Nine patch

Block number two in the Skill Builder Sampler is the nine patch. This block was to showcase colour value and to continue on with accurate measuring, cutting and sewing. In the set of fabrics that I chose for this sampler, there are not enough lighter colours to really do this block the way it was intended, but not one to be put off I carried on and did it anyway :-)

There should really be a bigger tonal difference between the two different nine patch sets but I think it still looks pretty :-)

On the measurement front this block went slightly awry, it is 1/8" too big from side to side and 1/8" too small top to bottom. I had to do a bit of easing to get all the seams/corners to match up but on the whole I am very happy with how this one turned out.

I couldn't resist taking a picture with the light behind it to get the stained glass look :-)
I have ordered some more, hopefully complementary , fabrics (it's hard to know if you are getting the colours right when you have to do things through a computer screen) to give me a bit more choice and hopefully a better range of colour values to work with. I'll share pics when they arrive :-)

Edited to add - I know I posted this last friday, but it is the only thing I've worked on this past week, so I'm linking this post to WIP wednesday :-)

Sadie x

Log cabin

Another week, another wednesday :-)

This week I picked out my fabrics for the Skill Builder Sampler. I've chosen five fabrics from the Bonjour collection by Diane Kappa for Anthology Fabrics and two Kona Cottons.

top to bottom

Happy Garden in Amethyst

Oval Eyelet in Amethyst

French Wallpaper in Amethyst

Bright Buds in Amethyst

Tiny Flowers in Turquoise

Kona Cotton Azure

Kona Cotton White

I adore these fabrics, the colours are so beautiful. See the Kona Cotton in Azure, that's the colour of the main wall in our bedroom, everything else is white. I am hoping (fingers crossed) that I will be able to use this sampler to make a quilt for our bed :-) wouldn't that be cool!

Block number one is the log cabin, and this one was to help with accurate cutting and sewing.

Before I started I tried a practice piece as suggested to see if I was sewing a quarter inch seam, I wasn't :-0 mine was too big. I used some electrical tape and my quilters ruler to mark a quarter inch on the bed of my sewing machine and then I practiced a bit more. It's much easier now and I am able to achieve a consistent quarter inch seam :-) as long as I don't get all over excited and go too fast. All bets are off then!

Here's the finished block.

I checked the measurement on this block after every piece and I was able to make some minor adjustments as I went along so my finished block measured 12 1/2" by 12 5/8" I'm very happy :-)

As someone who tends to jump right into new things with no preparation or real idea of what to do I think that this skill builder sampler is a chance for me to do things right for once, learn the basics and give myself a really solid start on my quilting journey. Thank you so much Leila for all the hard work in running the SBS. With your help, together, we can do it! :-)

Linking up with WIP wednesday at Freshly Pieced.

Sadie x

Sparkle

I signed up for the snowman round of the year long christmas exchange on Hooked on Exchanging. This is what I made for my partner Gwen. Isn't he cute!

Sparkle by Bent Creek

28ct mocha evenweave

DMC floss

Whilst I enjoyed stitching him and I enjoyed finishing him, he hasn't given me the itch to stitch. I didn't enjoy sending him away though. Not at all. I wanted to keep him :-)

Sadie x

That's all folks

This past week has been a busy one! So don't expect too much :-)

I made a few more pinwheels. I don't know what I'm going to do with them yet, but I'm still having fun making them :-)

Sadie x

Pinwheel

Wednesday is a quiet night here with me, Stuart has a very, very early start on thursday morning so he is usually in bed at the same time as the kids, which leaves me free to do what I want :-) I was mooching around on Flickr the other day and I came across this quilt and fell hopelessly in love! So last night I set out to try my hand at making a pinwheel.

I set up the machine at the kitchen table and set to work with a sunkissed charm pack and a white bella solids charm pack.

I was super concentrating on keeping my seams even, so it was a bit of a surprise when I spied this little furry face over the top of my machine!

Travis seemed quite interested in what was going on, until I got out the cat treats and then he was too busy filling his little furry tummy to care much about what I was up to any more :-)

Four legged distraction taken care of and I was away again. I still need lots more practice at keeping my seams even, and I'm very, very s-l-o-w, but I did okay.

So, here is the result, my first pinwheel.
I am so pleased with it :-) I nearly ran through to wake up Stuart to show him, but made do with showing the cat :-) he wasn't interested!

Sorry! What? You're asking if that's all I did? One measly pinwheel in 3 hours! Well actually, yes it is the only pinwheel I made.

But......

I also made this little lot.
So, soon there will be pinwheels aplenty.

Sadie x

Practice

About a year ago, I purchased some pre cut 4" squares of fabric on ebay, and they have patiently sat, waiting for me to do something with them ever since. Over the weekend I decided to try my hand at some practice pieces, just to see how I got on and the pre cuts were the perfect thing to use.

First up were some simple seams just to make sure my sewing machine was working

(My sewing machine was a 21st birthday present from my parents, and even though it is now just over 10 yrs old, it still works like a dream, probably because it has only ever had light usage!) and I also wanted to see how straight and even I could sew a seam

I did quite a few of these, and I tried my hand at chain piecing too, but I didn't get a pic of that.
Next up I tried a simple four patch to see how well I could match the seam. In the interest of full disclosure I should probably tell you that the four patch was supposed to have matching colours on opposite corners, but I got them mixed up and ended up with them next to each other. An early lesson in paying attention and checking twice, sewing once :-)
Next it was onto a nine patch.

Lastly I thought I would try a half square triangle.

It didn't go too well :-)

So, there you have my first efforts. Overall, I'm please with how it went, my seams were even and , for the most part, straight! The seams matched up pretty well and I'm now keen to carry on and see if I can actually make something. Maybe a cushion cover.

I'm also thinking about joining in with Leila over at Sewn for the Skill Builder Sampler. What a great idea, I'm just hoping that I have the time to fit it in.

I'm linking this post up with Fresh Sewing Day at Lily's Quilts.

Sadie x