Bright Star cot quilts

Hello Everyone, 
I'm so sorry I haven't added a new blog post for a few weeks. Life has been very busy with rushing around and going to a wedding, where the bride and groom left the churchyard on a tandem bicycle....

just married and travelling on a tandem

with tin cans and streamers and the bride in a long length lace wedding dress which was quite a sight! Guests were asked to donate cakes for the reception.....

cakes for the wedding

The church at Great Grandsden in Bedfordshire, but near Cambridge, was simply decorated and the wooden angels in the roof timbers had such kind expressions and rather fetching frilly bonnets..... I wonder how many weddings they have looked down on throughout the centuries....

wooden angel, Gt Gransden church

Here is another angel who was above the door, also wooden and with beautiful wings and a finely plaited hairdo.....

wooden angel Gt Gransden church

There were lots of guests at the church and I noticed some extras who had to sit on the window sill, I have made this picture extra large so you can see them clearly, some of you may be keen on knitted beards.....

knitted folk at Gt Gransden church

I have also been sewing madly to finish these two quilts for Kerry. I am so pleased with the colours and the design and will certainly be making more of these this year:

Bright Star Quilt in blue by Green Star Quilts

The background is a simple log cabin block using 2.5 inch stripes and then the bright stars are appliqued on top...

Bright Star Quilt by Green Star Quilts

The binding is a soft blue and cream stripe, the backing is my favourite polka dot blue on white cotton...

Bright Star Quilt by Green Star Quilts

Here is the pink version for Kerrry's little girl....

Bright Star quilt by Green Star Quilts

The binding on this one is a bright pink tiny check cotton.

Bright Star quilt by Green Star Quilts

The backing is white with pink polka dots....

Bright Star quilt by Green Star Quilts

Bright Star quilt by Green Star Quilts

Now it is the school holidays and we have a very much looked forward to visit from our little ones aged 4 years and also 3 months. There is so much fun to be had with baking, painting and chatting to a 4 year old, even hanging out the washing is an exciting thing to do and picking the rasberries down the garden was a huge event! The new baby is such a big cuddle and I feel so very blessed when I look at them both.

And at the bottom of the garden, the builders are celebrating as the summer house is FINISHED!!!

summer house builders celebrate

I can't believe how lucky I am to have this lovely house at the bottom of the garden!! 

summerhouse in the garden

And I now have a much longed for rail to show quilts off..... I have always admired those lucky Americans who have a veranda to show quilts on.... the little solar panel on the roof is for the fairy lights too!

summerhouse early morning

 Here you can see a Fair Trade cotton quilt made by Judy from fabrics donated to Project Linus UK by Ruth at Fairtrade Fabric over my new rail...

summer house and quilt

And  again so you can see the windmill pattern.....

summer house and quilt

Fairtrade cotton quilt

So that's all for now, and I hope you are having really lovely summer holidays, either on the beach or at home. Next week I am making a cars theme baby quilt and a single bed memory quilt too,

Happy quilting,

Kind regards,

Sue

Three finished cot quilts

It is not every Friday that I have everything, well nearly everything finished, packed and ready to be posted, but today is an exception! The quilt for Glasgow has already gone to its new owner and there are two more cot quilts waiting to be posted. Here is the finished Kelvingrove quilt...

cot quilt by Green Star Quilts

This quilt has been commissioned by the parents and children of Kelvingrove Early Years Centre for their teacher who has just given birth to baby Harry. Kelvingrove Park is in the middle of the quilt.Here is my Rennie McIntosh flower:

Rennie McIntosh flower by Green Star Quilts

This is the teacher's dog ...

Boxer dog by  Green Star Quilts

Last photo for cycling enthusiasts...

bicycle by  Green Star Quilts

This is the second cot quilt, made for Lauren and using fabrics from her nursery soft furnishings...

