Test pattern quilt

And now, here is my final contribution to The Beehive.
A finished quilt made by me and 11 fabulous women.

 

Specifically: Sheridan, Amy, Karlyn, Belinda, Kat, Megan, Julie, Jo, Annabel, Tanya and Megs.

 

To appease my husband (who says "its too busy and bright to have in a bedroom ... or any other room for that matter") I have made the back of the quilt much simpler with just a strip of busy patchwork through the centre.

 

The incredible quilting has been done by Karen Terrens. She is a genius with a long-arm quilting machine!! (And she comes from such a creative family. Her mother is an incredible craftswoman and you just may have heard of her sister).

 

So, now all that's left is to snuggle up with her and enjoy my memories of this wonderful quilting bee.

 

Thanks girls! I'll miss you!!

Andi xxx

PS Why "The Test Pattern Quilt"?  

 

That's why!!

Bye bye Beehive

After 2 lovely years together, the members of the Beehive have decided not to continue with the Bee next year.

Although it has been a lovely bunch of stitchers, making such beautiful quilts together, many of us have new priorities to contend with in 2012 and the Beehive has simply had to take a back seat  :(

These are my last blocks for the Beehive.

 

They are for Megs who is making a very pretty quilt for her daughter.
I'm really looking forward to seeing this lovely quilt come together!

In fact, there are a number of Beehive quilts that are not yet completed so some beautiful surprises will still be coming via the Beehive in the coming year as quilts are completed and shared.

And my 2011 Beehive quilt is now complete. I will be posting pics very soon!!

Andi xx

Beehiv'in

This month in the Beehive, Tanya has asked for a Mod Mosaic block using Elizabeth's cushion tutorial.



Rather than making cushions, Tanya plans to make a quilt for her son.





This is a fiddly and time consuming block to make so I can understand why Tanya wanted to share the load. The end result is going to be wonderful!!

Hope you are all planning a lovely weekend.
Andi x

This month in the Beehive

Blocks for Sheridan ...



More of the same type of blocks as last year's to make a massive king sized quilt for her bed.

More Beehive blocks over here.

Andi xx

Testing .... testing ...

Henceforth to be known as the "Test pattern quilt"

My Beehive quilt this year is vivid and bright.....and HUGE!!
For the first time in many years I'm planning to have this one professionally quilted. I don't really want to hand quilt it, and it is way too big to smoosh through my little Bernina.

My husband has said it is too busy for the bedroom (which was my original intention as the colours I chose were to match the Echino wall hanging above our bed).

He's also not sure about having it in the living room.
He's going to have to deal with it because I absolutely love it.

Thank you Beehivers for your stunning work!! Love you long time!!

Andi xx

French strings

This month in the Beehive, Belinda has sent a gorgeous range of fabrics to make string blocks.

The centre strip of each block is a beautiful French newspaper print fabric.

This is going to be a stunning quilt.

Whatcha been stitchin'?
Andi xx

Falling Bee-hind

I received my fabric parcel for May's Beehive in the first week of June.
Long story! But ... being a person who hates falling behind, I quickly put together Kat's gorgeous voile string blocks. I anticipate another super soft and snuggly voile quilt. I adore these!!

While I was at it, I made a couple of little blocks (5.5 inches) for Annabel. She is making a quilt for her little boy called "The Busy Sea at Night".

She has asked for pieced blocks, rather than applique which ... at this scale ... caused me a little anxiety. But in the end I really enjoyed making these 2 little blocks.

Now I just need to find the time and energy to get to the post-office!!

Andi x

My Beehive month - solids fever!!

I definitely have 'Solids Fever'!!!

This month is my turn to send out fabric parcels to the lovely Beehive ladies. They will be making me quilt blocks that will coordinate with my Echino wall hanging above my bed:

I have asked for blocks like the ones in this gallery. But I've asked for BIG ones .... 20 inches square!!

With one block from each group member and five made by me, I should end up with a quilt 80 inches square .... perfect for my bed!!

And before I forget, here are the blocks I made for Julie in March.

Her quilt will be amazing when it's all done!!

I'm really loving this quilting bee thing but I'm glad I'm only doing 1. Enough is enough!!

Have a stitchin' week.

Andi xx

What the tuck?

Textured block for Jo for this month's Beehive.

I call it 'organic' pleating.
AKA: I didn't really know what I was doing!!

Hope you are having a stitchy weekend.

Andi x

The Beehive is back!!

Round 2 of the Beehive has kicked off with a bang.

