The biggest TA DA!

At the end of June I showed you my Ruby quilt top all sewn together.  Strictly speaking this top has a number of Bonnie and Camille lines in it - Ruby, Marmalade and Vintage Modern - but it will always be known to me as my Ruby quilt.

Anyway, I took one look at that quilt top laid across my bed and thought "there's no way my quilting skills could do justice to a quilt top of this size in my most favourite ever fabrics."  Enter a fleeting thought of sending it to Trudi for some long armed magic.  Fold quilt top up and continue to have fleeting thoughts of sending to Trudi all day long!  Quick em to Trudi and a plan was set in motion.

Best quilting decision ever!

My quilt came back a little while ago and I have been trying to bind and label it so I can show it off you.  Ready to see the quilting magic of Trudi?

Ta da!  I could stare at this quilt ALL day.  No joke.

Here's a close up of the swirly flowery pattern she quilted.  I'm not sure what Trudi calls this but I think I'm going with 'Flower Power' because of the floral-esque look coupled with some mussel type paisley thingies - so, flowers + muscle = flower power. Random thinking, but if you fancy this design on your quilt tell her to do it like mine!

You get a clearer picture from this photo of the back.

I know it's very fashionable to piece a backing for our quilts these days but very often I just like a plain backing, and it was definitely the right move for a quilt which was long arm quilted.  The quilting shows up so beautifully when unbroken by the patchwork of fabrics as it is on the front, and it sort of feels like two quilt for the price of one!

For me, long arm quilting isn't an option for every quilt but I will NEVER regret sending this one off for some Trudification.  She made the whole process so easy and such fun by surprising me with sneak peeks of the work in progress on Instagram.  Honestly, I had been so teased with pics that by the time this poor man arrived

I was practically giddy with excitement and almost mugged him!

On a personal note, I have been very affected by the return of my quilt.  In a million years I never expected to have such an emotional reaction to it and am not sure I can fully explain it.  I have met Trudi and she is the loveliest, most generous person and we have talked for a number of years through our blog comments and now IG.  She feels like a friend.  She is a seriously talented lady, you can see that for yourself, and it feels like such a privilege to have had her work on my quilt top.  So much so, that she's a part of the history of this quilt that I love so much and I've recorded that little bit of history on the label too - tempting as it is to let future generations think I did this amazing work myself!

So there you have it, my biggest "ta da".  Thank you lovely Trudi for working your magic and bringing my quilt to life.

Seriously folks, if you ever wonder about whether to send your quilt for long arm quilting and can afford to - just do it.  Trudi's a busy lady but book your quilt in ahead of time and relax knowing your quilt couldn't be in better hands.

This quilt finish is also a FAL finish for Quarter 3.  Doesn't feel quite right to claim it since Trudi did the hard part so I won't enter it in the draw at the end of the quarter but I can still most definitely declare it as a finish from my list!

Snow plans

My car is under there somewhere!  The white stuff is falling fast and looks like it has no plans to let up tomorrow.  Could be a day or two before we can venture forth. Good job I have plenty of fabric to play with!

A snowy afternoon made me face my fears and finish off those long neglected baby taggy feelies for the craft sale (deferred for a while anyway).  

With those out of the way, I felt that maybe I could justifiably consider a wee new fun project ....

Lots of paper pieces in a whole range of sizes from that irregular hexagon to the teeny sliver beside it and everything in between.   We are not going to talk about how it might be possible to baste a sliver of paper - I didn't think it through, but I'm going to blunder on regardless.

I've been saving my precious remaining Ruby scraps for this wee project - happy dance!! I can't wait to get some of this stitched up so I can show you!

Hope you all have great plans for the weekend!

Goosey, goosey ransom!

This month it's our Mama Bee's turn to be Queen for a month.  So that means it is the fabulous Di's choice of block we are all sweating over making perfect!

Ruby beauty!

Di chose this wild geese pattern for her blocks and then sent us each a fq of Ruby to work with.  Did you hear that?  RUBY!  Like only my all time favourite fabric! And the silly girl actually expects to get it back - mwaaaahaaaahaaaa!!

Yep, this Ruby is bringing out my darker side and I have tried to pretend that no Ruby arrived in the post, but she didn't fall for that.  Now, in a last ditch effort I have threatened to kidnap her wild Ruby geese (hence the ransom note above).

