CHUCK NOHARA?!

Please Don't Encourage Me

It's a well known fact that I have a serious condition - Fabricitus, my sister tried to tell me once that this wasn't an actual disease and that I might be a little bit deluded, I nearly fell right off my unicorn!! I mean really? As if Fabricitus isn't an actual thing?? In about 3 weeks it will be time for Festival...can I get a "hell yeah!!" and then we will see who is right, Caity or me!! 

I have desperately been trying to avoid all this Chuck Nohara lark, I really really have, but everywhere I turn it seems to be following me, I think it might be time to face the fact that it has accepted me as its human. At first glance it isn't really anything splendid, it looks fairly old and out dated, there aren't many instructions and the ones that are there are not in English.

Chuck Nohara

BUT don't let that put you off, inside is an Aladdin's cave of deliciousness, hundreds of lovely, quirky blocks crying out to be made in new ways, new sizes and new fabrics. There really is something for everyone crammed in this treasure trove, a variety of blocks for all skill levels and tastes.

It is literally everywhere on my Instagram feed, many of the fab blogs I love to read and follow, my Pinterest everywhere and the gorgeous examples are only making my growing obsession worse!! Look at this beauty over on Thimbleanna, 

And then there is the utterly fabulous version currently being created by Sharon of Lilabelle Lane, if you have never visited her blog you absolutely should, the woman is the very definition of inspirational, and largely responsible for my diseases and addictions!!

There are just so many gorgeous examples calling softly to me, that I am seriously considering making this my Festival focus!! But now I have the task of deciding what to make it in....

A popular choice seems to be making it out of scraps, I really like this idea firstly because I have an abundance of scraps most of which are from quilts or blocks I have made. Secondly because each block will then be a small reminder of everything I have done, each block would mean something different to me depending on which fabric it was made from and therefore become a sort of memory quilt. And finally because I am not very good at be spontaneous and uncoordinated in my fabric choices and as such this would be a huge challenge!! It is also something that I can keep as an ongoing project to dip in and out of, making a few blocks as I finish projects to use up my scraps. Of course I never can resist the buying of new fabric, and I have a serious issue with AMH, Tula Pink and Art Gallery Fabrics so maybe I should take the opportunity to start a whole new collection just for this?? I think I have totally just sold it to myself ha ha ha Kerry Q will be shaking her head and rolling her eyes right about now.

It's really not my fault, sometimes things literally leap off of shelves right into my arms, like this in John Lewis when I was totally minding my own business and absolutely not at all looking for any fabric....

Happy Quilting

Kerry xx

P.S If you are currently working on your own version of Chuck, I would love to see it and hear what's been inspiring you, we can start our very own Quilters Anonymous 

SLOW PROGRESS.....

Borders and Fillers

It's been an aaaagggee since I have had some spare minutes to sit down and update you on the various projects I have been working on. Life just really got in the way over the last few weeks, I have had some big life changes and upheavals which have really knocked my sideways - Oh and Festival of Quilts squueeeellll- but I am feeling much happier and getting back on track, so here we go.......

You may recall I have been working on something special for my wonderful Daddy who turned 50 at the beginning of August, unfortunately I am still working on it, hence this posts title!!

As this isn't a set pattern I am following but rather finding inspiration here and there, then putting together my own design I was finding gaps and spaces between some of the sections already quilted, that I really needed to fill. So I headed back to a previous quilt I had started as part of a class and took on the mighty chevron border!!

It looks very technical but in reality it is very straight forward and is extremely effective when finished.

The first step is to cut a pile of strips 5 1/4in in length in a variety of fabrics. I tried to get in as many of the fabrics I had been using throughout the quilt top for continuity's sake and also chose to cut mine in widths ranging from 1in - 2in to create a more visual border. You can of course use just one or two fabrics and stick to the same width.

(picture 1)

The fabric strips simply get placed on top of each other, one at a time, and stitched along the longest edge, alternating sides with each strip. With the exception of the first pair which is attached along the shorter edge (picture 1) The more you add, the longer it gets!!

So that was a few borders taken care off, now for some fillers...

At last months quilt group meet up, Carrie was cutting and stitching copious amounts of Pin Wheels, which looked ever so lovely and she assured me were very easy to make......lies!!! After a few of them took a dive out of my quilt studio window I found a method that worked for me and here it is in pictures.

And here are both these bits partially in action.....

Happy Quilting 
Kerry xx