Postage Stamp Quilt A-Long at NNC

This year, NNC organised a big project to be done together, or, we call it the Postage Stamp Quilt A Long or PSQAL.

Almost everyone at the group are excited, and many have started planning since late last year when orders for Jelly Rolls (not the eating kind! LOL!) were made from all parts of the world.

As for me, I only started thinking and making plans for the PSQAL after the NNC Anniversary Meet was over with on the 14th of April 2012, as earlier, I was busy with my certification program, and after that, getting things ready for the Meet.

I was torn between making a full Postage Stamp Quilt or combining it with some appliqué blocks. But, my mind was made up when I was going through the April 2012 issue of the American Patchwork & Quilting magazine on the airplane on one of my working trips to Penang in late April 2012.

This particular design by Jo Morton from JOMORTONQUILTS.com just jumped right out at me! LOL! I just could not wait to get back to Kuala Lumpur and get started on my quilt! LOL!

I started working on the appliqué the weekend after I came back from Penang. It looked easy, and yes, it is easy, but a lot of work goes into it – the tracing, the cutting, the ironing and the sewing of the blanket stitch. But, so far, I am pleased with the outcome.

I am making this appliqué piece to be combined with the postage stamps blocks as I am not a particular fan of monotony. I can’t bring myself to cut hundreds and hundreds of squares. I need to break down the monotony and intersperse it with something that will catch the eye and make it more interesting.

This particular quilt will be in colours of reds, browns and greens (What? No PINK? LOL! *grin*). I am using the layer cake and jelly roll from the Late Bloomers Collection for Moda which I bought from Q Gallery in Penang some time back, combined with some other collections and remnants from my previous projects.

So far, I have managed to quilt 13 blocks already. I still have another 32 more blocks to do. I need to make 45 appliqué blocks and 45 PSQ blocks. See the sketch I made on the paper? That’s my design sheet! *grin*

I am also being a little bit ambitious (shall I say, overly ambitious? LOL!) by wanting to do another quilt too while I do the PSQAL. I am hoping to make a Sunbonnet Sue quilt for the guest bedroom.

I have in fact started on the quilt using Em, my embroidery machine, the following weekend after I started on the PSQAL. Unfortunately, I could not progress fast when I had to send Em to the clinic when she hit a pin which was used to hold the fabric together, preventing it from dragging. It caused the hoop holder to jump out of her carriage.

Em has never been away from me since I brought her home 2 years ago, and it was hard being separated from her when I needed her most!

However, she’s back with me last weekend, and she now purrs like a cat as I also had her serviced while her carriage was being repaired. She sounds like new!

I am having so much fun making my Sues as I see her come to life! Oopps! I don’t think Paul is going to like that very much, and I don’t think I want Sue to actually come alive! That would be spooky! LOL!

Here’s my progress thus far.

Still a very long way to go for both quilts, but I hope to complete at least one quilt, if not both, by the end of the year. Wish me luck!