350 Block Project 2015- February's Report

I have had to round up February totals a few days early as I am away from my computer and my sewing machine. That doesn't mean I am not stitching. I am sure there will be stitching. It just mean what gets stitched won't get counted in this month total..

This month goal is 30 blocks.
To Start with 4 more disappearing hourglass blocks completed. Then I sewed the blocks together I have counted each row as a block so that is 5 more.

3 more Inklingo 9' star blocks done.

February Vacation time block of the month has been completed

Then I have 17 Bow tie blocks completed from Quiltmaker's Bitty Block Challenge from January

and 7 Basket blocks From February Bitty Block Challenge

Just in the last week Quiltmaker's the New Year's Mystery quilt has released the final  block layout so now I will be able to add them to my total after making lots of sub blocks over the last 2 months. So far I have 4 completed blocks. The rest will have to wait til next month.

Then I had to sew some blocks together for a new project, there was 6 rows of 5 so I counted each row as a block for the total of 6 more blocks. Plus 2 more for the borders. Total of 8

I almost forget my RSC 15 blocks there are 2 lovely pink blocks.

I have done some paper piecing this month and completed a mystery block from Quilt Art Designs. Not perfect but very good for me. I may be getting the hang of this technique.

Finally 1 more hexagon flower I know only one but so much seems to get in the way lately. Like work and wanting to start new projects.
So this month's total is 53.

This is Cynthia here

Reporting in for February

Until Next Month

Keep Stitching

Quiltmaker's Auld Lang Stitches Mystery Quilt #8

Here we are at Clue 8 in our New Year Mystery quilt and we get to finally see the finished block and lay out for this quilt. I must say I love it. I am so glad I have been stitching along with this mystery it is going to be a beauty once I finish it. Alot of block joining to get this one together but I will most likely do in little parts as I have worked on the clues that way and surprised myself how far I could get with only 10-20 minutes blocks of sewing time once a day with a few other projects. I may have 1 too many projects on the go. It may be time to quilt a few and finish them. Then I will have this one to quilt. This has been lots of fun.

Here is the finished block.

Here is the ones I have completed in the layout to give you an idea of what the quilt will look like when it is all together.

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Paper Piecing Practice

Paper piecing is a technique I haven't done much of. I learnt the technique a few years ago but wasn't really inspired by it, so I haven't visited it again. At a quilting fair a couple years ago I purchased a pattern that I fell in love with and yes I did know it was a paper pieced pattern. My thought was this might just by what I need to re-visit this technique again but it is a larger project way beyond my skills. So what do quilters do these days log on to the internet and found a site. This is where I found Quilt Art Designs and have been watching, reading and doing a little testing. Not very good so I am not going to share those pieces with you. They have a quilt along starting next month- Forest Quilt- A- Long 2015 which I really like but it is a little advance for me. I am still thinking of joining in so that I can do it later when my skills improve. In the meantime Janeen released a mystery paper piecing block last week I decided to have a go.

 Well here is my block completed. It is not perfect but it is the best I have done so far and one of the harder blocks I have tried. I am improving and I am happy to share it. I feel I am finally getting a handle on this technique.
Quilt Art Designs has a Beginners Block of the Month running too.I'm a little late starting but I am going to join in and see how I go. So hopefully I will continue to improve and I will share future progress reports with you here. The Good, The Bad and the Ugly if needed.
Have a look it is a very interesting site to visit.

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

My Star Quilt Update

It have been a little while since I posted anything on my Inklingo star project.At the time I had decided to make 12 blocks and have printed all my shapes ready to stitch. Now I have 5 blocks made and I am wondering if I should add an alternate block to the original design for more interest rather than just having 12 star blocks joined together and I am leaning towards setting it on point or maybe not.

 I just have one little problem I can't decide which fabric to use out of the 2 left from the range that the stars came from. These 2 haven't been used in the blocks. Which one do you like better?  Please help me decide.
 There is an Inklingo link in the right hand side tool bar if you want to find out how to print on fabric.

Until Next Time 

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Stay out of the heat if you are somewhere hot like me.

Quiltmaker's Auld Lang Stitches Mystery Quilt #7

Our sub blocks are getting bigger. This week we are adding another border and another stitch and flip corner. Considering how small the HST units started at clue 1 to the size the blocks are now. I am feeling more in my comfort zone the larger the blocks become. It has been good working with the smaller pieces. I know I can work with them now and I have enjoyed it. My chain piecing session.

