Sunday 31 December 2017

Flashback - Omitted to post this in November

I found this post loitering as a draft - I thought I had lost it.
Joy's Convergence meets Gail Lawther's silhouettes. Seen at the Oast UFO day
Still on the subject of convergence, I must show Joy's piece which was a larger version combined with motifs from a recent Gail Lawther workshop.
My "Babes in the Wood" quilt.

Detail of Judy Martin block

Alternate block

On Remembrance Day the local residents association held an arts and crafts display in St Stephen's Hall to showcase the work of local residents. There were photos, hand printed silk scarves, paintings and work from a quilting group I displayed a seasonal quilt straight off my bed and onto a quilt stand.
I think this is Marion's work and the result of
another recent Guild workshop, "Little People"..
Seen on the local quilt group table.
Another recent event was a Quilters' Guild 12 Days of Christmas workshop with Maggie Kingston. which everyone enjoyed. They got all 12 patterns included in the price of the work shop.
Last Friday Maggie and I  got together with Tracy in attendance to make Ruth McDowall's petals quilt from a very early book of hers.  It is quite complicated and two heads proved better than one. Independently we've chosen similar fabrics though Maggie has gone for check backgrounds too. Once you get the methodology sorted the results are very different and pleasing. I am freezer paper piecing.

Tracy had received an early Christmas
present from Zoe in New Zealand.

Maggie completed four sections to make a single flower

My fabric placement guide

Saturday 30 December 2017

Tree Skirt


My namesake Mary shared a tree skirt pattern  but it wasn't till this year I got round to making it. We had the most magnificent tree ever so it merited a suitable set out.
The skirt was composed of pieced diamonds and feature squares. When I looked at the pattern it seemed that I needed to cut some squares on point and some straight. In the event it would have been better to cut the all on point (they were a directional print) but by then I'd burnt my boats. I quilted it with a thick soft vilene as wadding.
To tie it round the tree I cut a circle out from the centre and a slit with ties. It was a surprisingly quick and easy make for so effective a result.
The diamond units

The feature squares, 4 on point and four cut straight

I made four of these units practising Y-seams




The completed piece before I trimmed the rear square level with the adjoining  ones and cutting the centre circle and slit

Friday 29 December 2017

Look what Secret Santa gave me

Secret Santa Judi came up trumps with my pressie. a nice size combination pressing mat, pieces holder, cutting surface and sandpaper type surface for drawing round template, It will be very useful for the sewing at Bonnies and working on my  Quilt of the Crosses blocks. One of the other Secret Santas liked it so much she got one for herself.




I am cross with myself for leaving the longest gap ever between posts. I wrote quite a long considered post only to press the wrong button and it all to vanish before publishing so with the discouragement of that and a frenzy of DNP sewing for the workshop plus Christmas preparations I let the time pass.
Now I am home enjoying the quiet time before activities start up again in the new year so I shall endeavour to catch up.