Tuesday 13 January 2015

First Finish

Hello and a very belated Happy New Year to you all.

I deliberately refrained from posting earlier as I didn't want to get caught in the trap of listing my goals and resolutions for the year. It is always so depressing to look back and see what I didn't complete so my focus this year is to plod along and enjoy the process. No deadlines, no stress.

But having said that, I do have 2 aims for the year.

Firstly, l am going to limit my fabric purchases and sew from my stash as much as I can.


My stash is modest compared to most and yet I still have oodles and doodles of fabric which I couldn't possible get through even if I pieced every day of the year.  Quite a bit of my stash is older fabrics that I no longer gravitate towards but I have decided to use it or loose it.  To that end I intend to concentrate on scrappy quilts which will be donated to local charities.

Secondly, I have to get my flimsy's under control.


At last count I had 14 tops ready to be quilted, some of them have been in the pile for a very, very long time.  I am talking in excess of 6 or 7 years in some cases! What the?  Why am I accumulating them?  So, this year I am going to try to get one of those flimsy's quilted each month.  I think I said exactly the same thing last year but I am determined that this will be the year!

So on to my first finish for 2015 (well almost finished, just the binding to go).



Made from easy peasy 9 patch blocks in pretty blues and greens, I love how refreshing this top is. Sometimes the simple things in life really are the best.  Because the quilt is quite simple and linear I wanted to go to town with textural quilting.


I decided to quilt a flowering design from the book Free Motion Quilting by Angela Walters.  Whilst the design is not particularly difficult to do, it is time consuming and uses a ton of thread.  The texture is beautiful but in all honestly it probably isn't the ideal quilting design if you want a soft and cuddly quilt.  Being so dense the quilt is reasonably stiff but I am hoping it will soften after a wash and tumble dry.

Apart from finishing this quilt, I have completed a few bee blocks



and my first blocks for the Cherish circle of do good stitches.


and a little mini just because.


Until next time.

Sue

28 comments:

  1. You are doing a great job. The blue and green quilt is beautiful.it will soften when it gets used. If you aim to get one quilt quilted a month you will succeed p. Good luck... You do lovely work

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  2. I adore your mini quilt! It is so beautiful!!
    And, Yay! for starting to finish your flimsy tops! I LOVE the colors of the fabrics in your nine patch!
    Susie

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  3. Aww, your stash is so neat and organized! I'm also limiting my purchases this year, hopefully just to backing/background fabric and batting. You can do ti! And congratulations on the finish.

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  4. Your two aims are identical to mine! I am visiting from Sew Cute Tuesday.

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  5. Good luck with getting caught up with your quilting - that's a stack to work through. Your 9-patch is refreshing (that's exactly the word that came to mind before I read your commentary), and your mini is adorable. Fun all the way around!

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  6. It sounds like you have just about the same goal as almost every other quilter out there. There might be perhaps comfort in knowing that you are not the only who struggles with start to finish projects. What you have accomplished so far looks great! Love the mini!

    Greetings from Germany!

    Allison

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  7. Colours in you nine-patch quilts is lovely. Love your bee blocks too but my favourite is mini :) so gorgeous

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  8. I'm with you: my stash is modest compared to most, but it's still a lot of fabric. I've also recently inherited the stashes of two former sewers. I think I'm going to start churning out some pillow cases with the fabrics that don't resonate with me and donate them to charity. Just because they're not my thing doesn't mean that someone else won't love and use those fabrics (in pillow form)! P.S. I adore your "just because" mini!

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  9. I love everything! My favorite is the mini. It is absolutely gorgeous!

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  10. Beautiful mini, and you're so right about simple being best with your 9-patch quilt

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  11. Love the mini and the nine patch quilting and colors! Hope 2015 sees your goals realized! Well done!

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  12. Agree with Dee!! What block is the mini?

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  13. Your little mini and first finish look awesome.Good luck working through that pile of tops to be quilted!!

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  14. We are sympatico on Stash Consumption & Flimsy Finishes! I am trying to only buy fabrics for the backs but may relent and put yardage on the back that has nothing to do with the front to achieve the Consumption necessary. Ha!
    Your 9 Patch with white centers and sashing is just the plan I need to use on 4 Queen quilts for a women's conference in Feb. Each woman present will stitch part or a whole nine patch. Thank you for sharing your brilliantly simple idea.

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  15. Love that mini! Just gorgeous!

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  16. Love that mini! And your goals. It's tough to keep things under control. One of my goals is to shop my stash, too. Good luck!

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  17. I vote for your Mini as my favorite, but the strings are really my style. Glad to hear you're trying to Sew Your Stash this year. I really am trying to do the same. Isn't it hard?
    Glad to have found your blog. I'm a new follower.

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  18. I love that mini and the finished quilt too. They are both very fresh and summery. Good on you for making realistic goals.

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  19. Such a pretty little finished mini! The quilting is just perfect!!

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  20. Your mini is gorgeous! Congrats on your finishes.

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  21. I love, love your projects! Yes, I know exactly how you feel about filmsy and using the stash. I have similar goals....

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  22. I love the look of your stash. I hope you enjoy using it and quilting your flimsies. And both your quilts are great!

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  23. I just love the quilting on the green and blue nine patch, it's amazing.

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  24. Love that little mini!! I can't believe how many quilt tops you have completed! I am the same way... excitedly tear through sewing that top together... and then stall.

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  25. I'd say you are off to an excellent start!! These are all so lovely! I especially like the solid star bee blocks - I've never seen them made that way before - could you direct me toward a tute or pattern? And your last little 'just because mini' ~ my word! it's stunning!! (Love to know what block pattern that is, too!!)
    Happy sewing ~ Tracy

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  26. I love the mini! And the blue and green quilt is very nice. Something to be said about simple squares...

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