Winnings and Skirt Making

I think I won these by default at our last Monday Modern gathering. I am happy. I like this block and the red and aqua theme.

They are now hanging in the hall (the only biggish wall without windows) waiting for me to work out how to put them together. I saw on a blog recently someone had alternated them with 9 patch squares. Maybe I will get to them in January.

It's been very uneventful on the sewing front. Not by choice but because of school. However, I did enjoy going to the Auckland Festival of Quilts last weekend and meeting up with some of the Monday Modern girls. Many of the group had quilts in the exhibition and Carolyn's bee quilt won a prize! You can check out some pics on flickr.

Last weekend I also visited the Designer Textiles Outlet in Otara. I bought some fabric for a skirt and a top. I whipped up the skirt this arvo. They have a great selection of fabrics at the moment. I think this fabric was $12m at 150cm wide. Because it has some stretch I didn't even bother with a zip.

Now I am going to get back to binding the baby quilt. It's been lying untouched, except for maybe the cat sleeping under it, on the couch for at least two weeks.

The Bee Trees in Down Under Quilts

I couple of months ago saw a request from Down Under Quilts for botanical themed quilts, so sent them a small pic of our Modern Monday Bee Trees quilt. I got an email back asking for more photos, so in the middle of winter I took the quilt round to a local park and attached it to the swings to get some decent (light) photos. I am sure the early morning walkers wondered what I was up to!

A couple of weeks ago, the magazine turned up in my letterbox with a ginormous whole page photo of the Bee Trees quilt!

Bee Trees Complete

Last April the Monday Modern girls made me some trees. A year later the quilt is done. It measures 180 x 147cm (about 70 x 57"). The trees are an Echino linen-cotton. The backgrounds are Spotlight specials as is the back and the binding. The quilting was done by Carol Fearon.

I have tested it and it works well.

Spotty Trees

My sewing has slowed down this week because I have been making myself do the jobs I don't really enjoy before I am "allowed" to sew ... because, before I know it, the holidays will be over. I have filled a three metre skip bin with gardening pruning, washed the outside and insides of my windows, taken the car in for a service and had my newly cleaned windows measured for blinds so I can get rid of the apricot curtains after nine years of living here! But no one wants to see photos of those things.

How about photos of my bee quilt top? I wish it was the whole quilt quilted and bound ... maybe by the Easter/April hols (-:

It's old-school sashed and it is very 'spotty', but the Modern Monday girls said, "retro" and that made me feel better.

I am quite looking forward to quilting this one. Helen, at our Monday Modern meeting this week, suggested quilting in some grass, clouds, etc. Maybe I will get to Spotlight over the weekend to get backing fabric. If I can just get it bound before school starts, it's more likely to get quilted this term.

The Trees are Growing

The top is nearly finished. I just need to add the green down the sides. It will measure about 150 cm x 150 cm. I am unsure about whether to add another row of trees across the top or bottom. I like quilts that go over and under my feet to trap the warm air in. I will have to give it a test drive.

Growing Trees

13 blocks were made for me when it was my turn for the bee block in our Modern Monday group. At the time, I made one extra block and then put them on the shelf where they have been since April/May.

Recently, I made up two more blocks to make my total 16. Good old google images sent me to pinterest where I found ideas for these two blocks.

Then I kept going and got half the top put together. My plan back in April was not to sash but it was a bit wishy washy and beige, although probably more 'modern' in look. It's definitely more colourful like this.

I might gift this one to my Dad if it doesn't turn out too flowery. Like me, he likes something over his feet and legs while watching telly at night. And what more could an orchardist want on a quilt, but trees! Only a few of them are fruit tree in shape.

Monday Modern Bee Blocks

This month, a random stack of coins for Heather. Super quick and easy to make. I'd imagine good to use up medium sized scraps too.

And Stacey wanted blocks to finish her BOM she started last year. The blocks she had made were square in design, so that was our only 'rule' really. This block comes from the book Modern Blocks. This block is called Fussy Cut by Susanne Woods.

Tula Pink's Nightshade Blocks

This is some very funky fabric. It's Tula Pink's Nightshade featuring witch like sisters.

These were quite easy blocks made up of straightforward squares and rectangles. And the blocks are quite large, so a quilt would come together relatively quickly. My favourite fabric is the black dot/stripe. I might try and find some.

My most recent sewing audiobook via audible has been Orphan Train by Christina Baker Klein. It was a good listen. One I would recommend to listen to or read.

Solid Wonky Log Cabin Blocks

This month's bee blocks are for Cris. I think the solids make great blocks. I had fabric left over, so thought I might as well sew a second block. They are pretty quick to whip up.

Fabric goes a long way with wonky log cabin blocks. These are the only scraps I ended up with.

Now onto the bee blocks for Louise.

A Small Forest

I received all of these trees (and more, but 9 makes for a good collage!) at our Modern Monday gathering last week.

I love that I got a real range of trees in shape and in construction. My backgrounds don't blend as well as I hoped they would. I will work on ways to put the blocks together. One idea is to sash them with more of the green. Not sure what I will do.

It was better than Christmas!

This month we are working on blocks for Louise using Tula Pink's funky  Nightshade and for Cris using bright solids.

PS Our Modern Monday group is planning a quilt exhibition in Auckland for September.

Modern Monday April Bee Block

One of our April Modern Monday bee blocks is for Mel. It's a pod.

Doing this block reminded me I still have this curvy quilt top made with old woollen blankets unquilted. I think it's a pay someone to do it job.

