Time is Flying By.

I was cutting my fabric for my block of the month projects and thinking of 100 other things when I made a cutting mistake. Oops! At least it was the first cut and not a whole batch cut wrong. There seem to be a lot going on and I'm not getting anywhere fast. I can't believe there is only a week of October left. That means only 2 months left for this year and there is a ton of work still to be completed, mainly on my unfinished projects which I wanted to complete by the end of the year. I think some are going to end up on next year's list. Really does it matter? I have achieve some much this year compare to 2013 I should be happy, should I?
Time for a review to see where I am at to and see what I can still complete before the end of the year.
Here is my list.
1. My Pies & Tarts Quilt I am half way through hand quilting this one.
This one is already on next year list. I have only done a tiny bit on it.
2. My Batik Hexagon Quilt top ready for quilting and binding.
Completed
3. My Batik Log Cabin Quilt I am nearly finished the blocks (4 blocks to go)
Completed
4. My Farmers Wife Sampler quilt -only have 30 blocks to go then sashing and borders.
I won't get this one completed but there is only 6 rows to piece together and add on.
So I am aiming to get the quilt top completed.

5. Bonnie Hunters Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt the final layout was only released on 1st January 2014 I have 24 blocks completed.
Completed
6. My Double Wedding Ring quilt I started at the end of October at a workshop. 3 rings completed only.
This one may become a bed runner instead of a quilt. I'm going to do some work on it on Sunday. We will see what happens.

New things to tackle this year, there are plenty of new things I want to try but there is only 365 days to work with..
7. Building Blocks Quilt. 2014 Free Motion Quilt Along created by Leah Day. This one is going to allow me to tackle 2 things on my list, improve my free motion quilting and have a go at the Quilt as you go technique.
This one I have mixed feeling on this one, I have improved my FMQ skills with the blocks I have done but I have fallen way behind. Not sure what is going to happen with it. It may be a smaller quilt.
8.A new Cynthia's Ark design featuring our Mystery Batik Sampler Pack. All designed just have to sew, write the pattern and kit it.
Halfway through the blocks and pattern.
9.A new Cynthia's Ark design featuring hexagons using the Inklingo technique or EPP.
My Camellia Quilt is Completed
10.Quiltmaker magazine Black Tie Affair using Riley Blake Evening Blooms (in stock atwww.cynthiasark.com.au)
I haven't started this one.
10. Pat Sloan's Globtrotting  BOM for freequiltpatterns.info (One block a month)
Blocks are completed just have to piece the blocks together and add the borders for the top to be completed.
11. Fat Quarter Shop Wishes Quilt Along BOM (One block a month)
Up to Octobers block so should have the quilt top completed by the end of the year.
12. A Dahlia Quilt I have a pattern.
I have started this one but it will go on to next year's list as I am hand piecing it.

To view all the completed projects this year click on the tab at the top on my blog. There has been a number of extra projects completed on the way. 

Until next time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Celtic Solstice #7

Here it is! My Celtic Solstice quilt completed. Just in time for a break before Bonnie Hunter's new mystery starts in October I think. It was a job and a half to quilt it but I am glad I did it myself- good practise free motion quilting especially in the border triangles,

 whereas in the middle I let the blocks create the pattern, I just followed the diamond shape created in the joining of the two blocks. I do a bit of free motion stitching in the ditch as I didn't outline each block. I don't think you can see it very well but I hope it gives you some idea where I stitched.

I have learnt some much from this mystery quilt that I can't believe how far I have come in 12 months, when it comes sharing my progress on Facebook, in my blog and link ups with Bonnie's posts and I have learnt a lot about scrap quilts. I have always being very controlling with the amount of fabrics I use in a project. Less is best has been my motto. Now I know it doesn't have to be that way. I plan to be freer with the next mystery quilt we do. Yes you heard it here! I am going to try to be scrappier in the next one. I have started on my scrap journey with the Leader & Ender Challenge lozenge blocks this year so we will see what happens. I may need a new motto.

My lozenge blocks so far, lots of different fabrics here.

 Do you like lots of fabrics in a project or are you like me Less is best? I would love to know what you think.

Until next time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Quilting Time

I have 3 quilts ready for quilting and the plan was to pin and quilt them last weekend. As I write this post they all got pinned ready for quilting. I started with the smallest quilt, the fairy quilt which is for our latest arrival into the family (A new little cousin). I hope they like it. I got it quilted and bound.  

