WOW 29th July

Hi Everyone,

Have decided I am going to reward myself by making a corner block after each border I finish so worked away quietly this week on the first of my corner blocks.
Lots of studying my inspiration fabrics and playing with options as these blocks will be the last opportunity to use them.

Only stitching so far is around the scallops and the vase

I thought, maybe I could make a "full stop" of my deeper colour's in the other corner blocks through the vases hence the deeper brown - not sure but not too difficult to change

I had to search to find the right motif for the little drops as I had to have enough for the 4 blocks.

Very happy with how the bouquet has come together and against my border it seems to work.

I could either start stitching or prepare all the applique first which is what I chose to do.

I dropped a few elements from the outer applique pattern to be able to use a slightly larger size of fussy cut circles and leaves and found a motif for the inner corner whch I had used before.

Looks alright here but when I tried it with the whole top it just did not work.

No photo, sorry I forgot.

Esther's rose in deep pink was what was needed to bring the block to life, now am really thinking I might need to change my vase to a burgundy but I will wait and see.

Only my stems and zigzags to stitch now, my zigzags may wait until until all my borders are complete, just in case minor adjustment is needed.

Couldn't wait to get home from work today as I have a 3pm finish on Wednesday's, straight to my sewing room for the final stems.

All my stems stitched and I am very happy.
Now to see it pinned in place against my border

I didn't realise until now how close the outer circles come to the border but I like having kept the original fabric going as the main feature of the block.
Next step will be to see it against the main quilt top but this will not be a five min set up with how big LE is becoming. For me, tomorrow I can start the second border.

Time now to link to Esther's WOW

Enjoy your Wednessday everyone,

Cheers Jenny

Tuesday 21st July

Hi Everyone,

Not working today as have to go to Auckland tomorrow for a work conference and won't be back till Thursday night.
Finished the last stitching on my LE border early this morning and it was time to see how it looked and if it fitted against the rest of my quilt top.

Not the best place or light for a photo,

Sun is streaming into my sewing room, making it the warmest room in the house on a chilly winters morning. My venetian blinds are casting shadows as they are partly closed to direct the sun off my eyes while I am sewing but the natural light is still fantastic.

LE has grown so large but it just fits on my table well enough for me to check and yes the border is the right length.

I had concerns about the amber/gold fabric for my swags but seeing it together for the first time I am happy.

Although my colours are mainly blue/purples and lavender/ pinks a lot of yellow/gold and rusty tones have been used as well.

Knowing how my borders will look I have started thinking about the corner blocks.

I have cut one of my corner block pattern's out with a 1/4 inch seam allowance and placed against my completed border. You can see the extra fabric I have allowed when cutting my border fabric as a just in case of shrinkage through my applique.
I had thought of carrying the gradually deepening shades from the other corner blocks out into these blocks but as my outer swag fabric is a new addition and I feel it has to be focal in the corner blocks as well, almost "locking" this border and enclosing the whole top with in it.
Now I am ready for my return from conference.
Enjoy your week everyone, Cheers Jenny

WOW on Wed 15th July

Hi Everyone,

My Love Entwined is back on my sewing table and I am in love all over again  - BUT - it is taking me a while to remember everything I had planned for the last borders.
This morning I am so happy that I started blogging about my quilting.  I went back to last year and read what was in my mind at the start of this border, plus found a photo of my LE  before I packed it away, and also my last photo of my border.
Due to computer problems I lost these photo's among other's but now have saved them again.

My DH does not want me pinning into the walls of my sewing room so am unable to take a new photo of  LE but for new viewers of my blog this is where I was at last July.

Complete to the Willow border.

My start of the final border and this was my comment underneath.
Another discovery, while preparing my favorite medallion I found 4 of them have a black highlight - not white. Thank goodness there are 4, two borders will have them equally spaced and two won't. Not something I would want to discover on the last border.

Had completely forgotten about this and the 3 I had ready for the rest of this border were all white highlights.

This is where I was at last July, colours for bows all decided and the lower edge applique sorted as well, so starting again should have been a piece of cake!!!

First thing was to make the next bows and stitch them down, purple and mauve of course as I am working back out from the center dark pink one. Oops, that should have been the center two dark pink as there are twelve in total, LOL.