Modern Monday Bee Block

My bee block has been moved forward from May to April. I have been collecting and collating ideas for a while and they were for very uniform blocks, but after doing Carolyn's bee block I decided to be more open to possibilities.

So my instructions are - 'make me a tree measuring between 6 and 8 inches high, set in a 12.5 inch block'. I am open to whatever I get.

I have given fellow Monday Modernists (?) some Echino green, a strip of brown (thinking tree trunk and/or branches) and some Spotlight solids in three shades of natural. I have had a fat quarter of the Echino for over a year and found some more on etsy and then closer to home at All Things Patchwork.

I know no one likes brown and it's very un-modern, but it's not like I want green or orange tree trunks.

Modern Monday Bee Block

This month our bee blocks are for Carolyn. Carolyn's was the most challenging so far in that she was happy for us to improvise so long as our block was about 3/4 solid and 1/4 design, and we got the yellow canary in there. I am more of a pattern follower than a free-styler. Roll on google image search.

I found this great house block by sewtakeahike. Which goes together with lots of other blocks as part of the Travelling Quilts 'thing' to make this cool as quilt.

My roof didn't work out as well as I hoped. The points end up being cut off a bit. It possibly looks more like a rocket or an arrow than a house.

  
You can see Megan's block here, Melanie's here, and Heather's here. More will pop up over the next couple of weeks before our next Monday night gathering.

Carolyn's bee block made me think about my own that I need to have ready for May. I wonder now about going with a theme rather than a pattern. Decisions, decisions.

Monday Modern Bee Block - January

This month our bee block is for Laurina - Chicky Quilts. Laurina gave us amazing instructions that were super easy to follow, and two strips of fabric. One black and white and one green.

The blocks use 4.5" equilateral triangles. I don't have a specialist 60 degree triangle ruler, I just used the 60 degree line on my big ruler. It took about three twists and turns to get the 60 degree line in the right place before each cut - you'd think I would remember after each cut, but no.

It was an quick block to put together. Again, I look forward to seeing how this one comes together. I think it will be an eye catching quilt. I like that each person's block will potentially have a different ratio of black/white and green.

Modern Monday Bee Block

Not quite in December, but before our monthly gathering so it's ok.

December's bee block is for Linda at Koka Quilts. I have decided to call it the Whirlygig Block because it's kind of like a pinwheel but bigger. It took a little bit of concentration getting the reds in the corner and then the whirls going in the right direction. There was a wee bit of unpicking with these blocks because of a lack of checking ahead more than anything.

But they turned out all right in the end. If you want to see other people's finished blocks check out our Monday Modern flickr pool.

I look forward to seeing how all the blocks come together. What I like about the bee blocks is being able to try something new on a small scale. You are not committing to a whole quilt or ending up with another cushion cover because of a one block wonder. I also like seeing what fabric people have.

Modern Monday Bee Block

Our Mondern Monday blocks (for December!) are for Linda who has recently started blogging at Koka Quilts.

Linda has given us a colourful range of fabrics. My fave is the duck egg blue with the brown flowers. The pattern is in the background. Check out Megan's finished blocks.

I must get to it before our next meeting (-:

Finally, some sewing

I got Megan's bee blocks made this morning. I had put off starting them because I couldn't work out how to start so that I would end up with 12.5" blocks. However, when I opened the bag Megan had already cut 14" squares of the main fabric - yay. I sliced and diced and added the strips she provided.

I think it would be pretty easy to get carried away with these blocks and slice and dice them to death. I restrained myself to keep them simple like Rita Red Pepper's. (The blocks attracted a cat and bee when I was outside photographing them.)

Now I should go and mow all those daisies off my lawn before it rains!

September Bee Blocks

This month's Modern Monday blocks are for Jacqui. Jacqui supplied us with linen and pieces of her vintage sheet collection to make wonky stars.

I had not made wonky stars of different sizes before. For the tiny stars, each square measures 1.5" x 1.5". Those pieces were interesting to sew! I quite like the look of different sized stars in one block. My best star is the little pink one.

Sewing day was grey and very windy. I don't love windy days living under the trees. But I tell myself that the trees have been there for 100 years, so they are are unlikely to go anywhere in a hurry.

Monday Modern Bee Block

This month we've been trusted with Jacqui's vintage sheet collection. We are charged with making wonky star blocks like in her instructions. I haven't used vintage fabrics or linen in patchwork before.

I didn't ever have any sheets quite as vibrant at these. But I did have some purple flowery flannelette ones and my parents did have an orange sunflower bedspread in the late 70s.

My favourite childhood sheets were white with little pink roses. I have told Mum she is not allowed to throw them away even though no one has any use for them and they are 30 years old. They remain in the linen cupboard at home. Maybe I will turn them into a quilt one day.

Monday Modern Bee Block

I got Helen's blocks cut and sewed today. It wasn't a big time commitment at all and the blocks seem to be quite economical.

Helen pointed us towards this Film in the Fridge tutorial. I did glue down the centre linen spot, and I used newspaper as my backing paper. I figured it was nice and thin and would rip away easily - it did. I also adjusted my stitch length as Ashley suggests. To do my final cut, I measured, cut, ironed and cut around a freezer paper square.

Helen has been making tiny hexies to go with the bee blocks. Have a nosy! I am waiting for more glue to arrive before I can make more hexies for my hexy quilt.

I need to have my bee block ready for Monday Modern at the start of December. I need to make some decisions.