A few more blocks for Unconventional and Unexpected - progress!!

If you cast your mind back to January you may remember that I was
joining other quilters invited by Sujata Shah to take part part in her
Unconventional and Unexpected Quilt Along

Our posts are on her blog
Basket Full of Scraps
with our quilts being inspired by the ones
in a book
Unconventional and Unexpected
by
Roderick Kiracofe

and I chose the one below.



"Cross"/Four Patch

Not wanting to make a straight copy of this beautiful quilt I began my own take on it
 using quite different fabrics to the ones in the photo above, the first six were on my blog
HERE
and then life intervened, as it does, and no further blocks were made until
two days ago.

These are my latest ones, and I'm loving them!

I prefer these to my original blocks so I'll be continuing on
using a mix of lots of Kaffe Fassett Collective
and Anna Maria Horner fabrics plus a few others.
So many new designers are coming out with super bold and colourful
fabric lines now.

I have been planning future projects so not much playing with fabrics
unfortunately. I have pulled my Tula Pink quilt

out of the drawer
and hope to make a start on the binding tomorrow.

We're coming to the official end of Winter here in New Zealand,
I'm definitely looking forward to Spring and the colour in the garden,
but we do  have some beautiful flowering hibiscus still blooming

and brightening up a rainy day.

That's it from me for now, wishing you all
Happy Quilting until next time.

Maureen

Playing catch-up with Playtime and re-stocking

Last time I wrote I was busy preparing for my de-stash sale

at our main Guild here in Auckland.

I'm pleased to report that the sale was extremely fruitful in terms

of cash for some of the new range of fabrics on the market.

I have just a brief look further along.

The last post showing Playtime - the quilt in progress below -

was in March and since then it has languished in a drawer.

This was the result of the challenge to create a Medallion quilt with

Ad Hoc Improvisational Quilters.

I thought it was about time I revisited this project.

I made more Kaleidoscope 6" blocks as per the top row in the photo for

the opposite side. By the way the photo is not orientated correctly but you'll  see this

further along.

Here I have to say that apart from the four centre blocks

I was 'flying by the seat of my pants' and fitting everything to work

around the centre and not measuring accurately.

The flying geese had to be different sizes in order to fit, that's ok

it is Ad Hoc Improv after all.

Things began to come unstuck when I started on the kaleidoscope blocks,

however I pressed on and added four corners losing points and

gaining odd shapes along the way. 

Then I decided to add borders.

I realised at this point that I had

committed two cardinal sins in all this, swapped from the original machine

to my older model and then used two different tape measures and rulers!!!

Result:

Not Good

The borders are pulling in, at least on the left, right and bottom

so these are going to have to come off and I'll re-do them.

You will have no trouble spotting the irregularities I'm sure. 

Truth is that it was in the rubbish bin three days ago but I decided to

pull it out before adding the borders and when I've sorted these Playtime

will be going back in the drawer to hibernate!

NOTE

Change of plan  - now added to quilt tops waiting to be quilted!

I watched a video interview with Kaffe, Liza and Brandon two days ago,

they were asked whether they were concerned with perfection

in their quilts, both said no they were not, Kaffe said that perfection was sterile,

well he may have changed his mind had he seen this quilt of mine!!

Time to move on I think.

A package of Vibrant Blooms by Shannon Newlin arrived

on the doorstep four days ago

and yardage of this one

the pattern is ready and waiting and I'm hoping to make a start next week.

Meanwhile as soon as the new Kaffe Collective range appeared
I was on the computer like a shot ordering, they arrived yesterday and

I'll put those up next post but a peek below of two which I 

am in raptures about

and the largest flower is almost 8" perfect for a quilt

needing a show stopping feature fabric.

So there we have my post for this Thursday, not a lot to show really apart

from my additional fabrics - do I need more fabric you may ask -  No,  do I care that I still

fall in love with the colours and designs and add to my stash - not a jot -

I am feeding my soul.

And that's it from me today apart from a garden photo, I have lots of clumps of these

little white cyclamen

just a little damaged from all the rain.

Bye for now, back next week and hopefully in a better frame of mind and 

on to another quilt!

Maureen

A finished top and reading on the agenda

Somehow it's now the 3rd August - how on earth did that happen!

I  have a brief post, lots going on around here and sorting

fabrics and books and odd bits and pieces for my sale

at the Guild meeting tomorrow.

Moss Garden now has borders and the binding fabric

arrived two day ago, I've pinned a wee piece

up against the border just so you get an idea.

I'm intending to have plain diagonal crosshatching, this I can

handle myself as the quilt isn't too large.

Come Monday the grey check design flannel is coming off the wall

and an off white plain flannel going on. It will be much

easier to place quilts without the  white lines distorting.

Closer view of the binding, it's a lovely combination

of green on purple, not a dark purple, I went with the original from the pattern.

So, not much at all on the quilting side but I do have three

new books. The first one is the Kaffe release,

all Medallion quilts. Some are variations on quilts

from his previous books using different colour combinations and settings.

The quilt on the cover appeals to me and I'm not really an

Autumn colour person.

Quite a few of the quilts are on the large side but I guess a border

could be left off on some of them as long as it doesn't spoil the look of the quilt.

Two other books have joined the stack by my chair, the one

below covers English style of interior design, it was on special

at a great price.

  

Soft colour, relaxing classic design and oh so different from

 this one below!

The colour combinations are glorious but I have to admit

that some are a little over the top even for me.

Great ideas for quilts!

It's shockingly cold and really wet here today and would be a perfect

day to sit and sew but that will have to wait until Monday.

The camellias are being battered by the weather but some of ours

are in sheltered spots, the one below for example

caught during a brief lull in the rain. I now see

that the snails have been feasting a little.

Enjoy your weekend and happy quilting until next time.

Maureen