Psycho Puppy - Finished

With great excitement I finished the quilt on Sunday, 16 August 2009.

On the preceeding Saturday I went to a quilt show, and noticed how all their quilting lines did not show on their completed quilt. This is a problem I've had in the past, where I have been unable to remove all the quilting lines. I was very fortunate that they shared their tips with me. Particularly how to get stubborn marks. I was concerned that I might not be able to get my markings out (eek!).

So on Sunday night I soaked the quilt in cold water to remove the "temporary" quilting lines. Those quilting lines hadn't disappeared for over 2 years! Most disappointingly (but possibly not surprising) they did not come out. So on Monday I soaked the quilt in warm water and Napisan, for about 8 hours. Thankfully all the chalk was removed. Phew. As I used warm water, I knew that there would be some shrinkage of the quilt. Now the quilt has that crinkly antique look - which I LOVE.

Rather than bombard you with images, here is one that shows the front and the back. If you are interested you can see more photos on Webshots.



Currently arranging delivery with the new owner.

Some quick notes about the "design" elements.

• the recipient loves dogs, and has a celtic heritage - so this is what lead the theme
• the centre of the quilt was the original size, but the recipient wanted a larger quilt - the store no longer had the same fabrics, so my step-daughter selected the border fabrics
• black triangles were added to the border, to try and connected the outside with the centre
• black binding was selected to "tie" it all together
  
• hand quilting design was created by myself and is predominantly celtic knots, 2 corners contain intertwined celtic dogs - all designs follow the "celtic rules" of overs and unders
  
• the label on the back is the silhouette of my eldest dog
• the name of this quilt is also a nick name for my eldest dog, it also reflects the loud colours on the quilt front
• quilt started around January 2007 in Titirangi, Waitakere, NZ and completed in Hawkes Bay, NZ

Oh, and if I didn't mention it already - this quilt was hand quilted.

Psycho Puppy

I've been flitting between 2 quilting projects recently. The first being the double wedding ring quilt (see previous post), and the second being a project I started around January 2007.

The second project is a modified nine patch. Here is a photo taken of the quilt back in April 2009.



My goal is to have this quilt completed in September 2009. All that I have left to do is the binding, and a clean :) I am so pleased that all the hand quilting is complete. That was a LOT of work.

The quilt has been named "Psycho Puppy". When we received my first puppy (he was 10 months old), he use to run around like a lunatic. So when he'd have these "moments" we would call him Psycho Puppy. So this quilt honors him, and his old owner who loved him. The label on the back of the quilt is a silhouette of this dogs head. It looks quite sweet.

My little "Psycho Puppy" is now 5 years old, and is like a wise old man. The poor boy has been slowed down by arthritis, but he still has that special twinkle in his eyes.

Double wedding ring quilt (DWR)

... and so it begins.

I have drooled over this pattern for so long. Recently the local craft store had a sale on quilting fabrics, so I thought I would see if I could pull together the fabrics required for a DWR. Having been inspired by reproduction fabric versions, I went for a similar theme.

There is something special to me about this quilt. It evokes very fond memories of my grandmother, and spending time with her. It's like a kiss from the 50's (not that I was around then). Accessories in my bedroom are similar to the purple color at the arc intersection points. So that whole thing co-ordinates nicely.

In the meantime, here's a sneak preview. The finished version will be 7 circles across and down.

WIPs here we come

There are many crafters out there that know this dilemma all too well... it's those "works in progress" (WIPs for short). I've certainly got my share of them. Whether it's the current economic climate, or just plain sensible - I'm going back to those old gems and making my peace with them. Some I have re-purposed, others finished, and some have been given away. It's a wonderful sense of completion to get this area of my life under control.

So onto the goodies.

The baby quilt has gone around the various craft groups I belong to, so that all who have had some input could see the final product. It went to its new home today. Almost 4 weeks after the baby was born. The recipients love it! Whew! They did marvel (in a positive way) that it was completely done by hand.


