On A Quilting Roll!

Mine was one of the first projects added to the file list on the  Helping Hands Facebook Group  back in 2015.

At the time I was asking for knitted blankets and bonding hearts for the neonatal unit at Princess Alexandra Hospital in Essex, but since then I have also sent them prem baby clothes and Incubator quilts as well. 

It’s actually been a while since I sent them anything because the things I’ve made have gone elsewhere,  but I’m back on the case now and the two small quilts I made last month will be heading there, together with these four little quilts that I’ve finished this month.

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If you feel you could help out by donating tiny quilts, knitted or crocheted blankets (with no holes for tiny fingers to go through) or  bonding hearts, please leave me a message here.   

Blankets and quilts should be approx. 16” x 22”

You could also visit the  Helping Hands Facebook Group  where you’ll find lots of other worthwhile projects you could help with.

Happy Crafting!

(Whatever you passion may be)

Sue

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Please feel free to leave a comment if you stop by. 

Braving another Quilt or Two

I remember a few years back my good friend Nicki encouraging me to brave using my sewing machine, which had been collecting dust in the cupboard for many years, and have a go at quilting.

 

My reply had always been that was incapable of sewing a straight line, but her words keep coming back.

  

She said I’d be hooked if I gave it a go.

I eventually made my very first quilt block, which wasn’t a great successful if I’m honest,  back in August 2016, followed by first tiny quilt in Feb 2017.

                  

I’ve not progressed to anything much larger as yet, but I did feel confident enough to make four quilt blocks as part of a very special quilt that was made for one of the policeman involved in the aftermath of the Borough Market terrorists attack in London.

Nicki was right about getting hooked.............I now find myself browsing quilting magazines instead of the paper crafting ones that use to end up on my craft table and I already have a little collection of acrylic quilting rulers and rotary cutters, lol.

I’m happy making small incubator quilts and have made two this month, in conjunction with the   Helping Hands Facebook Group  

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When I have a few more made, they will be heading to my local neonatal unit at Princess Alexandra Hospital, Harlow in Essex.

Happy Crafting!

(Whatever you passion may be)

Sue

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Please feel free to leave a comment if you stop by. 

Another Quilting Technique Under My Belt……….sort of!

My six Teddy cross stitch panels are now finished and I’ve made four of them into a small incubator quilt.

I’m still quite a novice at quilting and am slowly getting to grips with all the different ways you can put the quilts together, so looking for some ideas I hit  ‘You Tube’  and found that you can quilt as you go.

Although I’m doing small quilts, I thought this would be great, as with only a home sewing machine I wouldn’t have to tussle with the bulk of the quilt going under the machine……..got to be easier, right!

What I hadn’t realized was that there are many different ways to Quilt As You Go. 

Some cut and quilt just the top blocks and batting and add the backing in one piece. 

Some cut and quilt the blocks, batting and backing all the same size and join the finished quilted blocks with sashing.

And then there’s the method that I used, cutting the blocks and batting the same size and the backing 2 inches larger and this extra fabric becomes the sashing when you join the squares together.

Although I only used four Teddies for the quilt, here's a closer look at all six that I stitched.

 Inbetween working on the little quilt I’ve been busy cross stitching most evenings, working on the second part of  The Song Bird’s Garden, ‘Merry & Bright’.

Not too much more to do!

Happy Crafting!

(Whatever you passion may be)

Sue

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Please feel free to leave a comment if you stop by. 

A Coming Together of Two Crafts

I’m still very much a novice when it comes to quilting, but when I saw this little quilt, I knew I had to give it a go. 

The  ‘High Tea’ Fusion Quilt, which is designed by Tiffany Behmer,  is a coming together of  pretty quilted squares that are joined together with crochet.

The first step was cut 72 fabric squares and 36 squares of batting, sew them together, turn the right way out and finish off with a row of machine stitching ¼” all the way around each one.

 Next  blanket stitch evenly around the outside of each one.

 Once that is done, it’s just a case of crocheting around them all and stitching the squares together and finishing with a border around the outside.

 

 

 

The pattern for this quilt can found for free over on  Ravelry.

 

Happy Crafting!

Whatever your passion may be

Sue

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Crafter's React to the Terror Attacks

It’s been back to quilting for me over the last week, participating in a joint project with my fellow crafters who belong to the Helping Hands Facebook Group. 

