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Two things….

2023/05/05
What with all the post Quilt Show things with which to deal and yard & garden projects starting to take over, I’ve had very little time for quilting. Both of these items were started before our Guild’s Quilt Show and one was finished in time for the show.
That was the Queen’s postage stamp wall hanging. It’s a small one, only 18″ x 22″, the size of a fat quarter. There’s a reason for that. At the beginning of each of our Guild’s seasons a challenge is issued; we members can choose to participate or not. Last fall the challenge theme was related to the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee; for $5 we were provided with a fat quarter that had to be used in some way in our project.
I received permission from Royal Mail, Stamps & Collectibles to reproduce an image of the Queen in my quilt project. I simply free motion quilted the image on my HQ Sweet Sixteen and enhanced it with a few fake jewels. I did a practice sandwich first primarily to decide the focus point of the outward rays.

In the weeks leading up to our Guild’s Quilt Show our local Mall let us use an unoccupied store space for a display of quilts that were not on display at our Show. During that time we members held a three day sewing bee there; the one day I spend stitching I learned how to chain piece a log cabin block. How did I not know that technique before?? With Guild supplied fabric, batting & backing I stitched up this 39″ x 55″ quilt, suitable for a child I think, and destined for our Community Quilts.
I ruler quilted it on my HQ Sweet Sixteen, picking a design that was quick & easy & finished quickly.

2023 Celebration of Quilts Challenge project 18″ x 22″
2023 Community quilt 39″ x 55″
2023 Community quilt 39″ x 55″
2023 Community Quilt 39″ x 55″
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A 3 Yard Quilt

2023/02/25

A couple of our Guild members curated some of the fabric that had been gifted to the Guild and bundled much of it into packages of three one yard cuts each of coordinating fabrics, perfect for making quilts using one of Fabric Cafe’s free 3 Yard Quilt patterns. This quilt is made using the EZ Patch 3 Yard Quilt Pattern offered free a few years ago.
It was quick & easy to put together and took only about two hours to quilt; it couldn’t get any simpler than that! We’ll keep it for our Community Quilt display at the Quilt Show in March and the Guild display at our local Mall prior to the Quilt Show then it will be off to fill a local need.
Pieced and quilted by me.

2023/02/25 – Community Quilt 43.25″ x 57.5″
2023/02/25 – Community Quilt 43.25″ x 57.5″

Finally….a year later…..

..it’s finished!

2023/02/14

I began this wall quilt in a freezer paper applique class taught by one of our Guild members in a weekend workshop in February 2022. I’d had the pattern for years and pulled all the fabrics from my stash where they were just waiting for this project.

Between now and then life got in the way; gardening time arrives early here on the west coast, then I broke a bone in my foot which kept me in a non weight bearing cast for about eight weeks….well, you understand. Our Guild has an upcoming quilt show in about a month so that was incentive to finally finish it. I am so pleased with it. Unfortunately you can’t see it in the photo but the quilting in the white background blocks is done with Sulky Holoshimmer ( a sliver metallic nylon/poly thread) and a silver metallic thread in the black background blocks. The outer border also has silver metallic accents. It’s quite effective in the right lighting.

The pattern is Winter Pines by Kay Capps Cross. I double batted it with Hobbs 80/20 as the bottom layer and Hobbs washable wool as the top layer. I pieced it on my domestic Bernina and quilted it with my Sweet Sixteen sit down long arm. It was a fun pattern and I’m now a fan of freezer paper applique.

2023/02/14 – Whispering Pines 38.5″ x 46″
2023/02/14 – Whispering Pines 38.5″ x 46″
2023/02/14 – Whispering Pines 38.5″ x 46″

Inspiration!

2022/12/17

I thought I had my quilting projects planned for most of this winter, but then during a deep dive in Pinterest, or maybe it was in one of the quilting Facebook groups to which I belong, I saw a quilt I just HAD to make right away.

A little explanation first…..Our neighbours and good friends have two dogs, one of which is a neurotic border collie, truly delightful and oh so very intelligent, but neurotic nevertheless. I truly think she views most of us as sheep that need to be herded but WE JUST DON’T COOPERATE and so she gets very frustrated. I know she gets frustrated with me because she tells me so, loudly, through the fence at times lol.

She’s a very lucky dog to have the patient people (or should I say sheeple?) that she has.
So…..when I saw the quilt I know our neighbours needed it and immediately purchased and downloaded the digital version of the pattern. I started stitching and just finished the quilting last night. I gifted it today so now I can post it.

