Thursday, November 29, 2018

For Grandboy to be

  Name: For Baby Boy Huettmeyer #2
Design:  6" squares
Size:  39" by 46"
Fabric: Art Gallery
Quilted: by me with Aurifil 50 wt in white along the seams
Backing:  by Art Gallery

There is just something about Art Gallery fabrics.  That soft and silky texture just seems perfect for babies.  We have another grandboy on the way.  A second for our daughter and he too will be a woodland boy.  It was great to find these dark forest greens and twinkling stars.  I used a bit of the Buck Forest as well that I used for his big brother's quilt.    This one is ready for the mail and we will be seeing this wee baby sometime in the months after Christmas.



Tuesday, November 27, 2018

Not a baby quilt

  Name:  Guest Pancakes in Blue
Design: inpired by Tula Pinks Pancakes pattern that is no longer available
Size:  79" by 89"
Fabric: Stash fabrics in blues, Kona white and Kona navy
Quilted: by me with Aurifil 50 wt in grey in free motion switch back
Backing:  by Amy Butler


 I started this quilt about a year ago after Stacey Day gifted me a whole pile of her scraps.  Her scraps are not like my scraps and there were a lot of blues.  Big chunks.  I had always loved the Tula Pink Pancake pattern so I started cutting up the scraps into what seemed like an enormous pile of 5" by 10" rectangles.  And an even larger pile of little white and navy squares for the corners.  I actually started it on my Featherweight at a friend's house but a bunch of other projects got in the way of making any progress.  Now this is quite unlike me as I usually work on one quilt at a time and finish it before I start another.  This one lingered in a basket.  It is destined for our daughter's house for the guest room.  I pulled it out again when I got my new Juki TL 2010Q and thought it would be a good one to work on while I got to know a new machine.

 In all honesty I have 4 sewing machines now and a serger.  I kept my Janome Horizon because it does things the Juki cannot.  And the Juki does things the Janome cannot.  I am giving away my 28 year old Kenmore to a friend and keeping the featherweight so it all makes sense.  At least that is how I see it. 

Anyway here it is a big giant queen size mess of scraps in blue.  It came together way better than I hoped and it really is quite striking for what is essentially an very simple pattern.  Quilted with Aurifil in dove, switch back free motion and backed in Amy Butler.  I bound it in the same dark navy Kona.  I think it is Storm.  A finish requiring so many clothespins and looking quite awesome in the fall late afternoon sunshine last weekend. 



Monday, November 26, 2018

Another one!

  Name:  For a Gramma
Design:  4" squares
Size:  35" by 42"
Fabric: Stash fabrics in orange, turquoise and grey
Quilted: by me with Aurifil 50 wt in white in cross hatch
Backing:  a basketball print 

This one was done as a commission.  For a grandson in a family that is nutty about basketball.  The Gramma gave me some yardage and I used it on the back.  All basketballs all the time!  Anyway, it was fun to pull together this bright bunch of prints.  Some of which have been lingering in the stash far too long!  I used up the very last of that orange tricycle and scooter print in this quilt!


Sunday, November 25, 2018

Well... a finish


 Name: Sweet Baby Girl
Design:  4" squares
Size:  35" by 42"
Fabric: Stash fabrics in pink and mint
Quilted: by me with Aurifil 50 wt in white in cross hatch


 I finished this one ages ago in the summer in fact.  I think I have made 3 in this palette.  Gifted one, sold one and then this is up in my Etsy shop to replace the one I sold.  And then it sold.  So I think I need to make another!  A favourite it seems.  Modern yet classic. 





Monday, August 20, 2018

A new pouch pattern by Cynthia!












My good friend Cynthia has drawn up a new pattern for a Take it With You Pouch.  It is the perfect size for your iPad, a charger, some pens and a notebook.  I love it!  I made it up the other day with some Sevenberry cotton and linen dot.  Lined it with a super lovely dark yellow floral print that I found in the stash and used some peltex for stiffening.  It sewed up super easy and it will be perfect to grab as I go off to meetings or conferences once I am back to work next week. 

I left off the handle just because I wanted it to be more like a clutch but the handle is there for you if it is your jam.  Way to go, Cynthia!  Another great pattern.





