Using up some block swap blocks and a quilting project block

I was looking through some odd boxes I have and came across these blocks I received in the 12" & 6"  block swaps. I asked for autumn colours and maple leaves.
These groups blogs are no longer operating as they are on Facebook. I am not so I don't see what is happening but I wanted to do something with the blocks.
http://quiltingblockswapsaustralia.blogspot.com.au
http://6inchblockswapsaustralia.blogspot.com.au
  This is the centre block that I used. It was a quilt as you go, raw edged applique and machine quilting techniques taught by Helen Godden.... what was I to do with it.. I don't do wall hangings...

Machine quilting class with Helen Godden held at Heathcote Quilters 

https://jobutterfield.blogspot.com.au/2013/09/workshop-with-heathcote-quilters.html

So this is what I have come up with so far....

A play with ideas

This is what I have decided on

Red & White happiness

Well I got stuck into the red and white quilt. I didn't end up doing the leadlight/stained glass block. I ended up making a scrappy crumbs block. All the blocks were supposed to be 8.5" but that doesn't always happen. Some were smaller and some I couldn't cut down to that... I decided to make all the blocks up to 9.5" by putting borders around each block.
So this is what I ended up with....

Red & White flower baskets friendship quilt

I also went to spotlight for the white& red fabric. Silly me. It cost a fortune... There was a super sale on Xmas fabric at 75% off. I couldn't resist...

6 teatowels and 2 packets of tissue paper & over 30 metres of fabric.
What a bargain.

My docket says a total savings of $275.30....,

Cute tea towels and tissue paper ready for next Xmas...

Look at these bargains

Such pretty fabric

Red & White friendship blocks to quilt top...

Over the past year at Heathcote Quilters we all worked on our friendship blocks. Each person asked for a certain colour / style / block. They were supposed to be 8.5 " square. Well that always varies....
These are the blocks I have started with...

15 blocks here....

https://jobutterfield.blogspot.com.au/2016/08/my-friendship-blocks-from-heathcote.html
I didn't know what I wanted to do with  them...
They were just sitting in a box....

Cathy from http://cathy-mysewingroom.blogspot.com.au/2016/11/i-miss-swapping.html wanted to do a swap with someone. I signed up and asked for a 12" red / white basket block to add to the friendship blocks. I wanted it as a centre. I have a vision of how I want my quilt to look. Or sort of anyway...
This is the block that Cathy sent me.

A beautiful basket

Cathy asked for a rainbow friendship star block. This is what I sent her....

I sent Cathy 2 blocks

So I have made Cathy's block bigger, pit it on point and used some scraps to make string block corners...

Border added, turned on point, string block corners make it a lot bigger

This is the layout I am thinking of doing.

My friendship blocks from Heathcote Quilters.
I seem to be missing one block.
I need to keep looking and I have to make my leadlight block

I might add some sashing once the blocks are trimmed. Then they will match my centre block...

My friendship blocks from the Heathcote Quilter girls...

Here is a photo of all my blocks I made for the Heathcote Quilting group.

There were 16 of us that participated. So here are 15 blocks that I made to show you. I haven't made the 16th one yet. That block is for me. We all had to write done a theme we wanted and a colour. So the list was made. Then with this list we had to choose a technique to make everyone's block in....

My technique was STAINED GLASS. It was a real challenge choosing everyone's themes and colours. There were Japanese, butterflies, free choice, Xmas, Autumn, houses, geometric and flowers... Look what I decided...

So here are the blocks I received.

My theme was baskets of flowers and red & white colours....

They are all supposed to be 8.5"....

RED and WHITE BASKETS OF FLOWERS

There are a lot of techniques. None of the members have participated in this type of swap before...

I am going to make my stained glass block about 20" with a basket on point and strips on the corners...

Stained Glass Friendship Blocks ...... Part 3

I am in a group and this year we have decided to make everyone a block in a certain theme. I have picked STAINED GLASS...
Here are my last 5 blocks.
I am not trimming them to size. They will be handled a bit before they are used so I thought I would leave them... There are 16 in the group. I know what I will be doing for my centre. I am not sure when I will get it started....

My weekend...

The other day I caught up with the lovely O'faigh and her husband. My hubby and I went for a visit to her home and had a lovely lunch. We chatted and we laughed.

O'faigh searched through a suitcase of my mums kids knitting patterns.

( she was so excited to start knitting that when we left she raced to the shops for some wool to start knitting.)  How keen is that....

http://oldburycottage.blogspot.com.au/2016/06/knitting-again-after-so-many-years.html

I even brought home with me a great crochet blanket that she makes all the time.

So I have been sitting here making this.....

Easy crochet pattern. Great use for scraps....

It will be a pattern I use lots of times. So far very easy and a great design to use all those scraps....

Then on Monday I went to my sewing day with friends.

Even though it was a public holiday none of us had anything on...

I caught up with my SPLENDID SAMPLER BLOCKS

http://www.thesplendidsampler.com

These blocks were made using some fabric that was donated by Anne McAllister from another group I belong to. I am sorting out some fabrics for string blocks that I will be sewing. These blocks I use for Aussie Hero quilts or send to JanMac,.. For charity quilts. None goes to waste...

Block 32.  Splendid Sampler

Block 34. Splendid Sampler
Love the birdies on the line..