Wild Geese Block for Di - 16.5" x 16.5"

HOWEVER, I'm not really dark by nature and I've seen those other wild geese blocks popping up on our hipBees flickr page and I'm thinking this quite large Ruby geese block (16.5" square) would be much happier joining the gaggle of others in Di's sofa quilt.  Ho hum!  Nice Sarah wins out and evil Sarah is being locked back up in her box, for another week or two anyway.

So, here it is Di.  Some geese for your gaggle with all my love and the little piece of my heart that was lost to Ruby.  (Violins play soft, wistful notes.)


PS - No need to send chocolate, I'm trying to be good and I promise to post the geese soon (after a wee bit more stroking).

Applique Cushion Progress

I showed you last week the start of my applique cushion with the mitred corners that I have been making at the In Stitches classes.  Last night it was time to get down to the nitty gritty and put my satin stitch practice to use on those LOVE letters.

Not so shabby eh?  A wee bit wobbly in those inner circles of the 'o' and 'e' but not bad for someone so inexperienced in this technique.

Today I finished the wee hearts and flowers and added buttons for a bit of interest.  Although I wish I had had bigger buttons for those flowers, I'm pleased with the overall effect and am really excited that next week should now see the cushion finished and ready to take up residence in my little "girly" corner of the house!

All Came Good in the End

As you are all painfully aware by now the Ruby quilt I have been making as a wedding gift for my cousin has been a sorry saga - desperate quilting, a hole in the back (discovered after I'd quilted), binding stitched on to the back instead of the front before I realised and I could go on, but I won't bore you. Anyway,  for better or worse it's now finished and ready for gifting to the newlyweds next week.

For all the mistakes I made along the way, this quilt is still beautiful and that reminded me a little of my own marriage.  So, that's the blessing that I'll be sending with this quilt - that these newlyweds will know that marriage can be beautiful even if it's not always perfect.

In case you are interested the free pattern for the quilt is here.

Oh Ruby!

Yep, that's the sound of a quilt that's breaking my heart.

On Friday afternoon the sun was shining gloriously so I popped out to take a better picture of the quilt top (though it was a little windy)

and also a picture of the back

I don't normally piece backs for my quilts but I did for this one.  And, at that stage Friday afternoon this quilt was breaking my heart because I wanted to keep it.  I loved every little piece of fabric and every great big splash of Ruby colour on that backing, and had a little sigh in acknowledgement that this quilt will not be mine.

Then, I took it off the line and drove myself crazy trying to baste the quilt so that the front and back would be aligned straight.  In the spirit of honesty, while I'd like to tell you I succeeded, I can't.  That back was on again and off again and I just really struggled to get it right.  It ended up being as good as I could get it and it's not too bad, but in my head I can't help thinking that it's not good enough.

Friday night and yesterday I had a go at quilting this baby and feel like I'm breaking my heart over it even more.  It just didn't go smoothly and I think that I have kind of wobbled under the pressure of having to have this finished.  There is barely a single straight line in this quilting and I really wonder at myself - don't I know better than this?  Can't I do better than this?  And why, when it matters so much, is this one of the worst quilting jobs I have ever done?

My one remaining hope is that after I get all those mosaic quilting ends taken care of and the binding on, a good wash and dry will disguise this ghastly quilting.  My report card on this one should definitely read "Could do better."

Oh Ruby, forgive me!

Holiday Stitching

Part of my plan for August and having a two week break from work was to make a start on piecing two quilt tops.  So with lots of preparation (ie a cutting marathon) pre-hols, our luggage included little kits for the "Ruby" wedding quilt and the Hopscotch quilt.

I did wonder if I was expecting too much hoping to get two tops finished, but it is amazing what you can do when you have no internet distraction connection of an evening!  And, on the plus side, those Moda pre-cuts for both quilts fluffed up the holiday cottage and not my house.  Why, oh why do they insist on those pinked edges?  They make such a mess!  (In case you wondered, of course I dusted and vacuumed the cottage before we left!)

First up is the Ruby quilt top which I was so pleased to get together.  Although now it absolutely must be layered, quilted and bound in the next three weeks to be ready for the upcoming wedding - no pressure then!

