December Block - HSTs again

If, by any chance, you are having Half Square Triangle withdrawal, I'm only too happy to point you in that direction.  Once again I'm linking to the brilliant Jeni Baker's Half Square Triangle Block of the Month Quilt Along which is on her blog, incolororder.com  Her blog is fab and worth visiting regularly.

We are making the March block this time which you can find here.  If anyone knows what the name of the block is, I'd be interested to know.

Jeni makes her HSTs using the traditional method or the alternative method (great tutorials) and for this block please remember to trim them to 3.5". 

As regards colour we would like the background to be white or white on white with three print fabrics.  You have free rein with the colours. Could you please send the completed blocks to us by 30th December so that we can use them when we next meet on January 6th.

There was a new addition to my family yesterday and he has fallen for me.  The downside to that is it's taking me an age to type this blog and actually making the block was interesting...but I'm determined that he will not be won over by my dog whispering husband!!! If I have to nurse him all day, feed him his dinner piece by piece, carry him up the scary steps to the garden, then I will...

Isn't he gorgeous!

It just remains for me to thank you for your support during 2017 and to wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Happy Sewing

Quick Update

It's a dismal day in Belfast and I've reluctantly accepted that winter is just around the corner. A perfect day to spend indoors, bringing you up to date with our last get together.

The quilt top below was made from two donated charm packs; pieced, trimmed and sewn together, they produced this riot of loveliness. Borders have been chosen and are awaiting completion when time permits.

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A donated Layer Cake this time.  We saw a similarly completed quilt on Pinterest but I can't find the link to tag.  If it's yours, thanks for posting it.

...and I even found time to play with my longarm rulers!  (you probably can't see the straight lines, but believe me they are there)

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Another cutsie baby panel is ready for binding.

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This pattern came from Camille Roskelley's book, entitled Simply Retro.  How to quilt it....??

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Last month this completed quilt top made its way to us...thank you... and we decided to add some borders. Perfect fabric or what!!! I don't know where you got that fabric, Ros, but it was made for this quilt.

We hoked and poked and came up with the perfect bits and pieces of left over whatnots, to piece a back.  Waste not, want not!   I do love a pieced back but boy is it slow to cut straight when it's as big as this.  

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It just remains for me to thank you for making and sending us last month's blocks.  You can see some of them below.  Would you believe, thinking I was super organised whizzing off to Bee Blessed,  I left some of them at home!!!  So there are more...sorry if yours is missing.

I hope to make and post December's block in the next few days when I get a free moment.  So until then...

Happy Sewing 

THANK YOU

I just want to begin by thanking everyone who supports us in any way...those who are able to meet with us each month and sew...those who faithfully make and post blocks to us each month...those who donate fabric...those who hold us in their prayers and those who encourage us to keep going.  Thank you to each and every one of you.

This has been a particularly busy month for us in terms of gifting quilts.  That in itself is bitter sweet as it means that although we get to pass on our lovely quilts (your lovely quilts), there are people out there who are going through a difficult time. Thank you for enabling us to do that.

Some photographs of what we gifted.  I hope you can spot your blocks...

There were a few finishing touches added and progress was made on WIPs

I can never bring myself to crop your dainty fingers, Judith...

All in all a satisfying month and get together.

Thank You!!!

Happy Sewing

A masculine 16 Patch Block

We've had a need for quilts suitable for men, recently, and the pretty pinks and pastels just don't cut the mustard.  As someone said to me last week in Bee Blessed, "It's refreshing to make something that's not pink and pretty,"...or words to that effect!  So the good news is that this month is all about providing you with that refreshment and asking you to dig into the more masculine section of your stash.

There's a fab tutorial for the block here on the brilliant blog by Fiona @poppymakes. You'll whizz through the tutorial and won't want to stop at one.

The unfinished block will be 12.5" and is made using two contrasting fabrics.  We would ask that you use fabrics suitable for a man; blue, green, orange, red, modern brown, grey etc.  I hope you have as much fun making it as I did.

We would like to have the blocks by 25th November, please, and as always we thank you in advance for your continued support as we couldn't do it without you.

Happy Sewing

New Term

It was so good to meet up with the group on Saturday.  We had the pleasure of seeing old and new faces as well as catching up with some ladies who haven't been able to make it for a while.  Ros didn't disappoint on the cake front so my banana cake has been put on the back boiler.

Although we didn't meet in August we've been busy during the summer.  Thanks to what we had in reserve and a very generous donation we were able to gift these quilts...

...Three ladies who've been going through a difficult time received the above quilts and the three below made their way to the Grenfell Tower Disaster quilt group to be distributed at an appropriate time.

Drat, I forgot to take photographs of the ladies but I can show you what we got up to!

It seems an age since I set this block and it didn't disappoint when we saw it again.  Thanks to the lovely ladies who made short work of it on Saturday.  It's a brilliant block and tutorial by Jeni Baker at Incolororder which you can find here.

