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Two new projects




I have been very enthusiastic today. Not only is this my second post of the day, but it is only the 2nd January and I have already started three new projects in 2012. I know, I know - you're supposed to finish a project before you start new ones - I wish I had the self control to only have a few projects on the go at once. But I don't. And it is not one of this year's resolutions.

So my first new project is one that I first blogged about in December, here. It is Quilt Aid. This is 12 blocks, each designed by an Australian designer and sold as kits (the fabric is Ruby from Moda). I got involved because my local quilt shop, the Fat Quarters, is the only UK shop stocking the kits and because they are really pretty. I got four of the twelve blocks as Christmas presents, and it's my birthday soon, so I'm hoping for a few more!

Although I need to buy them all fairly soon, I'm going to work on them as a block of the month. For January I have picked the block by Natalie Bird:
(picture from the Quilt Aid website)

The elephant is raw-edge applique, which I can do already. I'm also comfortable with embroidery. Half inch paper pieced hexagons, which go round the edge, are, however, a little out of my comfort zone.... I've traced the stitchery, prepared the raw edge applique and pieced the block - I love the green "peeped seam".

I don't yet have all the embroidery threads I need, but I do have the grey, so I can get on with the blanket stitch on the elephant.

A lot of the remaining blocks involved needle-turn applique. Hmmm. Definitely out of my comfort zone. I may not have resolved to finish a project before I start another, but I have resolved to learn new techniques! I have also run out of WIP boxes - I found this biscuit tin instead.
The second project of the day was the one I mentioned earlier. I'm not good at keeping secrets, so here it is. This is the Melrose quilt I am working on. Melrose is the range of fabrics from Red Rooster. I have made six of this block, and need to make six of a second block, then they are alternated and a border is added. This (and the chevrons) was the first time I have really pieced on my new machine (pieced in the sense that my quarter inch needs to be a quarter inch) and it's all going really well so far.
I have to go back to work tomorrow. Sad face. So my quilty output will slow over the next few days, but I do have some hand stitching to collapse with at the end of the day. I'm still hand quilting the blocks for my essential sampler quilt and I am about a year behind on the Vignette Mystery Quilt. Plenty to be getting on with.
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