Finished, another quilt for charity

First finished item at retreat. Completed the star last year as a paper piecing experiment and loved it. But was stuck with what to do. Now really pleased to have made it into a quilt for an orphan at Hope Homes International.

Was not that happy with the quilting of the coloured star but love the straight line quilting of the grey fabrics.

I link to these places

The quilts have made it to Africa

Yay - finally all the quilts that I parceled up have gotten to the orphanage just outside El Dorat in Kenya. The older girls have started choosing their quilts and they have named them "forever quilts" as this is the first thing they have to keep forever, even when they leave to study or get married.

Getting them to Kenya was expensive and rather stressful as the Kenyan border kept them in holding for two weeks and we were very concerned about the spiraling cost. 

When shipping them I almost gave up as but thanks to everyone who prayed and helped. Now the look on these faces makes my heart sing. 

19 quilts ready to go

Finally we are organising sending all the quilts off to Hope Homes International for the orphans beds. There are 19 quilts completely finished, which has taken about four years!!

I pulled all the quilts out of all the little hidey holes around the house and am busy labeling who made them, who donated material etc. They are all going to get displayed at church on Sunday so I am hoping the everyone will be impressed and maybe be inspired to send a bit more to this place.

So many people have donated so much for this to occur. A huge thanks to Hazel who is clearing out her house for earthquake repairs and called me to pick up all this wonderful material, books etc.

I am still praying and hoping to get a few more or have some donated as there are currently 23 kids in the orphanage and another 5 living with the directors of the orphanage. But it will happen over time.

I link to these places and crazy mum quilts.

Low Volume quilt - for charity

Yay another quilt completed. My attempt at low volume quilting is not as low as some. But compared to my normal choice of heaps of colour, this is muted! Finally getting to try one of the style of quilts from a blogger I follow - Crazy mum quilts

I have been following Amy's quilting adventures on how to free motion quilt. This is challenging me but I am also finding that new patterns and ideas are not as hard as they look. So this months challenge was grid quilting.

I drew all the lines on the quilt with taylors chalk at 60o angles.

It took me a wee while to work out how to continuously quilt the pattern, so I used a rough piece of paper to practice in pen before getting the quilt near the machine. I think next time I would do the pattern smaller. I love it though.

Super happy that this is another quilt for Hope Homes International.

Linking to these places

Quilt top and binding done

On Thursday i sewed together all the strips that I had blogged about doing. But when I did the quilt just was not quite big enough. So last night I put a cute little pop of colour border (only 1/2" finished) and then a bigger border on.

Being inspired and not yet too sleepy to turn the sewing machine off, I got stuck in and made the binding too. One of the bloggers I follow is Crazy mum quilts and she had a quilt very similar to this in her book.

Yay for a finish - linked to these places.

Today I finished coating the bathroom shelves, so they will be able to get put in and the bathroom will be done. Phew......

ps - this is another quilt for the Orphanage - Hope Homes International

Nearly there

Yay another quilt for charity completed. The goal of one quilt per child at Hope Homes Orphanage is getting closer.

This quilt was started by Jeanette at church a long way back when we all started quilting for charity. Before the earthquakes and before the storms. So Jeanette finished three of the rows and had sewn a lot of other blocks together. She used all donated material and just mixed up what came into her hand. I finished putting all the blocks in rows, sewed the rows together and then quilted and bound it.

I started the quilting on Thursday night, finished it on Friday night and bound it tonight. I tried a completely different quilting pattern to anything I have done before. I follow a blog by an amazing machine quilter Amy and she has been doing monthly challenges. This quilt pattern was last months (I chickened out on the last quilt and just put flowers) and I am thrilled to have done this as an all over pattern. My quilting is not good enough to worry about stitch length or regularity, I struggled to keep it all the same and even, but with practice things will get better.

I link to these places but especially Finish it up Friday and  and 

A most reluctant finish

Well this quilt has finally been finished! It has been a quilt I would call SIGH if I named quilts. I have sighed the whole time making it. The patchwork I blogged about back here. It is donated cut blocks which I only had to add a few more in. Donated flannelette backing which is original from the 70's.

But how I struggled with this quilt. I had to push myself to sew it, push myself to sandwich it and the quilting of it was procrastinated about for ages and ages. I feel that this is the worst quilting I have done in a long time. There are material puckers, it is only straight lines, it looks like the first quilt I have ever made. But no matter what I did to try and fix it, it just wasn't working. So I closed my eyes (figuratively) and just got on with it.

The flannelette back

I know why it was such an issue;

1. I like to start things and not necessarily finish them as I want to get onto the next idea.
2. I found this utterly boring, not my style of patchwork and quilting at all
3. I was unhappy with my finish on it.

