Mixing Techniques and Experimenting

I’ve had a bit of time away from quilting deadlines since Christmas and this has given me some space for experimentation.

This started when I needed a Christmas present for a neighbour and so I stitched a couple of panels of scrappy improv for a pouch. I used up the odd left over class sample on one piece (a ragwort from my A Month in the Country Quilt) and on the other I added that large applique circle.

I loved the way the pouch turned out especially that circle with the stripe behind.

The publication Curated Quilts offer regular mini quilt challenges for future issues with a theme and colour palette. I’ve never had time to enter before but the latest one was Curves and the deadline was early January so I decided to have a go and use this idea of adding appliqued circles to improv quilting. This isn’t a new idea for me, I used this for my Almost Black quilt amongst others.

This is the result!

I really like it but the colours were dictated by the challenge and it probably would have turned out differently if I’d done my own thing.

And it didn’t get accepted for the magazine anyway 🙁

But it was fun to have time for a little experimentation.  I still love using this combination of matchstick quilting with Aurifil 50wt and hand quilting with Aurifil variegated 12wt cotton.

I also had time in January to design a new block. This is my Crown and Petal block and I hope to have a pattern ready for this soon.  I am planning on making just 4 of these blocks to be added to another project I have quietly (and barely!) started. Again this is all about mixing techniques, this time FPP, curved piecing and needle-turn applique.  I love how delicate these blocks look with all that scrappy low-volume background and just those hints of soft colour.  There will definitely be more of these coming, beyond the immediate project.

Last week it was back to those applique circles mixed with improv.  This was right after the Blood Wolf Super moon so maybe I was subconsciously challenging it when I made these! I was using leftovers from the Curves Mini and I made them as back panels for a couple of ‘apology pouches’.

I finished a couple of class samples from my EPP Mini Sea Urchin class at the Thread House Retreat, but instead of embellishing them they became pouch fronts.  I experimented once more by using the Aurifil 12wt thread in my machine and produced a lovely result which looks like I’ve used a back stitch by hand!

And yes I’ll be using this technique again too!

Here are the two finished pouches.  And they are called ‘apology pouches’ because sometimes I am a bit of a numpty and forget important things, so hopefully a little gift of a pouch will make up for that 🙂

A couple of little announcements while I’m here.  Save the Date for the 2019 Stitch Gathering! Our 7th annual retreat – can you believe it?!!  Sign up to our newsletter for more info. Tickets available to buy in April.

I am also linking up this month with the first of a new monthly linky party (watch out for auto-correct if you type this on your phone ;)), Mini Archie’s Furtle Around the Blogosphere.

The lovely Helen and her alter ego Mini Archie have decided it’s time to give our blogs, and bloggers, a bit of love.  They have resurrected Lynne’s (Lily’s Quilts) Fresh Sewing Day under a new name and are encouraging folks to dust off their old blogs, start a new blog or just stop to appreciate those of us (ahem) who never stopped blogging. So write a post and link-up over at Archie the Wonder Dog’s Monthly Furtle. Read all about it here.