August Challenge is no. 3 — My Blue 40th birthday quilt

 This quilt kit was a gift for my 40th birthday. I started it straight away and finished the top not so long after. I put it away for a while before getting it basted for hand quilting. I started the hand quilting and it got put away once again. This has happened a few times over the last 20 years but it’s time to get it back out and do some more. I do like hand quilting so let’s see how I get motivated this month. Thanks to Deana for spinning the wheel and selecting no. 3.

So here it is. My Blue hearts birthday quilt

This is how I had left it in my blanket box. Now that’s not really smart

I have even started sewing on the binding to protect the wadding going everywhere.

Quilting in the centre of the log cabin blocks.

The quilting on the back.

Echo quilting in the background. This wasn’t the best choice but it’s done so I will have to do the other corners the same.

Another shot of it in progress.

Now to go and find the thread I was using.

 Mmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm putting on the binding FIRST

I have managed to machine sew on the binding on my BLUE HEARTS quilt.

I want to draw on a quilting pattern into the border and I didn't want it getting cut off when I trimmed up the quilt. So, as usual, I have done it back to front and now I am hand stitching it down today.
A relaxing day for Slow Stitching Sunday

My friend has sat down with me and done some hand quilting on her hexagon quilt.

This is her 1st quilt done by hand.

I'll post a photo of the whole quilt another day.

My hubby decided to surprise me and turn up at my friends for the weekend.
He brought some mail with him.
It was my block from Vicki from Albury. We were partners in the 12" block swap over at  QBSA

HAPPY EASTER

Hope everyone had a safe and Happy Easter.

My Sunday was spent doing more hand quilting on my BLUE HEARTS QUILT.

My evening, while quilting, was spent watching the first 2 episodes of DOWNTON ABBEY.

More of those log cabins have been done.

Look on over at   KATHY's QUILTS  and see who else was slow stitching

I am grateful for this link up. Now in am actually getting this quilt done.

HAND QUILTING on a Sunday

I sat down for a peaceful evening with my hand quilting.

I have been working on this for 10 years now.

So hopefully I will get it out a bit more often and finish it.

Anyway... I am still doing the quilting around the 4" log cabins. 

There are only 144.. Haha. Not many.

It is hard to see the quilting but has to be done. Each piece will have some stitching on it.

Here is a close up of the quilting

I have also found these great thimbles called COMFORT THIMBLES.

 They are made of rubber and shaped for finger nails. I have bought a few of these so I have them in all my sewing projects.

I am linking up with SLOW STITCHING SUNDAY with Kathy & many other talented people

Slow Stitching Sunday

I spent the early morning sorting out my cupboards, finding UFO's and listing them on another page 2014 UFO's

Then I realised how long I have been working on projects, how long it has been since I have touched the project. So when I came across Slow Stitching Sundays I thought it was about time I pulled out my hand quilting project. I haven't worked on this for a few years. I actually started this quilt 10 years ago. I bought this kit from a shop/house in  Bairnsdale, Victoria, Australia called Chocolate Coated Fabrics. It was for my 40th birthday. I will be 50 soon so I should get back to it & get it finished.

It is Blue Hearts quilt with lots of machine pieced 4" log cabins, hand appliquéd hearts & hand stitched Celtic bias. I love it.

I have started to echo quilt around the fans. 

The centre hearts have quilting in the ditch.

What better project to spend my Sundays relaxing & hand quilting