Honey Pot Bee - I'm The Queen!

Welcome to my turn as Queen of The Honeypot Bee!

When I said yes to my Gorgeous SB (Sparkly Boy) way back when, August seemed like an age away, but here we are and here is my choice of tutorial.

The Pineapple Quilt Block

These are my three versions of what is a fantastic and highly addictive block, the only thing I've done differently is add an extra round of strips to bring it up to 12 1/2".

The other thing I highly recommend is a scant 1/4" seam

I've used a shot cotton, which as I've said before frays like a beeyatch but is oh so pretty I forgive it!

Two 1 1/2" WOF strips of each is enough for one side of each colour

For a different fabric for each pineapple a fat quarter strip is all you need

For the reverse option you only need 3 scraps at least 4" to allow for the economy HST which I enlarged then cut down to get the accurate 4 1/2' centre.

These are so much fun and a great scrap buster, I'm looking forward to using these as fillers in my Honeypot Quilt along with the others I've made.

Strawberry Block and Rainbow Star Block

Quilters Pantry Block

Star Kisses Block

Stripey Stripe Block

Echo Block

Tall Tales Block

  I somehow cut off one corner in the above block?

These aren't all the available blocks as I've been a bit tardy at keeping up!!

 So head over to Molli Sparkles and see all the deliciousness that is on offer.

Half Rec Quilt - Not A Glamorous Name!

I know I promised my final finish last week but I think a week of blogging almost wrecked me as much as the points on this baby!!

This is NOTHING to do with the pattern by Nicole from  Snips Snippets which was in one of the Love Patchwork & Quilting Mags.....but Half Rectangle Triangles and I are not friends!!

Only and I mean only from now on, unless they are foundation pieced I will not sew a freestyle HRT ever again!!

Oh my Lordy Lordy and a few other choice non child friendly words do you think I could get my blocks to match the measurements from the pattern??!!

 I even made a template up out of plastic and everything for trimming.... but those little bastards were always a little off....even with a scanty scant 1/4" seam!

So there was some very creative seam matching to not lose any points, because we all know that a little off here and a teensy bit off there equates to a whole hot mess of where in the beejjeezeers did my points go LOLOL

Luckily my longarmer extraordinaire saved this wee baby with her wonderful custom quilting, which I hope you can appreciate despite the gloomy day these pics were taken.

Isn't this lovely and it always amazes me how a simple quilt can be transformed into something completely eye catching just by the choice of quilting....sigh...wishing I was better at it!

I chose to highlight the pink /red of one of the prints (Riley Blake Domestic Joy??) with a gorgeous dot from Lakehouse Dry Goods

And the reason it was sent out, a fluffy chenille backing ( I swear Sandra I'm getting nearer to the end of these!!)

And when I've finished my Bee commitments I'm hoping to have this one below finished to show you...I've been spending every spare minute on it....lots of piecing but such a fun project!!

Til next time my peeps xxx

Linking up for a Friday finish with Amanda Jean  of Crazy Mom Quilts and Myra from Busy Hands Quilts

Week of Quilts - Day 5! I Made It!

Well I made it to Friday ! Woohoo!

 And believe it or not I still have one more finished quilt after this one!

But let's just get to today's Quilt...and just quietly my current fave...don't tell the others!

The pattern is from Love Patchwork and Quilting Magazine Issue 33 and is called Stargazer, by Anjeanette Klinder.

I used my hoarded Amy Butler fabric to inspire the fabric pull, the print blocks are paper pieced but it's a simple block that would be great for a beginner and has such striking results.

And I'm thrilled with the two different quilting motifs used in each block by Sandra. I know that the chenille backings aren't her favourite especially the really thick ones but she's very tolerant and does a fabulous job!

Despite the plush of the chenille and the fact that it looks barely used there was a teeny hole....

So I used this random Dresden block that I found lying around and appliqued it over the hole using a blanket stitch so it could be incorporated into the quilting.

In my never ending and sometimes futile attempt to reduce my scrap bins I went with a scrappy binding using some of the left overs from the blocks

It finishes up reasonably large at 60" x 72" but I think that's the perfect snuggle size, especially with the weight of the chenille backing which makes it extra cuddle worthy!

