“Guten Tag” and hello from Germany, hive 3!

Here is my block for September. Please feel free to ask any questions any time. I hope you have fun with it!

The motivation

I am thrilled to be queen for the first time ever. That is very fitting as the quilt I want to make with your blocks is the first for someone in my family. You know how it is.

You want to make extra special and beautiful quilts for those closest to you and so you wait for later. As in later when you have more practice. Later when your skills are better. Later when you find the perfect pattern and fabric. As my dad has fallen ill and also is quite old – I decided that later is now.

The colours

I would like you to use neutrals i.e. white, grey, creme or black. Think quilt for a man. Think navy and boats. Think old motorcycles, steel and snowscapes.

I know. That is thread. Not fabric 😆 But those colours are my go to threads, which I use all the time, anyway. So this is the palate.

You can use any fabric no matter if solid, batiks, novelty or otherwise. But please don’t use any colours, not even coloured pattern. I am not looking for low volume. I am looking for neutrals.

Also I ask you to use the same fabric for all the background pieces. The cat can be uniform or scrappy what ever you like. But the background needs to be coherent to make the pattern work.

The pattern and cutting

Say hello to Fred the Cat. There are many versions of this pattern online. But I did not find one in my size. So here we go.

You need
1 or more fabric (s) for the cat
and
1 fabric for background

Of the fabric or fabrics for the cat you need / cut

1 body 4.5″ x 8.5″
1 head 4.5″ x 3″
and
2 ears 2″ x 2″

For the background B you need / cut
1 piece 4.5″ x 4.5″ for the wall
1 piece 4.5″ x 2″ for the ears
1 piece 2″ x 2″ for the tail
1 strip 2″ x 8.5″ for the top
and
1 strip 2″ x 10″ for the side

I did the ears and tail with stitch and flip. So draw a diagonal line on all 3 pieces 2″ x 2″. Or use this handy tool to make it quicker.

Attach the ear pieces 2″ x 2″ of the cat fabric to the 4.5″ x 2″ of background.

Cut the corners off. And press out. (Same technique is used for the tail.)

Pictua ears pressed

Join the ears to the 4.5″ x 3″ cat head piece.

Pictua head

Head ready? Now you have to make a choice. Do you want your cat looking left (reminiscing of the past and thinking of loved ones). Then attach the background tail fabric 2″ x 2″ to the top right to of the cat body piece 4.5″ x 8.5″.

Or do you want your cat to look to the right (looking into the future and dreaming of better days). Then attach to the top left.

Attach the head to the wall background piece 4.5″ x 4.5″. Once again mind the direction the cat is facing.

Please attach the background strip 2″ x 8.5″ to the top. Not to the bottom. It is the frame that makes the cat visible in quilt.

And thus follows another character defining decision. Are you opting for one of those elegant yet “I am not looking at you” beauties? Attach the background strip 2″ x 10″ to the front. Thus giving the cat space and separation.

Or do you rather make a fluffy furball which keeps coming back for cuddles? Then attach the background 2″ x 10″ strip to the rear. So it can snuggle with the others.

That’s it. Your done. Hopefully quickly, as it is late summer and life happens a lot outside. (For most of us.)

The challenge

You might despite life 1.0 have some time on your hand. Or are you looking for a challenge? I would love some of the cats to be scrappy patchwork. Just take all those tiny scraps and join them randomly to make new fabric. Then your cat might look something like this.

But as I said. Only if you feel like it and life 1.0 leaves you the time.

The story

Here is what the finished quilt might look like.

I am looking forward to seeing your cats. And I would love you to include a name and character for your cat when you post it.

So now I am taking home the trophy for longest post with most rambling on Stash Bee. And am off making more for the litter.

Enjoy the late summer! (Or season of your continent 🙂

Gabriele aka Molly Grue

Just some quick pictures.

This is not a regular baby quilt. It has wobbles and knobs to touch, some rattle and shake parts and lots of strips and flaps to pull and nestle with.

