Feathers Quilt for Siblings Together

I finally had some time to finish a quilt this weekend! This is a version of my Feathers Quilt that I've made during the last three years that I've been teaching this workshop.

The pattern was in Love Patchwork and Quilting issue 9 (and it made the cover!), and has been one of my most popular quilts. Every time I've taught it I've made a couple of blocks and now I have enough to make another quilt.

I know I will have people asking me if they can still get this pattern and all I can say at this stage is, yes, if you hang on till July (all will be revealed in a couple of months).



I've decided to donate the quilt to Siblings Together (more on this below) which meant it took the pressure off me as far as quilting was concerned and I could have a little fun with it.

So I've been trying a little 'doodle quilting'. Basically it's a kind of greatest hits of my previous FMQ patterns! I've just ranged from motif to motif, doing anything I please, with loops and spirals to travel between.

It's a great way to loosen up and try some new variations and it also means you get less bored!

It was a bit of a warm up for me as well as this is the first full sized quilt I've made this year. I'm about to make quite a few more over the next couple of months so this was really helpful.

This took me about four hours to quilt in three sessions, using my trusty Pfaff QE 4.0 domestic machine and of course some gorgeous variegated pink Aurifil 50wt thread.

The thread shade is number 4660 and it is quite dark in places against the light background (a Carolyn Friedlander print from 'Doe').

In fact I was worried it was way too dark and standing out too much while I was quilting it, but my husband gave me the thumbs up so I pushed on through and now I like it. I also think it will be fun to follow the meandering lines and pick out all the different motifs for whichever young person ends up with it. I'm hoping it will be stimulating but meditational at the same time!

It's backed with an old duvet cover, and I've used a neutral thread in my bobbin rather than the same as my top thread.

We are having the most incredible weather in Scotland at the moment, with day after day of clear blue skies. So I just had to drag the new quilt around Shangri la Farm for a bit of a photo shoot.

We also have a lovely new garden bench, situated behind the Gothic Arbour which faces on to the pond.

As I mentioned this quilt is going to the Siblings Together charity and is the first of three or four quilts I am planning to finish before this summer's camps.

If you don't know about this charity and the wonderful work they do to bring children in care together with their siblings for summer camps every year, then please read about it here.

They need around 100 quilts a year and so are always looking for donations.

Can you help? A charity quilt is a great way to practice your FMQ, or try out some new designs. Letting yourself loose on a whole quilt worth of practice can really push on your FMQ skills. I think people are often put off doing FMQ as they don't want to ruin a beautiful top they have just finished. But if you can put something together out of scraps or orphan blocks then you can take the pressure off yourself and just go for it. Your quilting will really benefit!

And you have the pleasure of knowing that you are making a huge difference to a disadvantaged child's life by making something homemade and precious just for them.

For those of you local to me - are am hoping to organise free transport for a huge box of quilts sometime in the summer (once I've confirmed deadlines with ST), and will be happy to include any quilts provided. Maybe you'd like to donate one but are put off by the cost of postage? If so get in touch and we will try to coordinate a Scottish Siblings Together Quilt Drive.

OR do you make regular car journeys from Scotland (or North of England) to London? Or know someone reliable who does? Maybe you could help too!

Stitch Gathering Words Quilt #1

At the Stitch Gathering 2015 we sent attendees fabric and asked them to embellish it with their favourite word. This would then be their ticket. We asked for words to be positive and life affirming.

You can read more about the ticket words project inception here.

Our amazing retreaters brought along fabulous works of art using so many different techniques! They were all displayed on the day.

Prior to last year's event I made two quilt tops from the words and basted them. At Stitch Gathering 2016 we had a group hand quilting session in the afternoon and the quilting was started!

Of course it was only started at the event, and I had planned to machine quilt the remainder of the tops at home (as hand quilting is a bit of a no-no to me these days - with my dodgy hand!). But then my lovely assistant Lynsey, offered to hand quilt the WHOLE of one of the quilts!!

Lynsey handed the quilt back to me just before Christmas and I finally bound it a few days ago.

