A finish...

I made a simple vintage sheet quilt for the medical room bed at school.  I just cannot bear those scratchy grey blankets and cannot imagine being a wee sick kiddo having to cover up with one of those.  So... soft vintage sheets in 4 " squares is the answer. Totally random placement of prints as I grabbed and stitched without a whole lot of planning.   It is cheerful enough in yellows and greens but, hey, its made of old sheets so it is not going to be a catastrophe if something happens in the sick room.  And I don't have to say anything more because I am sure you know what I am talking about.  I bound it in a white and green vintage sheet.  It worked out perfectly!  It is backed in a lovely soft solid yellow sheet that is soft but still substantial enough that it will hold up.  In the spirit of recycling, I stitched together a couple of big chunks of leftover batting for the insides.  The quilt is quilted simply,  1/4" on just one side of each seam, with Aurifil 50 wt in white to create a grid.  You can see it quite well on the back down below.  Easy peasy.  And happily waiting to comfort sick kiddos when school starts up as it is already on the medical room bed at school.

Linking up with Amanda Jean for Finish it Up Friday.

WIP Wednesday

Last evening, I just had to do it.  I went downstairs at 9 pm and chopped up the 9 patch blocks for the Modernerized Disappearing 9 patch and put the chopped blocks on the design wall.  Husband actually came to check on me to see if I was okay.  I don't usually start chopping things up at 9 pm.  That's bed time, people!  I realize that I must have been a bit tired because the blocks are nicely placed in a rectangle but at a seriously evident tilt.  Oops!  Anyway, now that they are up on the design wall, I am going to examine this picture closely to see if I am happy with the distribution of colours and then get this puppy sew together.

As for other things on the go, I actually made another block for my Road to Fortune quilt.  Check it out, almost there!  I took a break for a few weeks as I was getting tired of making these.  Sigh.  But the end is near!  I see that Amy has released a pattern for something very similar to this and it looks really nice in the colours she made it with.

Linking up with Lee at Freshly Pieced and the Needle and Thread Network!

Pacific Northwest Modern Quilt Meet Up Tote Bag Swap

A week ago there was a big meet up of many Modern Quilt guilds from the Pacific Northwest in Portland.  Now I couldn't go (giant pout) but I did take part in the Robert Kaufman denims tote bag swap.  On Sunday, I met up with several of my quilt guild and I took delivery of the tote bag I got in return.  Check it out!

And here is a picture of Amy who made my bag.  Thanks Amy!!!  She says that the block is called Icky Thump!  And I do believe that is a reference to the White Stripes.

I started something new...

I saw something out in blog land that caught my eye.  That often happens.  Anyway, this morning I chopped up fabric and put together a bunch of 9 patch blocks.  But not your everyday average 9 patch blocks.  These ones have a whole lot more white in them than you would typically do.  Yep.  The disappearing disappearing 9 patch is in the works.  At least that is what I am calling it.  The story being that a clever quilter, Kristy Daum, decided to modern-up the disappearing 9 patch by reducing the number of prints and upping the solids.  That way when you chop up the blocks and reassemble them, you get a whole lot more negative space.  Cool!  So I used up some Nicey Jane fabrics, a little bit of Lizzy House and a pink print from a way back along with a pile of white.  12 blocks done.  Time to chop them up and see what happens.

Linking up with Judy's Design Wall Monday.

Be still my beating heart!

The other day, I noticed in the Simple and Sweet Scrappy Swap group on Flickr that Barb had made a pouch, to die for, and had a stack of what appeared to be Heather Ross charms ready to pop in the mail!  I had all my fingers and toes crossed, hoping that this amazing package might head my way.... and it did!!!!!!!!!!!  The pouch, is gorgeous with all that Heather Ross goodness and Denyse Schmidt's brown posy!

And then Barb dug through her stash and cut 5" charms of only Heather Ross fabric to send me.  Seriously amazingly generous!  I think even Husband was impressed.  He is quite fond of the fish in the bags.

Check it out... seriously amazing!  I cannot believe it.  I am having a fabric love episode.

Even the card has Heather Ross fabric!  Eep!  Squeal!  Thank you so much, Barb!!!  And if you click on Barb's name, she posted about the pouch just the other day!!!!  And I think I commented, and I quote, "OMG send it my way!"  Yep, I did.