Quilt stats for 50 x 50:

Front 1 charm pack and 2 yards

Back 4 yards

Cutting and Design 6 hours

Special activity Bits 16 hours

Quilting and Binding 20 hours

Just some quick pictures. Baby Quilt. Constantly in use. Need more 😃

Quilt stats for 40 x 40

Front 8 halfyards and 8 fat quarter

Back 3 yards

Cutting and Design 13 hours (jeez!)

Quilting 14 hours

Rest 6 hours

Hello to all Stash-using sewists out there!

I am whooping! Why? I made it into StasBee. For the last three years I followed that blog. Always in awe of the variety of fabric in use. Amazed at the lovely ideas for block designs. And a little bit envious of those truly scrappy finished quilts. Fully aware that I would not be able yet to make such a colourful mixed-fabric quilt. Why might you ask. Because, guilty secret and confession: I don’t have a stash.

Now fellow Bee-members, please don’t despair. I will be able to make your blocks. And will make them as pretty and accurate as I can. I don’t have a stash. But I do have fabric.

I have backing fabric, selfmade precuts in various sizes, fabric already dedicated to certain projects and a little box of petting fabric*. That should be sufficient. Any colours I really, really after rummaging and looking and searching still don’t have, I am perfectly willing to buy.** Which I totally can without guilty conscience. Because, you see, I don’t have a stash 🙂

So keep on completing your stash.
Yours sincerely, Molly Grue

 

*fabric that you keep taking out and looking at but was never intended for using

**My husband is certain I won’t have to. In fact there might be a little bet ongoing.

Hello to all diaper-changers!

Yes, I have a sewing machine. No, I can’t repare your (insert clothing of choice). Do any of you relate to this?

Alas, this husband of mine who loves me dearly and gives me sewing time every day pointed out that maybe in our own household one or two repair jobs might not be too much to ask. Da..it, he’s right.

We inherited our diaper changing station from my sister including the wadding on which my own dear nephew already spent many hours and do you know it, the cover finally gave up. Found some pretty laminated fabric…

… bought batting and constructed a new one. Like from scratch. I know, there are only 7 seams in it. But boy am I proud. Why? Because I wrestled laminated fabric though my Scarlett*. And I made this without a pattern although my brain went bsssss halfway due to lack of sleep. And I glued the seamallowances down instead of a secureseam.

I also learned something. Test the glue before you use it. Ok, I knew this. But honestly, does anyone really do this? Well, you should. Here is why:

Nevermind. It will do its job. My daughter loves the deer. And for the next baby in this family I will sew a new one. Now I know how this goes.

So keep on changing those diapers**.

Yours sincerely,
Molly Grue

*I am not the only one who gave her sewing machine a name, right. Right?
**Until potty training that is.

Hello all WIP-collectors out there!

So I did it. I rummaged, counted and sorted. And made a list. Here you go.

Pictua

So what’s your number? Mine is 49. Now some of you might cry out in despair. Some of you might shuffle to the back of the room, trying to hide. But some of you might just nod and smile.

You see,  I like things organized and labeled. Maybe it’s the engineer part of me. That wants things tidy and with numbered parts. My life however at the moment isn’t.

That’s fine. I have toddler. And love, love, love spending time with her. Just with working nearly fulltime and yes, spending family time, that doesn’t leave a lot of time for sewing and creating.

And that is where WIPs are your relief. I have heaps ready for chain piecing if I find the time. I have fabric ready to be cut if I can bring out the iron. I have mugrugs and darning if I need a quick finish. And I am happy to be part of Stash Bee. So I get to play with a fresh challenge every month.

I am probably not going to start a big project this year. But I don’t need to. I have plenty. Thanks to my WIP. And that is why I smile when I see my list. To me they are not unfinished objects, neglected or lost. To me they are heaps of chances to play.

So embrace your WIPs.

Yours sincerely,
Molly Grue