Quilting It

I finished a very simple lap quilt for the young man of the house last week. Very simple but it still produced a satisfying sense of achievement - of a completed project and of using stash fabrics.

Quilting It

I read The Happiness Project recently, and Gretchen's Personal Commandment to Spend Out challenged me. So I opened the fabric stash and grabbed my Ginger Blossom that I've had for an embarrassing three years. Ugh. I hacked into it and whipped up this lap quilt (50" x 60") in one week. It's my second ever quilt, and the first one I've sandwiched, machine quilted and bound myself. I'm feeling very proud and satisfied seeing the kids using it every day on the couch.

Next target - that Very Hungry Caterpillar fabric in the same three year old post and some Michael Millar retro cowboy stuff I've also had sitting for far too long!

And again...

Recurring theme...

Love, love, LOVE English paper piecing. This will be a lap quilt for the couch. They're 2" hexagons so it's not too daunting for me. Some of the repro' fabrics were gifted to me by one of my Soul Sisters so it's a very special, mindful project for me.

Achievement

Finished. One Sampler Quilt top! Phew. I started back here and have thoroughly enjoyed working on this project over the winter months.

Next step: piece the back, and learn how to sandwich, machine quilt and bind this wee beastie. Hopefully then I can take some better photos of it.

My clever hubby suggested I use this baby wrist rattle for a much-needed wrist pincushion;-) Needs must.

This is my second quilt ever and the first since finishing my big girl's cot quilt ten years ago. Achievement!! I'm already plotting the next one.

Winter Craft

My major crafting this winter is the sampler quilt I'm making for M10. How exciting to read Pip's piece over at ever-inspirational Meet Me at Mikes about an English paper pieced quilt made by female prisoners of war in Changi prison in Singapore in World War Two. I'd just learned English paper piecing last week and completed the above block which I'll applique onto a 12" block. (Yes, my tacking threads are still in.)

Hubby and I also rewatched Tenko last year. I have such strong memories of the Stephanie Cole and Stephanie Beacham characters.

Mrs Olga Henderson pointing out the block she made for the 'Tenko' quilt as a 13 year old Girl Guide and POW in Changi, 1943.

[Image from the Victoria and Albert Museum. Oh how I wish I could have seen this exhibition! May have to invest in the book eventually;-)]

Homework

I haven't had dead-line "homework" since I did post-grad study over 11 years ago (oh, how I miss using the brain I once had!). This year I decided to finally do a beginners patchwork course at my local quilting store. I have an evening class once a month then actual sewing homework to finish before the next one.

The big girl is impatiently awaiting her finished sampler quilt. She will be waiting a wee while. I'm using Amy Butler's new Love range in Soul.