WOW 23rd June

Hi Everyone,

Even with working I can't leave my cushion cover alone. In th evenings nothing gets done as once my DH  gets home we want to talk about our work day and by the time we have made and eaten dinner - it is time to relax together, if I handstitched it might be different - I could do that and talk as well, Lol.
I have some time before work as often DH leaves before me so I am up and running so to speak.
All the rest of my center diamonds came together easily.

Finally a photo where the pattern in the star fabric shows up though some of the other fabrics are a little washed out. Now for those Y seams to insert the last diamonds.

Why do you always get one that won't play ball, it was number 4 and after 3 unpicks I am living with my final stitching as I think quilting will hide the small hiccup. 

In the photo I can't pick which one is my problem seam- but I know it is there.

The original pattern squares off the top and bottom corners with more stripsets to make a rectangle.

I need a square so decided to stop with the central diamonds.
I had enough of my narrow Faberge border fabric to use it here as these fabrics definately work with the border print. The next link to my wall hanging is the corner triangles as I received a fat quarter of the same background fabric in my pack.

I love this fabric of Ginny's called "Black Eyelash"
It was easy to add the side borders and continue the angle but somewhere in cutting my triangles,
 I mucked up big time - as you can see clearly from the bottom edge, and it is the same at the top.
 I have had to add angled fabric strips to square up my background.
I don't know what I did wrong as I used the center as my guide line for my cutting angle but once stitched it was so wrong - I don't have enough fabric to recut my triangles - it was only a fat quarter after all - and I really want to use it. I could change to the dark purple star fabric but that moves away from my wallhanging link.
I am telling myself by the time there is seam stitched it will be so insignificant in a cushion that only me, plus of course all who view my blog will be the only ones that know. LOL

Next problem, I pretty much guessed my  reduction to cushion size and my background border should have been wider and deeper. I am now at 23 1/4" square including seam allowance, I need a finished square of 24 " plus seam allowance for adding the binding so I need another narrow border fabric and then my binding fabric.

This is what is on my design wall now and I think it will work. I was only going to use one fabric for border and binding but soon realised I might not have enough of only one fabric to do both.
As you can see even my narrow border will have to be joined.
These are what I have left of the two deeper fabrics in the arrow heads as I call them, don't they look different from in the arrowheads, they are showing their true colours
The lighter fabric is a perfect match to the green in my border fabric and I so love the darker fabric I don't want to use it up !!

Just home from work and immediately had to see if I was going to be able to live with those add on strips so those were my first outer borders to be added.

They are visible with the camera flash, without it they are hard to see so I am thinking of quilting radiating lines out from the cental point to follow my unfortunate but necessary seam.

Closing now and linking to Esther's WOW

Cheers Everyone, Jenny

WOW 17th June

Hi Everyone,

Took three wallhangings to Dargaville on Tuesday ready for the show next week. I have a day off on the Friday so will be relieving for lunch and breaks on the various stands.
Around a mammoth stocktake at work last week which ended up being a 16 hour day for most of us, I have been working on my cushion cover and it has been so much fun.

A Ginny Beyer pattern called Facets which I have reduced to hopefully fit my large lounge cushion.
It will end up being approx 24" square
The original is made using 2 1/2 " strips to make the stripsets for a wall hanging but I have gone with 1 1/2"strips from the fat quarter selection I bought from her site.
As the pack was not designed for this pattern I have had to play with the shading combinations.

Strip sets all made and numbered.

First two diamonds made and I am unsure about my light fabric.

It is from my faberge fabrics and seems just too light.

I decide to test my diamonds against the fabric strip that will fill the bottom space.

The top fabric of the strip is too dark for the finished effect.

 Possibly a little light but so much better than my first choice.

Now to deal with those very light squares. 

I knew I had some of this Faberge border fabric left and had wanted to use it from the beginning but you know how it is, I couldn't find it anywhere.
 Clearing up after finishing 12DOC I finally found it!!!

So now to find out if it all works. 

Hooray they do.

As you can see the light blue is the most important fabric to the overall design and how you see it.

 My deeper beige /green is so much better than the cream/green I started with as the lighter fabric would have created another strong focal point which isn't wanted.

I am amazed how quickly this is coming together. There are only four fabrics to the stripsets and only 3 seams to make the diamonds. 

The longest time is in cutting the stripsets apart and pinning the points, my iron is my new best friend making sure everything is flat and smooth.

I am rechecking my 60 degree angle after every 2nd cut on the stripset and every time I need to trim the angle - just a tiny fraction but that is all it takes not to have wonky diamonds at the end.

3 pins for each seam as my seams have been pressed to allow them to lock in place but fabric will move so I pin at each junction point and stitch over my pins.

Stitching side, pin enters at the stitching line.

The reverse, pin exits on stitching line.

Seam pressed, it could be better though - However-

This is my second stitching of this seam after an unpick, Why?

I was concentrating on taking these photo's at the last minute and forgot to adjust my needle position before stitching the seam. Using the quarter inch foot my Bernina 440 still needs to be be offset 1 needle position to the right to stitch a perfect quarter inch seam after pressing which is vital for this sort of piecing. 

If you want to strip piece or do colour wash  make sure you know what creates a perfect quarter inch seam on your machine.

Have managed to be on time to link with Esther's WOW this week.

Whetever you are doing today - Enjoy!!

Cheers Jenny

WOW on Friday 5th June

Hi Everyone,
Have been back in my sewing room at every opportunity this last week.
Need to finish Esther's 12 Days of Christmas  in time for my quilting groups Biannual  show later ythis month. 30 quilters produce around 100 plus quilts / wall hangings and other items to show every two years. All proceeds from our raffle quilt, entrance fee's and bargain table go to assisting the local community. Throughout the year the group also make and donate cancer bags, Cancer sufferer's can carry all their records in their own bag and know some one is thinking of them.
Today my 12 Days of Christmas is nearly finished, hanging sleeve and label is all I need to do now.
I found several free motion designs but decided they were not going to work for me as my hand /eye coordination is terrible, I know practice makes perfect but I hate the learning stage where it looks terrible.
Esther's blog about her quilting process gave me the answer. Esther followed the tree and so did I in a very simplified version.

A very simple stitching, following the main lines of the tree to create a diamond background.

I found some lovely star buttons that would let me hang my baubles and I added some extra detailing to the Christmas parcels..

I did attempt some free motion stitching on the trunk of the tree.

A variegated thread let me play in this area without risk

The dove, I have left the wings unquilted as I like their plumper effect.

Finally, baubles hung and my 12 Days of Christmas is complete.

Have added the hanging sleeve this morning.

Am still thinking about a FM design I found for a simple xmas tree.

It would fit my diamonds perfectly so just maybe - but after the show.

Thank you Esther, your pattern has been a joy to make and I look forward to possibly more baubles later in the year.

Now to link to Esther's WOW if I am not too late for this week.

I am too late for this week, at least I am ready for next weeks link up.

Enjoy whatever you are doing this week, Cheer's Jenny