Post and Rail cot quilt by Green Star Quilts

Here are some highlights:

quilting by Green Star Quilts

The quilting is in simple lines to enhance the modern design of this quilt....

cot quilt by Green Star Quilts

We have just decorated daughter's bedroom and the colour of the walls is perfect for the photos of this quilt....

cot quilt by Green Star Quilts

I just love taking these photoshots of my quilts and am trying to make them more professional by studying the way quilts are shown in books and those wonderful modern quilt magazines which we all love. Does anyone else have this sort of obsession? Have you got ways of making quilts look arty? I can't wait for the summer house ( see previous blog) to be finished because then I will have railings to drape the quilts over... Hooray!!

cot quilt by Green Star Quilts

This is the third quilt for the blog this week, made for Kate to give to baby William, who suprised us all by arriving two weeks early when the quilt had not even beeen started!

Farmyard animals cot quilt by Green Star Quilts

I love the retro look of these little quilts and the contrast between the bright colours and the crisp white cotton behind the animals...

cot quilt by Green Star Quilts

More ta dah moments...

cot quilt by Green Star Quilts

 The backing fabric is so sweet and from Ikea who often have great fabrics for cot quilts...

cot quilt by Green Star Quilts

So now I have no excuse for tidying the sewing room and sorting out the piles of fabric dotted around. Putting away patterns so I can find them easily for future quilts is important and a thing I am rather lazy about too! 

It is so hot here and the garden is drooping, so watering can at the ready I am off to talk to my growing peas and lettuces now.I am convinced that chatting to them makes them grow better!

 I am linking up with Amanda Jean at Crazy Mom Quilts who is kind enough to host a link up on Fridays to encourage us all to finish things, do visit her lovely blog if you get a moment,

 I hope you are all enjoying the lovely weather,

Happy quilting this week,

Kind regards,

Sue

A quilt for Glasgow

This week I am making a cot quilt for a very special teacher. She works at a school in Glasgow and has just had baby Harry. Her pupils and their parents have commissioned this quilt which is to be given as a big surprise.... I think she must be a very special and much loved teacher... They all put together a wish list of things to shown on the quilt including the local park and museum, Kelvingrove Art Gallery. They also want lots of children, the boxer dog Jax, bicycles, ducks and a swan.  Here is the first block....

Star block by Green Star Quilts

and the Log  Cabin block to go with it...

Log Cabin Block by Green Star Quilts

Here are the blocks on my design wall which is made from a flannel sheet and so helpful when looking at colours from a distance. 

Blocks by Green Star Quilts

Over the day the gaps are filled in as appliques are added. I use yards of  Bondaweb over the year with these quilts.

Blocks by Green Star Quilts

Blocks by Green Star Quilts

At the end of the day, this is what the quilt looks like. The blocks are not yet sewn together and the picture shapes will be stitched down soon. The flowers are a tribute to Charles Rennie Macintosh who lived and painted in Glasgow.

Here is the Kelvingrove Park block with the shapes stuck on but not stitched down.

Kelvingrove Park by Green Star Quilts

I hope to finish this quilt over the week and post pictures on Friday. It helps me to have a goal for the week, although so many other things clamour to do done. At this time of the year I am usually a garden slave.... I'm sure my grave stone will have the words  'The bind weed got her in the end' and my muscles ache despite year long Pilates and large capsules of cod liver oil!

But at the end of the garden husband and his two friends (can you see their red hats?)  are hard at work..... building my heart's desire.....

husband and gnomes

I am so excited! Today the windows have gone in and the floor is nearly done. I wish they could be persuaded to do some gardening too, but they just stand there smiling...

gnomes in the garden

Ohhh I think I may have to make some bunting for the front....! I may need a party for the grand opening too!

I hope you have helpful gnomes in your garden this week and lots of time to do your quilting too,

Kind regards

 Sue

 

I have made a lot of appliqued quilts over the last year and they have gradually become more and more elaborate without me really noticing. It is always difficult to assess how much time is spent making them and working out how to price them too. Argggg, if only pricing was easy, it is a question I have been asked about so many times! It isn't always a matter of time spent or fabrics used, charging for postage or that extra trip to the quilt shop to buy thread, but a magic combination of all of this plus a sprinkle of some fairy dust which results in the answer that suits everyone. And, of course everyone has an opinion too!

