Plans for 2017

My plans for posting during the week with projects for this year

came unstuck when I had to go along to visit the doctor.

Armed with antibiotics (again!!) and an increase in two other

medications I am now getting back into the quilting zone.

However, I had so many things on my original project list made in December that

I was obviously dreaming when I made it! 

As mentioned in my last post I have one or two special projects on the

horizon, I'm looking forward to these very much. Over the next week

I shall work on refining my original plans, but, I had to begin

something new of course!

A new kaleidoscope and a new name -
Pizzazz.

Material Obsession 2 by Kathy Doughty and Sarah Fielke

has a few quilts I'd love to make one day and the "Stashbuster"

was just what I needed at the moment. The original uses strips of fabrics cut

between 1 and 1/2" and 3" and in most cases only shows

two strips in the wedge, I'm using the clean up cuts from my two bins

and have a variety of fabrics this block.

Just the one "prototype" made at the moment but I'll get on with

more next week.

Houses or stars are planned for this afternoon for RSC 2017.

Time for a cuppa but here's a flower photo to finish

one of my favourite hydrangeas.

RSC post tomorrow!

Kaleidoscope and Cats - warning top heavy on the cats!

A funny week spent fiddling around and not really

making a heck of a lot of progress.

A post  heavy on photos - have patience please!

OK

Rainbow Safari for one of our grandsons all basted and ready

for me to quilt - this is the very last time I shall baste

a large quilt, it almost finished me off!!!

This is the pieced back and I'm thinking of this multi thread for quilting.

Choosing two more fabrics for my Kaleidoscope and you may wonder

where on earth will these be going

so a quick view below.

Just a few blocks in this pic with only 4 sewn together.

Remember this is my take on an old Persian carpet, it's not intended

to be the usual kaleidoscope block of light and dark, these

are pretty mixed up blocks!

 All be revealed at the next link-up for Kaleidoscope of Butterflies and I need to

get a move on at the machine over the next few days, I shall be celebrating my

70th birthday on Wednesday next so I may be doing a little
relaxing.

Moving on  to cats - Leila and her new friend:

I photographed these out of my little studio window, hence reflection

watching John gardening

? battle stations

into battle

time out

and

time for a tea break in the overgrown area by the veg patch.

These two are great buddies, this little barred cat lives over our back fence and calls

around every morning for Leila! We hear the bell on her collar tinkling

and Leila heads for the cat door.

Before I go this was the sight at the beach two days ago at low tide

Time to go I think!!

Maureen

Kaleidoscope - one more block to go!

The original size of my Kaleidoscope quilt has shrunk!

I'm going with 6 across and 8 down  - I think.

For this size I need one more block, the one I had in place

bottom right just didn't fit colour-wise.

Then I wondered if I should move out some of the

lighter blocks and go for a darker look - on reflection I've

decided to just get on and sew another block.

This is not the final layout, I want to play a little more

before I make a decision.

Fabrics for the back of the Rainbow Safari quilt for our grandson

have been cut

and fabric with cats - same colours as the kiwi fabric -
has been added to the mix, also multi coloured dragonflies
on a black background. Top is sewn and I'll post next time.

More from the Spring garden

Bluebells

Clivia

Babiana

It's been so very wet her, we desperately need
 a few sunny days to dry everything out.

Linking up with  Cathy and Ann
for




also linking up with
Judy at Patchwork Times

Now I need to get sewing that last block!

Maureen

Kaleidoscopes

It's an absolutely beautiful Spring day today, although extremely cold and yesterday

we actually had hail and horrific cold blasts.

Cherry blossom is out in the garden, guaranteed to lift the spirits,

regardless of whether they are in need of lifting or not.

A few more kaleidoscope blocks were added to the growing collection

yesterday. A few sets, mix of Kaffe Collective and batiks

then cut and sewn, with a few left over pieces just

to mix things up a bit.

So, progress is being made but I need to ramp things up a bit

with this project, in fact I need to ramp up on a lot of projects! 

Today I'm getting on with a few improvements - hopefully - to my working

set up in the studio. I have a large board to cover after I post 

which gives me a larger area

for ironing, this will sit on new cubes which we bought yesterday, 

they're 40cm square, four of them and stacked two together

gives me a good height for my padded new board.

The sturdy fabric boxes which fit inside give me a heck of a lot

of scope for fabric reorganisation.

That's me for Friday, have a good quilting weekend!

Maureen

Kaleidoscope and Kitten

I packed in a few hours sewing over the past week and

decided to concentrate on my kaleidoscope blocks.

Initially I was photographing them individually but as I made

more I thought it would be overkill to have lots of individual

shots going on for ever down the page. But here are the first three single ones

and below three sets - first up the greens

second the oranges

third blues

I posted HERE with the blocks I had earlier. My idea was not too much contrast and
to keep it, as someone described, rich and moody! Think of a worn, richly coloured
Persian carpet, that's what I have in mind.
These latest photos were taken this morning but I've been having trouble
with the camera today and then the computer went down, hence the sizing
is different for each one!

Not forgetting the kitten part of the post here she is sitting
somewhere she shouldn't be in protest at the collar she's having to wear.
Sutures out tomorrow and collar off!!!! I think we'll have one happy kitty.
I know that I shall be a very happy quilter!!

Time to visit with Cathy over at Kaleidoscope of Butterflies, back soon.

