My Temperature Quilt Block Tutorial.

I have been preparing to start my Temperature Quilt on the 1st January. I am using the flying geese block. So if you are tempted to join me here is a tutorial on my block.

Cut 2 x 2 1/2" neutral squares and 1 x 4 1/2 xx 2 1/2" coloured  rectangle from the your  Temperature legend to match the days high temperature.

Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of the neutral squares.

Put a square on the left side of the rectangle as per my picture.

Sew along the outside of the line. See how my stitched line is just touching my drawn line.

Trim the corner off with a 1/4" seam allowance. Fold the neutral triangle back to reform the rectangle.

Press.

Place the other square on the other corner , making sure your diagonal line running from the centret to the bottom right corner

Sew on the outside of this line like you did with the first corner. Trim the corner off leaving a 1/4" seam allowance from the stitched line.
This completes your block.

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

A New Leader Ender Project

Patty over at Elm Street Quilts has been making a temperature quilt this year using hexies. I am very tempted as I could do with a Leader and Ender Project for 2019. She is considering doing another one next year and has some ideas on it here if you want to check it out.

I like the idea of a high temperature quilt and using my batik scraps box for it.  Now to work out a scale and colours to match the scale and a block to use. You have to think 40 + degree will have to be a dark red working iis way down to a orange as it get cooler. Blue would be a good choice for the cold temperatures, but do you go dark blue for the really cold temperatures or do you go the other way so the light blue is the coldest so that you could the slip in white/cream, so you could include below zero temperatures. As I type this post up over a couple of weeks, I have got this far with the scale. We don't get day time temperatures under 10 degrees very often, maybe once even few years. That is why I have started at 9 degrees and you need to remember I am in Australia where we don't use fahrenheit, our is in degrees celsius. A slightly different system.
9- 15 degrees Purple
16-20 degrees  Blue
21-25 degrees Green
26-30 degrees Yellow
31-35 degrees Orange
36-40 degrees Pink
40+ degrees Red

Then I  needed to work out a block.  Patty used hexagons for her quilt but I was thinking I need more structure in my design. I want to be able to look at it and know that section is at that time of the year. I am thinking about using the Flying geese block. The temperature colour will be the middle and can point up if the temperature is climbing or pointing down if the temperature drops. My thinking is if a colour is assigned in 5 ( 10- 14, 15-19) and we have a few days in a zone I can point the block in the direction the temperature is going. That will give me more information.

I thought if I do them in vertical rows of 7, so you can see the week and work left to right on the quilt with a sashing strip when I need to start a new row. Something like this is my thinking, but there may be some changes along the way.

Now I can do some preparation ready for the beginning of January.  I can cut  plenty of the scrappy neutrals and cut some reds and oranges and a few of the other colours ready to go in to my project with a notepad to record the temperature in case I don't get to sit down at the machine every day.

This should be an interesting experiment, you are welcome to join me. When I start I will share some more details on my sizes and block method, but it is not rocket science. This is a simply block for a reason we don't want anything to hard, though I did toy with a harder block. Maybe if I enjoy this I may consider it for the following year.

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Four Patch Madness

You may have seen I have been making some Four Patch blocks for my Bitty Blocks quilt. I am using them for sashing rows in between the block rows. Now it will only be a small quilt/ wall hanging. While I working on them I was creating another design using Four Patch blocks as I have a lot of scraps to use up. So in theory I am going to continue making Four Patch blocks.

So I have pulled out another batch of scraps from the scrap bin, ready to press and then cutting. I am selecting the smaller pieces to cut up.

My production line of Four Patch blocks, squares then pairs followed by the completed block. 

I will be using these as leaders and enders wile working on other projects so this project will not be finished soon.  The Bitty block quilt will be finished first though if I have my way.

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

350 Blocks Project 2015- August Report

I got started early this month. Finally I am getting things moving again. The groove is back I think. Hooray just in time as there is deadline to meet. I am cutting it a little fine. The quilts are designed and fabric selected but I still need to make the quilts and write the patterns. The pressure is on. Fingers crossed I can get it done. sometime I need that deadline hanging over my head to get moving a little quicker.
This month's total is 30. 