Meet Marvin

Can you see that fuzzy black shape past the compost bin?  Yep.  That is Marvin.  A teenage black bear that Husband met the other day.  Husband was outside spraying wasp nests on the out buildings when he noticed Marvin just a short distance away.  Marvin was enjoying a nice late summer snack of apples from a tree on the other side of the fence.  Husband said he could hear him smacking away on the apples.  Marvin hung around all day much to Husband's annoyance.  Marvin enjoyed snacking on hazelnuts on several of our trees, tested the chicken run fence and found it to be bear proof.  I don't think he tried that hard, I think he was just showing off.  Husband yelled at him a lot and banged things with a baseball bat  but Marvin did not seem to care. Typical teenager!  We now have an air horn to welcome him with if he comes back.  That will apparently scare him away.  
And maybe Marvin would like this?  We certainly did!  It was oh my goodness good.  Burst Tomato Galette from the Smitten Kitchen.  Try it.  Man, it was deadly!

The pastry was so good that Husband tried it with transparent apples (yellow summer apples) from our tree.  It was fabulous!

Linking up with the randomeers for Random Thursday!

Hmmm, what am I doing?

On the sewing front I started another bag because the first one was just so much fun.  I am using Elizabeth Hartman's pattern again because it is such a great pattern!  I used a home decor weight fabric (from the thrift store, I might add) for the bottom and the top.  That is the small black and white check.   I used the same for the facing so by the time I got that altogether, it was just too thick on top.  So I ripped the facing off and I will use quilting cotton to face the bag with.  Then I will be a happy camper.  I am back to work this week and think that this bag might just be a bunch of fun to lug my junk back and forth in.

And I started and finished a vintage sheet quilt for the medical room bed at school.  They had a bunch of those scratchy grey blankets on the medical room bed.  Yuck.  That is the last thing a little sick child wants to be snuggled up with.  I have completely forgotten to take pictures so I must do that.

I also transformed with Husband's expert help...

 
into 28 quarts of  bread and butter pickles.  We like our pickles.

So that is my work in progress list for the past while.  Happy Wednesday!  Linking up with Lee at Freshly Pieced for work in progress Wednesday and the Needle and Thread Network.

Thrifty summer finds...

I haven't shared any thrift shop finds for awhile.  When Mum was visiting a bit ago, we totally hit some of our favourite thrift shops.  I found a BIG bag of wooden thread spools.  Gotta have that.  And then this vintage apron caught my eye.  I think it was about a $1.  It is very cute and I think before I give it to daughter, I will make a pattern from it.  Love the slit pockets in the polka dots.  The fabric is a good weight perhaps even a linen blend.

BUTTONS!  and these ones were sorted into mostly blues with a touch of green.  Nice!

And some snazzy vintage sheets and pillow cases.  I am really picky about vintage sheets because I have a really good stash but these ones hit all the right notes.  Bright, sturdy and fresh looking.

I might just be working on a vintage sheet quilt as we speak.

Sunday Stash...

Lush Uptown.  Seriously.  Erin Michael for Moda.  I have loved this fabric since I got my copy of Elizabeth Hartman's first book, a Practical Guide to Patchwork, because she has a quilt in the book made out of the original line. So when I heard a new line was coming out with some reprints,  I ordered it from Pink Castle.  Seriosuly.  Paint by number fabric and paint pots.  Love it.
 

It looks like my garden...

Name:  It Looks Like My Garden

Design: Playing with values, 6" HSTs, inspired by Katie Pedersen tutorial

Size:  approx 84" by 90"

Fabric:  assorted fabrics and scraps in light and dark values

Quilted: by me with Aurifil 50 wt in light grey (2615)

I finished my values quilt.  I am in absolute love with this quilt. The explosion of colours and the play of values just hit all the right notes for me.  My friend Sue saw the quilt when it was on the design wall and she said, "Hey, it looks like your garden."  And it does so that is what I am calling it.  I have wanted to make a values quilt for years.  I have drooled over the values quilts that Katie Pedersen has made and I finally just had to do it.  I used a variety of fabrics from my stash. Scraps, samples, bits of odd fabric.  I was able to use up a lot of fabrics that would have lingered in my stash for who knows how long because they just work here.  There are some bits of Anna Maria Horner, some Sandi Henderson, some Kaffe Fassett and a whole bunch of who knows what.  There is even a print that may be a Martha Negley or Kaffe Fasset that has turnips and asparagus but chopped up in this quilt, it all works.  

