Quilts in the garden

Quilts in the garden , well one quilt , I have finished my latest quilt project, which I made in a fabric 9 by Sanae from Moda- very appropriate as it is a nine patch block cut up and rotated into a disappearing nine patch which gives it a very scrappy effect.
I like the reverse of the quilt just as much.
And I am very pleased with my first attempt at following a stencil in free motion quilting. I hope you like it too. A good thing to make with a pile of coordinating fat quarters and no particular pattern in mind.
My DH celebrated his birthday this week (21 again!) Yes he did have two birthday cakes - they were on a 2 for £3 offer in M&S and I never could resist a bargain.
His birthday present was 2 tickets to see Mark Knopfler at the arena in Newcastle. A fabulous night - what a talented guy - and way better than the last show we saw, that terrible performance by Whitney Houston.

Hope the good weather hasn't kept you too far away from your sewing machine.

Happy Quilting xx

Bluebells and lots of quilts

Bluebells are really beautiful in the woods at the moment and in my garden too.
This lovely wood is right by the main road near to my home, but well protected with a barbed wire fence.
And the bluebell colours are in keeping with this lovely quilt I saw when I visited a friend last week. The Dresden Plate block is quite dramatic in blues and purples and the plain blocks are quilted in a Dresden plate shape pattern too.
More blues with the geometric card trick pattern - all done by hand - Inspiration for me to keep going with my sampler quilt
The third quilt in Margaret's collection is a beautifully hand quilted pattern with beads and colonial knots.
Here is a close up of one of the blocks. The quilt took her 18 months to complete - a treasured heirloom but she sleeps under it every night.


Margaret T has been busy too. On Friday afternoon she showed us her latest work in progress, a fantastic applique of an African village. This has taken her just 3 weeks to do.


In between times she has pieced this Star strip quilt with her machine but quilted it by hand - it reminds me of harvest time and ploughed fields.
Irene is having a run on doll making at the moment - her latest project is this lovely Japanese doll.

I have been finishing off my machine quilting - just the binding to sew on. It is good to be able to admire other people's quilts and take inspiration from them. I'm inspired - hope you are too!

Happy Quilting xx