Sugar and Spice - a finished quilt -

Yesterday I finished my Sugar and Spice quilt and I couldn't wait to share the pictures with you but by the time I had the last threads tied and buried in the quilt it was to dark. Luckily I have another week holiday this week so I took some photos this morning.
Prepare yourselves for an flood of photos.

First the top and back. The front you have already seen when I was constructing it but to recap this is made of half square triangles from the Sugar and Spice fabric collection from the Quilted Fish. The white halfs of the triangles are made from Kona white.

The colours of the collection I particularly loved where the green, aqua and red. I wasn't that fond of the softer pink parts and kept these to a minimum in the quilt.

For the back I used Kona Ash for the first time and am rather pleased how it offsets the two pieced strips I incorprated in the back. I quilted in straight lines along the squares thereby emphasising the pattern. I love how this shows most visible on the back of the quilt.

I infact was so fond of the squeeky fresh green that I decided to make that a feature of the binding and luckily my local quilt shop Tiki had just what the doctor prescribed. Look at that wonderful stripy green. Doesn't it remind you granny apples ? (Mind, I am more a breaburn kind of apple girl than a granny one come to think of it....).

The binding offsets the front and back perfect in my opinion and works so well with the Kona Ash.
I also changed my binding technique a bit. If you are a regular reader you probably know that I mostly machine stitch my bindings rather than machine stitch the binding onto the front and than handstitch it onto the back. I do this for several reasons. It saves time, doesn't kill my wrist and I think it looks really good. Normally I sew the binding onto the front and then fold it over to the back and then stitch it onto the back ensuring that the stitch line on the front is close to the binding. Recently I saw on a blog (sorry can't remember who) that it was done the other way around. So I tried it and must say I rather like the look of it and I find it easier on the whole.

And one can't go without a couple of lovely rolls.....

 And here the stats for anybody who is interested:

Size: 61 x 61 inches (1.55 m x 1.55 m)
Batting: Hobbs Heirloom 100% cotton
Quilting thread: Gutermann Sulky 30 in offwhite colour no 1071
HST: cut 72, 6 inch squares of patterned fabric and the same number of contrasting solid fabric
Binding: Sis Boom basics by Jennifer Paganelli for Free Spirit bought at Tikki Ltd. in Kew (but I bought it all ...sorry)

Previous listings can be found here, here, here and here.

The quilt can be found in my ETSY store. Sold

Sugar and Spice - part three -

Wasn't it a most marvellous weekend here in the UK and I actually think it was like that on the continent too. The weird thing with this balmy summer weather is that one actually thinks a lovely long evening sitting in the garden is in order  only to see the sun drop down before 7pm to painfully realise we are actually in October. Well it has cooled down considerably already since Tuesday and it feels now more like Autumn.

I was all set to work on my Christmas quilt but I just could not face it when we had close to 30 degrees outside. It just wasn't right. So in between nipping out for little lie downs on the sun longer and picnics with friends I worked hard on the Sugar and Spice quilt. I normally finish one quilt before I start the next. This hasn't quite worked lately which is probably because my job keeps me so busy at the moment that I quite often feel rather frazzled and start projects randomly. Generally not a good thing at all but for once this was actually a blessing because 'Sugar and Spice' was just the right quilt to get stuck into this past weekend.

I do love this fabric and the HSTs are looking great. Hopefully this will be quilted soon but first I am off to Italy for some much needed relaxation.

Oh and I have already found the perfect fabric for the binding but I'm not going to show you just yet.. This quilt is so fresh and bright it just makes you smile. 

But before I say Arrivederci I leave you a few shots of the work in progress.


                                     

Basting this was a breeze as it is only 62 inches square. Piece of cake as they say.

Sugar and Spice - part 1 -

Well I did say at the beginning of the months that I had an HST urge. And if one has an urge one should do something about it, shouldn't one ? Thankfully this particular urge is fairly easily satisfied.

So, I have been turning this gorgeous little tower of fabric

first into this

and 

then

 into this

and that













before making it into
 
this wonderful little tower of neatly cut and stacked half square triangle....

Urge not quite gone but phew.....I am getting there

Don't forget the giveaway which is still open until Sunday !!!!

Stash Note No 11

Look what fluttered into my house this week ! Can you see what it is ?

Maybe from upfront ? No still not ?

Well here are the 24 fat quarters spread out. It is Sugar and Spice from the Quilted Fish bought at The SewSweetShoppe via Etsy. I have seen this fabric on all sorts of on-line shops popping up over the past weeks and was often very close to ordering it and then I didn't for some reason. But in the end I did and how happy I am. This is wonderful fabric and the colours are so bright and the patterns are versatile and bold.
Lovely.