Saturday, August 18, 2018

A quilt for a wedding


 Name: Sunshine and flowers
Design: St. Louis 16 Patch
Size: 56" by 68"
Quilted: by me with Aurifil 50 wt in white on the diagonal
Binding and Backing: Kona Iron and backed with some hoarded Number print from Ikea

Well.  We had a wedding here last weekend.  3 years ago, when our daughter married here at our small farm, our good friends were such a tremendous help.  I told them that if ever one of their kids wanted to get married here, go for it.  Well.  Sarah got married.  To P.Y. and it was really great.  It was a lot of work but it was really lovely.  And of course with all the sun and heat wave and the struggling to keep everything watered, on the day of the wedding we had rain.  But nothing that a giant tarp couldn't handle strung up over the backyard. 

I made a quilt for the couple.  Something fun for picnics and movie watching. With lots of blue and flowers and especially daisies for the bride.  I don't always get pictures of the quilts once they are given but I took some this time!  And I used some hoarded number print from Ikea on the back.  Just a simple St. Louis 16 patch. 

And all the flowers for the whole wedding including the wedding party and bride's bouquet were all from the yard.  It looked fantastic!








Thursday, July 19, 2018

A library book bag for the grandboy


The little guy needed a library book bag and so I made one.  I used painter's drop cloth fabric from Canadian Tire.  I love that stuff.  Cheap, sturdy, washes well.  And you get a huge quantity of fabric in the package.  I actually made drapes out of it last spring for the family room.  Anyway.  Here it is.  I used the Jane Market Bag pattern from Posy Gets Cosy.  This is a great pattern and I have used it a ton.  You can vary the look of the bag by altering the size of the boxed corners.  In this case I cut out 3" square so the bag is a bit narrower.  I used some remnants from my buddy Cynthia for the pockets.  Just in case you need snacks or a place to stash your choo choo when you are finished with the library. The bag is lined with a thrift store striped cotton. 


 I think he is going to like this. 

Tuesday, July 17, 2018

Clouds

    Name:  Clouds
Design:  4" squares
Size:  36" by 44"
Fabric: Stash fabrics 
Quilted: by me with Aurifil 50 wt in dove in cross hatch

Another baby quilt on the barn wall.  This one is for my son-law's sister baby to be.  Grant has many sisters so I will be kept busy as the family expands!  Simple patchwork with Kona lake and a number of Kona greys along with some Dear Stella prints, Carolyn Friedlander, dots and Alison Glass Twigs and Branches.  The feature print is from SarahJane for Michael Miller from years ago.  I cut the print to show the cloud whales mainly.  Bound in Clown Stripe and quilted in Aurifil Dove with a cross hatch straight line quilting, this one is ready for baby.

Monday, July 16, 2018

I've Got Sunshine!


Name:  Iv'e Got Sunshine
Design:  Gemstones block from Rachel -Stitched in Color
Size:  64" by 84"
Fabric: Stash/scrap fabrics, low volume fabrics for the background
Quilted: by me with Aurifil 50 wt in dove in straight lines 

Okay.  Really love this one.  I finished this one just a little bit ago and it is already waiting to be gifted in Quebec.  My sister in law asked me if I would make a quilt for her to give as a special wedding present.  Modern.  Young couple.  Maybe mid century modern tastes.  Neutrals.  I asked, could I put in a bit of colour?  Maybe yellow with the grey?  And away I went.  This is the third quilt I have made using this block.  You can check here and here.   I once again went for the offsetting setting triangles using 2 different fabrics and took it up a notch with matched binding!!!! The backing is a Joel Dewberry print and the little strip of grey that you see on the back is the custom label with the name of the quilt, the wedding date and the names of the couple.  I free motion wrote all that on there.  Dense straight line quilting in Aurifil 50 wt in dove.  So much fun.  I do love it when quilts catch the wind on the clothesline.  






