Frozen Flakes

This month our guild was doing a challenge for a swap – frozen inspired mini quilts! We wanted to do something wintery but not in the traditional red and green Christmas theme. I knew I wanted to do something inspired by snowflakes and was going to do some raw edge applique, but then my machine broke. I had only my backup machine that I haven’t used in year, and that I don’t like doing applique with.

It took me a while to figure out a new plan, but when going through a drawer in my sewing table I discovered my Lil’ Twister ruler. I had bought this ruler during the holidays last year and then forgot I had it! I hadn’t even tried it out yet, so this was perfect to give it a shot.

I quilted with random freehand “straight” lines with various spacing at an angle, inspired by following the tracks of slowly falling snowflakes.

I think it all turned out great and is off to its new home. Hopefully someone will be happy with this for the swap!

Linkups: Fabric Tuesday, Sew Cute Tuesday, Lets Be Social

Quilts of Valour

In honour of upcoming Rememberance day and the 100th Anniversay of World War 1 I am posting about a great project I was lucky enough participate in. 

At a recent Creative Stitches show the Quilts of Valour people had a booth with a set up of cute mugs.  When I asked what they were I learned about their Hugs Project (or Hugs from across the Nation).  I don’t have time right now to make a full quilt for the Quilts of Valour but I can easily make a block to help get quilts made!  I picked up a mug which came with the pattern for a shoofly block and the fabric to make it.

I have my block all ready and ready to send off to be put together into a quilt.  I am looking forward to making more of these in my spare time to help get more quilts to soldiers.  For more information on the project check out the Quilts of Valour website.

Finish-a-long 2014 Q4

Well I didn’t finish all my projects last quarter (I actually did better than I thought I would, which is great).  This quarter is all about getting ready for the holidays – for some reason I thought it would be a good idea to make a lot of gifts this year (smart right).  Most of these projects are presents for people, so I am not posting too much detail (I doubt most the recipients read this blog, but just to be careful).

1. A Coastal Cruiser pillow. (Finished –  Nov. 20th)

2. A Pillow (this one will go with the Coastal Cruiser house, so it has the same background, but will have a different subject) (Finished – Nov 24th)

3. Stockings – With the new addition to our household this year we need another stocking.  As my husband and I don’t have any at our house (Christmas was usually spent with one set of parents or the others) I need to make us some as well – at least they will all match! (Finished – Dec 19th)

4. Baby quilt – This quilt is for a special little baby that decided to arrive early – guess she couldn’t wait to meet her parents!  That being said now her quilt really needs to done and it is still in pieces (all the pieces have not yet been cut either!). (Finished – Oct 27th)

5. This quilt from my Guild’s Mystery Quilt series needs to be quilted and bound so it can go to its new home this Christmas.

6. A custom quilt for a friend!  I have made several baby quilts for her (she loves to give them as shower presents) and I finally get to make on for her to keep!

7. Why not through this on (would be nice to have it for Halloween) as it just needs to be quilted and bound!  I would love to be able to snuggle with my Ghastlies soon!

8. I also have a Ghastlies mug rug that needs to be finished for a present (no pic sorry as I am sure this person looks at the blog!).

 

Oh dear, 8 projects in less than three months – I better get to work!   Hopefully I don’t get distracted with too many side projects over the coming months, although I am sure there will be a few of those as well.

 

 

Fox and Friends Finish

A friend needed a quilt for a baby shower present and I had been eying this pattern for a while so it was a great chance to try it out.  I picked up a kit from Mad About Patchwork, the pattern from Sew Fresh Quilts and got to work.  The piecing came together quickly which was great.

The backing fabric is from Picture Pie which I think complements the top nicely.

For quilting I sewed 1/4″ on each side of the diagonal seams to form diamonds.  Then I quilted in the little girl’s name – Noelle.  I like that it is there, but subtle so it doesn’t take away from the racoons and foxes on the front of the quilt.  I love those racoons!

This quilt will be on its way to the new baby this weekend!

