lovely fabric(Simple Abundance by Bonnie and Camille for Moda),

and some time to cut it up uninterrupted!

I have a plan for this fabric, I just can't reveal it yet!!

I cut up 20 Fat Quarters and there was only that tiny pile of threads down at the bottom left from each one. Well, aside from the one where I made one teeny tiny mistake.....