Stack and wack quilt

The past 3 months or so was spending quilting this huge queen size quilt on my domestic machine.  At times it felt that this quilt will be the end of me as it was stitched during the weeks I did not know if I will find another job or not.  

This is a UFO from way back in 2012 which I for some reason never wrote about.  I finished the top a few years back but added another row of blocks earlier this year so that it would be big enough for our queen size bed.  It is made by stacking 9 different fabrics on top of each other and slicing twice through all the layers horizontally and vertical.  Then all the fabrics are swopped around and stitched back together on top of vilene using bias binding.  The different blocks are then stitched together using the same method.

Half of the blocks were meandered as the fabrics is so busy, no pattern showed up good.  The other half I quilted in different patterns.  I however foolishly choose only one pattern which was stitched normally which meant I had to change feet and convert the machine from free motion to normal stitching every time the yellow blocks came up.  A mistake I hope not to repeat ever.

Below are close ups of the different patterns I used.

Workwise I did manage to land the job I was writing about in the previous post although only for 6 months.  So, it is turning out to be a stressful situation either way which is having a detrimental effect on me.  I don't know which direction my life will take and the uncertainty is preventing me from quilting or machine embroidery at this stage, both hobbies which I dearly loved but just can't seem to get myself to enjoy currently.  I am sick and tired of just sitting around doing nothing as this is not me under normal circumstances, but hope that the two weeks holiday coming up will rectify this situation.

Heart Quilt 6

It's almost two months since my previous post and about the only needlework done around here was finishing up the last three blocks of the heart quilt.  All the blocks have been stitched together and quilted, so only the borders needs to be added.

Crazy hearts from Molly Mine

On a personal front it was quite a difficult few moths behind me workwise.  After going back to the UK firm in April, everything was going well until the mid of August when they decided they didn't have enough work to occupy me and let me go.  And I have been struggling ever since getting another job lined up as things in South-Africa is very tight with all the SOE's bankrupt and me being in the engineering (infra structure) field, you are dependent from the national and local governments for work.  I am praying that the contract work I have applied for do materialize so that I could go back to being the normal me without all these external pressures, worries and stress.  It is not a picnic finding oneself without a job just a few years before pension. 😓

If any of you reading here can join me in prayer about this I would really appreciate it.

Heart Quilt 5

With winter upon us I find it increasingly difficult to do anything other than sitting by the fire.  So any quilting etc. now is done on Saturdays only.  I also find it difficult being cooped up in my office alone the whole day and then spending the evenings alone in my needlework room as well.  My husband do visit me during the day but I am definitely having a bout of cabin fever.

With that being said, I did embroider another 3 blocks of the heart quilt as well as adding sasching to the completed blocks so I can start quilting them.  I am however struggling with puckers.  Almost all of the blocks pucker, bit I will try my best to eliminate them with the quilting which I decided will only be meandering between the hearts.

This block contains one of Molly Mine's Crazy Hearts

These blocks I did not crazy quilt as I wanted to show of the beautiful Langa Lapu fabric prints which doesn't show up as well on the small crazy quilt pieces.  I used Molly Mines heart outline and omitted all the crazy patchwork.  By sizing them smaller, I added the smaller plain hearts.  All done with the help of Embird Basic Embroidery Software.

Three quarters of the blocks is done with only 4 more blocks to go.

Heart Quilt 4

 After falling seriously behind with this quilt, I finally got time to stitch another two blocks.

The crazy patchwork heart designs can be found here.

Crazy quilt handbag

It feels like ages since I last did any embroidering or quilting as I only worked day and night for the past 2 months or so.  Workwise I left the company in England and returned to my previous employer on a 6 month contract basis to finish the only contract they have at the moment.  The company in England kept in contact and so I decided to return to them at the middle of April as I can't get any work locally.  That left me with unfinished business which I had to finish up after normal business hours leaving me with no down time at all.

Luckily it is almost done so this week I could start playing around again although my machine broke down after only 2 nights of embroidery and had to spend some time in the workshop getting fixed.  Hopefully all the problems brought about by sub standard work done by the local dealer are now fixed.