The pattern is ‘All about Ewe’ by Judit Hajdu in Issue 31 of Simply Moderne. I pieced and then quilted it on my Sweet Sixteen. It’s size is 53.5″ x 68.5″ and it’s name is ‘Gracie’s flock’. It’s backed with flannel so it’s very cuddly! And now it’s Gracie approved!

A big thank you to Kathleen for some of the photos.

2022/12/17 – Gracie’s flock
2022/12/17 – Gracie’s flock
2022/12/17 – Gracie’s flock
20221/12/17 – Gracie’s flock quilt.
20221/2/17 Gracie’s flock

Quilting season again

2022/12/17

We had a late and beautiful fall, so that delayed the beginning of quilting season for me, but now I’m into it again full steam ahead!
With the contribution of some beautiful scraps from Kathy O, one of my quilting friends, and some of my own scraps I made another of Donna Jordan’s Diamond Trip quilts. This one goes to Timberlane Quilters’ Guild as another Community Quilt. I machine quilted it on my Sweet Sixteen.

Every year our Guild, at our Christmas party, raffles off gift baskets that the members create and then bid on and the money raised is given to various charities that support people in need at Christmas. Our Tuesday Guild stitching group always contributes a basket; this year our theme was ‘wine, chocolate and cheese’. My contribution to our basket was a wine carrier; the pattern is a free one from All People Quilt. This year we raised $1000!

2022/11/07 Another Diamond Trip Quilt for Community Quilts.
2022/12/02 – wine carrier

Need a new brooch?

2022/06/30
I’ve been doing a little machine embroidery lately; these little brooches are so cute and easy to make. I’ve only done a few colours so far, the most popular being pink and blue.
They’re great as a novelty gift to the new grandparent who is just dying to talk about the newest grandbaby. Pin one to your lapel, your bag or whatever object you’re sure will be seen by anyone in your gathering and be sure to have the baby photos ready to display!
I’m contemplating making some for our Guild’s Boutique in the 2023 quilt show. I wonder if they’d be a good seller?

2022/06/29 – new grandbaby badges, approx. 1.5″ (40mm) x 3″ (80mm) in size. It is backed with a standard 1″ brooch pin with a safety rolling catch.


Week six of the broken fifth metatarsal saga is drawing to a close and I’m still wearing a cast…sigh. One more week and this one should come off. I’ve had this boot cast for about two weeks now and it’s a treat to be able to remove it to shower! But I’m still on non-weight bearing orders…..

2022/06/30 – week six; still in a cast. Sigh….

another Diamond Trip

2022/05/17

I’ve combined one of my favourite patterns with one of my favourite all over quilting designs for this quilt: Donna Jordan’s Scrap Strips Diamond Trip and a free motion/ruler quilted design inspired by Anita Shackleford’s Modern Curves pantograph. This will be gifted to a friend who made a miraculous recovery from a major health issue.

I’ve had a jelly roll of Cantik Batiks Gemstones PEI/Tropical Island strips waiting for the right project and this is it. I supplemented it with some of my own batiks and the black contrast fabric. The batting is Hobbs washable wool and the backing is a beautiful warm cuddly flannel. I used Superior’s So Fine #503 thread for the top and filtec in the bobbin. It’s free motion custom quilted by me on my HQ Sweet Sixteen using HQ’s wave B ruler. Dimensions are: 46.5″ x 60″.

20220517 – Diamond Trip #2 46.5″ x 60″
20220517 – Diamond Trip #2 46.5″ x 60″
20220517 – Diamond Trip #2 46.5″ x 60″
20220517 – Diamond Trip #2 46.5″ x 60″

This will be the last quilting I do for awhile! I broke a bone in my foot a couple of days ago and now have to hobble around on crutches while it heals – two to four weeks with no weight on the foot at all and a six to eight week recover period in total. It’s my pedal foot: gas pedal, sewing machine pedal and bike pedal. NOT what I need when it’s gardening and yard work time! Lucky for me my DH takes good care of me.

2022/05/19-Oops-broken foot bone! It’s called a Jones break

Wavy, wavy….