Block no. 35 Splendid Sampler
The cross was supposed to be embroidered but I used printed fabric.
I used a different machine and my seam allowance wasn't right so I had to add a border. 

Then I worked on one of the friendship blocks for HEATHCOTE quilters.

My theme was LEADLIGHT & the request was for JAPANESE...

Stained glass Japanese block for HEATHCOTE QUILTERS

Stained Glass Friendship Blocks ...... Part 2....

I am in a group and this year we have decided to make everyone a block in a certain theme. I have picked STAINED GLASS...
Here are my 2nd group 5 blocks.
I am not trimming them to size. They will be handled a bit before they are used so I thought I would leave them... There are 16 in the group. I know what I will be doing for my centre. I am not sure when I will get it started....

Stained Glass Friendship Blocks ....... Part 1

I am in a group and this year we have decided to make everyone a block in a certain theme. I have picked STAINED GLASS...
Here are my first 5 blocks.
I am not trimming them to size. They will be handled a bit before they are used so I thought I would leave them... There are 16 in the group. I know what I will be doing for my centre. I am not sure when I will get it started....

Another Christmas Lunch

I enjoyed a great day out with my Heathcote quilt group. As you can see by the photos there was a few of us sitting around chatting. We had a lovely meal at the HEATHCOTE WINERY. A beautiful roast then a very sweet pavlova. The weather was just lovely.

We did do a little Xmas gift swap. You put a parcel in and you get one out....

It was to be a little Xmas decoration..

This is what I got and I will definitely be making some of these next year...

A felt dove stitched on the machine and beads added..

I put in a Santa face, a stitchery hanger and a dishcloth

( I must say that I am having trouble with my photo program lately. It was easy for me to get my photos up and edit them then add them to my blog. Well it's not so easy at the moment. My usual program has disappeared so I am doing my best with what I can find..)

Such a great FATHERS DAY weekend

Friday night started out with FNWF,
 http://stitchingcubbyhole.blogspot.com.au/2015/09/sign-up-time.html
And I was quilting 4 quilts for the Heathcote RSL nursing home.
Heathcote Quilters were lucky enough to get a grant to help with the making of these quilts. The RSL wanted about 40 lap size quilts.. Our committee wanted to help and wanted them made quickly.. We only have about 20 members so it was going to be some work. Really.....
Here is what I have done...

 Here it is just all over meandered...

 I had fun with doing this quilting. It is a continuos circle of quilting

I have made these 4 quilts over the weekend. I love the colours. They are all bound. Today I have finished the last binding and sewn in all the ends.

They are backed with polar fleece which isn't my favourite. I wouldn't use these on my projects. They are harder to quilt and work with. Anyway they are done and that has been my weekend.

Now to tell you it really wasn't that hard. These are cheater panels so all I had to do was to piece a border on then baste and quilt them... Easy, easy, easy....

They only measure 42" square.

So that 680" of binding.

Way to go BINDING BLITZ...

And I am linking up with SLOW SUNDAY STITCHING

http://kathysquilts.blogspot.ca

And another 4 finishes for OPAM

FNWF

WOW. THESE FRIDAYS ARE COMING AROUND SO QUICKLY.
We all must be so busy that each week ends without us realising....
This week I have finished some more BEANIES.
Some get sent overseas for kids and some are to an organisation called AVALON. I don't know much else except a craft friend of my mums who I still meet up with on Wednesdays donates to.
In between other things I will continue to knit these beanies for the homeless. I have so much yarn here and they are so easy to make 1 here or there... Don't have to concentrate much. That is what I like.

So a total of 8 finishes so far for me this month...

A good start for OPAM

So tonight is FNWF with Cheryll

http://stitchingcubbyhole.blogspot.com.au/2015/09/sign-up-time.html

Go on over for a good read over the weekend to see what everyone has been up to.

I will be working on some charity quilts this weekend.

A busy weekend sewing

FRIDAY NIGHT...

 FNSI kept me busy with me piecing my 1/2 square triangles together. Mari from http://academicquilter.blogspot.com.au had too many half square triangles so gave them away. Yep, they came to me... This is the pattern I chose and will be making it into a folder cover...

After the piecing was done I went on with machine quilting a friends quilt. I made good progress before getting too tired. This is a basket weave design so I quilted straight lines in the same direction as the weave.
Look at what the WENDY and the others who joined in have done..
http://sugarlanequilts.blogspot.com.au/2015/01/fnsi-sign-ups.html

SCRAP HAPPY SATURDAY....

I am still working out what to make this year for the RSC15 with ANGELA but I am leaning towards this...... An uneven log cabin block. When 4 are sewn together the centre creates a circle. Or is supposed too. The maths was doing my head in. I haven't got it quite right but it will work. This block measures 11" so once the 4 blocks are together it will be 21" finished.

With all 12 blocks done it will be a nice size... I am linking up with ANGELA and lots of others too.
http://superscrappy.blogspot.com.au/2015/01/scraphappy-saturday-still-chipping-away.html




SLOW SUNDAY STITCHING...
I am linking up with Kathy at http://kathysquilts.blogspot.ca today.

 I have spent today quietly finishing another Hexie for Heathcote Quilters ...

Then moving on to a XMAS block. It is 12" square, made with a 1/4" bias and woven in a Celtic style. I'm not sure if it will be a wall hanging, cushion or a table centre. There is still plenty of time to work that out.