An Ugly (Duckling) Project

For my very good self, the process from start to finish isn't always straight forward.
Some people look through books and magazines or, like many of us these days, click about on the internet for inspiration or to find the next project. I've mentioned my 'Rabbit Hole' hours before! I often feel quite satisfied to have looked at lots of projects and ideas with no desire to actually make any of them.
I came across this quilt... I'm adding this link LINK for you to click on if you want to see more info about it.

At this stage this is a quilt top. Alex has been working on it and she shows you various methods for applique, using all sorts of tools and gadgets that you don't need!! There are lots of video things to watch and they're quite entertaining really.

Here goes...
I told you that I am trying to use up some of the older fabrics in my stash, my tastes have changed and I have run out of space in Quilty Quarters. 
I pulled out several greens from said stash as the Bird House pattern instructions say to piece the background... and I like how the background looks...

I placed the fabrics over the design wall just to see how much I had... I could have mathemised the pieces but this was much faster, I only needed a rough idea... I wasn't surprised to see I had plenty! But, this gave me an idea, I could be a 'Smarty Pants' and piece these big bits of fabric together... it would be quicker, right?
It actually looked terrible!

  I decided to join all the bits with wavy seams... oh my goodness... what a blooming ugly mess!! So I stopped with that idea too. It's hard enough working with fabrics I don't really like any more without me making it more awful! Ugly fabric gets less ugly the smaller the pieces are... that is fact! 

I started to cut pieces more like the pattern instructions said, but I wasn't enjoying the look of that, not with my ugly fabrics. So I cut rectangles.... didn't like that plan either... Wooooha, I had a Brainstorm... make a wall!!! Add bit of batik style mortar... genius!!  Much happier with this idea so I continued. But I neglected to look at sizes. I just covered my design wall with ugly green wall. This was now going to be larger than the original Bird House project.

Also in my stash I had these. There was a Makower panel in my shop, ages ago now. I cut out all these birds and things to make a shop sample to give folk an idea of what they could do with the panel. 3 years or more later, they still waited. Steam-a-Seam on each piece. You know I don't like waste?

OK, so I decided to use them on my Bird House Quilt, which now looks nothing like the original! During one of her Facebook Videos, Alex suggested 'Google-ing' Line drawings of Bird houses to make up our own. So, I did and drew some of my own. tested them out in paper and liked. Also cut out paper branches for my birds... didn't like...

My birds are the kind that like to congregate on phone wires now!
Also I still have lots of turquoise fabric left, hence the blue bird houses...
By now, I'm starting to enjoy the project.

 I used Alex's petal templates for my flowers, a nod to the original pattern... and before you start wondering, Yes, I have loads of yellow fabrics to use up too!! I added the Bunting style hearts to use up the rest of the Makower panel! 

Everything was stuck in place so I cracked on with the applique stitching.

lots of thread colour changes... see the tiny bee?

Once it was all stitched, I stood back to admire my work. There was a big space at the bottom, which I could have cut off... But I googled, "How to draw a watering can?" Who knew there would be a tutorial! ha ha ha. My Lilly designed the wellies for me. Each bird was going to have a tiny pair of wellies because the idea of appliqueing all those feet was daunting. I got round the bird feet problem with improv applique (could be called 'winging it', ha!)  so I made just one pair of wellies but a bit larger, cute eh?

Do you remember me making the turquoise thing to use up fabrics? 

I said I was going to use it as the back for a green quilt... 

but, No, I didn't like the idea of it after all. 

I've grown to really like this Ugly Birdhouse quilt, so I wanted a nice,

 but possibly equally as ugly design for the backing.... here we go again!

Quarter Log Cabin blocks set On Point. 

That decision was made to stop the quilting on the back from looking wonky... 

and it would have looked wonky, don't ask me how I know.
Used up most of the ugly green bits.... almost ran out, hooray!!

Fill the spaces with Quarter Log Cabin blocks using many fabrics from yellow stash, 

I'm really starting to like this now! ha ha ha

I didn't have anything that would look good as the setting triangles so I had to make more Quarter Log Cabin blocks and cut them diagonally in half to fill the spaces. Lastly that bit of that ugly Brazilian, blotchy green was added... utilitarian, to make the back big enough to make the sandwich, it should be cut off after the quilting is done

One Ugly Bird House quilt sandwich. 

Made to use up some older stash fabrics. 

The seed of the idea came from that lovely quilt in the first picture 

but you probably would never have guessed that!

It still has to be quilted, it's on my agenda.... 

There's a long list on that agenda!

Scrap Basket, Potting!

It's been a while since I played with the coiled fabric baskets. I had 30 metres of cord already wrapped, it's actually been waiting for me to use it for over 3 years!! No idea why I didn't use it before. 

Once the centre is stable the zig-zagging can start. One thing to remember for the baskets is that the bobbin thread colour it going to be on the outside of the coiled pot.

