Wonky is the new Straight!

Tonight saw the finish of a summer Wonky Star Cushion class.

It is so lovely to see everyone finish their cushions, and for some, putting in concealed zippers for the first time.

Well done ladies! 

And I've been doing a bit of wonking of my own this week (no not the wallpapering in my daughter's room, which most definitely qualifies as wonky!)

This is my wonky corners block for Fi in Hipbees, who sent us some lovely Amy Butler to work with.  This is the final month of year 1 in Hipbees.  The bee is continuing on, however I've made the difficult decision to step down.  I know that I will continue some long lasting friendships through this group, and I wish the new members as much fun as I had!

Another bee coming to an end for me is Modern Irish Bee.



Geraldine, whose month completes the end of year 1, very kindly sent us pre-cut triangles and a definite design to make. 

My month in MIB was July, and this week I got the last of my blocks in -wanna see?

Isn't it great!  Not all sewn together yet, and definitely one of the most modern designs I've ever gone for, but I love it!!  Thanks MIB ladies!

And last, but by no means least, my late Brit Bee blocks for Jennie.

Not as wonky along that bottom edge in reality - promise!

These Seminole style blocks were a real head scratcher, especially for someone as mathematically challenged as I am! Jennie sent us a selection of solids and a picture of an inspiration quilt and let us get on with it!

I hope these will pass, even though one block is larger than the other! (As striking as they are, I don't see more Seminole blocks in my future any time soon!!)

Well that's me all up to date! 

A shed load of class samples awaits my attention, which I'm hoping to get to when the kids are back into school on Monday!

Jxo

In the Company of Angels!

It never ceases to amaze me how 3 women can spend an ENTIRE day talking about sewing, while driving, eating, drinking coffee, running in the rain, fabric shopping & gate-crashing my class!



Sarah & Di

That's multi-tasking at its best!  And the perfect way to spend a lovely day!  Thank you ladies!

And the sneaky peek I showed you yesterday?



A scented house gift for Di!

And for another angel, I've made these:



Terri is queenie in the Brit Bee for June, and she has a rampant mild addiction to star blocks! She has sent us all some solid and 2 sets of coloured prints to come up with some starry magic!

The red star is from the Fat Quarterly Shape Workshop book, and the yellow star is called Ribbon Star Block, by Lee of Freshly Pieced.

Unfortunately 2 of my outer points overshot in the yellow star, but I'm hoping T-Bone Angel will be gracious and forgiving!

In my other bee commitments this month, I rustled up an improv. log cabin for Hipbees Lynz, as per her requirements.



Lynz sent us some lovely solids and we had to sneak in a little bit of ourselves!  I went with some flowery Marmalade! Yum!

This really isn't the best photo of this block.  It is much straighter and nicer in real life! Honest!

You should check out the other Hipbee improv. blocks over in the Flickr group!  It's going to be a stunning quilt!

Have a wonderful Friday!

Jxo

A Month of Triangles!

There's been a distinctive Triangular theme to this month's bee blocks!

Anneliese (Modern Irish Bee) wanted her equilateral triangles sewn into rows of 10.  I had a bit of trouble with these naughty boys, but clipping their wings with this handy tool soon sorted them out!

Anneliese also asked for a donation Trip-along block to make into a charity quilt. This one took no time at all to make (I promise it isn't as wonky in real life as it looks here!)



In Brit Bee this month, Jo sent us some yummy low and high volume Liberty prints, already cut into triangles.



She asked for 2/3rds low volume and 1/3rd high volume, in any shape we liked.  I'm calling this huge block my 'Liberty Love Triangle'!!

Finally, Sarah (Hipbees) sent us some red & cream prints and gave us free reign to choose any block we liked!  And guess what I chose - NOT TRIANGLES! LOL!



This is the Antique Tile block, and it is one of my new favourite blocks to make.  I've seen it made up in many different types of fabric and I've yet to be disappointed with how it looks.

I also got a Bee Blessed block made.  This month we are making super easy 16 patch blocks.



And after trimming 40 Bee Blessed blocks this month too, I think I'm all blocked out now!

Happy Friday everyone!

Sunday Squared!

Today I got my 112 charms cut up for the Fluffy Sheep Quilting Rainbow Charm Swap.  Can you guess what colour I was allocated?