One of the crazy quilt handbags I wrote about in  this post was finished and gifted to a dear friend of mine for her birthday. 

After stitching all the pieces together, this is what the front of the two bags looked like.

Then it was time to complete one of them and I started with the red one.  It was a huge task with lots of stitching and quilting every piece as I go.  But the end product was a huge success and truly beautiful.

On the the back I added an extra zipped outer bag which I decorated with satin ribbon and a few other bits and pieces. 

The completed front.

                                               Below is a close-ups of the front and back.

I still have to finish up the black one, but is at the moment trying to catch up on the heart quilt where I am 3 months behind.  Time just slips away with 2021 almost halfway.

We are truly blessed not contracting the Covid virus going around although it is coming ever closer with friends and acquaintances coming down with it.  We are still deciding about the vaccine and needs your prayers in this regard as to what we should do. May you all be blessed with good health.

The designs for these bags can be bought here.

Heart Quilt Block 3 and Spit Cloths

I finished Block Number 3 of the Heart Quilt.  Although the pattern calls for a traditional pieced block, I enlarged one of my Crazy Quilt Heart blocks and stitched it manually playing along the way with different decorative stitches built into my Brother.

I also embroidered some spit cloths for friends of mine to gift at a Baby shower on the 10th of April.  Designs are from Buystitch.

Homestead Quilt 11

 The last 3 blocks are done!

Block 48 Wedding Ring

Block 49 Basket of Grapes

Block 50 Sister's Choice

Heart Quilt Block 2 and Homestead Quilt 10

 Heart Quilt Block 2 is finished but full of puckering, so I will have to quilt it flat.

I also finished another 4 blocks of the Homestead Quilt.  Only 3 more to go and then free motion.  The first time I can use the quilting rulers I bought recently.

Block 44 Propeller

Block 45 Antique flower basket

Block 46 Duck and ducklings

Block 47 May basket

Heart Quilt Block 1

 After acquiring all the fabrics needed, I could finally started working on this quilt.

I used the Crazy Heart quilt set from Molly Mine for the heart in the centre.

With Covid 19 with us for close to a year now, it was time to stitch some more masks for my son to wear at work.

I also stitched some more monograms for a few of my quilting friends who haven't received any yet.

 A friend of mine told me about somebody on Facebook selling Marathon embroidery thread at R5 each, so although I have nearly the whole catalogue of colors, it was not an opportunity to pass up on, so shopping she went buying me 100 cones.  

I also stitched myself a pouch like the one's I gave away as birthday presents last year.  The design is from Smartneedle and can be found here.  Been quite a busy week with lots of projects done.

I also made a skirt for our bed to extend to the ground.  Above is a before photo and below, after.

Spit cloths

Did some spit cloths for a new baby as well as embroidering some crosses and monograms for our friendship group named Amistad (Spanish for friendship).  And buying other background fabric for my heart quilt after my choices was shredded to pieces by my fiends. 😀

After having twin daughters 3 years ago, their parents was blessed by a boy.  They ordered the spit cloths in December but with my machine broken at the time, I was unable to embroider them in time.  But they are done now and will be on their way tomorrow.

I embroidered some crosses for some of my friends who joined our quilting group later and missed out on these beautiful bookmarks.  I always embroidered them in white, but use a beige this time and I think they look better than the white one's.  You be the judge.

The white one

and the new beige one.

I also visited all of the local quilting shops in vain to try and find two coordinating background fabrics and settled with only one background.  I also bought a yellow/orange/gold piece just to brighten up all of the dark colors.  Below are my new selection.

Baby quilt for sale

Anther one is done and ready for when I open the shop.  The quilt are completely square, just me trying still to take decent photo's, not such a good combination.  I should do a course or two on the internet.

This one was done in shades of purple, white and green with the whole quilt quilted in a variegated white and purple combination thread.

The pattern is called Mirror-Mirror and is available as a free download from Jordan Fabrics .

A close-up of the quilting done.

And the backside.

The quilt is 82 x 107cm (32"x42") and is available for ZAR650 .  It can be ordered in any color with 50% deposit payable upfront via Paypal or into a Nedbank account.  Email me at wgeel@mweb.co.za with any questions.