Our Creative Spaces

This week was all about getting out of my comfort zone.  For Lisa's Bee Bold Bee Brave Bee Helpful quilting bee block, she chose an eight pointed star, which filled me with dread as it requires precise matching of points to give maximum effect.  This isn't really my thing and I have been procrastinating about attempting this since receiving the fabric in early November.  However, I was determined that I was going to finish this and give it to Lisa at the last Melbourne Modern Quilt Guild sewing day for 2012.  As I spent most of the day talking and eating, this didn't happen, but the last seam was sewn last night and I posted it off today.

I did need to get the seam ripper out a few times but this was mainly due to using the wrong side of the background fabric (it was quite hard to tell the right side at times) and joining the composite pieces into triangles instead of squares.  But in the end, I got through it and while not perfect, I'm pretty happy with the result and hope Lisa is too.

The lesson here is to be confident in your own abilities.  I will promise myself that next time I am set a challenge, I will jump right in fearlessly.  And carry this through in other areas besides sewing.

Our Creative Spaces

The Roller Rink quilt is progressing.  What I love about this project is that the blocks are very quick to make and I am also trying to chain piece the 2.5 inch squares to further speed up the project.   I have about about 10 blocks more to come from the participants in the Melbourne Modern Quilt Guild "Bee Bold, Bee Brave, Bee Helpful" quilting bee, so will shortly have a few rows worth to start getting a feel for the completed quilt.

Our Creative Spaces

It is the busiest time of the year for the day job but I managed to get this little number finished for a boy born on 1 October.  I'm really happy with the way this turned out.  I'm getting better at the hand stitching in terms of getting the reverse side even and with such a cute animal backing fabric, I know I would want to look at  the back as well as the front.  It's not the end of the baby gifts - there are two more quilts that I need to make before the end of the year and then maybe I can get back on to projects for STLT HQ.  But no Wonky Stars or Cowboys for a while, methinks.

For more creative spaces, head over here.

Our Creative Space

While it was wonderful being on holidays for so long and seeing sights, shopping, eating and drinking, I did miss being creative.  But since we have been back, life has been very hectic, so the first chance I had to do some sewing was at the Melbourne Modern Quilt Guild SASD where we had a theme going.  GJ's Discount Fabric were running a charity sewing day on 14 July to help Rebecca Wolske raise $2,500 for her Conquer Cancer 200km Bike Challenge and help her is collecting blocks to make quilts and cuddle blankets.  As the date clashed with the MMQG event, we offered members the chance to participate.  Check it out here, and feel free to get involved - anyone can help out.  Anyway, I had some fabric left over from the Life at the Outpost quilt, so whipped up a couple of blocks to donate.  I probably should have made some more but I spent a bit too much time catching up with all the lovely ladies from the guild.  Hopefully this weekend will allow some time for some more sewing - I know a few people with babies due in the next few months, so would like to get on to making some gifts.

For more creative food for thought, head over here.

Our Creative Space

Over at STLT we are on a deadline.  Youngest sister's quilt needs to be finished before we head off on an adventure so the sewing machine has been in use every night this week.  The quilting is finished and I'm now pressing the binding ready to pin it on.  I was a bit nervous about my choice of thread - the author of the book that the pattern came from (Hot Spot quilt from Modern Minimal by Alissa Haight Carlton) said that she matched her thread to each section of the quilt, however as I had made a reversible quilt, this was never going to work.   The reverse side can be seen in the Sunday Snippets post below. So I took a deep breath and decided on chocolate brown, possibly influenced by what I had on hand.  Anyway, I am happy with the result, which I think adds a bit more interest to the piece.  I just hope that R agrees.

For more creative capers, head over here.

Our Creative Space

One project finished; one more started.  Another birthday gift that will be late, but hopefully not as late as the last quilt.  This is the beginning of a 'Hot Spot' quilt from Alissa Haight-Carlton's lovely book 'Modern Minimal' and this will be another reversible throw (going from a cream centre to chocolate outer on the other side) for my youngest sister, R.















Browns aren't really my colour palette but I am loving the combination of chocolate, caramel, cream and other warm and toasty hues that will make up the finished product.

For more Creative Spaces, see who is lined up at Kirsty's place.