Hello Dear Reader,

I’ve finished my latest quilt! To my shame, I started this in Spring 2012! I made the top quite quickly and made star blocks for the first time. I didn’t use a pattern nor did I measure correctly and nor was I good at quarter inch seams and had irregular sized blocks. I felt a total failure and as if my quilt was rubbish. I put it together and the blocks didn’t line up and it was skewed when I finally backed it and had it all together. Well, I got over all that, patched in where it wasn’t square it up and got on with it any way. I then started my first (and probably my last) free motion quilting. I was rubbish at that too! I couldn’t get the tension right, nor the stitch size and in places it’s so amateur! However, I got over that too and got on with it. It has been slow going this summer and it’s taken me ages and in truth, I haven’t enjoyed it. But, I got over that as well and now it’s finished.

The mutts always accompany me when I sew. They don’t mind the sound of the machine. The quilt they are lying on (now the dog quilt) is the first ever quilt that I made. I keep it as a reminder of how far I’ve come. It’s not long ago that I’d never made anything, least of all a full sized quilt.

Below is the texture of the quilt with lots and lots of circles it makes the quilt look as if it is covered in bubbles.

The quilt is made of a collection of fabrics that I bought at reduced rates at the 2012 South West Quilt Show and of course, interspersed with plenty of shirt fabric.

The quilt is for a single/twin sized bed and hangs almost to the floor.

It’s edged in a pink and green check that I bought as an off cut in the reduced price ‘bin’ when I went to Ikea and the backing is a vintage single sheet that I bought in the Salvation Army shop. As usual, I’ve used Hobb’s unbleached batting/wadding and the entire quilt is 100% cotton.

I machine stitch the binding by sewing it onto the back first and then using a decorative stitch on the front to secure it. I know most quilters do this by hand by I’m a strictly machine girl!

Here’s a close up of one of the stars.

I like the fabric in some blocks more than others. My inspiration originally from the colours of the Polyanthus flowers that are in all Cornish gardens in springtime.

You can see that my FMQing is not great, but as I’ve got over it and as I grow to like this quilt then I can forgive my first attempt. It can only get better.

I’m going to use this in the spare bedroom, which is where my daughter stays when she comes to visit.

It’s been emotional and I’m glad it’s finished. I now have FOUR!! other UFOs or WIPs to complete and I’ll keep you posted. I’m going to finish the baby quilt I’ve started first and then the baby quilt that’s being donated to an orphanage in Romania and I’m certain that they won’t take me six weeks each to finish!

Come on you quilters. ‘Fess up! Who else has quilts lurking that you started months or even years ago! Who else needs a size 6 Froogs’ boot up the back end to get it finished. Take the pledge here……….repeat after me, I will finish what I’ve started. I’m embarrassed that I have so many unfinished quilts so here is my pledge. I will not start any new quilts until I’ve finished the ones I’ve started. Feel free to leave your pledge, either about a quilt or craft project that you’ve started and now is just gathering dust. May be, it’s a DIY project or work around the house or garden. Come on, come clean and tell Froogs all about it.

Until tomorrow,

Love Froogs xxxxxxxxxxx