Schnitzel and Boo Mini Quilt Swap - DONE!

Happy New Year everyone!  It was a busy 2015 for me in terms of signing up to online swaps. You can catch up on my Stitch Gathering, UK Low Volume Plus, Scrappy Block and Easy Swap UK Mini Quilt swapping antics in previous posts.

Another of my "top of the swaps" commitments was participating in the Schnitzel and Boo Mini Quit Swap.  In 2014, I was impressed by the number of people involved and the fabulous results of talented quilters, and I was keen to join in this time round.

The criteria for this swap were more challenging than that Easy Swap UK Mini Quilt as my partner had specific fabrics (rather than just colours) she loved and she requested a Sew Together bag as her extra.  

I was delighted to have the opportunity to buy additional fabric of course, but had previously never considered using either Tula Pink and Cotton and Steel.  The former because I was not sure I understood it and the hype, and the latter simply because I did not have any - how do you choose? My first task therefore was to buy some fabric.  I went with the suggested pink and aqua theme and decided that if I was going to do Tula, I was really going to do Tula, and went for Elizabeth.  Again, it's not that I don't like it, I just couldn't imagine what I'd do with it.

I couldn't decide what to do for a long time and was getting perilously close to the deadline when good old Love Quilting and Patchwork popped through the door with a suggested pattern for a mini. Hoorah!  I wonder how many other swappers ended up with this pattern, just in the nick of time?

I quilted it using one of the patterns I learned at the Stitch Gathering class on FMQ with Trudi Wood, a flowering pattern to mimic the flowers in the fabric.

The Sew Together Bag seemed to have a reputation for being hard but having seen them pop up all over blogs and instagram and at classes, I was keen to give it a go.  I tend to just jump into these things and don't question whether my ability matches my ambition until I'm elbow deep in zips and interfacing.  It took a while and a lot of zip related head-scratching, but I got there.

It was the bag, rather than the quilt, which made me fall for Elizabeth.  I was quite tempted not to part with the bag in the end as I was so chuffed I'd managed to get it together and that I liked the fabric.

My advice for anyone considering making this bag but questioning their abilities is GO FOR IT!  As long as you have a walking foot, you can do it.  I liked it so much, I made another as a Christmas gift so the pattern is paying for itself!

I found the following very helpful blog posts when making these bags:

• Clover and Violet
• Crazy Mom Quilts - I took the advice about the zips in the second bag I made

I really enjoyed all the swapping in 2015.  I received two gorgeous minis (coming up...), boosted my sewing skills and confidence, and met some lovely people.  However, I did feel I concentrated too much on swaps and not enough on personal goals, so I've decided to dedicate my sewing time to gifts for those close to me in 2016.  

And participate in two bees.  And sign up to a dressmaking course.  

Looks like I will never learn and will approach 2016 sewing with the same blind confidence and unrealistic perception of the time available to me that led me to believe I could make a Sew Together bag in the first place.  Happy New Year!

Linking up with.....

Sew Fresh Quilts:

Freemotion by the River:

Needle and Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation:

I'm a hexa-gonner!

"Oh this?  This is a free gift from a magazine - so useful, I use it all the time."

Said noone, ever.

Until now that is.  I've received the last few issues of Love Patchwork and Quilting, but have not yet succumbed to using the free gifts which have accompanied it.

However, I have spent two weekends locked up in a caravan with no electricity, running water or wifi, so teaching myself to English Paper Piece using the instructions in a magazine (what, no YouTube?  How does anyone learn anything without YouTube?) seemed like a great idea.

Here's my first few attempts at basted hexagons:

And then I tried some fussy cutting:

Then I went for a walk in this:

Before getting brave, and making this:

 The hexagon theme of the holiday continued with a little of this:

I am going to turn this (oh shameful scrap pile) into a quilt of 1 inch hexagons made up of fabrics I've included in all my quilts and sewing projects.

So, now I'm totally addicted to making these you can all look forward to seeing these beauties in every WIP Wednesday for the next fifty years!

Linking up with Lucy from Charm About You and Lee at Freshly Pieced.

PS. I also had the time to sort the scrap pile.  It is really embarrassing to admit, but it was really satisfying.  The categories are a little like Monica's towel collection.