Her First Quilt

When I teach classes I create detailed pattern notes for the students full of hints and tips as well as step by step sewing instructions including how to set up the sewing machine at each stage.  Sometimes it's difficult to create these instructions as I already know well how to do each stage and process and it would be easy to leave out something that to me is obvious but isn't to a less experienced sewer.

If my daughter, Flicky, is home from St Andrews then I get her to trial my patterns - I've already shared with you her fab Hidden Zippered Cushions

During her summer visit she added the final binding to a quilt she trialled for me back in March ready for my QAYG Wholecloth Strippy Quilt classes 

and for her first ever quilt she chose Critter Patch Organic by Penguin & Fish for Clothworks.

She couldn't fit the finished quilt in her case as she headed back to Scotland for the new uni year so after she left I took the opportunity to give her first quilt its very own photo shoot.

I saw Flicky for a few days when I visited Seville this month, she flew in to meet Oliver and we celebrated both our birthdays which only have a day between.

I took her finished quilt with me to Seville and it's now on Flicky's sofa in St Andrews along with her cushions - she'll need it to keep warm on cold Scottish nights!!!

Oh and the best news yet, Flicky now loves sewing so much she asked for her own machine for her birthday.  You know I'm crazy about Bernina but while she's away at Uni and travelling we thought a lighter weight Bernette London 7 would be more practical.  I phoned David Drummond Sewing Machines in Edinburgh and can't say enough good things about their customer service and how wonderful it was to work with them.  They delivered her machine a couple of days before her birthday and Flicky sent me this video of her opening her new best friend.

I wonder what she'll make next?!!!

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The Marmite Block - Do You Love It Or Hate It?

The theme for the 1 November meeting of our NYC Metro Mod Quilt Guild Block Lotto is Flying Geese.  This follows on nicely from my October Bee Blocks for Maria - Orderly and Liberated Flying Geese - making me a dab hand at stitching them up quickly.

What's a Block Lotto, I hear some of you asking?  Well, first of all, participation is optional, if you do choose to take part you get one raffle ticket for each block you enter into the Block Lotto.  When all entries are received a raffle ticket is drawn and the winner takes away all the blocks entered.

Let's get down to it - October Block Lotto instructions:

1: finished block must contain at least one flying geese unit;

2: at least one of the flying geese units in the block must be red; and

3: the finished block must be a 12.5" unfinished square.

Here is my finished block...

which I hate... 

or maybe I love...

I just can't make my mind up either way, this is the strangest feeling I've ever had making a quilt block.

Let's start this story again - this time with the block the other way up just so it doesn't feel quite so repetitive.

I pulled out my red scrap box to find fabric to make the block and right then and there I saw four 5" charm squares that I really dislike.  Do you have that, fabric in your collection that makes you uncomfortable, that you try not to look at, let your eyes move on quickly and hope the niggle inside you goes away?

If you don't like a fabric in your stash the first question is how did it come into your possession?

Mine was by way of a Flickr fabric charm swap.  Ever joined in one?  I've joined in two; one was strictly Kaffe Fassett fabrics - the organiser was strict about everyone's chosen fabrics and the resulting received charm pack was wonderful - well it couldn't be anything else as I loooove Kaffe Fassett.  My other swap was a Scrappy Fabric Charm Swap.  Now I know for some scrappy sounds wonderful and I totally agree, when scrappy comes from my own scrap stash and I'm in total control (did I really just own up to being a control freak on my blog?!).  I'm not so keen when it's an amalgamation of many people's stashes, for me this is in danger of becoming fabric vomit.  

So why did I take part in this Fabric Vomit Scrappy Fabric Charm Swap?  Well I wanted to support the organiser, an online quilty friend, and I thought I could just divide the charms across my colour separated scrap bins and use them up for projects such as this.  To be fair the majority of fabrics in the swap were really lovely - just not together!!! - separated amongst my stash they'll all be very useful over time, however there were one or two that really set my aesthetic nerves jangling

If you don't like a fabric in your stash the second question has to be why is it still there?  

Why not swap it - you'll be amazed how one of your quilty friends may love it as apparently we don't all have the same taste in fabric it seems!, donate it to a quilt guild or charity store, or use it - maybe make a charity quilt?