So now it needs to be donated to somewhere suitable - like a hospice or other institution where it can inspire and spread love through stitches. I have had a few suggestions already which I will be chasing up (in case they can't take it for some reason like space or sterility) and I hope to compile a shortlist which can then be voted on by everyone that had a hand in making it.

But I would love a few more suggestions, bearing in mind there will be another quilt coming along! If you have any ideas, please email me. Anywhere in the UK would be fine.

And what about that other quilt? Well the totally amazing and generous Lynsey is now hand quilting that too!! Talk about a quilt hero!! 

And speaking of quilt heroes, I happen to know another one! 

At last year's Stitch Gathering the ticket project was to make your 'dream house' block. At the end of the event four people took away 20 blocks each to make into quilts for Siblings Together. The amazing Sheila (@budsmam on IG) finished this quilt a few weeks back - thank you so much Sheila!

 Lynsey also took away 20 blocks to finish a quilt, however as she is doing all this heroic hand quilting she doesn't think she can also finish the house quilt. So, would anybody like to volunteer themselves to finish a quilt? The blocks are complete, they need sewing together (perhaps with sashing like the quilt below, but not necessarily) and then basting, quilting (anyway you like - it's a great way to practice FMQ) and binding. 

If you feel like being a quilt hero too then please let me know in an email - hello@mybearpaw.co.uk

One more thing - our store won runner up in the Best Independent Store, Scotland, in the British Sewing  Awards yesterday! Thank you to everyone who voted for us! We will display our badge with pride!!

Granny Blanket QAYG Quilt

Here is my newest project for Love Patchwork and Quilting magazine!

Some of you may be surprised at the simple, sparse look of this quilt, as usually my quilts are a little 'fancier'. But read on and you will find out why I wanted to make it so much.

Issue 23 is now available and has the usual mix of amazing quilts and projects plus a really useful set of Dresden Plate templates and booklet that I know I will be using soon!

The cover quilt by Michelle Wilkie is just stunning, and new quilts by Lynne and Karen are also providing fabulous eye-candy for me.

I just love how they styled my quilt! I really want those green drawers!

I had the idea for this quilt a long time ago. A few years back I designed a Christmas stocking with quilt-as-you-go Log Cabin blocks that you sew together. As anyone who has tried QAYG before will know it is the sewing together of the backing that causes the issues. For the stocking it wasn't a problem as the whole thing is lined.

But it got me thinking - what if you started off with a huge piece of wadding and backing and then just kept going with your Log Cabin, going round and round until you filled up the whole piece? That would mean no sewing together at the end, just trim and bind!

It took me until recently to have the courage to try this out (potentially expensive waste of fabric and wadding) but it actually worked! And I was able to get the quilt much larger than I though at 59 inches square!

Of course as soon as I put a quilt on our bed to photograph it someone jumps on top! Hello Hector!

I actually practiced first on this cushion (which I made for the magazine project too but they ran out of space for).

Both the cushion and the quilt are backed with a lovely Kaufman flannel for extra cosiness.

The other inspiration for this quilt is my love for vintage crocheted Granny Afghans.

I had an elderly relative who made these for our very extended family and it is hard to find a family snapshot which doesn't feature one of these somewhere in the background!

I started making my own a few years back, here's a photo of my 'Budget Granny'. It's got a few more rounds on it now and is one of my many crochet UFO's (I usually always finish quilts before I start a new one but am never as disciplined with crochet!).

I also now know how to fix that wonkiness!
Added later after a few enquiries - the trick is to start each round in a different corner! So obvious when you think about it!

Anyway you can hopefully now see the similarity and the look I was trying to achieve with the quilts,

It was also nice to get a chance to marry my two crafty passions!

This quilt is now on it's way to Siblings Together for this year's summer camps. It is the 107th quilt donated! Well done to Mary and everyone else for organising and contributing to this year's quit drive. You can view all the quilts on the group page on Flickr. I have a large amount of Economy Blocks (from our EMQG Bee) that will go towards a future quilt for ST but I won't get it finished in time for this year.

And might I suggest that this QAYG quilt would make an excellent Sibling's Together project for anyone wanting to contribute in future years?
You can actually get this finished in a day! Plus it is a great scrap buster, especially for left over Jelly Roll strips!