Wow! It's been awhile!

The past summer and fall went by in a blur due a number of personal challenges but we seem to be back in a good place again which has allowed me to pick up some quilting time again.  I have completed a few projects and would love to share them   I fell in love with the Hedgehog quilt pattern by Elizabeth Hartman and made a small version of it.  Lots of pieces to this so it did take some time but I figured out how to do all the blocks at once instead of just one at a time.  My thought, not yet a plan, is to use a specific space in the hallway for wall hangings that I can change regularly.  I am hoping the Hedgehog will be part of that plan but I still need to baste and quilt it and have been muddling over designs for the quilting.

I did do some free motion quilting on a top I had completed some time ago.  In theory it was intended to be a form of McTavishing, at least my version of it!  I really enjoyed the process but it did take longer to complete than I had anticipated but when I stood back I was so pleased with the texture.  This photo does not do it justice.

I have been eager to use the contents of my scrap bin that was growing and overflowing out of the bin.  Having seen a number of beautiful strip quilts I decided to try my hand at one.  I choose to use a solid dark gray in the centre of each 6 inch square.  Pages from an old phone book were used as a stabilizer, a decision I came to dislike by the time I completed all the blocks.  The ink on the pages gave off a smell each time I ironed a piece of fabric which ultimately gave me a headache.  Additionally, ripping the paper off became a long task resulting in bits of paper everywhere.  I have since read that a very light interfacing is equally as effective for strip quilts and does not need to be removed.  I am still working on piecing all the blocks together but so far so good.

And I wanted to practice some more free motion quilting and made a couple of simple table runners for Christmas.  Here are the results of that effort.  I am growing more confident in my free motion abilities and know that when I stand back and look at the results the slight wobbles and errors I have made don't show.  This has been such a great accomplishment.  

I have so many quilt projects on my wish list to complete and am grateful the time and opportunity to work on my re-found passion.  

Hoping you have a wonderful day!

I am still here, quilting away!

I have not blogged for a few weeks as I have been resting my left wrist which has been bothering me for awhile.  Resting has definitely helped and eased the soreness I have been encountering.

I have not been totally away from quilting though and did complete a quilt top from a Camille Roskelley book.

My dog once again photo bombed my picture!

The blocks turned out to be much larger than I envisioned at over 18 inches so I did not follow the pattern exactly.  I believe the pattern is called Sweet Life.   I also close to put a solid white square between the sashing rather than the four patch called for in the pattern.

I did agonize over the sashing fabric for several days.  I found two wonderful fabrics to complement the green in the centre fabric but when I laid them out it just didn't feel right.  I am happy with my polka dot choice and have decided that the binding will be a solid navy.  I went to the store last weekend for backing fabric and came home with more fabric to add to my stash....but no backing fabric.  I am sure that all quilters can appreciate how this happens.  

Tonight I will be working on improving my free motion quilting skills with some swirls on another UFO that has been patiently waiting.

I hope your quilting adventures this week are fun!

It feels like spring may finally be here!

The weather has finally improved and it feels like forever since we have been able to just hang out outside rather than running from house to car and back.  It's been a time of exploring the garden and seeing how things have fared over the winter.  And while I have been enjoying the work outside I did manage to get some quilting done!

This quilt was started last summer and I have become more and more brave with free motion quilting and completed it with stippling.  There are bobbles in my stitching if you look closely but I am pleased with the outcome.  Just one last thing to do and that's put a label on it.  I have decided to call it 'Macey's Dream' which was my Dad's suggestion.  I think Macey approves!

I just finished the binding on this Bonnie Hunter design - I think it's called Majestic Mountains.  I love the colours and again I stipple quilted it.  

And the latest quilt top completed is Cammile Roskelley's Spools!  I love this fabric that I found in a regular fabric store called Fabricland and the soft calming colours.  Looking forward to quilting this one but I have two other tops that are finished that need to be done first.

Macey likes it too!

That's it for me this week.  Hope you have a happy spring week!

Have you ever noticed....