This month I have made some more Ohio Star blocks, 3 more.

 Finished my last 3 blocks for the Little Joys Quilt Along and sewn all the blocks together 3 rows and borders. So a total of 7. All done.

I made 2 test blocks 1 successful and 1 failure. A redo for the failed block. Done. So 2.

I have been working on 2 quilts that are one patch quilts, so I only counted the rows.

The first one I can't show a picture yet. It is a special secret project for my Fully Stacked event but I can tell you there is 8 across and 10 rows down. 10 for this quilt.

The second one patch quilt is my Leaders & Enders Project for this year. It is a tumbler quilt. So far the total is 3 rows.

Another test block it belongs with the red, white and blue test block.

Plus a stack 4 patch blocks from a Fully Stacked project. It stands at 30 blocks.

As I have been doing well this month the next Fully Stacked quilt has been started with 9 blocks completed and row joined and sewn together for a total 20.

My total for the month is 76.

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

350 Blocks Project 2015- July's Report

I am starting to sound like a broken record. An impossible slow start to the month. Why can't I find any sewing time.
This month's total is 30 blocks.
So what did I get done.
I did some work on my Bitty Blocks May's Bear Paw blocks and making these blocks reminds me that one day I would like to make a Bear Paw quilt. May be I need to add this one to next year. All 18 Bear Paw blocks done. Now I better cut June's blocks.

I have done some work on my black and white hexagon quilt with the 3 large blocks now joined in a row.

My August block for our Batik Rainbow Fabric Club. No picture are the members haven't received their packs.

I started the Little Joys Quilt Along and I have completed 3 Christmas tree blocks and 3 wreath blocks.

Plus I started a new hand piecing project as my hexagon quilt is growing. This one is another Inklingo project but I am working with triangles, diamonds and octagons. A little different. 1 only so far.
We started the new Quiltville Leader and Ender Challenge to make a tumbler quilt. So far 2 rows completed.
I was making some Idaho Square dance blocks to fill in time before the new Leader and Ender Challenge started and there is  4 more completed I have been wondering what to do with these blocks and I think I have a place for them. It shouldn't take me long to put them together I just need another 9 blocks. Let's hope that will be enough. They are going to be one block wide runners to hide my plastic tubs when I do craft events.

July's Vacation Time The Hot Dog Stand is completed.

I had some playing with some fabric and created a table runner which has 5 blocks and 2 borders for a total of 7.

So the Grand Total for July is 40.
 You know what this means I need to do some serious sewing soon or I am going to be in big trouble with a couple of deadlines.

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

A Finish and a Start

That is right. Great news I have finished my Lozenge quilt just in time to start Bonnie's new Leader & Ender Challenge. I made up a scrappy binding to complete my lozenge quilt and looking in the binding bag there is still plenty to use. Not as much as my scrap box but I am thinking I might iron the fold out of some of the binding scraps and put them in the scrap box to be used in other ways.

The new project is a tumbler quilt. This is a block I have wanted to play with. So now I have to work out what size blocks and if I want to do it completing scrappy or controlled scrappy (pick a colour family and work through the scrap box choosing only from that family). Next I have to choose how I am cutting these blocks- a ruler or do I have a look a  die for my Accuquilt cutter. Have I got that back to front?
Should I decide on how I am cutting the block first because depending on what I use will govern the size I will be able to make. Here is the link to Bonnie post on  the new challenge. http://quiltville.blogspot.com.au/2015/07/2015-leader-ender-challenge-tumblers.html
 Maybe I will have a look at what size scraps I have lots of in the meantime while I make my decision of how I am cutting these blocks.

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Under the Pressure Foot #4

June has become finishing month for me. With my Pies & Tarts quilt finally finished. I handed my Wishes quilt to Valerie to quilt and I have decided to give my Farmers Wife quilt to Valerie when I pick my Wishes quilt up to baste on her long arm machine which means Yes I have made the decision to hand quilt it. I may curse myself in the future for making this decision but today I am happy that I finally made the decision. Now I can move on, I think these decisions have been slowing me down. Anyway this post is suppose to be what is under my pressure foot, let me show you.

