350 Block Project - January's Report.

This is something new for me. I found a blog post about this project about a couple of  weeks ago. After I followed the link to Prairie Moon Quilts I knew I had to try this challenge of 350 blocks over a year. Could I make it? I wondered how many blocks do I make in a year? I know how many quilts I make in a year as I always take a photo and save it on my computer. After I started my blog at the end of 2013 I decided to record my completed projects on the blog. You will find last year's tab at the top of my blog with this year's tab. Unfortunately this year's is empty at the moment but there is a number of projects at various stages that will find their way into the folder soon, I promise.

For January the blocks required is 20.

So lets see how I did in the first month..

To start with there was 12 sashing blocks from my Grand Illusion Mystery Quilt to finish joining my blocks together.

Then there 1 block from my Vacation Time Block of the Month.

Of course I am participating in the Rainbow Scrap Challenge which I have completed 2 sawtooth star blocks for the month.

Also I have been working on my disappearing hourglass blocks. A tutorial by Jenny from Missouri Star Quilt Company. They are addictive . I had 8 at the end of 2014 I now have 16. So that is 8 this month.

Plus I have been working on a tutorial I will share soon on my blog using this block and I just had to complete the last 5 blocks before I can start sewing them together. So finally I am at that point.

My hand piecing project at the moment is this Inklingo Star quilt. I have add 2 more to the total. Only 9 more to go.

January's block total is 30.

A good start as I know there will be leaner months to come when I am busy with other things that will keep me from the sewing machine. I can only hope my hand piecing projects will be enough to add a few to upcoming monthly totals.

There is a link in the right hand side toolbar if you are interested in this project. It is going to be lots of fun and challenging .

Until next Time

Keep Stitching I will be

Cynthia

How many Disappearing Hourglass blocks do I have now?

At my last update I had 12 blocks completed but I couldn't stop there. I am loving making these blocks so I have made another 4 block to bring the total to 16 after I fixed my little mistake.The last 8 I made this month.

 Now my question to you is Do I stop at 16 and make a square quilt or do I make another 4 to make it 20 and do a 4 x5 rectangle quilt? What do you think? I would love to know what you think.

All 16 blocks laid out.

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Quiltmaker's Auld Lang Stitches Mystery Quilt #4

Clue 4 is here and we are joining some of our previous made blocks together, which is great. we are getting closer to the big reveal in February and I can't wait to see what we are creating. So this week we are joining a Unit 6 to an Unit 4 and then a plain rectangle at the bottom.  Nice and Easy. It is right up my alley. I fancy something easy for a change.

 I wonder what will be next in our New Year Mystery Quilt.

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Grand Illusion Mystery Quilt #8

I have made my decision to stop at 16 blocks for my Grand Illusion quilt and that is still going to be a good sized quilt once the borders are added. So this week I have been working on joining the rows together and make more of blocks for the sashing strips to join the rows together. 

This project has been a real challenge for me as I struggle with doing scrappy. I think I still prefer my controlled scrappy where I only use 2-3 different fabrics per colour but that doesn't mean I don't like total scrappy as I do appreciate the work and design effects of a total scrappy quilt but I like to have some control fabrics in my scrappy quilts. So here is the blocks and sashing all joined together and now I am ready for the borders. 

Why do I find the mistake after I sew all the blocks together?  Grrr. Oh well the quilt is really scrappy maybe no one will see it. Only we will know I made it.

At least I am well ahead this year on the mystery quilt this year. Last year  I was at this stage in June. So I am very happy on that point. Now on to the borders.

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Happy Australia Day!

Happy Australia Day to everyone. How are you going to enjoy today? I am going to spend some time at the sewing machine working on 2-3 different projects at various stage of completion. We just had 2 very busy days with my family in Horsham having a little get together as my nephew has spent the summer holidays in Adelaide and it was time for him to go home(Melbourne) to get ready for the start of the school year. So Horsham is our meeting place. It is about 5.5 hours drive for us. So it is a little more than halfway to Melbourne. It is good to get together with the family and spend some chill out time together. It doesn't happen often enough in our busy lives. I only had time to make 1 hexagon flower for a new project in 2 days but we did arrive in town early enough this time to visit the Horsham Sewing Centre and I bought 2 metre of fabric and a pattern I liked. So I hope you have a great day and enjoy yourself.

Until Next Time 

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

PS There is some great bargains available at Cynthia's Ark if you feel like some shopping today.

Quiltmaker's Auld Lang Stitches Mystery Quilt #3

We are at Clue #3 this week already. This one is partially done as we are using the saved Unit 1's from week 1 to make Unit 5 and the saved unit 3's are getting a square added to them this week.

