Orca Bay Mystery

After humming and hawing since Friday last week when Bonnie Hunter put up the first part of her newest mystery quilt, I decided, yep, can do this!  The first part says 448 pairs of quarter square triangles, hence the indecision.  But after pulling out of my stash of ready cut 3-1/2" black and neutral squares and figuring out that I actually only need 112 pairs of squares, seems more manageable.  Have about 3/4 of that number ready cut, so pulled out some of my untouched fat quarters, and away we go.

3.5" squares and strips from tamed stash

fat quarters waiting to be cut

ONE hourglass block, and three in progress, only 223 to go!

Please go and look at all the other linked participants at quiltville

Three years ago I joined a weekly quilt group, and almost every Thursday evening I have taken a box of scraps left over from sporadic quilt making from the past 30-odd years and have been taming them, a la Bonnie Hunter, into usable sizes.  I have about another year to go to get through the rest of the unruly scraps!

Re-surfacing

Gosh, it's been some time since I wrote anything.   I see the last blog was that I was looking forward to going to the South African National Quilt Festival. in July.. Well did that, and what a wonderful display of quilts and talent was on show.  Please look at the amazing pictures at SANQF.   I really got into the spirit of the theme - see photo of hair colouring on this blog - four months later, somewhat faded, but still making strangers smile at the craziness.

Sadly my Dad was taken to hospital during that time, and left us at the beginning of August, a very difficult time for whole family.  But we are slowly picking up the pieces.  I want to say feeling normal again, but I don't think one really does feel the same after losing a parent.  It's really put a damper on my wanting to quilt, but thank goodness for the friendship of the quilt groups I belong to, their support has been needed and welcomed.

My Mum is visiting my sister in Australia, and I am most envious of her being able to visit the Brisbane Quilt and Craft Fair. 

Daughter C is leaving next week, also to Australia, on a year's working holiday visa.

The best news for last - Daughter T, after working on a quilt for a family member, and making lots of sample blocks based on this blog has had two baby quilts commissioned by a friend.  Means I get to see a lot of her on weekends, as she still doesn't have space in her flat for sewing.

To all the quilters out there who blog their work and process - a big thank-you!

And almost forgot, we have a new baby....

Supernova Progress

T's Supernova is looking great, all blocks complete, and one border on.  She manages to get here about once a week, so progress is slow.  But... I think the quilting bug has bitten...she has found a blog that will teach her some basics (never mind that I have library of quilting books!).  I think it is fresh modern fabrics that she is drawn to.  And she has hauled out about 30 fabrics, and has made the first block. 

Only a week to go to our National Quilt Festival!   I'm really looking forward to this event, especially meeting up with far-flung quilting friends.

Progress

Today is a good day.  Daughter here, working on last Supernova block.  We were a little short of last fabric, so had to patch together the leftovers, looks OK.   Sad news, we lost the best cat in the world last week - a beautiful tiny tabby-point Siamese, 14-years old caught a nasty virus which just chewed up her lungs in 3 day.  She purred to the very end.

Lucinda's Mug mat

Made a delightful Mug Rug for a friends' 60th birthday, using only cut scrap 1.5 inch squares:

Lost things found

Great news - the lost block has been found.  So I've been let off having to make a block in the next quilt!  My dear Friend, who had taken all the blocks home with her, had accidentally tucked it away with another WIP.  She was very relieved at it's reappearance.

And, my parcel arrived from Leah Day's online shop,  10 weeks from mailing, and this was airmail!  Well, at least it came through Customs without pilferage.

Daughter and boyfriend moved without mishap. What a stunning view of Table Mountain they have from their lounge (note to self:  must take photos!).

She has been working on the Supernova blocks.  Showed her how to Free Motion Quilt - oh my goodness, does she have a steady eye and hand.  She neatly quilted up four 6" x 8" blocks that I will be turning into bags with zips (for South African National Quilt Festival goodie bags).  (ditto: photos!)

Busy with life

Daughter and boyfriend have a new rental apartment, will be moving next week.  Sort of suggested she take the sewing machine there so as to catch up.  "Can't!" she says, "don't have an iron or an ironing board!"  Says has had no need!  A little questioning, and I discover that this is the same for most of her friends.  She says she thinks one friend may have an ironing board.   I love their confidence to defy convention!

Things have been crazy lately.  I decided to repeat the second half of the beginners French at our local Alliance Francais, and to speed it up, taking the 3-hour twice a week class.  That's Monday and Wednesday evening used up.   So sewing has almost ground to a halt.


I needed to make another 40cm block for our group quilt, as the first disappeared!

Actually, I think this one is better sewn, and was quicker to make.

Supernova Quilt-Along

On Friday we finished all he cutting and put the first of the 36 initial blocks together.  So far, so good!

Her grandmother has kindly loaned her Bernina, so that we can both sew.  Tonight she is sewing!

Supernova Quilt-Along

I am really excited because my adult elder daughter wants to make a quilt for her partners boyfriend's niece-to-be.  She made one quilt about 5 years ago and had not shown any interest since.  Now talks about getting a sewing machine, instead of sharing mine!  Anyway, I had seen a wonderful Quilt-Along, and had been thinking about doing it (but only thinking!), so her timing is spot on.  She came around this evening and we shopped the stash and started cutting! 

More Sunflower progress

So, cut those in half as well, getting better.  Needed the tiny bits of yellow that were going to be cornerstones in the black print sashing,  so just added a triangle on the corners of each block.  The right side blocks are stitched, and left side need corners and stitching together.

My "design wall" - lol - a narrow piece of polystyrene (that barely takes two of the blocks) propped up on one of my fabric cupboards, in front of another sheet of polystyrene with another quilt in progress.

Sunflower quilt progress

So, cut the log cabin blocks diagonally and added triangles of dyed fabrics.

My whole Sunflower quilt

First blocks, which were supposed to be an off-centre log cabin, but the colour-ways of the bandana fabrics are too close in design and so the effect was lost.

The Sunflower Fund is a charity that raises money to get donors for bone marrow transplants. Each year they sell bandanas for this.   My weekly quilt group gets some of the leftover fabrics, and we make quilts which are donated back to them.   Last year the fabrics were all white background with sunflowers and Mickey Mouse images.  Here is a picture of my block for one of them (taken with my cell-phone).  I've added similar "solid" colours as contrast.
It's about 40 cm square.

Rename?

Think I need to rename this blog Sporadic Quiltmaking and Blogging!

Christmas spirit

Great Christmas Eve happiness! My anxiously awaited parcel of goodies from Day Style Designs arrived safely today. Not having had a notification from the Post Office, went on the off-chance it was there, and yes, it had cleared customs 2 days ago. Post sometimes takes anything from one week to three months from the USA to South Africa, but this one only took five weeks.

I'm gleefully counting down the last few days of my last New Year's resolution not to buy any fabric for one year.

Merry Christmas to all.