Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[bigmommasally]

Snowy I love your chicken prints and the pink border fabric.

 

I notice in the photos that everyone has cutting boards do you all use the rotary cutter thingys. Are they easy to use? Also they seem to come in all different sizes - why?

[craftyhunnypie]

I'm itching to do this now - I have some cute chick print fabric, some pink heart & my mystery fabric swap fabric - as well as various clothing that could be used. Do you leave the back so you see the pressed seams or do you add wadding & a backing later?

Snowy, I love the colours & fabrics.

Emma.x

[Plum]

Thanks Snowy I'm doomed now. Hope you've sorted your car how frustrating but love your headless chicken quilt. Priceless

 

I notice in the photos that everyone has cutting boards do you all use the rotary cutter thingys. Are they easy to use? Also they seem to come in all different sizes - why?

 

Cutting boards rulers and rotary cutters revolutionise quilting. They are easy to use once its explained you can cut strips, shapes and angles plus multiple layers quickly and easily and square off your quilts. It took me a while to work out how they worked. I kept seeing the rulers in shops and couldn't see the point. Try and take mine off me now.

 

If you want to invest in one I would go for the A3 size cutting mat, a 24 x 6" ruler and 45mm rotary cutter to begin with. Edited to say choose imperial not metric unless you want to make it hard for yourself.

I love creative grids rulers they do special offers on sets, check this page

 

http://www.creativegrids.com/acatalog/Christmas_Special_Offers.html

 

Emma you are running before you can walk the wadding and backing instructions are yet to come. Start at first post and read carefully and keep asking questions.

[Snowy]

I had some free time at work today, and just so happened to be working in the same town as the lovely fabric shop for which I had a £5 voucher! So I've got myself some more fabric and am going to give it another go! Look what you've started Plum

[bigmommasally]

Thanks for the link Plum - looks a good site. They have loads of lovely books too - is there a particular patchwork book that you'd recommend for beginners?

 

I've also just been browsing a couple of fabric sites - I love the way you can buy themed packs of fabric - it takes the angst out of wondering if the colours/patterns go together.

 

 

I am really getting into this patchwork lark - as Snowy said "Look what you've started Plum"

[Plum]

It's fun when you get into it.

 

- is there a particular patchwork book that you'd recommend for beginners?

 

 

This is the book I learnt with http://books.google.com/books?id=ET2oVn2dBL8C&dq=simply+stars+alex+anderson+uk&printsec=frontcover&source=bl&ots=yIOhvZKiOc&sig=cVUyxdOonUz7k0tYy3T0VgwPfwY&hl=en&ei=QKf4SZaLC8vOjAfemam8DA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3#PPA13,M1 I think they show the whole contents.

 

Creative grids have another of her books for beginners - http://www.creativegrids.com/acatalog/info_B0120.html but I haven't seen it. They all seem to have instructions so just what you fancy.

[Plum]

Snowy what did you buy was it those batiks

 

Step 6(I think) Press your piece carefully if you haven't already.

Choose what width border you would like and add on 1/2" for seam allowances.

 

Measure your quilt side to side across the middle and this gives the length of the first borders.

Do the uprights first so if you are making it portrait it will be the longest or if you are doing it landscape that will be the shortest.

 

I can't give you the measurements because we'll have all sewn it slightly differently.

 

Sew these on with a 1/4" seam. Press then repeat with the other way.

 

Add other borders in the same way if you wish. I'll add some pictures in a minute. To help you choose.

[Chook n Boo Mum]

Nooooo more books, more websites....DH will not forgive you quickly Plum!!!

 

I'm waiting for the piccies....... ooops better not forget the spuds are on for mash (incase they turn to mush !!) and the sausages don't burn too badly !

 

Sha x

[Plum]

Is that a smoke detector I can hear.

 

This is Sioux's quilt. Sioux is our patchwork leader who taught us and through me you the quilt. I've sent her this thread cos the sceptics laughed when I told them what I was doing.

 

 

Look at this in variagated plains

 

 

This one was cut again, I don't know how and made up into a bag.

 

Has anyone seen Cathy or is she still in the fabric department choosing fabrics

 

You are now true quilters you have a UFO (unfinished object) do you want finishing instructions next or you can make it up into bag, jacket, dishcloth, cushion etc.

 

Cushion - where's Christian

[Chook n Boo Mum]

Nearly & the spuds nearly boiled dry too I was so intent on an email I was sending and waiting for these pics....wow is all I can say !

 

How was it intended to be used? I haven't yet pressed mine out, but it is looking quite effective.

 

I found some slightly smaller squares the other day, which I had cut out many moons ago to turn into a patchwork bed cover to match some curtains, so I may have a go with them - paying more attention to the seam allowances this time !

 

Sha x

[Snowy]

Oh wow, those are gorgeous!!

 

Plum, I've loved doing this - I said before that I had problems with colours, well this has really helped me to rethink the way I choose colours. Are you ready for my second attempt? (and yes, batiks are involved)

 

Here goes:

 

 

 

No more headless chickens, instead it's:

 

 

 

Caribbean Sunset!

And with the fabrics for the next stage:

See that glorious batik?

I'm getting there aren't I?