This is good new for me as I am still making some of the earlier units so the fact I get to use the ones that have been saved will help me catch up a little bit. This mystery quilt has become my leader and Ender project as I finish piecing my rows for  my Grand Illusion Quilt from Bonnie Hunter. It has helped both projects along.Let me share what I have got done of every clue with you today. 

There is still plenty more to make and I didn't include the HST units that are ready for trimming with the completed unit as I don't consider them finished. Silly I know. You can find this free quilt along at http://www.quiltmaker.com/blogs/quiltypleasures/2015/01/quiltmakers-new-years-mystery-quilt-part-1/       if you want to join in.  

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Quiltmaker's Auld Lang Stitches Mystery Quilt #2

Week 2 clue is more half square triangles. I tell you it is a good thing I don't get tired making them but I do get weary of trimming them up so I am trying to do them in batches. This quilt is going to have lots of small pieces as the HST are 2 inch. Now that is small comparing to the HST units I was making last year that were 4 1/2 inch. So I am working my way through this clue  looking forward to the next clue and wondering how this quilt is going to look like when we complete our tops.

As you can see there is still more trimming to go but I will get there probably not before clue 3 is released but that is ok with me.

You can find all the instructions here just in case you want to join in.

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Dear Jane- The Start of a New Project

Dear Jane is a project I have wanted to tackle for a few years. It was put to one side when I got the Farmer's Wife Sampler book. My Farmer's Wife Sampler has been my major hand piecing project for the last 3 years. Now it is ready for quilting, I have found myself at a loss.  I am surprised at that. I need a new major hand piecing project to challenge me already.
Just over 1 year ago I brought The Electric Quilt Company Dear Jane software.

 I loaded on my computer and spent an evening playing with it. As a big fan of EQ7 I thought this is the best way for me to tackle this project. If I am going to do this I need to make the time  and do it. I have  already chosen to do mine in batik fabrics and I had seen some done with a dark background instead of a light background and really like how they looked. So I pick a block that I could machine piece and set to make some sample blocks so I can audition some background colors. The samples background fabrics are cream, black, grey blue and a deep purple.

 Now that my sample blocks are made I am not convinced that going dark is right for me. Which one do you like?  I need some guidance on this one please.

From top left cream and black

Bottom left purple and grey blue.

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

My Disappearing Hourglass blocks Update.

I have made another four disappearing hourglass blocks this week so now I have 12 blocks in total.

I am using one of our batik multi-coloured layer cake and some yardage of a cream marble in stock. (available at Cynthia's Ark.)The plan was to make two projects from the layer cake as shop samples but I am loving sewing these blocks. So 12 blocks is now going to be 16 blocks or maybe I should go to 20. Just a little bit larger than planned. 

Have you made any of Missouri Star Quilt Company patterns?

This is the second one I have done and is my favorite at the moment. 

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Grand Illusion Mystery Quilt # 7

Where am I up to on our Grand Illusion mystery quilt? I had six blocks completed last week and I have continued making blocks until I ran out of my clue 1 and 2 units. So I ended up with ten blocks completed.

I know in my picture there is only nine blocks but there was an accident. You may notice I lay my blocks out on the floor to check the layout and take photos. I also like to leave them on the floor.

This little fellow is Robbie my robot vacuum. He sweeps my floor once a week and it only takes me a minute or two to empty him so I have more time for sewing. Well the other night we had a thunder storm during dinner. When the power return I went out to the sewing room to get an hour of cutting and sewing done. There was Robbie in the middle of the room with one of my Grand Illusion blocks stuck in him. He does turn off if he gets stuck luckily. Obviously when the power goes off and returns it set him to do a run rather than at the schedule time he was set for. No more leaving my stuff on the floor just in case. I don't want to ruin something. When I removed my block from Robbie, it was dusty so I had to wash it. I am just drying it and I will add it to the others.
I need to make more of clue 1 and 2 blocks so I can continue. Clue 2 was a problem last time so this time I thought I would use the other method suggested to make this block, just using the squares and rectangles rather than using the template and Easy angle ruler. My block were a little out of shape dealing with the triangles.

So I cut and made one unit up to check it and I was lot happier doing it this way. In my quest to test different methods to make the same block, the second method was the easier method for me so I will continue with that method for the rest of clue 2.

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Rainbow Scrap Challenge #2

We are up to our second block in our Rainbow Scrap Challenge. It is the card trick block which I couldn't believe when I saw it as I was playing with this block last weekend. It is a block I have been want to make so I was doing some block testing and I was using blue scraps to make it. It is a shame it was the wrong size or I could of add the sawtooth star border and I would of been finished already.

