Flower Ball quilt

Its finished and up on the wall in my hallway, it has turned out way better than I expected :)

The very last photo is of the hanging corner sleeve and my hit and miss (a lot) machine sewn in the ditch from the front binding.

Flower Ball quilt

These are the latest photos of my progress on the borders, its great fun finding then quilting out the different designs, I'm adding in some whimsical ones too that I've found on zentangle blogs.

This post is linked up with Freshly Pieced.

Happy sewing! 

Patricia

Flower Ball quilt

I have started the quilting inside the circles, my plan is to use a different filler design for every one, I have found loads of inspiration on the Internet and Pinterest.

It is such a fun way to quilt :)

Happy sewing!
Patricia

Flower Ball quilt

I have just finished quilting inside the sphere, I chose a dahlia type design for the flowers and only did two rows, as I loved the way the poly batting is making the quilt pop with a lovely puff and I didn't want to flatten it.

 Now I'm ready to start quilting all those circles with lots of different fillers.

Have a great weekend :)

Flower Ball quilt

Just a quick post, I have finished quilting the background hexies, so now its on to the flower centres.
Have a great Sunday and I'm hoping you can squeeze in some sewing time too :)

Isacord on a bobbin

Ever since I started using isacord thread, I've had trouble winding it onto the bobbin, its soooo slippery, many a bobbin has been abandoned because it hasn't wound on nicely or started off ok and then gone pear shaped, starting to wind it on has been a trial too because as soon as I let the thread tail go it unravels!
Anyway through trial and loads of error,  I've mastered it!

Unless the bobbin I just wound successfully is a one off :)

The trick is start off slow, leave the tail go when you are sure that it is well covered by thread build up, then speed up while simultaneously pinching the thread between your finger tips to create a small bit of tension while moving it very slowly up and down to ensure an even feed!

You cannot under exterminate the happiness, you can have from a nicely wound bobbin.... such simple pleasures.

Flower Ball quilt

Right decision made, its marked up ready to baste so the fun bit should be starting soon!

Flower Ball quilt

I still haven't settled on a quilting design for the borders, every time I think I've found the perfect one, doubts creep in and I'm back on the Internet seeking more inspiration.
The latest design is totally inspired by LuAnne Kessi's sketch pad, I can't provide a link, as I'm posting from my phone, but Google her its really worth it :)
This is my version and I think its a keeper, I'm going to play around some more with filler designs for the circles and raid my house for different size bowls etc to draw around.
Have a great day!

Flower ball quilt

I have removed all the papers from the hexies, I did think that it would be difficult but it was like shelling peas :) and it was so satisfying to see how pretty it looked without all the basting stitches, I then discovered that some fabrics were more see through and you could see how messy it was!
So I have given it a trim! and it definitely looks better now.
I have also been playing around with quilting designs, I placed a sheet of glass over the top and then scribbled away until I found some that I liked.
I'm hoping to mark it up and baste it tomorrow.
Have a lovely weekend.

Windows into my world

I've started a new epp quilt, its another sphere wall hanging designed by Geta from Geta's studio called Windows into my world. 
I like to have a portable project in my hand bag.
I am using batik fabrics and the same teal    fabric as my Flower ball quilt and plan to hang them alongside each other in my hallway.
The pattern is a download that you print out and tape together, before cutting it up into the single pieces.

Flower Ball quilt

I'm nearly all set for a bit of quilting, my isacord thread arrived on Friday along with a new batting to try.
I have chosen a polyester one by hobbs, it was really creased coming out of its wrapper, so I popped it in the drier but now it seems too poofy!, when it's sandwiched I think a bit of ironing might help tame it, before quilting.
Hope you enjoy a restful Sunday :)

Flower Ball quilt

Its been a while since I posted my progress on this quilt,  its not been easy to decide on what fabric background to use and in the end I just went with my favourite colour.
The papers are still in and I'm sewing it with a whip stitch to the teal fabric, so it will be ready to be sandwiched and quilted.
I have no idea yet what designs to use, but hopefully a plan will come soon, I am really excited to quilt on my horizon as its sews so beautifully, I have settled on using isacord thread which both me and the horizon love, I bought a isacord colour card so choosing matching threads is easy.
I am also trying out a new to me batting, its a hobbs polyester, it hasn't arrived yet, its only the crib size one in case I don't like it much :)

Happy sewing!

