1512

  Quilt stats

Name:  1512

Design:  Scrappy Trip Around the World  (Bonnie Hunter)

Size:  72" by 84"

Fabric:  Scraps and stash fabrics

Quilted: by me with Aurifil 50 wt in white

I finished my scrappy trip along!  I finished sewing the binding on during the super bowl to be exact.  I am super pleased with how this turned out.  First of all the method was just so much fun.  Then I was super happy with the riot of colour and the yellow diagonal.  And finally I just LOVE how the quilting turned out.  And I waffled about the quilting.  I hummed and hawed.  I stared at the sandwiched quilt as it lay on the floor from my perch on the exercise bike.  Then I went for it.  On the diagonal, skipping 2 squares then on the diagonal in both directions with my favourite Aurifil 50 wt in white.  I did not mark the diagonals but rather just focused on where I was headed.  It turned out exactly as I wanted it to turn out!  Yay!  

Bound in a purple tone on tone and backed with a variety of prints in green and a splash of orange.  And why is this post titled 1512?  Because there are 1512 little squares in this quilt.  And what happened in the year 1512?  Apparently that was the year that the Geradus Mercator, the famous Flemish cartographer was born which is an appropriate nod to a scrappy trip around the world quilt.  Apparently this was also the year that the Sistine Chapel was displayed to the public for the first time.  Now I am not about to compare my quilt to the Sistine Chapel's public viewing but I am pretty pleased with it!  Linking up with Amanda Jean for Finish it up Friday!  

Please welcome... Daisy Marie!

 Look what I found!  I have been wanting a Singer Featherweight for some time now and I have been lurking on Craigslist.  Looking for just the right one.  My dear Mum had also told everyone she knows that I was in the market for one.  And then it happened.   I remembered to have a peek at Craigslist because I had not looked for a bit.  There she was!  Just waiting for me to come a get her!  In working condition. Not too far from home.  With all the crazy gizmos.  Including what appears to be the original packing tag.  And a great price.  I am currently jumping up and down.  I tried her out and the lady couldn't get her to work nicely. She kept jamming up.  I offered $40 less and she was mine.  I have named her Daisy Marie.  Daisy because she just looks like she should be called Daisy and Marie because the original owner's name was Marie.  The grandmother of the lady I bought her from.  I have to say that  this was another one of those... "start the car" moments just like in that Ikea commercial.  I actually said, "start the car!!!!" to Husband.  He laughed.

When we got home last night, I opened up the instruction manual and realized that the lady was not threading her the right way.  I changed the needle.  Wound a bobbin with nice Aurifil and she worked!  Then I oiled her in all the spots.  Tweaked the tension a bit and she just hums!!! It is just so exciting.  I had to get a new light bulb too.  Over the moon!  Husband was a little worried that my Janome would be jealous but I think they have great mutual respect!

So Daisy Marie will be trucking around with me to sew ins and Janome can stay home and relax.

My face hurts from smiling!  Linking up with Cindy for Random Thursday because a sewing machine named Daisy Marie is just a little bit random!

Work in Progress Wednesday

1)  Basted.  Quilted and bound.  Ready for a photo opportunity.  Look at that strange light shining on the quilt when I was getting it all sandwiched!  It was SUNSHINE!

2)  Broken Diamonds.  I have been making a giant mess with solids.  I have some how forgotten to take a picture of the progress other than an giant pile of little bits of fabric.  I am almost at the stage where I have to figure out how to attach all the blocks together.  It will be sure to be brain draining.

3)  Bee Blocks!  Ready to mail and I now am comfy with paper piecing (still need a stitch ripper handy!) and I am dying to make more of these blocks because they are so darn cool.

So that's it!  Linking up with Lee at Freshly Pieced and the Needle and Thread Network!

The thing about corn bread is...

MMM... yummy.  I love cornbread. Love it.  Husband is not really a fan but something I must have said awhile ago convinced him to give it a whirl.  He made it then and it was good but not like it was when he made it yesterday.  MMMMM.  Awesome.  I asked what made the difference and he humbly admitted that this time he had followed the recipe.  So silly.  And this is the recipe.  Michael Smith... Food Network.  

It was so good that I could have eaten the whole batch when it was warm and just out of the oven.  But I didn't and that was a good thing because I got to have some in my lunch today.

Linking up with Deb of Triple Zip fame for Tuesday at the Table.  But I will do that on Tuesday.

Design Wall!

This month in the "That Stash Bee" had us doing some paper piecing.  Eek!  Kelli provided great inspiration for the fabric and then with some help from the other bee people, we had a template!  This block is called Road to Fortune.  I think it also goes by some other names too but here it is!  I really like it.  I like that I was able to use a bunch of scraps in all sorts of bright colours.  I do admit to using my stitch ripper.  Yep.  And I did seek some paper piecing help from Sonja.  Sonja is a paper piecing wizard and a member of the Vancouver Modern Quilt Guild.  She has some video tutorials and a paper piecing cheat sheet on her blog.  and a bunch of free patterns... just saying.

Linking up with Judy's design wall Monday!

Sari Silk challenge

The Fraser Valley Modern Quilt Guild had a visit from Cathy at Steam Trunk Craftworks at our last meeting.  She brought with her an assortment of Sari silk ribbons and woven threads and challenged us to DO SOMETHING with it.  I took a package of the woven threads and couched them onto a square of Kona white.  Added a whack of hand quilting in different colours of perle cotton and then put the whole shebang together as a pillow.  This pillow is just the right size for Mum to put behind her back when she is visiting.  She likes a pillow behind her when she is sitting down and getting comfy.  I used a fabulous Japanese gold embroidery thread to do the couching of the sari threads.  It has a nice little glitter to it.  Perfect for the sari threads after all.

Fresh Sewing Day and Just Three

1. Jan 26 2013 001, 2. Triple Zip Along, 3. closer!, 4. bee blocks!, 5. Another Star, 6. iPad cozy

Not too bad!  Happy February!  A few finishes for the month and fabulous progress on some other projects.  This past month I made and sent off my first ever bee blocks, participated in the Triple Zip along, signed up for the Modern Scrappy Bits Swap round 3 (signs up close tonight!), had a sew in with the Vancouver Modern Quilt Guild, made some pouches, finished 2 quilts and finished all the blocks for my scrappy trip around the world!  Phew!

My Just Three goals for February are pretty straight forward!

1)  Finish my scrappy trip

2)  Finish my broken diamonds quilt that I have not even shared except for a pile of cut up solid fabric

3) Do my February bee blocks that are paper pieced!!!!!!

So easy!

How did I do on my January Just Three?

1. Finish the another star quilt  Done!  Right up there in the mosaic!

2. Complete the new quilt   Yep!  Done... the black, red and grey one.  I jsut have to mail it off!

3. Bee Blocks!    Done and received!

Linking up with Tracey for Just Three and Lynne for Fresh Sewing Day!  How did you do?