More charity quilt blocks

This week we met for a couple of hours on Saturday afternoon to make some more charity quilt blocks.
 We started these some time ago and decided on a couple of different themes according to the fabric scraps we had to hand.  A 'manly' quilt using the darker and more neutral patterns, a 'ladies' quilt using the florals, and a children's quilt using the brights and motif fabrics.
Here's a close up of the children's...

 and the neutral blocks...

17 finished blocks!

We managed to finish 17 assorted blocks on the afternoon to add to our already considerable pile.  Hopefully we'll eventually make enough for 3 quilts to donate to those who are in need.  This quilt as you go method is very easy and great for using up scraps, and can be done by a group who are also busy drinking tea and having a good chat...

Run out of thread?

Recently I was all set up to do a paid sewing job when my sewing machine decided it didn't like the cheap thread I was using.  I had been given it for the job along with 4 cones of overlocker thread.  I didn't want to spend time fiddling with tensions on my machine and I didn't want to have to make a car trip to go and get some better quality thread.  And then my eyes set upon my overlocker.  I had been given 4 brand new 5000 metre cones of white thread.  I hadn't run out of thread, I had 20,000 metres of it!
I was using these for seams with the overlocker so why not the sewing machine?  This thread was good quality.  But how to get it off the cones and onto something that could be used on the sewing machine?  I could wind it onto some spare bobbins, but how?  I needed a telescopic thread stand, so the thread would wind evenly.  The overlocker came to the rescue again.  I placed it back to back with the sewing machine, and leaving the cones where they were, threaded one of them through the sewing machine's thread guides and wound lots of bobbins. 

To sew, I used one bobbin on the top and one on the bottom.  Problem solved.

Friday's meeting

This week we were a small group of three - Louise was crocheting some more on her lovely blanket, Michelle brought her finished jacket and PJ's and was working on a needle case like the one she made at Christmas, and Anne brought her finished French General cobblestones quilt and had dug out her Japanese quilt as you go circles to add on some more.

Saturday's meeting

This week we were again zooming along with projects. Michelle was continuing with her hand piecing, Louise had a lovely ball of variegated wool, from a visit to The Bendigo Woollen Mill on her recent road trip, that she crocheted flowers with, and Anne was getting to the end of the borders of her "Northern Lights" quilt using Tilda fabrics and pattern from Norway (since finished). Karyn came for a chat after a long meeting at work.

We also enjoyed a sponge cake for afternoon tea!

This week's work

This was scarf week - Leita had finished her "corkscrew" scarf and Michelle almost a crochet scarf and started on a hat! Both too shy to model them. Leita was knitting up some pretty wool in rib. Anne was continuing with her Norwegian Tilda quilt.

Weekend Retreat

Over the Queens birthday long weekend we had a great time at Vickery Quilt and Craft Retreat in Alexandra. Lots of craft, relaxation, fun, and fine food as well as the local quilting group's exhibition, visits to local shops and the annual Truck and Ute Show (complete with wood choppers) to entertain us in between stitching.

Leita produced this Rubik's Cube style quilt from her eldest daughter's instructions:

Sue knitted a lovely cowl and started on  a second one:

Lisa bound her two queen size quilts with the help of speed stitcher, Barbara, and continued with the hand quilting as well as finishing off a blouse she had started at home:

Colleen designed and finished a quilt top for her eldest son using her extensive selection of batik fabrics from her trip to Bali last November:

Anne completed numerous rounds of  a medallion style quilt using a kit purchased from Tikki Patchwork in London which uses Tilda fabrics by Norwegian designer Tone Finnanger:

Louise made  a lovely quilt top using bright scraps and white fabric from a tutorial by Rita of Red Pepper Quilts:

Karyn finished a quilt top for her nephew from a pattern called "Love Beads" by Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr and arranged to have it quilted by local longarmer Marlene of Redgate Quilting:

Charleston Girls Quilt finished

I've finally finished this quilt (apart from the label and neatening those stray threads).  I had a lot of fun quilting it.  The BSR function on my machine was a dream to use and I kept thinking, it's too easy - I must be doing something wrong! 
Although by then I was due for something to go right as originally I had chosen the wrong backing fabric and batting and as soon as I began stitching in the ditch I knew I should stop and re-evaluate.  But did I?  No. 
And so once I did decide that the quilting was all wrong I had a lot of unpicking to do.  Fortunately I had used a large stitch and by going carefully and only from the back it only took one day to unpick entirely.  Another day to re-baste (with extra basting stitches this time.)  And on the third day I was happily quilting again after re-thinking the quilting pattern as well.
I am much, much happier with the result now and am so glad I took two tortuous days to unpick and re-baste.  Thank heavens for holiday weekends.
This week I put the binding on and, trying something different this time, I sewed it on the back and turned it on to the front where I finished it with a decorative stitch.  Number 131 on my Bernina machine. 
I am very pleased with the results and am looking forward to getting it up on the wall later this afternoon after I deal with the last of those stray thread ends.

Next I will finish the matching cushions that I began because I love this pattern so much that I had to make extra.  The bonus was that I had something to practice my free motion quilting on before tackling the quilt.  I pinned them to a quilt already hanging on the wall just to see what detail I'd be able to see with each different thread I was deciding between.  The quilt police will probably slap my wrists for risking pin marks on the other quilt.  Oh well!

Kit for Charleston Girls quilt originally purchased as a block of the month a couple of years ago from Catharina's Country Collection www.cccpatchwork.com.au