Abundance top finished and more

Weeelll, I was ready to write a post about my Abundance top last night, but when I looked at the photo on my laptop I found a little mistake in it!!! I considered leaving it alone and having a "humble" Abundance quilt, but everytime I looked at the little quilt that little turned around square just started at me!!! It was all I could see! So, this morning out came the seam ripper and I fixed my wonky square.

Here is my completed Abundance top

...and, just for the record, here is my humble version.

How long did it take you to find the wonky square??

Now to choose a backing and binding and do some hand quilting.


The Oso blocks are coming along well.

I plan on getting some more of them finished today.

At the shop where I go for my Friday sewing group there is an annual challenge quilt. Two years ago it was the Mrs Billings Coverlet, last year it was a Star a Day, this year it is a Delectable Mountain block a day. I joined the group too late in the year to start the Mrs Billings Coverlet, last year I made some stars, but no where near a Star a Day! I have been wanting to make a quilt that included delectable mountain blocks for a long time, so I decided to join this year's challenge.........but only make one block a week! These little blocks are hand pieced and measure 4 1/2 inches, unfinished.

Four weeks so far this year, so four blocks completed. :)

Fifty two blocks will give me plenty to complete a lovely little quilt with the chance to experiment with a variety of settings without the quilt being too large.

It has been a loooong time since I did any hand piecing (there has been plenty of hand applique!) and it feels wonderfully relaxing to be hand piecing again! :)

I am using Barbara Brackman's Lately Arrived From London fabric. Barbara has a post on her blog about  delectable mountain quilts, with some examples using this fabric.

It has been a while since I posted a photo from my garden, so here is a quintessentially


Australian summer blossom; Eucalyptus Ficifolia (red flowering gum).

Chester Criswell Block 6

This week I finished block 6, Reuben Haines Stubbs block.

 

 The Chester Criswell Quilt will be my first red and green quilt.  I am looking forward to seeing which block Sharon chooses for block 7.

Is anyone else making this quilt?  Each month Sharon sends great instructions along with some fascinating  history behind the maker of each block.

I'll be back soon with some more stitching.

Keeping busy. New projects and WIP.

I was excited when I read late last year that Monique Dillard of Open Gate Quilts was going to have a Block of the Month this year. Blogger Girls Block of the Month will run for 6 months and there are also 6 other bloggers involved. On the 1st of each month 2 blocks are shown. Both are the same design, but by using different fabrics they can look very different. You can choose to make 12 blocks or just 6 blocks.

I have had stashed away for a while a fat quarter pack of Olde World Style, which was designed by Monique. I will be using these fabrics for my blocks. Below is my first block.

In my last post I wrote about a win from Monica.

Here is the first finish! A little pincushion :)

I used a layer cake of Wiscasset (by Minick and Simpson for Moda) which I have had for some time.

Wiscasset is also my fabric for my next start...

Lots more of these little blocks to go!

My next new project is to once again join Lori's annual Quiltalong. This time her little quilt is called Abundance. The first installment of instructions are on Lori's blog today.
I have started choosing fabrics.

Looking at them in the photo I am considering changing a couple. I think I need a brighter pink in there.


And not forgetting any of my current projects....

I have to have a hand stitching project to work on in the evenings.

My 6th block for the Chester County Criswell quilt is coming along nicely. Just the centre red piece to stitch now.

When this block is finished I will go back to another of my (many!) hand stitching projects.


I have also been working on last year's Bloggers BOM quilts. All the setting pieces for the bright quilt have been cut and laid out ready to sew together.

Looking forward to some cooler weather and lots of sewing! :)

Have a great week everyone!


PS. Recently my inbox has been bombarded with "junk mail" trying to sell "who knows what" , so,  instead of going back to having every commenter try to copy an often indecipherable code, I have enabled comment moderation. Keeping in mind I am in a different time zone to many of my readers it may take a few hours before comments appear on my blog.

First finish for 2013 and a win

All finished!! :)

I made this quilt for a friend who has been our neighbour for the last 30 years. Late last week she moved to a retirement village and the quilt is a gift for her new home.

The setting of the blocks is based on that of the Blogger's BOM quilt on Jackie's blog.  The 8 outer blocks are all nine patches, there are 4 Ohio star blocks and for the centre block I used the instructions from Sarah Fielke for the last Blogger's BOM block .

I pin basted the quilt and used Sharon Shamber's basting method with 2 boards.

When I machine quilt I usually wear gloves so I can grip the fabric. At this time of the year (and particularly this year!) it is too hot here to be wearing gloves. I remember reading recently on  Diane Gaudynski's blog that she uses a Neutrogena hand cream.

This one works really well!!  You only need to use a tiny amount on your hands to get a great result!

I did all the quilting with a walking foot. Stitch in the ditch around the blocks and a small design in each of the outer triangles.

Here is a view of the back...

Late last year I was very lucky and won the Quilter's Gallery Blog Hop giveaway on  Monica's blog :)

...and there's more!!!....

Twelve patterns from Miss Rosie's Quilt Company, 2 magnets and a key chain! I think there is going to be lots of quilt making for me this year!! :)   Thank you Monica!