Old and New

Let's start off with the new - 

I've finished sewing the top of the quilt for our 5yr old grandson.

The weather has been wet and windy so I just managed

to pick a break in the rain this morning to throw

this top over the bench seat - excuse the weeds!

Four blocks across and six down each 12" finished, 1" finished sashing.

His bed is not quite as long as a full size so we've ended

up with the Safari print borders just on the sides.

I wanted something bright for the sashing but not too bold given

the bright solid strips, luckily I came across 3/4 yard of fabric which must have

been in my stash for around 15 years!

New Kaleidoscope blocks - 

and I need to get these and the others on the wall to check how they look so far.

New fabric - 

it's many years since that I first fell for solid fabrics,

the book on Amish quilts had just been released by Roberta Horton and

I was hooked. It was about time I bought a few new ones I reckoned and

 here are three new fat quarter bundles. My preference is for the long quarters

but quite often buying online requires you go with the pre-cuts or

buy a half yard  if you like the full width.

Now onto the old - 

my version of Midnight at The Oasis, pattern by Jen Kingwell, the photo is on the dark side I'm afraid,

the rain and dark skies are back!!

Some of you will have seen this before when I took part in the QAL, I had a

nine patch border but didn't like it so that's been removed and one day this week

I need to sit down and work out my next two rounds.

Pulling this piece out I had quite a shock when I realised the number

of WIPs I had, plus quilts waiting to be quilted, so better get my act together

and get busy!!

Enjoy your week - happy quilting.

Maureen

Catching up on kaleidoscopes

After working on Gypsy Wife with all the detail it's good

to sew plain old straight lines! Matching the seams in the kaleidoscope

is a breeze compared to GW.

I also quickly stitched strips around the 12 and 1/2" safari blocks for my

grandson and you can see from this quick photo

how badly my Kona strips are fraying, as fast as I trim off the threads

and put them on the wall more appear! These blocks are untrimmed

by the way, they will end up neater!

With the kaleidoscope blocks I have some of them "matchy, matchy" - pretty

similar colours in parts of the block - these two sets below

some are a little more random

and some will have the same two fabrics in each wedge

I loved these two fabrics together so much I just had to let them be!

Tomorrow I hope to find a few blue/aqua fabrics for

another house with RSC 2016 come Saturday, I'm also getting myself into

the mindset for the large section of GW on Monday.

Maureen

Bits and Pieces

Pretty slow going again at my place thanks to a very affectionate little creature

who now loves to come on my lap and rub noses whilst I try and sew!!

So, amazing progress with Tallulah but not so much with the quilting.

I have just done a little on three projects, one of them a very, very little.

Rainbow Safari for 5yr old grandson, very simple 8" fussy cut square

surrounded by 2 and 1/2" strips - I have stacks of lovely bright Kona

jelly rolls to use for these

Began again with the kaleidoscope project

this time combining batiks and  KF collective fabrics, 2 and1/2" wide.

Just a few segments being played with on the wall

but I just had to do a little bit of matching up here and there

 and now I can't wait to get busy cutting more!

My AdHoc Improv Medallion and progress with the other

two side borders, I didn't measure these pieces just cut freehand and when I

 and had roughly the correct fit I chopped the rest off - very therapeutic.

 The light was fading so quickly when I took this,  one border wasn't sewn down and

you can see there are still plenty of dangling threads to tidy up. In fact it's not even

placed squarely on the wall - blame Tallulah! 

Hope I can make a little more time for quilting tomorrow, fingers crossed!!

Kittens and Kaleidoscopes

Once agin the post heading is self-explanatory and I'll begin

with kaleidoscopes.

My previous blocks using Mostly Manor did not sit happily

with me, not one bit, so they're consigned to a rejects bin presently.

I needed to start again and for reasons which will become clear

as you scroll down I pulled out batik jelly rolls

started with a purple and orange - didn't like it

so out came my KF collective strips, plus I made the wedges smaller and

this is more me but for some reason the green is so muddy on this photo,

 I'll take another one in a few days when more blocks are on the wall.

Now - the main player in this post - 

Meet Tallulah a Tuxedo cat

 she hasn't attacked the table, it's a Georgian late 17th century piece

so seen better days.

She was found abandoned two weeks ago, very dirty and had to be trapped

by the vets in an old shed out the back of the clinic.

Short story, no one claimed her, she is extremely nervous, can't stand any

sudden noise and would only stay huddled in a makeshift cardboard

house the nurses made for her. They called me Monday to ask if I was

interested in giving this little kitty (about 12 weeks old) a home - need I say more!

She is still very nervous but fantastic with me, now lets me stroke her 

 but if John comes into the room she's off so I think she has

been treated badly and frightened. She can't even stand the noise of a door closing but is
getting better at dealing with it now.

here she is above in inquisitive mode and you can guess where the left paw is heading

and here she is in naughty mode having suddenly raced up the back of the chair,

up the batik quilt with lethal claws fastened firmly onto the chair!!

Expect the odd post on the antics of Tallulah - they named her in the vet clinic - great name

but rather a mouthful when you're trying to call her.

OK time for tea for kitty and tomorrow I hope we're more settled into a

routine and I can get back to my quilting, I am going to ask Sally T at http://theobjectsofdesign.blogspot.co.nz
for any tips, she is the expert with kitties! If you're not familiar with the antics
of her two babies go visit!!

Normal service will be resumed in a day or so - hopefully!