Finish-Along list Q2 2018

In the second quarter of 2018 I hope to finish:

1.  my version of Bonnie Hunter's "En Provence". The top has been finished for over a year,

but I'm still working on piecing the backing: 

Pieces for the backing (except the bear's paws; they just crashed the photo!)

2.  April Dutch MQG theme challenge mini quilt - orange

3.  May Dutch MQG theme challenge mini quilt - Japan


Numbers 2 and 3 haven't been started yet, so I'm being optimistic, but they are in the planning stage, and both will be small!

Happy sewing

Marly.

Rainbow Bears' Square Dance - is finished!

 

Here it is then: quilted and bound.

My Rainbow Scrap Challenge quilt from 2016. The top has been finished for about a year, but now it's finally finished.

The quilting is quite simple: FMQ motif echoing within the "paws" and zig-zags in the block sashing, with gentle curves with the walking foot in the background space. I don't know why it took me so long to decide on that!

I like the whole top, but I think the back is the tops:

I just love the back! It makes me feel so happy!

Now just one more photo, over the railing:

Quilt statistics:
Size: 58" square
Fabric top: assorted scraps from stash
Backing: assorted solids, but mainly Bella
Pieced and quilted with Aurifil 40wt.: background with dark grey (2630), front with assorted colours to match the fabric, more or less.

This is my second finish for
the 2018 finish along Q1 which I posted about here.

at the end of April

this is my first finish for April's One Monthly goal, which I posted about here

 Click on the buttons to visit the link ups.

Happy Sewing

Marly.

April's One Monthly Goal

I'm going to link up my quilting goals for March at Patty's "One Monthly Goal" at Elm Street Quilts.

Firstly, for the third month in succession, is this:

Rainbow Bears' Square Dance (my RSC project 2016)

It could be my only goal; will I get it finished in April? Hopefully! It's about time! So, just in case I do, I've added a few more goals!

Secondly, to make a theme block for the Dutch Modern Quilt Guild April Challenge. The name says it all doesn't it? It has to be finished this month! No pictures yet (no stitches either!) but the theme could be patriotic - or not!

Thirdly, To get started on my centre block for the Round Robin Challenge at the District West Bee of the Dutch Modern Quilt Guild. It's not due until the middle of May, but I've never taken part in a Round Robin before and don't know what sort of hidden pitfalls lie ahead, so I need to give myself plenty of time.

Fourthly, if I still have time over, to finish piecing the backing of:

En Provence (Quiltville mystery 2016-2017)

Some of the orphan blocks and parts to go into the backing.

I had quite a few parts that weren't needed in my final layout which was smaller than Bonnie Hunter's. The same happens every year - I have to frantically make extras of some units; and have too many of others! That's part of the mystery!

Now to link up to

 

Click on the button to see the handicraft plans of others.

Happy sewing

Marly.

March's OMGoal almost finished!

At the beginning of March I set trying to finish this quilt as my goal:

(and, incidentally at the beginning of February too!) Unfortunately it's still not quite finished. I don't know what happened to March, except that it quick marched all the way and April starts in seven and a half hours!

The picture below doesn't look very different, but appearances can be deceptive.

Rainbow Bears' Square Dance at the end of March.

The difference is in the detail:

All the rainbow blocks are now quilted, the label is attached (nearly forgot it!). The extra wadding and backing could now be removed and the quilt bound but I can't find the last piece of dark grey fabric to make the binding! If I find it, I'll try to finish it tomorrow evening, and otherwise it will have to wait until later in the week as the LQS is closed until Wednesday.

Guess what's going to be first on my list for April!

I'm linking to 

 

Click on the button to visit more finished projects, really finished, that is! 

Happy sewing

Marly.

Paper-pieced green

Angela chose green as this month's colour for the RSC. I showed my Squared Away and my wonky star block earlier but here are some paper-pieced blocks:

I have been making FPP blocks for the "Year of Scrappy Triangles" and incorporating green into most I've made this month.

 I think these three are my favourites from this month's haul.

I am still trying to catch up as 24 block patterns have been released and I have made 17

For anyone who hesitates to do Foundation Paper Piecing I can highly recommend Leila's tutorial.

I really disliked the frustration that occurred whenever I tried FPP.

Would you believe I used to trim after I had sewn, and as often as not trimmed so much off the newly added piece it was no longer big enough. What a dunce! I have to chant, like a mantra:

TRIM - SEW - PRESS

and then they turn out well.  Some are prettier than others! but all are very good practice.

I'm linking to 

If you click on the button you will find more lovely scrappy green patchwork.

And now back to quilting my 2016 rainbow quilt.

Happy sewing

Marly.

Squared Away in green

For March Angela chose green for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge and Mari chose a second Red Cross block for the Squared Away sampler. We made a different Red Cross block in January.

The recommendation is to make three blocks each month, but I decided to just make two finishing at 10" each, which will give me twenty blocks: a nice four by five block setting, large enough for a throw.

As I had so much to say last week about our freak weather, here's an update! The wind changed direction and the temperature rose 20ºC within two days: we're back to normal! Thank goodness!

I'm linking up to

Click on the button to see more green patchwork.

Happy Sewing

Marly.

Spring Greens!

As a child I hated spring greens! They were the thinnings from the rows of cabbage, spinach and broccoli seedlings and goodness knows what else besides. My father hated waste so after meticulous washing to remove soil, into the pan they went. A couple of minutes later they landed on our plates, an extremely strong flavoured sloppy dark green mess. Yuck! No waste, remember, especially not on plates!

As the colour for the RSC this month Angela has chosen light and medium green, to remind us that spring is on its way.

A nice thought Angela, especially as we had our first snowfall of the winter (all of 5mm!) last night. I need to explain (but you don't have to read; skip the rest of this paragraph if you're not interested in freak European weather!) that in a cool temperate climate snow rarely falls in flat coastal areas where the prevailing winds are warm. It just rains! For the last ten days we have been treated to north-easterly force 8 winds from Siberia bringing, for us, excessively low temperatures but dry and sunny; if it hadn't been for the force 8 part the weather would have been pleasant. These same polar winds, having frozen our socks off then crossed the North Sea, picking up moisture as they went, and dumping it on the UK which has had its heaviest snowfall ever! Last night the Westerlies blew it back, so we got a light powdering of the white stuff. Now its melting. The ground is still frozen, so it's not over yet!

OK, back to light to medium green:

I've been joining same colour 2" squares as Leaders & Enders. Yesterday I was sorting through the box of twosies (force 8 and -8 degrees C - not going anywhere!) and found I had nearly enough yellow/green to make a 49-patch. Quite a coincidence as I hadn't seen Angela's post then. So here we are: one green block already made! I've never been so quick off the mark!

Now to start cutting for Squared Away. Mari has already posted the instructions.

I'm linking up to 

Click on the button to join the RSC party.

Happy sewing

Marly.