Finally... Quiltmania as an e-magazine!

At long last... Quiltmania is now available as a (regular?) e-magazine!

It was back in December, when I discovered an app on the Apple news-stand for Quiltmania and I quickly downloaded it, thinking that at long last I would be able to buy and store the magazine on my iPad without having to sign for a year long subscription or traipse from one quilt store to the next (my LQS does not stock it) trying to purchase copies. I was also keen to participate in Di Ford Hall's year long BoM called MountMellick.

I was so disappointed when January came along, then February, then March; I  could not download the e-magazine - despite having written to Quiltmania (even in my schoolgirl French!) and with no response, whatever I did I just couldn't get the app to work, so I gave up and followed everyone's adventures with the BoM through Facebook hoping that one day the app would suddenly spring into life.

Suddenly today the app was working, so I now have the 4 missing e-magazines downloaded onto my iPad at a good price that does not include postage and packaging or my travel costs of getting to Dorking for the nearest supplier of the magazine. Each took an age to download, but that could be because I have a weak broadband connection. But now I can peruse each magazine at my leisure.

An example of one of the articles on the iPad with Xenia Cord

Each magazine contains all the articles, plus wonderful pictures (which you can zoom in and out of for a closer look) and all the projects including the usual clear directions. Some projects have accompanying videos. Whilst there are clear cutting instructions/diagrams just as you would find in the paper version, if there are any templates that you require then you have to email Quiltmania for them and they are sent to you by email.  This could be a pain if you're all fired up (like me!) to get on with a project, but following my experience in December, the patterns/templates were emailed to me within 24 hours, so pretty good really.

So now I am ready to join the MountMellick BoM wagon. My fabrics have been long stored in a plastic crate waiting for this moment, so the time has come to prep and hopefully tomorrow the templates will arrive in my in-box!

But first I have to finish March and July's Benjamin Biggs BoM. They are nearly done...

A new block and a new old block

I've been beavering away trying to catch up on some of my projects - I need to have a sort out as to what is a UFO and what is actually a WIP. I have far too many projects on the go and I need to concentrate on just two or three at one time, although knowing me, this number will no doubt increase as I prevaricate as to which ones I want to work on...

Firstly though, a finished block...

Benjamin Biggs Album Quilt - Block 6 for June 2014

June 2014

I changed the centre circle from the blue I used for the leaves to a brown - the same fabric used in the berries which I fussy-cut. I was very lucky that the flowers fitted just inside the size of the berries.

B1 - Original block

Unfortunately, the name of the original maker has faded away, so sadly we will never know who made this block. 

Now to try and complete March's block and the July block and then I should be all up to date. 

As it is a block of the month I wonder whether I might be permitted an extra WIP? Once I am up-to-date of course... :-)

Beyond the Cherry Trees Quilt

Do you remember this block?

I completed it back in May 2013. Apart from a wonky bottom edge, easily rectified, I never really liked the fabric for the bowl. I loved the fabric, it's one of my favourites and handles beautifully, but the background colour was too green for the quilt which has no green in it.

So I planned to change the bowl fabric at some point and then I saw the perfect piece in Shipshewana - only a fat quarter, but more than sufficient for the bowl and here is the finished block...

Block D5 bowl restitched

I think the fabric is much more in keeping and helps to balance the flowers and leaves above. Despite the pattern being printed the same size as all the other blocks the flowers, buds and even some of the leaves are much larger than on the other blocks, so it looks much heavier. I am much happier now and have just noticed that the design in the centre looks like a parrot!

So that's two WIPs now to choose the third - definitely the Spratley Quilt, but I need another WIP as well - which one will it be...?

Have a good week of stitching.