Thursday, May 31, 2012

Fresh Sewing Day and Just Three for May...


Oh, my goodness!  I made my first mosaic using PicMonkey!!!!  So terribly exciting!  I was surprised by all the options and am going to work on changing up my blog header maybe even this weekend.

Well, what did I do this month?  I accomplished all my Just Three for May goals.
1)  I hoped to finish my Ruby Trellis quilt.  Done.
2)  I wanted to finish the Wedding Quilt.  That is it all rolled up because I don't want to spoil the surprise.  It is done.  This is the quilt that I was enlisted to help with.  I thought up the block.  The bride picked the colours and sent out the instructions to friends and family.  Blocks started arriving in the mail and I put it altogether and it looks awesome!
3)  Then I wanted to sew something fun.  I made 3 fun things.  A new dog bed for Webster.  A pillow with a block I had not made before and I also made a Jane Market Bag.

Not too shabby!  I cannot wait to show the wedding quilt but that will have to wait until at least June 11th.

Edited because I forgot to add my goals for June!

What am I going to set for goals for June????  Just three...

1)   Finish the cross string block scrappy quilt because it just looks so cool!
2)   Make something from my Zakka Style book but i have to order some linen
3)  Fill up my new wall of shelves with all my fabric that will most likely be finished this weekend!!!!

and I am sure I will do more than that!



Yesterday, I spoke about my favourite quilting tools.  Several people have wondered about the Hera marker.  You have to check these out if you do not have one.  They are not expensive.  Basically, they are used to mark fabric by impressing a line into the fabric.  The tool has a fairly sharp, narrow plastic edge that will mark a totally visible line that does not impact the fabric over time.  I use it for marking quilting lines most often and for diagonals on HSTs.      


I would have replied to a few of the comments but there are some NO REPLY bloggers out there.  I am not ignoring you, I just cannot reply.  This is the fix, people!!!!!

I am going to link up with Fresh Sewing Day at Lily's Quilts and Just Three with Tracey!  Happy Thursday!

Lily's Quilts                                             traceyjay quilts



Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Favourites...


Impossible to do with out.  Totally my favourites.  Rotary cutter.  Hera marker.  Stitch ripper.  I have had my rotary cutter for ages.  It doesn't even have the newer ergonomic shape but it fits in my hand and feels right.  I just discovered my Hera marker last year and I use it a lot for marking quilting lines or diagonals for half square triangles.  It is so handy!  And what can I say about the stitch ripper.  Hmmm.  It gets a lot of use if you know what I am saying.  I would be growing a Pinocchio nose if I said it doesn't get used much!  

What about you?? Any favourite quilting tools out there?  Have a super evening!

more clematis flowers

future blueberres!!!!!!

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Just a little work in progress...


 I had a bag of 4" vintage sheet squares all nicely cut.  These were leftovers from daughter's picnic quilt made last summer.  I have been thinking that I needed to do something about the very dismal state of my school medical room.  It is enough to make a small child feel sicker to have to rest in there before being picked up when sick.  It is so completely lacking in anything that resembles a comfy place.  I need to make a not too fancy, not too big quilt that will stand up to frequent washings and not break my heart if someone is sick on it.  Right now we have the scratchiest and stiffest blankets known to mankind,  So, I am going to throw together these nicely cut little squares, use up a bunch of batting bits and create something that will work better and look nicer than the nasty, scratchy blankets.

I started already.  I think it will go pretty fast.  It is just squares in strips.  No biggie.  When I get tired of making cross string blocks, I make a strip of these babies.



I went from no works in progress to two in less than a week.  Hmph.  How does that happen?????

Have a lovely Tuesday!  Check out the Get Aquainted Blog Hops today!

May 29
    Heidi from Fabric Mutt
    Amy from Amy's Crafty Shenanigans
    
May 31
    Jodi from Tickle and Hide
    Jennie from Porch Swing Quilts

Monday, May 28, 2012

Hey, it's Monday already!


Yesterday, I made this Jane Market Bag.  I tweaked it just a little bit.  I cut the corners out at 3" rather than the 4" so my bag is a little taller and a little narrower.  I have to say that this is the second one of these that I have put together.  The first one was made from quilting cotton and  I found that it was too floppy and not substantial enough.  Enter bag number two.  I picked up this fabric at the thrift store on the weekend.  Many metres of this heavy decor weight stuff.  Sort of a cross between a canvas and a denim.  I have no idea what  you call it.  The pockets are made from some upholstery samples.  Also thrift store.  The samples were not quite big enough so I added a bit to the top of the pocket.  So classy.  The bag is lined with a cotton from my stash that picks up the pinky colours of the main fabric.  Jane Market Bag.  Super strong.  Very green.  That is to say... recycled/upcycled fabric for a reusable shopping bag.  Yep.  Green.  Very green.  I believe this the first of many of these to come.  Do you have this pattern?  I think it is a classic must have pattern.  Just saying.