Riley Blake - Pink Jack

I've also been squaring up some Bee blocks for April:



Whirlygig Block for Karen/Hipbees

 

Wonky Chevron Block for Eva/Modern Irish Bee

I also got my Brit Bee blocks finished today too, but they'll get a post all of their own tomorrow!

Hope you've had a lovely stitchy Sunday!

I've Been Tangoed!

There's a bit of an orange theme to my bee blocks this month!

In Hipbees, Rachel sent us some Liberty charms and either Kona Butterscotch or Jade background to make Puss in the Corner 2.  Guess which one I got!



Mmmm, aren't those Liberty prints divine!

Next up, Erin wanted colour themed starflower blocks from this tutorial, for her month in Modern Irish Bee.  We got to choose the colourway so we could add something from our stash, and I chose orange!



I really like the scrappy look of these stars, even though they involved more hsts!!

In Brit Bee this month, we have a reprieve!  But that doesn't mean I can rest on my fabric laurels! I have a few angel (star) blocks to make, and of course some Funky Wrench blocks for Bee Blessed, and then my March commitments are fulfilled!

Donating Wonky Chevrons!

Last September it was my month to be Queen Bee in the Hipbees quilting bee.

I asked these super talented ladies to each make me a Wonky Chevron block with some rainbow scraps I sent them, and they didn't disappoint!

Here they all are, sewn together, with the extra yellow chevrons that Di kindly made, in the borders.

It was so bright and sunny earlier this week when I snapped this, that the yellow gingham border looks really insipid.  But rest assured, it isn't half as washed out as it appears here!

I've thought long and hard about what to 'do' with this quilt, and after running an idea past my lovely Hipbee ladies, have decided to donate this cot size quilt to our local Mums and Babies HIV unit. 

Bee Blessed have been making kiddy quilts for this unit recently, and this one will join the growing pile which will soon be handed over to some very needy families.

And the other sewing I've done this week ...



... a scrappy Spider's web block for Thursday's Block Party class.

And I've also been chopping into these ...

... which will hopefully become a 'boy' quilt for a very special wee man!

Happy Wednesday!

Jxo

A Gaggle of ......

.... bee blocks!

For February in Hipbees, Di has given us permission to cut up her precious Ruby into flying geese!



This is a 16.5" block, and it's going to be one super quilt going by the other blocks popping up in the flickr group.

In the Modern Irish Bee, Karen sent us her DS Chicopee to chop into these lovely Hot Cross 9 Patch blocks:



So these bee blocks, plus yesterday's makes, sum up my Sunday sewing! 

And look what was waiting for me after work on Saturday! 

He's for keeps, my hubby!

And today I've been working on something new - here's a sneaky peek!



Happy Monday everyone!

Causing Ripples!

I have fulfilled 2 January bee commitments so far this month!

Firstly, D9P in Field Study for Colette (Hipbees):



Colette didn't want traditional D9P, and gave us permission to go completely mad random!

Second, Diamond Ripples (known 'in house' as something else entirely!) for Hadley (Brit Bee):



This is another one of Hadley's mahusive blocks (24") which was even more of a pleasure to make because she so kindly had all those horrible lovely little hsts pre-cut - no trimming required! Yippee!

I love the orange/pink and grey combo!

I've also made a start on Hector's House 2, which will be called 'Wee Brother's House'!



At this stage, the jury is still out as to whether or not I wrestle with another elasticated pocket!

Hope you've had a relaxing Sunday!

It's Hip to be Square!

This month in Hipbees, the lovely Catherine set us the LynneBob Squarepants Block.

Now I've made this block before, my very first ever Bee block for Trudi in Brit Bee (April 2011 I think?). (Note to Trudi: Still waiting to see the finished quilt - hint, hint!!)

It was invented by the uber talented Lynne Goldsworthy in 2011 and was popularised through the Brit Quilt Flickr group.

I didn't achieve perfect points back then, and sadly it would seem not much has changed!  Despite accurate cutting and painstaking trimming, I still have one or 2 points that just refuse to meet up!

In my opinion, half square triangles are the rebels of the quilting world!  Try as you might to bend them to your will, sometimes they just won't conform!

But the important thing here is that Catherine is happy with this block.  And going by the others that are popping up on the flickr group, this is going to be one superb quilt.

Let me leave you with some fine finishes from my Friday morning class.

