As Time Goes By

WOW

I say this every time. Every Single Time.  I cannot believe how much time has gone by.  One post for 2019 and none for 2018.  Life has been pretty full the last couple years and unfortunately it didn't include patchwork or quilting. Nor did it include blogging or even reading blogs, which is a great shame.

But I did start a new quilt today.  Log Cabin is one of my all time favourite blocks and is the one block I can sew when I am totally un-motivated and it will get me back into sewing.  Did some strip cutting today and actually got six blocks done.

Sweet Escape is a gorgeous quilt in Grey's an Navy's by Camille Roskelley.  Simple but beautiful and sure to look lovely on our bed.  Have had to add to the layout so it will fit.  Not sure I can add a photo

For many years every Christmas and every Easter break I would spend several days holed up in my sewing room and sew and sew and sew.  Somehow that hasn't happened for a long time, but this year I have 4 days and am going to make the most of it.  I have a long list of "stuff" that needs doing but I have a feeling that it's all going to wait....well I did do one load of washing today.

So these are the fabrics I'm using Camille Roskelley B&C Wovens plus a Grey and a White background fabrics. 

 

One of my favourite tools for Log Cabins is the Short Cuts ruler.  Saves so much time and you have your strips cut in super fast time

You straighten the edge and cut your strips in super fast time.  I cut 6 strips from each FQ.  Sometimes I like to cut all my fabric at the beginning and then I can just sew.  But with this one I don't know how much fabric need and can't be bothered working it out, so will cut and sew, cut and sew as I go along.

And so it begins......

 I started about 24 blocks to begin.  I only sew a couple rounds on each and then just do six or eight at a time

 And my final six at the end of the day........only need a hundred

Mystery of Motivation

Where does motivation come from?  I have been in a quilting slump for so long now.  Nothing seems to make me want to sew.  Last weekend I went to the sewing room with the intention of sewing for hours.  So after looking at ALL that fabric and the UFO's and some books and some patterns I closed it up and went back to the TV.  It was just all too hard.  Watched some You Tube quilting bits. 

This weekend I thought I had better get a  quilt quilted for a friend that I have had for ages.  Well the backing wasn't big enough.  In the process I found three charity quilts another friend that I had forgotten about so thought I had better do them.  Did one.  Feeling a little energised I got the next one out.....batting too short.  Number three was OK so did that.

Charity Quilt

 In the process of looking for batting scraps to extend the short batting I found one of mine.  Oh well maybe I should do that as it's sat there for so, so long now.  Took it to the sewing room to find thread for it.  BAM!!!!!!  I'm excited.  I want to quilt!  I want to sew!.

This was enough to get me excited.

So finished the charity quilt and loaded my Nine Patch immediately.  The Reproduction Nine Patches are from an internet swap years ago.  Quilt has just been waiting so long to be done.  So it's loaded and will start it tomorrow.  And the binding is sitting at the machine waiting.

So what is the Mystery of Motivation?  Was it the fabric?  The colours?  The memory of what I love?
I have no idea.  Just the sight of that quilt did it for me.  And I look back and see my last post was November 2017.  WOW again!

So wonder what I'll do next.  Perhaps I''ll finally finish my NYB?

Been waiting a long time

Do some sewing on this one?  I wont say finish....miles of work to do but it's all cut and ready to go.....well mostly....think I need some  more  centers.

Trail Mix

Well whatever I do will be just fine.  And I know I'll be trawling the blogs to soak up everyones   enthusiasm and excitement and motivation and progress.

Slowly, slowly Trail Mix

Not much progress on Trail Mix, but a little.  Hopefully the Christmas period will see a lot more.  Some of the diamonds cut, centre 9 patch blocks made.  Hard to find another background to go in the quilt so may go with just 2 fabrics otherwise it will never get done.

Oops Trail Mix

Sure wish I would read instructions properly.  Made 8 blocks for the border only to discover I had put some colours in the wrong place.  To tiny to unpick so now I have 8 totally useless blocks.  so just had to start again.....and remake the 9 patches because they were wrong too.  Grrrr......read and look properly next time

So have some of the 20 needed for the borders with colours in the right place.

Trail Mix progress

Haven't cut my diamonds or triangles yet.  Bought a diamond ruler but not the correct angle.  Damn!  Just putting together some of the blocks and have discovered my 9 patches are positioned wrong.  So have to make some more - at least there are only 9 of them.

Getting so much rain here, would have to be the most I've seen here...and more to come.

Trail Mix update

Motoring along with my Trail Mix.  Haven't cut  the diamonds or triangles yet but did get th 4 patches and 9 patches done.  Boy they are so tiny!!  Will start the half square triangles today, not sure how many of them but I can imagine there will be a few hundred.

9 patch quilted

This is a quilt I made 100 years ago - well maybe I exagerrate a little - but a long while ago.  Finished quilting it a few days ago and now binding it.