 I have finished clue 7 actually before the last clue has been release.

 I can't wait to see the final block layout. It is here. It time to start the next clue.

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Look what I found!

Do you remember this UFO quilt I completed last year? I found the blocks and a little of the fabric but no pattern and most of the fabric was missing. I looked everywhere in the studio and couldn't locate it. I knew it had to be somewhere, but where.

Well on Sunday Look what I found. The fabric and templates. Yes I couldn't believe my eyes. I knew they would turn up some day. They were in the bottom of a basket with a stack of batik scraps and felt over them on the top of a shelving unit. I must thank little Saffy if she hadn't been sleeping in the basket I won't of pulled it off the shelf to get her out for her dinner. Of course then I had to have a look to see what was in the basket. I may have to make another quilt from these leftover now. There is plenty here to use.

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Rainbow Scrap Challenge # 3

February colour is pink for our Rainbow Scrap Challenge. It's not a favourite colour of mine but I do like some of the pink shades out there. So there is some pink fabric in my stash.  So on Saturday afternoon while it was 40 degrees + outside I got stuck in to complete my pink February blocks. The first block for February was Marley block and features more flying geese. Lots of flying geese so far this year. Interesting thought! Maybe it is a theme developing like last years half square triangle theme.

The second block for February was an easy block that I really liked. I was thinking 4 of these blocks together would make an interesting block if you did something with the square, maybe a small block in each one or just change the colours for each of the 4 blocks and you would have a scrappy four patch in the centre. Something to play with in EQ7 next time. I having been doing lots of playing in EQ7 I will have to start bringing some of my ideas out of the computer and into the studio so I can bring them to life.

 Both block were easy to complete with their star points. I took the time to cut some extra background pieces for the star blocks ready for next month so I just have to cut the star points to March's colour when I am ready to sew March's blocks.

I have linked this post Rainbow Scrap Challenge link up so pop over and have a look at some of the blocks created this month.

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Quiltmaker's Auld Lang Stitches Mystery Quilt #6

This is the 6th clue we are up to in Quiltmaker's New Year's Mystery Quilt Along and we are having some fun with Unit 7  & Section 2  this week. Some stitching and flipping going on here. This is good fun I cut all my squares and while watching television later in the evening I drew the line diagonally across them ready from the next sewing session.

Look  here they are all done with their stitched & flipped corner added. I am ready for Clue 7. I think there is only a couple more weeks to go. The blocks are really developing now. I have taken a few photos of possible layouts just in case they are different from the mystery quilt, then I can play around with other possibilities after the quilt is finished and this way I will remember what I had in mind.

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Stripes! Who loves them?

Stripes are everywhere. I have a love hate relationship with our friend the stripe. I would say I hated stripes until my mid thirties. I just didn't like them anywhere and especially not on fabric. You wouldn't catch my wearing stripes. Nearly 10 years down the track I love stripes everywhere I see them and yes especially on fabric. You would be surprised how many stripe shirts I have in my wardrobe now.(7)
So what happened I hear you ask? I discovered patchwork and quilting and before I knew it I was putting stripes in to my projects and asking myself why don't I like stripes they are not boring and ugly. They add interest to a quilt especially when you used it for the binding.   Not long in to my quilting journey we make a Trip around the world quilt as a class project I picked a stripe for the border fabric and I haven't looked back. I found a piece of that stripe fabric I used in that Trip of the World quilt. It is a very interesting stripe. This piece will end up in my lozenge scrap quilt. It is the last piece left.

 They can be very striking and no they don't make everything look short and fat. Oh that is when I wear them the wrong way. My favourite way to use a stripe fabric is as the binding. So if I see a stripe in a fabric range I am interested in I automatically buy some for the binding at least. But I have been thinking what else can I use a stripe for? Borders maybe I did it once! Last year I participated in the Layer Cake Sampler Quilt Along and I used a layer cake that had a number of stripe in (A civil war reproduction range 1862 Battle Hymn) and the effects they created in the blocks when we cut them up was a real eye opener and I found myself playing with them arrange them into their own little patterns.Just 4 of the blocks that had stripes in them.

 So the plan is to play with some more stripes and see what surprises happen. Plus you know my love for batik fabrics,  in the shop I have 6 stunning batik stripes in stock currently.

Here is 4 featured in this picture.

