Dresden QAL Update

Not much to say so I'll let the pics do the talking!

'Circle in Square' border pieced on.

Skinny strips & outer border attached.

Next week - quilting!

Another Crazy Quiltalong!

I have tried to resist this one since I heard about it a few days ago, but today my resolve broke and I've signed up to another Quilt Along (I haven't finished the Lily's Quilts one yet! I must be mad!).

Aneela Hoey from Comfort Stitching is hosting a crazy patchwork quilt along. 

This QAL uses 2 of my favourite things - scraps and crazy patchwork.  Click on the button above to check out Aneela's gorgeous blocks.  V.inspiring!

She also has a tutorial on how to make the basic block. 

The QAL hasn't started yet, so there's still plenty of time for folks to hmmm and haaaa, rummage through their scraps, before buckling at the knees and signing up!

Eye Spy - a quilt (well, almost!)

Once I finally decided on my sashing  .....................

Navy was too dark & heavy - hastily unpicked!

White was much more balanced!

...........I had a great time piecing all my little squares together.

The unfussy white sashing allows the pictures to stand out.

I spy something beginning with ................ C!

..............something beginning with ..................P!

It took a wee bit of canny calculating to work out how to fit borders made up of 3" squares around a the 4" squared centres, but I got there in the end (amazingly!).

So that's the front done!  Yippee!

And now for the quilting (deep breath!). 

I'm still contemplating how to quilt this little piece of fun (it's only 37" x 37"), but I think there will be some free motioning in there somewhere!

P.s. If the thought of fussy cutting has you reaching for the brown paper bag (to breath into!) then this is either not for you, or it will completely cure you of FCP (Fussy Cutting Phobia)!  I'll let you decide!

Baskets Galore!

Here are some pics of the cute wee baskets my Friday morning class have been making:

Aren't they adorable!  Well done girls!

Kaffe Fasset Fabric Bundle:

I ordered fabric for my nephew's birthday quilt from Gone to Earth & it arrived today! Yippee!! 

The purple at the front is for a pencil case gift!

Their website pictures are very true to the colours of the fabrics when they arrive.

My nephew is a very trendy, stylish almost 13 year old, and he's already approved these prints (without realising they were for him!). 

Just need to decide on a solid to break them all up, and a design. 

Eye Spy Progress!

I decided enough was enough!

It's time to make sense of the over-flowing basket of picture prints & get cutting.

I have a mixture of 4" squares and 3" squares.

And so to design & background/sashing:

Mmmm! Don't like the blue background - too insipid!

Liking the white better, but still not quite right!

I might try bordering the pictures with a contrasting fabric before adding sashing. 

More playing to do.  Will keep you posted.

Mother's Day Inspiration!

Look what I got!

As soon as I saw the vibrant colours of my gorgeous flowers I thought 'if these were fabrics you could make a stunning quilt with them!'. 

The label on the flowers was 'Tutti Fruiti' - even the name fits!

I think I'll keep this picture as inspiration for a red/orange/pink/green quilt one day.  Look out for 'Tutti Fruiti'!

Dresden QAL Progress:

Centre circle inserted. 

There's no getting away from it - circles are darn right fiddly, but with a little patience, it works!

Thanks to Lynne at Lily's Quilts for her superb instructions, which definitely made this process successful.

Not the Yellow Brick Road!

Picnic Rug complete!

I made the binding extra wide using all the fabrics that are in the quilt front.

All we need now is some nice warm sunshine & a picnic basket full of goodies!

I'm thinking of making a stylish wee carry bag for my rug to use up the leftovers.  Watch this space!

I've linked this post to Lynne's blog of Lily's Quilts. She's got a new monthly feature where you link photos of your favourite/happy project of the past month.  Go check out what projects have been making other bloggers smile!