Tula Challenge

Annie:- Thought I better post my second set of 5 blocks – This finishes the Crosses section.  I am finding it quite an enjoyable activity and am actually ahead of schedule (don’t tell Mary!!). Mind you, I may have to unpick a few of the seams in the next lot of blocks …I must have had my crooked glasses on…why is I actually so hard to sew a straight seam??? Anyway here’s my second set….

What to do with 42, 2½” squares

Mary: – I have a challenge on with four friends who all have the same pack of 42, 2½” squares of Chateau Rouge fabrics by Moda.  We are supposed to make ‘something’ by the end of March.  Time is marching on!

I decided a quick way to start was to make half square triangles.    I paired each dark square with a light square, drew a diagonal on the reverse with a Frixon pen (these are brilliant, the marks just iron off!) and then sewed a ¼” seam either side of the marked line.  Cut them apart on the drawn line.

Pressed them open and now I have 40 half square triangles.

I’ve played around with four possible layouts.  Will let you know which one I decide to sew together…..

Living Colour Textiles

Annie: – It was my turn to have the sneak preview of my work revealed today on the Living Colour Facebook page. In total there are 32 art works which are all in a banner format  40cm x 100 cm. The exhibition opens in Melbourne at AQC weekend of April 10-13, before it goes on tour.

http://livingcolourtextiles.com/2014/03/glimpse-living-colour-annie-white/

Living Colour Textiles

Living Colour is a travelling textile art exhibition on tour in 2014-2015.   http://livingcolourtextiles.com Supported by…

 

One UFO down…

Another plus when it comes to decluttering is that you find your UFO’s stashed in all sorts of unusual places.   I now have a box (very large) that is full of UFOs (unfinished objects) and I’m slowly working  through them.

Here’s my first finished UFO.  I bought this Amy Bradley pattern at the Houston Festival in 2010 and have finally finished it.   Don’t you just love the look on her face!!  Such glee!

 

Long arm Quilting

Mary & I a great day today visiting a longarm quilter. Susan Trendall had invited us over to have a play on her Nolting Series 24. What a buzz! It is quite different standing up at a machine – not only does it change your perspective but it also uses different muscles. I must remember to breath! We quilted one of the community quilts for Guild using a computerised pantograph pattern and then Susan let me loose on a cot quilt that I had brought over. I didn’t mark the pattern but just kind of made it up as I went! A little more planning next time I think. I think I will envy the speed of the operation next time I sit down at my little Bernina doing tiny pebbles!!!

The Challenge is On!

Annie:- I think it is important to understand right from the beginning that piecing and for that matter, precise piecing, is definitely Mary’s thing, and that for me, the biggest thrill will be to end up with blocks close to the required size! I have started well – not over precise but they are all 6.5 which is truly amazing. I am using a bundle of Moda Zen Chic fabric entitled Juggling Summer. This is a trendy, modern print and I think will sit well on a plain light grey or white background. Wish me luck. Photos are of the material bundle and my first five blocks.

Our personal challenge!

Mary: –  When we saw Tula Pink’s new modern block book, Annie and I decided that we could challenge ourselves to make all the blocks by the end of the year.  Then we decided that actually 70 blocks was quite sufficient as that way we could do ten blocks a month – they are only 6½” blocks – and we should have the blocks completed by the end of September and the quilt finished by Christmas!  Well that’s the theory.

I had a bundle of fat eighths called Noteworthy by Sweetwater and printed by Moda.  I’ll add various other fabrics to stretch out the bundle as time goes on.  Here are my first five blocks.