Beginning the year

Happy second week of 2018.

The visitors have all gone home and we are back at work. Life has settled once again. It has been rather warm here and some days sewing larger items is rather uncomfortable due to the heat.

I have started on my Gravity Quilt by Jaybird Quilts. I thought it would be a difficult make but the instructions are clear and the centre blocks have come together so quickly. I am going to enjoy finishing this one.

The Gravity Quilt needs to go on the back burner as my Patchwork group are starting on our raffle quilt this weekend. We are using shot cottons and they look so jewel like.

That has been my start to the year. I hope yours has gotten of to a good start.

Happy stitching
Jenell

Heralding 2018 with a plan of a plan

Well 2017 ends here in less than 36 hours and it has been an interesting year with many new starts and not so many finishes on the quilting front. I thought I would set some goals for 2018 and hopefully make myself more accountable to myself.

 I have never really set myself specific goals previously but rather just coasted from day to day and project to project. Having a sticky beak around the online world I came across Quilting JETGirl's  2018 Planning Party which sent me off to complete an audit of my WIPs and have a think about what I would like to achieve in 2018. So here goes:

1. Quilting Goals

• Be more regular with my blogging - if for no other reason than accountability to myself.
• Take stock of what I have. I just counted 19 WIPs and there are probably a few more lurking. It would be good to halve this number.
•  Get on top of the scrap crates. They take up a lot of room and desperately need sorting and using.
• Save for a machine with a bigger throat space, I am looking at a Juki.     
  ( pushing those big quilts through a 5 inch harp space is a killer)
• Start my Christmas sewing earlier - I put myself under far too much pressure this year.
• Participate in #30minssewingdaily with @mellmeyer on Instagram.
• Complete the one QAL I am participating in (Playing with Triangles) possibly/hopefully in the QAL time frame.

2. Life in General

• Dance every day and find the fun.
• Streamline the way I keep on top of the all of life's necessary chores.

An accountability partner might not be a bad thing.

So that is it. A plan for 2018. I am linking up with Yvonne at Quilting JETgirl to make this all a little bit more real. My fingers are crossed for your plans. May you have a productive, bright and fun 2018.

Happy stitching 

Jenell

Finish Along Q4

Quarter 2 was a bust and Quarter 3... well I didn't even begin to think about participating. Quarter 4 - yes! It is time to give it a red hot go again! Aim high, that's what I am saying. No guarantees but worth a try. So here is my list; some returning and some new:

1. Swap Stars. Paper pieced stars from a block swap. Needs joining and then finishing. 

2.Jelly Roll Rain - a revisit. Still no progress beyond a top. The backing has been chosen and that is progress.

3. Circa 2016 - hopefully finished in 2017. Needs some panels completed and then onto quilting and binding.

4. All Linked up - another that has been here before. This one is almost quilted, the binding is made, the end is in sight.

5. Bright Birch - the top was completed at retreat in July.













These 5 quilts are more than enough for a quarters work. Good luck to everyone participating in the Q4 FAL.

Happy Stitching
Jenell

Carpenters Star

I love watching the Midnight Quilt Show episodes with Angela Walters. They are fun and I have learnt a lot.When Angela made the Carpenters Star quilt I thought I should also. Using bits and pieces from stash I made a blue version which came together very quickly. 

Apologies, some of the photos are a bit dark or yellow hued as they were taken indoors on my phone.

I thought would use the background fabrics the wrong around as that was my first preference, hence the two shades of grey in the photo above. The right side was settled on when it was all laid out.

I quilted it myself using my walking foot and a lot of shoving to get it through the machine. Backed it with a check I purchased for a different quilt (usually what happens) and bound it with the same fabric as the inner border.

At first I thought it would be a gift for a new baby but the feeling I got was that I should gift it to a friend. So I did. I loved making this quilt. It felt like a bright happy finish.

The final product all washed and crinkly!

Linking up with Finish It Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts and Finished or Not Friday at Busy Hands Quilts.

Happy Stitching
Jenell

Triangle Block 1

Starting to cut pieces for the Bernina Zen Chic Quilt along has made me realise that I might need to add a few extra fabrics to have enough. There does not seem to be much left of what I started with.

Anyway. the first triangles have been completed. On to Block 2.

Happy Stitching
Jenell

Bernina Playing with Triangles Quilt Along

I have decided to participate in the Bernina and Zen Chic Quilt Along - Playing with Triangles. I am a month behind but will catch up. Below are the colours I have chosen for the Quilt Along. 

They are a made up of a few of Good Neighbours fabrics by Crazy Mom Quilts and others from stash. I need to get on with the initial cutting before I make the first month's triangles. The second month's triangles are already out there so I will be busy. I love the pop of colour the accent green will give to this quilt. it is all going on a white background (at least I think it will).

This will increase my works in progress list to at least 11. I've stopped counting. Happy stitching
Jenell

Scrap Table Runner

I have used my New Zealand Quilt scraps to make a table runner for mum. We live in different states so the time we had together on our holiday was special. She doesn't have room for the quilt I made but asked for something small. So here it is.

And the back.

The table runner measures 28 x 12 1/2 inches and it is nice to have a quick finish..

Happy stitching,

Jenell