My Celtic Solstice was next, the largest out of the three. As I was pinning this quilt I could see quilting lines to follow so I started quilting it next. The diamond with the pin wheel centre is my quilt line. It gives a nice curvy circle effect. It is a big job and I ran out of day. I got middle quilted but I still have the borders to quilt. So that is my starting point when I get back to the machine. At least I have had a few days to think about how I am going to quilt it so I am already for some free motion quilting for the border.

Last to be quilted will be my UFO star quilt; I am not sure how I want to quilt this one. I wish I had some fabric to put a border around it but I still haven't found the rest of the fabric. You know I will find the fabric once I finish this quilt completely.  So the fabric I have left has to be for the binding. I want to see this quilt finished so I'm not going to try and find something for the border.

Until next time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Celtic Solstice Update

I was planning to work on my BOM blocks this afternoon and catch up on July’s blocks but as I sat down at the sewing machine there was a few pieces of the Celtic Solstice pieced border sitting there ready for piecing. I really want to finish this one before we start this year’s mystery, so back to the cutting mat and I cut the remaining pieces to finish the blocks for this border and finished sewing them together.

 I got the top border on not a problem and look who turns up just in time for her photo to be taken. That is Ponchee, so cute sitting there behaving herself.

That didn't last long. There seemed to be a lump under my quilt when I returned to pin the last border on.

 On further investigation look who it is. Ponchee!

 Eventually I got to sew the last side of the border on. So there is only one more border left for tomorrow. 

Then that is 3 quilt tops ready for quilting. I think I see a quilting day in my future. This looks like a chance for some more free motion quilting practice. I did purchase some new quilting aids at last weekend’s event so this might be the perfect chance to try them out.

I would love to hear what you are working on this weekend. 

Until next time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

2014 A Quilters Odyssey Annual Retreat

What a great weekend we all had at our annual quilting retreat, organised by A Quilters Odyssey. It was held at Nunyara Conference Centre, Belair. The weather was cold but the rain held off. We arrived on Friday afternoon and got set up and we could work on what we brought with us for the evening. 

Kate and Sue from A Quilters Odyssey arranged a weekend full of quilting pleasures, giveaways, presents, shop specials and with a workshop held each morning for 20 quilters. On Saturday Kate's workshop was on English Paper Piecing Kaleidoscope Stars. I am very familiar with English Paper Piecing but I haven't done much with fussy cutting piecing and only 2 fabrics were used in this workshop and all the stars were different when finished. This technique could turn some ugly fabric in my stash into something brilliant.

On Sunday Sue's Workshop was a no sew purse. Now this one was something different for me. It was very interesting how you can create a purse with some fabric, sticky backed vinyl and some hardware. I don’t think it would be something I would have tried if it wasn't for this workshop but Sue showed us some interesting project ideas that got my attention. So stay tuned for some small projects.

The rest of each day we could do what we liked and I can tell you we didn't go hungry, with breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner all supplied.

 A view of  some of the other buildings on site.

 Adelaide is down there some where. At night with the city lights it was a magnificent view.

 I took 3 of my own projects to work on. Unfortunately I didn't get any completely finished but I did sew some more blocks towards my Leaders & Enders Challenge and I made a big dent in my Celtic Solstice quilt. I finished the last few blocks, got the first border on and got halfway through the second pieced border. A lot more work than I thought but with all the eating and socialising I may of been a bit busy.  A very successful weekend I think and we can't wait for next year's retreat. 

Until next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

PS- My long suffering husband (LSH) tells me he is refreshed and can't wait for next year's retreat. What is he telling me?

Celtic Solstice #5

I did some more work on the Bonnie Hunter's Celtic Solstice Quilt this weekend.You can still get this pattern on the Quiltville blog under the Celtic Solstice tab. I really want to finish the top so I sewed all the blocks I had completed together. Which gave me 5 complete rows. The top 4 rows are sewn together .

 Only 2 more rows to go but I need to make 7 more Block 2, all of the Block 1 are done.

Block 2
 The pinwheels are done, I just need to do some more of the other sub blocks.  We will see when I get time to do this. A few other sewing projects need some attention this week. I am starting to think having a plan for most of your sewing projects worked out, may lead to me doing more sewing this year. Last year was a bit light on completed projects or projects even started. I know it is only February and there is time to collapse in a screaming heap but so far it seem to be working. Lol. We will see how I'm travelling a few months down the track.
 Cheer me on to at least finish my Celtic Solstice Quilt.

