Abstract Blocks

I don't often find myself speechless but it happened yesterday when I received a phone call from Grosvenor Shows telling me my Abstract Blocks quilt (seen above)  had won the Theme section of the Great Northern Quilt Show held in Harrogate this weekend, opening this morning. The news took me completely unawares as there was so much else going on yesterday and I was expecting the call to be from a lost courier.

Not only was it wonderful to hear in itself but it also involves winning a sewing machine! All very exciting.

The theme for this year's show was: Row by Row and as you can see the quilt very neatly fits in there. It started life as separate 6" blocks originally started as a online project organized by the Make Modern Australian magazine that asks us to make these self-designed modern blocks. I think I made about 3 for that but enjoyed making these little quiltlets so much that I decided to keep going.

All the blocks are designed by me and made in a modern way. The backgrounds are machine quilted and then the shapes are raw edge appliquéd onto it using Bondaweb. I added hand stitching and beading with size 11 seed beads as shown in these detailed pictures.

 Originally I planned to make 100 but forgot in my enthusiasm that the blocks would require empty space around them to show them off to their best and had I continued with that plan my quilt would have become massive and also very heavy indeed. So common sense eventually prevailed and the quilt uses 30 blocks in total. There are a few left-overs but that's okay. I think the best ones made it into the quilt. They were machine sewn onto a machine quilted background as you see at the top of this post. It's not the best picture ever as I remember it was taken on a very windy day this spring and I had been planning to re-picture it on a better day but somehow the opportunity never seemed to come along during this summer.

The quilt has done me proud anyway and I'm over the moon (probably several planets too!).

MiniMini Quilt 36

This time I got my skates on and made another little mini mini (6" square) quilt quite soon after the last one. It's time to get this project back on track and I also bought the background for the larger project these small quilts will become a part off. It's a way of forcing me to get it done! You can see all the previous one by clicking on the Mini Mini tag below this post.

Like all the previous quilts in this series the background is machine quilted, there is raw edge applique with hand stitching, and embellishing wih size 11 seed beads. And this one, like the last one, features ovals, rahter appropriately as it has just been Easter.

MiniMini 35

It has been longer than I can remembered since I last made and shared one of my minimini quilts with you. They are all sized 6" (or 15cm) square and are made in the style of modern quilting. They will all be put together into one large piece of work one of these days and I'm wrestling with the question of how large I want that finished project to be. But I know that I still need more blocks so I have picked up the fabrics I use for these pieces again and produced this latest oval version.

Like all the previous ones this one too has been machine quilted, raw edge appliquéd with hand stitching and hand beaded with size 11 seed beads.

MiniMini 34

The progress on my MiniMini quilts is painfully slow. But slow progress is better than no progress at all so I'm trying not to mind. This is number 34 and at the moment I haven't quite decided how many more I need but definitely more than 34!

All these quiltlets are 6" (or 15cm) square and will be put together eventually into a larger piece of work. This one is machine quilted, raw edge appliqued with hand stitching, and hand beaded with size 11 seed beads. It is further embellished with a button.

I always photograph them against other things so you can see the scale of the work (see top picture). Seeing the picture I might decide to do some dusting today!

Minimini 33

It's high time for another minimini quilt and this one is number 33. If you're an avid follower of this blog it might look familiar to you because it has exactly the same pattern as no. 31; only the colours I used are different.

I was aiming to make 100 of these but I am rethinking this as it has proved to be impossible to find more plain fabrics in exactly the same colours as I have been using. Also having 100 of them on a background will result in an enormous quilt and I am steering clear of these more and more. For a start they are too large to hang in the house and shipping them incurs considerable expense. So I'm carrying on but will probably call a halt at 7 x 7 i.e. 49 of them or perhaps 8 x 8 i.e. 64.

Like all the previous minis this one is machine quilted, raw edge appliquéd with hand stitching, hand beaded with size 11 seed beads. The finishing touch was the modern pink button.