I tried to make a more oval shape for my centre. I used a brown variegated thread because it needed using up, you know I don't waste anything! I don't really like the thread brand for quilting but it's fine for 'Potting'

The most exciting bit is when the flat base is big enough and you can start to go up for the sides, such excitement!!! 

2 days later...Though, Obviously, not a whole two days sewing, much as that would be very enjoy-a-bubble... It didn't happen. One Coiled Fabric Basket... with handles. Not as oval shaped as I wanted really, but still very useful.

I hadn't use up the whole of my ready-wrapped 30 metres of cord so I was able to make this very much Oval shaped basket with what was left... much better oval.

Then I had a request for shorter handles so I had to undo (rip off) the first basket ones... That is a satisfying job... just a good, strong yank but blimey it makes a lot of thread mess! Ill have to pick all those short bits off before I use it again. I wonder when I will finish re-sewing the basket now? Don't roll your eyes!

Six Pack, Split Hour Glass Quilt

I was looking back on my blog and found this (below) post... had you seen it already?
I used 2 of my Angie's Six Packs and a couple of metres of the denim-ish blue colour Moda fabric to make the top. I still love this quilt. 

I'm planning on a plan to schedule a workshop to help you get started if you would like to make this quilt for your very own self? Top Tips for success will be included! There is a video how to out there on YouTube for the Split Hour Glass blocks... but, be careful if you watch it and go for it, it's a Bias recipe for disaster!

Thursday, 7 March 2019

Quilty Quarters

It's fair to say that since I opened up my very own quilt shop, there has been very little time for my own projects. Most stitching revolves around workshop preparation and shop sample quilts. A little bit of experimenting "Ooooh that looks interesting, let me see if it works" sewing and "How can I help that lady do that more successfully?" A few commissions have been thrown in to the mix too. 

7 years my bricks and mortar shop has been trading!! Who would have thunk it!! I order the fabrics for my shop in the same way I would shop for my very own personal stash, it's the only way I know how, not being a professional retailer, ha! So every shelf it full of fabric I have a plan for! No wonder I don't sleep well!... all those ideas and creative thoughts wizz around continually. 

Not so long ago I decided to cut some of my 'Six Packs' from ditzy fabrics. They sat there unloved for weeks, so I thought, I will use them, doesn't matter if they are not popular if I like them!!

This is what I made. A Split Hourglass design, with not so Ditsy flowers in my border. Now, I was appliqueing the border flowers on with the trusted and favourite Blanket Stitch, while we were on our Westhope retreat... last year, in May... so that shows you a clue of how long I have been making this project! I finished it on Tuesday this week. Free Motion quilted and Faux Piped Binding... It's hanging up in my very own shop if you would like to see it. Those Ditsy prints look great with a denim blue colour don't they! Toot toot toot for me, for my very own self? THIS is my very own fabulous finish, a lovely shop sample.

Stitching News

 Thank you for the pictures ladies

My Mum Gwynneth had a special request for some new quilted cushions....  Instructions were "Not too colourful" (Men!!)  The guy loved a quilt mum had made a while ago, he claimed it! So, she made the cushions to match... it's my brother! tricky tricky tricksy!!!... but he loved the Maple Leaf design and the Autumnal colours... happy Cushions, Thank goodness!!! They were finished and gifted last week.

Farmer Lynda is terrified of triangles!!! She tells me all the time that she is afraid of them... as do quite a few other customers to be honest... There's really no need to be frightened... So I challenged Lynda to make Hour Glass Blocks for an Hour Glass quilt, this one...it's a free pattern!! It only took a couple of tries, a few top tips from yours truly (video calls!!!)... Look how accurate Lynda made the Hour Glass Blocks!!!

There's been a spurt of enthusiasm on the farm.... 

Look how many Hour glass units Lynda made!!! 

It's almost a Quilt... The backing has been planned too... whoop whoop

Anniversary Quilt

I'll just wait a few minutes... while you look at the pictures...  

You can be tooting at the same time!

It is an absolutely FABULOUS and finished quilt... 

Quilting detail on the front... note all the thread colour changes!! 

All the single lines that had all the ends to tie in, 2 per sewn line!

The patience Chris must have had!!!

The flange on the inner border and the Faux Piped Binding detail...

Toot toot toot toooooot!!

With every top thread colour change, there was a Bobbin colour change

And... Just look how spectacular the back is.

Chris quilted it on a domestic Sewing machine. 

A Juki f600, an amazing machine (though they are now upgraded to the Juki DX7)

Hours and hours of complex piecing and tricky quilting.

Chris has gifted this quilt to her lovely daughter and husband for their 2nd wedding anniversary, it's Cotton don't you know!!! what an amazing gift! There were tears!!!

Toot toot toot once again, a-m-a-z-ing!!

***********

There's more to this...

So you can see, This has been a mammoth job of a quilt to make.

Christabelle purchased the pattern from my very own, rather lovely shop and got to work on it quite soon after. She purchased all the fabrics and threads from me too... she's my favourite customer (please don't tell the others, ha!)

