My last two Summer Sampler blocks finished

My goal for February was to make the two remaining blocks of the 2019 Summer Sampler and to remake my "disaster" block. 

Here are the last two blocks I made: numbers 7, "Sparkler", and 21, "Summertime Star".

Sparkler

The focus in Sparkler was on creating transparency, but with my chosen fabrics it was difficult to really create a transparent effect; the fabrics were chosen for contrast rather than blending. I deliberately left this block until last, until I knew what was left to potentially work with.

Summertime Star

The focus in Summertime Star was on Y-seams, which weren't a problem. However the problem here for me was getting all the points to come together in the middle. After unpicking the last seam three times I decided that right or wrong the fourth attempt would be the final one. Those bias edges were not getting any better. Finished is better than perfect.

And then block number 9, Oasis: it's still as it was at the beginning of the month.



I've decided not to remake it, but to square it down to remove the wavy edges and then add a border.

I didn't fully achieve my goal, but at least I opened the project box and took stock of the situation. Trimming Oasis down to make it square and adding a border shouldn't take too much time, but then I have to think how I'm going to use the blocks. The projected layouts would result in a quilt that is far too big for my purposes. So what next? Two lap quilts? cushions? table runners? shopping bags? - not a good idea.

I'm linking up to 

 

Click on the button to see other spectacular February finishes.

Happy sewing

Marly.

My One Monthly Goal in February

is to make the remaining two blocks of the Summer Sampler 2019: numbers 7, Sparkler, and 21, Summertime Star, and to redo number 9, which was an abysmal failure:

finishing a whole inch narrower across the middle than along the edges!

As block 7 is a transparency block, designed by Yvonne Fuchs, I left it until last to make sure I had enough fabric to make it in my own choice of colours.

I should be able to manage those this month.

I'm linking to

Happy sewing

Marly.

Rainbow Scrap Challenge, Summer Sampler and Clam up

My scrappy theme this year is bow tie blocks. I didn't get much sewing done at all in June as I was away for most of the month touring Eastern Europe, visiting cities that for most of my life were not accessible. I had some knitting with me as I've found knitting is very good at distracting the back-seat driver in me!

The last two weeks I caught up on my Rainbow Challenge blocks for June  (dark blue):

Even though I've never been to the United States some 4th July fabric has crept in there! I received it several years ago in a giveaway, and am gradually using it. I think that's it for blue this year, and I'll move on to pink this weekend.

I've also joined the Summer Sampler QAL  hosted by Lee Heinrich but couldn't start until I returned from my travels. Over the last two weeks I made four blocks

1. Spring Fever: Lynn Carson-Harris

2. Pixelations: Lee Heinrich

3. Curious Crossing: Krista Hennebury

5. Rope Twist: Amy Friend

but am still four blocks behind schedule.

Thursday I attended a workshop at QuiltersPalet quilt shop in The Hague to make a Clam-up pouch.
I didn't finish because my 35 year-old Bernina Nova refused to sew through two layers of foam plus the zip and four layers of quilting cotton! Not surprising really. My Bernina 404 managed with some difficulty, even when using the walking foot. Now I just have to finish some hand sewing on the inside.

Looks finished, but there's still a binding to sew down!

This was my first time putting in a rounded zip. Although I've made lots of pairs of trousers in the past, they have a much more gentle curve. This I found tricky, maybe due to the machine's difficulty in getting through so many layers of fabric, but I think to my inexperience.

I'm linking to 

 

 Click on the button to see more rainbow projects.

Happy sewing

Marly.