This is my lozenge quilt I am quilting today with some black and white variegated thread. This is breeze to quilt especially since I am doing my favourite free motion straight line quilting. (With my usual wobbles along the way.) I started with stitching in the ditch. Then some diagonal straight lines one way and then I wanted to do the opposite diagonal line. As I got started on the last set of diagonal rows I wasn't sure if there was enough thread.

 Guess what I didn't make it. So what does a quilter do when you know there is no more thread and I couldn't get more easily. It is a scrappy project so I just found a spool of black cotton and continued until I finished it. I don't think it is too noticable. At least not from the front, on the back you can tell.

A close up of my quilting. It creates an interesting effect, fading in and out like it does. Looking at the on point squares created by the quilting you can see different blocks from the original lozenge blocks I made.

Now it is time to pull the binding box out and create a scrappy binding to finish it off. A totally scrappy quilt.

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Under the Pressure Foot #3

In my Unfinished Project post earlier this week I had selected 3 quilts I plan to finish. So how am I go?

I started with my Pies & Tarts quilt as it only needed the binding to complete it. My thinking is to start with the one closest to being finished. So I am happy to say I got the binding on Sunday morning, then I have some hand work for the evenings. Binding on ready for the hand sewing.

So really it is an easy finish.

Next I want to tackle my lozenge quilt as it was ready for quilting and the thread and quilting design had been selected. As this it a scrap project I thought I would use what I had in my stash to make up the backing. It was too big for a one piece backing so I selected a larger  piece, sliced it and add an extra piece off centre to make it big enough.
Then pinned it ready for quilting I will need to take some of the pins out after the first part of  the quilting is done as I can see some of them will be in the way on the second pass, but they need to be there to start with.

This is as far as I have got. I am hoping to have my Pies & Tarts quilt finished by the end of the week, but it may be a week before I can start quilting my lozenge quilt with the Salisbury Hobby & Craft Fair on this weekend. Not much of a chance to do any sewing but we will see what happens.

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia  

Under The Pressure Foot #2

Welcome to Under The Pressure Foot this week. This week I have been focusing on finishing borders and tops, so some quilt tops get completed, ready for quilting. There are a few too many unfinished projects here and I really feel I need to complete some as I start new ones or at least looking at starting new ones.

The first one doesn't have any borders but the rows needed to be joined together on my leaders and enders Challenge from last year.  A great experience with scrappy. I still can't bring myself to be totally cool with completely scrappy but I am happy with what I refer to as controlled scrappy. On my lozenge quilt I was able to control the quilt with matching corners on each block. So the light pair matched and the dark pair matched. I think this is my happy scrappy place. You can just see my matching corners on these block, the dark corners really show it.

My Lozenge blocks altogether finally. So it is ready for quilting. I am thinking of some matchstick quilting in a black and white variegated thread.

Last week I shared the progress on my latest Inklingo quilt with joining the blocks together. So now I am up to the borders. In the end I decided on 1 border in the darker pink. It was an easy finish  once I had the cutting worked out as it is a directional print.

A close up that could've been closer  below.

Not sure how I'm quilting this one but I know it needs to be finished by the end of June so I can use it as one of my Inklingo display quilts on my stall at the Adelaide Sewing Stitching and Handcraft Show in July.

I will let you know what I do.

Until Next time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Project Links #1

I have had some emails on where I found some of the patterns for projects I have been working on over the last few months. So I have decided every so often I will do a link post on where the projects came from. Some of them are patterns available in my shop and are available to purchase and some are free patterns available on the internet.

Free Pattern Links.

Patterns & Tutorials www.cynthiasark.blogspot.com.au

Fig Soft toy pattern http://www.sewmamasew.com/2015/03/fig-the-mouse-free-pattern/

Elephant soft toy pattern http://www.sewmamasew.com/2015/03/free-trunk-up-elephant-pattern/

Lozenge quilt is a Quiltville freebie http://quiltville.blogspot.com.au/2014/02/2014-leader-ender-challenge-lozenges.html 

Disappearing Hourglass Tutorial is a Missouri Star Quilt Co Youtube Tutorial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXggafOP230&list=PLD5EF21A981F69C28&index=33

Patterns available at Cynthia's Ark
Scrappy Roads Quilt Pattern (Cynthia's Ark)
Baby Bunnies (Melly & Me)

Oliver Hoot (Melly & Me)

If there is a project that you see me working on and you want more information on it please leave a note on the comments box of the post or you can email me at cynthiasark@gmail.com  I am always happy to help a fellow crafter.