You either love or hate HSTs.  I love them but only since I found a really good ruler to trim them with.  There was much HST sewing and trimming on Saturday, using that trimming method, and it absolutely made my day when one of the ladies working on them said, "That was very satisfying!", and another said "I might make a quilt like that at home!" Above are just a few of the triangles completed on Saturday.

Borders attached, longarmed and binding added on Saturday and it's another finish!

A layer cake is such an easy starting point and I spotted this quilt on pinterest. I searched and searched for the pattern, to no avail, so that I could appropriately tag and attribute it.  Sorry! We've winged it and this is the result so far.

A bit of reshaping, quilting and hey presto...

This is growing in all directions and promises to be a little stunner!!

That's all for now. Thanks to all of you who take the time to read this blog, make and send us blocks or support us in any way... We couldn't do it without you.  I'll update our meeting dates today.  Until we meet again.

Happy Sewing

Time to get started again with a Twister Block

I hope you've all had a great summer.  August weather hasn't been just as warm as I'd have liked but there's always September to look forward to and it's usually more promising.  I refuse to accept the demise of summer and the movement into socks, chunky/ier cardis and boots.

You'll not be disappointed with September's block.  Once again we have Sarah over at sewmeblogspot to thank for a fab tutorial. Despite her busy work and family life she's come up with an absolute corker, once again...thank you and hugs.

You can find the tutorial for the Twister Block here along with a photograph of the quilt which inspired us.

The block is made using two colours. We would like a white or white on white background and one colour for the twist.  You will find instructions for directional and non directional prints within Sarah's tutorial and we're happy with either.  We only ask that the colours are bright and modern with no brown/ beige unless it passes as modern.  We're hoping to make a bright and cheery quilt, having seen how well the pattern lends itself to modern prints.  The blocks should be with us by Saturday 30th September, please.  Our contact details are here, should you need any further info.

We've been productive on the gifting front since I last blogged and I'll update you all after our first meeting on the 2nd September...looking forward to cake,  Ros???!!!  Ros, did you know it's written in the Bee Blessed constitutional bylaws that we need cake when we reconvene. Actually I've an abundance of ripe bananas and my son tells me I make a mean Banana Cake, so...

Back to business, we've lots of pictures of quilty loveliness to show you so stay-tuned for the next exciting instalment!

We have missed you and we hope that we can reconnect. You've been our backbone and we so hope that you can make us a block or two to continue to bless and encourage those who need to know they're remembered and not alone in varying circumstances.  We thank you in advance.

Happy Sewing  

Cream Tea and Mañana Mañana

If you're a regular reader (here's hoping) you must have thought we'd dropped off the face of the earth. I put my hands up...I procrastinated...and I can't even blame the beautiful summer.  I adopted the Spanish 'mañana, mañana' and now it has caught up with me.  TOMORROW HAS ARRIVED...in the form of a guilty-quilty conscience because I know I should have done this before now.  I love blogging but am most definitely lacking in self-discipline.

We last met on 10th June (hangs head in shame). Our CEO got up early and baked scones for the lovely ladies (and probably for half the neighbourhood if I know Ros).  They were yum and I don't think I've ever seen such big strawberries. Thanks Ros xx

We were small in numbers but got lots done...including pulling together some very generous donations.

A new Tumbler Block quilt top is now complete, and currently in my spare bedroom having already been quilted on Hilary's longarm. Thanks Hils.  I'll  get a photograph when the light improves.  It's a bit dreary right now and I want you to see how bright it is.

All we had to do was add some borders..

In May we set the Antique Tile block and you lovely ladies made and sent them to us.  Blocks were sewn together...

I longarmed it...

...and it went home to a lovely lady in Portadown who deserved some TLC

This Wonky Log Cabin block quilt is from a couple of months ago and Hilary longarmed it before it made its way to Siblings Together Quilt Group.  

Each year we support a fantastic charity group called Siblings Together Quilting Group, which you can read about here. They have been running for a number of years now and their aim is to collect and distribute quilts to kids at annual events during which siblings are reunited.  In support of their work we have donated these two quilts to this worthy cause and hope they bring a smile to the kids' faces when they receive them. Why not pop over to their blog or visit them on Instagram here.

 

Siblings Quilt numéro deux

Another pieced then longarmed quilt on my spare bed

And last but not least.  There was steam coming out of the longarms this month.!!! There are some which I haven't yet shown but...hasta mañana...

Although we're not meeting as a group during the summer Ros and I will be Busy Bees, choosing patterns and blocks, sorting fabric and doing all sorts of sewing bits and pieces in preparation for September.  We couldn't possibly cope without our sewing fix.

So :-)) we hope you have a peaceful, restful, fun summer with lots of sunshine and good times.
If you do feel Bee Blessed block withdrawal we would really, really, really appreciate a block using any of the block tutorials (12 1/2") we have used this year which you will find here. Colour and background colours are in your capable hands.  We have learnt that most things work and we love the challenge.

Thank you to everyone who has supported us in any way.  Hopefully we can renew our acquaintance in September.

Happy Sewing