QAYG Hexagons

This is Jack's quilt made in 2008.  It was designed to be used as a play rug on the floor.  Each hexagon has been cut from a 6.5 inch square using nesting hexagon templates from Kiwi Quilts.  It's a Quilt As You Go (QAYG) quilt.  Each hexagon has a same size batting hexagon and a larger backing fabric hexagon.  The backing fabric is folded over the front, then a wide decorative machine stitch in a contrasting colour thread sews the folded backing edge onto the front with batting.  The hexagons are joined with a ladder stitch also by machine.  Here's the other side with it's rainbow colour scheme:

Jack got heaps of use from this quilt; and then his sister Amelia used it as well. It reminds me of the poem "For Baby" by Nancy Riddell.

It's OK if you sit on your quilt.

It's OK if your bottle gets spilt.

If you swallow some air

And you burp, don't despair,

It's OK if you spit on your quilt.

There are scraps old and new on your quilt.

Put together for you on your quilt.

If your gums feel numb

'Cause your teeth haven't come,

It's OK if you chew on your quilt.

We expect you to lie on your quilt.

If you hurt, you may cry on your quilt.

On a cold rainy night,

Don't you fret; you're all right,

You'll be snug, warm and dry on your quilt.

I Spy Evening Stars

Bonnie Hunter's Quiltville site is one of my favourite places to browse.  I like Bonnie's chatty style and her great patchwork ideas - she never seems to stop!

Recently in her blog Bonnie shares the progress of a new quilt for a baby boy.

The quilt starts with some novelty print 4.5 inch squares which become the centre of Evening Star blocks.

The blocks increase in number using 2.5 inch strips to make the flying geese and corner squares.

Now, if I was working with these nice bright blocks I would probably sash them with some nice neutral fabric to draw them altogether - but Bonnie is never neutral.

How's that!  I certainly wouldn't have thought of black and white checkerboard strips, but doesn't it look great!  I like the way the black and white extends into the multicolored border.

You can read all the details of this starry I Spy here, and here, and here.  Well done Bonnie - you've inspired us once again!

A UFO Bites the Dust

This is one of the first quilts I started when I began selling I Spy charms on eBay, so it must have begun about 2005. I started with 6.5 inch squares and arranged them in six groups of four.  I added a 2.5 inch pink block to one corner of each big square to make a snowball type corner.  The four blocks were sewn together, then a pink sashing added.

Next I sorted through my I Spy stash and found pieces that were at least 3.5 inches wide.  I sewed these pieces into strips and stashed the big blocks.
Then the mostly finished top went into a cupboard and sat for six years.  It was retrieved, I'm glad to say, when the new sewing machine arrived and I could quilt big quilts once more (the Singer Featherweight did have its limitations).

I still had the bright pink fabric stored with the top so that was fine.  I chose a light coloured print from the stash and sewed a corner square on each corner, then round the whole top with a 2.5 inch strip.  I added a pink corner and again went around the whole top.  The back was a bright print of waterfalls and flamingos, also from the stash, and there was enough pink to do the binding.
Yesterday I took the completed quilt to one of our local social care agencies to add to their stash of Christmas presents.  It took a while but the quilt will finally have a proper home.

She Sells Seashells

I am pleased to announce that the winner of the fat quarters is Dee Soden.  Well done Dee, you'll have to let me know which two fat quarters you would like.

I was looking through some of my photos to find a quilt to decorate this post, and I came across my Summer quilt.  Now that it's summertime in Australia this is the topper on our own bed.  Hubby collects seashells so I made this shell themed quilt a few years ago.  Many people like to walk on the beach and pick up seashells, but a conchologist takes shell collecting to a whole new level. Our spare bedroom has floor to ceiling shelves with boxes full of categorised seashells.  The shell collection takes up almost as much room as my stash (but it is much more organised....)
Most children's I Spy quilts cover a wide range of objects, but it's fun to pick a theme and collect fabrics to suit.  An adult's quilt is more likely to be based on a theme like a hobby, sport or travel.  I have collections of chicken fabrics (for myself), cat fabrics (to make a quilt for my brother one day) and music fabrics (also for me).  Do you have collections?

Still looking for a winner....

Have you left a comment for a chance to win some fat quarters?  I made this little quilt from the Girly Parade print.  It's now a doll's blanket for granddaughter Amelia. The pink squares are 4.5 inches with flying geese made from 2.5 inch strips.  I like the way the same design elements make squares or stars.

So to be the winner - leave a comment on my blog answering the question, "When did you make your first I Spy quilt?"  The randomly chosen winner will receive two fat quarters - your choice - from the new fabric range from Australian designed twomonkeys fabrics.  Post a link to my blog from your blog and you'll get a another chance to win.

The competition closes on Monday evening 5th December. Which fat quarters will you choose?!