Jen's Quilts

This year I thought I would take on a quilting challenge, so I signed up for Aves , a Block of the Week quilt by Kathryn Kerr of Green Avenue Quilts . Every Sunday starting 21 January 2018, I receive the instructions to complete one block for the quilt. The plan is to complete the current block before the next one is released. Week 45 - The final week This is it. The last week. Four more 3 1/2" blocks, and the final assembly. No issues with the four blocks, just some half square triangles sewn together. Fun to do all the same. Now to sew all the leftover blocks and pieces together, and add them to the main quilt. Did I ever mention how or why I signed up for this at the beginning of the year? Last Christmas break I didn't get up to much. I pottered around the house and spent some time on the internet googling. I found lots of ideas for quilting projects - some of which I am still planning to do - and also thought it would be fun to do a block of the month or ...

This year I thought I would take on a quilting challenge, so I signed up for Aves , a Block of the Week quilt by Kathryn Kerr of Green Avenue Quilts . Every Sunday starting 21 January 2018, I receive the instructions to complete one block for the quilt. The plan is to complete the current block before the next one is released. Week 44 Almost there... Four corner blocks to make this week.  The last of the 6 1/2" blocks, but not the last of the blocks entirely - that is next week. A fairly simple design this week, but that didn't stop me from buggering it up right near the end by not following the pattern close enough.  And having to spend time in front of the TV unpicking.  Oh well.  I got there in the end, and it is a nice little block. Times 4. Being the second last week, it was time for the second last assembly.  I gathered up all the other 6 1/2" blocks I had, and some of the 3 1/2' blocks too.  It didn't take long to put them togeth...

This year I thought I would take on a quilting challenge, so I signed up for Aves , a Block of the Week quilt by Kathryn Kerr of Green Avenue Quilts . Every Sunday starting 21 January 2018, I receive the instructions to complete one block for the quilt. The plan is to complete the current block before the next one is released. Week 42 and 43 Still being behind due to holidays, I pressed on.  Both week 42 and 43 required printing at work, and for once I remembered to do that well ahead of time. Week 42 involved foundation piecing, my new favourite.  And with nothing but foundation piecing and straight lines, this was completed with no issues. Week 43, on the other hand, was a different story.  There were templates to cut out and the instructions mentioned hand piecing.  Nah.  Not my style.  I machine sewed the silly, tiny pieces together.  It has meant that the resulting block isn't quite as 'curvy' as it is supposed to be, but oh well....

This year I thought I would take on a quilting challenge, so I signed up for Aves , a Block of the Week quilt by Kathryn Kerr of Green Avenue Quilts . Every Sunday starting 21 January 2018, I receive the instructions to complete one block for the quilt. The plan is to complete the current block before the next one is released. Week 40 and 41 No time for rest, being weeks behind.  I took a sneak peak at the instructions for week 44 which just released - I have a lot to catch up on.  Weeks 40 through 43 are 6" finished blocks, so we'll see how it goes.   I decided to do week 40 and 41 in parallel.  Cut stuff, sew stuff, iron stuff, repeat.  The first block was nice and straightforward. Quarter inch triangles, squares and rectangles. Easy and neat. The second block, on the other hand, was trickier. I even had to read the instructions on occasion, rather than just looking at the pictures. But surprisingly, it worked out, and is also practically the r...

This year I thought I would take on a quilting challenge, so I signed up for Aves , a Block of the Week quilt by Kathryn Kerr of Green Avenue Quilts . Every Sunday starting 21 January 2018, I receive the instructions to complete one block for the quilt. The plan is to complete the current block before the next one is released. Week 39 Not sure if anyone actually looks at this thing, but just in case, apologies for the delay. It has taken five weeks to complete the week 39 block and assembly instructions. I took a three week holiday to South America, and it wasn't possible to get all this done before I left, and it also wasn't possible to fit my sewing machine in my duffel bag. Anyway, for week 39 I needed to make eight 3 1/2" blocks. Some of the pieces were tiny and/or of crazy size. I only managed to to complete one block before I left, so the other seven were waiting to be done the week after I got back. It isn't my favourite design, but it'll do. ...

This year I thought I would take on a quilting challenge, so I signed up for Aves , a Block of the Week quilt by Kathryn Kerr of Green Avenue Quilts . Every Sunday starting 21 January 2018, I receive the instructions to complete one block for the quilt. The plan is to complete the current block before the next one is released. Week 38 Of all the new tips and tricks I have learned so far while doing this quilt, foundation piecing is my favourite.  Good thing too, considering what happened this week. Instructions were given for foundation piecing an interesting 6" finished block.  I cut out everything on the Sunday, and after work on Monday I took the print outs and soon had the foundation piecing done.  All that was left was to join all the bits together to make the final block. But then... While on my way to work on Tuesday, I received a 'corrections' email.  Apparently we had been given the wrong size foundation templates, and the finished block ...