[Chook n Boo Mum]

Snowy that is fantastic!!

 

Where are those other squares...... it won't be to your wonderful standards, but as they say practice makes perfect - well better at least!!!

 

Sha x

[bigmommasally]

Wow Wow Wow!!!!

 

Those finished quilts look beautiful Plum.

 

And yours too Snowy I love you new colours and fabrics

 

I think I might make mine into a cushion cover

[Plum]

Snowy Yes you've certainly got it with colours. Love the way you have picked out the colours for the blocks from the border fabric and the background fabric is genius.

 

I've not finished sewing my rows together yet. but I have made a baby quilt which just needs binding.

[Plum]

Better do the acknowledgement bit. This is the book that Sioux took the pattern from http://www.amazon.com/Square-Dance-Fancy-Quilts-Squares/dp/1564771210 in case any of you would like to delve deeper into the world of tessalated pinwheels.

[Plum]

How was it intended to be used? I haven't yet pressed mine out, but it is looking quite effective.

 

 

It's a small wallhanging Sha.

[Chook n Boo Mum]

Better do the acknowledgement bit. This is the book that Sioux took the pattern from http://www.amazon.com/Square-Dance-Fancy-Quilts-Squares/dp/1564771210 in case any of you would like to delve deeper into the world of tessalated pinwheels.

 

 

And there was I thinking that Sioux had had an epiphany moment in the bath & thought "that squares hanging looks a little bland, I know we'll cut it all up & stitch it up again into tessalated pinwheels!"

 

I had never come across that tessalated word until DD's maths homework a few weeks ago "it's a posh maths word Mummy that means two shapes that fit together like a puzzle"....so there !

 

Once again many thanks for all your hard work and question answering Plum, you've been very patient with us newbies !

 

Sha x

[bigmommasally]

Once again many thanks for all your hard work and question answering Plum, you've been very patient with us newbies !

 

Hear Hear

[Plum]

It's been good fun. Thanks for joining in and being good sports. Must get on and get mine done so I can show you mine as well.

[TAJ]

I have been looking at a full size patchwork quilt project - I love the finished design, but I am worried if I am truely capable of doing it - but seeing this thread has made me think I should give it a go, as there will be plenty of help on here if I get stuck - this is what I like the look of: http://www.cottonpatch.co.uk/acatalog/Kaffe_Fassett_Country_Garden_Quilt_Packs.html its the pastel star one I want to do, I have got the book, but it rates each quilt 1-3 based on difficulty and give this a 3 - for experienced quilters.

 

What do you think should I have a go - will you all help me when I get stuck?

 

Tracy

[Chook n Boo Mum]

Can't say I'd be of any use except a sympathetic ear if you need one, but Plum & Snowy seem to know what they are doing.........

 

Hecky-thump Mrs that looks much harder than this little project, but looks gorgeous! Lots of luck with it, I assume it will be used at home rather than given away?

 

Sha x

[Snowy]

I have been looking at a full size patchwork quilt project - I love the finished design, but I am worried if I am truely capable of doing it - but seeing this thread has made me think I should give it a go, as there will be plenty of help on here if I get stuck - this is what I like the look of: http://www.cottonpatch.co.uk/acatalog/Kaffe_Fassett_Country_Garden_Quilt_Packs.html its the pastel star one I want to do, I have got the book, but it rates each quilt 1-3 based on difficulty and give this a 3 - for experienced quilters.

 

What do you think should I have a go - will you all help me when I get stuck?

 

Tracy

Wow Tracy - that quilt is gorgeous! Trouble with that is it looks as if it uses some quite tricky piecing techniques - definitely some that I am not familiar with! Your seams would have to be really spot on as well to do something that big. Personally I would start with something in a simper design - it could be just as colourful. And the patchwork is only a part of it - I haven't started on the quilting yet! That bit terrifies me! Plum may be a better help

[Plum]

It's truly beautiful. Its marked as 3 because you have pieces with 8 fabrics coming together in one point. However, I did some of those in my first quilt and got away with it but it may annoy you if you have so many to do and can't get the join fairly flat. The fabric starts fraying and distorts if you unpick them because the seams are cut on the bias. You can have a quilt covered with buttons to hide the joins Try one or two before cutting all your fabric then you can decide. Or try some with some other fabrics before you cut these.

 

Like the others I'm here to help if I can.

 

Love the fabrics they are gorgeous. I've got some Kaffe Fassett fabrics and couple of books they are special. So far I've only made a friend a quilt for her dog with them.

[Snowy]

My mystery quilt is going to be a wall hanging for my dining room. Here it is in situ:

 

 

I just need to add wadding and quilt it (I think, although I wonder if it needs that ) then figure out how to hang it. In the meantime, sellotape is doing the job

[TAJ]

My mystery quilt is going to be a wall hanging for my dining room. Here it is in situ:

 

 

I just need to add wadding and quilt it (I think, although I wonder if it needs that ) then figure out how to hang it. In the meantime, sellotape is doing the job

 

How about one of these quilt hangers: http://www.cottonpatch.co.uk/acatalog/Hangers.html I have just completed a wall hanger quilted chicken picture and used the welcome one - I will try and add a photo.

 

Tracy