 

Over the last few months some members of the group have been working on a wonderful project, making quilts for those injured in the Manchester and London terror attacks, to show that there are people out there who want to show them support and wrap them in love.

 

To date, in excess of 50 amazing quilts have been made and donated to those affected.

I myself didn’t feel confident enough to attempt a full sized quilt all on my own, but when the call was given, asking for people to make individual blocks that would be  made into a quilt for the policeman who was seriously injured in the London Bridge/Borough Market attack, I thought this was something I could help with.

Each block made will have a message of support or thanks and the plan is that one of the members will co-ordinate the blocks from all across the country and make the final quilt.


Here are my four blocks and my first attempt at Japanese Folded block.

And this is a photo of the blocks created so far by the group.

And this is a photo of the blocks already made by other members of the group.
 

Happy Stitching!

Sue

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'Helping Hands' are still busy!

I’m loving my new sewing machine and especially the quilting foot, so much so that during February I’ve  made two small incubator quilts for one of the projects on the  Helping Hands Facebook Group.   

They are 18 x 22 inches an will be heading to the NICU’s of Chesterfield and Mansfield hospitals.

I also finished off a lap quilt that I started a short while back.

 

This was my first Disappearing Nine Patch, which measured 22 x 22 inches and is also heading ‘Up North’ to one of the hospitals mentioned, along with the other little lap quilt I made a few weeks back.

 

Happy Stitching

Sue

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Am I Really a Quilter?

11^th October 2016

Back in August I had a go at my first 12 inch quilt block and then I made another one with a cross stitch centre panel as part of a project that someone from the  Helping Hands   group was doing.

 

Now, with lots of encouragement from my friend Nicki and the lovely ladies in the group, I finally plucked up the courage to attempt to make my first ever lap quilt.

Taking the advice I was given after making my first block, I decided to go with a simple nine patch block, using some ‘Kirsty Allsop’ charms that were on special offer in Hobbycraft and complementing them with some simple ‘ Henley Studio Spot.

 

 

 

With the relatively simple piecing out of the way it was now time for the more daunting quilting.

I layered  the quilt, going for the quicker pinning method rather than tacking and then it was back to my sewing machine for the actual quilting.  But once again my expectation was rather bigger than my ability because I chose to ‘stitch-in-the-ditch’. 
I’ve since been told that even experienced quilters avoid this method……..and now I know why!  It’s really not easy to accurately stitch in the join of the fabrics.

The binding was another first for me but this was the bit I enjoyed doing the most I think.  It was machined on the right side and then hand finished on the back.

At this time I’m not sure which of the Helping Hands projects this will be going to but be assured it will be keeping someone’s knees warm very soon.

Happy Stitching

Sue

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Another String to my ‘Crafty’ Bow’……..well sort of.

29^th August 2016

  There are so many ladies, including my wonderful friend Nicki,  on the Helping Hands Facebook Group   making beautiful patchwork quilts  for various charity projects and I’ve sat back in awe of their amazing work, believing that I would never be able to make anything like that because it’s way out of my skill set.    But when one of the ladies made a request for a quilt for herself, it was the perfect opportunity for me to attempt my first ever quilt block. 

Her idea was to ask people in the group to each make a 12” block, with the theme of ‘Loving Life’ and then she planned to piece the quilt herself.

 I set about finding a block template with a square in the centre so that I could include one of my cross stitched square,…………. because cross stitch is my thing!

The block I found is called ‘Garden Path’ and it fits the bill exactly, so armed with four fat quarters I made my first attempt.

After lots of encouragement from the ladies of the group and one comment that I had chucked myself in at the deep end, having not chosen the simplest of blocks for my first attempt, I was fairly pleased with the results for a first go, although it was far from perfect and not good enough to be sent.

Next I got to thinking about what I would stitch for the centre of my actual block and came across a perfect design from Michael Powell called ‘Peacock Hearts’.   The original had Red hearts but I decided to change the colour to Blue, to match in with the fabric I had chosen.

My second block was a little better than the first.
I managed to match the trees at the bottom on the Blue fabric but failed on the top panels and I also failed to get the pattern straight on the Yellow fabric, making it look wonky even though the panels are in fact straight

 

Anyway, after some more encouragement for Nicki and some of the other ladies, I decided to send it off and am hoping to see it incorporated into the finished quilt.

Happy Stitching
Sue
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