This year I thought I would take on a quilting challenge, so I signed up for Aves , a Block of the Week quilt by Kathryn Kerr of Green Avenue Quilts . Every Sunday starting 21 January 2018, I receive the instructions to complete one block for the quilt. The plan is to complete the current block before the next one is released. Week 37 Nothing too tricky this week.  Just fiddly small pieces as usual.  This time it was eight 3 1/2" blocks to continue the light section around the dark middle.  it was so straightforward that I managed to get it all done Sunday afternoon.  I also managed to finish watching a series on Netflix at the same time. The only thing wrong with finishing up the blocks so soon was that I was at a bit of a loose end the rest of the week.  Perhaps I need to pull out another cross stitch...

This year I thought I would take on a quilting challenge, so I signed up for Aves , a Block of the Week quilt by Kathryn Kerr of Green Avenue Quilts . Every Sunday starting 21 January 2018, I receive the instructions to complete one block for the quilt. The plan is to complete the current block before the next one is released. Week 36 Being a long weekend, I headed out on a day trip to New Norcia on Sunday.  It was a great day for a drive.  While relaxing at the New Norcia Hotel, I checked out the block for the week.  Just the one this time, but a little tricky. I got stated Monday evening, working on the diamonds, and I did a little more on Tuesday, but then it sat there unfinished but almost done until Saturday.  I worked late most days for the rest of the week, and just didn't feel like sewing. But Saturday I completed it.  It is not my best effort.  It is a little wonky and I lost a diamond point or two, but it will do.  Hopefully you won...

This year I thought I would take on a quilting challenge, so I signed up for Aves , a Block of the Week quilt by Kathryn Kerr of Green Avenue Quilts . Every Sunday starting 21 January 2018, I receive the instructions to complete one block for the quilt. The plan is to complete the current block before the next one is released. Week 35 After last week's less than exciting applique, I was very happy to get a straightforward block.  Blocks, actually.  Four 3 1/2" squares, of a manageable design.  I zipped through these easy enough on Sunday afternoon. But that wasn't all.  I also had the next set of assembly instructions, and pulled out the other light 3 1/2" blocks I've done recently.  I zipped through them on Monday night. And then the exciting part - adding them to the quilt. I am quite excited that the diamond shape in the pattern is now visible.  The quilt is now almost as wide as it is going to get.  Only the border parts tha...

This year I thought I would take on a quilting challenge, so I signed up for Aves , a Block of the Week quilt by Kathryn Kerr of Green Avenue Quilts . Every Sunday starting 21 January 2018, I receive the instructions to complete one block for the quilt. The plan is to complete the current block before the next one is released. Week 34 All I have been wanting to do is finish the baby quilt, before the child becomes an adult.  So over Saturday and Sunday, that is what I did.  But then to binding.  I decided to add a bit of a border as an afterthought, using some leftover fabric I had, but I didn't have enough of anything I could use for binding except white, and I was not going to put a white binding on a quilt for a baby. At grandma's for dinner on Tuesday, I showed off what I had done so far, and we then started digging around grandma's stash for possible binding.  Mum came up with a scrap of purple that would work, and my rough calculations figured there...

This year I thought I would take on a quilting challenge, so I signed up for Aves , a Block of the Week quilt by Kathryn Kerr of Green Avenue Quilts . Every Sunday starting 21 January 2018, I receive the instructions to complete one block for the quilt. The plan is to complete the current block before the next one is released. Week 33 After four days hiking, I was looking forward to sitting.  My legs, feet, knees, shoulders etc needed a rest.  So I was more than happy to get started on this on Sunday.  I had pretty much everything cut out before I headed off to see family for Father's Day, so when I returned I could get started on the seams.   Nothing tricky this week.  Eight 3 1/2" blocks, made of  1 1/2" squares or quarter square triangles.  A lot of fiddly pieces though.  A handful of seams each evening meant I was done by Wednesday evening.  And they are pretty spot on for size too. I'm hoping to get a chance to do more ...