These are Stack n Whack floor cushions.  Aren't they fab!!  All quilted and squishy and just waiting to be jumped on and snuggled up to!  Well done ladies!

The pattern for the Stack n Whack Floor cushion is now available in my Etsy Shop.

Have a great weekend!

October - Yikes!

I can't quite believe that September is almost over?  Anyone else with me on this one?

I usually really like this autumnal month, but it just seems to have whizzed past me without me realising!

I had an interesting month bee-wise, being queen bee in 2 of them, and having a hst-fest in the other 2!

The left-hand blocks above are for Brit Bee and Modern Irish Bee respectively. On the right we have the wonky friendship braid I set for the cool Hipbees to make, and they didn't disappoint!  (They are nearly all in & I can't wait to show you them!)  Bottom right is the block I set for Sew Bee Happy, which will be donated to Bee Blessed, who are also making these crazy colour blocks this month.

And as if that wasn't enough bee blocks for one month, the ever-efficient Jan sent us her fabric last week for her month of October in Hipbees!  Her theme was 'stars in Denyse Schmidt' so I made her this from the Modern Blocks book:

'Three Wishes' pg 186

Also, I already know what I'm to make from my stash for October in Sew Bee Happy - a Granny Squares block, set by Wendi.

But before the last few days of September slip completely through my fingers, I think I'll take a break from bee blocks until we're into October proper!

Wishing you all a fun-filled end to September 2012!

Hipbees Queenie!

I'm Queen Bee for September in Hipbees!

I thought long and hard about what block to set my lovely friends, in this relatively new bee, and came up with this:

This is a take on the friendship braid, only with a little more wonk!  I first saw it over on Tallgrass Prairie Studio, where Jacquie calls it Free Pieced Chevron.  There's a great tutorial over there on how to make one if you fancy having a go.

It was uber simple to make (which I know will appeal to my Hipbees!) and as I had to base a block around using scraps, it ticked the box on that score too.  I'm posting all the colour coded scrap bags out tomorrow, with my addition of skinny Klona grey sashing and white borders.

I'm looking forward to seeing these rainbow blocks come together.

Have fun ladies!

One Way Traffic!

I've noticed recently that there seems to be a lot of 'stuff' making its way into my sewing room, but not much coming out of it!

As you may remember I came home from holiday last month with a large wicker basket full of fabric remnants and purchases.

Last week, my neighbour was having a clear out and gave me approx. 150 fat quarters (not of the modern variety, but I will still definitely use them - no doubt Bee Blessed will benefit).

Today my sister gave me several bags of clothes (some of which need altered to fit my irregular sizing - get ready to work Martha!) and I also received a donation of curtains and curduroy!

All are now dumped stuffed into my sewing room, which was already bulging at the seams!  Oh dear!  I really need to redress the direction of this traffic!

And here is one more item which I am more than happy to accept into my sewing room.

As a welcome to everyone in the new Hipbees bee, my most thoughtful friend Sarah made everyone a Zakka pouch and conspired with my daughter to make a mini bee charm. 

I've decided to keep my water soluble marking pens in this pouch, which will save me time routing around in my pen pot trying to find them!

And I love these wee bees cos they have flowery bottoms!  Jan got a much better pic of it than me! 

Source

Now we've all got hippy 'bum' bees!

Source

Thank you Sarah for such a cute and thoughtful gift! 

Thread Catcher in da House!

Firstly I want to say a huge THANK YOU to Helen and Archie for the stunning thread catcher!

You may have seen a few of these 'thank you's' from Helen popping up over blogland!  Aren't they spectacular!  It was such a lovely surprise to open this wee beauty, all beautifully wrapped, and the stitching is amazing. 

I've been meaning to blog about this for a few days now, but there's a hole in my head that leaks important stuff, on an alarmingly regular basis!

Thank you Helen for my thank you!!

And on to Bee news:

August is the first month of the Hipbees bee and Reene is our Queenie for the month!  She has asked for house blocks, using her gorgeous Summerville and klona grey.  Here's what I came up with:

Didn't quite get doggy in the centre of the window, but then she shouldn't be upstairs in the house anyway!!  Naughty doggy!

This was paper pieced using a 7 section pattern from a book!  It was a relief that it all worked out ok with no major catastrophies!

I have other blocks to make for 3 other bees I'm in, so I'd better get right on it!

Hope you are having a great week so far!