The Camelot Quilt - all blocks complete

So to get the Camelot Quilt from the square 4 x 4 block setting,  I needed to add another four blocks which I decided I'd have a go at designing myself.

I used DrawBerry (a free vector drawing app for Macs) to play around with designs. When it came time to putting them into the correct template size I'm afraid I reverted to paper, pencil and a compass as the block size is bigger than A3 and therefore (for me) not printable.

I only drew the one circle (actually, I didn't draw any circle, my husband did, otherwise I'd have been all over the shop) and then each time I changed the design, rubbed out the lines and started again.

And so we have.

Block 17

Block 18

Block 19

And Block 20.

Some work and some don't. But that's fine. Some will have starring roles and others will be happy to be supporting.

I've had quite a few people asking me what background fabric I am going to be using.
Well it was never going to be a plain solid.

I've narrowed it down to the following two. Just waiting for them to arrive and then I'll decide.

What do you think?

Or?

Images courtesy of Hancocks of Paducah

Progress with a very small 'p'

The Camelot Quilt (technically there but not quite)

I pushed on and was left with no option but to tackle the trickier blocks.

This one is Block 5 and I managed to piece the circle into the middle rather than using the applique.

Then Block 9 with lots of fiddly, tiny pieces.

Block 7 which isn't the prettiest inset circle but I did it and that is enough for me at the moment.

But I must have learnt something because Block 2 had two inset circles and I'm really happy with how this one turned out.

And finally, Block 4, which has a whole Flickr post devoted to it because others have found it tricky with the really tight Y seams. I did too and again, it's not perfect but I think I gave up on perfection abut the second block on so again, it will do. Plus, when it's all made up and washed you won't be able to tell which wrinkles are 'washed' wrinkles and which are 'not quite perfect' wrinkles.

So goes my theory.

It has been a huge learning curve (no pun intended) and has at times taken me way out of my quilting comfort zone but it's good to do that from time to time.

So that makes all 16 blocks.

However, big girl pants have arrived, almost got them on and then I shall start tackling four new blocks to make it up to a 20 block rectangular shaped quilt which I much prefer.

In the meantime, here are all 16 blocks.

The Camelot Quilt (again)

The Camelot Quilt is proving the best 'take anywhere' project to do when little moments of free time present themselves.

This one is Block 14

Block 11

And Block 10

I've received quite a few questions on the Camelot Quilt so these are my thoughts so far:

• They are neither difficult nor easy to do
• Someone who has already made the quilt said in the Flickr group that you should just take it one stitch at a time and that is the best advice. If you look at it like that, the block gets done slowly but surely
• I wouldn't even begin to attempt these on a sewing machine - you can fudge better by hand and the pieces slot together more easily too
• Pin, pin, pin and pin again. Especially important if, like me, you eyeballed the 1/4" seam allowance as you cut the pieces out
• I didn't spend much time agonising over colours/fabrics for each block. All I've done is whack a bit of text fabric in each block for continuity and then tried to get a pleasing mix of colours. That said I've consciously left out bright red and purple because as I've gone along I didn't feel they would look right
• I am changing my mind on a daily basis as to what I should pick as the background fabric. Today I am feeling a black and white, yesterday I got excited about this fabric and tomorrow I'll probably think differently. I think I should wait for all the blocks to be finished before making my final decision
• It feels a great sense of achievement to finish each block. But it's a once only sense of achievement so at the end of this, I'll give the pattern away on this blog

Camelot(ing) along

I'm finding the Camelot blocks very addictive.

This is Block 15 and I tried to get a secondary flow going with the swirly fabric.

This one is Block 13

And Block 8 where I got all unintentionally clever and managed to include a piece of fabric with the year that this was made.

 And then Block 6 which is going to be redone in parts because I spectacularly cocked up on my inability to get it to do what it was supposed to do - look nice and lie flat.

But then I moved on to Block 12 and I just love the way it looks. Confidence levels rose a bit once more, having subsided when I made a dogs dinner of piecing the centre circle, so took it out and decided applique was the way to go.

And then before you know it, you are over half-way there...

....but not quite for me as I'm still planning on adding another four blocks of my own to get it to a rectangular quilt. 

I just haven't quite got my big girl's pants on for that bit yet.

A conversation

Wouldn't it be like really cool if like for my birthday party, you like made the party bags?

Not if you keep using the word 'like' it won't.

So can you make my party bags, you know, with cool text fabric on them?

What style were you thinking of?

Oh nothing complicated, just a simple zippered pouch.

Did you say 'zippered'?

Uh huh. Is that a problem?

No of course not. I was just thinking your friends might fancy a simple drawstring type bag thingy.

Errr no mum. Zipper will be fine thanks.

Oh, O-kaaay then. And how many do you need?

15.

F-i-f-t-e-e-n!

Err yeah mum, why, is that like a problem?

Course not.

_*_

So I remembered Susan had sent me a lovely zippered pouch and I emailed her asking for her tutorial. She said she didn't have one.

That they are really easy to make up if you understand the construction.

Which I didn't.

But 15 pouches later I am pleased to say I do.

Most of them are cut from layer cakes. I cut 1 inch off the side and 2 inches off the bottom.

• Order zippers - I tried to find zippers as colourful as these this side of the Atlantic and failed. Well worth the order
• Cut off both ends that have the metal stopper bit - that way you are more likely to hang on to your sewing machine needles if you sew a bit too close
• The best finish is achieved if you encase both ends of the zip in a piece of fabric with the ends pressed under. If that is as clear as mud, there is a very good tutorial here

• Yes, in an ideal world you could interface each piece but for the purposes of making my motherly talents look good in as short a time as possible,  I didn't
• They are lined which is enough
• And it also means you can knock them out at 10 minutes a piece 

Which gives you more time...

...to listen to the helpful suggestions on how the birthday cake should look.

Bargain of the Day

Lucie Summer's Summersville is an incredible $4.98 a yard here.

Well it would be rude not to...