Festival of Scrappiness Quilt Entry- A little happy

Hi! I'm entering this mini quilt into the Festival of Scrappiness over at Stitched in Colour.

Mini Quilt - A little happy - 13.5" x 14"

As I haven't yet done my catch up post(oops and it is almost April! Oh the shame...) here is a quick rundown.  Last year I began making a quilt out of yellow and orange triangles all cut from scraps I inherited from my Mum.  This year while planning Project Half-Done(more on that later) I revisited the quilt, which is called "Happy Days", and decided I needed to make it a couple of rows longer. While cutting out the triangles for that I had some little scraps left over and decided to cut even tinier triangles and make a mini quilt for my ongoing Quall of Fame(a wall covered in mini quilts - miniatures of large ones I've made and others) because its a small version of "Happy Days" I've called it - "A little happy", and because its so small I only used a lowercase h. I didn't think it could handle a capital :)

Now entering an unfinished top is OK by the rules but as I've already started the quilting it feels a bit like I'm showing it to you naked. It is 13.5" x 14" and the triangles are just over 1 ¼" high. You can see my not very good quilting a bit better in the pictures below. I'm hoping to make the stars "pop" a bit, then I'm planning to bind it similar to this quilt here.




Mini Quilt - A little happy - Back

Mini Quilt - A little Happy -  Close-Up














 






I was hoping to finish the large quilt too but I've run out of time so I'll tell a funny(eventually) story instead.  When trying to decide on how to quilt the mini I tried putting some clear plastic over the top and drawing on possible designs. It was all going well until, yep, some ninny drew on the fabric. And no, whiteboard markers do not wash out nor do they come out with Metho or anything else I tried.  The funny thing is that when I replaced the triangle it took me less than 10 minutes.  About 5 times less than I spent trying to get it out in the first place... der.

That means now I've learnt 3 things:

1. Don't trim blocks whilst wearing a scarf with tassels.  Unless of course the tassels are much too long and you need them shorter.

2. Headphones don't like being trimmed either.

3. Don't draw on fabric with a whiteboard marker.

I'm a bit over yellow and orange after the DSQ and these so now instead of finishing quilting this like I planned, I'm going over to check out more of the fabulous quilts already linked up.  Go and have a look too :)



Modern Mini Quilt Contest - Plan C!

Hi! Remember me?? Well I'm back to share what I've been up to.  Complete with poor photos and excessive punctuation! You lucky things :)

I  will do a catch up post soon but for now, before I run out of time, I'm entering the Modern Mini Quilt Contest over at Ellison Lane Quilts. By the skin of my teeth I might add, as the linky closes in less than an hour! Eeek! I had grand plans of a super-gorgeous-awe-inspiring quilt I would make using a block that I've redesigned but after much dithering, frustration and indecision I decided to take a step back and let it go.  It just wasn't working, so that meant it was time for a new plan! I had a new idea that I was really happy with! Unfortunately by the time I had the good idea, I did not have enough time to make it :(

On to Plan C! I decided to enter my Mini DSQ.  Plan C Finishes at 15½ " x 20".




Modern Mini Quilt Contest Entry - Plan C,  15½" x  20".

Last year I joined in with the Dead Simple Quilt Along over at Lily's Quilts.  You can read more about it here and here.  While a bit late to the party as I was trying to finish this, I did put the top together in January(not pics yet sorry!). Then because I've decided to make a "Mini Quall of Fame" (more on that later!) and because I didn't have a big enough area to lay out the big quilt, I decided to make a little one to see how the colours played together and to try out a quilting idea.




Modern Mini Quilt - Quilting texture

Once I put the top together and after quilting I thought it was a bit plain and just needed a little something extra. So I decided to add some little pops of colour in the binding.

Modern Mini quilt - Binding Detail

I love this effect and will be doing it on the big DSQ too. It gives a plain back a nice pop.




Modern Mini Quilt - Plan C - back.



