Symphony of colour – WIP Wednesday

Posted in Quilt patterns, WIP Wednesday by wombatquilts

My work in progress Wednesday is just full of colour. I have started a new quilt this week – another classic pattern with bright colours.

The pattern is called a double pinwheel and the components of the block are really simple. McCalls has a great link to making the block the traditional way – though I only used one half of their pattern. The link to their site can be found here. I once again raided my scrap box to start this project, as well as cutting into my stash a little – I was woefully short on purple scraps in particular! Because of the high contrast in the colours seams are everything and I must admit they are not as aligned as I would like with this block. Practice makes perfect, so onto the next block!

I have also finished the top for my pink and gold quilt. My niece quickly claimed this quilt as her own so there is a impetuous to finish it. We are now at the fun stage of pulling paper off the back. I do find this part of the process therapeutic but very very messy,

And last but not least, I have just finished basting the grey and green quilt I started a couple of weeks ago.

Now I just have to quilt it!

4Feb2013

Paper Piecing Monday Part 10

Posted in Paper Piecing Monday, Quilt patterns by wombatquilts

Wow I can not believe I am already ten posts into paper piecing Monday, and I am coming to the end of the wonderful patterns by Quilting on the Square. I have found some more patterns that I love and will be sharing in the coming weeks but for now we have another compass star.

As mentioned it is another Quilting on the Square pattern which you can download here block3wheeloffortune. If I was to do this block again I would make some different fabric choices. I love the background fabric but I think the two fabrics in the red border are not different enough (more contrast is needed). I must admit at times I have trouble envisioning how the block will come together and there have been quite a few stars that I would like to redo.

Happy quilting!

1Feb2013

Gretchen Quilt finished

Posted in Finished Quilts, Quilts, Scrap quilts by wombatquilts

I am not sure if it is considered cheating or not, but because the majority of my quilts are kids size, the task of finishing them is not as daunting/labor intensive as an adult size quilt. I must admit I do like the fact I can try an idea or color scheme out with out too much commitment. With the gretchen quilt I wanted to try two things I had not done before – the pattern, which is a very traditional quilt pattern and the orange/blue color scheme. Here is the results….

I must admit I am really pleased with how this quilt turned out. The colours pop and the pattern looks complex but is really quite easy. I blogged about this quilt block a couple of weeks ago, and included a couple of links to the pattern. You can click here to find it if you are interested. I went the paper piecing route and the only annoying thing was using the tweezers to remove the bits of paper wedged where eight corners meet. I did learn a valuable lesson with this – if possible remove as much of the paper corners before you sew the blocks together. I really does minimize the tweezer work and save time in the end.

I did simple straight line quilting, following the lines of the block and then stitched around the center of the square. I am still traumatized by the stipple quilting I did recently and think straight lines are still the go for the next couple of quilts. In my quilting defence (i) there is no stitching in the ditch and (2) I think the quilting compliments the piecing.

When it came time to put the back together I found in my stash the most perfect backing fabric….Ed Emberley’s Giraffes from his Happy Drawing collection.

I love this print and will have to track down some more, as I used it all on the backing. The design is fabulous and very boy appropriate.

For the binding I choose a solid navy/denim cotton which seemed to work really well. I hand stitch all my binding and the little bit of stretch in the fabric made it easy to work with.

Now I am heading back to my pink & yellow quilt. After posting my work in progress this week, my niece has claimed the quilt as hers, so I am trying to get it finished fast.

30Jan2013

Finally back in the Pink…WIP Wednesday

Posted in Quilt patterns, Scrap quilts, WIP Wednesday by wombatquilts

It has been a couple of quilts since I raided my pink fabric stash and I was having withdrawal symptoms. This was the cure…..

I am using an old pattern called “stick something in the middle” which I first used many many years ago, mainly to highlight fussy/novelty prints. When I dusted the pattern off, I saw it a little differently. I can no longer find the original link to this pattern or Mary Ann’s site unfortunately. So hopefully you can just pull the pattern off this blog directly and use it, if you want.

So this week my work space (our living room) is full of pink and yellow fabric, and gold thread is replacing grey on my husbands shirt! The space may look at little messy but there is method in the chaos.

So I am slowly adding blocks to my pile. As I have been progressing with this quilt I have been adding a few more fabrics – mainly some darker pinks and a few oranges. I felt the quilt needed a little more punch.

I will post photos of the finished quilt in the coming weeks.

28Jan2013

Paper Piecing Monday

Posted in Paper Piecing Monday by wombatquilts

Another week another pattern. This one drove me a little crazy, possibly because I was trying to finish it last night while also battling a cold. Not a good combination. Needless to say I was convinced that the block would not work and that paper piecing Monday was a stupid idea and that my sewing machine was out to get me. I was of course wrong on all fronts.

The pattern for this block can be found here block12celebration or at the Quilting on the Square site. It is another block that can be used to make a variety of very of different blocks, depending on how you interpret the pattern. Have some fun with it.

I must admit I could not have done this block, with all the drama of last night, without my newest quilting tool. My wonderful friend Lisa bought me an amazing surgical unpicker. It is one of those tools you do not realise you need until you have used it. Now I can not imagine life without out it.

It is a lethal wonder that is particularly great for paper piecing. Where standard tools struggle to deal with the close stitches you use when sewing a paper pattern, this little beauty just glides through them. The only thing you have to be careful of is accidentally cutting your fabric – I have not done this yet but imagine it will happen!

I am now off to cut some more fabric. I have decided the best way to deal with the fabric overflow is to make more quilts (and to shop less!).