.....that you go into your LQS for one thing and come out with totally different treasures?  Today I went shopping for a border fabric for a project that I had set aside as I was not enjoying it.  I tripped across it again last night when I was tidying and decided to finish what I had started but to change it up a bit and re-cut some of the squares.  I thought that a solid border might help increase my love of the pattern and off I headed.  I was barely in the door of the shop before I spotted these fabrics.

I have been keen to try the swoon quilt pattern and have been following Camille Roskelley and her mother Bonnie.  I have seen these fabrics amongst her finished quilts.  They 'called' to me so I just had to have some of each.

Moving further down the store I saw this collection.  The photo does not do them justice!  I am drawn to these colours and while I have no idea how I am going to use them yet I just had to have them too.  Fortunately two of the fabrics were in the clearance so I didn't feel quite so guilty.

I did not find the fabric I had originally set out to get but that's ok as I did find these other treasures.   I did buy one more fabric in a taupe / beige which will work perfectly for a spools quilt I am planning on making....also a Camille Roskelley pattern.  I know I have fabric in my stash that will work for the thread part of the spools so no need to shop for more.

I think it was a successful shopping trip and I left with a smile on my face and kept glancing over at the fabrics peeking out of the bag as I drove home.  Just like a kid in a candy store!

I am slow to finish hand sewing the binding on two quilts and will have show and tell for them once done.

Enjoy your quilting this week!

I admit it....I'm a book-aholic!

I've had a binge of purchasing quilt books and patterns that I 'just have to have' of late and fall in love with many of the designs in each of the books.  I know there will never be enough time to make them all but I am thinking of putting a personal rule in place for myself that I have make at least one item from each book I purchase before I purchase a new book.  Sounds reasonable, right?  The problem is which book to start with!   I am like a kid in a candy store with fabric and books, but hey quilting is my addiction so I'm ok with that.

Here are some recent purchases -

I am almost finished with the piecing of a quilt from the Seamingly Scrappy book so phew, that's one off the list!!

I am still working on the binding of another quilt which I have been gradually doing in the evenings as I watch TV.  I also pin basted a Bonnie Hunter quilt top I made yesterday with a little help from my best friend.  I hope to start the quilting on it in the next week or so as time allows.

So I have been buying books, piecing and basting this past week.  Very productive if I do say so!

Enjoy your quilting endeavours this week!

A Promise of Spring

I finally finished the binding on my triangle trees wall hanging that I have now decided to name 'A Promise of Spring'.  The colours remind me of the young foliage in the spring so it sounds appropriate to me.  For some reason I had a brain misstep when I was doing the binding and had to rip the corners out even though I knew darn well how it was supposed to be sewn to create nice mitred corners.  They are not perfect now but I shall live with it.  Just a quilt label to go onto it and it's done!

I finished the stippling on another UFO and learned a lot from that about maneuvering a larger quilt through my DSM.  The stippling is a bit rough in a few spots but I anticipate that the more quilting I do the more I will improve.  And I am really looking forward the the practice and was so thrilled with my accomplishment on the UFO each time I walked by the room and caught a peek of it.  I am currently working on the binding and will have show and tell when it's done.  

Meanwhile I am thinking about my next project.  I have a Bonnie Hunter top finished and purchased the batting for it the other day so there will be more quilting in my future.   I do have a plethora of project choices from the many new books I have so I can't wait to see what I come up with next!

Hoping you are having a great day!

So many choices!

I have been on a book buying spree this week and have so many quilt patterns to choose from now I hardly know where to start.  But then I screech to a halt and remind myself that I need to finish some of the quilt tops that have resided in my cupboard for far too long.  So today I cleared the kitchen floor and got down to basting this one.

I love the colours and was into orange at the time I chose the fabrics.  It will be nice to see it finished.  Now I need to choose a pattern to quilt onto it.  This will be the first larger quit that I will free motion so I am taking a Monet to pan what I would like to do.  I am thinking of stippling it and spent the afternoon drawing to test out the size for the stippling and trying to maintain consistent spacing.  I really would like to do swirls but for some reason I just can't master it yet so I will have to spend more time with pen and paper for that one.  

Wish me luck!  Stay warm and happy quilting!