Mystery to Me Quilt - flower blocks

Every now and then I am sorely tempted to do a mystery quilt, especially when Bonnie Hunter starts one of hers as they always turn out amazing and everyone made is so different. Sadly I never make the commitment and I'm never short of things that I want to sew anyway.

I do think though that it's about time I made another bed quilt as it's been a few years since my last. I'm just having a great time making small things - the smallest so far being Twinchies - I haven't yet made any inchies! :) The bed quilts that I've enjoyed making the most have been those that just start with a block that I like, but with no definite idea as to the overall plan or even the next step. Of course it has to be a scrap quilt as I don't know how much fabric I shall need so I want to be able to add new fabrics as I go along.

So that's where I am at the moment with my "Mystery to Me" quilt. These are the first nine blocks:

These measure 10.5" square ( + seam allowance) and I think that if I make all my blocks a multiple of 1.5" I shan't go far wrong!!??? :).

The blocks above are sewn by machine apart from the centres of the flowers. The background circles are reverse appliqued using freezer paper by this method, but sewing with my blind hem stitch,

and the flowers are made with the background fabric which was cut out when making the circles. The flowers are marked on the fabric with a frixion pen and then stitched around with machine applique stitch, (no fusible web). I carefully cut away the excess fabric after sewing, as close to the stitches as I dare.

To me, each of my flower blocks has it's very own personality, which changed a little every time I sewed on another border of fabric - I find myself talking to them as I sew! ...... oh dear, lockdown is finally getting to me!

- Anita xx

Slow Stitching - Shapes

While we can't get together for our meetings (it's been a year since our last monthly meeting because of Covid19) we have been sending out a regular email to Flowerpatch Quilters members with any news and a monthly challenge. For February I devised a mini slow stitching workshop that everyone could do, or not, as they liked, at home. I really enjoyed doing it myself and completed six 6" blocks.

My own idea of slow stitching is that when you start you have no clear plan in mind and just let the applique and hand stitching grow. The most difficult bit is actually getting started! For that reason I suggested cutting out a circle; square or rectangle; and a triangle and sewing these to the background. The full instructions / suggestions can be found in my printer friendly pdf file - Slow Stitching Mini Workshop

I have sewn my six blocks together with thick thread to make hinges. They can now be hung vertically in a single line, or folded concertina fashion making a "book". This is closed with a strip of cute house fabric and a button. To make this work I sewed three buttonholes in the strip and as I do very little normal type sewing, this was scary and exciting for me. :) I don't know why I was concerned - I just pressed start and the machine beeped when it was finished - I love my new machine!

This pic shows my blocks and on the back you can see the strip hanging down. The top of the strip has one of the buttonholes as a hole to slip over a nail or hook.

And this pic shows them folded into my "book" -  neat and tidy.

All in all a very enjoyable project - so much so that I've now started on slow stitching concertina book 2 with the theme of flowers.

Happy Stitching - Anita x