Mass exodus

Along with most other craft bloggers I've changed from Google reader over to Bloglovin'. Bloglovin' has amongst other things, asked me to deposit this code into a post...

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/3203810/?claim=2czeggxv25h">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

Hmmm well wasn't that interesting!

Sewing on a Saturday and Thangles

So I used Thangles for the first time today, I have to say I'm not being paid, bribed or what have you I just thought I'd blog about them as they turned out fairly handy.

I started out with a pile of solids in cool colours and then remembered I don't like working only with solids so threw a print in there too, it's a Pat Bravo one (If anyone would like to know the names of the solids let me know and I'll hunt them down) 

So to use the Big Thangles I needed to pre cut my fabric down to the size on the paper you stitch through.

Then grab a strip and place it diagonally so the lines that indicate corners line up with the fabric...total honesty here I had spacial awareness issues with this and I have no idea why but Him in doors had a good laugh at some of the issues I was having.

Then they are as simple as following the stitch lines printed on the paper.

Ok so they aren't rocket science but once I'd gotten my head around the orientation issues I was having they did save me a lot of time and I didn't waste anywhere near as much fabric as I normally would making half square triangles.

So a sneak peek at the quilt top I made today before its basted and quilted.

I can honestly say I'll use these again as they are fairly inexpensive and save time :) 

So I've just been emailed and asked where I got mine from and I picked them up at M is for make 

A second finish in a week

I can happily say I have finished the Laura Gunn quilt too this week, would you like to see? 

It's a big quilt measuring 80" x 64"

and I wont lie it was a little harder to quilt that the lap sized quilts I normally enjoy making.

I ended up going with wide spaced serpentine quilting down the length of the quilt, I toughed it out with the variegated thread and think it has worked out really well.

The blue backing and grey binding help simmer down the riot of bright colours in the quilt top, well I think they do anyway lol

Todays plans involve Thangles (Which my spell check loves by the way) and some more odd shaped solid scraps, wish me luck :) 

 Hope you have a great weekend planned

Quilted and bound!

Quilted and bound! 

I really wanted to use up some of my solids odds and ends, do you end up with strange cuts of fabric from projects too or is that just me? 

I'm loving this really dense wiggly quilting

Brown binding and I'm just a little proud of those corners! 

I love how that orange pulls through in the echino and the backing, such a vibrant happy colour. 

out-take! 

Behind every quilt photo session there is a pouting man with a lint roller!

I have no idea why he is pouting.

This one, the quilt not the man, is now listed in the shop 

New camera and tension issues

So after a few years of iphone photos I gave in and bought a proper camera, I am really enjoying getting to know it better but really do feel we have some way to go before we are firm friends...I will admit to being a little awed and slightly intimidated by all of its buttons.

Needless to say all of the photos in this post have been taken with my iPhone, oh the irony! 

 This is my lovely monster of a quilt. The top is made from Laura gunn fabrics mainly the collection before Poppy that I can't think of the name of. 

I really need to get around to painting those boards white rather than sticking things to them! 

The backing is a very sweet pale blue hand dyed fabric, I know it's hand dyed as it was I that dyed it many moons ago :)

I thought I'd be a smarty pants and use a variegated thread to quilt with.

It is super pretty, mainly green with touches of silver and blue. It also did this to the back of my quilt.

So we, yes I enlisted Him in doors to come and help, spent a whole lot of time swearing and unpicking and swearing some more...I'm hoping he was swearing at the quilting and not me! 

I now have the whole thing re-quilted and awaiting a vaguely bright and snow free day for it's photo shoot in the park.

I've started on my stack of Echino fabric again, is it just me that can't cut this stuff up? Another semi wholecloth lap quilt is in the works, a lovely pieced backing (I never piece backings!) and some serpentine quilting.

However turn the quilt over and this is whats been going on! 

Again with the sloppy tension. I'm not sure whats going on with my machine and I'm very much hoping a good clean out and oil down at the weekend will help resolve the issue...

If the sun shines between now and then I will hopefully have some photos to post taken with my new camera of the gargantuan Laura Gunn quilt. 

Hope you have a lovely week sewing!