Patchwork blind no. 2

I still have lots of blog stuff to catch up with but in the meantime I finally finished the pink and green patchwork window blind ............. it's up and I actually love it!!!!!!!

.

All Patched Up

A more positive day yesterday and I got lots done.  Finishing this morning ..............

It went together really easily though there was a hiccup with the machine (Juki) being the top tension had disengaged and for quite a few seams until I noticed whilst pressing!  Oh, and whilst mentioning the machine, another little gripe noticed when I went to clean it this morning - the "key" type screwdriver seems to have some kind of coating which is peeling off (after 3 months)!


A bag of scraps left are crying out to be played with but I must resist and, for now, save them in case they are needed for the smaller sister - already some of the fabrics I can't repeat.  Now lots of tidying away to do ............... only to get it all back out again soon.

None of the pics seem to be very clear these days.  I can't get the Olympus to work - it won't click to take a pic..
.

At last!

The blue blocks for the kitchen window blind had been laying around for a while untouched ........... I really needed to get them out of the way so got back to them last week and then got ill.  Just a stressy thing and feel a bit better now ........... repeat after me "I must not worry so much".  I still will though cos that's "me" and isn't that what mums are for?

I struggled to get these done, finding the continual pressing and trimming monotonous but, hey, they're finished now and hope to have more fun putting them together.  I'm in no hurry to do the squares for the adjacent window just yet.

 

So I now have:

1) Pink and green patchwork ready to be made into a blind when I find the right backing/lining fabric (something blackoutish but not too heavy)

2) I Spy quilt top waiting for a border and quilting.

3) Blue and yellow blocks waiting to be pieced together and then made into a blind same as 1).  I shall be getting onto that next.

4) An Egyptian cotton cot sheet waiting to be dyed and stitched into a faux chenille cushion.  I have enough machine dye for two sheets so am waiting to find another one, hopefully before too long.  Think we'll get rid of the odd cushions in the living room and have a couple more co-ordinated ones instead.

5) Some fun stuff with the boxer shorts mentioned in the last post

6) Loads of other stuff that I hope to start being able to concentrate on.

.

Designing another Patchwork Window Blind

Again, using the simple free online Quilt Assistant design tool, a rough plan .........

2nd draft ................

Working Design ..............

Selecting fabrics ........

Starting to stitch ..........

Having only recently completed the pink and green one, I'm finding this tedious.  I don't dislike it but It's lacking that "can't wait to get up in the morning to get started" feeling.  I have oodles of patience but my boredom threshold is low and don't need to say that I will never be making any kind of quilt using just three or four fabrics in repeat patterns.  The variations in fabric and dividing it into working portions of different sized patches and then tonal values is making it bearable.

For months now my head had been full of family stuff.  I want my life back!  I did manage to design a couple of bags this week.  One needs lots of hand stitch so am still contemplating that one, another needs a trip out for a zip and the third, well, not quite sure how that's going but in essence an across body bag that I am hoping a nearly not a teenage daughter will find attractive enough to wear to help prevent bag and contents being stolen on nights (and days) out!

Not very interesting reading I'm afraid ......... all very much the same at the moment!
.

A success ................ Patchwork Window Blind

Well I like it!  Even more so because it is completely my own ........... now I know what to do!  A mixture of cotton fabrics purchased over the last couple of years together with some hand dyed stuff.

Cutting the strips to size and machining edge to edge was a lot less time consuming than the foundation piecing used before so definitely the method for me.

 I need to decide what to line it with.  Something to display the patchwork rather than the seams creating a stain glassed effect with the light filtering through.  I have some blackout lining but it's too heavy so will wait until we're out and about to see what is out there in the shops these days.  There's no rush as walls have yet to be painted and, despite my husband's plea, they will remain pink and green!

I'd like to think that I've no idea how I ended up with these blocks left over but I obviously miscounted!  There are more patchwork window blinds to be made - I need to spend some time on design.
.

Getting there ................

All 187 blocks now ready ...............