That is ok because I used a different method so I can use my Easy Angle & Companion Angle rulers this time to make my block.
 I am thinking this year might became the year I try as many different techniques to make blocks as I can find. So if the is 3 ways to make a block I will try them all and see which one I like best. I will share my experiences good or bad, which one I liked the best and which ones I will never use again.
I can tell you the 2 ways I made this block worked out well. The first one (above) I just made HST units for the corners and used my 6 1/2 x 12" ruler to cut squares then cut the squares into triangles for the rest. For my RSC block I used my 2 speciality rulers and they were easy to use as well. This block can be made either way with easy.
Anyway back to this post and my card trick block. I attack my batik stash for some more blues which there is plenty of. Once i had the fabric I cut what I needed and laid it out on my board. The post said double check your placement before sewing together, so I snap a photo just in case.

 I sewed it together, pressed the block, checked my size, then I looked at it closely. Something is not right. Bugger! I look at the photo then I spotted it. Time to pick up the seam ripper and fix my mistake. Have do I that?

Here is the block made up before the sawtooth star border attached after I fixed it.

.

Here is my second completed block of this challenge.

While I was writing this blog post and adding the pictures I notice the different placement in the two blocks. I was happy with my block when I finished it, now I'm not sure. I like the top block better once I compared the 2 blocks though I still like the other one. I suppose I could alway remake it later if it is a problem.

 I am finding this an exciting project and I look forward to the next block and then next month the new colour. I can't wait to see which one is next. 

We are only up to block 2 so please join this challenge. It won't take you long to catch up.

Have a look at some of the other blocks completed this week at

http://superscrappy.blogspot.com.au/2015/01/scraphappy-saturday-still-feeling-blue.html

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Quiltmaker's Auld Lang Stitches Mystery Quilt #1

You may of seen this one on my To Do List for 2015. It is Quiltmaker's Auld Lang Stitches Mystery Quilt. Clue 1 was released New year Day and we were off to the sewing room for cutting and sewing. Lots of half square triangles to make in clue 1. Now I am getting ahead of myself. Let's start at the beginning.

 The fabric suggestion were white, blue and red tone on tones. I love this combination but I wanted to work with something different and the yardage required encourage me to choose different colours from my stash. So I am going to use pink instead of white, blue is still blue and grey instead of red. These fabrics come from the Daisies in the wind range of fabrics.

So I starting the cutting and sewing of clue 1 making half square triangles and attaching squares to some and putting the rest of the HST to one side for later.

Each week we get the next clue and Clue 2 has just been released. So I am off to start  working on Clue 2.
If you want to join us here is the link to the first clue.
http://www.quiltmaker.com/blogs/quiltypleasures/2015/01/quiltmakers-new-years-mystery-quilt-part-1/

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Vacation Time- Block of the Month #1

It is time to start a new project with Pat Sloan and this years mystery quilt is Vacation Time. I have picked out the fabrics and I am going with batik fabrics this year. Here is my selection. I am missing 1 fabric at the moment and that is the border fabric so I will keep my eyes open for something suitable. My 2 creams at top of the picture are a little hard to see but there is 2 there.

The first block is Down by the Boardwalk. It looks like I am going to learn a new flying geese technique this year. Pat has included instructions on a flying geese method I haven't tried yet so I will give it a go. I like to try these different methods offered as you never know when you will find a better method of doing something. I liked the flying geese method so I will use it again.

Here is my 1st block completed.

Until next time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Grand Illusion Mystery Quilt Reveal # 6

                                                             
With the new year breaking Bonnie released the big reveal on our mystery quilt Grand Illusion. Now we all know how those blocks we have been making go together. I have already seen a few complete top.
I still have more blocks make so it will be a while before I finish. With the reveal I had to make a few blocks up to see what they were going to look like. Very scrappy for me.

 I am thinking I may not make mine quite as big as Bonnie's but then again if I get carried away it may be the full size.My first six blocks made. I ran out of block 1's. That is the only reason I stopped. We won't mention the mistakes that I made and have to undo and fix.

Here's the link to see how everyone else is doing.

http://quiltville.blogspot.com.au/2015/01/mystery-monday-link-up-part-6.html

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

My Castle Wall Quilt borders.

I have been working on this project for a while. I have been making this quilt with hand piecing and machine piecing using Inklingo. I have been using Inklingo mainly on my hand piecing projects over the last 18 months so doing some machine piecing I have found some extra benefits for machine piecing with Inklingo for me.
The inset seams were a lot easier to get correct .
Though I hand pieced the wedge border as I was short on hand work and when I machine pieced those borders on  I couldn't see the points on my wedges due to seam allowances, as long I stuck to the printed line I was spot on and no points were cut off.

You can see what seams I have hand pieced and which ones I machined.

 So I am going to do more machine piecing with Inklingo in the future.

This is the completed top with the last border on. So it is ready for quilting.

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia