National Jelly Roll day - part 2

Coming together nicely, maybe 4 hours in? Sewed straight from 9-11am then did a little bit of housework, then had to head off around 2pm. There will be a part 3 post to ensure this quilt top doesn't become a WIP.

The lattice strips have come together nicely, I am really liking the effect it creates. The pattern recomends that you press inbetween which adds time, I only did this for the first row, you can't tell I skipped this step for the other rows. 

Fun fact, each row takes less than 25 minutes, totally a weekend project. 

I had to stop at 2pm and head into town, Cate lost one school shoe last week so we needed to buy another pair, and she had tickets to go see a local production of the The Wiz. I walked part of the lake with my friend and her very excitable dog, we stopped and had a latte and then walked back, it was freezing.

Headed home for an easy dinner, Oliver's cooking parmas and wedges and I've made a quick salad, I hope to get the last 2 rows done of the Jelly Roll quilt but I have school uniforms and work clothes to iron. I am counting down until my holidays, I need a break.         . 

National Jelly Roll day - part 1

So today is National Jelly Roll day, pretty exciting for us quilters right? I didn't plan my work roster brilliantly, I worked 8-1 and we have a formal work dinner for Bob's work at 7pm so not much time for sewing. So I am considering this a 24 hour challenge, this afternoon is mostly prep work and the bulk sewing will come tomorrow.  

I've chosen a jelly roll from my stash, Cuzco by Kate Spain. Pattern is from the Moda Bakeshop, link here. It's called Sultry but more commonly known as a French braid quilt.   

It took me about an hour to unroll, iron, cut and sort into 7 piles. It's a scrappy look quilt, but as each strip only yields 6 pieces and you sew into 7 rows, I sorted to ensure an even mix in each row. 

All 40 strips are used on the braid so I will need to source more fabric for sashing or go with a plain colour. I found half a metre on Etsy so the bindings sorted, and maybe a plain border will be ok, will find out soon enough. 

Part 2 tomorrow, hopefully with a finished quilt top to show.   

WIP Wednesday - orange quilt

Oliver's birthday quilt is coming together nicely, I managed to get a few hours of sewing in this afternoon. In winter I sew from a small nook in the corner of our bedroom as it's heated far better then the lounge room. However as Bob is up at 5.30am I can't sew past 9pm, everyone's in bed by 9.30 at the latest, and I still have trouble getting them up at 7.10am, we like our sleep.

My poor Kevin, attacked by a nasty feral cat. He's sleeping it off but in a fair bit of pain on his upper leg. Hopefully he improves tonight, he is not enjoying life at all.

 

An exhausting day at work

And tomorrow will be just as bad, but were hopeful for snow. Its freezing here, there was snow near Beauford, we just got rain and hail. I left my jacket at home so had to food shop in extreme tempretures, 2 degrees at 5pm.

Some online fabric shopping with my niece, were going to have matching cat quilts made from Tula Pinks Tabbey Road collection. Mine will be the blue, and her's the Strawberry Fields. The cat tin print will be the backing and the stripes the binding. Super cute. Ill make a matching cushion too. 

12 hour work day tomorrow so an early night, rowing starts at 7.20am so breakfast out with Oliver and he can hang at the boat shed from 8am then walk to school with the rowers, I know the weathers going to be icy as at 7am, not looking forward to it. 

Happy Fathers Day and orange quilt progress

A busy few days. Oliver came home from camp on Friday arvo so I took an early mark and picked him up. Cate and I had tickets to see a local schools musical production at 7.30pm, then we went out for hot chocolate and macarons afterwards. Saturday I worked 8-4 then came home, Cate had a friend over and Bob and I went to a friends house for dinner leaving the teenagers to fend for themselves. We has a Spanish feast as friends just got back from a holiday in Spain, I made a black bean and corn salad and lime pork, was so so.

Today is Fathers Day, my dads on holiday in Cambodia spending my inheritance! We got Bob a dud gift, a kambrook egg and bacon muffin maker, he likes egg and bacon muffins but the precooking of the bacon and the mess it makes, not sure its worth it. Ill do better with his birthday. 

I spent most of today sorting and culling, a neverending process here, but the less we have the less to keep on top off. I also spent 2 hours sewing some last minute costume stuff, I will finish the last bit tomorrow night. And I cut and pressed all of the HST for Oliver's quilt, I'm going to arrange into light and dark rows, hopefully some progress will be made on Wednesday. 

WIP Wednesday

This morning was a mad rush, I had to get Stuart to the bus stop by 8.23, Cate to school 8.30 and Olivers going on a school camp to Melbourne for 3 days so he had to be at the train station by 9am. And in Bob's wisdom he told the NBN guy someone would be home between 8-12, um I drive them to school everyday?? 

So I raced home for 9.00 after leaving a sign on the door, find the NBN guy in the drive scoping out the work from inside his van, he sits there for a bit then says he will go do another job as technically I wasn't here, and will come back. So he did, around 11am, all good. And it rained the whole time.

So today's sewing, I cut the rest of the orange 10" squares for Oliver's quilt and pulled out a mid grey from my stash, I had 3m of it so enough for the blocks and binding. I thought the grey might look a little different to the normal white I would use, so far i like it. I got all 48 sewed then cut and pressed to form the HST. I don't have a design wall to lay them out on so will use his bed tomorrow to look at the placement.

I've just realised Cate has double booked herself  Friday night, she has a school ghost tour excursion and we also have tickets to another schools musical production, best sort that one tomorrow. Either way, no sewing will happen until Sunday so i best get these blocks layed out and pinned. 

 

Chevron Quilt with Jenny Doan

I love watching Missouri Star Quilting tutorials, Jenny Doan is so personable, and makes everything look so easy. I saw her Chevron quilt on Facebook and then came across the tutorial, it's made from 2 layer cakes sewn into big blocks and with borders added it's a queen size quilt or there abouts.  

 

Now that Oliver's in a queen size bed, he has outgrown his single bed orange quilt, so I have pulled out all the oranges from my stash and cut 48 orange squares all 10" (two from each print and a few singles). Some of these prints were in his first orange quilt, some from my stash and some I bought in Melbourne knowing he still likes orange. I've used the last of my ribbon flowers from my flea market fancy stash (sob). Each block when sewn together nets 4 HST, i have 186 to work with. 

 

My first thought was this could easily be sewn as weekend project, and it totally could be, but I've given myself 2 weeks to get it completed and off to a quilter, hopefully back in time for his birthday in October (because what boy wouldn't love a quilt for their 18th birthday??) He is going on camp tomorrow and back Friday afternoon so i will try and get it pieced out wihout him seeing it. Video tutorial here or a pattern can be purchased here but you don't really need it, just watch the video, its less than 5 minutes long. Oh and she has an app too which is a lovely read.