Unpick and replace with the right colours, now I'm on track and time for a flower at the bottom.

Why doesn't it match the other side - a blue medallion is stitched where it's not meant to be!!!

More unpicking and at last this border is back in my brain.

Without these mistakes this border would be finished. Today this is where I am at.

Two bows and the bottom edge to go.
Yes, my top swag is not straight as I discovered when adding the second half of the zig zags. 
It was fully stitched, just too much unpicking and no spare background fabric to start again.
 I have got my bows to line up so will live with it and be more careful on the next borders, maybe do the zig zag first

With two deep pink bows now framing my center motifs I am really happy with how they look.

I think the light blue from my zig zags works well with the mauve.

Just thinking to myself as I write this, I have recently been reading and rereading a book I bought for 50c from the trade table at our quilt show. "Colour Confidence for Quilters" by Ginny Beyer.

Ginny says in every chapter that you need a deep dark and an accent to bring your fabrics to 

life but it is all relative to the depth of the fabrics you have chosen.

In this border the dark pink is my deep dark and the light blue my accent - I like to think so anyway LOL.

Time now to link to Esther's WOW then finish this border.

Enjoy your Wednesday everyone what ever you are doing.

Cheer's Jenny

WOW on 8th July

Hi Everyone,

I did spend two days cleaning up my sewing room, a couple of rubbish bags cleared a lot of unwanted things I don't know why I ever kept that had made their way in there - just in case, one day!!!!
I'm talking old handbags, clothes that are well past their use by date and that sort of thing, not of course any material that "might" be of use one day, those relocated to now available space.

 This bench under the window has been housing my finished or part finished quilts for the last 6 months and I have been working around them. They have been covered by a sheet to keep the sun off them, DH donated a couple of storage bins to the tidy up as well.

The other end of my bench, almost unusable because of the mess and underneath batting offcuts plus bubblewrap  and other things.

 Today I had to close the blinds enough to take this photo.
Wonderful winter sun is streaming in and I could be working in there in a T shirt.
Now my quilts have a new home under the bench alongside my quilting mags that still need a home.

In corner of bench is my DH's old globe machine and overlocker which he loves but have noticed he is now using my machine instead of the globe.

Part of my fat quarter collection still to be sorted properly, this is where I found handbags and clothes I had forgotten I had.

I had an accident at work on Monday which gave me Tuesday off. I had a run in with a T Bar, a clothes rail on wheels which managed to take me out. Wandering wheels plus a display table leg in the wrong place combined to put us both on the ground with my knees hitting the concrete floor first.

Bruised and limping but not as bad as it could have been but a day off  was a good idea.

Taking it easy I spent time on line with Esther's group viewing the new photo's of members progress with Love Entwined. Such beautiful work being done by so many people.

I knew where my LE was so out she came as I had packed everything away together. NO - not possible. My quilt top, fabric for the final border, pattern and my cut zigzags, yes all together but where are all my fussy cut fabrics for the last borders - not with the quilt. I had just cleaned out my sewing room so where are they?

After some frantic searching it finally clicked. My DH had shifted my sewing table to the new room while I was at work and all these pieces had been on one corner of it.The only place I hadn't looked and yes, DH had scooped all my LE and Lily Rose fabrics into a plastic bag, tied the top and placed it in the unfinished hall cupboard. What a relief to find them.

After an hour of sorting, my Lily Rose fabrics and all the squares and triangles that I had cut for the borders are bagged up and a pile of LE fabrics that should have everything I need for the last borders are seperated out. Hopefully I haven't lost any pieces.

As you can see Pledge and duster are still sitting where I left them after clearing my sewing table. 

I have since made a start on finishing my border for Love Entwined, and think I am again feeling the passion I once had for this wonderful pattern. Strangely it will be one year on the 22nd July since Mum passed away and the 13th July just 3 days away would have been her 95th birthday.

I only realised this yesterday so time does heal.

No photo's yet of my progress as if I don't link now to Esther's WOW this weeks link will have closed.

Enjow your week everyone, whatever you are doing.