Friday, July 13, 2018

Scrappy Bow Tie Baby 2


Name:  Scrappy Bow Tie Baby 2
Design:  Inspired by Blue Elephant Stitches
Size:  39" by 39", blocks are 6"
Fabric: Stash fabrics and scraps
Quilted: by me with Aurifil 50 wt in white beside each square

Totally trying to catch up on my blogging.  I finished this one awhile ago as I sold the first one in my etsy shop.    So this is number two on the barn wall.  Simple patchwork, using up scraps and lots of gentle solid squares.  Simple quilting too.  Aurifil 50 wt in white.  Backed with a fun print from Rashida Coleman Hale before she was with Cotton and Steel and bound in a pink and white stripe.  Also available on here. 



Thursday, July 12, 2018

Brocket

   Name:  Brocket
Design:  8.5" squares, inspiration from @janebrocket
Size:  85" by 85"
Fabric: Anna Maria Horner, AMy Butler, Snow Leopard Designs
Quilted: by me with Aurifil 50 wt in off white, 1/4" from each seam
Backing:  classic stash fabrics in small florals

So I was totally impressed with Jane Brocket's carefully curated botanical fabric choices in a quilt she was putting together.  I found it after Anna Maria Horner shared the picture in her feed earlier this year.  I knew I had many of the fabrics already including a 1/2 metre of the a rose print from Snow Leopard designs for Free Spirit fabrics that I had found at a thrift store last summer for 50 cents.  I almost destashed it in January but pulled it back out and held on to it.  Inspiration hit!  I collected a few more prints, found many in my stash already and started cutting up all these flowers into 8.5" squares.  I tried as much as possible to capitalize on the flowers when I cut it all up.  Then I had to place it all on the design wall for maximum impact.  And this is a biggie, people.  And it is on the bed.  It sleeps well and is a burst of colour for summer. Super simple quilting in Aurifil 50 wt, off white.  Happiness.





Friday, March 30, 2018

I Spy for Harrison


  Name: I Spy for Harrison
Design:  4" squares
Size:  56" by 63"
Fabric: Stash fabrics, Kona Medium Grey and Timeless Treasures Clown Stripe In black
Quilted: by me with Aurifil 50 wt in dove i
Backing:  Hoarded Little Golden Books fabric

So our wee grand boy is growing up fast and it was time to make him an I Spy quilt.  I have made a lot of these over the years but this is the first time I am making one for family and I have been saving some special 4" squares just for this purpose.  There are some hoarded Heather Ross fabrics and even some Pima cotton llamas from yardage I bought in Lima almost 29 years ago.  It is beautiful beautiful cotton and this was the first time that I cut into it!  I loaded this one with all sorts of stuff that our little guy is interested in.  Lots of owls and apples.  So much fun! 

Quilted in Aurifil 50 wt in dove and bound with Clown Stripe.  I used Golden Book fabric for the back.  I have been saving that for several years.  I stumbled upon it on a discount rack and bought the rest of the bolt.  Yep. 

This one is done and tied with a bow.  We will see him for Easter.  I cannot wait. 



Thursday, March 29, 2018

Urban planning... Sewing a Village

  Name:  Village
Design:  Village, Jumble, Miss Rosie's Quilt Co by Moda
Size:  70" by 80"
Fabric: Stash scraps fabric, Kona White
Binding:  Clown Stripe in black and white by Timeless Treasures
Quilted: by me with Aurifil 50 wt in white in a 3" grid more or less
Backing:  A crazy black on white quilting village that was just waiting for the right quilt



I had a lot of fun with this one.  Sewing a Village is quite the thing on Instagram but I am never one to follow a schedule and started making it and could not stop!  Big shout out to my buddy Cynthia for her lovely scrap donation that rounded out the last 20 or so houses.

This pattern is a Moda one and easily available.  It is just a whole pile of fun and I am sure I will end up making another one of these just because.  I was telling my husband that I was working on siding or roofing.  I totally went for it with the scraps and used up a ton of white and low volume fabrics.  The backing is a great but crazy print that I bought awhile ago to stash for backing and this was totally the one.  It is a quilter's village for sure.  I quilted this in a 3" irregular grid in Aurifil 50 wt in white.  The binding is a favourite.  Clown stripe in black from Timeless Treasures. This is a big quilt and I think it will live on the guest room bed.  Look at all the clothes pins!

I took these pictures on a dull early spring day a few weeks ago.  We are already looking a lot more springy but man, spring is late this year by a few weeks!