Progress on the whole (as far as textile work is concerned, my painting is much more productive!) has slowed down to a trickle as other jobs (working on our house) have to take priority. I am learning to be okay with that. Some time ago I advised a friend to take a sabbatical and over the intervening time it has dawned on me that I should take notice of the words coming out of my mouth (or as in this case the words I type on my keyboard). A sabbatical is sounding more and more like a good idea.

At the moment I'm trying to make a master plan for the future i.e. next year. Not sure what will change but I know some things will have to, as I want to spend more time offline, walking the dog, taking photographs and reading without the relentless pressure of having to produce new textile work non-stop.

Minimini 32

The project of making 100 small minimini quiltlets is going slowly but hopefully steadily onwards. You probably know it already but for new readers this is the plan. I'm aiming to make 100 of these small (6" or 15cm square) pieces and then put them together into one piece of work.

The original start of this project was instigated by a challenge on Instagram by the Australian magazine Make Modern and I enjoyed making these small pieces so much that I just kept on going.

All of them are machine quilted, raw edge appliqued with hand stitching and beaded with size 11 seed beads.

minimini 31

These minimini (6 x 6" or 15 cm square) quilts are another example of small projects that can be fitted in whenever there is a spare moment. I am steadily making them but uploading them here takes a bit longer. This is no. 31. I am hoping to make 100 in due course and put them together into one large piece of work.

They were originally started (at least the first 6) as part of an Instagram challenge by the Make Modern magazine and I enjoyed them so much that I have simple continued.

All of them are machine quilted, raw edge appliquéd and hand beaded. This one also has a modern button.

To show the scale I have nestled this one in among a gunnera leaf.

Minimini 30

Work on the miniminis hasn't come to a stop but I'm having a hard time uploading them in among all the other things that find their way onto this blog. This is number 30. As you probably know by now I started to make these 6" (or 15cm) square quiltlets after an Instagram challenge by the Australian magazine Make Modern and enjoyed it so much that I have kept on going and am aiming to make it 100. Once I get there they will be put together into one large piece of work.

To show you the scale the photograph was taken in among our dahlias who are putting on a gorgeous show at the moment.

Like all the other ones this one is machine quilted, raw edge appliquéd with hand stitching and hand beaded, in the style of the modern quilt movement.

Minimini 29

Here is the latest minimini (6" or 15cm square) quilt. I started making these after an Instagram challenge on the Make Modern magazine and enjoyed them so much that I decided to keep going. The plan is to make 100 in total and then put them together into one large piece of work but I might have to revisit that idea, mainly because of problems of getting plain fabrics in just the right colours. Finding them online has proved problematic as the colours on computer screens are never a true representation of that colour in real life. However I will keep looking when I go to shows and quilt shops, and have a little book of samples of the colours in my handbag. Fingers crossed.

This one, like the others, is machine quilted, raw edge appliquéd with hand stitching, and hand beaded.

MiniMini28

It has been a shockingly long time since I last shared one of these minimini quilts with you. Other projects and events got in the way and it's high time I got on with these. On the other hands I promised myself not to stress out about this project and I'm trying very hard to stick to this resolution. As you may remember I am aiming to make 100 of these small 6" (15cm) square mini quilts and then I will put them together into one large piece of work. You can see the scale of it in the above picture.

I started making them for a challenge by the Make Modern magazine and enjoyed them so much that I have just kept going.

This one has been machine quilted, raw edge appliquéd with hand stitching, beaded and a button has been added in the centre as embellishment.

Minimini 27

My latest minimini quilt is number 27 already, only 73 more to go!!! Still it is progress, albeit slowly. These finished small (6" or 15cm square) quiltlets were originally inspired by a project on Instagram by the Make Modern magazine. I enjoyed it so much that I decided to keep on going, make 100 and them put them together into one piece of work. As you can see that moment is still some time away.

