The shrinking Benjamin Biggs

I completed my first Benjamin Biggs quilt block back in January and it was the 16 " version that is in the pattern. But since then other bloggers have had the brilliant idea to make all the blocks as a 12" size instead of 16"  - so the finished quilt will be smaller and more manageable. Great idea but I was a bit nervous of shrinking the pattern. As it turned out - easy - just printed it at 75% instead of 100% and so .... I made another Block 1 in the smaller size.

Block 1 in 12" and 16"

 Luckily I had enough of the same fabrics too. Seems crazy to replicate all that work but I will keep the big one to use as a quilt label on the back of the finished quilt. 

Here are Blocks 1 and 2 together - both 12". And I will make all future blocks in this size too. 

Block 1 and Block 2 in 12" size

I don't know if you remember - I have been helping my friend Angela make her first ever quilt - a Log Cabin. Well - huge progress to report! We spent a day pin basting it at my place and she is now at the quilting stage. She even bought a new sewing machine that has an optional walking foot and will do some straight machine sewing in the ditch. Then she plans to add some big stitch perle cotton hand quilting in red. We're both thrilled with it! The backing is plain red homespun - and yes, it has been pre-washed a couple of times with colour catchers - taking no chances here...

Angela's quilt - basting pins in 

I have had a lovely time turning red fabrics into swiss cheese (lots of holes) for my 'Stars meet Hexagons' quilt. And all the 'holes' become diamonds and hexagons like this:

Sewing these small EPP pieces together is quite hard on the hands so I might take it slower on this project . Time to work with different techniques in the Ann Randoll quilt reproduction. 

Medallion applique borders and a colour remedy

The applique borders for my Chintz Medallion quilt are coming along.

Two borders with applique finished

Close up - some favourite fabrics

Another border is attached. I'm really happy with the look of the borders and am planning a focal feature in the corners to link them. 

Problem - I now feel that the chintz medallion background is too white. I knew the cream background in the border was not exactly the same shade as the chintz medallion background and that didn't worry me, but when they are in good daylight it really stands out - too much I think. 

Daylight photo

Colour remedy ? time for some tea dyeing. I only want to apply the tea dye to the chintz panel - not the rest of the fabrics - and am not unpicking the borders so will sponge the dye on carefully!

Here is the top laid on the kitchen bench ready to sponge:

And here goes with a bowl of cold tea and a cloth to dab/sponge on the tea:

I applied two lots of tea - leaving it to dry on the bench between each lot. It looked a bit blotchy after the first dry so I repeated the treatment just to even out the colour more. I quite like the touch of 'vintage' given by the uneven colour. 

Here is the result - a  much better match - not so stark: 

There has been progress on my Dutch reproduction quilt 'Simon'. Growing row by row of English paper pieced blocks...

Papers are all removed except in the outer edges

Here is another row ready to be stiched together, and then onto the top:

Remember my friend Angela - making her first quilt under my supervision/tuition? 

Well - she has 9 huge 18" blocks completed - more than half way done to a King Single bed quilt. Looks great!

Angela's Log cabin blocks laid out together

 I've told her she is no longer a student - she has graduated and we are just 'sewing buddies' now. You can see how organised she is with her block strips prepared, labelled and clipped together ready for sewing - she's a natural at this and well and truly 'hooked'!

Here's a glimpse of what I have been doing since last post - lots of catching up with friends and family. This is a Birthday Pavlova (my favourite dessert) made for me every year by my daughter, and chocs from my son - yum -  thank you!

Four different projects

Simon quilt: 

I've made many paper pieced hourglass blocks and here is my Simon quilt so far:

Chintz Medallion quilt:
Last post I showed this messy ten-month collection of bits and pieces. All to make a medallion around a lovely chintz panel. You can hardly see the chintz panel under the load !

That really was enough procrastination  research. If I used all the ideas I had "collected" the quilt would be he large enough to cover the house ...so time to commit to one or two borders. 

I have never made paper pieced clamshells but love the look of them ...so that would be a start. I researched several ways to do them on the net and found Sue Daley's tutorial looked the most fool proof for me. Here are some pictures of my process: 

Appliqueing the clamshells into rows

I am using fabrics with a blended/ ombre stripe because I love the soft colour flow in these fabrics :

That chintz panel will be on point so the clamshells will need to form four corner triangles:

Checking it is staying close to 90 degrees: 

The clamshells corner isn't attached yet - it might look best (and fit best) with a narrow fabric dividing border along the panel edge - will see. Now to make three more clamshell corners. 

Star Bouquet quilt :

Remember this one - my reproduction of a quilt made by Mary Leggett ?

The top is now finished. I won't/can't make it any larger because I have come to the end of the chocolate brown hexagon fabric. It measures about 1.7 m by 1.6 m so is a large lap quilt size (67 inches by 63 inches). 

This will just be trimmed and bound. I auditioned a couple of borders on it but prefer the look of it just as it is. My sewing machine is back from service so this one is heading to the top of the queue for quilting. 

Angela's Log Cabin:

My friend Angela is coming along very well with her log cabin - she is a star pupil. She's made two lovely log cabin blocks - despite my supervision! The unpicker had a bit of a work out last session and I felt very sheepish because I wasn't checking her progress thoroughly enough (too much chat) and a couple of errors happened - oops. All fixed up now though: 

Each block is 18 1/2 inches

Some cheery flowers to finish - all picked from the garden.