Linking up with  Fabric Tuesday at Quilt Story.

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Design Wall on a Sunday... and Happy Birthday Grampa!!!



Oh my goodness!  I love this block!  All of a sudden there are 25 of them!  I am using the block tutorial here after seeing a quilt entered in the Blogger's Quilt Festival!  I was inspired.  I really love her colour choice too but for some reason, I decided to make mine in blue and green.  I am using scraps again with a some greens from the stash too.

 I didn't get a ton of sewing done this weekend as it was spa and card ladies yesterday and we celebrated my Grampa's birthday today at my wonderful Aunty's house.  It was a gathering of the clan in honour of Grampa's 94 birthday!!!!  He says he will accept birthday wishes but says "94" is just a number!  Happy birthday, Grampa!!!!!

Looking good!
Linking up with Judy's design wall Monday!!!  and linking up too with Canada's own Needle and Thread Network!!!

Saturday, May 26, 2012

Sunny Saturday Flea Market Finds...


We were off and running this morning as we typically are on a Saturday.  You know you are early when the veggie store hasn't got all the produce out from the coolers yet.  They must be used to us asking to fetch us a lettuce or two from the back because they haven't filled the lettuce bin yet!  Husband had quite the list as he is creating a Moroccan feast for my card ladies this evening.

We did find time to stop at my favourite thrift store and I did scoop some fabric and quite a pile of vintage linens which were all half price!  Total scoop!  Have a peak at what I found!  I used the ladder to the barn loft to show them off.  Have a super weekend!  Linking up with Sophie's Flea Market Finds!

And in case you don't know how to do either of these things, there is a great tutorial for using Pic Monkey over at my thrifty buddy's blog and a instructions on how to number comments over here!

just a little table cloth

and another with lovely lace

2 tray cloths and a set of napkins

vintage sheet


2.5 metres of fabulous vintage cotton!!!!!



Friday, May 25, 2012

We have a winner!


I am blown away by the response to this giveaway!!!!!  527 comments!  Oh, my goodness!   And more than 300 followers!!!  Pardon me, I was just doing and imaginary cartwheel!  Before I announce the winner, I just have to say that I really, really tried to respond to all of you who entered but there were many, many lovely people who are "no reply" bloggers!  Eek!  Here is a link to the fix.  Please check to see if you are among those who think the world is ignoring you because no one ever responds to your comments!

Mrs. Random Number generator has selected....   #38!!!!!  And that is Stephanie Granite who said...

I'm a new follower!  
Welcome, Stephanie and congratulations!!!!  I will be sending you an email!!!


Thursday, May 24, 2012

I just have to say... life is good!




It is a beautiful day and I have a very strong sense of everything feeling right.  An overall sense of things being right with the world.  I made a few more of these funky string blocks last evening.  I took them outside to enjoy the sunshine.  I forgot to take pins so I didn't pin them to the barn wall.  I decided to lay them out on this little patch of bricks that rest underneath an old grindstone.  A little piece of original farm.   I had to pull some weeds first and then the light wasn't quite right coming through the trees but close enough to make me happy and to give an idea about what this is going to look like.  Being a bit of a lazy quilter, I am always trying to find a better way that might be just a bit more efficient.  Last evening, I tried a few things to see if it made a difference to how fast I can churn out these blocks.  I had mixed results.  I made a long, long strip of strings, then attached the white strips and then cut the strips to 10.5" ... blah blah blah.  I was able to make 3 and a bit of a 4th block that way.  So like I said, mixed results.  I think I will stick to the one block at a time.  I do think they look snazzy though!

While I was out in the yard, I got a little distracted with some of the flowers in the back garden.  Peonies and azaleas.  Just so pretty!  Oh, and a few million buttercups in the background.






And then I noticed that I was so distracted by the flowers that I had dropped my blocks all over the place.  Oops.  All rescued and safely back inside.  None the worse for wear.  Have a lovely day!


Huge welcome to all my new followers and all my oldies but goodies.  If you have not yet entered my Sew Mama Sew Giveaway, please do!  You have until Friday at 5 pm PST!!!!

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Work in Progress Wednesday... the funny thing is

#1

 Here is the funny thing.  I have no genuine works in progress at this time except a Jane Market Bag and 4 green and blue scrappy blocks made the other day.  I am completely quilt-less.  Having finished 2 quilts in the last week or so, I should not be surprised and yet it feels very odd to not have a plan or deadline or a list of quilts to go.  It almost feels liberating.  Maybe even a little scandalous.  Well, maybe not scandalous.  That  is a bit of a stretch!

#2

And I did bring home a book the other day.  Catching the Zakka bug that is sweeping the bloggy-verse.