But the good thing is that it is now another finished quilt for the Orphans at Hope Homes International, so I spent all my time sewing talking to myself ("any child will be thrilled with this, they will not look at how well it is completed, they will appreciate that someone has done something for them) etc etc

Linking to these places. and

Finished - the Orphan Block Quilt

I have just had a three hour stint at the machine to finish this. The boys are having their party and they certainly do not need Mum when they are XBoxing. So I got onto the sewing machine. I had thought the quilt was too small so I added another row. Now it is large!!. But it has used up ALL my orphan blocks. 10 years worth. There is not one block left in my bag and as you can see on the top right corner I had to put a piece of material in to finish the row. Yay.

This is the what it looked like last time I did a show and tell.

I even used a leftover binding that I had unpicked a couple of years ago. I used black and white materials to try and give it a cohesive look with such disparate blocks. And it was gifted to me so therefore free. This will now go into the pile of "need to be quilted".

Thrilled to be linking this to these places, and Crazy Mum Quilts.

Is it a new project or finishing an old one?

Hmm I can't decide. I am trying to use all my bags of stuff that have been organised into projects. Now I have three shelves of unfinished or planned projects and yet I also have tons in my head ready to start. This is a bag of orphan block - the photo is not good sorry.

sorting all the blocks on my bed

 Every-time I make a project and have bits left over I put them in this bag. I can see my taste change just through this bag. Last night I decided it was time to get rid of this bag. The main block of green half square triangles (hst) I made about 12 years ago. The square blocks were a quilt I started but from all my scraps about 10 years, but no progress was made and I decided to put them in the orphan block pile. Then lately my scraps have been a lot brighter and more white based from slightly more modern quilting.

looking coordinated now but maybe not later!!

So last night I sewed some of the blocks together and now it looks all coordinated - that is the end of the blocks from 12-9 years ago. Now I have modern bits and bobs to put around it. I think the quilt could end up looking quite confused but at least it will be another quilt for the charity I support - Hope Homes International.

So do I classify this as finishing something or starting something? As you can see, I am good at starting and not so good at finishing.

I link to these places and especially WIP Wednesday and Anne at Domesblissity.

I tried to "Just whip it up"

I finished this quilt top two nights ago. It is another quilt for the orphanage that I support in Eldorat, Kenya. The material was donated by someone and came to me with all the centre squares cut (5 1/2inches) and some of the outside squares cut. To make it large enough I cut a few more of the big outside squares (8 1/2 inches). But somehow the maths did not work and I think that could be why the person gave up and donated it. I am sure that no child is going to look at it and criticise the red border as not being the same all the way around!! So I just got on with it.

I read so many blogs where the quilt was "just cut and made last night" or just whipped up over two nights. I thought that if that was ever going to happen to me it would be on this quilt where most of the cutting was done. But no, this still took me four nights to sew together. Maybe I am a slow sewer, but I think too that by the time I have the kids in bed and everything done it is about 9pm and so I sew slowly as I am tired and really have to concentrate.

I might get this one finished by Christmas as the wedding is tomorrow and so all the organising and sorting clothes etc , that has been taking my time, will be done.

I link to these places.

A purple quilt

This is another quilt for the Orphans at Hope Homes International. As it is for children it is backed with a lovely flannelette. The quilt blocks I picked up from an Op Shop for $5, the border materials came from Hazel as off cuts from one of her quilts and the outer border and binding came from my stash.

This quilt has been sitting on my sewing table for about 6 weeks. Partly quilted. So I finished the quilting and bound it - as I already had the binding prepared.

Well today started very early with the boys all getting up for a soccer game. Liverpool vs Arsenal. Unfortunately once they got up I could not get back to sleep. I was feeling so blurry that we did not even get to church, though for once we were awake in time. By 9.45am we were all back in bed.

The scallop border I quilted

I only quilted on the cream to make the purple stand out

The quilting on the final border.

So we have had a very quiet day all catching up from lack of sleep. So for once instead of painting or catching up on the garden I spent a bit of time on my sewing machine.

Happy to have it off the sewing table and put in the pile with the others.

I link to these places.

It just happened

Another quilt for Hope Homes International

Showing the borders

This is the first time ever that I have been surprised to finish a quilt. A while ago I found the middle blocks at an Op Shop (charity store) for $5. When I took them home to turn them into another quilt for Hope Homes International, I found that I was struggling to get material that would go with the blocks.

While on my quilting retreat, at Living Springs, Hazel passed me some leftover strips from one of her gorgeous quilts she made. As soon as I looked at the material I knew that it would go well. Thanks heaps Hazel.

