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

2019 Finish Along :: Finish No 1

Oh it feels good to get my first project ticket of my 2019FAL list - a charity quilt for Project Linus.

The jelly roll of fabric was donated quite a while ago and I thought it would be ideal to try piecing on the frame.

This was the first time I have tried this technique and I used the Square Feet from Handi Quilter.  It was brilliant - so quick and easy and very satisfying!

Since moving my machine, I have a lot more space around the back and so I thought I would try pantographs again.  Basically you have a pattern at the back of the machine which you trace with a laser light.  These are called Edge 2 Edge designs.

This is a new one for me and it called Bellflower by Keryn Emmerson.  It stitched out beautifully and gave such great texture.

I have to say that I really enjoyed doing this and, although FMQ is my first love, I would definitely quilt more using pantographs and will shortly be adding it to the services I offer my customers.

The only thing I didn't think about when I decided to quilt it this way, was that you would be able to see the horizontal lines, from piecing on the frame, on the back of the quilt.  

In future that would certainly determine what patterns I would quilt on a quilt that had been pieced this way, but there are still plenty of designs that would work.

Here's hoping for another finish before too long!

2019FAL - Quarter 1 :: My List

Finishing things seemed to go by the wayside last year so I have decided to get some motivation back by joining in with the Finish Along again.  Just looking at my photo files, I see that I first joined this community back in 2016 and it really did get me finishing things - fingers crossed it will work again this time.

The link up closed last Friday and I very quickly photographed projects to hand and linked up via Instagram,but I thought it would be good to have  record here swell ..... for accountability!  Now this certainly doesn't represent all my WIPs and UFOs but as some are now in storage since our move I can conveniently forget them.  I was still able to find a dozen projects without looking to hard so that's what I have listed!

1.  EDITED 27/01/19 - this is now complete, to read more head over here!
A quilt for Project Linus - this is my first quilt that I have pieced on my longarm and I am using a new pantograph to quilt it

Action required: quilt and trim

2. Farm Girl Vintage - this was started way back when and still only totals 6 blocks!  This isn't a realistic finish but if I could just make some progress on this I will be happy ....

Action required:  makes LOTS of blocks, piece, quilt, bind!!

3. Tumbling Spools with white background - I couldn't decide which background to use so have started two Tumbling Spools quilts as part of a the #tumblingspoolsqal with The Crafty Nomad

Action required:  make blocks, piece, quilt, bind

4. Tumbling Spools with coal background - as above

Action required:  piece, quilt, bind

5.  Teeny tiny piecing project - this is going to be yet another rainbow project!  It was inspired by making my first block as part of the #scrapbustingsewalong with Sugar Bowl Crafts ....

Action required:  make 6 more blocks, piece, quilt and bind

6.  Teeny tiny piecing #1 - this was the first time I had sewn so small and I loved it - mini quilt or cushion cover?

Action required:  finish piecing, quilt and make into something!

 7.  My Stash Bee '16 and '17 still waiting for the binding .....

Action required:  bind and use!

8. Thistle blocks from the Fancy Forest QAL18 - which I totally fell out of love with and decided to use the blocks I had made in stand alone projects - I think this will become a table runner ....

Action: piece, quilt and bind

9.  UKTQB - I have made some inroads on getting this top pieced but then the move put paid to any more work on it - I would LOVE to get this finished this quarter!

Action required: filler blocks to be made, piece, quilt and bind

10.  Puffins wall hanging - this was started in May 18 in a workshop with Catherine Nicholls and has not been touched since ....

Action required: apply pointilism, quilt and bind

11.  Improv Quilt - this was pieced last year and has been waiting for its time to come to be quilted - I have quilting ideas in my head and it's just a case of working its way up the queue!

Action required: quilt and bind

12.  Black & White Sampler Quilt - these were test blocks from my Christmas 18 QAL last year - not sure whether to sash or not ....

Action required:  piece, quilt and bind

There you have it.  It all sounds so simple when it's typed up in black and white but that thing called life does have this way of sneaking up on you and derailing best laid plans!

Are you taking part in the Finsh Along?  What motivates you to get older projects finished or is the lure of a sparkly new project just too much?!! x

FALQ2 :: My list ....

Well I am just sneaking in under the deadline for my Quarter 2 Finish-A-Long list and I hate to say that I only finished two items on it before the end of March (and forgot to link these up) and so I have literally just rolled over the whole list!!!  Is that even allowed??!!

1.  This was secret sewing at the start of the year but it not secret any more - in fact you can see the almost finished item here.  This remains on the list because it needs rebinding ...... I am going to take of the binding I put on and finish it with facing - and hopefully I will be much happier with that edge treatment!

2.  UK Travelling Quilt Bee - I want to make some more blocks for this before piecing the top and finishing - progress has been made on this but some blocks still need to be made before the top can be fully pieced.

3.  Christmas Quilt - only needs the binding done

4.  Charley Harper Hummingbird Quilt - to be bound.  I did bind this last quarter but my machine and me were not working very well that day so I unpicked it that night and it still remains in the to finish pile!

5.  Villa Quilt from Gloria Loughman class - to finish facing

6.  Hexagon rosette - to become a cushion

7.  Stash Bee '16 and '17 quilt - this is now quilted but still waiting for the binding

8.  Low Volume Scrappy Quilt - this has been started but has taken a very different turn - photos and story soon

9.  Union Jack Flag - to finish assembly and decide what it will become

10.  Summer Sampler '16 - to decide whether to make more blocks and layout then finish

11. Christmas Tree Wallhanging - to fuse in place, quilt and bind

12.  Quiet Play Sewing Machine - to finish paper piecing and decide what to use it for

13. Polaroid Blocks - extra blocks to be made into a quilt for charity

14.  Back to Front - to finish front, quilt and bind

15.  Crocheted Heaxgons - what am I going to do with these?

16.  Black and grey quilt - started for daughter who changed her mind - need to decide what to do with it

17.  Birthday Bunting

18.  Project Linus Quilt - to be quilted

19.  Italian House - sample from Gillian Travis class in 2016!

20.  Illuminated Houses - from a class with Anne Moore - first one was gifted so I want one for myself!

21.  Caravan Tote by noodlehead

Phew!  There are a group of international hosts for this event and you can link up with any of them to join in the fun.

Building Community :: UKQU post on Instagram

I recently wrote a piece for the new UK Quilters United website about Instagram - if you fancy a read then head over here.

Of course I couldn't visit this somewhat ignored blog without leaving a few pictures behind, so here goes.  These items were made as part of the #sendalittleloveswap2018 organised by @madaboutbags over on IG.

This was also an item on my 2018FAL Q1 list - although the colours changed somewhat when I came to make it!!

It is also the only finish from that list so far this quarter!

I loved improv piecing the low volume background for the hearts to sit on.

And because crochet is my second love the extra was crocheted heart bunting.

I do have some other finishes soooo close.  In fact I think there may be another Week of Finishes quite soon!