Summer Swap Show & Tell

Our summer swap was a great success. We've been making tote bags for each other and it's been tons of fun watching the photos appear on Flickr and Instagram and the happy thank you messages showing how generous our group has been with time spent on making and adding in some fun extras too!

Thanks everyone who took part, all bags have been shipped and I am delighted  we had such a great swap!  Remember send in your ideas for our annual Christmas swap which will be announced after Halloween!

In the meantime, hope everyone enjoys their tote bags (I'm using mine already!).  Thank you all who took part and made this an easy going, creative and successful swap!
-Ruth

Book Reviews

Morning all, I'm looking for book reviews!  Would you like to share a favourite quilting book or a new purchase you think is well worth a read?  Let's share some recommendations!

If you could pull a book from your shelf, snap a quick photo of the cover if you can (optional!) and send me a reply to this or leave a comment below on the blog with a line or two of why you like this book and why you think we should click to purchase, that would be great!  We'd love to know what inspires you guys and share the inspiration between us!

A book I keep picking up and leafing through is Quilting with a Modern Slant.  It is a mix of quilters and projects focusing on different aspects of Modern Quilting like improv, color, or scale and is a really fun read. 

Hand Quilted with Love by Sarah Fielke is another book I keep picking up.  I've not made anything from it but it is a really pretty book and I keep reaching for it on the bookshelf! One of these days I'm going to make this giant star but scrappy in all colours and a low volume background!

Whats on your wish list to make?
-Ruth

Modern Irish Bee September Block for Louise

Hello fellow Bees!

My name is Louise and I live in Limerick with my husband and two children. I am originally from Dublin but followed my man to Limerick in 2003 and have stayed ever since.

I met Ruth at my first Mid-West IPS meeting and she introduced me to the MQI. That was the beginning of 2014, where I had only sewn curtains and cushions previously but now I am happily branching out to patchwork and quilting.

I have chosen “the wheel of time” block for September, which I came across on Pinterest in multiple colours (thanks Ruth for putting a name on it for me!!).

I would prefer my blocks to use medium/steel grey as the base colour with one 12.5” block in grey and aquas and the second 12.5” block in grey and oranges. This is the selection that I picked.

The blocks are made up using half square triangles and I used Ruth’s cheat sheet to make 4 HST quickly.

Requirements:
8 no. 5 ¾” Medium/Steel Grey squares
4 different 5 ¾” Aqua squares
4 different 5 ¾” oranges

Method:
Place one grey square and one aqua square right sides facing and sew ¼” all the way around the outside edge

 
· Cut the square on the diagonal to make 4 HST

· Press the seams open
· Repeat for the remaining 3 aqua and grey squares
UPDATE:  Remember to trim the blocks to 3 1/2" square before sewing together for a 12 1/2" finished block
· Place the HSTs in the block layout and sew together

· Repeat the same process for the grey and orange block
· Both blocks should be 12 ½” square.

Reminder!

Morning Modern Quilters!  Just a quick reminder to post your summer swap items and add a photo to our Flickr group and Instagram if you like #mqisummerswap #modernquiltersireland

This is on the way partner!

I can't wait to see your tote bags and do a round up Show and Tell post for everyone! 

For those that missed out we will be having our annual Christmas swap in November, swap suggestions welcome - please tell us what you would like to do this year (mug rugs, place mats, wall hanging etc.) 

If you get the chance keep an eye out for British Patchwork & Quilting.  I picked up the last copy in Easons in Limerick.  Nikki Foley has written about our first National Quilting Week in Ireland and we are in it! 

Our first exhibition in St. Patrick's Hospital in Dublin was a great success and pictured are those that attended the opening.  If you missed the exhibition check out this post and follow the links to our Flickr page and to Cindy's blog where she shared her opening speech.  It was a brilliant day and great to get to put names to real faces!

Our September Bee block will follow shortly!
-Ruth

How do you manage your scraps?

I think my scrap stash is getting out of hand. I needed to empty my scrap bag as a project I was working on called for some white scrap pieces. I knew I had 'some' white pieces but I didn't think I had lots of them. As I sat on the floor going through my scraps I realised I could make some really cool quilts with the combos I accidentally happened to have now from years of making different quilts with different fabrics. The only problem with scrap though is that they are all different sized pieces and can take a really long time to cut your fabrics to useable sizes or specific sizes.