And so concludes my week of quilts, well at least Monday to Friday and there's one last one tomorrow, but I'm pretty happy with finally getting my ass back into blogging LOL

Linking up with Amanda Jean for Finish It Up Friday and Myra for Finished or Not Friday

Week of Quilts - Day 4

Here I Am Once Again....with my suitcase in my hand and I'm running away down River Rooooaaadd...I have no idea why that song is stuck in my head but it is....and then I think, imagine all the useful stuff I could store in my head if I just got rid of all the crap...like earworms, and my phone number when I was 7 and the licence plate number of my first car LOL

Anyway on to more serious things...

Like the very serious face or eyes of Little OWB who is now my Chief Quilt Holder...and not to be messed with!

So after I made The Giant Kiss/Plus Quilt ( such an original name?!) I had a whole pile of HST cut offs that I couldn't bring myself to throw away.

So I had a stern word to myself, as you do, and said if you're not going to throw them away you have to use them in a project straight away, or it's just more "stuff" you're hoarding for "just in case"

So voila the little Churn Dash Baby quilt was made ( do not laugh at the very serious face! )

I had two attempts at quilting this!!....sigh...kitten rearranged the backing without me noticing and before I pin basted, 10 rows in I checked the back and there were puckers!! Grrrrr!

Luckily at 6" finished blocks it's not a massive quilt so 10 rows didn't take too long to unpick.

I had enough left over vintage sheet from the Giant Cross Quilt backing to use it again on this little sweetie

The binding is a Riley Blake print and I think it's from one of Tasha Noel's lines?

Vintage sheets, strawberries and sweet little Churn Dash blocks seems like they were made for each other!

OK let's link up with Kelly at My Quilt Infatuation for some Thursday fun

Week of Quilts - Day 3 I'm Doing This!

OK Day 3, here we are with a WIP that is at least 5 years old!!

I found a few half done 1/4 log cabin blocks and a big pile of randomly cut strips while shifting stuff from the downstairs garage sewing space to the new upstairs sewing room.

From memory the inspiration fabric was Backyard Baby by Patty Sloniger, a designer for Michael Miller fabrics....my helper is still struggling with the "stand still " concept of picture taking hahaha

I'm feeling pretty good about having this little pile of nothing turn into a sweet little quilt

Being of the lazy quilting type ( I'm definitely a piecer! ) I thought I'd try out this cute snake like stitch on my Elna, just as a change from my huge repetoire of....straight stitch quilting LOL

All I can say is thank F*** it was a teeny tiny quilt....it was sooooo slow

It looks super cute unwashed and dried so I'm hoping that the spa treatment will accentuate the pucker of the snake stitch....which I will never do again!

It's a sweet 36" x 45" and the mint stripe binding was a moda print from my stash, so YAY to using up what I already have.

And that's Day 3 and Wednesday hump day just about gone :) and since it's been a while that I've posted midweek Let's Bee Social with Sew Fresh Quilts.



Happy halfway through the week my Peeps!

Week Of Quilts - Day 2

Welcome to Day 2 of The Week Of Finishes Yay!!!

I had to include these two, not so clear pics, because my Wee OWB so desperately wanted to help me take photos of the smaller quilts since she insisted she's big enough to help...be still my Mumma heart!

Sometimes between driving me bonkers and making huge elaborate messes she is the sweetest thing ever! 

This quilt was inspired by the BOM article that is at the end of every Love Patchwork & Quilting mag.Last year it was Lynne from Lily's Quilts this year it's Canadian Nicole Calver from Snips Snippets

This block is called Diamond Squares and while I was tidying and supposedly sorting? I got inspired to cut up this bundle of Lil' Red by Stacy Hsu.

I think it shows the prints off beautifully and is a nice change from my usual obsession in standard plus quilt blocks :)

Winter sun makes it difficult to photgraph quilts clearly 

But on the plus side ( LOL cheesy ) it really shows up the quilting...pity it isn't more daring than a one and a half inch grid!

Binding is only from last year so I am getting better at non hoarding

And since it's bound and labelled I'd call that a perfect finish!

Oooops almost forgot the backing, another stash find and one of four vintage sheets pushed under other stuff ....seriously?!!

It finishes up at 48' x 48' which makes it a nice play mat size quilt.

After it's Spa treatment it will be ready for a new home :)

Okay peeps two days in a row....can I keep this up??....do not hold your breathe...