2022/05/06
As all quilters know, scraps breed uncontrollably and have to be dealt with periodically. Many of my scraps are 2.5″ wide leftovers from binding or of a size that can be cut to 2.5″ in width, the same as a jelly roll. Inspired by a beautiful new pattern by Donna Jordan of Jordan Fabrics, Scrap Strips Diamond Trip, found in the free patterns section of their website, I pulled out what I had of the right dimension, cut a few more and went to work. Her instructions and measurements are always perfect and this is one quilt that stitches together quickly. And when it came to quilting it, the dimensions were perfect for using Handi Quilter’s wave B template (I bought mine on amazon.ca). I love the optical illusion this quilting design creates!

Custom quilted by me on my HQ sweet sixteen using Glide thread (khaki) and my HQ wave B template. The wavy quilting is inspired Anita Shackleford’s Modern Curves pantograph. The quilt dimensions are 47″ x 63″.

So why is my scrap bin just as full as ever? Could it be because a quilty friend was happy to contribute some of her oh so perfect scraps so I could make another one of these? Sigh……

20220505-TQG Community Quilt. 47″ x 63″
2022/05/05-TQG Community Quilt. Wave ruler work. 47″ x 63″
2022/05/05-TQG Community Quilt. Wave ruler work. 47″ x 63″

addicted to Sweet Pea…..

It’s Spring around here; the daffodils are blooming, the primula and crocuses are blooming, the peach and nectarine trees are blooming….and on and on…. I love living on the West Coast!

And all that blooming is why I talked myself into doing another Sweet Pea Embroidery Sew Along. The discounted design for March is the Tulip Fields Hanger and I found it irresistible. And as usual, life & other quilting projects interfere & I was down to the wire on submitting it to the Facebook group today. And wow! what an amazing collection of beautiful submissions from all over the world! I don’t think I’ll win anything with mine but it’s fun being included in such a talented group.

And did I mention I placed third (one of three) in last month’s Sew Along with my table topper (which is a wall hanging at the moment)? I was so surprised! The prize is one free design. How will I decide which one when there are so many beautiful ones from which to select!

2022/03/27 – Tulip Fields machine embroidery design by Sweet Pea Embroidery Designs 12.5″ x 24″

again with the machine embroidery…

2022/02/24

Oh what fun I’ve been having…….I find machine embroidery designs on sale and what am I to do? Yes, well, you can guess I’ll bet.

Before Christmas I was looking for something to make for a 10 month old adorable cherub and found this delightful ITH (In The Hoop) bib pattern so quickly stitched it up. His mom tells me it got used! So after Christmas I stitched up another one just to have on hand for another Christmas when I need a baby gift again. I back them with rip stop nylon so however wet the front of the bib becomes, baby’s clothes underneath stay dry.

The design is the Rudolph Christmas Bib from Sweet Pea Embroidery Designs. Their designs are well digitized and stitch out beautifully. In addition, detailed well written instructions are included with every project. Even I hardly ever make a mistake lol.


Last year my daughter, who enjoys pottery, gifted me two lovely little vases she’d made. During the summer I had no problem keeping them full of blooms, but they’ve been empty so far this winter. I decided machine embroidery could come to the rescue so off I went searching for the perfect flowers. I found a beautiful Floral Lace Bouquet at OESD. So far I’ve only stitched two of the flowers but there will be more to come! Again, another site marketing well digitized designs and excellent instructions.

And then if that wasn’t enough machine embroidery I moved on to the Sweet Pea Sew Along project for February. I think I’ve mentioned before that Sweet Pea Machine Embroidery has a monthly sew along group on Facebook. At the beginning of each month they produce a new design for the sew along and discount the price 30% for that month. You post your finished project by the month end and it’s judged and the lucky winners (and there are many) may win free or discounted designs. I’ve entered a couple of times, won nothing yet, but keep trying. Considering they have entries from all over the world, it might be a long wait! February’s project is the Half Square Flare Quilt and my little quilt is a table topper that measures about 31.5″ x 31.5″…….or maybe it will be a wall hanging; who knows!

2022/02/24 – Table centre piece – machine embroidered/quilted – 31.5″ x 31.5″ – pattern is Half Square Flare by Sweet Pea Machine Embroidery
2022/02/23 – Table centre piece – machine embroidered/quilted – 31.5″ x 31.5″ – pattern is Half Square Flare by Sweet Pea Machine Embroidery
2022/02/23 – Table centre piece – machine embroidered/quilted – 31.5″ x 31.5″ – pattern is Half Square Flare by Sweet Pea Machine Embroidery

So tonight I’m off to one of our Guild’s demos on hand embroidery to see if I can learn something new. I’ll take along my little fabric pieces, needle and scissors but I’m not going to get hooked on any other hobby……really…….

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