The pattern for this quilt is by Corey at Little Miss Shabby and is available free on Moda Bakeshop here if you are interested.

Secondly, there's the Hopscotch quilt which was potentially to be a gift but I am now rethinking that plan for a couple of reasons.

Obviously needs a good press and trimmed but you get the idea.

This pattern really tested my abilities and as a result isn't quite as securely made as I'd like a gifted quilt to be.  It's also much bigger than I thought it would be (60" x 70" which to me is fairly large!) and it has far to travel so I might go with something a little more my usual size and make it easier to post. Besides all of that, I really love the pattern but do not really love the idea of making another one for myself in a hurry, so maybe if I can come up with an alternative gift quilt this one might just remain resident at my house.  (Cheeky of me, I know.)

When the machine wasn't whirring, I picked up on my hexagon quilt again.  This little paper pieced  top was started in the Lake District two summers ago and holds a little significance for me in that it was instrumental in reminding me how much I loved to sew and that really I should make an effort to make time for something I enjoy so much.

Although it has been long in the making and still has a way to go before it will be finished, this hexie top holds a special place in my sewing history and heart and I have truly enjoyed making it, even if my fabric preferences are a little different these days.  (These fabrics were originally bought about 11/12 years ago for a purpose I can no longer recall and stored away until I found them 2 summers back.)

This holiday I had thought I might complete the cream border, but when I got all the edges stitched in it still looked a little incomplete to me, so I basted another stack of hexies and got stitching on a coloured border which I think really helps to finish it off.  (You can see the difference in the top pic.)  I love this little quilt so much and hope it won't be another two years before it's finished, but I'm making no promises.  Who knows, by the time I'm finished my fabrics might be back in fashion - country vintage or Debbie Mumm revisited perhaps?

So, I'm well pleased with my holiday efforts - enough to have been productive, not so much that it was a slog.  And, all just in time for me to be back at work tomorrow and school to resume on Wednesday signalling the loss of treasured sewing time during the week.  If only we could live off thin air!

I should also have shown you the lovely wee gifts that I received from Di and Catherine when we met up during my time away.

These jams (showing you my pic 'cos Di's were missing from her post as she'd already snarfled them) and the little hostess tray were from Catherine.  I think this little tray will be a great help as a thread tidy on my sofa arm when I'm working at finishing that hexagon quilt border andI have warned the men of the house to touch these jams at their peril!

Di had bought Catherine and I these lovely little felted Jubilee brooches which are very fashionable given the Jubilee and Olympic Brit Summer that is just now drawing to a close.  Need to think of somewhere clever to pin this now so that I will be reminded of Di when I see it.  Maybe on a winter scarf which no doubt I shall be needing sooner than I want to believe!

I also had a bit of a rummage in the charity shops while I was away and snapped up this lovely floral sheet and pillow case for £2.  Don't actually think it has ever been used it's in such nice condition.  I though perhaps it might make a nice quilt backing some time when I'm doing something a little more traditional.

Di and I found this blue duvet cover in another charity shop and thought that it might be useful for some of the Bee Blessed quilts.  Since it's a double we should be able to get two backings from it - a snip at £3 which Di kindly donated.

And finally, here are a few new fqs I chose at The Quilted Sheep in Milnthorpe.  I didn't really have anything particular in mind to purchase, hence the odd selections but I really liked them.  This teeny wee shop is stuffed full of lovely fabrics and wool, and the owner was very friendly and chatty - maybe worth a nip in if you are in the area.

Goodness, I had a lot to say today - forgive me.  I guess that's what two weeks disconnection does for me!

Oh My Pretties!

Ruby by Bonnie and Camille is the first fabric line I have absolutely fallen in love with.

You know what I mean.  The one you buy some of, fold it and put away, bringing it out to stroke it from time to time then put it back in the drawer waiting for the day you can make something special with it.  The one where you will commit to buying a pre-cut knowing that you won't have to remove 4 prints that don't really do it for you.

Ruby puts a smile on my face!

And now, I am about to cut into these pretties to make a very special quilt to give away!  

It might not have been part of the original plan, but at least I know they will be appreciated where they are going.  I'm going to attempt this pattern as a wedding quilt for my cousin.  So, my all time favourite fabrics and a special occasion quilt - no pressure then!