'Pick Four' Blog Hop - Day 8!

Day 8 of Sue Abrey's Pick Four bloghop already - where does the time go?

The signed book copy is still being offered at Bejewelled Quilts, SewCalGal and Sew'n Wild Quilts, but before you rush off and enter, let me show you how I'm getting on with quilting Stepping Stones.

Now the body of the quilt is quilted with cream thread in a wide meander pattern, (do try to keep up), and I've spent a couple of days pondering about quilting on the borders.

I had a couple of ideas (no, you are not going to be shown my first idea - what I thought might be whimsey and cute, turned out to be - well - rubbish), then decided to do a meander pattern, but smaller than the one on the main body of the quilt.

Here's a pic - I've angled the light to make the quilting stand out here - otherwise you would hardly see it. I am very pleased with this, and when I look at again in daylight I think that I will still be very pleased with it, although I do hope that having more dense quilting round the edges won't affect the overall drape of the quilt.

Whilst I worry about that, why don't you go and have a look at today's bloghopper (hoppee?) who is Paulette at Sweet P Quilting, who has made a couple of quilts from Pick Four, and - my - they look good! I looked at how far away British Columbia is on the map, and it's so far away to the west that I'm suprised Paulette is even up yet - it is not nip-across-and-pinch-a-quilt distance.

Perhaps Sue has deliberately chosen bloggers as far away from here as possible to minimise possible beautiful quilt theft? Mind you, I stand a better chance tomorrow as Trudi is only a county or two up the road from me...watch out, Trudi!

'Pick Four' Blog Hop - Day 7!

No time to stop again today, folks, but you must head over to the Beatles-inspired post that Lynn at Sew 'n' Wild Quilts has put together for her 'day' for Sue Abrey's Pick Four! It's a real hoot, and very clever!

And if you are popping over there, do nick that beautiful halloween quilt that she's put together from Pick Four for me, won't you? I won't tell!

Remember that the draws for a signed copy of the book are still open at Silver Thimble Quilts, Magnolia Bay Quilts, Bejewelled Quilts and at SewCalGal, if you are quick!

Whooosh!

'Pick Four' Blog Hop - Day 6!

Just a quick one today - but whilst I am thinking about how to quilt the borders of Stepping Stones (thread decided, thank you girls, but still musing about the pattern), you have a treat in strore as SewCalGirl is reviewing a copy of Sue Abrey's Pick Four, AND she has an signed copy to give away too!

Signed copies are also up for grabs still at Silver Thimble Quilts, Magnolia Bay Quilts and Bejewelled Quilts, so what are you waiting for?

'Pick Four' Blog Hop - Day 5!

I'm sorry to be late posting this - honestly - but I kept on going with just a bit more before I take a pic for the blog, just a bit more.... and before you know it, it is mid evening and I have finished the quilting the main body of Stepping Stones - hurrah!

And I haven't told you where you are going for Day 5 of the Sue Abrey's Pick Four bloghop yet - I'll show you the quilt first, then you can whizz off to the blog hop in a mo.

I had to do a bit of unpicking and have another go where one of the corners looked a bit scrunched up, but apart from that minor set back I am quite happy with this. I even managed some little curly bits (where I'd backed myself into a corner!).

The FMQ is not terribly even, but not disastrous either, and I had a kind email through earlier from Sand & Sunshine with some links to a couple of really useful sites which have 'FMQ step by step' guides on them - thank you, m'dear - so I can do some practise pieces.

My next decision is whether to quilt the borders in the same cream thread - where it will really show up, or use the green/copper variegated thread. Not sure if quilting in different colours for the main body and the border will look a bit funny?? All advice welcome on that one.

Now you've got a blog hop to zoom off to, and I have thread-ends to bury - so off you hop to see what Barb at Bejewelled Quilts has been up to. Just look at the lovely quilt that she has made from Pick Four - it looks fab! I was tempted to make that one myself...actually I'm even more tempted to make it now!

Barb will have a signed copy of Pick Four up for grabs (and the draw is still open at Silver Thimble and at Magnolia Bay Quilts) - so what are you waiting for?

'Pick Four' Prize Draw – Addendum

Further to the Prize Draw post, Domino and Oliver wish to make clear the following:

1. Domino is sitting on ‘Helen’s Quilt’ – my only quilt finish to date. Contrary to aspersions cast, there is no food in the pot with the tickets – if there was, butterball Dom would not be looking the other way, there would be a whirl of activity while this was scoffed – with or without tickets.

2. Oliver is extremely comfortable in the spare room sitting on the quilt of another Ollie – the late and sorely missed bearded collie of the same name.

It is brushed cotton (or washed so often to within an inch of it’s life that it acts as brushed cotton) and was so kindly sent to me by Bilbo. She has no idea of the number of times it has been scrutinised in minute detail with regard to fabric matching/border balancing/binding width/quilt style and pattern, not to say sat on, pummelled, dribble on and used as prize sleeping area too, of course – er, the latter by the cats.

3. Oliver does love flippy flappy paper bit and does indeed turn into a wild chasing thing when confronting with a rolled up bits of newspaper. However, his interest in lots of pieces of paper when he would be otherwise asleep on aforementioned quilt - thank you very much – was indeed peaked by the introduction of a spray of catnip to the bowl.

He does lurrrrrrrrrrrrve proper catnip – I have a couple of pots growing in the courtyard garden and it gets him well high. Catnip spray is a poor substitute for the real thing, but it still makes Oli dribble – hence the soggy tickets.

Just to clear that up.

As you were.

My 'Pick Four' Blop Hop Winner!

I thought that using Random.org lacked a bit of ceremony for the draw for Sue's book, so I numbered all the entries, did a ticket for each one, and asked Domino to pick one.

But he wasn't bothered about the draw - it's the making and finishing of quilts which is more up his street.


Then I asked Oliver to pick one, and he was much more helpful.









But then it all turned into a bit of a wild game, and the tickets started getting a bit soggy.







































So I picked one - it is 134 - Janet. Hurrah!

Well done, Janet! An email is winging it's way all the way to the Yukon Territory in NW Canada asking for your address which I will forward to Sue & she will get your signed copy of Pick Four to you.

The rest of you better get over to Quilt Hollow (hurry up - not much time left here!), Silver Thimble, and Magnolia Bay Quilts to enter the draw - then follow the rest of the Hop for more chances to win.

Or you'll have to buy your own copy - but it is worth it, I promise.

Are you still here? You don't think I've had time to finish quilting Stepping Stones with all this excitement going do you? Come back tomorrow to see that - now off you pop!

'Pick Four' Blog Hop - Day 4!

I've closed the comments on my Pick Four review, so you'll just have to run over to Quilt Hollow and Silver Thimble Talk if you still want a chance to win your own copy whilst I work out how to do the random number generator thingy.

Oh - I nearly forgot - it is Kim's day today at Magnolia Bay Quilts. She's already had books published, so it'll be very interesting to see an author's view of Pick Four. She'll be giving people a chance to win a copy too.

Off you go - I have some head scratching to do here - and I'll post the WINNER later!