My crochet ripple lap rug/blanket. A pleasant easy diversion. It meant I could mindlessly do something and feel productive while watching TV. It's finished, and in good time too as it is VERY cold here. Temperatures outside are below freezing most nights. Now I am toasty warm inside.



Another crochet rug/blanket in progress. This one is a twist on the traditional granny square. Makes it a bit more fun and contemporary. Loving this project - nice and easy.

I modified the instructions that I found on Sarah's blog. I found that extra chain stitches were required to make the block more flexible. A different pattern can be found on Attic24's blog, while I didn't use her pattern, I used her technique for joining the blocks.

Reflections on the Mock Cathedral Window Quilt

It's with great excitement that I can now show you the finished quilt.



I have always been captivated by the traditional cathedral window quilts. To be honest I have found a lot of the instructions quite difficult to understand (until I read HIP's instructions). There were 4 things that put me off doing the traditional version:

• all that hand work,
• the heavy weight of the finished product,
• the lack of batting, and
• the amount of fabric required.

If I'm going to put in so much effort on a "quilt" I want it to be cost effective and warm.

So I went looking for "mock" cathedral window quilt tutorials. There are a few out there - this is the version that I settled on (I have written about the method here). The finished result is quite pleasant, and does not involve an excessive amount of time. In fact, I would even suggest it to some as a good beginning quilt.

Now - there are some things that I would do differently. So I'll share those with you too.

If I was going to do this by hand again, and if I had the time - I would do quilting inside the neutral squares. Hand quilting the "wings" down is functional, and has to be done, but wouldn't it be nice to pretty it up with some decorative elements; maybe a simple flower or other motif. That would look gorgeous.

If I was going to do this by machine - which would be a LOT faster. I would sew the edges down with a decorative stitch. That would look very pretty. If I was being exceptionally bold, I might even do the stitching in a contrasting color. Just beautiful.

Anyway, hope the tips help.

Mock cathedral window quilt

Just over a week ago the ladies at my Tuesday night craft group helped me layout all the squares into a pleasant placement. I've been busily hand sewing the squares together. Just 3 more seams to go.

Once it's finished, I'll post an updated picture. Until then - happy quilting.

Mock cathedral window quilt (QAYG tutorial)

I am currently making a mock cathedral window quilt for a neighbour, who is about to have a baby girl. It turned out to be more cost effective than my traditional gift of a crocheted baby blanket. The beauty of this pattern is that it is also a "quilt as you go", as each square is finished there is no need for additional layering or quilting.

So here are the instructions, just in case you want to know how to make one of these.

From cardboard make templates - one circle 8 1/2 inches, and one square 6 inches. Oh - you might want to make a few more templates if the originals become worn. You will use these template when ironing, so make sure the cardboard is sturdy.

From fabric cut circles - they need to be 8 1/2 inches finished - so don't forget to add a good 1/4 in allowance. I didn't have a good tool to make these so I improvised and went into the kitchen to find a round object that was the closest to this size - and side plate did the trick :) I used the same plate to make the cardboard template too.

From fabric and batting - cut 5 3/4 inch squares (yes that is the right mesurement).

With the wrong side of the circle fabric upwards - lightly apply a small amount of spray starch to the edges of the fabric. Lay the circle template over the centre of the circle fabric, and press the edges of the fabric over the template. The spray starch helps "set" the turned edges. Remove the cardboard template.


Lay the square template over the centre of the circle fabric. I usually pin down the four corners first - they define the points nicely, and give me a good guide to make sure that my squares a "true" when joining up the blocks. Press the edges of the fabric over the template.


Remove the square template, then place your piece of batting in the middle, and then place your centre fabric (right side up).


Fold the edges (wings) over, and pin the edges down.



Quilt through all layers. You can do this either on machine or by hand. I did mine by hand and used a running stitch to give it a naive look.


When all your squares are finished, assemble them by using a ladder stitch or whip stitch.

I have finished this quilt; to see the finished product and view my reflections click here.