When in Lewes with Janine I bought this green fabric:

 Lily Ashbury Trade Winds Ornament Malabar Green 


So I can finish off this:

Started in 2005 at a 'learn how to applique course' at the Quilt Shop in Dorking with Julia Illman, this poor quilt has lain unfinished for years.  


To begin with I only did handstitching and only applique - the blocks are all handstitched needle-turn applique.   At the time it was the HST borders that put me off finishing!  I got them completed last year.  I you look closely some HSTs are missing a few points - those are the ones I made in 2005.  The ones I did more recently look a lot better - I could have changed them all but I wanted this quilt to have a story - my story - so I left them in!


Then as I haven't done much recent applique it was the borders that stalled me last year - but I did manage two!  Now they are all done and to be honest it didn't take that long!  


Just the quilting to do and I'm hoping to finish this quilt in September - in time for our Silver Wedding Anniversary!  It may have taken 7 years to complete but it will represent 25!


Another Finish-along project done!  Just one more to do by the end of June!

Finish-along - bring it on - Round 2!

Rhonda is challenging us to sign up and deliver a list of projects - which have to have been started, you know UFOs - for the second quarter of the Finish-along!  


I have a lot of UFOs and need all the help I can get and so I signed up to deliver four in the last quarter and do you know what?   I actually got them done!


I have high hopes for this next quarter - April to end of June!


So what am I going to tackle I hear you ask...?


First up I desperately want to finish this quilt - 


The Fruity Polo quilt....

I got ready for the FAL by hand sewing lots of centres on the hexagons but am wanting to add a wide border all round this quilt and was waiting on an order of Kona cerise to do that.  


It has now arrived  - yipee!  I may add a further border but will wait to see how it looks.  Then I am thinking of coloured strips of Kona solids for the backing!   And some machine quilting round the hexagons....simple enough!




Second I want to finish this top Friendship's Garden - my oldest UFO dating back to 2005!  Two borders to applique on by hand and the top is done!  Then if I have time, layering and basting this biggy would be good - ready for a bit of handquilting in the next quarter!  I want this one finished in time for hubby and my silver wedding anniversary on 5th September this year!

Not sure if this qualifies as finished but if not this quarter then most definitely next!




Third I need to get this quilt completed The Jelly Roll Sampler - another one from a Carolyn Forster workshop....

This is made from thirties repro fabric and I had fun looking out lots of HST variants but I have only scratched the surface!

Those alternate plain squares are crying out for some quilting and I was thinking of this pattern...

Not sure whether that will be by hand or by machine...?  


I even have the backing fabric (I just need to sew it together) and the binding fabric ...but I hate basting quilts which is why this is still a top!






Fourthly this little baby quilt panel in dark colours has been hanging around forever and needs to be done and sent on its way - wherever that may be!


Noah and his animals...dated or what??  

I got four things done last time and I hope that I really can complete these three quilts and one quilt top.  Is that enough?  


It could be, but we can only count quilts/projects on our list and with no penalty for uncompleted projects I feel I should just get all my UFOs out there in the open...so here are a few more


My Strip plaid quilt top


This one was inspired by Juliekquilts.  If you do not know her and her lovely scrappy, often stringy quilts then I think it is about time you did!  She is also super quick at putting her quilts together...unlike me!

I need to add a border on but I seem to have thought of rather a complicated one which has put me off somewhat but the top should be done and soon.  Though what I will do on the back - I have no idea yet!   Suggestions are welcome....




The Churn Dash 9 Patch - again inspired by JulieKQuilts - oversized blocks in solids and using the red repro fabrics leftover from the Jelly Roll Sampler.  


I want to make a granny square top as the other side to this one in the other thirties fabrics I have left - not sure if that makes it a new start or a finishing off? 

Fright Nite - the top was completed in Quarter 1 and I have an idea for the back - I just have to get on with it!  Again - new start or finishing off?

And finally the Basket Weave quilt - another Carolyn Forster workshop!  

This is one panel of four I think!  Now I started this an age ago but decided to quilt this heavily by hand as-you-go and only got as far as this one square, which if you look closely isn't even finished.... 

Was I mad or what?  I think that crosshatching is about a quarter of an inch square!   I am tempted to take it out and start again only choose a quicker quilting pattern or machine quilt it!   What do you think!?  Would probably make a good FMQ sampler...?






Now when I say these are all my UFOs - they are all the 'more or less half done ones' .  I have a few more at the block stage but I shall parade them another day....enough already I hear you scream!


I doubt I will finish eight projects this quarter as I am doing a few other things too but I flag them up so you can nag me, and remind me, and stop me from starting too many new things!   Well you can try...

Summing up September!

Busy QAL and swapping month - this was September....

First swap, first free motion applique, first free motion embroidery, first zippered pouch, first wonky star and first quilt free motion quilted!

I am linking up to Lynne's Fresh Sewing Day - the link is on the sidebar!  Check it out as there will be some gorgeous things there!

Friendship's Garden half way round the....

twist???


No I mean border!   Not much progress I know but getting ready for swaps: measuring tables, looking for inspiration, making a mosaic and such take me an inordinate amount of time!  


I reckon though after a few more swaps I will manage to cut my preparation time down - so I'm in for three, no four swaps:


Susan's Christmas Tablerunner swap
Emily's Christmas Fabric Swap
Kat's Scrappy Fabric Swap and finally
Brit Bee's Pillow Fight Swap


Phew - do I have time for anything else?  Deadlines all before Christmas!  Eek!


We have also had illness - first the little one, then the big one - just my middle one and us oldies and it's the whole set!  Plus kittens to cuddle - sadly not here....but at my friend's house. 