Meg (a mad quilting librarian) has requested book shelf blocks using our own scraps. You should have a look at some of the amazing blocks offered by our other Beehivers.
Here are my offerings:

An homage to books arranged by spine colour.

and ...

I've added bookends to this one but I left one of the bookends unattached so Meg can place it where she likes on the 'shelf'.

I've posted them off today Meg. I hope you like them.
Can't wait to see how this quilt comes together.
It's going to be a ripper!!!

Andi x

My creative space (AKA the fancy shmancy binding quilt)

After my basting efforts earlier this week, I've been a busy little bee, and finished quilting and binding .... the Beehive quilt.

Thank you so much to everyone in the Bee for your gorgeous blocks. They've come together rather well, I think!!

Quilted in wavy lines.

With a thrifted sheet on the back. (I couldn't believe my luck when I found it. The colour is PERFECT!!)

Fabrics are mostly from my scrap bin and the stashes of my 12 fellow Beehivers. Truly a communal project!!

And the fancy shmancy binding? I followed Trisha's excellent tutorial on how to bind a quilt so that it looks like it has piping (but doesn't really).

Such a clever idea with a very effective end result!

I'll be trying that one again for sure!!

You can find more creative spaces over at the lovely Kirsty's.

Have a stitchin' day.

Andi x

Beehive quilt top

My fellow Beehivers have come through for my month so amazingly!!

(Please excuse the crappy photos. My new 'baby' will be with me at the end of the week and all things photographic on this blog are sure to improve).

I asked everyone in the bee to make string blocks using a gorgeous green Kaffe shot cotton through the centres and loads of my scraps everywhere else.

I also requested each person to contribute a scrap or 2 from her own stash to make it a truly communal quilt.

I'm still considering adding to the border with more scraps. (I've run out of the green and I'm not allowed to buy any more!) What do you think? It is currently 53 inches square(ish).

Either way, I'm so excited to get this one quilted and bound.
This has been my first quilting bee and I have so enjoyed the process of creating these beautiful communal quilts.

Hope you are having a great week.

Andi :-)

Beehive block for Amy

Amy asked for a mathematical themed block using pluses, minuses and equals signs.

I love the fabrics she chose. Beautifully offset by the Kona Ash.

Next month is my month.
Better start working on my fabrics!!!

Andi :-)

Beehive - May

This month Julie requested modern log-cabin style blocks with extra 'surprises' in the logs.

Having the flexibility of adding splashes of colour within the logs enabled me to be a complete tight-arse with the fabric and I hardly wasted any fabric at all.

 I love the collection of fabrics she sent. I must find out what that green is. (Maybe a Kaffe shot cotton???).
I must have some!!!

Hope you like them Julie.

In other news, I am COMPLETELY behind with a whole lot of posts I have been meaning to do and will try to get to them in the coming week or so.

I'm off to Stitches and Craft on Friday. Wheeeee!!!!
See you there?


Andi :-)

Oh Beehive!!!

Some new blocks for my virtual quilting bee, The Beehive.

For Katrina who sent mainly Amy Butler 'Love' fabrics and requested mega star blocks a-la Red Pepper Quilts.

The first step in making these is to make a bunch of half-square triangles.
I didn't trust myself enough with the suggested size so I made bigger ones that I then had to trim back.

I really should have trusted myself.

Katrina's month was March but my fabrics didn't arrive until last week due to postal stuff-ups.
Don't you just hate that!!!

This was a really fiddly block to make and I have a new found respect (as if I didn't have one already!!) for the likes of Rita who can make an entire quilt's worth of these blocks. Exhausting!!!

April is Tanya's month.

She sent out fabrics in a red, green, grey and white palette and requested lots of circles!!

Here's what I've done:

This one (above) measures 12.5 inches square.

The next 2 are 6.5 inches square each.

Feels good to be up to date.

I think I'm a one-bee-at-a-time kind of girl.

How do people keep up with multiple bees and still have time for other crafting?

Andi :-)

PS I'm playing with my blog layout. Feedback?

Rather pleased

... that I have finally tackled Jo's Beehive block that was due in December. (Sorry I'm late Jo).

I was rather daunted by tackling a new technique (foundation piecing) but I think it turned out OK.

Although I have a funny feeling the circle of geese should be 'travelling' the other way.

Oh well, what's done is done. Hope you like it Jo.

Also, I'm rather pleased to have received the first of my 3 Pay It Forward (PIF) gifts that I have signed up for.

 

 

A sweet little mini quilt from Michele.

With a lovely label too.

 

 

Thankyou so much Michele.

Now I really need to get on with my 9 PIF gifts.

Have a stitching weekend.

Andi :-)