AHIQ Prompt January 2021 - String Tulip QAL - my dress rehearsal

Before I begin my post, those  who are unaware of the  AHIQ blog
 begun by
Ann and Kaja
a number of years ago 
please visit their blogs, links above, or click on the AHIQ logo
on my RH side bar.

Briefly, every six months a prompt or challenge is issued
and this time Ann has decided on the prompt in my post title.
Full directions will be issued by Ann but she kindly sent me an early set
to work through, the first step will be the string squares, so here I go,
visit the link below for an overview of the details proper.

https://fretnotyourself.blogspot.com/2021/01/ahiq-prompt-january-2021-electric.html

and the link to the first month's notes from Ann

String Tulip Quilt QAL month 1

Below is one of the quilts made by Ann and  the inspiration for the QAL.

note:I was unable to contact Ann for permission to use this photograph
as it 10.45pm here in New Zealand and all good Texas folk will
probably be fast asleep.

The string blocks are made using paper foundations and I
went with 6 and 1/2" cut for a finished block of 6".

I used ordinary copy paper and cut squares at 6 and 1/2", as Ann
suggested I drew a few diagonal lines on them as a guide.

My string box was hauled out

and a few strings pulled out at random

Ann has lots of detail in her notes on strip sizes, sorting fabrics and cutting

and I followed exactly as she suggested.

At the sewing stage she suggests a shorter stitch length and I went with 1.5 on my Bernina,

and it certainly helped with paper removal!

I read carefully her instructions on placing the strings and followed them as she suggested,  not necessarily keeping exactly to the guide lines on the paper.

I found it easy to shift the second string a little to left or right in order

to create a slightly different angle to the lines I drew initially, I

 used a 1/4" seam, Ann has another method to try also.

After seam sewing the next step was to fold the paper back which

means the seam can be checked for excess bulk, and I used

an 'add a quarter' ruler to trim any excess fabric before straightening

the paper out again.

Then on to the third string and repeated the process of folding back paper and trimming.

I also pressed every pair of strings after sewing. I was concerned about 

the process of removing the papers later but they almost fell out!

Ann has a great tip for

ease of paper removal, you should definitely follow this one, you'll find it

on her last page of process notes.

The corners were no problem following Ann's notes where she

gives three methods, I found her method of using a rectangle a good one 

ensuring that all the paper was covered.

When this piece was flipped over the last piece was easily covered,

I then turned over and once again pressed the fabrics on the front of the block and

also the paper on the back.

When this was done it was time to trim the excess fabric, I used my 6 and1/2" square

ruler.

You can see there is very little waste.

I made four blocks in total, block number one is below, this was made

using a real mix of fabrics and you can see that the orange check fabric with

the brown line in there really adds interest, I think my fabric mix was good

and that this block has the required adhoc look.

Here is my second block and I think you can spot the difference.

I somehow slipped back into my more regulated mode and veered slightly away from

Ann's suggestions.

I mentioned this to Ann but she said I really needed four blocks to see the effect

clearly

and as the master of beautiful string pieced blocks she was so right!!

This was my first time at foundation paper piecing and I really did enjoy the process,

as we progress through February with these blocks I think I will

become looser with my size of strips, not as regimented, but I do think seeing the four blocks

together has me feeling much happier and looking forward to sewing up more.

Ann has written an amazingly thorough and easily understandable set of  instructions

full of great detail and tips for us, much more than I am obviously able to share with you here, 

but I hope I have

given you a peek of my first step of the the process.

I would encourage anyone who is interested to

jump in and join us all, we're going to have an exciting few months.

Thank you so much Ann!

Maureen

And here comes another squirrel

This particular squirrel is actually on my list of projects
but decided to jump the queue, photo kindly sent to me by a dear long time friend
of over 50 years in England! I think this will be my permanent post photo for
The Squirrel Club

Click on the squirrel graphic in my sidebar to visit Julie's blog
and read all about The Squirrel Club.

