February Blocks

I was a bit behind on my blocks, so made an effort to finish February and March at one go. I started with the little wreath, because it’s so sweet. Then on to the large flower shape, whereI deviated from the original and opted for a favorite – a quirky blue ombre and gold from the Delaines fabric line, which I love. Althoug a bit bold, I’m pleased with the result. The on to the bunch of grapes. My apologies, Margaret – I dislike Broderie Perse and try to avoid it whereever I can 🙂 None of my rose prints worked here, so instead I appliqued two stray vine leaves, and hope the original maker will forgive me. For H 5 I chose another old favorite – a two-tone blue chintz from the (I think) Newark museum repro line, teamed with a lovely, really old blue ombre from the Calico and Chintz repro line. This month’s favorite? Probably the Delaine flower shape, although they’re all pretty.

March mail-out

I’m going to put my PS at the start just to be different because !!! I’ve just realised I forgot to hit publish on Saturday, 😦

For those of you who joined the program at or near the start, your final payment instalment has been processed by Paypal and you’ve had notification emails from Paypal to say your profile has been cancelled.  That is all in order even though there are still more mail-outs.

March, April and May are still to be sent.

And good news, April will be sent early as I leave for the States on the 18th of April, but get back in time to send May’s on schedule.

I spent a few hours on Thursday sewing some of the blocks together, I still have 3 more blocks to stitch but I wanted to make a start on the assembly. . .I’m just too impatient 🙂

Maltaville coming along nicely

I’ll show you more pics soon as I will get the top together asap.

But for now it’s mailout # 13 and here’s what’s coming next week.

Block B7

Block F3

F3 has those fiddly calyxes the same as the centre block I’m afraid, but there’s only eight.

To make up for it there’s also an easy one.

Block G8

I don’t think I had used that particular blue ombre in the quilt before, it has been in the Maltaville fabric basket for ages though.  I must have not had the right block for it before.  It’s a Mary Koval fabric and is perfect for this block and the next one.

Block F7

Now I see that everything is very ’round’ this month.

Happy stitching everyone,

Margaret

February mail-out

The weeks race by so quickly that it’s just about time to send out four more patterns.

I hate to do a post immediatedly after Ady’s latest blocks so please scroll down to the previous post to see what Ady has done, stunning as always.

While I think of it too, this last month I have had a couple of emails to advise that block mail-outs haven’t arrived, and they weren’t in spam, just vanished.  But I want to let you all know that the blocks do get sent on the 22nd of each month (touch wood I have haven’t been late yet) so if you haven’t received them by the 23rd, they have been eaten in cyberspace and please, please let me know.  It is no problem to send them again.

Alrighty, I have been sewing up a storm and have just cast my eye over the design wall to see what will got out to you this month.  There’s a lot to choose from at present.

Block H5

Too easy 😉

There has to be a couple of quick ones this month and here’s the other easy one.

Block H1

This is the first version I made of this block but now that my quilt is nearing completion I decided to make a second version as I was undecided about the colouring of the one above.

Block H1 mark II

I know I like the colouring better of this one above, but I didn’t have much of the fabric and so was not able to fussycut as precisely as I would have liked.

I’m not sure what to tell you really except the jury is still out for me, but if you can find a good clear stripe with different width bands it should work well.

This next one’s not difficult but a little time consuming, I think it’s been long enough since the centre block to tackle some more grapes, yeah 🙂

Block F2

I’ve just noticed I missed the embroidered stem to attach the grapes. . . I will add that soon.

I live in a wine growing area and, having done my share of grape picking over the years,  know that at many vineyards you’ll see a rose bush planted at the start of a row of grapes.

Early on I understood this is because the rose bush is an indicator of the health of the grape vines, that is the rose will get any disease first and you can take evasive action promptly to keep your income producing grapes healthy.

However one of my closest friends is a viticulturist and as I was sewing this block I brought that subject up with her.  She told me that doesn’t really hold true, if those roses have disease you’ve already got problems with your grapes and vines.  Anyway they sure look pretty at the end of the row when you’re picking and so maybe that’s their real purpose.

And this one . . .

Block C3

is not really tricky either.  I love the leaf shapes in this.

Don’t forget to take a look at Ady’s blocks from January immediately below this post.

happy stitching,

Margaret

January Blocks

As usual, a pleasure to make. Fabric selection for the iris was a bit problematic, as none of my blues looked right with the purple I chose. I ended up using a non-repro – a Robert Kaufman dark blue modern ombre that seems to work. My favorite this month is the A5 block, which was an opportunity to use one of my brightest Dutch chintzes.

January mail -out

 Happy 2012

What have I been doing over our summer break?

Lots of Maltaville sewing, plus other sewing, it’s been so lovely and relaxing, pottering away by myself in my little studio space… I can’t begin to tell you.

I feel totally reinvigorated for the year ahead, which is going to be exciting and busy.

I sent such a lot of Red and Green last month! When I look at this quilt ‘I’ see mostly Prussian Blue (and that’s what I rushed out and bought) and yet Red and Green is there in abundance too. This month I’ve tried to balance the colours more but there’s no way ’round it, there’ll be Red and there’s plenty of Green too.

You’ll be getting the Iris block, it had a change of direction mid stride.

