Hello hello hello..

It has been a long time since I last blogged no real excuse ...I have been busy stitching by hand and with Fudge... Christmas tags, gifts, bags, surprise surprise... Quilts, even some handquilting...more on the handquilting later. 

I made these little tags for Christmas and they were well received by family and friends with plan backs to write names on ...I know several will hand on Christmas trees.

As usual before Christmas is a busy time making gifts for family and friends .. Oven cloths, pot holders, placemats for benches ...loved the green ones I made for Julie 

Some of my friends have 4 feet... Can't forget them at Christmas they love ripping Xmas paper from their gifts.. 

I also made these for the 4 footers 

The larger of the balls was not for a 4 footed friend, my new grandniece has the pink red one..Aniela  loves it .. Fudge did not help me with these..all made by hand..

How's this for a start more to come and thanks for looking 

Trying this out

Hi all I thought I had worked out how to use my iPad and add a photo from my iPad to my blog ...the first try did not work now trying something different. 

I have been making bits and bobs for gifts and here are some of them 

Just a sneak peek....now to send this to blogger.  

Thanks for checking my blog

Churn Dash

One of my favourite traditional blocks is Churn Dash, so with the fabric left over from the Turning Twenty what better then a small Churn Dash quilt.

I had several pieces of Fairy Frost in shades of cream which I felt showed the block up nice just enough for a small quilt.

Of we went Fudge and I stitch stich sew sew.. trim this join the rows together and whoop dee doo all done..add a border or two and its ready for quilting….well…..there was something about it that was not right…the pattern did not do for me what I wanted it to ….

so i unpicked the rows and sashed them with a narrow brown sashing…much better…I am about half way thru the quilting…very traditional quilting outlining the cream pieces to make the Churn Dash stand out.

On two corners I have reversed the border and used the floral fabric I will embellish these corners when the quilting is finished.

Turning Twenty Quilts

Kia ora friends I have been asked to blog about my turning Twenty Quilts…I have so far made two.

A couple of years ago my quilting club..Pinestream Quilters from Upper Hutt had a club day and one of the classes was the Turning Twenty Quilt. This quilt required 20 fat quarters or in my case I used 16.

Off to Spotlight I went for the fabrics….great summer colours orange, teals ,green, blue ,Lemon ,brown, spots, stripes, florals, geometric patterns and believe it or not it only took me ten yes ten minutes to choose these fabrics.

The pattern and method was supplied to us on the day but if you use your favourite search engine you will find lots of info available on the net.

There is a lot of cutting required as each block has 11 pieces to it… once cut there is a special way of taking fabric from each different cut to make up a block…each block will have one piece of each  fabric used, different sizes and in a different place in the block.

The block is made up into 4 units then joined to make one large block..approx 16 x 16.

I made my quilt using 16 blocks.

When joining the blocks together each block is turned a different way the the one next to it…hence the name Turning Twenty…

I hand quilted mine using a big stitch and pearl Cotton in all sorts of different colours….I quilted half a block going up and dwon and the other half across..this gave a very nice textured look.

Now for the photo.

showing top corner the peg is where the block joined to the next one

this is a very summery quilt just love the end result

My second Turning Twenty is quite different in colouring…more subtle  it has been quilted the same .big stitch using brown pearl cotton number 8.

as I wanted that same textured look

and here is  part of the back showing off the label

Thanks for checking out my blog

fudge and kiwi Jan

Jan Cotton

Just trying this out.

Kia ora, a none quilt related entry, have been reading blogs and read where a friend had a app for blogs and now she could  put a entry on her blog direct from her iPad, must admit I had not given it a thought that one could not make a entry to your blog direct from ones iPad so had to give it a go.
Well so far it's working I don't have a photo to try and add that as yet....one thing at a time.
Right now I am in Melbourne Australia ...aa surprise for my daughter ...who had a big birthday surprise evening out arranged for her... We went to Draculars for dinner and their show..a very good night out must admit to ringing in my spears for some time after.
We now have a week staying at my daughters in Scorsby
I will try and add some photos later if this goes thru ok.
More later
Kiwi Jan

White and Stripy quilt

Some time ago at Pinestream Quilters club night I won three pieces for fabric. Pale and  pretty, one was flowery, one stripsof colour and the other spots. I took them out of the cupboard many times but they did not sing to me. Then one day tral lah lah I added more pale fabrics plus a main background white----I decided to use the technique quilt as you go. Sewing the strips direct on to the batting and backing.

But first was to play with these strips on my  design wall.

these are not sewn yet just pinned., ready to stitch—oh dear not enough need to cut and pin more.Before I could start sewing to the backing I had to make the backing.

Lots more stitching and here we are all finished

Back

and a little label

This is another quilt suitable for a little person. Very little!! Crib size .

Thanks for looking

Kiwi Jan

Jan Cotton

Quilts for little people

Kia-ora to whoever is reading, Fudge and I have been busy quilt making.

I had been given some fabric off cuts , all these lovely pieces begging to be made into a quilt for a little person. Naturally this meant a trip to the local quilt shop –some yummy stripes caught my eye and I was then all set to go. Lots of pieces, lots of  measuring, trimming, sewing, pressing and the quilt was finished.

The blocks left over were used for the backing of this wee quilt for a little person

 

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In all the years I have been quilting possibly around 15 or so I have never made a Eye Spy Quilt and now was the time.

Small problem. I did not have the fabrics needed. Being quilters we help each other out with swapping fabric –I helped out a couple of friends and they helped me out with the Eye Spy fabrics. Many thanks you two, you know who you are.

I did have the fabric for the corner blocks and away we went again, Fudge and I. Lots of cutting and stitching and pressing and measuring and more sewing and the Eye Spy quilt took shape.

Among the fabrics given me was the  delightful fabric I used on the backing. I am sure a little person will have much fun Eye Spying this quilt

Of course there were blocks left over and I felt a big pillow case would be great –to help the little person sit up or ---

The backing of the pillow case is the same as the edge’s on the front.

Thanks for looking at my stitching –more to come.

Kiwi Jan

Jan Cotton

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