Modern Mini Quilt contest Plan C - Back binding

The big DSQ is still waiting patiently for its turn....


DSQ - Dead Simple Quilt

There are lots of fantastic Mini quilts already linked up, go and have a look.

Good Luck everyone!

Holidays, I'm on HO L I D A Y S!!

Was that bragging too much? Sorry. 

Since BB doesn't start school until February, we've taken the opportunity to go on Holidays! Unfortunately there is no internet reception where we are, not even mobile.  There was a fire in the area recently so that may be the cause as usually there is at least a limited wi-fi. 

So that means I wont be able to see what you are all up to until I get back and catch up :(  So if I've won anything (which is totally unlikely) or the Down Under Doll Quilt Swap Starts for 2012 please be patient! 

I'm hoping to start or rather finish some things while I'm away but dont worry, I'll be taking some really bad photos to share with you, you lucky things :)

We're all going on a Summer Holiday...  la la la...

Happy Christmas!

It's been Christmas here now for at least half an hour and finally everything seems to be ready for tomorrow. While the nice weather person tried to reassure me earlier that it will be 10 degrees cooler today than the forecast 37c, it's still 30c outside now so I won't hold my breath that it will happen. For everyone who reads my blog and has started this journey with me, I wish you a happy Christmas. I hope your day, be it hot weather wise or relative wise( you know what I mean ;), is all you could wish for. ~I'm dreaming of a cool Christmas...~

Happy Birthday! Surprise - Secret Squirrel is Finished!



Dresden Plate Quilt- Quilting

Ok it's time I confessed and let the cat out of the bag, or rather, the squirrel! Confused? Well, do you remember the Secret Squirrel Quilt?  I actually finished it way back in October, had it quilted in November, popped the binding on a couple of weeks ago and posted it last week! 

It has made its way to a very nice lady. She is very important to our family, she is caring, giving, generous, always there for us and we love her very much. Happy Birthday Faye! 

Now I did take a few photos before I posted it but the only place I had high enough was under the old verandah and the sun was playing peekaboo with the clouds. So between that, the wind and my photography skills....  and yes it is straight and square, its just the wonky old curtain rod I hung it on that has issues.




Dresden Plate Finished Quilt Front

You'll have to excuse the circles, those centres have names of people in our family embroidered on them. Even though those hourglass blocks drove me crazy I'm really glad I kept them in and the pieced binding worked really well, its just enough colour to bring the centre out.



Dresden Plate Finished Quilt Back

I quite like the back, very minimalist with just a pop of colour. and yes, another of those annoying circles :)



Dresden Plate with Embroidered Centre

The other centres(the annoying circle ones) are embroidered circularish(is that even a word?!) like this one above.




Quilting Close Up -  Quilted By Desley Maisano

In this photo you can see some of the lovely quilting feather work done by Desley Maisano at Addicted to Quilts. You can see more of her work here.

Dresden Quilt Label

When I sewed the label on, I tried to fit it nicely inside the quilted outline from the front so as not to spoil the back.

Quilt Stats:   Finished size 75" x 87"
                     Quilt Number 5
                     Pattern - Based on the Moda Bake Shop - Plates for Your Table
                     Fabric - Colours - Plates and Binding - Simple Abundance by Bonnie and Camille
                                   for Moda
                                   Cream Spot - Mill House Inn by Fig Tree Quilts for Moda
                                   Backing - a wideback that didn't have details on the selvedge - sorry
                     Pieced - By Me!
                     Quilted by Desley Maisano at Addicted to Quilts

            
I am so happy to finally be able to share this finish, I've been feeling guilty misleading you by posting work I did ages ago.  I'm also happy to be able to give this to Faye. A fabulous quilter herself who whilst she makes many quilts for others and quilts a lot of tops through her business, has never( I don't think?) had one given to her. So even though I couldn't give it to her personally on her Birthday I'm very relieved that Australia Post didn't lose it and it got there on time!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SECRET SQUIRREL!