More Finishes for April (Jelly Bean and Christmas!!)

Having a longarm quilting machine

Is the best thing for my unfinished projects!!!

I have just finished putting the binding on my

'Jelly Beans' Quilt....

(the binding was leftover from my rose hexagon quilt)

Here's a view of the back...

I quilted a feather meander pattern,

in a varigated thread, which I thought suited the top,

which is very scrappy and bright.

It means the quilting is very visible on the back,

but actually looks quite cute.

This quilt started when I saw Sio's Carnival Corn.

I just can't believe I've finished it!

And now I'd like to do another one in Sio's colours!!!

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And here's another finish,

this one was quilted on my regular sewing machine
and bound in leftover binding from my 1980's star quilt...

Started when Kate came to visit in November (I think)....

So, you can see, I'm getting a bit better at finishing things

in under 20 years now LOL

Simple House Pleasures

It's not often that I buy a book

and then immediatley feel compelled

 to make something out of it :)

But I had the 3 'spare' Ocean Wave blocks...

(and I quickly made another one out of the scraps)

And this book as inspiration...

Well, I needed a small handwork project!

**

More to follow as it gets sewn down.

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I have finished quilting the Maple Leave quilt

on my Longarm!

I went for a sort of abstract swirly pattern...

I used pale pink thread and thankfully

the tension was spot on so it looks good on the back too.

(If I say so myself LOL)

Another case of the quilting makes the quilt! -

I was not that keen on the top,

but I think it looks lovely now that it's quilted.

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As soon as I finish one quilt,

I just want to get another on the machine...

so I whacked some borders on my

'Jelly Bean' quilt...

I wasn't sure I liked the borders,

but the quilt-inspector approves

so we're going with these borders :)

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In my previous post, my neighbour

photographed me holding a quilt up in the wind.

We chatted for a bit and he expressed 'grass-envy'...

So we have garden visitors at the moment!

2 sheep and their lambs

are 'mowing' the lawn for us at present!

The boys and I keep joking

about all the 'chocolate peanuts' they leave us LOL.

We're hoping Miss-Kalico doesn't try eating them! :)

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On the weekend we had sun!!!!!

We even had our first BBQ of the year!

Sadly, it's gone again! :(

Jelly Bean Borders

I didn't mean to vanish off the blogosphere...

BUT someone in our house wanted the little people

to spend less time on the computer...

which meant I had no computer either :(

I do have a little (and I mean little)

tablet, but replying to comments, typing

and blogging are almost impossible

(uploading photos was indeed impossible!!)

Thank you for all the kind comments on

my rose hexagon quilt and apologies

if you didn't get a reply -

that wasn't intentional!

Anyway, I dug out my old laptop

and as long as I don't move it,

it should work!

So here are my 'Corn & Bean' blocks

with borders!!

I am calling this top

Jelly beans

because it is so bright and fun.

I'm sorry I didn't make more blocks and make it bigger,

but I am definitely making another one!!!

I found border inspiraton

from a pattern called 'Shadow Play'

In this magazine, that I have had for ages.

It uses Ocean Wave blocks that finish at 8 inches

(where mine are Corn & Bean blocks that finish at 6 inches.)

The pattern is also in a beautiful colour scheme

so it's on my to-do list too!!!

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When we first had snow I moaned about a few flakes

blocking my way to the studio :)

A week later,

we had a few more flakes!

 But it only lasted a day!

Somebody knew the best place to keep warm

when we had the snow

was on my newly finished quilt

on our bed!:

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Of course, I couldn't resist the
'Scrappy Trips Around The World'

blog madness...

I have been sewing my strips as 'Leaders & Enders'

and they mount up pretty fast!

My plan was to use lights and darks

and to have a dark blue running through

the centre of each block.

(One can't just let the scraps take over LOL)

I think I need to get a bit more variety

in the next few blocks I make...

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I managed to catch Bonnie's

Quilt-cam the other evening:

 Such fun!

Even if my husband does think I'm bonkers!!

While watching I managed to sew loads of leaves down on

my Carolina Lily borders so I've not got a lot left to do now.

Hope it won't be so long between posts again...