Another thing you need to factor in are the amount of UFO's most quilters have at any given time. First the quilter needs to finish these before they can even think about starting a scrap quilt. I now have a large black refuge bag full of different size scraps.

I have decided to start collecting my scrap into sized pieces. I loved Erins June Bee block for being able to use up similar toned fabrics and Angelas April block for making an easy secondary design. I know I am definitely going to make a few string quilts anyway as they really are a great way of using up your scrap. I don't think I would have the patience for a postage stamp quilt, although I can certainly appreciate that is is a great way of using up all your smaller scraps.

Can you think of any other easy cool modern quilt patterns that lend themselves well to small scrap pieces?

I know I could get quite a few improvisational quilt patterns going too which is a great way to get the creative juices flowing although I have been known to spend a few hours on an improv piece only to look at it and laugh and ask what I was thinking! I don't mind doing these things though even if they are a waste of time because sometimes if you are lucky they can become something wonderful.

My only downside to hoarding scrap fabrics is that I am not a hoarder. A quilter that is not a hoarder! I hear you say. I like to 'collect' fabric, but neat bundles, and collections and precut's of fabrics not a big messy blob of scraps that look awful. I have certain fabric which I'm sure some of us can confess to that I am just not willing to ever cut because it's just too pretty. My big black sack of scrap is not pretty to look at and it makes me feel cluttered but the truth is every quilter has to have a bag of scrap. It is a must have, much like our rotary cutter. I just wish it only took up as much room as my rotary cutter did.

-Liz

Giveaway Winners

A little later than scheduled but......... drumroll please......

Mr random number generator picked the winner of the YouPatch pattern:

Congratulations Cheeky Monkey. I'll send you an email with details of your prize.


We went old school for the Kona tote bag winner. In the absence of Stokes Kennedy Crowley the results were adjudicated and independently verified by the teenager.  Congratulations Anna- you were the first name drawn!!

I wish we had more prizes to give away- turns out having raffle draws are an excellent summer holiday activity. 

Modern Irish Bee - August blocks for Helen!

Hasn't this come around quickly? In the blink of an eye it is my turn to be Queen of Sheba, sorry Queen Bee. This is the end of July as I write this,  and of course it is raining, pouring and we are all on holidays. And what do we do we do on holidays.....?

Sun, sea and ............. take photos of course.

remember the old brownie box cameras?

Years ago the camera was saved up for high days and holidays, now we all have I phones or smart phones and this is the year of the selfie. Or maybe it was last year, I avoid selfies, I seem to age 10 years and gain 5 stone, or age 5 years and gain 10 stone in a selfie.

  In any case I want photos to be the bee square of my choice. Polaroid photos, or I phone photos if you prefer.

my finished 12.5" block

I've been wanting this for a while, and hoping no one else jumped in.

I messaged @bossyoz having admiring her polaroid squares on instagram.  She had made her squares as part of her scandibee and contacted her Queen Bee Sigrun. Sigrun gave permission for me to attach her word document and link to the tutorial she used. This is the link to the tutorial she, and now I followed from Capitola Quilter. (unfortunately I can't link up Sigrun's word document, but thank you Sigrun). You might find it easier to follow that tutorial than my interpretation. The group have a very active flickr group, follow this link to check out their photos for inspiration. You can also check them out on instagram #scandibee

Firstly a few guidelines.

I would like you to make me 2 squares, each 12.5", that is 12" square plus seam allowances.
I would like the background to be a solid kona type fabric. I don't mind what colour, feel free to mix the colour background as long as they are from the same base colour, ie light pink, mid pink etc.

I don't mind how many photos are in each 12.5" square, you can have 1 large photo, 4, or 9 as I have. I know time is short and precious, I don't expect you to make 9 photo squares, just because I did. It was just my fabrics lent toward that.

The photos can be straight or tilted, slightly up or slightly down in position
The actual photo can be a square polaroid shape or an oblong shape like an I phone. Just remember to keep the bottom deeper than the sides and top.

The photos can be of anything. Mine are themed. Yours can be whatever you want, themed or random. An animal, a household object or even an abstract concept. Whatever you want. The more variety the better.