Laying them out in a limited space.  The bed would afford me more room but I've yet to work out how to suspend myself from the ceiling to view them in situ!  Already I can see a few that will need shifting about and it's a bit brighter than I had hoped - I feared it would be but we shall see.

.

More blocks ................

Today's upside .......... finished all the green blocks.  Downside ............... dropped my square quilting ruler onto the tiled floor.  It was a birthday present, only a few weeks old, and now missing a corner.  I think the superglue beckons!

Only 47 4" pink blocks to go.  Only ........... at the rate I'm working that's about 7 days work!  In keeping with the "pink and green" theme, a photo I took at the Imperial War Museum last autumn.  It's very "strawberry ice cream", I actually prefer raspberry in both colour and taste, but pink nonetheless.

I saw these wartime toys there ............. aren't they delightful?  Inspiration for an interesting use of leather ............ or patchwork!

And dolls ..............

.

Scraps and Swaps

My first ever fabric swap.  Tahlia in the US sent me some amazing prints for my I Spy quilt.  I love them all but here's a few .................

Cherry sent me some beautiful pieces left over from the I Spy quilt she made for her grandson.  Am starting to sort all of them into colour groupings but I really must resist fiddling about with them too much as the edges will be so frayed before it's time to stitch them all together!

Ali of Very Berry Handmade organised a fabric scrap swap.  I love scraps and, as much so, the challenge of bringing them together for an actual item.  I had a beautiful package from Helen of Find a Happy Place.  As well as some pieces that are just perfect for the I Spy quilt there were a few squares that just had to stay together.  Very "Heritage" colours that I probably wouldn't buy myself ................

With a bit of jiggling, 4 x 5" squares were just enough for a "Heritage" elephant (maybe destined as a scissor keeper) with just a little bit of machine stitching in keeping with the Heritage theme and not detracting from the fabric too much ...................

Part of my personal challenge with the fabric scrap swap complete, I really must press on with the log cabin patchwork blind before it starts to become a chore more than fun .............

So a special thankyou to everybody who has swapped fabrics, it has been great fun receiving the surprise packages (all of which will be put to good use) and I hope everybody enjoys the fabrics sent in return.
.

I'm not disappointed ............

A few months back Quilting Arts were asking for submissions for "Quick and Easy" patchwork projects (not their usual stuff at all).  I had ideas for a few items but only got to get a couple of baby bibs ready - one of them in "Toy Poodle" by Clothworks ............

I saw recently that they've been photographing items for publication so assume mine weren't chosen.  I don't mind at all as I've yet to find a patchwork or quilting book where I like everything so know that I'll like these more than some of the stuff they've chosen.


Anyway, on with the log cabin patchwork for the blind ............

 ............. in green this time.  Only 4 large blocks completed today yet it seemed like hard work.  Too many mistakes (my mind was elsewhere)!  In fact one block has the middle square wrong side up and I didn't even realise until I'd completed the whole thing.  I really can't be bothered to try and put it right at the moment so we'll see ...............
.

Progress

 All 8.5" blocks now complete (inluding extending the ones that were too small) ...........
 

All 15 6.5" blocks now finished ............

  Am having doubts as to whether it will all gel together ................ time will tell.
.

Ups and Downs ..............

Weeded the fabrics ................

Started cutting a few strips and decided to ditch a few of the pinks that were actually dress fabrics (poplin) thus short on plain mid and pale pink in particular.  A few months back, helping mum to change the beds she said just as well to throw one of the sheets away as it had worn in the middle.  Asking whether it was cotton or polycotton the reply was "Egyptian cotton" (in a tone that shouted how dare I ask such a thing)!  I remembered that sheet today so out with the Fuschia dye ..................

Watered down for the paler colours and left for just a few minutes before rinsing out.  The 30 minute washing machine cycle does come in handy sometimes.  Pressed and ready to use (on the right) ............

Starting to stitch ............

Already I've run into problems.  These large blocks (I've completed 5) should measure 8.5" but they are only 8.25 ............. in fact one is only 8 - it's not the strips but squaring up!  A disadvantage of not using a foundation I suppose.  Oh well, thought it all looked too easy!!
.