JACOBS LADDER QUILT

Is it cheating when you choose your smallest quilt top to finish?  Some weeks I get so bogged down in lots of different projects that it feels really good to get something finished - even if it is a small project.  This Jacobs Ladder quilt is small but I like it because it's quite eyecatching and it's a perfect beginner quilting project.

I used some simple quilting designs, but they don't really show up in the photo.  For the pale blue sections I used a general meander quilting while for the black sections I used echo quilting but with a line of stitching running down the middle of each shape so that I could move from one shape to the next along the diagonal lines.  For the border I used circle quilting - partly because I wanted some more practice at it.

I have been asked many times for a tumbling blocks tutorial and I made a start on a design for it yesterday, but there is no way that I will get it finished and written up in time for this week's newsletter.  I've got another idea for this week's quilt and the tumbling blocks will have to wait another week or two - another addition to my unfinished projects pile for now.



I am one of the sponsors of the tapestry exhibition opening at Ironbridge today so I am really looking forward to heading over there this morning to see it.  I'll bring you some photos and details tomorrow.

I'm entering the Jacobs Ladder as a baby quilt with Amy's Creative Side in her amazing Blogger's Quilt Festival:

Thanks for visiting my blog.
Hope to see you again soon.
Rose

CARPENTERS WHEEL QUILT BLOCK PATTERN

There are several different quilt blocks with a fairly similar layout to the Carpenters Wheel quilt block and they make really striking blocks.  They are technically very simple to make, using only squares and half square triangles, but you have to keep your wits about you when you lay the patchwork pieces out in the first place.  It's terribly easy to place one of the half square triangles facing in the wrong direction.

To make it as a 16" quilt block you need four 2.1/2" green squares for the corners.  The twelve 2.1/2" white squares are placed on each side of the corner squares and also in the corners of the central star.  The rest of the block is made using half square triangles:  sixteen pink/green, sixteen green/white and sixteen pink/white.

I've shown the first four rows in the photo above and the lower four rows on the left.  It's a lovely quilt block, isn't it?





I'm thinking of taking a stall at a craft fair later in the summer so I have begun making smaller items so that I'll have a range of items on the stall - things like bags and mug rugs.  I'm also attempting to reduce my unfinished quilts pile, but I don't suppose that I will ever clear that!

As it's Monday, I'm linking up to Stitch by Stitch:

Thanks for visiting my blog.
Hope to see you again soon.
Rose

OVERLOCKER LESSON

On Wednesday I went to a workshop to try and get to know my overlocker.  Mine came from a supermarket and is about as basic as they come.  Perhaps a false economy.  The other students seemed to be whizzing away on their machines in no time at all, while I was still plodding away trying to figure out how to open up the sections of the machine never mind threading  the four different threads.  I didn't really succeed at any of the different types of overlocking that we were shown to use which was quite depressing.  The instructor,  Lorna Knight, was amazing - so talented.  Anyway, this morning I set up the machine and was so happy when it did everything that I asked of it.  Overlocking an edge is so quick - I have loads of individual quilt blocks from when I write the tutorials and I've decided that if I just back them and overlock the edges they will be great for shelf linings.

Thursday I was out all day again - off down to London for an indulgent day out.  Lunch with two of the children was followed by a trip to Liberty's - one of my favourite shops.  They are having a week celebrating their 138th anniversary and the shop was full of things happening.  The scarf department (always a treat to visit) had these two cars flying above it.  Of course, my main reason for visiting was to see the fabric department, but I didn't actually see any fabrics that I couldn't live without.  That's quite unusual for me!

After that I headed off to the Victorian and Albert Museum.  It's free and has the most astonishing variety of different sections.  Do try and visit it if you are in London.  I was fascinated by the Fashion section.  They had displays covering a huge range of time but I particularly loved this Christian Dior display.  I probably saw a tenth of the sections so will just have to make many more visits to London.

Naturally Friday was spent in a mad rush to get the quilt finished for the newsletter.  I made it only just in time.  This week's pattern was the one that I have shown you in bits over the last week or so.  It's ended up as a bright and cheerful quilt pattern that I'm calling the Square and Star quilt.

Thanks for visiting my blog.
Hope to see you again soon.
Rose

Off to a workshop this morning.  I am so glad that I made this cutting mat bag.  It makes it so much more easy to pack everything up.  There always seem to be so many things to remember to take to workshops - and I often end up forgetting something vital like my seam ripper, which obviously should be the first thing I pack!  Today's workshop is on using overlocker machines and I'm really looking forward to some insight on this.  I've never used an overlocker before.

My star border is still a work in progress.  I have begun making the blocks but it is a very slow process.  To think that I could have just settled for a strip of fabric round the edges of the quilt top to frame it.  Now that I have the block itself the next question presents itself - do I just sew the stars side by side all facing the same way or do I rotate them?

Linking up with Freshly Pieced as it's Wednesday.

Must dash or I'll be late for my workshop.

Thanks for visiting my blog.
Hope to see you again soon.
Rose

DUCK AND DUCKLINGS QUILT BLOCK

Don't you just love the name - duck and ducklings quilt block.  Actually it goes under several names - it's also called Aunt Kate's choice with this colouring, and it is very similar to a whole raft of quilt blocks:  monkey wrench, wild goose chase and whirling five patch to name a few.

To make it as a 10" quilt block, you'll need 2.1/2" squares:  nine blue and four white, together with six 2.7/8" squares in both blue and white for the half square triangles.  After you have made the half square triangles, the patches are simply laid out in five rows of five and sewn together across the rows.  It is classified as a five patch, not as common as the four or nine patch blocks.

I have started work early on the quilt for Friday's email because I am heading down to London on Thursday to meet up with my daughter Samantha and to visit the craft exhibition in the Liberty store - probably one of my favourite shops, even if I can't afford to buy anything there!  The quilt is a square and star design, but I created a few hearts when I added the border.  I'd like to say it was planned, but I didn't even notice them at first!



As soon as that is finished I shall return to my star border and try to get that finished this week.  As it's Monday I'm linking up with Marelize over at Stitch by Stitch.

Thanks for visiting my blog.
Hope to see you again soon.
Rose