Peekaboo Quilt

I have been desperate to do something with my Porthole Blocks that I made with Lucie Summers at the  FQ Retreat ( I can't believe that was over a month ago now!). So here is my Peekaboo Quilt.

Lucie leaves a 1/4 inch seam around her 'holes' (block on the left) but I preferred the one I made where I top stitched close to the edge (block on the right). So I abandoned the first one to use in something else, and made another 5 blocks, each with somebody peeping out of the middle hole.

Well, I'm hoping it looks like at least a few of them are peeping out so as to justify the name! I like the look of the solids next to the prints, not something I do very often.

Here's some close-ups. This one features the gorgeous new Liberty Lifestyle fabric that I got a freebie of at the retreat. We will be stocking the Liberty Lifestyle cottons on our website and in the Edinburgh store as soon as they are available.

This little owl and the ladybird above are from Suzy Ultman's Critter Community line and the pink print above and the red print below are both from Darlene Zimmerman's Adventures with Alice.

I'm a bit disappointed with my machine quilting. I should have just hand quilted it but I was in a hurry to finish as I am going to give a workshop on this in the autumn and wanted the photo for the website and the quilt to hang in the studio. So I machine quilted in the ditch around the blocks and the border. But my stupid machine is so rubbish that it's just puckered all the borders. Hand quilting with coloured perle cotton has helped a bit, but I really do need to upgrade my machine!

I used more Adventure's with Alice on the border, I think it's sweet 'Toytown' style works really well on a child's quilt. That lovely vintage bluey-greeny-yellow fabric used to be my colleague Sarah's old maternity blouse. I must have stared at it lustfully so often that when she had finished with it she cut it in two and gave me half! Thanks Sarah :)
I found an old vintage sheet that belonged to my Grandad to use for the back.

Overall I think it would make a really sweet cot quilt or wall hanging for a child's room. I really enjoy using Lu's technique and she was very kind and generous when she said she didn't mind me giving a workshop in it. It's really adaptable and I have lots more ideas about how I would like to use it in future quilts. 
One more thing, I discovered a wonderful new blog/website recently called Bustle and Sew. Helen produces an e-magazine every month as well as countless newsletters each one bursting with free patterns and advice about embroidery, patchwork and sewing. I am truly staggered by the quality and quantity of her output! And in this month's magazine she has featured me as her blog of the month, thanks Helen!