One bead top finished!

At the beginning of January I posted about my bead blocks that I made for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge during 2020. My goal for January has been to work on turning the blocks into a top. I had to make a few more blocks to get the on-point layout I wanted (an odd number of rows ensures small corner triangles). 

At the beginning of the month I wrote "with any luck I'll get the blocks sewn into a top, with setting triangles". Luck was on my side: I have just finished putting the top together!

Rainbow beads

I didn't have a pattern but a memory of a block I'd seen somewhere on the Internet. The large squares were cut at 4.5", the small at 2.5" and the background strips also at 2.5", giving 8" square finished blocks. 

• Total measurement of the top = 143.5cm x 173.5cm (approx. 57.4" x 69.4")
• Coloured fabrics from stash, 
• background fabric: Kona Charcoal
• thread: both Aurifil and Mettler 50 weight pale grey

Finishing this will have to wait as my maths didn't run to calculating the final measurements of the on point setting! I can only now order backing fabric.

For the moment I can start making my January blocks for Do Good Stitches Comfort Circle. They're foundation pieced - not my favourite technique - but "in for a penny, in for a pound!"

 

I'm linking this weekend to:

           

       

 Click on the buttons to see more works in progress.

Stay healthy and safe

Happy sewing

Marly.

Shoo Fly Blue is finished, ... and a goal for January

 Happy New Year everyone!

I hope we will soon have shooed the covid pandemic into submission, and that the world has become a safer place.

My one monthly goal for December at Elm Street Quilts was to finish my Shoo Fly Blue quilt. Unfortunately I didn't finish completely, but stopped at 23:50 h. on New Years Eve.

The situation at 23:50 h on 31/12/2020! So near and yet so far!

Yesterday another 30 minutes had the last yard of binding sewn down, and finished. It is now labelled, quilted and bound! And even washed!

 

It measures 49" square, and is made from scraps in response to Bonnie Hunter's Leaders and Enders Challenge 2019-2020. The sashing, triangles and binding fabric is Stof, basic in blue.

For the Quilting I was greatly helped by the tips given in two books I bought recently: 

• Stitching Pathways by Wendy Sheppard and 
• 25 Days to Better Machine Quilting by Lori Kennedy

From the first I learnt the importance of stopping frequently to look round and decide which direction to go next, and from the second good hand positions, and why.  I'd seen how to position the fingers on the quilt before, but no-one had ever given a reason, so I never fixed it in my memory. There is much more in both books; I still have to work through them thoroughly, and am looking forward to more improvement.     

For January my goal is to sort through my boxes of UFO's and make a plan of action for them. Some pieces will be destined to be finished as originally planned, and some to be repurposed. I am still resolved to start nothing new this year, until I've had UFO -> WIP -> FINISHED + empty boxes!

In addition, as my quilting goal for January, I hope to finish making the blocks of the bead curtain throw I was making for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge last year. I have to go back to some of the colours as my scrap bins didn't have enough to make more blocks in the relevant months. With any luck I'll get them sewn into a top, complete with setting triangles. 

I'm linking to:

           

    

Click on the buttons to see more works in progress.

Stay healthy and safe.

Happy sewing 

Marly.