Mini Quilt Swap

1. Mini Quilt Preview, 2. Hexagon Mini Quilt, 3. Fall-Inspired Mini Quilt, 4. Winter Forest Mini Quilt, 5. Winter Tree Mini Quilt, 6. Quilt for My Fav Little Mini Quilt Swap#2, 7. Christmas Mini Quilt for a friend, 8. Modern linen mini quilt 12" square, 9. Asian Sunbonnet Sue Mini Quilt, 10. Better shot - Finished MMM bookshelf mini-quilt, 11. Bunny mini quilt made for side of barn in Layton Quilt Guild..., 12. Crazy Cat Mini Quilt #2, 13. Spring mini quilt swap piece 1, 14. rainbow triangle mini quilt, 15. Whale Mini Quilt, 16. Mini quilts

Schnitzel & Boo has organised a mini quilt swap (any size from 6" square up to 24").  Having a browse through Flickr at all the gorgeous mini quilts it was an easy decision to join this swap.    Above are some of my favourites.  I normally gravitate towards bright clean colours so am a little surprised to see beiges and creams in my selection.  Must be the effect of Autumn coming on! 

This is a secret swap so Partner I hope you like my choices and really anything goes!  I love stars, trees and animals (especially dogs!).  Of all  the mini quilts above I'm drawn most to #7, the house surrounded by trees in the snow.  Despite the winter scene it seeems so cosy and inviting!  For more mini quilt inspiration the Flickr group is here.

Finish-A-Long Q3 update

So last July I created my to do list for the next quarter of Finish-A-Long 2013.  In the previous 3 months I started more than I finished.  At the end of this last quarter in September I had quite a lot made though not all of it on my list.  It's so easy to get distracted with all the quilt a longs, swaps and new ideas that pop into your head!

Here's how I got on with my July projects:

Carryovers

• Bounce
  
  Woo hoo!  
  
  Completed!

•  A Dog's Life,  2 blocks out of 4 done.  Ahhmm no change.

• Boo to you (UFO from last Halloween).  Well I din't get anywhere with this yet though I did finish a banner, place mats and a Halloween Tote bag!

So zero for this one too.

New projects started

•  Swoon 2013, pattern bought, fabric bought, SAL on flickr joined now to start cutting!

I did manage to get 3 blocks out of 9 made so I guess that's zero for this as well.

• 4 Houses Cushion, designed,maths all worked out, test block completed
  

Finished!  Complete with piecing mistake but finished nonetheless and currently residing on the sofa!

So 2 out of 5.  Getting better but I know I can improve on this!  I will have to think very carefully about the projects I choose for this quarter to complete between now and Christmas!

Linking up to 

Friday Finish - Crochet Teddy

So while we were at the beach in the West Coast of Clare this week, I brought a portable crochet project with me and finished this Teddy Bear.

It was a great project to bring for a few days away. The parts are easy enough to make and I crocheted him in the evenings after some lovely walks on the beach.

We practically had the beach to ourselves.

And the weather for October was gorgeous.  So lucky.  We walked the little legs off poor Wilbur.

 How do I get all the way up there?

 Ha ha made it!

Charly on the other hand had no interest in sitting still and I couldn't get a photo with her eyes open.  Mucky pup has had great fun in the seaweed and needs a good wash!

So we left the beach and came home for birthday parties and astronomy club duties, and I discovered, the glow in the dark turtle, I had ordered to go with my little bear, had not turned up in the post.  I thought the package waiting at home was it but it turned out to be a Qwertee T-Shirt for me.

Arghh.  So with half a present for my best friends little girl, I decided to make a quick doll quilt to go with it.  I had a few squares left from a Me & My Sister Charm pack.  I think this is Twirl.

Inspired by Crazy Mom Quilts doll bedding tutorial I made a pillow case and pillow to go with it.

I think this is cute, so this is the birthday present and the turtle that projects the night sky onto the ceiling can be a Christmas present whenever it turns up!

You can just see Wilbur in the background wrecked from the few days, having a proper holiday now and just waking from a snooze.  Time to hide the teddy before the dogs think it's theirs!

Linking up to Finish it Friday and

and

Crochet Teddy Bear

My youngest Godchild's birthday is this week and so far I've made something for every birthday.  Looking for something quick to make to keep up the tradition, I remembered I had signed up for a craftsy class on making amigurumi animals.

So this week I've been making a crochet teddy bear. I only had enough wool for a white bear so he's an amigurumi polar bear!

The crochet is easy enough with all single (US) or double crochet (UK).  I find the difference in  the crochet terms a bit headwrecking sometimes. Luckily the instruction videos on craftsy are great and I've all the pieces made at last.

Now onto the fun part- stuffing!  I hope she likes him! 

Stacey the instructor has a second class designing your own amigurumi monster.  I think that might be next, just in time for Halloween!

Fussy Cut Swap update

Look what I got in the post!

I received my 12 squares from the Fussy Cut Swap organised by Amanda at What the Bobbin.  I made 12 doggy themes squares and received this lovely mix of squares.  Thanks to all who made these!

I really like these little guys. Must be the Autumn weather rolling in, the days getting shorter and the fact that I'm nearly done with Halloween sewing that I'm starting to look at Christmas sewing!

If anyone wants to join in on this adorable small block swap Round 2 is open at flickr here.

I'm going to make 4 more of my doggy blocks and sew them 4 x4 into a 16" cushion for the sofa.  They would make the perfect I Spy baby quilt though wouldn't they!

Linking up to Sunday Stash at Blossom Heart Quilts.

Friday Finishes

So I asked the question just how many makes can you get from one Jelly roll?  Turns out quite a lot.

I made a cushion, a doll quilt, and throw quilt for my cousin's new room and her 10th birthday.  This is the second Strip and Flip quilt I've made with jelly roll strips.  I really like it with 25 strips but I used a few more on this as a throw for her bed.  The tutorial is here at Cluck Cluck Sew.  The fabric is Posy by Aneela Hoey.  Instead of 2" strip and 1.5" sashing I used the 2.5" strips.

I pulled one of each strip from the Jelly roll and put together for a rainbow effect.  My first go gave me this but that orange strip in the middle jarred for me and I ripped it out and re-arranged it.

Then I pressed it and quilted it with zig zag chevrons. 

I used Ikea's musical scale fabric as backing.  I've had it in my stash since last Christmas.  I really wish Ikea would bring this out again.  It's my favourite backing fabric I've used, ever.

With the extra strips I made a doll quilt and a cushion blogged here.  So today I quilted them up and
finished them off as a set.

I tried my hand at free motion quilting stippling style.  I found it hard to move the quilt through the machine and then realised I had left the feed dogs up.  Oops!

Then I played it safe with straight line quilting for the cushion.  I think I'm going to make a few smaller projects and practice this Free Motion thing.  It definitely takes practice.

And this is all I had left over.  40 of those 2.5" strips sure go a long way.  I love the set all bundled up together.  Can't wait to give it to her!

Linking up to Finish it Friday and

and

WIP - Catching Up

Well it has been crazy busy here not that you would see from the blog posts or lack thereof.  Just finished up a busy work week and a trip to TV land, well Irish TV land in the form of my best friends mum getting called up for the national lottery show.  We had a brilliant day out, got to be on TV for all of 5 seconds and watched it replayed at least 3 times already!

So catching up this week on the Penny Sampler quilt.  I started high key and low volume and then something happened to me.  It's been a colour invasion.

 I did remember that I was going for low volume and did a mid make correction:

 But contrasting colour got the better of me again.

 It's going to be an interesting quilt this!

Linking up to