Sorry ... neglected little blog :(

Hello and it's September already! How? Where have the last four months gone?!

I won't even try and make excuses - I'm just going to mention a few things I've been working on since my last post. My quilting - this wonderful hobby - continues to thrill me. It consumes a lot of my spare time but the results (mainly gifts for friends and family) are so worth it. I get to play with so many fabrics, make up my own patterns and follow others', make quilts on my own and also in groups. 

At the end of May, a birthday quilt for my niece - fabric all from my stash and a delightful Kaffe Fassett pattern:

June saw a dreadful tragedy in London - the burning of Grenfell Tower (a stone's throw from my work building) and, like many others, I felt compelled to make a quilt (pattern by Jeni B - In Color Order) for a family / first responder: 

In July, the 14 Chernobyl Children arrived from Belarus and Ukraine for a month's R&R in North Wales and my lovely international Instagram group #ccllnorthwalesquiltbee again volunteered their time and skill to make each child a handmade bag and table mat:

Their amazing / funny / beautifully crazy interpreter: 

August and I finished the top of a Christmas quilt which introduced me to a friendly group of quilters in Australia as we finished blocks each week. Organised by Anne - she kept us on track, bless her, in a very relaxed manner. Because we all chose different fabrics (mine were all from my stash apart from the Moda French General Indigo sashing fabric), they all turned out wonderfully different. Pattern #handmadewithlove by Camille Roskelley - can't wait to finish this: 

And a 'commissioned' quilt for my neighbour for her sister who was celebrating 40 years of marriage. This was challenging but I embraced the tests (embroidery / applique) - I loved making the scrappy back - she was thrilled:

Last week, I gave this quilt to my friend Gerrie, chair of our local Chernobyl Children's Lifeline, she chose the colours, I made up the pattern and 47 children and teachers signed patches which I sewed into the back. She cried when I gave it to her (so did I!!):

Each month, I've been making blocks for a different 'queen bee' as part of our Siblings Together quilt group. This was this month's:

And just tonight, I made these two squirrel blocks. I have had this pattern for ages and I can't tell you how happy I was to finally have found the perfect recipient to make it for. Pattern by Lorna at Sew Fresh Quilts and it really was the easiest pattern to follow. Thanks Lorna: 

Linking up with Lorna's Let's Bee Social and Amanda Jean's Finish it up Friday.

Really REALLY really love my quilting :)

I do. I am so in love with my quilting at the moment - I love my hobby ... and whilst I do not want to wish my life away, I cannot wait until I retire (in just 15 months) so that I can make even more quilts!

Since my last blog post, I have finished 6 quilts - 5 of which I'll share with you tonight (the 6th is a surprise birthday gift for next week ... Sshhhhh!) 

Baby quilts are so lovely to make - and these two were just dreamy. The first came together really quickly from a charm pack and a bit of sashing and was a gift for a colleague at work:

And this little darling is on her way to Ukraine in the morning with my dear friend Gerrie (chair of our North Wales link of Chernobyl's Children Lifeline, a wonderful charity I have been supporting for just over a year):

This next quilt, made with Moda Grunge fabric, was to match a rug in my friend's house - the rug:

I loved making this and I think I hit the brief - the quilt:

I finally finished my 'We should be sectioned quilt' which I started in September 2015. Mine was a 'seasonal' quilt which I started with Autumn and each of the ladies added their sections:

I tried different quilting on this including hand quilting but I still favour stippling as my go-to free motion quilting:

This was a wonderful quilting bee to be a part of and I love how we have all become good friends:

And finally, a leaving gift for a friend at work. He sent me a picture of a cushion his wife liked and I designed my quilt as a likeness - I won't lie - this was tricky to make - but I do like a challenge! 

I'd be lost without graph paper, being good at maths, pins and a spare bed to use as a design board!

Really loved this one:

And so did Wayne:

Yes. Love my quilting friends. Love my hobby. Love making quilts. Love giving quilts. 

Linking up with two ladies who also love making quilts - Amanda Jean @ Crazy Mom Quilts and Sarah @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict.

Charity Quilt - Siblings Together

This is my 3rd year supporting the great work of this charity - and being part of a wonderful 'online' Quilt Bee. Each month - mine was January - the Queen Bee decides on a block and the other bees make it, send it to you and you make the quilt from them.

For the tutorial of my block, please see this post:

A simple design and I just asked the bees to make scrappy blocks in red, yellow, green, orange or blue. A big block - unfinished at 18.5" - and with 12 of us in the Bee, it was always going to finish a good size. Bridgid from Australia joins in too so when she and one of the bees sent me two blocks and a newbie follower on IG asked if she could make me one too, I ended up with 16! Aren't they all fabby?

I went to Simply Solids last week for a free motion quilting class with Charlo from Quiltification (what a small world; she's in the other Siblings Together Quilt Bee) and whilst I'm very comfortable and competent in stippling, the class gave me the confidence to try 'new shapes' and I immediately put it to use on this quilt:

And here it is in all its glory yesterday in the morning sunshine in Wales - finishing at 72" square, I think it will make a great quilt for an older child:

I kept the backing gender neutral - a fabby bargain from Fabric Guild - beautiful fabric and I also used the off cuts for the binding:

LOVE IT. 

Thank you to all the kind and talented bees for their beautiful blocks. And a reminder of why we give these quilts:

Linking up with Sarah @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict.

Siblings Together Quilt 2017

Happy New Year, everyone ... feeling a little tired today but motivated to sew and blog as I am Queen Bee for this month's Siblings Together Quilting Group. This will be my second 'bee' collaboration and fifth quilt for this fabby charity:

A reminder why I love being part of this group and we make these quilts every year:

We began the 2017 quilts in October and these are the blocks I have made so far, starting with this cool design improv block for Carol @ The Running Hare:

In November, Mary @ Mary Emmens requested a couple of red paper pieced blocks - these were fun to make:

And last month, Sheila @ chezbudsmam asked us to make her a couple of delightful Greek Cross Blocks: 

So, here is the block I am requesting - and a quick tutorial, should it be needed. Although mine is made from my scrappy citrus greens, I am hoping to get a variety of red, yellow, orange, light blue and green blocks - my only stipulation is that the block be made using just one colour and that the star be a dark blue / navy solid fabric (or similar). The block finishes at 18.5" and is made from 16 x 5" squares and 8 x 2 and 3/4" squares:

To make the star points, lay one square against the corner of the 5" square and sew on the diagonal - I like to draw a line but you can just eyeball it too:

I sewed a second seam and will use the spare 16 X 2" HSTs in another project: 

Then take a second square and do the same:

I didn't have enough fabric to not repeat a couple of squares but that works well, I think:

I like the seams to be pressed open and do pin a lot:

And the finished block:

Thank you, STQB ladies - can't wait to see what you come up with. I will post on my Instagram account and back here to show you. 

Happy Quilting in 2017.