Pond quilt

This is a WIP from last year, its a wallhanging for my Mum as she has a pond in her garden.

 

  I taped several A4 sheets together and traced the applique, I could then play around with placing the swirls.

All marked out ready for quilting.

I made two lilies using this tutorial

I added some fishy scales

I used a light blue isacord thread and a silver metalic thread just in small areas of the swirls to add a touch shine and catch the light.

The lilies need to have beads in their centres and I plan to make one more dark pink one, but for now I am going to call it finished and give it to my Mother to hang in her house.

It has been a very miserable start weather wise to 2014, its been raining and dark most days so opportunities to take nice photo's of what I'm working on have been hard to come by, It was my goal to blog more often this year but I hate not having nice photo's to use, so hopefully when the weather cheers up a bit that will happen, I'm also torn about whether to post more often about the same quilt but showing photo's of my progress or wait til I've finished it and then do one full  post?

Anyways I'm off to do Just Dance with my daughter, who's waited very patiently for me :)

Happy sewing!

 

Oakshott Applique quilt

Well I wanted the quilting to be puffy but ended out with more puff than I anticipated, I used the same double layer of batting on my pickle dish quilt and had no trouble but because I didn't like the quilt as much after I washed it as it went all crinkly, I hand washed the batting before using it again (even though its not recommended)
I also quilted it in the wrong order which hasn't helped, complete fools don't rush to quilt the outside design they start in the middle and work outwards.
My plan was to do some straight line cross hatch type of quilting to compliment the curve border but if I do that on the machine I will get creases, so plan b is to hand quilt it hoping that it will lay flat, as I have never hand quilted anything before that idea might not work out either, any advice would be welcome at this point :)
I am linking this post to design wall monday over at Patchwork Times (sorry that this is not an active link my phone isn't up to it.)

Janome horizon 7700

Happy New year, lets hope its a great one, its already started well for me as Father Christmas brought me a new sewing machine, well actually its a second hand horizon that I bought off ebay in early December, but after giving it a quick test run it went away until after the festivities.

I have tried the blanket stitch which I used around the appliqué and now I am doing the free motion quilting, yesterday I had trouble as I was making little knots if the needle kept sewing when I stopped moving the fabric (see photo below), it only took one or two extra stitches, it was never a problem for my bernina but I know now that I need to stop dead when repositioning the quilt, there is a special bobbin case that you can buy for free motion quilting but I'm going to spend longer getting uesd to the machine before I think about buying it as some reviews I've read say that it makes no difference, my tension is off in places but that could be my fault, I have two layers of batting which makes it very puffy so its not easy to sew around the appliqué, the free motion foot is adjustable and is supposed to skim over the fabric so I'm playing with that. 

Its definitely all a learning curve after using a bernina for so long, my foot/speed control needs work and using new feet takes getting used to.

My new years resolution is to sew more, last year I only finished one quilt so I am on a sure winner to keep that one :)

Oakshott Applique

Merry Christmas, I do hope you have had a lovely time, we certainly have :) this is just a quick post to show you the quilting design that I managed to finish preparing today, I have adapted a design from a book called mix and match quilting designs and its to frame my birdie applique
I'm not sure if you can see the yummy colours of the oakshott fabric but trust me they are geogeous!
Right I'm off to eat more chocolate!
Happy sewing x

No time to sew

I haven't done as much sewing this year,  which is a bit disappointing but I have been busy decorating my house, earlier this year I did both my daughters bedrooms with help from my parents and then we started the hallway, all the woodwork has been stripped back and re painted and we have nearly completed laying the wood flooring, I can't tell you how pleased I am with how it all looks, its all painted white, I plan to hang up some new quilts to add colour.
So next years new years resolution is to definitely sew more :)

Storm at sea quilt

Well I was all set to baste this quilt today,  but there's a problem :( , there's a tiny shadow showing through from the coloured fabric, its going to need to be trimmed.
And I thought taking out the paper was the boring job lol!