This little quilt started well before the winter olympics.  As we watched, the more we saw of the costumes and wonderful patterns below. The more we saw, the more this little quilt had to be finished. 

Sochi Olympic pattern from - http://www.graphicart-news.com

January is great time to embark on epic projects.  My friend Christine is one for epic projects and last year was no different.  Christine has just finished showcasing her 2013 project - 365 3x3 inch squares of embellished goodness.  Then at the end of the year she packaged them up and gave them away to a friend - one to open for every day of the year.  Here is just a taster..

You can see more of her wonderful work at What Goes on in the Sheila Shed.

For a brief moment there was a fantail on my couch. I meet up with friends every Monday to sew.  They keep me sane.  Every year we have a Christmas swap and this year it was cushions.  This little chap only just made it to the party.  I was stitching until the minute I left the house.


He's now sitting on the couch at this lovely friend's place. 

Scrap Republic is a book that has me excited about playing with colours* and rediscovering my fabric stash.  I spotted in on a friend's book shelf and have to admit that I have been looking after it for far too long.

In a market where books play one-up-manship, boasting huge number of projects, this book quietly has 8, and focuses instead on the techniques.  The book focuses on gaining confidence in using colour.  Each of the 8 projects is based on using a rainbow spectrum of colours, in order, with different effects.  The projects had me searching through my fabric drawers for a little bit of every colour.  If you haven't a collection of fabrics to choose from each project has a "solace for the scrapless" option.  It would also be great to team up with a friend to swap fabrics to put together a range of different prints.


Of course a book review is not complete without trying out a project.  I chose Beeline, which uses long strips of colour to make a mini quilt, or in this case a giant floor cushion.  I like the way each project can be considered a warm up exercise without always committing to a full bed size quilt.

Format 8 projects starting with short and simple works and gradually becoming larger and complex as the book progresses.  The book begins with a discussion of how to use and sort colour before launching into the projects.

Who would I recommend it to?  This book is best suited to someone who already has a few fabrics to call upon and is looking to use them in a way that makes them sing.  If you prefer muted colours and restricted palette, perhaps try one or two projects, but this book is probably not for you.

Would I buy it? While I won't be buying my own copy, this book is fantastic for quilter who love colour and want to branch out a little.  It would be a great addition to a quilting guild library too.


*excuse me while I insist on using NZ spelling, colour, grey, etc.  The rest of the spelling errors are my very own.

A mere 3 years after buying the fabric, this quilt is finished.  To be fair, the top has been sitting and waiting for me since December 2009.

It's been a while since I finished a quilt. This one drifted to the top of the pile recently.  I had a pair of sheets, one of which was chosen to back this quilt, the other was given away

This quilt is the first I made from park slope fabric.  You can see the second using the leftovers, hanging to the left on the line.  It makes an interesting study in the impact different settings, sashing and boarders can have on the same fabrics.

 

The wedding quilt is finished.  It was carefully handed to my new Sister in Law earlier this week.  Now I can share it without ruining any surprises.

The colors have been been chosen to match their house.  The pattern is an eccentric square in square.  the first few blocks were built around the black and white centres.  I grew attached to the optical push/pull of the floating black squares and so they stayed. They remind me a little of Bridget Riley's vector field paintings.


Now a wedding quilt is not a wedding quilt with out some personal touches and so here we have the back.  The blocks were signed between the engagement party and the wedding. They were slowly pieced together in the months following.  It was a privilege to read through all the names and messages.  Though, my favorite would have to be the last one.

It's been awhile since any quilts have been finished around here.  A quick check tells me that I last one I finished was August last year.  I have been working on this one since September last year and trying very hard to improve my project monogamy.  I promise, I haven't been distracted by any other quilts.  Winter jackets, clothes and wooden boxes yes, but no other quilts.  

This one is almost finished - a few threads to cut and photos to take. My fingers are left itching and I'm looking around at my pile of unfinished projects.  Perhaps I should finish some of them while I decide what to start on next.

As my brother painted his house green, grey and black, I thought there could be a quilt in that. When he announced his engagement, I KNEW there had to be a quilt in it.

I'm slowly piecing the blocks based on this quilt and have seen that I'm not the only one taken with this colour scheme. It's been a few months in the making with snatches of sewing snuck in every Monday night. I have until St Patrick's day to get it finished for the Wedding.

After planning, cutting and stitching, my work for the Modern Christmas Table Runner Swap is done and in the post. After leaving it hanging on the wall for a few days, I decided that I really needed to add some french knots above the "e" before posting. I have even managed to get to grips with machine quilting using metallic thread.

For now, I will keep quiet about where it is going, but can only say it will be accompanied by two swift flying birds.

In a few weeks time, I get to be an auntie and my girls get to be cousins. Over the last week we have been sorting through the baby bedding and putting a care package together for my sister in law*. Of course, the package had to be topped with a new quilt for the baby. The girls are also pretty excited about getting a cousin.

Sorting through the bedding I realised that I really do have a lot of baby quilts. It got me to thinking about what makes a good baby quilt and this is what I came up with:

• Baby's are not always clean - make the quilt washable
• Mum's are often pushed for time - make it MACHINE washable, quilt it tight so that it will hold up to the machine.
  
• Some Mum's are scared of what the machine might do - prewash and dry the quilt so all the shrinking is over and done with.
• Babies love cuddles and soft things - consider using flannelette backing.
• Babies temperatures are very sensitive - use materials that will breathe, avoid polarfleece or polyester batting.

And most of all, make something you enjoy making.


*For those of you who were at the engagement party on the weekend and are wondering where the bump was, all I can say is it's the OTHER sister in law.

Sometimes it is good to remember why we do what we do. I quilt because I enjoy it. I give my quilts away because I hope other people will enjoy them too. This is part of the blogg

When I heard that Quilts were being gathered for Christchurch I sent one too. I couldn’t imagine how much it would make someone’s day. This comment from Chris, who received one of my quilts, meant a lot to me so I thought I should share it:

Hi Amy, I'm a friend of Cat's and she has told me that the quilt she sent me was made by you. I just don't know how to thank you... I live just outside of Christchurch and as you would know the last month hasn't been much fun. To recieve a gift made with such thought and love has been humbling and I am so so grateful and appreciate so much the work that went into it. I couldn't send Cat an email for several days after I received as every time I went to sit down and write something I burst into tears. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. With much love and gratitude, Chris

The quilt above was posted to a friend last week. Her house was severely damaged in the February quake. It’s their wedding quilt backed with messages from the guests that helped celebrate their wedding 5 years ago. The pattern is very aptly bricks – as every one fell off her house.

I've chosen this quilt as my part for the the Quilt Festival because it is special to me. I could talk more about patterns, colours, designers but for now it is just nice to stop and remember – this is why I do what I do. It motivates me. It keeps me going.

How about you? Why are you picking up the needles, threads, children, recipe books? What keeps you going? What is it you enjoy doing, and why?