You may like to see and read about it in progress here

But here is the finished block

Block C2

It’s bit involved so in an effort to keep it all in balance there’s this one too

Block H2

H2 was another one that sat on the back burner for awhile, those free form stars got the better of me I’m afraid and I reverted to template style.

Block A5

A5  uses that Prussian Blue and Red combo that I think is really spectacular.

Block F6

and back to a bit more R and G for F6, it’s a cutey tho

happy stitching,

til soon

December blocks

How time flies – hard to believe we’re more than halfway through.

December Mail-out

I have been having fun in my new studio space.

I’m in and have started making a mess already, LOL doesn’t take long does it!

Lots of little bits of discarded fabric on the floor, I should have asked Santa for a vacuum cleaner for in here.

I’m afraid the move and the state of having whatever it was I was looking for being in ‘the other’ building, put me just a bit behind with getting pictures of this month’s blocks posted up here earlier.

But, never fear, they’re here now.

It’s very Red and Green this month… I was about to apologise for it but now as I’m typing I’m thinking these are very seasonal colours.

But it’s just that it was time to finish up a few that have been hanging around half done for (in some cases) *months*.

Block E2

This one above was started soooo long ago and it was those tiny little leaves that stopped me progressing quickly with it,  they were pinned to the inside of my sewing basket that whole time, but of course once I set my mind to it I finished the rest of the block in a couple of evenings.  I must confess though…I buttonhole stitched the red fruit.

Block H4

This block uses exactly the same fabric as the other one.  I cut the wavy outer border as one complete piece and appliqued it last, after all the other pieces were done.

Have you seen this photo of fabric auditioning?

Auditioning fabrics for block G5

I wasn’t sure which fabric to use for the crescents and in the end didn’t use any of the above

Block G5

In the end (yes this was another one hanging around awhile) I used the same fabric as in A3, it is the same just cut from a different section.

and finally for this month

Block D7

So mmmm yes, lots of red and green ;-0

I hope that over the holiday break you’re able to find a bit of time to enjoy some sewing.  If it’s hot where you are “stay cool”, if it’s cold “stay warm and snuggly” but wherever you are…

…stay safe and I’ll see you in January

M

November Blocks

These went really fast. The Prussian blue I chose for the star points is an old favorite – although not a check like the original, I thought it worked. For the blue leavs and red flowers block I followed Margaret’s choice – it’s the perfect fabric for this block. And funnily enough, my favorite this month was the rather sparse green pot of flowers. It’s so elegant and flowing, and I enjoyed playing with the green directional print.

October Blocks

Although I was really looking forward to that Tulip and Butterfly block, life got in the way and I fell a bit behind. All done now, though. The first I made was also my first try at Broderie Perse – less intimidating than I thought it would be. The others were fairly easy, and the Tulip was a delight to make. I chose a sort of check for the green, and love the contrast between the rigidity of the print and the graceful curves of the stems and flower.

November Mailout #10

I haven’t been on here for ages it seems.

I think there may be something I have done wrong with my settings as I’m not getting notification when a new post is up…help Jenn!!

I’ve finally logged on and see that Wendy has posted some of her blocks, thank you Wendy they look fantastic don’t they!

And Fiona has put up the photo of the original Tulip block plus some history about Almira Olmstead. Thank you Fiona, it’s terrific to hear all we can about these ladies from Maltaville, I’m envious of your research skills.

Anyhoo, it’s been a bit manic here with one thing and another over the last few weeks but, even though I would have liked to post this a week ago, I’ve finally made it back to show you the blocks coming out this week in mailout #10.

First up is Block D1, which is a twin to D8 sent out a little while back, only the fabric of the triangle shapes is different to D8.  This Prussian Blue and Buff check is perfect but it’s been in my stash a while.  I hope you can find something that works for you.

Block D1

Next up is Block E3 which is really quite quick. The green I have used before in some of the blocks but the red was just a scrap I had in the stash which appealed to me on the day.  I’ve included a photo of it as it’s hard to see in the block picture.  I decided to make the centre stem budless although in the original quilt I can ‘just’ make out what might be a bud.

Block D3

The red fabric I used for the flowers of E3

This next one went together unbelievably quickly (love those ones)

Block A3

I have been wanting to incorporate some Dargate Indigos for quite a while but each time, even though the print might be a good replacement for the original, the colour just clashed horribly with the existing Prussian Blues.  Luckily not so with the above block and fabric.  The original of this block uses a very bold Cheddar and Dark Blue stripe and I haven’t found anything in a Prussian that was right.  The above fabric seemed to work, it isn’t a bold stripe but it is a stripe of sorts and the colours are close to the original.  This one is a Margo Krager Dargarte Indigo for Windham #20262.

And the fourth block for this mail-out is E8

Block E8

This one’s been on the go for ages, a bit fiddly unfortunately but I’ve got to slot them in somewhere hey!

Our weather here is hotting up and we’re now thinking about Christmas which will be here before we know it.  My daughter has come up with the idea of a house swap for 4-5 days in early January.  That  way we all get a bit of a break ~ they will get a country holiday and we will go to the city.  Cleverly it means we mind each others pets so no indulged animals need to be shunted off to catteries and kennel.  So I plan on having a drafting frenzy over the next few weeks so I have plenty of hand sewing to do.

I am wondering if I am being too optimistic to have the whole quilt done by the end of February.

Happy Stitching and I’ll get back to the drafting table