Sunday Stash #24

Just a couple of deliveries this week and no purchases! I'm being good in advance of Vermont. It doesn't come naturally...

First up, the rest of the Make Modern block of the month kit appeared.

I seem to be all about the solids at the moment.

Now I've got the fabric I can make the block from last months magazine. Already behind, eek!

Also arriving was the binding and backing to go with.

Both are from Moda's new low volume collection called Modern Background:Ink by Zen Chic. The small print is going to be the binding, the text is going to be the backing.

Finally, my usual October plea to any quilters from Vermont who may be able to recommend quilt shops for me to visit in October. No one had been able to recommend any so far so I'm wondering if maybe there aren't any? I'm conscious that Vermont is a relatively small state and maybe everyone crosses state lines to shop? Ah well, more time for the Ben and Jerry's factory tour!

Moda Building Blocks: done!

After a year of piecing the beautiful Moda building blocks quilt top is done!

It's so big I had to cut the corners off the picture to get it to fit on screen! 

I pieced this quilt as part of the Simply Solids block of the month project and slowly but surely it's been coming together. 

This was one of the better block of the month projects I was doing this year: it had a good variety of blocks (although no curves, foundation or paper piecing, inset seams etc.) and definitely forced me out of my comfort zone for piecing. Having initially cursed Moda's technique for cutting and piecing flying geese and half square triangles (bias anyone?!) it's now my favourite way to piece these units. No more flippy corners for me! 

For the backing I've chosen a very simple monochrome text. As front is so colourful and busy, I didn't want the back to fight with or detract from the front. I love that the names of some of the fabrics used in the top are listed on the back.

The added bonus with this project is the sheer volume of fabric I have left over. At the beginning of the project Simply Solids warned us to retain our scraps as we'd need them later on. So over the course of the year I've been retaining and re-using any scraps over 1". Which means at the end of the year I've ended up with this stash 

That's at least 15 fat quarters or half yards of white and numerous fat quarters of half yards of colours from across the Kona range. I've set aside the colours to make the Elizabeth Hartman Patchwork City quilt, perhaps supplementing from my print scraps. 

The white is going to be used for another project coming up. 

But as soon as one door closes, another opens. Starting this month is Don't Call Me Betsy's Epic Sampler Block of the Month project and I've got my fabric all ready to go! 

Stars, bicycles and cats

I've still got a long way to go to catch up on all my overdue block of the month projects so there was no time to waste this weekend.

Firstly, the left over Sunday Morning Block from the Lori Holt Farm Girl Vintage project plus the two blocks for this week, Sunny Sunflower and Tumbleweed.

I'm ridiculously amused with how wavy the borders on the Sunday Morning block are. Note to self - never use horizontal prints for narrow borders!

Onwards and upwards though with the Like Riding a Bike block (from August) and the Quilty Cat block (from September) for the Fat Quarter Shop Snapshots quilt along. 

Both came together fairly quickly but can I just say - there's an awful lot of pieces in that bicycle! It took me almost an entire afternoon to make just that one block.

I did just manage to squeeze in one block of the Moda Building Blocks project (which is next on my list)

Plus I also managed to whip up some chocolate cupcakes with raspberry buttercream because cupcake season is now back in full swing.

Nom.

Three types of love in one quilt

Whilst in the midst of binding Big Momma last week, I had a horrible moment of realisation - a colleague at work was getting married this weekend and I hadn't finished her quilt. I hadn't even started it. Oops.

Normally when doing a wedding quilt I would focus on bright colours, brilliant whites etc. But this bride is a little different - she's the epitome of quiet, understated style and elegance. Neon colours and over complicated patterns wouldn't work here. 

Instead I turned to my stash and unearthed a layer cake of Little Black Dress 2 by Basic Grey for a Moda. A bit more digging unearthed some grey quilt backing, a few additional monochrome fat quarters from my Leah Day quilt along of last year. I even had some grey Isacord thread. I was ready to go.

They combined with the Moda Love quilt pattern and I have to confess I think it looks great. 

I quilted an all over feather and swirl pattern on the quilt but three quarters of the way through - disaster struck.

Oh sugar. It was Saturday afternoon and none of my local stores were both (a) open and (b) sold Isacord. Panic! The quilt had to be finished by Friday lunchtime. 

