Patchwork projects from last year

Well, I think it’s time I posted about my sewing. I started patchwork and quilting last year, but have not been very prolific and you can count my completed projects on the fingers of one hand. I’m very good at buying fabric, it is just getting round to using the fabric that seems to the problem.

 

My first completed project was a baby play mat in a disappearing nine patch pattern and made using upcycled cotton shirts. I managed to find several shirts in charity shops for a couple of pounds each which were ideal for my first quilt as it was for a little boy. (I do wish men's floral shirts would go out of fashion and find their way in to charity shops.) The back was a large nine patch using more traditional baby prints. I enjoyed the patchwork part, but struggled with the quilting part and realised that a dual feed foot for my machine would be helpful. I quilted it using a simple echo design following the shape of the squares.

 

With the spare fabric from the play mat, I made a bag for my cutting mat and rulers.  I used rail fence blocks and arranged them in different ways for each side of the bag. I quilted with a serpentine stitch on the machine and again the puckers in the quilting emphasised the need for a dual feed foot.

For my next projects, I switched to English paper piecing and hand quilting.  First up was a ring motif using squares, triangles and hexagons fussy cut from a Liberty lawn. The five intertwined rings was appropriate timing as I did much of this sewing while watching the Olympics. I machine appliqued this to the pocket of an apron and used the same fabric to make a contrast binding. Liberty lawn is lovely for EPP and I have decided to start a large quilt using small hexagons (5/8” sides) which will be a long term project.

Staying with EPP, I made several Christmas decorations sell at a charity Christmas fair. These were hand quilted by stitching in the ditch and I also made a larger star to be used as a table mat. I do like the portability of EPP and I managed to stitch the stars on holiday and on train journeys, though it was a bit odd to me to be sewing Christmas items on a summer holiday.

  

If any of you are contemplating getting a dual feed foot, I now have one for my machine and I am enjoying quilting so much more. My first project for 2013 is nearing completion and the dual feed foot will be put to its biggest test later this week.