 I took a lot of pictures at different times of the day because I was finding it tricky to photograph the colour intensity.  The evening shots like this one by the garden are a bit washed out but I wanted a picture by the flowers.

 So so details... The fabric is cut into 6" squares and then I made a zillion HSTs with light and dark volume fabrics.  Sometimes, the light volume fabric turns up as dark volume fabric in another HST. That is part of the fun.  I absolutely needed the design wall for this one.

The quilting was a workout.  I went for straight lines, 2 rows on either side of the seam lines vertically but not too close to the seams.  I used light grey Aurifil 2615 because I wanted the thread to blend more with all the colours.  I do love straight line quilting.  Really. Love. Straight line. Quilting.  I used a tone on tone purple fabric that has a flower print on it.  I actually got it at the thrift store some time ago and I think there must have been about 8 or 10 metres of it because I have been using it in quilts and for binidngs for years and it just keeps on delivering.  I find it to be a really lovely purple.  I used it in the quilt too.

And the back is a bunch of fabric.  Pieced bits of leftovers and a lovely text fabric from Stof.

See... it looks like my garden.

Linking up with Amanda Jean for Finish it up Friday.  This is a good finish.

Wip Wednesday

I have been quilting and binding my values quilt.  This was a bit of a marathon.  It was especially challenging to sit with a quilt in my lap, hand stitching the binding, when it has been so darn hot.

This afternoon I tackled the Lucky Stars August Block.  It went together swimmingly.  I just followed the directions and got busy.  I find it really helps to keep all the fabrics that I am using for this project in a plastic shoebox so I don't have to look at them all month but they are still altogether and organized for the next go round.  I also make notes on the cutting directions regarding colour.  I check the picture of Elizabeth's finished block, and then make notes like...text, dark, light, medium blah blah blah.  It helps keep the contrast happening with the block.  This was block number 8 or 9 if you count the practice block.

All finished!

I also finished the big work in progress which was the stack of boxes in the downstairs living room.  Yep.  Got that done.  My office is now all set up in my new school.  I have to say that it took one trip to move the boxes over but when I brought all the stuff home, it took me 3 trips.  That is because Husband is a master packer.  How he got it all into the vehicle, I have no idea!  He says it is a guy thing.  Harumph!  I did appreciate his help that is for darn sure!

Linking up with Lee at Freshly Pieced and The Needle and Thread Network.

I am a lucky swapper...

Oh man!  I am a lucky swapper!!!  This came in the mail today from Pam in Florida for the Modern Scrappy Bits Swap!  SQUEAL!  Pam blogs at Uberstitch and has a online fabric shop!  Oh man.  Back to the wee mug rug which is just packed with coveted Heather Ross fabric!!!!!!  Check out the other side... fish in bag!!!!  Thank you so much, Pam!

and the scraps are awesome and she sent me a package of Steam a Seam too!

Even the wee paper bag for the scraps was decorated!!!!  So cute!  So I am a lucky swapper.

I love her cards too.  So I am a lucky swapper.  Yes, I am!

This is what happens when a bunch of quilting ladies make a quilt...

This is our guild quilt on the barn after Cynthia quilted it and then I did the binding.  It looks so awesome!  We were inspired by Denyse Schmidt's anyway you slice it pattern.  The colours are all those found in our guild colours.  Lots of Kona solids and supplemented with bits from our stashes to make it sing.  There is even a little bit of Cynthia's Kona Modern Quilts fabric.  And wouldn't you know it?  I forgot to take a picture of the back which was equally awesome!  Cynthia quilted it in wavy lines in Aurifil 50wt in orange.  It is fabulous.  And can you see down below how she did some writing in the quilting????  Fraser Valley Modern Quilt Guild British Columbia Canada 2013 runs up one side.

The quilt will be on its way to Portland for the Northwest Guild meet up.  Representing us well, I would say!