Christmas 2015

I like to make things especially at Christmas time...This year I made a few Tea Cosys for family.

So easy to make a and they help make ones kitchen look decorated as well as keeping the tea pot warm!! 

Of course they needed a mat to go with them.. These are made from scraps  so size depends on how big the scraps are ..the bigger one is a four cup tea pot and the smaller one is a two cup tea pot.. 

Of course now I have to make everyday ones ..... 

End of year 2015

Last year I concentrated on trying to use up my scraps.... Making several scrap quilts ..well more then several.. I enjoy using my scraps, one finds all sorts of favourite fabrics  some very small others a reasonable size...they bring back memories of quilts made thru the years. Here are a few I made towards the end of last year. 

    I think the yellow is the zing in this quilt 

Smaller sized blocks here so I added a border...

A border of green added to this one, theses blocks are bigger in size using only 9.

This is the one in my previous post 

And a couple of backs 

Using remaining larger pieces for a backing 

 And the last one not a backing another lap quilt . 

Waiting to be quilted...some I will handquilt using pearl cotton some I will machine quilt. 

Follow on from my scrap quilts

The follow on from the post about my scrap quilts. I selected the brownish colour scheme to work on 

But felt it needed some zing 

Using the floral in the center I added colours to tone or add the zing in felt it needed 

Strips and squares odd blocks all different sizes from my scraps 

I will use these as the focals for each block to ensure continuity in all the blocks 

Half way there 

I add the strips around the outside which ever way I feel looks best keeping them balanced  

They are trimmed when reaching a good size. I like to use 25 blocks up to 12 inches in size.

That gives you 5 rows of 4 blocks. A good lap size, in the photo below I used 5 by 5 and the blocks would have been around 10 inches 

Out of that bag of scraps I made two lap quits and one backing. 

They are currently waiting to be quilted... 

Quilts for the Little ones

The quilting club I belong to Pinestream  Quilters in Upper Hutt NZ  makes quilts for the Neo Natal Unit at our local Hospital. The size is small 26 x28 or round about. They must have polyester batting for ease of washing, One can use scraps for these, 

This year I made several some of the scraps came from my quilting friends also members at Pinestream.... They are all made from scraps or left over blocks or when I was over zealous cutting squares.

The start of my Scrap quilts. Controlled or ...

When I finish making a quilt I save all the scraps together in plastic bags... Sometimes there are lots of scraps left sometimes not so many so I have big kitchen bags and small kitchen bags stacked amongst my collection of fabrics. I don't have a stash ..I have a collection of fabrics I could not leave in the shop...

I do try and keep the scraps colour controlled as well.... Reds pinks,pale, or dark all go together ..greens bright and dark are together... Black and white..whites and black they all have a plastic bag to keep,them under control. 

Also in these bags I add unused blocks,(what I made too many blocks),strips and squares anything that is over 1 inch. When these bags are stacked together one can see what colours will go together...like pink and purple... Or Autumn colours... This is where I start looking for my next scrap quilt. 

 

 Now I  can see here I have enough in this dull Autumn coloured bag for a quilt but to me it needs some zing...maybe the green will do... Or ....who knows ..I have a scrap quilt very uncorordinated colours nearly finished on Fudge then I will work on this one ... Watch this space. 

Follow on from post ..In my corner

In my post  on the 9-8-14 My Corner ..I had a quilt in the frame for Pinestream Quilters Exhibition later that year...The theme was Warmth.

My idea was to convey a feeling of warmth thru colour. I love bright vibrant colours, no cool blues in this quilt, but maybe a little green... I enjoy working in small pieces and this quilt is made from my scraps. The only fabric I actually went out to buy was the bright green..

I called my quilt Warmth. The colours reminded me of all things warm.. And it kept me warm during the cold winter nights as I quilted it. By hand of course.

I then made a second one using different colours in the 9 patches again using scraps... My favourite is Warmth

The  second photo is Warmth 2.

                                       'Warmth'

                Best handquilting Pinestream Exhibition 2014.

Christmas stockings

My quilting club Pinestream Quilters has asked members to make Christmas stockings...not telling here who they are for..it may be a surprise...don't want to spoil it do we.

My friend June has supplied the Christmas fabric and I hunted around my box's for the trims..

A few spare minutes here and there this last couple of weeks has resulted in one or three ..(hehe)

Stocking.....

I am sure they will be filled with special goodies at Christmas time ..

Maybe I should make some little stockings for my Christmas gifts.....

 Kiwi Jan