I struggled with my conscience, is it okay to make a block using fabric I've chosen but don't actually like?  I wondered how I'd feel posting about a fugly block I've created from choice - that one was simple, I just wouldn't, post about it that is.  Still to finally be rid of four 5" charm squares that I didn't like and wouldn't have to look at again in my stash!!!  That decided I set about making the block.

I pulled the four 5" charms squares and made four Flying Geese Units.  I sewed the scrap ends together along with a small piece of black solid and included them too, then added a black solid to make it up to the required 12.5" block size.

Finally I stood back and looked at the block. [hmmm, it's actually not bad] did that thought actually just go through my head? [kind of got a Japanese feel going on] oh no, stop talking head voices.  I know let's show it to hubby and see what reaction he gives [he's going to love it, oh look at his face he does love it, oh what have I done? now he'll want a whole quilt made like this].

There you go I eat my words and have decided to share the block after all and be totally honest about it.

 Still can't decide if I love it and hate it though, it's quite a Marmite Block moment.  I do indeed HATE Marmite, fortunately so does my husband so we've never encountered this (un)romantic problem:

I think the block could look great in a quilt made up of all these fabrics/colours but continuing the theme of being honest let's face it these Block Lotto blocks are going to be a pile of Scrappy Blocks - can red Flying Geese pull all that together in a whole quilt?  The winner's got their work cut out - I really hope it's not me!

Have you made something for someone else with a fabric you don't like just to get rid of it? 

Share your Charm Swap experiences too.

As always you can check out all the blocks that our Guild make for the Flying Geese Block Lotto on my Quilty - NYC Metro Mod Guild Challenge Blocks- I'll add more pins as each person in the Bee posts photos of their finished blocks and you can see my NYC Mod Quilt Guild post here too.

And you can click this link to see all of my NYC Mod Quilt Guild Bee Blocks and Challenge Blocks/Quilts.

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Orderly and Liberated Flying Geese - NYC Metro Mod Quilt Guild Bee Blocks

 
Chris here again - still catching up on my NYC Metro Mod Quilt Guild Bee Blocks - October this time and our Queen Bee is my lovely friend Maria.

Here's the Bee Block package:



Maria's instructions:
Block 1 - Orderly Flying Geese
Create 4 Flying Geese units using the No Waste Method available here at patchpieces.com and join the 4 units together point to base to create a 14.5" x 7.5" block.

Use the Cotton+Steel solid fabric supplied (I think mine's Gale Force but not 100% sure - it's a really deep dark grey) as the sky or the geese plus another fabric of own choice.



I used the Cotton+Steel solid as the geese and my sky is Philip Jacobs for Rowan, Cactus Dahlias Gold - I've used it previously as the backing for my Autumn's Golden Gown quilt (this link includes a tute for the quilt top :D ).

Block 2 - Liberated Flying Geese
Use the same two fabrics as Block 1 and add a third fabric of own choice.
Maria gave three sizes choices for the block and I chose  14.5" x 14.5".



This time I've used the Philip Jacobs fabric for the Geese and the solid and additional fabric for the Sky.  I have no idea what my third fabric is, I took it from my scrap stash - though I do know it came into my possession back in July 2012 for another Bee Block - Liberated Log Cabin for Binita.

I made four Flying Geese units then extended each to 14.5" wide.




Here's how it looks upside down - should Maria choose to use it this way!



And the two blocks side by side.





Almost up to date on the my Guild blocks - just one more to go before Saturday's Guild meeting - the last one's a Lotto Draw Block and guess what the theme is - yep Flying Geese - watch out for that one coming up very soon!!!



As always you can check out all the blocks that our Bee make for Maria on my Quilty - Flying Geese Pinterest Board - I'll add more pins as each person in the Bee posts photos of their finished blocks and you can see my NYC Mod Quilt Guild post here too.


Clicking on a image will take you to a new page of crafty goodness :)
 

For details of other fabric, yarn, trim and notion stores that I've visited around the world along with the NYC stores I love, exhibitions and events I've attended and wonderful people I've been lucky to meet click the links below or in my side bar :D