My grandmother's vintage Jones sewing machine form 1920's

 Now I have decided to make some smaller quilts and use my time differently. They will be simpler, using fabrics from my cupboards and traditional blocks. There will be appliques but these will be features rather than telling the whole story on each quilt. Sometimes it is the right moment to simplify life in the sewing room. Golly that does sound profound and wise!

My vintage cotton box

Well really the reason is that I have a new grandson with whom I am totally in love and I want to spend lots of time cuddling him along with his big sister too! 

This is the dress I made her recently featuring fabric with the Frozen movie characters, we have watched the film so many times.... The pattern is See & Sew B5442 and it is really easy to make, no zip!

'Frozen' dress for a four year old

But last month I started blue and cream cot quilt and now it is finished and I am really pleased with it. It started like this.... 

block from Judy Martin's Star Block book

and finished like this....

Blue Star Quilt

The measurements are 37.5 x 43 inches or 95 x 110cm. ( Nine blocks).The blues are all from my 'blue box', I bet you have one too, and the cream fabric is American Quilters Calico. I love this fabric, it is so soft and lovely to use. 

I took lots of photos too....

Blue Star quilt by Green Star Quilts

The blues look perfect against my blue painted chair...

Blue Star quilt by Green Star Quilts

Here it is on our old Irish clothes horse....

Blue Star quilt by Green Star Quilts

Last one....

Blue Star quilt by Green Star Quilts

Now I am thinking it would be lovely in pinks too, so maybe that will be my next quilt! In the meantime we have had new windows fitted at the front of the house and that means lots of painting to be done this week too...

It is so lovely to feel that summer is just around the corner, sitting outside for meals in the sun is such a treat. Our whole garden is a mass of Forget-me-nots and Bluebells, so pretty too. And, best of all, Husband is building me a summer house at the bottom of the garden, so I will need lots of bunting soon!

I hope you have sunshine this week and a chance to eat outside too,

Kind regards,

Sue 

   

Sealife and Dinosaurs Quilt

It has been a bit of a race between finishing this quilt and our new baby being born in the family, but the quilt has won and I posted it off to the new owner a few days ago. Now we are just waiting for the baby! The quilt has been made for Ashley, the little brother of Rowan who I made the dinosaur quilt for in the last blog. The second quilt also features a printed panel which I cut up to fit in the space available in the middle. I must admit it was quite a fiddle to make it fit with borders matching around the edge. Another time I think I will cut off the printed border all round and add my own with contrasting fabric. Here are my signature big stars which go in the corners of most of my quilts:

Big stars with fish appliques by Green Star Quilts

 Next I made the log cabin blocks to go down the sides of the quilt....

Corner log cabin block by Green Star Quilts

Here is the crocodile, one of the animals in the side blocks.......

Crocodile by Green Star Quilts

The printed animals in the centre panel were quilted around, more of a sea life theme to this quilt:

Octopus

And then a few dinosaurs with happy smiles from the first quilt and the pattern reversed on this quilt to make them face the other way:

Dinosaurs quilt by Green Star Quilts

This time I have added rabbits and taken away the fox:

Woodland animals by Green Star Quilts

Here is the finished quilt. There are more log cabin blocks on this quilt but the layout is the same as Rowan's quilt and they will look great on single beds in the same room.

Sea life and dinosaurs quilt by Green Star Quilts

The two quilts together look like this:

Sea Life quilt

Dinosaur Quilt

These quilts are the last commissions in April.  Now they are finished I have been enjoying sitting in the garden sunshine, catching up with friends and looking in a few cupboards with rather tepid enthusiasm for spring cleaning! There will not be a blog post next week as I will be cuddling the new baby, oh I can't wait! But soon I will be back in the sewing room and making a blue stars quilt for a new baby in Fiona's family.

I hope the weather is warm with you, our spring flowers are gorgeous here, the birds are nesting frantically with a lot of arguments about nest boxes going on...The tulips are nearly in flower and my bicycle has been out for a few sunny day rides. Everything feels very optimistic and happiness levels have definitely risen with more daylight!
I hope everything goes well for you all this week,

Kind regards

Sue 

PS. This is the dress I have made for the 3 year old sister of the new baby, she is a big and I mean really big fan of the Frozen movie! The matching coat hanger was covered using the scraps from the dress.