Two two-colour strip quilts

Have you ever felt bereft?  I had a spell recently when my elderly but much loved, and much used, Bernina 910 had to go to the mender's.  It had been skipping stitches when I was quilting and I just couldn't carry on. It was a strange time (only 5 days but it felt like 5 weeks) and I found I didn't bond with my spare machine at all.

End of story is that I needed a new walking foot (I had managed to break the old one - oops).  Since getting the new foot I have gone mad with machine quilting and have finished three and a bit quilts.  Only straight line quilting (hence the walking foot being vital) but I am pleased with the results and it means three more tops have been transformed into useful quilts, at last.






I have taken photos of one of the quilts, and the 'bit' - a mini quilt made from the offcuts.  Those of you who know me will know how very reluctant I am to throw anything away, especially scraps that have been stitched and/or cut in some fashion.  Challenge yourself to see whether you can make a small quilt from whatever is left, it's fun and it means the fabric is then GONE and you aren't haunted by still having it lying around in your cupboard or workspace.

So these are my TWO two-colour strip quilts, made in aquas and creams collected over quite a period of time.  I used a design from the book. Strip Smart Quilts by Kathy Brown, just the sort of sewing I love: cut strips, sew together, cut again, stitch again and hey presto!  I cut my triangles with a special ruler made by Creative Grids but you could use the 45 degree lines on your ordinary ruler.

 Needless to say I made my big quilt bigger (to use more fabric!) and changed the border.  I backed it with some Marsha McCloskey Staples fabric from way back (almost didn't, I love this fabric so much and have been saving it for too many years to mention, but I am supposed to be sewing from stash at the moment...).

The mini quilt is adapted from one of the other designs in the book and uses the triangles from the ends of the strip sets.  I used pretty much every scrap and backed and bound it in the same fabrics as the big quilt.

The big quilt measures 55" x 79" and the mini 29" x 40" - not bad from pieces that might have gone in the bin.  It's a nice baby playmat size and a great size for trying out machine quilting ideas.

Enjoy your sewing, whatever you are working on this week.