#3????

So there.  I am starting to look for a bee to involve myself in.  So if anyone is so inclined and needs another worker bee... Send me an "e".  Work in Progress Wednesday without much to report.  Linking up with Lee at Freshly Pieced for WIP Wednesday!!!!

Huge welcome to all my new followers and all my oldies but goodies.  If you have not yet entered my Sew Mama Sew Giveaway, please do!  You have until Friday at 5 pm PST!!!!

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Ruby Trellis is finished!


I finished quilting and binding this quilt last evening. It is meant to be a gift and I am looking forward to handing it off down the road.  It is made with Bonnie and Camille's Ruby along with a bit of white and is bound with a red floral print from Sweetwater's Reunion line.  The back is a combination of prints from my stash including a really lovely white on white.  The quilt measures about 68" by 68".  I used a pattern from Lauren and Jessi Jung's website called Trellis and it is a free pattern!  I did tweak it a bit.  I used a few charm packs so used 5" squares.  Just a little tweak!   I quilted it in straight lines on either side of the 5" squares and one line down the centre of the white "trellis".  I did something I haven't done before and that is continue the straight lines right out through the border.  I used my hera marker to mark all those lines.  I really like the impact of the lines right to the edge of the quilt.  So there you have it!  And this marks the last thing on my list of  "Just Three" for May!  Yippee!  All goals accomplished!!!

I do want to invite you to enter my Sew Mama Sew giveaway!!!!  You have until Friday, May 25th at 5 pm PST!  Welcome to all my new followers!!!

And I will link up with Quilt Story Fabric Tuesday!!!!






Monday, May 21, 2012

Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day!!!!


Hello everyone!  Welcome to my Sew Mama Sew Giveaway!  I have for your quilting pleasure a lovely charm pack of Kate Spain's Good Fortune and yes, it is true, a Liberty fat quarter.  Isn't it just so pretty!!!!????  One winner will win both of these and I will ship internationally!  Want to win?

To enter:
1.  Leave a comment, any old comment.
2.  Receive an extra chance at winning for being a follower!  It is just that easy!

Winner will be chosen by random.org on May 25th at 5pm PST!

Edited to say that this giveaway has now been won!

Good luck everyone!

Sunday, May 20, 2012

On the design wall...playing with scraps


The really great thing about the Blogger's Quilt Festival is all the inspiration you find in other people's quilts.  After seeing this quilt, I started playing with scraps this afternoon.  So much fun!!!!  I think I could have this on the back burner and just keep making blocks until I have a quilt.

Other than making string blocks, we took a road trip to the book store and I found this....  Woo hoo!



Don't forget to stop by tomorrow for the start of the Sew Mama Sew giveway day!  Linking up with Judy's Design Wall Monday!  Have a super rest of your Sunday.  We have a long weekend for Victoria Day so an extra day of sewing is in my future!

the pond looking pond like


Saturday, May 19, 2012

A Saturday Finish...


I finished a pillow today.  This was my "just for fun" project for the month of May.  And it was fun!  I used a mess of green scraps and really quilted it.  I mean really quilted it.  The back is a simple envelope closure with big, mismatched buttons.  I love how my sewing machine makes buttonholes.  It is almost to user friendly.  I put some batting in the back too this time to give the pillow a little more substance.  Husband says it has good squish-a-bility.  Yep.  That is a good thing.  The foliage print makes the pillow hard to see in this picture beside the big woods.  Camo-pillow.




Lots of straight line quilting.  I mean lots.  Garage sales were a bust today but I was treated to a lovely pedicure from lovely daughter for Mother's Day!  So much fun!





Friday, May 18, 2012

Blogger's Quilt Festival-Spring 2012


Amy's Creative Side





I have been thinking about which quilt to feature in Amy's Spring 2012 Blogger's Quilt Festival and I am sure this will not be the only Swoon quilt in the festival but I just had to share it again.   I love this quilt!  I joined the Swoon-Along back in January using the fabulous Swoon Pattern by Camille Roskelley.  I didn't use fat quarters though.  I used a variety  of Kaffe Fasset, Amy Butler and Martha Negley samples that were all less than fat quarter size and a bunch of stash fabrics.  Then I just played a little to make the blocks work.   I fussy cut flowers in each of the centre blocks and used coordinating florals in the Swoon corners.  Each Swoon block has four different prints and it works!   I borrowed the cornerstones from Katy at I am a Ginger Monkey. Thanks, Katy!


I just had to include this Swoon in the breeze shot!  The quilt is bound in a purple print from my stash.  I actually bought it at the thrift store to tell the truth!  And I quilted lots of straight lines on either side of the blocks in Aurilfil 50 wt in white.  Totally my "go to" thread!  I took some new pictures of my Swoon last evening because the seasons have changed since I finished it and it just seemed right.