Flowers From Ceri!

My uber talented Brit Bee buddy Ceri is queen bee for April.

Last month, she asked us to send her a simple doodle!  It could be absolutely anything!  I sent her this:

Ceri then hand carved stencils for all our doodles & screen printed them onto fabric! How cool is that?  Here are my screen printed flowers:

One of these goes back to Ceri as a siggy.

So the plan was to incorporate some of these screen prints into 2 log cabin style blocks, along with some screen prints from the equally talented Karen (Blueberry Park) & using other solids and prints that Ceri had provided.

Block 1 using Karen's screen prints

Block 2 using Ceri's screen prints

It must have taken Ceri hours to make these stencils and prints, and she made enough for us all to have some leftovers to keep!  What a darling!

This is one of the many great aspects of being part of a sewing bee.  You get to try out lots of new stuff that you wouldn't otherwise do!

I'd highly recommend it!

Quilts Resurrected!

I'm starting to accumulate a few quilt tops!  Most unlike me as I tend to work on 1 quilt at a time, usually for a specific person or project.

However like the magic porridge pot, they just seem to be growing by themselves!

So I decided to move them on another stage and get them basted.



Around this time last year, I took part in the Across the Seas  QAL, thinking I would make a baby quilt for my friend who was pregnant at the time, just in case she had a boy!

She had a girl!

So I lost interest in the quilt, despite having the front and back made.  The QAL ended and the quilt got relegated to the bottom drawer!



Then I unearthed my Brit Bee quilt top, from January this year! I LOVE my Brit Bee quilt - I still smile each time I look at the blocks made by my girls!

But I didn't know what to do on the back of this quilt.  So it got parked!



It is now half basted, while I slowly hatch a plan for the back.  As the theme of the front was log cabin, I'm thinking a Leanne style mahusive log cabin back!  Stark raving or what!

Ferry Floor is a quilt top I made this Autumn & I plan to teach it next year.  It is now basted both front and back waiting to be quilted.



And finally, my own vintage sheets quilt is now basted and ready for quilting (I even have the binding made!). 



It's satisfying when projects can be moved on a stage!  But boy is there still loads to do!

Onwards and upwards!

A Very Special Quilt!

You may remember that January was my month to get the Brit Bee gals spurred into action.

I set them the task of making me log cabin blocks (2 each), wonky, traditional, hexie, whatever they wanted, as long as the centres reflected something of themselves.

Well, I knew they would do me proud, but wow! Just check out how amazing their blocks are!

Here are some close-ups to let you see the wonderful details!

It's really hard to photograph this quilt.  It's 70" x 70" and each block is so personalised.  I've no idea yet how I'm going to quilt it, but the back will be more of the lightweight denim you see in the front.

To me this quilt represents an amazing year with my 11 new friends, who mean alot to me.  We have laughed and cried together these past months, and shared the highs and lows of our lives with each other.  

And what better way to seal a wonderful year than to all meet up for a weekend of madness craic at the Fat Quarterly Retreat in June (can't wait!).

Thank you girls for giving me a truly wonderful memory quilt.  I will treasure it forever.

P.s. Checkout a gorgeous giveaway today by the equally gorgeous Cindy, celebrating her 1 year blogiversary!

Busy Blessed Bees!

I actually remembered to take pictures of our afternoon's creativity and productivity (thanks Janette for the prod!).

Here we all are working on a man quilt.  

left to right: Marion, Janette, Ros, Tina, Sarah

Janette kindly precut lots of dark & light blue strips and made them up into Log Cabin kits, to put together with the red centres that Tina had pre-cut.  Although we were a few members down this round, we still flew through the sewing of these blocks and have nearly 20 blocks already sewn up!

And here is one of the finished log cabin quilts which is being donated to the mum of one of our group.  We hope it will come as a real blessing to her at this difficult time.

A few of our other quilts are now finished and ready to be donated too.

L-R: Pink Log Cabin Quilt (as seen in previous photo); Red/Green Log Cabin Quilt

L-R: Fun-shine Playmat; D9P Adult Quilt; Brown/Cream Log Cabin Quilt

Sorry about the washed out look on this last photo - the sun has actually been shining today!

 

The Blue Log Cabin Quilt is almost finished, so that will make 5 more ready to be handed over for donation to needy homes.

As mentioned above, the man quilt is coming on apace, and the modern sampler quilts are awaiting sashing fabric.  

Thank you so much everyone for your donations of blocks and fabric, time and energy.  These quilts couldn't be made without the help and support of so many talented people.

If you would still like to donate any of the blocks we have been making to date, then they will be gratefully received, and tutorials are available here.  Next week I will post about  the new block we are introducing for March - it's going to be fun!

My Brit Bee Blocks!

My month was January in the Brit Bee.

Most of my blocks are in from the other 11 wonderful gals, and they look soooo goooood!

I'll show you them all laid out when I get the last ones in.  But I remembered that I still have to make 2 blocks of my own to put with them!!  Just because it was my month to crack the whip, doesn't mean I get to slack off making what the others are making!

So here are my 2 log cabin interpretations:

All 24 blocks will be bordered in this lightweight denim.

I have fallen in love with orange this past year, which is amazing because before that I would have said it was my least favourite colour!

Because of the generosity of my Brit bee-ers, I was able to make up this block entirely from their donated scraps!  Thanks girls - your scraps are so much better than mine!

The 2nd block is traditional in design, but done in rainbow coloured scraps.

As for what I have to make for Miss February, I had great fun playing the other evening, but then ran out of bondaweb!  So just as soon as I get more, I'll get my mugshot finished and sent back to Jennie.

Happy Thursday!

Man Quilt Delivered

Yesterday was the Christmas gathering of Bee Blessed!