Here is one I used in my disappearing hourglass quilt.  Stay tuned in for a progress report in the near future including a new quilt using stripes currently in the design pipeline.

What is your favourite use for a stripe?

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Vacation time- Block of the Month #2

We are up to our second block in our Pat Sloan's Vacation Time Block of the Month and this block reminds me of a love heart. It is actually called Toes in the Sand. These batik fabrics I am using are just so vibrant especially when you put them together. This will be a bright quilt when it is finished. I just love using batik fabrics.

So here is my second block completed.

 Until Next Time

Keep Stitching 

Cynthia

January's Bitty Blocks- Bow ties

This year Quiltmaker's  blog Quilty Pleasures has been one of my favourite places to visit.I have been participating in their New Year Mystery Quilt and now I have started the Bitty Blocks challenge as well. Both have small blocks in them and I think it was time I tackled smaller block in my quilting life. I seem to work  with larger pieces I must of been thinking smaller block will take to long to make a quilt. Why I am in such a hurry? I think it is because I am time poor. Now this is an issue that I am working on this year. Time issues. So it is TIME to make time and enjoy the process of making something without rushing. So Bitty Blocks is it, small blocks to challenge me and scrap busting at the same time. I probably won't keep up as it is already February and I haven't finished all my Bow tie blocks from January but that is OK I will get there when I get there, especially if I continue making more blocks than required for the final project. I got carried away when I was cutting the blocks and I couldn't just throw them in the bin. I am sure I can do something with them later.

Here is the link to the Quilty Pleasures blog if you want to join in.

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

More Disappearing Hourglass Blocks

Yes I made another four blocks to make it a grand total of 20 blocks for my quilt. It is time to sew these beauties together into a quilt top. I will have to set aside a weekend for quilting I think, I have 3 quilts waiting to be quilted. I think I will send my Wishes quilt to my long arm quilter for her to do as the size is a little too big for me to do as well as I would like. So it is time to play with a layout and see all these blocks together and do I need a border. I am thinking maybe a 3 inch border in the cream or do I do a 1 inch cream border than a 3 inch multi coloured border? What do you think?

You will find most of these batiks in my web shop. As I used one of the mulitcoloured layer cake pack with the cream off the bolt.

Until Next time 

Keep Stitching 

Cynthia

Quiltmaker's Auld Lang Stitches Mystery Quilt #5

We are up to Clue 5 in our New Year's Mystery Quilt. We must be getting close to the big block reveal. I keep playing with the blocks I have made trying to work it out. I don't think I have worked it out yet. So I will just have to wait to the final reveal to find out, won't I.  This week we are joining unit 2 to a unit 5  then a rectangle to the bottom and a rectangle on the right hand side. This is what mine look like.

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

The First Completed Project of 2015.

This is my Kaleidoscope Star table runner I made last year using Inklingo. A very simple layout of diamonds. It was a fun project to do and I have found some more stars I pieced so I may make another matching table runner. That way I can use both at the same time on different tables. I just did some free motion stippling in the blue hexagons.

 I just could decide what else to do. It is where I get stuck often when it comes to free motion quilting. What design do I want to do and half the time I fall back on the stippling option because I just have to finish the project. Maybe this is something I can work on this year.

The binding was a bit of a challenge I almost cut the ends square to make it easier to bind but I decide to leave it as is and bind it as is.

 One completed and many more to complete.

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Hexagons are back.

That is right I have been bitten by the hexies bug again. After finishing my Cynthia's Flower Garden quilt and my Camellia strip quilt last year I thought I was about done with hexagons as I wanted to play with some other shapes. While playing with the others I found myself including hexagons and look what happened a new hexagon quilt was created in EQ 7.

 I am use these fabrics for this project.The 2 black and white prints come from the Evening Bloom range and the red is from the Riley Blake Designs Shades range Santa Red which you can find all in my Cynthia's Ark store.  I have used Inklingo to print my hexagon straight on the fabric as I had purchased the hexagon collection for my camellia quilt, so why not use it again. I may have to purchase a couple more hexagon collections in different size for the future. Using the Inklingo method is a TIME saving job. It took me less than an hour to print all my shapes and I am ready for sewing them together, no papers needed.
Unfortunately  I have only got 1 flower made so far.

Note: I am hand piecing these hexagon as I needed another hand piecing project but they are so easy to be pieced with your sewing machine if you prefer.
To find out more about printing onto fabric pop over to the Inklingo Blog.

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia