Baxter

I had really hoped to share a couple of quilt tops this long weekend however it has been so hot here that I haven't been able to get any decent photos.  The sun is so bright that my photos look dreadful, and really no-one with any sense spends any time outside when it is this hot.  I realised I hadn't shared this cute chap I made before Christmas.

Making soft animals is such fun!  One of my favourite creators of all things cute and cuddly is Jodi Carlton of Ric Rac.  Baxter is a gorgeous hedgie who I have made before a couple of times (my daughter has a Baxter and his friend Lou).  I made this hedgie for a friend at work.

He looks so royal with his long spines.

I try to give all the animals I make a smile, it took me a couple of goes to get the stitching just right.

Baxter and patterns for more fantastic creations of Jodi's are available from Ballarat Patchwork.  On her website there is a lovely story simply called Baxter. I bought my long staple (hmm, wool has 'staple', not sure about fur fabric?) fur fabric and wool suiting from Spotlight to make him.

Foxys

I love making softies almost as much as I love making quilts.  I especially love that I can make a softie or two and get them finished in a day!  I made these two foxys for Indy for her birthday later this week.  They were featured in a recent issue of Molly Makes.  They are so sweet!

Taking a photo proved tricky once Wombat realised that something other than himself had all my attention.  Here he is working out what is going on.

Trying to get in on the photo.

Getting the softies out of the way so a better photo can be taken.

This photo is for everyone who thinks that Zeppie is an imaginary cat.  She is much more timid than Wombat and not interested in being a photographic model.  She saw the drama of me trying to take a decent photo   and Wombat interfering and took off!  

She is adorable, but very aloof.  Unlike Wombat, who has to be involved in whatever I am doing around the house.  

The softies were a quick and easy project.  I also worked on some more tripalong blocks.  I have to be honest and admit to starting a new project too.  A couple of the girls in my patchwork group wanted to make the Easy Peasy Simply Strippy Fat Quarter quilt.  It's a free pattern at the Riley Blake website.  One of my favourite traditional pattern is Rail Fences and this is a variation of a Rail Fence design.  Of course I had to join in, how could I let them make one without me?  I finished all the blocks today so will take a photo soon.  It is a quick and easy pattern and looks very effective, and I do love Rail Fence quilts!

Tripping Along

I've joined in the Scrappy Trip Along that is sweeping quilting blogs, Instagram and Flickr.  I decided to make a dent in my DS for Spotlight fabrics, and I'm so pleased with my blocks so far.

I've found somewhere new to take photos!  These blocks are on Indy's draughting desk, a sloped wooden desk in our back room where we get plenty of light.  In the afternoon it isn't in direct sunlight so it is a great spot for photography.

I've tried to keep a darker colour running across the centre of my blocks.  I am so happy with them.

I've made 13 blocks.  I think I'll make my quilt 6 x 6, so I'm a third of the way.

Not sure about the layout.  I love the barn raising look, especially when the design is off centre, but I'm not sure I've got enough contrast in my fabrics to make it very successful.

 
The Scrappy Trip Around The World pattern is so clever, and is very quick to put together.  Follow this link to see how it is made.

So it looks like I've added another project to my WIP list!  I've finished my Swedish Stepping Stones quilt, it's just been washed and is drying ready for some photos.  I've also quilted and machine sewn the binding onto my Schnibbles Spools, I need to hand sew the other side of the binding down.  I think it's time to add another list to my sidebar - Finished Projects!

A Long, Long List and a Finish!

All my WIPs are now listed on my sidebar.  I don't know why I named my blog LisaJan Loves to Quilt when it seems LisaJan just loves to piece!  I can't believe how many quilts I have made all (or almost all) of the blocks for that I haven't sewn together into a top, and also all those quilt tops waiting to be finished!  It's true that sashing is my least favorite part of making a quilt, and the actual quilting does take me a while to do, although I enjoy it once I start.  I really want to get some of these WIPs off that list though so I must channel my inner quilter!  

I do have a finish to share though.  This quilt is called 'Step by Step' and was a pattern in Homespun magazine which I wrote about here.  It's a great pattern and I love this quilt.

I quilted it using a repeating flower design and I can say that I have never had to sew in so many threads, it was a design with lots of stops and starts.  I would have to work out a better way of linking the flowers more before I tried this one again, it really tested my patience!  My niece Evie took these photos on our holiday to Port MacDonnell and she did a beautiful job.  She has a talent for taking photos.  It seemed appropriate that the fabrics are 'Salty Aire' and the quilt was finished and photographed while we were there.

I've been sorting my scraps into colours and sizes so I can cut out some more spool blocks to have ready for in between chain piecing.  Not sure what I will work on next, but with my list made at least I can keep an eye on what needs to be done!  Looks like I'll be quilting for a while at least!

Slow Spoolin'

I'm back from a few days holiday by the beach!  It was lovely to rest and recharge and I feel ready to tackle my monster list of WIPS.

One project that I am happy to go slowly on is my leaders and enders challenge.  I only work on these blocks when I am chain piecing other fabric.  It's starting to grow but I've worked out that I'll need about 300 of these 4 1/2" finished blocks to make a quilt for my couch. 

Here's my little pile of blocks.  I love the newspaper print backgrounds.  I've decided to use the same background print on all my blocks so I've been to Spotlight and bought a couple of metres of it.  I'm using scraps for the spools, and I've decided to make only one or two of every different print.  I think that might give a hint at how huge my scrap basket is!

I love the scrappy look of these blocks.  I've got 32 blocks here so still heaps to make.

Check out Sue's blocks, she's done quite a few more than me but as hers are smaller than mine I will need less.  I need to cut out a few more sets ready to sew.  It's tricky trying to ensure I don't use the same fabric more than twice.  I've got a few that I need to unpick and re-sew too, my seam was not quite right and with blocks this small it's hard to fudge the seams.  They are easy to unpick though so it will be worth it!

2013!

A new year!  I love the idea of a fresh look at where I am and where I'm going, in life and with my patchwork.  I resolved last year to finish some of my wips and whilst there is still a very long list I did manage to finish quite a few.  I also wanted to take more (and better) photos of my sewing, and blog more regularly. I am happy that my photos are improving, and I blogged more regularly than the previous year (!) but I still would like to improve in that area!

I had a huge clean up in my sewing room, and made an exhaustive list of my wips.  Ouch.  I aim to make a list in my side bar to 'keep me honest'.  I am definitely the kind of sewist who likes to have lots on the go at once, but I need to be more mindful of projects I have started.  I don't have a need to finish everything I start, I look at some projects as 'skill builders', and with this in mind I did throw out a few old and stale wips.

Going through lots of older projects was fun though.  I rediscovered some gorgeous projects that I am keen to finish.  I even found two projects that I have finished all the blocks for but not put together!  I want to do a monthly list of what I hope to achieve this year, maybe this will help me to make a dent in the list.
 

  

For January, I've been working on Improv by the Sea, (which I am making for Mum) again, and I've got two  other tops pin basted and ready to quilt.  I've nearly run out of fabric to do much more with the Sea quilt and I need to visit a city quilting shop to match colours up so I hope to get started on quilting the other two quilts soon, and get them bound.  I also need to re-arrange the furniture in my sewing room to make it work better.  I have started and finished another quilt already this year, which I will blog about soon.  I also want to make some key fobs which I've bought the hardware for.  I had better add to this list that I need to type the list of wips for my blog too!

So that's my January plan!

Market Season

I've been away from my blog for a while.  I only participate in markets at Christmas time because they seem to take over all my spare time and energy.  I love them, and I do make a few dollars for Christmas from them, but most other things get put on hold until I finish them.

Quilts for sale.

This was at the Art Show market, I had a great time with the other stall holders.

A few pouches and Santas.

Everything is cuter with a bird!

The pillow didn't sell, I'm going to gift it to my daughter.

These came home with me but I sold some at another market.  I'm always tempted to 'reinvest' the money in more fabric, but I've been good this time!