I forgot to take photos of the hive of activity, as we sewed along to Neil Diamond's Christmas songs and ate mince pies!

But I can show you the finished man quilt.

Front

Back

I delivered this today to the family for whom it was made, and it was an emotional exchange!  I said 'it's a small gift', in light of the situation the family are currently in, but the lady said this was no small thing - it was a huge blessing to them all, especially to her ill husband.  

And that's just what Bee Blessed is about - small gifts with huge impact!

Some of you have been eager to know the next block we'll be doing in Bee Blessed.  For the next few months, we've decided to make sampler quilts, which means all you lovely donators and supporters get to make a block of your choosing, in the colours/fabrics of your choosing!  How cool is that!  The only requirement is that the block should be 12.5" unfinished.  

So do you fancy having a go?

There's a fab list of tutes available on Modify Tradition (see down right hand side of screen) but if you know of other great block tutes, I'm starting a thread in our flickr group where you can post the links of any great block tutes you've come across.  This is a great way to share ideas, and I for one am really looking forward to trying out some new block patterns.

And just to keep you up-to-date, we now have approx. 60 log cabin blocks, so when we next get together in January we will be making up 3 quilt tops!  Can't wait to show you!

One source of inspiration for block patterns is this:

My Christmas present to myself arrived last week and I have to say I wasn't disappointed!  It's a really well laid out book, and most of the block designs are ones I would like to try.  My personal view is that a chunk of the blocks would be a challenge for a beginner, but all in all I think it's a fabulous book.

And last but not least, I've taken the bull by the horns and bought my ticket for the Fat Quarterly Community Retreat in June.

This will be a special weekend for me, because I get to meet up with most of my amazing Brit Bee buddies!  I even got to speak to the lovely Sarah on the phone!  Surreal!!  We are all so excited that we are getting on like giddy teenagers (what on earth will we be like when we finally meet in June!).

Well that's about it from me for this weekend.  

Not as much sewing done as I'd like, but the boiler packing up this morning meant lots of snuggles under quilts, in front of a log fire, drinking homemade mulled wine and watching Nativity with the kids.  So not all bad!

Judith xo

Zippity Bees!

Well I'm thrilled to say I've received my long awaited orange zips!  

Zipit didn't disappoint and after these were posted from the States on 22nd November I received them this morning!  Just in time for me to get the rest of the makeup bags finished before they are whisked off down to my sister's on Tuesday.

This afternoon, the sofas were pushed back & the dog banished for another gathering of Bee Blessed.  The man quilt was wrestled to the kitchen floor and basted to within an inch of its life!

See how it's sucking in Marion's hand! Naughty quilt!

And the production line of 9 ladies churned out log cabin blocks.

We now have over 30 made and donated log cabin blocks (& I know more are still to come)!  Thanks again wonderful bloggy & Bee folks!  These are going to be wonderfully warm and snuggly quilts for elderly folks this winter.

And before I clock off for the evening, just enough time to tell you about the lovely Laura's giveaway, celebrating 200 followers.  Check out the gorgeous charm packs she is giving away and leave a comment (or a joke!) to be in with a chance of winning.

Have a great rest of the weekend!

Judith xo

P.s. So sorry (again) about the rubbish quality pics.  I'm hoping to switch to a new phone soon with a better camera (of course it's absolutely nothing to do with the incompetent user!).

November Bee Blessed Block

It's that time again when we change the block for Bee Blessed Quilts.

Thanks again to those of you who are quilting along with us.  We v.much appreciate your support and contributions.

If you are new to my blog, you are more than welcome to join in our charity quilting Bee and donate some blocks or fabric.  A group of us will then meet every 3 weeks to make up the quilts and gift them to needy local families in Belfast.

This month we will be making Log Cabin blocks.

The measurements and tutorial is below, but first here are the criteria for the blocks:

* We are making these for folks who are senior/elderly & female, so the key words here for fabrics are 'soft' and 'traditional/vintage'.

* For the centre square, please choose a fabric that contrasts with the others, so that it stands out a little.

* For the outer row of 'logs' please make this up in all the same fabric, giving a type of border to the block.

* The other 'logs' can be as varied as you wish.

Tutorial:  This is the 'trim as you go' log cabin method.

Please assume scant 1/4" seam throughout.

 

You will need 1 x 3.5" square for the centre, 2" strips of varying lengths for the middle 2 rows, and 4 x 2.5" strips for the outer border.

 

1. I find it helpful to roughly layout my design in advance, to get a good idea of colour balance etc.  There are 3 rows of 'logs' around the centre square, incl. the outer border.

2. When you are happy with your design, take the centre square and the

first strip & sew right sides together.  Don’t worry if your first strip is too long.  After sewing it to the centre square, iron the seam away from the centre and trim to same length as square.

 

3. Now put a safety pin in the first 'log' to mark it as the starting strip.

4. Attach the next strip by sewing it down the right hand side of the centre square & first strip.  Again iron the seams away from the centre and trim to size.

Continue adding the remaining 2 strips in a clockwise direction around the centre square.

When round 1 is complete you may want to square the piece before adding round 2.

The seams should all be lying away from the centre.

5. Start attaching round 2 by sewing a 'log' above the strip with the pin in it.

 6. When you have ironed & trimmed this log, move the safety pin to this log - this is now the starting log of round 2.

7.   Continue rounds 2 & 3 the same as steps 2-6 above.   Remember to move the safety pin onto the ‘first strip’ at the start of each round, & square the piece after each round.

8.    By the end of round 3, iron & trim the piece to measure 12.5” square.

Have fun with this block (it's one of my favourites!).

Looking forward to seeing what you create, and don't forget to post pics of your blocks in the Bee Blessed Flickr group!

Judith xo