Happily I found a local store that was open on the Tuesday. TC Threads (tcthreads.ltd.uk) in Hucknall sells embroidery threads to both commercial and retail and sold me two new 1000m spools for £2.58. That's $3.98. Not each, but for both.  Wow! I know where I'm getting my thread from in the future! 

Hopefully the bride will love her Little Black Dress inspired Moda Love quilt as much as she loves her fiancé. And I'm suffering from new thread shop love! I know, it's cupboard love I know but I love my thread cupboard...

Sunday Stash #21

After a few false starts (USPS tracking isn't the best is it?!) lots of parcels have started arriving from over the pond.

First up, a fat quarter bundle of Hoffman Batiks from Massdrop.

 This bundle is named Cockatiel and my hope is that it will blend nicely with the Kahuna layer cake I got from Missouri Star when I visited last year. 

I've never been able to find anymore of the Kahuna but the color way in Cockatiel seemed very similar - pale pinks and dove grays.

Next up, a layer cake of True Luck by Stepahnie Ryan for Moda and some charm packs of Tula Pink's Bumble for Free Spirit, both from Soutern Fabrics.

I first spotted True Luck at the Festival of Quilts and picked up a charm pack so this layer cake should go nicely with it. I love how Southern Fabrics broke the Bumble charm pack down into little colour way packets so it would fit in the envelope better!

Next, from Fat Quarter Shop this time, a fat quarter bundle of Hello Darling by Bonnie and Camille for Moda.

 I preordered this before I got the Frivol tin so now have quite a lot of Hello Darling! Still, it is gorgeous and it's not like it goes off is it?!

Finally, back to Southern Fabric for my fav purchase of this week, a fat quarter bundle of Fox and the Houndstooth by Andie Hanna for Robert Kaufman. 

I love the glasses and foxes choices in this bundle but even the bow ties are cute too! I'm thinking that this would be perfect for a Christmas present for my mum, maybe an apron or oven glove? So cute!

Happy Sunday sewing (and happy Labor Day weekend for all of you in the US)!

Sunday Stash #18

I wouldn't have a lot to show at this week's show-and-tell but for a lightning trip to the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham. In and out in 1.5 hours - I was a fabric shopping ninja. Look at this bag of goodies!

First up, a fat eighth bundle and a layer cake of Winterberry by Kate and Birdie for Moda. I love this line and it was on my list so hurrah!

Continuing the Christmassy theme, jelly rolls of 25th and Pine by Basic Grey and Holły's Tree Farm by Sweetwater both for Moda. Admittedly these weren't on the list but should have been! 

Still in the festive spirit, a layer cake of Cold Spell by Laundry Basket Quilts, Jingle by Kate Spain and Evergreen by Basic Grey, again all for Moda.

A jelly roll in Sewing Box by Gina Martin for Moda (not on the list but look at those colours!).

Also not on the list but definitely in the "I just have to have it now that I've seen it" category were these charm packs of Honky Tonk by Eric and Julie Camstock and True Luck by Stephanie Ryan for Moda. Honky Tonk will be perfect for a boys baby quilt and how haven't I seen True Luck before?! Those washed out soft pastels with grey are lovely! 

On the notions front, I had Bloc Loc rulers and Clover's glass head quilting pins. I managed to get a flying geese (goose?) ruler and a 2.5" and 6.5" ruler from Bloc Loc and the pins (too dull to photograph but invaluable!). I find that my very fine Clover flower head pins are great but being so fine they bend easily. The glass head ones are only slightly thicker but much more stable. 

Not from FoQ but still added to my stash from Fat Quarter Shop were layer cakes of Honeymoon by Sarah Watts for Cotton and Steel and Sturbridge by Kathy Schmitz for Moda. These were on my list but I couldn't find them at FoQ so Fat Quarter Shop to the rescue!

Perhaps the most important addition this week was a lovely pen I was given by a lady I met at FoQ. She'd flown all the way from Sydney in Australia to attend! I truly hope it was worth it! The pen is branded with the name of one of her guilds so, on the off chance that there are any members of the Campbelltown guild reading this, hello! 

Almost there

Some more sneaky BOM progress today - this time on the Moda Building Blocks project by Simply Solids.

