timeless

I first saw this layout in one of my earliest Kaffe Fassett books, and I have always loved it! It was a lovely old vintage Handkerchief quilt, made in lively primary colours, no borders, timeless! Since then I've seen different fabrics used in different settings for these quarter log cabin blocks. For my version, I've mainly used Anna Maria Horner fabric - leftover scraps of her different prints, from the last few years & last few fabric collections, I kinda feel her fabrics have some of that timeless appeal too! {teal social climber is a classic example here!}
12 1/2" blocks, set 4 x 5.
Similar width strips added to each side of the 4 1/2" corner squares.
I tried to use a wide strip for the final strips each time to allow for squaring up, but this didn't always work out! And I discovered that I needed to control the scrappiness by alternating the warm /cool colours {see last post for more about that!}
To extend the quilt size I did wonder about adding borders, but am still v.undecided. What do you think... borders or no borders?

a little light-bulb moment

I've been making a bit of a dent in the scraps from my overflowing scrap basket! I sorted them into several 'important' piles, and was really quite ruthless about what I would actually enjoy sewing with again or not!
I also singled out all my scrappy bits of AMH, trimmed them up, and started making more of those quarter log cabin blocks. I find quite a few AMH fabrics beautiful individually, but the initial blocks I'd made were looking very intense to me, with all the various fabrics stitched up close & personal against each other!
My daughter came over this afternoon with the girls, Olive & Evie. I asked her to have a little peep in the sewing room, with a sort of "what's wrong with this picture?" question for her! Instantly she said, there's too much pink in these squares here and way too much blue over there, and I suddenly realised where I was going wrong!
I didn't unpick all of my blocks, just little bits of them, and I began alternating the strips of warm/cool colours more with the newer blocks, and wow, what a difference! This block appeared simple enough, amazing how a little bit of thought and feedback made it even better! Think I'll keep going with this!

Inspiration came from two books 

Sunday Morning Quilts and The Gentle Art of Quiltmaking by Jane Brocket 

oh and from Jodi over at Tales of Cloth here {pop over sometime for some lovely colourful pics!}

Linking up with 'Oh Scrap' here
and with WiP Wednesday here

over the long weekend

                                                           all-out scrappy                                        AMH + a few friends

Over this long weekend I wanted to tackle the overflowing scrap basket under my sewing table. I was going to sort my scraps by colour. So I dumped them all out onto the floor and began making little piles! There was one pile for the uglies, the rejected ones, and the way-too-small bits. And then there was a second pile for the ones I really want to use again & again... but before I had a chance to sort these out into their separate colours, I sort of got sidetracked! Again!!
I made a couple of trial quarter log cabin blocks, something I've been wanting to do for a while now, finished block size 12 1/2" x 12 1/2." {For some great ideas on setting blocks like these, check out Jayne's post here.} Not sure which version I prefer yet... the all-out scrappy look or the AHM + just a few friends version. Mr D. thought they were both pretty much the same! hm-m-m interesting! What do you think? Linking into 'Oh Scrap' here

Sometimes not finishing things simply comes down to me losing inspiration. I messed around for ages trying to work out how to set the blocks for the 'classic meets modern' quilt, but nothing seemed right, so I put it away. However, finishing this quilt-a-long from last year was on my list {hey, you know, "The List" - see here for more details} so this long weekend I got it out again. This monthly QAL has been all about putting a modern spin on traditional blocks, and I wanted the setting & borders to reflect that too. I've pieced it altogether, added borders, sorted out the backing, and now it's all pressed, folded & waiting to go off to the quilter for some extra magic! So excited to be so near to crossing something else off the list! Linking up with Erin here - pop on over to see how others are progressing!

modern BB # 2

And then, really late in the day, I decided to make another block for the Moda Modern Building Blocks quilt. Good to get the two biggest blocks done now! Karyn (see here) has been busy with these blocks too. Our versions look pleasantly different, it's quite a lovely play with the lights & darks!

                                                       Don't you just love a long weekend

                                                     - heaps of time to do heaps of things!

                                        {here in Auckland, NZ it's Auckland Anniversary weekend} 

a family affair {WiP}

I chose from a selection of old tablecloths, tea tray sets & doilies from my mum & Mr D's mum. It was a bit scary cutting into some of them! Once Aunty Freda saw what I was making she wanted to add a couple too! We spent a lovely afternoon together going through all her own special collection. 

Rectangles cut at 10 1/2" x 9 1/2 " Log Cabin strips from Old New Fabric Collection by Lecien, cut 2" wide

Careful cutting of vintage fabrics was required - some were quite worn, some were different weights, & some of the fabrics shifted quite a bit. I selected parts that had quite a bit of white around the motif to keep the quilt light & bright, and would also allow for some added quilting texture
Single bed size quilt for babe Evie 

gypsy caravan quilt {a finish}

recycled duvet cover used for backing

Late one afternoon this week I set myself up in the sewing room... fan on high, glass of wine waiting... and I'm pleased to report, everything went smoothly! The quilting on this takes a backseat to the busy fabrics. I simply did straight line quilting, using a neutral light grey thread, and then I used a very useful Denyse Schmidt stripe for the binding. Finish #2 , another quilt to cross off my FAL list!  Linking up with TGIFF here today @ Bolt to Beauty . Pop on over to see lots of other quilty finishes!

p.s. quilts are for giving
- and this one has gone already, to Gail-the-Midwife 

Hope she loves it!

more vintage inspiration {a WiP}

After making the last doilie quilt {see here for details} I then discovered that Jane Brocket also has a couple of lovely ideas of how to use vintage doilies. I had a quick look at one of her books yesterday and fell in love with one quilt in particular, 'Granny Takes a Trip' it was called! I can't remember all of her instructions-or why she chose that name- I was just flipping thru' the book sans glasses, but it seemed simple enough. While I have all mum's old doilies & tablecloths out of the airing cupboard, I thought I'd do a couple of trial blocks! I'm cutting them into rectangles and framing them log cabin style with strips from the Old New Fabric Collection by Lecien. Hey, this could be babe Evie's first quilt! 

Linking up with WiP Wednesday here

.. why not pop on over to see what others are busy working on too!

pieces from my past {a finish}

anyone for a picnic?

My mum had a lovely collection of  doilies & hankies, but over the years they all ended up in the back of her airing cupboard! Not fashionable I suppose? and keeping them fresh & white without good old Napisan would have been tricky! After she passed away I always had the idea I would make something with them, just never too sure what. So they ended up in the back of my airing cupboard!
Then a few years ago, I spotted a quilt in an old NZ Quilter magazine, & figured I could do that... easy peasy! I compiled them into a quilt top, selected some blue & white backing fabric, layered everything up, and started to do some machine quilting. But it wasn't going going too smoothly, so I just left it!

On re-looking at that quilt recently, I remembered so many of the doilies from when I was growing up. And I realised I should actually get this finished! I've added more doilies, overlapping them to get a pleasing & balanced effect. Sometimes the overlapping was necessary actually- a few doilies haven't aged v.well! Then I did more machine quilting. It's minimal, just enough to hold it all together, way way too hot at present for anything else really! And now we are using it over the summer holidays. And remembering mum, xxx

p.s. Finish #1
yayee I can cross this first finish of the year off my FAL list!