This year I thought I would take on a quilting challenge, so I signed up for Aves , a Block of the Week quilt by Kathryn Kerr of Green Avenue Quilts . Every Sunday starting 21 January 2018, I receive the instructions to complete one block for the quilt. The plan is to complete the current block before the next one is released. Week 30 I finally had a chance to get back to the baby quilt on Saturday evening.  I finished quilting the coloured squares in purple thread but decided it wasn't enough.  So I've now started quilting the lighter rectangles. Here is a preview for anyone playing along at home: When the new block was released on Sunday, I was pleasantly surprised to find a single, 6 1/2 " block.  Wow.  I was out most of the day, but when I returned in the evening, I had it cut out, and then started to put it together.  I decided to call it quits that night even though I only had two seams to go. I managed to sneak one of them...

This year I thought I would take on a quilting challenge, so I signed up for Aves , a Block of the Week quilt by Kathryn Kerr of Green Avenue Quilts . Every Sunday starting 21 January 2018, I receive the instructions to complete one block for the quilt. The plan is to complete the current block before the next one is released. Week 30 Simpler this week?  Well...  I have another eight blocks to make, but they are at least a little smaller, being 3 1/2" blocks.  They are also constructed of flying geese, and I have done plenty of those so far for this quilt.  So really not much to report this week. Just some cutting, pinning, sewing, ironing, cutting, pinning, sewing, ironing, trimming, pinning, sewing, ironing, pinning, sewing, ironing, pinning, sewing, ironing, typing, photo, typing. It is nice using some different colours, now that we are working on the outer part of the quilt.  And now that this week is done, I can spend Saturday working on the b...

This year I thought I would take on a quilting challenge, so I signed up for Aves , a Block of the Week quilt by Kathryn Kerr of Green Avenue Quilts . Every Sunday starting 21 January 2018, I receive the instructions to complete one block for the quilt. The plan is to complete the current block before the next one is released. Week 30 If this is week 30, then I have 15 weeks to go. And I'll be overseas for three of them, so I guess I won't be finishing on schedule. After last week's big border construction, I was really hoping for an easy week, and simple 6 1/2" block. I was half right. It was a 6 1/2" block, but I had to make eight of them. With a lot to do last week, I got started on this late. it was nothing technical, but there was just so much of it. I had 32 sub-blocks involving covered corners and 64 foundation pieced sub-blocks to make. Its a good thing there has been a lot of tv to watch while I sit and cut and pin and iron, while intermitten...

This year I thought I would take on a quilting challenge, so I signed up for Aves , a Block of the Week quilt by Kathryn Kerr of Green Avenue Quilts . Every Sunday starting 21 January 2018, I receive the instructions to complete one block for the quilt. The plan is to complete the current block before the next one is released. Week 29 After the huge amount of assembly last week, I was looking forward to something a little simpler.  It was not to be.  This week it was time to start on the border.  The instructions said we were getting these blocks now so that we could spend a few weeks working on them.  But I didn't sign up for a block over then next few weeks or so.  I signed up for a block of the week. There was nothing complicated about this week, but it was a lot of work.  As usual, I used the fast flying geese method to put the pieces together - there is less cutting out initially, and the pieces are bigger too.  But they seemed never ending...

This year I thought I would take on a quilting challenge, so I signed up for Aves , a Block of the Week quilt by Kathryn Kerr of Green Avenue Quilts . Every Sunday starting 21 January 2018, I receive the instructions to complete one block for the quilt. The plan is to complete the current block before the next one is released. Week 28 This week we received some very exciting but huge instructions - we would be sewing together almost every block made so far. Still not feeling too well, I decided to start by laying out all the blocks I needed.  This is where I encountered my first problem - I didn't have enough blocks.  I needed 8 small stripey blocks, but I had used all the ones I'd made.  I checked the instructions from weeks ago - it said to make 20, and I'd used all 20 in different parts of the quilt already.  I then cross checked all those blocks, and I used them all in the right place.  I had to conclude that the instructions were incorrect and I shou...

This year I thought I would take on a quilting challenge, so I signed up for Aves , a Block of the Week quilt by Kathryn Kerr of Green Avenue Quilts . Every Sunday starting 21 January 2018, I receive the instructions to complete one block for the quilt. The plan is to complete the current block before the next one is released. Week 27 I was initially delighted to see the next block - a drunkard's path variation.  I haven't done that block type in a while.  However, when I looked closer, I realised it was four 3 1/2" blocks.  Small but not impossible.  But then I saw the construction method, and I decided to completely ignore it and make my own template.  What the instructions wanted me to do was applique a circle onto a square, and then cut it into quarters to make the individual drunkard's path block.  Nah. Instead, I went and found a generic drunkard's path pattern, rescaled it so that the long piece had a 2" edge (I'd need four to make each 3 1/2...

