On Reflection

The moral of the story is that it's good to think up all the things you think you'll have even a chance of making at the beginning of the quarter, because I have actually made a couple of other things which I didn't list. So actually I haven't been quite as unproductive as I thought. But overall it's a great thing for me to have a deadline!

This is my second finish for this quarter's Finish Along.

This quilt is my last and most recent finish for DoGood Stitches Cherish Bee.  (I blogged about the first one here) I based my request for blocks on Leanne's lovely quilt Reflections. It's always interesting to analyse what makes a successful quilt, or at least one that I particularly like and I don't think I managed to give instructions to end up with the effect that I love in Leanne's. While ours is bold and effective in its way, it doesn't have the subtlety of Leanne's. I think Leanne's quilt is particularly effective because of the variation in value she has used. I asked for red and blue tones and these perhaps weren't quite as varied in value as I'd anticipated. It was a good block for  bee members to use scraps and I suggested people could vary the width of their strips to suit what they had, so it's a bit more random.

I'd like to have another go at something like this to see if I can get closer to the original Reflections quilt on my own.

For the back I used a piece of blue Kona (Copen I think) I had in my stash and made up the width of this square quilt with the red check and an extra block.

This time I used the Nummer print for the binding.

I quilted the diagonal lines to form diamonds first, with the walking foot then in lines, (free motion and a bit wobbly if we're honest!) horizontally in line with the piecing across each diamond and really I should have done it more densely, but I admit to being in a rush before the finish deadline. Anyway I hope it'll add a bit of cheer to the recipient who will be at the Hospice or Women's Refuge or Night Shelter. I have one quilt to donate to each organisation from our bee.

Deadlines!

Right down to wire of the Finish Along deadline, I've finished this quilt for our Cherish Circle of Do. Good Stitches

and as we speak I'm stitching the binding on another.

We have had a bit going on personally lately in the old circle of life with a Golden Wedding, 21st Birthday and a funeral in our close family so I haven't got much done, which I kind of anticipated here, but these quilts have been hanging over me a bit, so it's been really good to have the deadline of the Finish Along

This one was made with Ashley's (from Film in the Fridge) String quilt instructions and was always going to be wild with a free for all amongst the bee members, in terms of colour, with the only proviso being to use white or low volume centre string.

I made a backing using two extra blocks and good old Ikea Nummer print

I was pleased with the binding which is a Carolyn Friedlander Architextures crosshatch.

I quilted a grid along the low volume crosses then a simple free motion square spiral for two rounds of each coloured square.  Once I wash a dry this it should be a bit more textural.

I have three quilts to gift from my months as part of Cherish Circle and I think one will be going to the Women's Refuge, one to the Hospice and one to the Night Shelter locally, where they should add a bit of cheer.

Late to 2015

A Belated Happy New Year to You Dear Reader

While some of you winter away, we are just back from two glorious weeks camping here in NZ

It was our first camping trip where we stayed put for more than 3 nights.

Blissful kayaking, walking, running, reading, sunning, swimming, playing, chatting, eating and no electricity or even phone coverage. Wondrous...even though that puts me quite behind back in "normal" life!

The area near here is called Golden Bay for obvious reasons.

Hard to believe this bay hides 850 people in 23 camping bays

 and now I'm rushing to join the Finish Along for the first time, in the hope that it will increase my accountability to some unfinished projects...??

I'll list a few but that said I'm not being too ambitious this quarter since we have a few lovely celebrations in the pipeline: my parents are  celebrating their Golden Wedding and we are hosting our eldest's 21st for which we've (perhaps over keenly) decided to build a wood-fired oven and having a few visitors before and after that on top of normal working life.

For Do Good Stitches Cherish bee I  have to finish :

The September Reflections Quilt

The January String Quilt (this is optimistic since I may not even have all the blocks in time)

Then there's The Shirt Quilt
Which (already?!) has another section since this photo.



And finally (except there are a few other WiPs not on this quarter's list) our son's 21st quilt. Which is at the stage of a fabric pull and an idea and trial snippets stuck on a piece of paper. I'd show you except this computer's on a super go slow and so I'll save it til next time.

That'll do to start with...Truly if I finish all those it will be completely miraculous!