My Best of 2016

Having read other people's posts for My Best of 2016 hosted by Cheryl at Meadow Mist Designs, I thought I would take a few minutes and look back at my year (I also took the opportunity of getting some pages up to date at the same time).  One thing I started this year was a monthly review and I have really enjoyed looking back at the months. Sadly I stopped this from August but having just browsed through my posts this is something I would like reinstate for 2017.

However, now we are looking back .... in no particular order and with no particular scientific way of picking them I give you My Best of 2016 ....

PICK A LETTER, ANY LETTER!

I love this little quilt that I made for my Mum's 80th birthday.

I tried lots of new things on it and they all worked.

Best of all she loves it and has it hanging in her lounge!

ANZAC HEARTS

This gets on the list because it was my oldest WIP - over 6 years to finish but it has stood the test of time because I still love it.

Also it won a rosette at a show in May which made me rather happy!!

NEW QUILT BLOGGERS

This was such a wonderful group to be part of and I learnt so much about so many things!

I am hoping I fit the criteria to be able to join again in 2017 because I still have so much to learn.

CLOUD 9 NEW BLOCK BLOG HOP

My first ever block design for this Blog Hop.

I really enjoyed the process and would love to design more in 2017.

SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO?

This is definitely my favourite make of 2016, in fact it might be my favourite make to date!

I love that the design in my head came out into the real world just as I imagined it.

I was also really excited to find that I won a Best Piecing rosette at a show in November.

Today we are starting to take down the decorations and I will then be able to look to next year.  I would love to join Yvonne's #2017PlanningParty but I need some quiet time to get my head into gear and really think about what I want to do in 2017.  We have big changes coming up on our family front which I have still to get my head around!!

Dachshund Cushion No 2

My youngest daughter is also rather partial to dachshunds and, with her birthday being just a month after my eldest, it only seemed fair to make her a dachshund cushion aswell.  My eldest received this one here.

This pattern is also by Juliet at Tartan Kiwi (psst she has 25% off her patterns until 31 December 2016 if you use code Happyholidays2016) and was lovely to make - even though I was somewhat apprehensive about some of the tiny pieces.

For the first time whilst paper piecing I bothered to get my light box out and it made such a difference.

I worked through each section and was pleasantly surprised at how quickly they came together.

It was lovely seeing him come to life ....

.... but not so lovely seeing his backside when he was complete!

He was at this stage for a while before I was able to get a big enough cushion inner.  He finishes at 20" and I didn't want to lose much of the background otherwise he looked a bit funny!

Finally all finished and gifted ..... just a little late!

This is another finish on my 2016FAL - Number 5 on the list.  I really need to check on this list.  I know I haven't made great inroads on it but I think there are a few things that I have done but not yet posted about - nothing like the end of the quarter to get you motivated!

Linking up to Let's Bee Social over with the lovely Lorna!

Finish It Up Friday

The finish for Finish It Up Friday over at Crazy Mom Quilts this week is also a finish from my 2016FAL.  It was started in June as a QAL over at Modern Quilters Ireland and was the first QAL I have taken part in.  The progress posts can be found here, here and here.

It was at this stage for many weeks months because I didn't really like the grey background fabric I had used and I didn't really know what to do with it ..... is it bad to admit that?!!

I then thought that I would enter it into a Quilt Show as a cot quilt so the parameters of size were set to maximum 36" on either side, which meant the border was easy to add.

Then I got it into my head that I wanted to match the thread with the colours ...... why did I do that?!  At the end I do not think it was worth all the colour changes for this quilt and wish I had just gone for the grey all over (although it is nice to have some more colours in my stash!).

Time was running out by now and I just had to come up with a plan ....... nothing came so I thought that I had better load it onto my frame and just get started!

Straight lines in the coloured sections first.  I did actually try feathers aswell but I really didn't like them so I unpicked (after doing two sections just to make sure I didn't like it!)

My favourite quilting motif was used in the background, paisley AKA swirly pearls.  I love this and I can now do it quite quickly which is a bonus. 

I thought I may do something different in the middle of the quilt but, after the unpicking of the feathers, I decided to just stick with more straight lines.  My ruler work has certainly improved and I quite enjoyed the dexterity of using the rulers and for them feeling more comfortable for me.

I love this stage when it's all trimmed and ready to bind.

I am not sure what the backing is - it was picked up at a show earlier in the year.

And the final result hanging at the West Country Quilt Show.  Do I like it?  No not really!!  I like the pattern and really like other people's interpretation from the QAL but I have to say this isn't a favourite of mine.  But it is done and it's a tick off my list.  I also learnt that I do not like marbled fabric and so will never be tempted to buy any again!

Whilst I am not enamoured with this quilt I am still very much in love with Should I Stay or Should I Go?  I decided, at the last minute, to enter it into the same show and was delighted when I arrived at the show on Sunday morning to see it had a rosette by it - Best Piecing.

I have enjoyed entering quilts into shows this year and have quite a few in my head for next year! x

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer - a tutorial

In November I received a package as part of a Travelling Bee I am in.  I realise now that I have never blogged about this Bee .... hmmmm not sure how I have managed to miss that because I love it.  Anyway that post will be for another day because today I am going to share a block I made for Jessie (@jessiemarie1202).

She loves Christmas and always knew her quilt would have a Christmas theme.  I had seen 4 months of blocks being made for her and I had an idea in my head what I would make for her.  However, whilst her notebook contained lots of ideas the one that struck me most was a little pixelated reindeer. 

I quickly got out my graph paper and made a sketch and worked out some cutting measurements.  I was delighted to find that it all came together well the first time!! 

This is the one I made for her ....

 I decided that I would like a Rudolph cushion and thought that I would do a quick tutorial at the same time so here goes.  I decided to do the antlers and face in different fabric as shown below:

I have created a simple .pdf tutorial which you can see over here

If you make one I would love to see it so be sure to tag me in (@cutandalter on IG) or leave a comment below. x

Linking up for the first time in ages to Let's Bee Social over at Sew Fresh Quilts.