Still Blowing Bubbles

Having recapped my list of finishes earlier in the week, I thought it was time to revisit a few more old favourites, before the new link up begins.

I have been doing a bit of work in the background on my Bubblebee quilt, designed by AyliN-Nilya. Last year Celine of espiritpatch.co.uk asked was anybody interested in a bee based on this pattern. I presume Celine must have been in a previous one, as this was to be Bubblebee2. About 23 or so signed up as interested, by the time of start up this was down to about 17. About 10 or so of us actually saw out the year. It must have been a nightmare for Celine to keep reworking those spreadsheets as people drifted in and out. I think by the end, those of us who were left had a strong determination to see it through.

I think I ended up with 10 blocks, including one I made myself. I had always intended this to be a largish lap quilt, smallish double bed quilt, so more blocks are in the offing. At this point in time, I have 11 and 3/4 blocks, so I have sewn them together to see how they are sizing up. I also have a couple more "set up" and just needing sewn.

So far so good. Just 41/4 more and that will be hunky dory. I have a feeling these last blocks will all be smaller floating blocks - maybe I shouldn't have sewn the others together to better balance them out! Ok. Two biggish bubbles like this one:

and two smaller floating bubbles, like this jade one I made for Brandy:

The question is - do I keep them all black or have a rogue red one? Will a red one look quirky or just pretentious? Does anybody actually care? I say red, because I am going to back this with a sugar skull fabric. The fabric I want has a black background and small sugar skulls with a predominance of red and white accents. I headed out last Saturday to buy it, but could only get a sickly pink in a large scale. If I go to my usual trusty Paragon shop, I know I will get what I am looking for. I usually time those visits with my hairdresser who is nearby.

The bubbles are not in themselves difficult, but they are a footer. Some of these strips of fabric are just over 1/8" when sewn in. It is foundation paper piecing which was a new skill to me. To keep all these little strips of fabric flat, it takes lots of visits to the iron. Then it seems that the iron shrinks the fabric or something. No matter how careful you are, it is always 1/8" short at the end. I now make the outer ring larger and trim to size. Even so, you measure, measure again, cut. Turn to measure the other direction and it seems to have contracted!

Nearly there and it will be another finish. Hopefully.

Helen x

linking up with Let's Be Sewcial and Sew Fresh Quilts