Until Next Time 

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

My Leaders and Enders Lozenge Update.

I have finally finished making lozenge block from last year Quiltville Leaders and Ender Challenge. This is the last 10 blocks made to round off the rows to the right numbers.

Here they are laid out and ready to be sewn together.

Oh boy lots of pins are going to be needed when I join the rows together. All those matching points I am going to deal with. I will share my progress on join them together over the next month. I am trying to prepare a number of projects ready for sewing as time will be short over the next 2 months and I really want to squeeze in some sewing time and if I am not prepared I may not get any sewing done. That will make me sad and we can't have that.

There is a new Cynthia's Ark bulletin on what is new in store under the bulletin tab at the top of the blog if you want to have a look.

Until Next Time 

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Leaders & Enders Challenge Update

I have been slowly joining my blocks together and I am starting to wonder if I need more blocks. I thought there was quite a large pile but once I started to piece them together in blocks of four I am not sure any more. 

I do have more cut so it wouldn't be hard to make more but I want to work on so many other projects that are getting close to been finished. I just can't decide which one to work on. I have pencilled in a few quilting days during the Christmas break but there are some tops that are close to completion that I could add to the list. What to do?

This is where I am up to. I need to make at least 2 more blocks to finish the top row but do I need to add another full row or 2?

Until Next Time

Keep stitching

Cynthia

Block Testing and Lozenge Blocks

I have been doing some block testing in the last few days. I am working on a special project and while I wait for the fabrics for the project to arrive, I thought I would hit my scrap box and test a few blocks and start on some instructions. Something I am known to drag me feet on. Sorry I can't share some pictures at the moment. Don't worry it won't be long before you know what this special project is.

So while I am block testing I am also working on Leaders & Enders lozenge blocks. I have decided to start pairing some of lozenge blocks to get some idea how big I want to go with this project. I was just going to keep making blocks until the end of October and then sew all the blocks together but now I'm not sure as I still have a lot of rectangles and squares cut. So I will pair up what I have and then lay them out and see how far I have got before I start making more blocks.

There is still a lot more lozenge blocks to pair up.

Until next time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Painting not sewing

Yes the sewing drought is still happening here. I just don't seem to have any spare time to do any machine sewing. A lot of computer work happening, some poster designing happening for my stand at AMQF. Which has been at interesting introduction to PicMonkey. I have also created a Cynthia's Creating Ark  star link for my blog that now is happily sitting on my web shop, plus you will some of my other creations in the coming weeks. If I can work it out nearly anyone could use this program. 

So what else have I been doing? Believe it or not I having been painting the inside back panels of my new fabric shelving units for my shop. It will be so cool to have these units completed and in place in the shop. I have finished painting 2 coats on the large unit and the first coat on the smaller unit and there is one more small unit that will need painting.

 The other item of shop furniture that is in place ready to be used is the cash register shelving unit. I think the cutting counter is next to be made. I hope so.

Look at my poor lonely machine just sitting there waiting to be used. There are few lozenge blocks waiting to have corners added to them. At least I know where she is.

 Maybe I will find some time in the next week to do some sewing, fingers crossed. At least I have had a few minutes here and there for some hand piecing to keep me sane.

Until next time

Keep stitching

Cynthia

Globetrotting Block of the Month #6 & Aurifil Block of the Month

  I have finally got my June block done for the Globetrotting Block of the Month. On the last weekend of June I managed to get a little sewing done. I seem to be struggling with time management issues or something. So in a couple of hours I did get my St Louis Globetrotting block done 

and my Chain Links Aurifil block of the month done from my scrap box. 

A few more lozenge blocks done for my Leaders & Enders Challenge. Look at my pile of lozenge blocks. 

When should I start sewing them together?

Until next time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia