Ugly Bug Ball - DONE!

I've finished the Ugly Bug Ball quilt, just in time to gift to my friends this weekend.

The quilting is a square spiral over each of the blocks which I did with the walking foot and a lot of patience.

Can't wait to meet the little one and hand this critter over.

Linking up with TGIFF

Ugly Bug Ball - WIP

I've been making progress on the Ugly Bug Ball.  The quilting is done..

and I've moved on to the binding.

This binding looks like sweeties!

Linking up with Lee at Freshly Pieced for Work in Progress Wednesday

And Kelly at My Quilt Infatuation for Needle and Thread Thursday

Ugly Bug Ball

Months back I found a little bit of Hungry Caterpillar fabric in the John Lewis off cuts bin.  I don't think I've ever mentioned that bin before and now that's two posts in a row.  Anyway, I digress....

I found a bright fat quarter bundle in Hobbycraft, along with another Hungry Caterpillar print.

I've been saving them all to make a baby quilt and my dear pals have just created a new wee human.

I spent the weekend piecing the top

basting and starting on the quilting.

I don't want to jinx myself but I think I might be on a bit of a roll!  Bet now I have said that, the baby will be at university before I finish this....

Linking up with Lee at Freshly Pieced for Work in Progress Wednesday and Kelly at My Quilt Infatuation for Needle and Thread Thursday.

Brown Paper Packages - 9

Having resolved not to browse through fabric emporiums, on or offline, I accidentally purchased some fabric this week from the discard bin at John Lewis.

All bargains, including the solid yellow.  Finding that was a stroke of luck as I needed a piece to back a baby quilt I have started for some friends.

I've had a lovely Sunday of piecing, basting and quilting.

Linking up with Molli Sparkles and Sunday Stash

Scrappy Days - How I organise my leftovers

Recently, I have been working on reducing my pile-o-scraps.  The fabric fund has been a bit depleted after making my Sister's Choice quilt (for which I collected lots of love purple, pink and grey fabrics) and I have decided I need to use the fabric I have instead of buying more just because I like it.

I am a hoarder in all areas of my life and fabric is no exception.  I have kept all the itty bitty tiny bits from all of my projects.

Recently, I decided it was time to sort them out and put them to use.

At the Stitch Gathering last year, I attended a class on making scrap patchwork squares.

The class suggested hand sewing, which meant you could use really tiny pieces.  However, I thought at the time I would like to have a go using the sewing machine and approach this as a method of using up scraps.  So I had a go.





The pieces are all sewn together using a quarter inch seam, which means that scraps which are less than an inch across are pretty useless and just add bulk. These squares are cut to 5".



I have also recently had a go at EPP and have sorted through my pile of scraps for pieces which can be used for 1 inch hexagons.

Turns out they have to be roughly 2.5" square, which is handy as I have a lot of squares and strips in this size from other projects.

So, all of this has led me to devise a new system for organising my scraps (which I am now doing as I go).  I've started using sandwich bags labelled with a Sharpie to house my organised scraps.

1. Anything less than 1.5" square is pretty useless and can be disposed of without guilt.  
2. Anything more than 1.5" and less than 2.5" square (roughly, they don't have to be square, but do need to have a minimum width of 1.5") gets sorted into colour coordinated bags for making scrappy blocks.  Eventually, I hope to turn these into a rainbow quilt.  I am also saving white and low volume scraps to use as sashing on this quilt.  A very long term project I think.
3. Anything big enough to cover a 1 inch hexagon is being basted and added to the pile of hexagons I am saving to make a hand sewn scrappy EPP quilt.  Again, I will probably arrange these to make a rainbow.
4. Anything larger than this is being neatly folded and kept in my scraps box for use in other projects. For example, I recently raided this for some low volume scraps for my Little Blog Quilt Bee block for July. If I can, I'm cutting out 5" square pieces to add to my charm pile.
5. All strips of 2" or more are being kept in one bag together.
6. All strips of less than 1" are being kept for ribbon for wrapping gifts.  However, I see these being disposed of (either re-housed or chucked) as I am yet to wrap a single present using these.  Some of them are so lovely though, I don't want to throw them away.

So, that's how I am managing to find new fabrics, ideas and quilts in my leftovers and make the most of what I have.  Quilting is a rewarding but dear hobby, so it's nice to satisfy my need to reduce waste and add to my stash.  

Anyone have any other scrap busting/sorting tips?

Buzz Buzz - 5

Block done and post ready - all in the correct month this time!

Here's my July block for Claire E Poppins:

It was featured in issue 6 of Love Patchwork and Quilting.  It includes corner blocks involving sewing triangles to square pieces to create a square within a square.

After a LOT of head scratching as to how to ensure all my points matched up to create perfect squares within squares, I finally realised that it was easier if I ironed them in half to ascertain the halfway point of both the triangles and the square.

This probably isn't news to most of you, but I was mighty please with myself when I stumbled across that solution!

Now received!  Enjoy what is shaping up to be a gorgeous quilt Ms. Poppins.

 Linking  up with Kelly at Needle and Thread Thursday

Buzz Buzz - 4

For my June trick, I present....

Heidee's friendship star block.

There's a great tutorial for how to make this lovely block here.

I am not going to lie, I was horrified at the thought of cutting anything to 7/8 of an inch, but therein lies the learning, which is what this bee is all about.

Now onto Claire's July block.

Sister's Choice - DONE!

Finally...

I have finished the quilt for my sister.

It can't make up its mind whether it is raining or sunshine today, so the photoshoot location is the most un-glamorous stair in the world, which just so happens to be flooded with light.

This quilt measures about 54" x 54".

I am so HAPPY this quilt is finished.  I started it back in January and was supposed to finish it in March for the Pantone Quilt Challenge.  Oh well, best laid plans and all that!

Linking up with Needle and Thread Thursday and TGIFF