Bounce Basted

I don't know about you guys but I always feel as if the quilt is close to done when I've got it basted and all three layers put together.  It really starts to feel like a proper quilt at this stage.  I have to psych myself up to baste as it usually involves washing the floor until its spotless.  So on Saturday morning I felt motivated to just get on with it.  I popped into my LQS and bought the most beautiful orange backing fabric.  

Now I normally pull up my multi-coloured Ikea rug in the only downstairs room that's a dog free zone but Gordon has taken over this space to sort out things to go in the attic and it’s a real mess.  I did take a picture but Gordon was horrified I'd show the world how messy he is so I deleted it.  Maybe now he'll get a move on and give me my basting room back!

So I had to use the living room instead and move sofas, coffee tables, dog beds and then hoover like crazy and wash the floor twice to make sure all floating dust devils were gone.   I had just enough room.

2 hours later and movie watched (Life of Pi) I had the basting done.   I've never made anything this big before and very nearly ran out of safety pins.  Charly managed to sneak in at the end of the process and I nearly had a fit  getting her off the quilt.  In the end I gave up and grabbed the camera to take a photo.  

Wilbur on the other hand opened an eye to see what was going on but really didn't care enough to bother getting up from his warm sunny spot in the garden.

Now onto quilting - this is going to take a while!

Bounce Bordered Finally!

From this...                                                     To this.









 And this...

To this.

So happy to finally have this quilt top done.  I absolutely love it.  It was tons of piecing work.  Over 560 squares not including the border.  This design by Carrie from Miss Rosie's Quilt company is just gorgeous and the scrappy border is perfect for it.  I'll be remembering this border for future use.  This was a labour of love and I can't wait to get it quilted up!

FAL Goals

So beginning a new quarter, just the time to set some sewing goals.  I'm linking up to FAL at She Can Quilt.  Nothing like a deadline to push those unfinished objects to the finish line! 

My UFO's that I really want to finish are:

1.  Bounce - present for Gordon's Aunt: at the stage where I'm adding borders.

2.  A Dog's Life - Applique quilt project (present for me from myself!)

3.  Karavan Cushions - just love these elephants!

4.  Mini Scrappy trip around the world lap quilt - strips ready to sew

 
5.  Strip & Flip baby quilt present for friends expecting in the summer.  There seems to be a baby boom at the moment!

WIP Wednesday : Bounce

Yes I am still working on my quilt top made to the pattern "Bounce" by Miss Rosies Quilt Co.  I made great progress last week and then came to a grinding halt over the weekend.  So much so I worked on a quick baby quilt instead of working on completing this project which is intended for Gordon's Auntie Maura.  I read that procrastination happens when you are unsure how to proceed or unsure how to complete a task.  I really think this is true.  After laying out all my pieced stars the pattern calls for trimming them down off-centre or  wonky to make them bounce.  This required being brave and cutting into my beautiful blocks so naturally I avoided it!

So yesterday I plucked up the courage and stared cutting and sewing the blocks into rows so I could chose the best placement (up, down, to the left, to the right).  Took a while but I got there eventually.   Look at all that background fabric I cut away!

Rows all neatly placed over the chair waiting to be sewn together and then onto pieced scrappy borders which I've never made before.  Looking forward to this bit!

Linking up to 

Bloglovin

Follow my blog with Bloglovin


Well in order to claim my blog on Bloglovin I need to do a test and post some code - so here goes!

Happy Easter!

I got mini eggs!  They really are the same colours as Coquette by Chez Moi for Moda from which I'm making my Bounce quilt.  see here

OK so maybe no blue eggs like in Coquette but I did also got a Roses Easter Egg - thanks Mary!  No sewing today - a walk in the woods in the rain instead.

All the giving out we did about the cold and as soon as it warms up and rains on us we want the cold back!

Very Quick Baby Quilt

Have you seen Cluck Cluck Sew's Strip and Flip baby quilt?  It uses a jelly roll and is super quick.  I had this on my to do list for a while so today i decided to give it a try.  (I'm really procrastinating on cutting up my Bounce squares!  Still procrastination by making isn't all bad!)  

I broke into a jelly roll of Amelia fabric by Me and My Sister to finish off the Moda Bake Shop Jumbo Coins quilt I made for family as a thank you for letting us (and our two dogs) use their house in West Clare for a holiday last year.  WIP photo below.  I don't have a design wall.  I use the bed in the spare room!

I'm really regretting not taking any finished photos of this before I gave it away.  It used the same fabric range and the scrappy binding from the jelly roll was great.  So 3/4 of the jelly roll left and wondering what to do with it I stumbled across the Strip and Flip quilt and knew I had to try it.  I thought the Jumbo Coins was a quick and easy make but I have to say this is the quickest quilt top ever.  

I even managed to crank up the machine for full speed for the first time! 

 All 25 strips sewn together and held here by Gordon to whom I promised I would not show his face in the photo only the sewing.  I don't think he quite believed me from this pose - he's done a great job of hiding behind the first stage of the quilt top!

 The pattern advises to press seams open and not to the side as I usually do - another first.  Then make two cuts to the top and add a white sashing to the centre piece.

 Finally flip this piece around and sew quilt pieces to either side.  Really easy, fun and just so fast!  Look at him - still hiding!

I do like the scrappy look and am planning on using this for some Free Motion Quilting practice but I think the original design at Cluck Cluck Sew with the colours graduating from hot to cold and reversed makes a bigger impact.  If I make this again I'll rejig the layout.  Still very pleased and a brilliant design!

Linking to the small blog's link party at Lily's Quilts.