Friday 2 October 2015

Scrap Freedom Blocks part 2

Oh the last two weeks have whizzed by with the sewing machine almost red hot with my attempts to keep up with the list of things to do. The Freedom Blocks are all complete and I have learned a thing or two about making them. Having sewn them together now I know that is is better to have a wide last round of logs so that there are fewer seams.... look at the purple square in the bottom lefthand corner....those blocks which had seams on the corners ( yellow square bottom righthand corner) were really tricky to get flat! Thank you to everyone who gave their suggestions about the sashing fabric colour. I settled on white in the end with pale grey white polka dot squares at the intersections.


Freedom blocks quilt top by Green Star Quilts
The quilt top has been layered with 80/20 wadding and the grey polka dot fabric as backing. Lots of pins and some temporary spray to hold it all in place, and now I am doing the quilting....

Freedom blocks quilt top by Green Star Quilts
The quilting is in the ditch to hold it all firmly, then three lines along the white sashings.

Freedom blocks quilt top by Green Star Quilts
On the Freedom blocks I have decided on spirals. This is my favourite way of holding/squashing down lots of seams firmly.....

Freedom blocks quilt top by Green Star Quilts
I love the way the quilting lines form a little grid in the small grey squares....

Freedom blocks quilt top by Green Star Quilts
The drape of this quilt seems beautifully soft, I soaked the wadding in fabric softener before using it, so it smells lovely too...

Freedom blocks quilt top by Green Star Quilts

The quilting is not quite finished yet and the edges are yet to be bound. I haven't decided on the binding fabric yet, maybe the grey fabric again or a white with bigger black spots, or a scrappy one ..... plenty to think about there...

Thanks again to everyone who commented on the design and colours, it is lovely to hear from you and I really appreciate your thoughts.

It has been really hot in the garden this week and I have been having lunch outside under the watchful gaze of this chap or lady chap, I'm not sure! 

Tawny Owl in the garden

He/She roosts all day in the tree above the picnic table and watches me calmly whilst warming feathers, thinking deep thoughts and occasionally hurling down pellets of unwanted fur and tiny mouse bones like a litter lout throwing take away wrappings out of a car window! He/She used to sit with his/her brother/sister all day but they seem to have chosen separate trees now. They keep in touch though, with a toot and a hoot throughout the day. It has been an enormous gift to be able to watch them most days thoughout the summer and I hope they will stay with us for the winter too.

I will show the finished quilt soon, thanks for the encouragement,

Kind regards,
Sue

 PS. I am linking with Amanda Jean at Crazy Mom Quilts. Do have a look at her lovely photos, she is so clever at colour choices!  





4 comments:

Steph said...

The color blocks are great.
Greetings from Germany!
Steph

Cut&Alter said...

What a lovely quilt Sue. I love the use of both white and grey for the sashing and your quilting is so perfect!

Gemini Jen NZ said...

Oh how wonderful to have an avian guest like that owl in your garden! I would want to spend all day watching it - we have a couple of species of native owl here in NZ but they are very elusive to spot. I have seen a little brown owl a couple of times, sitting on a fence near a local farm's hedge but only maybe twice. Your freedom blocks are really lovely, it is a gorgeous quilt.

Jasmine said...

I really like how you framed all the improv blocks. They look so pretty individually and together.