December JQ

I'm on a roll, the production line is in full swing! While trying to dream up what I might do for the December JQ I spilled a load of buttons and beads and the twinkly pile gave me an idea! I had a photo of a cross section of a rose hip and the twinkly pile would do very nicely for the seedy middle! I had yellow shot silk and used this to create the seed pod.

After stitching the shapes down I quilted the background fabric and placed some buttons.

Not enough twinkly bits I thought - so loads more added.

and hey presto, December was sorted!! Not my best work, none of this set of 4 is, not really my scene but I'm not one to give up!

November JQ

I decided to continue with the use of sayings linked to the word button. This time "Pushing all the right buttons". I had an image in my mind of a large push button, but no idea how to a an actual button. So... I revisited the rubric and felt that an appliqué button would be acceptable (Ihope!)

This is appliquéd on in the centre. I then used the Bernina tool for stitching in circles and created the text "Pushing all the right buttons" which I stitch around the button.

I then quilted the background using the shape of the buttom in prifile in rows across the piece. JQ for November done!

Not my best creation, sadly I feel as though I am a surficer on this topic, no real interest or spark of inspiration at the moment.

Ctaching up

All this activity before Christmas has meant that I now have 4 JQs to complete before the end of January! Yes I was busy but I have also to confess that having to use buttons has totally turned me off these last 4. So..... I have used the last couple of quiet days to really think about what I could do. In the end I found a number of sayings about buttons and plan to create a little gem using the text and a button located somewhere appropriate (on the back by preference!) I also had a bag of sari strips and no idea how they might be useful to me - so tried pressing them and stitching them together. I can use this sample to create the background for the October JQ.

I remembered that I can use my machine can produce simple lettering so set it up to write "Button your lip" repeatedly in a line and stitch this on some of the strips. I then used freehand machine embroidery to write the same text in a larger space.

Finally I cup a simple paper stencil of a pair of lips and used markal stick to create a lip image on the piece, quilted it and stitch a button in the mouth.

October JQ done!

Christmas Quilts 4

Finally I finished them! Wrapped, dispatched and given away it was a great pleasure to see the reaction to them from my great nephew and niece. It was worth the effort, and I like the thought of this tenuous connection to the children's daily lives. Rob's Quilt

Emma's Quilt

Christmas Quilts 3

Progress is lower than I'd expected because I've been out enjoying myself too much! So now I am up against the deadline. Rob's quilt is now put together minus the border, so adding borders tomorrow and starting to put on the binding. Why do I do this to myself?? The one bonus of doing all these bits for the children is that I'm itching to get back to real creative work again which is just as well as I have 4 JQs to complete in January!!!

Christmas Quilts 2

I am really up against the clock trying to complete these two quilts for my great nephew and niece. I have tried to be too clever with this one! A combination of photographs printed onto fabric to create blocks and appliqué panels with roads and houses mean that this is not the run of the mill effort. My great nephew is mad about Fireman Sam and anything to do with emergency services so this is where I have drawn my images. I have been delighted with the Cotton Jacquard printing fabric from Artvango and I found a very colourful panel that I have cut to give a top and tail to the quilt and used sections on the back as well.

Now I just have to keep working everyday to ensure that it gets finished, can't give one a quilt and not the other can I?

Christmas Quilts

I have been off line trying to make progress on Christmas presents that I should have started so much earlier! I'm nearly finished making a bed quilt for my great niece Emma, she's 3. I found some lovely fresh looking fabrics at Serenity Quilts, a trader at a recent quilt show. Crisp white with pink, blue and green and some panels of cartoon creatures and lollipops.

I have used the basis of the pattern provided by Serenity Quilts, but bought additional fabric to make a larger piece, I have broken up the blocks with the panel strips.

I broke the design into 3 sections and quilted each separately and then stitch them together, this was much easier to manage on the machine. Its all machined now and the last thing I have to do is piece and quilt the borders and then add them! This is it without the borders.

With any luck this will be ready for Christmas. More problematic is Rob's - he is really fascinated by emergency services - Fireman Sam etc so I am using images printed onto fabric made into blocks and then creating roadways as borders between the blocks! Its just that I ran out of fabric to print on and am waiting with baited breath for Artvango too deliver!! So watch this space......