So yesterday I had an hour before the kids came home from school. I pulled out the ironing board and ironed and sewed some seams. Then I rifled my stash for another material to make it bigger (the big bright outside border) - cut some 5" strips, sewed and realised that the quilt was heaps big enough. Just like that!

All I need to do now is sandwich it and quilt it (and bind it...... oh it will take a bit more time). I felt very productive.

I link to these places.

Black and White Quilt done.

Last night I worked on quilting and binding another quilt for Hope Homes International. The quilt was made from a pile of blocks given to me and other black and white material. Thanks heaps Julie.

I was a bit worried that it looked quite adult so I fished through all the donated material and found the soft cuddly flannelette. A dramatic contrast to the quilt top but it makes it a lot more child friendly.

The quilted verse

On the blue borders I quilted "Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path", a favourite verse of ours.

The bright backing

I link to these places 

and finish it up friday with Amanda- Jean

A black and white quilt

Over the last week I have been working on yet another quilt for Hope Homes International. This quilt started as material and blocks donated by Julie (who comes to the quilting weekend in Living Springs each year). She donated this all in 2010 the year before the earthquakes. She had four blocks finished which I just had to sew together. I have then expanded it with all the left over material she gave.

As always I thought it would take me one night to do, but it took longer. I sewed and cut all the extra, plus I have the binding cut and made. The backing is hanging on the washing line today so I hope to sandwich it all together tonight.

Now I have four quilts to quilt and bind at my weekend away - plus 4 shirt aprons to make. A jacket to adjust, a hat to make, start a quilt for Eli etc etc etc. Hmm have I got too many expectations again??? Or maybe I just wont sleep when I am there!!

I link to these places and WIP Wednesday

Cold but no snow

Well over the last couple of days I have wanted a snow day. So did the boys. I had visions of doing heaps of sewing in front of a roaring fire.

I have managed to get a lot more completed. I have pinned out one more quilt for Hope Homes International. (This quilt top was made by a group of us before the earthquakes occured) I have made the binding for the other two quilts that I pinned out.

Eli pulled a groin muscle and was finding it hard to walk so he really enjoyed being home from school today (and Morris was appreciative of a warm knee).

Another charity quilt

I link to these places.

Happy dog

Two quilt tops done

I wanted to label this blog post "Old married couple fulfilling their passions at night!!" but imagine what that would do to a search engine!!!!!!

Tonight I have been sandwiching a quilt top and Aaron has been Xbox racing. Both in the same room, not really talking to each other, but enjoying what we are doing with the fire on. Contentment.

Double Hourglass block

The quilt is made of flannelette - being my usual recycled PJ's. I started it on Saturday night when a few of us had a wee get together, then finished the piecing last night. It is made from the left over blocks of this quilt.
A few extra rows around the edge make it big enough for a child's quilt. So this is destined for the Orphanage in Kenya that I support - Hope Homes International.

The other quilt was made by a group of us who came to my house about once a month to specifically make quilts for Hope Homes. But the earthquakes have put a stop to that and with all the stuff that goes on, it has never restarted.

I have just done a count up of the quilts I have. 5 single  or slightly bigger completely finished quilts, 1 completely finished cot quilt, 2 bassinet quilts donated. I also now have these two quilt tops done and sandwiched ready for quilting (I am already stockpiling my things to do on my big quilting weekend away in July). Plus there is another quilt top that I need to sandwich ready to go. I also have one half quilted top and some other blocks donated by Shirley that I need to stitch together. Jeanette was halfway through a gorgeous purple quilt when the first earthquake hit - hopefully that one will get finished too.

I am aiming to get quilts for every child in a house. There are currently 2 houses plus some kids being raised at the Missionaries house. So all up I need 30 quilts at the moment. So if any of you have any quilts you have made that you don't like. Or 1/2 finished that you don't want to do - I am keen to take them off your hands.

I link to these places and here 

Awesome finds from the Op Shop

A Breville food processor with all the bits

 I went into two Op Shops just before Xmas. At the "Save the Children" in Kaiapoi I found these quilt blocks and negotiated it down to $5. They will sew together quickly to be a quilt for the orphanage in Kenya that is the charity I support. As timing would have it, in the shop was Sarah, who is the Mother of Ian who set up and runs this Orphanage. So we had a good discussion about how many quilts we had etc. and how to get them off to Kenya.

Then I popped into the Salvation Army Op Shop in Rangiora looking for second hand school uniform for Jakob for his new school. No uniform but for $20 I got a full working Breville food processor and all the bits. Am thrilled!!

Quilt blocks

 I am linking up to