More postcards

I've been having a clean out and found some half made fabric postcards so I finished them and will probably put them on my Folksy store. I've neglected it recently and feel the need to go back and try again.

They were made with some scraps of blue batik fabric that I had left over from a quilt I made last year.

Block of the Month Quilt

For the last year I have been taking part in a block of the Month challenge at my quilt group, Greenstede Quilters. Having vowed never to make a quilt again, I'm not too sure why I decided to take part but having done so I did enjoy the process although it was more like "six blocks this month to catch up" rather than "block of the month! I had a selection of blue batik fabrics which I bought on a whim at the National patchwork Championship in 2008and had had sitting in a drawer ever since. I just love batik fabrics as I feel they do all the hard work for you and as long as the fabrics go together, you can't really go too wrong.

I have to admit to cheating on a few of the blocks, especially the ones with curves! I did make a Drunkard's Path, even if it was the cheats way by appliqueing circles to a square and then cutting it up. It came out very chunky because of the bondaweb and the size wasn't quite right either (accurate piecing was never my forte). I did have every intention of having another go when I'd got over the first one, but it was never to be. I also ditched the Dresden Fan which I just don't like. The quilting is a mix of free mchine quilting, quilt in the ditch and fancy stiches.

I'm really pleased with the finished result but I have renewed my vow not to make another quilt!

More Journal Quilts

Had a productive few days catching up on more Journal Quilts and have finished June and July.

June's theme was "Decorative Stiches" but as I don't have a huge range on my machine, I only inlcuded a few. I used some fabric I dyed a few weeks ago and went for the yellow and orange to represent the heat wave we were having in June. It now turns out that was our summer!

The July theme was "Thread Painting" so I used my new needle felt machine to felt some dyed felt scraps on to a base of batik fabric and then free machine stitched in matching thread. I then added a'bead soup' to the central area.

Journal Quilt

Earlier this year I signed up for a Journal Quilt challenge on International Friendship Quilters - one a month with a specific technique. Everything went well from January to April then I hit a busy patch and didn't have time for the Journal Quilt, although it was only A4 size!

I've now got the time so I will be catching up on my missed months. The challenge for May was folded fabrics and this was my offering.

I've done various pleats which were twisted and stitched, use a twin needle to give a slight pleat, a piece of fabric chenille and finally praire points. All the fabric was batik which I always feel does the work for you. Now on to June - Decorative Stiches.