To view other Celtic Solstice  mystery quilts click this link  

 and I will keep everyone updated with my progress .

http://quiltville.blogspot.com.au/2014/02/celtic-solstice-mystery-link-up-finale.html

Until next time keep stitching

Cynthia

Celtic Solstice # 4

This week it was back to my day job so there was less sewing time. I did manage to make more sub blocks and put together 8 more of block #1. So now I have 22 of block #1 completed and 12 of block #2 completed. So 34 blocks completed and only 15 more to go. I thought I would lay out half the quilt to see how things were shaping up.

                                                    I can't wait to see it completed.

 I will keep everyone updated with my progress.

 

Until next time keep stitching

Cynthia

2014 What is on my To Do List.

With a new year most of us reflect on what we did in the last year and what we want to achieve in the next year. After my 2013 review my list starts with 6 projects.

1. My Pies & Tarts Quilt I am half way through hand quilting this one.
2. My Batik Hexagon Quilt top ready for quilting and binding.
3. My Batik Log Cabin Quilt I am nearly finished the blocks (4 blocks to go)
4. My Farmers Wife Sampler quilt -only have 30 blocks to go then sashing and borders.
5. Bonnie Hunters Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt the final layout was only released on 1st January 2014 I have 24 blocks completed.
6. My Double Wedding Ring quilt I started at the end of October at a workshop. 3 rings completed only.
New things to tackle this year, there are plenty of new things I want to try but there is only 365 days to work with.
7. Building Blocks Quilt. 2014 Free Motion Quilt Along created by Leah Day. This one is going to allow me to tackle 2 things on my list, improve my free motion quilting and have a go at the Quilt as you go technique.
8.A new Cynthia's Ark design featuring our Mystery Batik Sampler Pack. All designed just have to sew, write the pattern and kit it.
9.A new Cynthia's Ark design featuring hexagons using the Inklingo technique or EPP.
10.Quiltmaker magazine Black Tie Affair using Riley Blake Evening Blooms (in stock at www.cynthiasark.com.au)
10. Pat Sloan's Globtrotting  BOM for freequiltpatterns.info (One block a month)
11. Fat Quarter Shop Wishes Quilt Along BOM (One block a month)
12. A Dahlia Quilt I have a pattern.


I will share my adventures tackling this list. As I write this I know there are other projects that haven't made this list  and I'm sure there will be projects that will be started that weren't on the radar at the start of this year. I'm sure there will be a number of baby quilts to be made for sale that will be fitted in.
                               Until next time keep stitching
                                          Cynthia



Celtic Solstice #3

Wow! What a big reveal on New Years Day. I wasn't expecting it so it was a nice surprise to see how all the blocks we have been making go together. We have been having lots of fun making up blocks trying to guess how they go together. I did have some good sewing sessions this week and finished clue #3 and got a good start on Clue #5 before the big reveal. It was good to have some of all the blocks completed so I was ready.

A sample of each clue.

With the release of the final blocks I was ready to sew a few up to see what they looked like.

 

I pieced the two blocks and I am very happy how they went together. Now I have 12 of each block made and I am ready to make some more sub blocks so I can complete all 49 blocks. I can't believe I am nearly halfway.

 

To view other Celtic Solstice  mystery quilts in progress click this link  http://quiltville.blogspot.com.au/2014/01/mystery-monday-link-up-part-6.html

 and I will keep everyone updated with my progress.

Until next time keep stitching

Cynthia

 

 

 

Celtic Solstice #2

What a busy week it has been with Christmas Day in the middle. But I have managed some sewing on the Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt. I was a bit behind if you saw last weeks post. I have put in some extra time on this project to catch up, but I was naughty and I skipped Clue 3 the half square triangles and pin wheels when I saw Clue 4 the four patch blocks, I couldn't help myself  it is one of my favourites.

I did manage to get back to Clue 2 and whip up a stack more of the chevron blocks .

So that brings me back to Clue 3 the one I skipped and I have started on the half square triangles.

 

With Clue 5 being released last Friday I do feel like I have caught up a lot in the last week. I was hoping for 2-3 full days of sewing over the Christmas break but it hasn't worked out. I might have to revise that back to 1-2 days of sewing and maybe not full days.

 

To view other Celtic Solstice  mystery quilts in progress click this link  http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2013/12/mystery-monday-link-up-part-5.html

 and I will keep everyone updated with my progress.

Until next time keep stitching

Cynthia

 Our sale at www.cynthiasark.com.au is on until the 1st January 2014 and there is still plenty of bargains available.