I just love the clean geometric lines of these blocks. They're just so...straight. Which is more than can be said for my photo.

Once again I managed to piece these little 6.5" raw blocks from scraps so didn't have to cut into the fabric posted to me. Score! Into the stash those lovely fat quarters go.

I think we must be almost at the end of this project. This month's blocks included block 47 which is the penultimate block in the pack. I know we're not working through the blocks in order but still, there don't seem to be many we haven't done.

Of course the closer I get to the end of this project, the closer I get to having to actually piece the Elizabeth Hartman Patchwork City pattern I've convinced myself I'm going to put these rainbow scraps towards. Maybe later in the year? Yeah right...

Sunday Stash #13

The economy may go into free-fall as I don't think I've bought anything this week. I'm not sure how this happened and it's certainly not through a lack of trying on my part!

So as promised in an earlier week, here's my layer cake drawer.

Plus the overflow drawer which promptly collapsed when I took it out. Sigh, some furniture building on a Sunday morning.

 It does give me a chance to show you what's in the drawer though.

Firstly scrap bags. Solstice. Mid-Winter Reds, Bartholo-meows Reef, Saltwater and others I think.

 A couple of jelly rolls - Lily Ashburys High Street and a Ty Pennington collection.

A fat quarter bundle of This n That by Nancy Halvorsen

And lots and lots of layer cakes. Including Kahuna which I've been trying (and failing) to find more of. I got this on the day that the Missouri Star Quilt Co batik shop opened and they hadn't finished stocking it. All that was available was one layer cake so I snapped it up. I've never seen the collection anywhere since.

Right off to finish some quilting.

Happy Sunday sewing!

Sunday Stash #11

I've had such a mad busy week this week that I haven't had a chance to do much sewing.

What I have managed to sew is a secret (although sneaky peak below and on Instagram as I'm terrible at keeping secrets!) and most of this week's stash purchases links to that project.

It's all done in solids (Kona of course) and half way through this week I realised I was missing some key fabrics. So Village Haberdashery, Sew Hot and Plush Addict to the rescue! Most of our major quilt shops are at Malvern for the quilt show at the moment so I wasn't expecting such a speedy response but the fabric turned up very quickly.

I'm still waiting in a FQ of mid grey and silver but other than that I'm now good to go.

Whilst perusing Plush Addict a 1m bolt end of this medium teal chevron fell into my basket. How did that happen?!

Finally, whilst having an emergency tidy up in the sewing room (nowhere left to store fabric) I stumbled across these fat eighth bundles I'd forgotten I got from Southern Fabric a while ago.

There are four bundles of Amy Butler fabric - Cameo and Lark I think - but they're not labelled so I'm not 100% sure.

There's also a fat eighth bundle of Avant Garden by MoMo for Moda and a bundle of High Street by Lily Ashbury, again for Moda.

The High Street is rather out of my comfort zone, having lots of yellows and oranges but it's such a bright happy collection that I had to.

I love fat eighths as I find FQ bundles really expensive and, unless you're doing a huge quilt, there's loads left over. Not that scraps are a waste!

Finally, the sneaky peek I promised. All together now - one fish, two fish, red fish...

Pajamas days

I confess that, six days in to my epic week of sewing, I sort of ran out of steam this morning. I still had lots to do but my "get-up-and-go" sort of "got-up-and-went". Watching the election coverage until the wee hours of the morning didn't help either.

The rest of the morning was spent snuggled up in bed with a coffee and a book. 

I was saved from my sluggishness by the postman with this month's fabrics from Simply Solids and instructions about the next blocks in the Moda Building Blocks block of the month. 

Nice simple 6" blocks this month, although I have noticed that the design inside the pattern sleeve doesn't exactly match the block patterns or Moda's official construction diagram. For instance one block (44?) in the pattern and construction diagram is a blush pink and white bear paw. But in the sleeve design, it's a chevron. The yellow and white churn dash block was previously a much more complicated half square triangle block. 

Obviously Moda changed the design along the way but didn't get around to changing the design inside the sleeve. Either way, it's still a great design!

This month we also finished constructing sections A and C of the design and then sewed together A, B and C completing the top half of the quilt. 

Squee, we're getting closer to finishing! Don't the 6" blocks look tiny next to that mammoth star?!