Today I was the sole cheerleader for my daughter's hockey team but only arrived after she had got hit on the head by a stick - so a quick run by me to reception for an ice pack and she was back on the pitch in defense!


And this weekend there's to be a party including sleepover for the big one who will soon be 18!  I know 18!  Where did all those years go!??  And as a favour to a friend I am on babysitting duty on the same night! (Secretly hoping to get lots of crochet or stitching done!)


Have I had time to do much?  No but here is that half border back on my washing line on this beautiful Indian Summer day.....

It has been coming along since 2005, so easy does it, but it is getting closer to that finish and how I will celebrate then...!  Party anyone!?

What next?

Now that I've shown you how bad it gets in my sewing room I just want to let you know that I am starting work on a plan to make great improvements in the tidiness of our so called spare room!  More of that plan later!!


Yesterday I went back to my original intention of clearing out UFOs and started on my applique borders again.  I finished one border last month and I am hoping to finish another this month. 


An evening of sewing on the second border resulted in all swags being attached along the easy top side and these two being completely stitched on. 

 I now have to go back along the curved bottom edge of these remaining two and of course the corner one. 

Finally I have four stars to stitch on and that border will be finished!


That will be half way around and time for a little celebration I think!  I will see how far round I can get today!

Here is how it looks today!  The border on the left is completed, the border on the right to be finished soon!

Bordering on insanity!

Here is my progress on the border of my applique quilt using the pattern Friendship's Garden by Blackbird Designs ie Alma Allen and Cherie Ralston.

There is something quite therapeutic about hand sewing I find - you have to slow down and take it gently, listening to a good story on Radio 4 (the American Senator by Thackeray).... cup of tea at hand.  Ahhhhhh!

I am sort of committed to finishing this top off this month - at least that was my target on the UFO domination 2011 group .  Fat chance you say of finishing it now??  Well I do like a challenge but I have only completed one side and two corners so it looks a long way off.

Also best not to step on your cream coloured quilt in an early morning sortie dressed in you pyjamas and wellie boots....I have to applique on this bit!

I got too distracted this month by the Across the Sea QAL and spin off projects - did I need to start a hallowe'en themed lapquilt???  Well yes apparently! 

Also the Delft Dreams and Polo Fruity Hexagon quilts both got more attention than my applique quilt. 

Now I am also panicking slightly about the first swap I have entered - scary new territory!  And I have so much school uniform labelling to do - two off to a new school!

Will it all happen this week? - probably not but I find a deadline sure helps me focus so  - bring it on - insanity or success?

   

Garden Borders of the Friendship variety...

I have at last found time to cut up the fabric for my applique border background - a bit boring I know - just marbled cream fabric but it is what goes on it that is the interesting bit I hope.  I have run out of the cream with gold dot which I used  for the squares but hope it will not be too obvious - or I will just have to do some French knots or something!


I have sewn the borders onto the quilt as per instructions so this will not be a take along project but I guess it needs to be attached to get accurate placement.  This is a BIG quilt and I haven't even layered it up yet!  The other third is on the other side of the banister!

I have pinned on the green swags and stars on one side to get an idea of how it will look. 

The next thing is to baste down those pieces so I can stitch away without pins!  


Wish me luck with my re-acquaintance with applique! 






And just because she is beautiful......and keeps me company when I am sewing...here is miss Saffy!

Friendship's Garden sashed!

I was hanging up my washing on the line......

and I couldn't resist hanging up my Friendship's Garden quilt and taking a few photos, HSTs and all!

Hope you still like it!?


I do!! 


Not quite finished yet....still needs those applique borders....better get on with it then.

Do you like my name button ....you can make your own at Cooltext (thanks to my son Arthur for suggesting it)

Well no wonder I was bored....

I think I might just have overdone the cutting out of triangles to make HSTs (half square triangles) for my Friendship's Garden quilt as I seem to have this many left over....

You may think this is the same photo as yesterday but I assure you it is not.  My maths was not correct - I was one HST out for each row!


Do you know how many HSTs are in this quilt?  Nope - nor do I but I am just counting ...1,2,3,...11 ...25....37....46....78....99.....150.....200....280!  That's how many and I have finished them all....joined them up....and stitched the quilt top together.


So far so good as they say but I cannot do the happy dance yet - well ok a little one - as I have an applique border to add on and applique is a scary word at the moment as I haven't done significant amounts of needle turn applique since I was doing this quilt in 2005/2006!


Do you want a photo...?


Well here is a teaser.....

More revealed tomorrow after I edit the countless photos I took while ably assisted by Saffy the cat!  Isn't she adorable!??

Great view I think!  And for Saffy too!

I am quite excited this week as I am going to go to Birmingham on Friday, to the NEC, to the Festival of Quilts (FoQ).  I am hoping to put faces to blog names so if you are there please let me know.  I am a FoQ virgin so any tips for a really big quilt show would be most welcome!

Nicky

Pattern

Friendship's Garden by Alma Allen & Cherie Ralston

Still available at Pickledishstore

Previous posts
http://mrsssewandsow.blogspot.com/2011/05/applique-quilt-post-no1.html
http://mrsssewandsow.blogspot.com/2011/05/applique-quilt-post-no-2.html
http://mrsssewandsow.blogspot.com/2011/05/applique-quilt-post-no-3.html






Measurements
Applique block size 20.5 " finished
HST sashing size 2" finished
Skinny accent sashing 0.5" finished


Number of HSTs
280!!

Guess what I've been doing!

Getting slightly bored of cutting out these...

to make enough of these...

to finish off this....

I only need about 144 in total - and I have pieced four rows of 22 HSTs so far.  If my maths is correct I need to add 14 to each row!  I think! 

Put that way it does not seem so bad - I can do this!

Nicky