Cheer's Jenny

WOW 1st July

Hi Everyone,

Gosh the 1st of July today, where has June gone? I have no idea but tomorrow my DH has his big 60 birthday. Nothing planned as we are both working so it will just be a nice dinner and a bottle of bubbly for the two of us. Maybe Sat we will have a day out.

Progress on my cushion cover has been steady, border on, iron on padding in place  and quilting done.

I love using this light weight iron on padding for wall hangings and small projects. 

It is Fliselina H640 the heavier weight of two available locally in NZ.

Once it is fused it stitches easily without a backing fabric or any pinning which makes it ideal for stabilising applique blocks and adding depth from the start.

Apart from the background I choose to simply ditch stitch the major segments and let the fabrics do the work.

Doesn't show in the photo but the various segments do now stand out.  

I changed my mind  and decided not to radiate lines from my joined fabric but to echo quilt 1/4 inch apart  lines around the hexagon and continue these out to the corners.

Think it was the right decision, where is my join now!!!

For my binding I was going to cut 5 x  3" strips and make a wider binding but I only had enough fabric left for the normal 2 1/2 " binding strips, that is all my  favourite fabric used up, only a 1/2 inch strip left. Had to do straight joins on 3 of the strips to get the required length as well.
And then when I went to join the two ends I was an inch short, an unpick of a couple of my leftover strips sets, another join and just enough fabric.

Last minutes on my design wall.

 Waiting for me to sit down and relax.

The rest of my blog I want to show the talent of some of the members of the Dargaville Quilting group which I belong to. Most of the members are farmers wives or retired farmers wives as Dargaville is a rural farming town on the West Coast of Northland - 55 km's from Whangarei.

   

Our biannual show was held last week and the theme was "Memories and Milestones"

This wonderful small hanging by June Horobin at the door

 says it all.

So this year there were lots of poppies on show.

One of our two raffle quilts "Poppies 100"

 I hate to admit I forgot to take a photo of our other raffle quilt  "Remembrance" 

Am hoping to get a photo shortly.

Poppies by Lynette Vallance

Poppy wallhanging by Carolyn Hutchings.

A design by Adrienne Walker  reflecting on the shattering effect of the Christchurch Earthquake

Poppy Cushions.

Another cushion variation.

"Lest we forget" Wallhanging by Marion McEwing.

Marion owns the local fabric shop and Janome outlet.

I believe her classes on using  Janome Embroidery Machines inspired these fabulous Poppy designs.

My own  Poppies ( Lest we Forget)

I haven't been able to join up with the group as often as I would like the last two years and didn't really know the theme for this year, luckily my wall hanging seems to fit in perfectly.

The main pattern is by Adrienne Walker, an extra background panel added plus two Poppies and a seed head from Esther Aliu's Forget Me Not BOM completed my wall hanging.

In the past few years a number of the group have purchased embroidery machines. WOW what wonderful designs they are creating.

Goosetracks by Adrienne Wordsworth
Even the border is plain fabric machine embroidered.

The embroidery detail is amazing.

Jacobean Stitchery by Christine Herald.

Blue Embroidered by Lynn McKenzie
The embroideries are all stitched onto felt and this king size quilt now adorns Lynn's bed.

Stitchers Garden by Val Woods
I wish I had taken a close up of her embellishing details.

Le Jardin by Pam Taylor.

Wheely Gear by June Horobin.

And for the handstitchers amongst you this most intricate small wall hanging.

Mini Hexies Flower All Year Round by Tonia Nyboer.
I didn't measure it but I think it is approx 20" square edge to edge.
1092 individual handstitched heaxagons in this masterpiece.
Tonia I congratulate you !!!!

Many other small pieces by members made their appearance as well
This was one of several displays.
And of course my two other wallhangings.

Faberge - A Ginny Beyer Pattern and Fabrics.

12 Days of Christmas- Pattern by Esther Aliu

For me, now that my cushion is on the couch - what to do next.

I think that this week my days off  will be spent cleaning up my sewing room as I have never put anything away properly since moving into the room. Then next week - which UFO will I bring out.

Enjoy your Wednsday everyone and thanks for dropping by.

Cheer's Jenny

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