Drumroll - the hand quilting is finished!

My fingers have permanent needle prick scars and the amount of blood I lost by sticking those fingers with a needle night after night would probably leave me needing a transfusion if it all happened on one day - BUT....the hand quilting of my Block of the Month, "at the heart of it all" is complete...

I quilted 1" cross hatched squares over all the patchwork areas, leaving just the applique blocks free...

This is the back for a better view of the quilting...

It's not perfect, but it is handmade-homemade and I love it!

This weekend I'll remove the basting thread and sew on the binding...

The patchwork heart at the centre of the quilt is the same as the one I shared HERE earlier this week in my tutorial, so if you're making this quilt you can run ahead and make your heart block now if you like...

 It feels incredibly satisfying to have gotten this far on my quilt as hand quilting any large project is a massive undertaking of time, blood  and perseverance.

What's your most recent project finish?

hugs

Quilting and Austen...

Yesterday I decided that waiting for winter to arrive before basting and hand quilting "at the heart of it all" is taking too long. Almost three weeks into winter and with the air conditioner humming in the background I decided I had to make a start (I'm also an optimist so am hopeful the cool change we've been told is coming will in fact arrive this time)...

 I hand basted the three layers taped across and over my dining table in long blue running stitches in a grid of 4 inch squares, using the 2 inch squares of the quilt blocks as my guide...

It took two hours to complete the basting and my back was aching from bending over that long, so I took a morning tea break with Miss Austen...

A few weeks back Blossom and I went shopping for readable formats of dear Jane because my beautiful little leather volumes are very small with tiny font, and we like to sit back and read with ease these days.

I've started Mansfield Park and Bloss has chosen to re-read Sense & Sensibility.

Tea cup washed and cake crumbs dusted from my gold rimmed plate, I began the hand quilting with my favourite white Perle 12 thread...

An hour a day is my plan.

Until it's complete...

I think Jane and hand quilting are a perfectly genteel partnership...

hugs

My new Block of the Month...

I've not shown much of this along the way as it's been a design that was stitched 'as I was able' over the last seven or eight months. 

But today I'm about to cut 504 two and a half inch squares and the quilt piecing shall finally begin...

There are six embroidery/applique blocks inside my "At The Heart Of It All" quilt, plus a sweet patchwork heart for the centre. The rest of the quilt is simply pieced with pretty two inch squares using 1930's reproduction fabrics.

Here's a few peeks at what lay on my cutting table just after dawn this morning...

Tonight, I may have a quilt top.

If you'd like to make this new BOM, the patterns will be inside the monthly Stitchery Club sets over the next 6 months.

There's also a much smaller stitchery-only version which will be simply sashed...

Go HERE to join in, and then gather your pretty fabric scraps because this project is perfect for using what you already have in your stash. 

I'll need energy and calm today with such a lot of fabric cutting to do so I've brewed a wonderful tea!

In your tea pot place:

one green tea bag

one chamomile tea bag

one liquorice root tea bag

one nettle leaf tea bag

one teaspoon organic alcohol-free vanilla extract

1.2 litres of boiling water

Steep for about 6-8 minutes, remove the tea bags, and sip throughout the day.

You can add sweetener if you like - I added two teaspoons of xylitol (birch bark) to the full 1.2 litres as it aids with adrenal support, but you may prefer honey.

I drink this hot or cold and it's wonderful either way.

 My friend Wendy has just started a free fortnightly "Friends" stitch-a-long. There are nine small blocks that can be stitched very quickly so if you'd like some easy hand sewing go over HERE and see her pretty mini-quilt!

Enjoy your day.

You know what I'll be doing...measure twice and cut once....measure twice and cut once.......

hugs

My new Block of the Month ~ starts April!

Maybe I should tell you why I'm incredibly busy right now? There's a lot of stitching happening at my place, you see...

...because I'm working on my new Block/s of the Month!

"At The Heart Of It All" is a double block of the month. There is a larger block with applique, and a smaller block just sweetly stitched - and when all the blocks are sewn they make two very easy quilts. 

Perhaps you just want to use the blocks in your own projects? They each have a word from the heart, so will also be perfect as stand-alone designs.

The patterns for both monthly blocks will be inside the Stitchery Club sets for the next 6 months, beginning on April 17th.

I'll also have the blocks as a separate purchase for those who are not Club members.

The applique version will be surrounded by 1930's fabrics and nine-patch blocks, whilst the cute red and aqua stitchery style will be simply sashed. My hope is that this will allow newbies to quilting some confidence to complete one or both projects over the next six months.

There will be piecing tutorials here on the blog as they are required.

I'll share more photos in the weeks ahead, but for now, enjoy that little teaser, ok?

Bless you heaps!