Many Trips Around The World has long been a favourite pattern
of mine and two days ago sorting through an assortment of
2 and 1/2" strips I decided to just make a start

and this is my first trial block. I photographed on black because both my 
grey squared and my cream design wall seemed to drain the colour
from my fabrics.

Top left square needs replacing because the strip was a fraction too short
that's on my list for tomorrow.
I really like the Kaffe Spot fabric as the dark diagonal so I gathered
more from my stash

to use as the diagonal in all the blocks.

There is another project currently being put together and I'll post
on that this coming Tuesday, I'm making good use of Julie's
plate system to try and keep some order with my pieces for this
one.

It's a short post from me this time  but I'll be here again come Tuesday but
before I head off to begin the evening meal here's a photo
from the garden

ideas here for a quilt colour scheme!

Stay Safe!!

Maureen

2021 designated as My Year of The Quilt

I feel I have, for a number of reasons, not been as productive
as I should have liked over this past year with my quilt making, I am
determined that this year will be different, hence the title
of my post.

I do have a finished top now for Matt

measuring  78" x 84" I don't intend to attempt to quilt this myself.
Because of the size I couldn't photograph on my design wall so here it is under
the Japanese Maple tree in the garden.

This can count as the beginning of my dedicated quilting year.

A long awaited task has been to make a start on sorting all
my small scrap containers, fabric leftovers have been thrown into these
without any organisation whatsoever.

I have sorted one only right now
measuring 10" x 8" with 4 and 1/2" depth

so pulled and sorted neatly I have
an assortment of small and large pieces and the same for wide and narrow strips.

I have six more of this size container to sort through, next step is to decide 
whether to have a container for each colour, that's going to be tricky
with only six containers although I do have a few oblong large boxes
but they're not very deep. I'm tempted to take the easy way out 
and go with the size of the piece, small medium or large.

There were some very small pieces and I have those in what I call
my Smidgy Bits box

Apart from the above all I have had the energy to do is a stitch a few hexagons

 a little colouring

from this book

and photograph hibiscus

I have a busy week with dental and hospital appointments but I'll be setting
time aside to plan new quilts.

See you soon

Maureen

 

A New Year 2021

 

Wishing everyone a very Happy New Year

Well we're now three days into 2021and I think we can all agree
that 2020 was an "annus horribilis" to quote the words spoken
by Queen Elizabeth II in a Guildhall speech 1992 to describe that year!

Time will tell whether this coming year will be any better, let's hope so
although I fear it will be a heck of a long time before we can
refer to a year, hopefully not too far distant, as an
'annus mirabilis'
which means wonderful year.

You will have noticed our Kereru in the opening photo, a gift from youngest
son and wife for Christmas, now fastened on the deck trellis conveniently opposite
my favourite chair.

It's been a lean time for my quilting but here are two blocks made during a
spell of playtime

just trying out ideas for a new quilt for eldest grandson,
two more possible settings below

this is a pattern from Cultural Fusion Quilts, a book by
Sujata Shah blogging at
therootconnection.blogspot.com
having some computer problems so I do hope this link works!

Another possible contender for a quilt for grandson is another version
of Chain Link Horizon which I made in 2019

I have a stack of half hexagons 7" high which I cut when making this
quilt and were never used, I'm figuring I can save myself a lot of time
by using them along with a different solid for the diamonds.
I'm thinking perhaps the Kaffe Fassett Aboriginal Dot in Orchid,
not actually a solid but reads as one.

This is the time of year when lots of quilters think of a word for the year,
I've done so myself a few times. Given the year we have had I felt that there was
not just one word but there are three which resonate with me

NURTURE
to take care of, feed, protect someone or something

KINDNESS
and
COURAGE

don't we all need a little of the above mentioned?
I know I certainly do, this coming year especially.
I'm sure that many of us also need a little of these three.

Adam Lindsay Gordon, an Australian poet in the 1800's
wrote a poem "Ye Wearie Wayfarer" and I quote four lines below

"Life is mostly froth and bubble,
Two things stand like stone,
KINDNESS in another's trouble,
COURAGE in your own."

