Old and new things

So here is the first of the unfinished quilts that I want to complete before starting anything new. This is a split ninepatch that I love because of the dark, warm jewel colours and its rich cream/tan background. I wanted a very simple border pattern and went with this Amish pumpkin seed design - it is so elegantly simple and a real pleasure to sew.

And here is the first block of our group's friendship quilt. We are all making ten blocks and will give them to each other for Christmas. I chose Dresden Plate because I had never done it. Our colour theme is blue and cream (much harder to find fabrics than blue and white) and I had problems getting a pattern the right size. Our blocks were decided to be 9 inches finished and I could only find a 9 inch pattern. I didn't want the plate to fill the block from edge to edge so I cut down the pattern and redrew the curved edges. What a pleasure these blocks are going to be to sew while listening to the radio or watching tv and good to take along to quilt group as well. This one is my first sample and will probably be mine as I want to make one the same for the four corners of my quilt. I'm not fond of sampler quilts and a friend said she was going to make the same block for the four corners to give it a bit of symmetry (I always need symmetry in my quilts - a substitute for an ordered mind, I think). Right - off to do some more.