Project Finished :: Black & Silver Jelly Roll Race Quilt

I have a finish - ta-da!!  But with Storm Ciara raging outside I have only been able to take photos inside - when I did just go out I could hardly open the back door!

It's been a long time since I have had a finish post so forgive me my excitement.  This is an old WIP that was on my Projects to Finish list and it's my first finish for Finish Along Q1.

I posted a brief history of this one earlier in the year - click here.

I used wool wadding in a quilt for the first time.  I played around with wool as a second layer when I was quilting my Dream Big samples for the workshop I ran in November last year, but I have never used it as the only wadding for a quilt.  I have to say that it quilted up beautifully and has given a puffiness to the quilt that I don't see with cotton.  The hope is that it will also be warmer and if my daughter is correct there's supposed to be a lot of freezing weather coming our way this month!

It feels wonderful to get to cross something of my list and, even better, I think it's already been claimed for a bed! 

QUILT STATS

Measurements: 49" x 64"

Fabric: Stof Jelly Roll plus various similar fabric from stash

Wadding: Wool

Backing: Makower xtra wide with Linea Texture

Quilted on: Handi Quilter Amara with Pro-Stitcher

Quilting Design: More Square Drama from Wasatch Quilting

Thread: Glide Cool Grey 3 (40wt) on top and Decobob Dove Grey (80wt)

Needle:  Size 18 Groz Bekert

Started: circa April 2017

Finished: 09 February 2020

WIP Wednesday :: So many projects so little time!

I am happy to say that I have actually been sewing since the weekend.  I think unearthing some old projects gave me the motivation to get out of my sewing slump and achieve something.  I worked on two of the projects from my Projects to Finish list, but also added a few to the list too!!

The first one I worked on was the Baby Quilt from Samples.  Looking at the fabric that was left, I made another with leftover units from the sample and then decided to make 5 quick and easy bordered 9 patches.  Once I had decided that it really didn't take that long to piece them and then the quilt top.  Why did I leave it lingering for sooo long?  I think because the fabric isn't really me I wasn't grabbed by it.  But now that it is finished I see lots of possibilities for quilting.  I have no photos of this yet because it was a dark wet day when I finished it so rubbish for taking photos.

I think I am going to custom quilt this one using Pro-Stitcher.  It will be my first proper quilt to custom quilt and so will be a learning curve if nothing else.  I have wadding in my studio and I am sure I have backing I can piece for this, annoyingly it is 45" so normal width fabric is just too small, so it really shouldn't even go back on the shelf ...... watch this space!

The second quilt I worked on was my Black and Silver Jelly Roll quilt.  I pulled some black and silver fabric and thought I would add some 2" strips in the opposite direction on both ends of the quilt so that the thin red sashing wasn't on the edge of the quilt.  When I looked at it again I realised that I could use what I already had.

I unpicked 4 rows into the jelly roll portion and then simply turned it around so that the thin red strip was in the body of the quilt.  I have to say I hate redoing things - don't ask me why I would have preferred to have made piano key borders but it was actually so much quicker doing what I did and it really isn't that bad unpicking a little bit.  This is a head shift I need to make.

This quilt is going to have an E2E design quilted over it and I already know the one I am going to use.  The Pro-Stitcher library comes with loads of designs in it both designed by Handi Quilter and other designers aswell.  Saying that there are 1000s of designs out there that you can buy although I did say I wouldn't initially.  But you know how that goes right?  I saw this design being quilted out by a fellow longarmer and just loved it so I gave in!  I haven't quilted this yet and I am looking forward to it.  It is called More Square Drama from Wasatch Quilting.

So I am really happy to have two quilt tops ready to quilt .... and I am determined that they will not sit on the To Quilt Pile that I have.  A finish for Friday?  Probably not, but wouldn't it be great if they were both quilted to show you next Wednesday?!

Project to Finish :: Baby Quit from Samples

In 2018 I did a Christmas QAL over on UKQU and before the block patterns were ready to go out I had to ensure they were right.  That involved a lovely group of pattern testers who were invaluable but before the patterns even got to them I had to make samples to see which blocks I liked the most in real life.

I found three of these sample blocks last week in a bag with the accompanying fabric pieces.  I have no idea where this fabric came from but I had teamed it with Kona White and obviously had plans for a baby or child quilt.  Hmmm 3 blocks doesn't really make a quilt now does it?

I have an idea for how to finish this and actually started cutting right away!  And you see those strips at the front?  They are for the binding.  I am so proud of myself because that is usually the hurdle I fall at and so have decided to get the binding made before I have even finished the quilt in the hope that then I will attach it straight away!

Hopefully there will be good progress on this in the upcoming days ....

For the full list of Projects to Finish head on over here!

2020 - the year to get things finished!

I have a lot of projects on the go - are they still WIPs (works in progress) or are they UFOs (unfinished objects) and when does one become the other?!!  In recent years I have taken part in the Finish-Along but this year I think I am going to be accountable to myself (also I missed the deadline for Q1!).  As I go through my studio and find started projects I am going to list them to a page so at least they are documented and then I AM going make progress on them!!

The first one I found the other day was this jelly roll race quilt.  Several years ago my daughter asked for a black and white quilts with cats on.  I had never owned a jelly roll and when I saw one of blacks and silver I thought I would be able to quickly make up a quilt for her.  However, before the cats were appliqued on she had changed her mind!!

What to do with the resulting quilt?  I would not have used this fabric in this way if it hadn't been a quick quilt but I can't face unpicking it so I have decided to add a little more to the length and then get it quilted.  That can't take too long right?!