I would like you to sign the bottom of one of your photos, either stitch or write your name

Now, the method

these instructions are for 9 photos in a square

cut 9 x 2.5" fussy cut, that means a 2.5" square cut so that the design is the focus, centred and hopefully in its entirety.

how to and how not to fussy cut

cut 1" white strip, wof (width of fabric) or scraps for the sides and top
cut 1.5" white strip, wof for the bottom


as Jesse J sings, everybody move to the left - chain sew the left side of  the 2.5" squares to the 1" strip of fabric, scissor cut and press to the dark side
as Jesse J sings, everybody move to the right - chain sew the right hand side of the 2.5" squares to the 1" strip, scissor cut and press to the dark side.

chain sew a 1" strip to the tops of the squares, trim and press as before
chain sew a 1.5" strip to the bottom of the squares, trim and press to the dark side

your squares should now measure roughly 3.5" by 4". Now we trim them to a width of 3" and a depth of 3.5". I used the 1.5" point on the ruler to line up with the middle of the fussy cut. Measure the depth remembering to keep the bottom white bit the deepest. As long as the overall dimensions are the same, and the bottom is the deepest, the photos don't have to be uniformly centred. Remember variety is good. Why do we trim so much fabric off? We want to keep the white crisp and narrow and it is easier to stitch a broader piece of fabric and trim down then stitch a narrow piece.

Now we move on to the fun bit. (?) We need to add the background. This is where it all becomes a bit looser and more free expression, and maybe a little confusing. We want this white squarish piece of fabric to end up as a 4.5" square, so we make it bigger to 5" x 5.5" by adding borders and then trim down to the required size.  This is to give us enough fabric to allow us to tilt it whilst keeping the white corners. Or to place it high up, or low down, whatever takes your fancy. If you have loads of solid  and want to tilt, then use 2.5" borders, if you are keeping yours straight and are a careful cutter or are feeling parsimonious then you can use 2" borders.

So, cut your borders and sew on the sides first, then the top and bottom. A word of warning. I used a fq and chain sewed all the sides, I quickly realised I wasn't going to have enough fabric, so a little creative unpicking, cutting and sewing was needed. Those with skimpier borders became the "vanilla" squares, the straight up and down evenly centred squares. Those with more generous borders were tilted, and those without any borders were sewn with a deeper pink border.

To tilt the square, I found the best way was to use a square ruler. Make sure the white border is all enclosed in the square. Cut the first angle, then leave the fabric where it is and turn the board to cut the other sides. If you do inadvertently trim off a white corner, don't worry, use it anyway.

When you have trimmed your 9 squares down to 4.5" squares, sew them in 3 rows of 3. Then attach the middle row to the top row and third row on the bottom. Just try and butt up the seams where it seems appropriate.

C'est Finis. Now you have a square which hopefully measures around 12.5"
If you have any hair left on your head and are feeling generous, it would be fantastic if you could send me an extra fussy cut. I can make these into photo squares to create a fantastic random effect. I'll write your name in the corner of this for you.

If you use 4 photos, I suggest you aim for 4 squares each 6.5", which when sewn together should make 12.5".

My macaroon square has photos of macaroons which were fussy cut smaller at 2" to take advantage of the delicate picture. These still end up at 4.5" square, they just have bigger borders.  In fact, they look more like the old slides that were on the go in the 1970s, I like that too.

I had admired this macaroon fabric when Vivienne of greenrabbitdesigns used it as dress fabric for one of her gorgeous bunnies. Vivienne was kind enough to send me some. I do love macaroons, I've eaten loads this summer.

I'm also working on some Liberty flower squares. I love Liberty fabric, flowers and  gardens.
I'm also sewing some Japanese based photos, I seem to be drawn towards all things Japanese this year.

And what of the Queen of Sheba? Well ............ when I was married 30 years ago, I wanted to walk down the aisle, or walk up the aisle (I was flexible) to the March of The Queen of Sheba by George Friedrich Handel. It was played often in our church as the congregation left. Anyhow, our organist vetoed it, she asked me, who do you think you are? The Queen of Sheba? Apparently I had to remember I was in God's house and walk down the aisle in a humble, modest manner befitting the occasion. No Bridezillas in our church! Now, if I wasn't going to be the centre of attention the day I married, when would I be? Of course I wanted people to look at me, I was the bride! There was no movement on this at all, the Queen of Sheba was no go. So, do this one thing for me. Go listen to the March of the Queen of Sheba on youtube, and come back and tell me how much you like it.

One last thing, my husband says I should mention the most important bit, how he wanders around the house picking up stray threads and bits of fabric. He has a hard life.

Lastly, thank you everybody and I can't wait for the postman to start delivering!

Helen x