Quilting - Finally

I have finally been at the machine again and in fact now that both quilts have been received I can even show pictures.

This one was for my nieces 6th birthday.  The plan was to give all my nieces and nephews a quilt for their fifth birthday but I got completely confused last year and missed one.  Whoops.  Never mind she has it now and loves it.  It is rather too hot in the UK right now for it to get much use but I am pretty sure it will be used a fair bit in the winter.

The second one is for a gorgeous family who I know online through my mothers group with CT and who have a lovely little girl who is rather sick at the moment.  I made the quilt big enough for at least 2 people at any one time so they know that their friends are thinking of them.

Apologies for the picture quality.  They didn't look as dark on the camera and I am not in the mood to fiddle with them right now.

Jelly Roll Race

One of my online quilting buddies came across this link not long ago and threw out the challenge for us to race each other.

I had a jelly roll of Sew Stichy by Aneela Hooey that I had been eyeing up for a while but not sure what to make with it :)  I also have a niece who is due a quilt.  I missed her 5th birthday so she will be getting it for her 6th birthday in July 2013.

Anyway I signed up.  The idea was to make another 24 hour quilt over Monday 17th & Tuesday 18th December.  However I had far too much to do in this last week to complete a whole quilt in 24 hours.  So I raced but have completed my challenge with the flimsy.  Timing begins after the initial joining of the strips.  I actually did straight joins as I really don't like those pointy bits in my quilt.

It took me over an hour in fact 1 hour 28 mins and I was definitely the slowest of the group BUT in my defence CT gave me very little sleep the night before and I was a little worried about sewing through my fingers.  Yes my level of concentration was that low.

Anyway at the end of that hour and a half I have this gorgeous top to show for it.

I do have to admit that it is my second race I have done although last time I raced myself.  I used the same technique to whip up a quilt for one of Jots childcare workers who has been looking after her since January.  The first time in 4 years that she has had one carer for the whole year.  I quilted it on my machine and came to the decision I HATE machine quilting.  Give me hand quilting any day.  I also added the binding by machine usually something I also loathe doing but yesterday it all worked perfectly.  I think it might have had something to do with the fact I cut the binding wider that usual so there was plenty of edge under the sewing foot.

Here is the finished quilt (complete with photo bomber). 

I love the batiks and have decided to so a similar quilt for Jot for her 5th birthday in September.  She said that it looked like the sea.  I already have a Bali Pop that we have chosen which has much more pink in it for a girly quilt for her I do need to find a good backing for it :)

Right I have 30 childcare lolly bags to complete and some binding to do and a class to listen to :) so I will see you later.