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Sometimes quilting projects take a long time – and it’s not a problem

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A couple of days ago I came across a small piece that I’d sewn of half-square triangles. It was a small project to work on at our summer place where I only do hand-sewing – if I sew at all. I had the HSTs with me and sewed them together by hand. Nothing particularly exciting about that find, really. Until I happened to see a picture of “what was going on 10 years ago,” with that piece in it. I’d sewn it together a decade ago, thinking that it would become a quilted item – and it’s still in that same state. This got me thinking about how long things sometimes take in quilting. At least in my quilting. And because I have a lot of material in my blog, it didn’t take long to find examples to share with you. No progress in ten years Almost exactly ten years ago, in July 2016 I had hand-sewn the binding on my Heading North quilt and taken one of my most memorable quilt-finish photos of it. When I was sewing the flying geese blocks for that quilt, I got a whole bunch of bonus half-...
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Splendid colour tips for quilters: Versatile ways to use just one colour

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This post is one of my Splendid colour tips series, where I share information to help you choose fabrics and colours for your quilts with more confidence. Today’s post is a little different because it isn’t about any specific colour. Instead, it discusses how you can use a single colour to effect in your quilt. One colour can be surprisingly versatile in quilting, and perhaps this post encourages you to experiment a little. I suggest three basic ways to discover the versatility of using just one colour in a quilting project:  Create a scrappy surface  Make single-coloured blocks Choose one colour and complement it with a neutral I’ve illustrated these three ways with examples of my quilts and quilted items. I also give an answer to the question: “Could the whole quilt be of one colour?” 1. Create a scrappy surface Using your fabric scraps is a low-threshold way to start exploring the idea of using just one colour in a quilt project. If you have a mishmash o...
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What's on my sewing table right now (Quilt studio diary)

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Now, let’s see if I can come up with enough to say about the photos of 9-patches that I plan to share today. Ever since I finished the quilted Rumba bag and bound and finished the Maxim quilt, I've been able to focus on that project wholeheartedly. I've been working my way through my many containers of leftover fabric pieces (they hold resource pieces, not scraps) and pulling out everything that's large enough to yield at least one 2" square. Quite often I find pieces large enough for me to cut three squares but not four. Why is that? It’s so inconvenient because I need two sets of four squares for each block. Or alternatively, just one square because every 9-patch gets either a dark or a light centre square, and it's never of the same fabric as the other squares in that block. Around the centre I sew four lighter and four darker squares. 9-patches usually turn out looking rather nice, especially after I’ve pressed the block. I avoid making ugly ones,...
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7 quilting habits that will strengthen your eye for colour

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The other day, I started thinking about the thing people call “an eye for colour”. Some people get compliments on their eye for colour, but I’ve also heard people claim that they don’t have one at all. Perhaps it’s more to do about recognising one’s preferences – or not knowing what one likes? If you aren’t certain about your eye for colour and would like develop it, you may find it difficult to know how to start. Here’s a solution for you: seven quilting habits that you can adopt – and develop your colour sense at the same time. At a glance, the 7 quilting habits are: 1. Know your own ways 2. Think about what you really like 3. Forget about pleasing someone else 4. Stop comparing your work to others 5. Face your fears 6. Give yourself encouragement 7. Return to your successes 1. Know your own ways For a long time, I thought that there was only one correct way to sew a quilt. I thought one had to pick a block pattern and choose the fabrics, then one would sew as m...
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Finished Maxim quilt (Quilt studio diary)

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You may have read about my quest to find the perfect binding for this quilt – if not, here’s the post. You may not agree with my choice, but I’m happy. Here she is: the Maxim quilt sewn of X blocks: The finish makes me even happier than identifying the binding fabric! I keep track of all my quilty makes and it is so satisfying to be able to add the entry when an item is finished. The sunny pictures of the Maxim quilt make me happy too: it feels that a quilt doesn’t get properly represented if the celebratory finishing photos are shot when the sun isn’t shining. And summer sun makes the colours look perfect, don’t you think: This quilt is the 98th that I’ve finished since I made my first quilt in 1995 (note that I didn’t make another quilt until 2009 when I launched into quilting for real). It is the 641st quilted item that I’ve finished since I started blogging in November 2009, and the 54th whose name begins with the letter ‘M’. You can see I’m a sucker for s...
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