But there were big problems during the sewing, Nothing was lining up, endless pining and easing, lots of effort and things were tried. I ended up realising that there was something wrong with the templates, there was no way this was going to work. 

I contacted my wholesaler, they contacted the lady who designed the pattern and produced it, Chris wrote to her as well explaining the issue. Eventually, The designer admitted pattern was incorrect!!! She blamed her printer company, templates had been printed inaccurately!!!  

That didn't help us. We had to mathemize all the templates!!!

I replaced some of the fabrics for Chris, she had already cut out all the pieces. My Wholesaler gave Chris a bundle of beautiful Art Gallery fabrics as a gesture, that was all they could do really. 

The designer of the pattern continued to communicate for a short while. Basically she said we would have been better off buying a PDF !!! I'm a Bricks and Mortar shop!  She did say she was going to post something to us by way of an apology for all the trouble, she never did though.

This is what I wrote on my blog on the 26th March 2019

This one!!! Wowzers....
This project has given Christabelle (not to mention my very good self!) plenty of grief...
but, as you can see, my goodness it's going to be rather spectacular when it's complete.

This is what I put on my blog on the 2nd May 2019

Oh my gosh... this design takes a lot of effort and a lot of time...
Christabelle works on it in shorter spells, concentrating is draining.
I think this is only one third of the final size... Chris will need cake!!!

I think anyone else would have given up. It was so tricky to piece. Chris dug her heels in and refused to give up. She's worked on it for two years and only because of lockdown has she finished it now.

It is such an amazing quilt NOW... I don't think she will be making it again any time soon!

If you click on THIS VERY SPOT, the link will take you to the pattern called Polka Dot Bikini... now, I'm presuming all the errors will have been ironed out?.

Stitching News

Thank you for the photos Sue.

Sue made this Table Runner as a gift  to be used on Christmas day, 2020. Obviously that didn't happen, but on a positive note, there are no wine stains and no gravy blots, ha ha ha! Which, both sadly and happily means, we get to see it in it's full glory! Made with Sue's vast collection of Makower's Scandi fabrics and a modified pattern. It's fabulous and finished so, Toot toot toot. Let's not forget that there will be another Christmas this year so... really, Sue is ahead of that game!!

A baby gifting quit... isn't it lovely. 

This is a downloadable PDF pattern available by clicking ***here***

Sue was making the quilt for an  unknown colour of baby so this rainbow of Giraffes covered both eventualities. The picture is just the quilt top but I bet it's all finished now... and... It was a girl!!

Stitching News

I have a few photos to share with you. Thank you to all of you for sending them.

I love project pictures.

My Mum is working on a commission job... doesn't that sound grand, it's not really... My brother has requested that she make him, some new cushions and he really likes Autumnal colours, I think Mum hit the brief, spot on.

Our Carol is also working on a family commission job. A memory quilt. There are a lot of memories in this too, Carol has fussy cut lots of the items used, making it even more personal to the new owner, I'm sure Carol will send us a picture when this is finished.

Farmer Lynda had to make her Turtle sandwich on her very own kitchen table. I think lots of customers are missing my Sandwich Saturdays. There are a few waiting at the starting blocks for when we are allowed to take bookings.

Lynda has already started her quilting too. The turtles show up so well on the back. That is wavy water fabric, it's darker than it looks in the picture, I think it got flashed at!

Norma saw those blocks I made in the turquoise fabrics and wanted to have a go. She's finding them rather easy and has decided to make two puppy quilts with them. How cute are those fabrics!!! Hope the new puppy takes note.

From Quilty Quarters

 Taaa daaah.... My Christmas Orphan is finished...

 

I'm giving out a Toot toot toot for my very own self, I love a fanfare for a fabulous and finished project. To think I only started this to use up festive scraps, some ugly fabrics and a few experimental units. Now it's my new favourite!!! Well maybe not my favourite but it's up there, ha!

Another project... Mooching around on T'Interweb, I came across this pattern

  on a Benartex page . 

A free download from Christa Quilts. I thought it would look good in Festive Uglies and it would use up more of them!!! So I downloaded it, printed! and made an experimental... it is super easy...

.

But... I'm not going to do it, which means... I already have another orphan block!!! That's because I decided not to use festive uglies again... just yet

I have 'uglies' in many different colourways, with an absolute abundance of turquoise, not my favourite colour by a long shot, which is probably why I have still got so much of it, using my detective skills... that's the verdict.

The original plan, I guess it's my second and not original plan, was to make the design with lots of different ugly turquoise fabrics, but that would only have meant one strip of two and a half inches from each fabric... leaving me with most of the same uglies! 

So I did a bit of speed piecing with only two fabrics, that's lots of 2 1/2"strips sewn together rapidinho, then chopping them up....

and lick-etty-split, I'd made this. Used up a good 2 or more metres of two of my ugly fabrics. I've decided to use it as a back for another quilt... which will use up a plethora of green uglies... sounds awful eh? Watch this space, It seems I am getting to like awful!! ha ha ha