On a lighter note as I close my first post for 2021 here's
the early bloom on my white amaryllis

and now

there are 11 blooms right now, difficult to photograph them though.
Each bloom measures 6" across.
Needless to say I am thrilled!

Leaving you with Kereru at sunset

and he/she doesn't actually have speckles on his neck, I took this photo
through the window which needed a clean!!!

Happy Quilting

Maureen

The Cat Sat on The Mat and Christmas Greetings

 Strange heading for a post on a quilting blog I know
 but as I have nothing quilty to show on this last post of 2020
I'm improvising!

So, here's the cat sitting on the mat bought to use for her food and water bowls,
she's a messy eater, but she had other ideas

this is now her personal mat for taking a rest, and she is definitely
not a grumpy cat but this was the last mat in the store!

Baking for Christmas was to try and use up some of the
glut of courgette/zucchini from the garden with my favourite
loaves

Courgette, Walnut and Sultana

these are delicious, sliced and spread with a little butter.
They become a little firmer and are easier to slice after
a day or so in the cake tin.

I'm going to start a page for Recipes next year and this will be up there.

Next, just because I love them, are
Cranberry and Pear muffins

another recipe to be added next year.

And that's my little contribution to my blog for Christmas Eve 2020.
I have lots worked out for next year, regular blog posts is top of my list.

I'll end here by saying that I realise this Christmas will be a difficult
time for many of you but I do hope you're able to find
peace and joy amongst the mayhem and hope for much better in 2021.

Looking forward to catching up with you all in the New Year and
thank you for all your kind comments over the past year.

Happy Christmas

Maureen

Post for Thursday the 10th

 My calendar is reminding me that I had marked down Monday as post day
but that didn't happen!!

It's been a slow couple of weeks on the quilting side of things, all I have to show
from my time at the sewing machine are six more Lego blocks below

I'm enjoying stitching these and using up strips collected over the years.

I've spent time tidying up a few fabric baskets and drawers which were bugging me,
 I had far more solids in my stash than I realised

                                                                                    

                                and compared to the other colours I seem to have very few yellows                                   in this basket

and lots of reds in this one.

My older collection of Hoffman fabrics from years ago, plus a few other ranges,
are now in two drawers - see below.

I wasn't getting very far with trying to decide how to use these,
the Hoffman fabrics are delightful small florals.
Looking through patterns, both in books and purchased as pdfs
from online stores, I found three patterns which I thought
would work. One of them is London Fields by
Frankie and Ray.

Still a little undecided it happened that a post came up from 

quiltdivajulie

showing her London Fields quilt all finished and it's
a beauty - decision made! Do click on the link and visit. 

A list of projects planned for next year is underway, some culling
will definitely be necessary here! I think I'll take on an RSC after 
a few years of missing. There will also be a new AHIQ for the first
six months of 2021.

After a number of years tucked away in our shed I brought inside the house
a beautiful  Indian cradle/cot (teak I think) bought years ago from a local
antique shop. I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it.

This treasure was brought back from India I was told by a
?army officer, who had been stationed there and left India 
along with other Britains in the mid 1940's. Correct me if I have the
date wrong here.The iron rings for hanging the cradle are still in place.
I intend using it to store quilts in the bedroom. You can see it has been well used
if you go to a close up view.

A post from me always, or usually, closes with something from the garden,
today is no exception, so first up one of my canna lillies just opening.

 Look no further for a quilt colour scheme, the greens,
shades of yellow, a little almost apricot splash and
a fine streak of lilac - beautiful!

My gladioli also has my ideas whirling around

and again we have yellows,  a lovely bright green stem
and all that beautiful pink.

And that's it from me folks until next time.

Keep safe and well.

Maureen

Note - thanks to Wanda for the tip below in her comment, never realised that the setting was on, just checked and wow, the image size is fantastic!