This year I thought I would take on a quilting challenge, so I signed up for Aves , a Block of the Week quilt by Kathryn Kerr of Green Avenue Quilts . Every Sunday starting 21 January 2018, I receive the instructions to complete one block for the quilt. The plan is to complete the current block before the next one is released. Week 26 I was down south when the week's block was released, and it looked like there would be a bit to do - eight 3 1/2 " blocks of two different types, and some more quilt assembly. The first block involved circles and required two types of applique.  No thanks.  I took the machine piecing option to set a circle within a square, and then got out foot #20 to machine applique the smaller circle in the middle.  It'll do. The other block type was easy peasy.  A few half square triangles and the blocks were together. Now for some assembly.  I got to pull out many weeks worth of 6 1/2" blocks and join them to this weeks smaller ...

This year I thought I would take on a quilting challenge, so I signed up for  Aves , a Block of the Week quilt by Kathryn Kerr of  Green Avenue Quilts . Every Sunday starting 21 January 2018, I receive the instructions to complete one block for the quilt. The plan is to complete the current block before the next one is released. Week 25 Yep, another 6 1/2" block this week. Though a fiddly one involving 1 1/4" quarter square triangles. It took a few evenings to cut out and sew together. And it's not perfect but it'll do. I really wanted to have it done before I went away for the weekend, as I wanted to use the dining table for packing, not sewing.

This year I thought I would take on a quilting challenge, so I signed up for Aves , a Block of the Week quilt by Kathryn Kerr of Green Avenue Quilts . Every Sunday starting 21 January 2018, I receive the instructions to complete one block for the quilt. The plan is to complete the current block before the next one is released. Week 24 Another 6 1/2" block this week.  And considering where this takes me on the quilt map (which I haven't shown you) it means there will be another 6 1/2" next week.  Lots more triangles for this one, and I had the choice of doing covered corners, fast flying geese or foundation piecing.  Obviously I packed the technique with 'fast' in the title. It took me a while to get this one done.  There must have been a lot on, or perhaps I was tired.  I think I did a bit here and there most nights, and by Saturday I was only an hour or so to finish up. It is not perfect, but I am happy enough with it.  And it looks prett...

This year I thought I would take on a quilting challenge, so I signed up for Aves , a Block of the Week quilt by Kathryn Kerr of Green Avenue Quilts . Every Sunday starting 21 January 2018, I receive the instructions to complete one block for the quilt. The plan is to complete the current block before the next one is released. Week 23 Another 6 1/2" block this week. And nothing technical - straight lines and foundation piecing. But a nice design. I was able to do everything but the foundation piecing on Sunday evening, and after using the work printer for the paper foundations, the block was together by Monday. No rest for me though... I've cut out all the blocks for a completely different quilt - a disappearing nine patch. I've put together one nine patch so far, and then cut it up again to make the 'disappearing' bit.  I'll need to get a few more to this stage before I sew them back together

This year I thought I would take on a quilting challenge, so I signed up for Aves , a Block of the Week quilt by Kathryn Kerr of Green Avenue Quilts . Every Sunday starting 21 January 2018, I receive the instructions to complete one block for the quilt. The plan is to complete the current block before the next one is released. Week 22 I have spent a lot of time googling jelly roll and fat quarter quilt patterns and watching quilting videos on YouTube over the past few days.  I'd like to make a small quilt for someone in the near future, but nothing complicated - not like this.  I had a look at jelly rolls at the usual shop on the weekend, but there were no colours I liked. Jelly rolls online and elsewhere are just so expensive.  So I have decided to use fat quarters, and I think I have settled on the disappearing nine patch as a nice but not complicated pattern.  So watch this space... I have time to think about such things as I have finished the big rounds....

This year I thought I would take on a quilting challenge, so I signed up for Aves , a Block of the Week quilt by Kathryn Kerr of Green Avenue Quilts . Every Sunday starting 21 January 2018, I receive the instructions to complete one block for the quilt. The plan is to complete the current block before the next one is released. Week 21 With last week being a big round, this week was going to be the circle of triangles.  As it is the fifth time I have done these, I had all the foundation piecing complete within a few days, and the six segments together in no time.  But then I left it until the weekend to press it, trim to size and remove the papers. Ta da! I headed out on Saturday afternoon to do stuff and things, and in the evening pinned the ring and last week's circle (also trimmed) together.  Sunday morning I sewed that last seam to join them together. I quite like this one.  But I am also glad that all the big rounds are now comp...