All the little minimini quilts are also examples of what modern quilting looks like. They are machine quilted, raw edge appliquéd with hand stitching, and hand beaded with size 11 seed beads.

MiniMini 26

This is the latest minimini quilt, sized 6" or 15cm square, photographed above in among the clutter, oh no oops, I mean the collections, to show the scale. It also demonstrates I'm not the only hoarder who lives here! I am however the one who has started the culling process. Before putting things back in the old cottage rooms which are now almost done (apart from the decorating) I'm going through everything and so far most of it has been disposed off, either to charity shops or sold. I'm feeling quite proud of myself but there is still a long way to go. 

As you will probably know by now these mini modern quiltlets were started during an Instagram challenge by the Make Modern magazine. I enjoyed making them so much that in a rash moment decided to make 100 and put them together onto one large piece of work.

Like all previous minis this one is machine quilted, raw edge appliquéd with hand stitching, and hand beaded.

Minimini 25

This is the latest minimini quilt I'm sharing here. Production has slowed down significantly due to the Flora effect! But there is no rush and I'm now one quarter of the way done. I'm hoping to make 100 of these small (6" or 15cm square) beauties and then put them together into one large quilt.

I originally started making these as part of a minimini challenge on Instagram set by the Make Modern magazine and enjoyed the process so much that I have kept going. Hopefully the speed of production will pick up a bit but there is a lot else to get on with too, so I'm not holding my breath.

This one is machine quilted, raw edge appliquéd with hand stitching, and hand beaded with size 11 seed beads.

MiniMini 24

High time to show you another minimini piece (sized 6" or 15 cm square) in my series of 100 of them. Once they are all done they will become part of one large piece of work. You can find all the other ones thus far by clicking on the minimini label in the sidebar or below this post.

I have photographed it on one of the shelves in my studio today and the art you can see on the right hand side there is by Tristan Robin Blakeman

No. 24 is like the others machine quilted, raw edge appliquéd with hand stitching and hand beaded.

Minimini 23

Here is my latest minimini (6" square or 15 cm) quilt. I started making these as part of a challenge on Instagram for the Make Modern magazine and enjoyed it so much that the decision was made to keep on going and make 100. They will then become part of one large piece but that time is still far in the future.

This one is machine quilted, raw edge appliquéd with hand stitching and hand beaded with size 11 seed beads.

Minimini 22

It's still hard to find places in the garden to show you the scale of these small mini quilts (sized 6" or 15 cm square) so I retreated to the summer house to take these pictures. There are many shelves there where all the treasures we have failed to find room for in the house are steadily migrating.

As I have mentioned I started making these small pieces for a challenge set by the Make Modern Magazine on Instagram and enjoyed it so much that I kept on going after that finished, in the hope of making 100 in total and then combining them into one large piece. It's a project I'm fitting in around other ones and I'm not going to rush this so who knows when I will get to 100. It's the making of them that gives me pleasure.

Number 22 is like the other ones machine quilted, raw edge appliquéd with hand stitching and hand beaded.

MiniMini 21

If you are a regular reader you know the score by now regarding these mini (6" or 15 cm square) quilts. I am aiming to make 100 and then appliqué them onto a large piece of work. Sadly I can't show you the scale by outdoor photography so this one is pictured in my studio.

The piece is machine quilted, raw edge appliquéd with hand stitching and hand beaded with size 11 seed beads. Only another 79 to go!

However at the moment I am faced with a clean slate. All my larger work that has been in the pipeline for ages has suddenly all been done much to my own surprise, and this project is the only one I'm working on just now. I can't see myself only doing these for the foreseeable future and have in fact got some ideas for new work in my head already but while those are brewing I'll fit in making more of these small pieces.

I should also make a start on that background to put them all on,  but the boredom of endless straight machine stitching is more than I can face for now. My excuse is that I need to buy both fabric and lots of threads before work can begin.