Linking up to:

 

Monkey Christmas

I know it is a bit early to be thinking about Christmas, but I am thrilled to finally have this quilt finished. It started 3 years ago when my Husband picked me up some sock monkey fabric with elf monkeys on it! I started looking and found some fabric to go with it and figured out a design. Then it sat, and sat and waited  for me to get to it. I came across it almost a year later and fell in love again. This time I got it pieced together in just a couple weeks, and it sat again.

Months later I got it out and did some quilting – strings of Christmas lights!  Again other projects came up and this one sat in the to do pile, waiting to be trimmed and bound.  I am excited to have this quilt for Christmas this year, finally after years of waiting!

This quilt is backed with some nice flannel to make it nice and cozy in the cold Canadian winters!

This is my second finish for the third quarter of the 2014 Finish along (original list here).

Quilt Stats:

Size: 54″ x 63″

Fabric: Santa’s Little Helper (Moda)

Backing: Funky Monkey Flannel (moda)

Quilting: Free motion Christmas lights, done on Juki

Linking up to Needle and Thread Thursdays, Lets Be Social, I Quilt Thursdays,

Busy Busy

I can’t believe that it has been over a month since I last posted!  Things have been a little crazy here for the last few weeks – Little Girl is awake and playing more, we did a road trip to visit family and friends and my Husband managed to break his foot.  He is on crutches for about 6 weeks and then a walking boot after that.  Poor guy can’t carry Little Girl right now and it takes him much longer to get anything done with the crutches.  Needless to say not a lot of sewing has been done here recently.

I have managed to get some things done though.  Back in July I offered to organize a block of the month for my local quilt guild.  I have been spending time planning blocks, making blocks and writing instructions for those.  So far 3 blocks and 1 set of instructions done.  I am loving the way that they turning out and can’t wait to get working on the rest of the blocks.

Also before the broken foot incident I told a friend I would make a quilt for her for a baby shower.  I picked up this cute pattern at Sew Fresh Quilts and love the quilt.  Thankfully it comes together fairly easily so I am able to get some put together during Little Girl’s naps.  I can’t wait to see it finished and may just have to make another one for Little Girl!

Finish Along 2014 Q3

Well, I am trying to make 2014 the year for getting some projects finished – my sewing room has become smaller, so I just won’t have the room for all my unfinished projects, nor the time I used to have to dedicate to them!  In an effort to keep working on projects and holding myself accountable for finishing them, I am joining in the Finish Along again!  I only completed about 1/2 my list last year, but that was better than finishing nothing and starting a bunch of new ones!

So for this quarter I have a couple of leftover projects and some new ones.

1. Hexagon pillow – I started this pillow over the summer and only have 8 more hexagons that have to be attached, then quilted to make the pillow cover.  As I am supposed to being doing a small demo on English Paper Piecing at my Quilt Guild Meeting in February I am hoping to have this  mostly done to show as part of the demo (adding borders, removing paper, ect).

2. Star Pillow – I need to get a pillow cover finished for this so it can go down on the reading bench to lean against!  My husband was nice enough to custom build the bench, so now I just need to finish up the pillows!

3. The baby Textures quilt – this still needs to be quilted and finished.  It has no real recipient, but it would be nice to be able to put it in the finished pile (and to have on hand for a last minute present, the number of people I know having kids seems to grow each week!).

4. Mom’s Pillow – After some renos last year, she is need of a pillow for some new furniture.  I am thinking a nice dresdren plate pillow would look great with the other grey and yellow flowers she has going on in the room.

5. Mystery Quilt – I made this quilt with the local guild this year and need to get it basted, quilted and bound.  I am hoping to use it as a Christmas present.

6. Star quilt – this is all nicely bound, it just needsto be quilted, in which case I need to pick a pattern to quilt it with.

7. Star of Bears – This quilt needs to be done in the next couple of weeks as the baby this is a present for is due Aug 5th!

8. Christmas Monkeys – this poor quilt keeps getting pushed behind other projects at every stage.  All that is left at this point is to bind it and remove all the basting pins!

 

That seems like a good list with a new baby in the house!

Pretty Petals

My local modern quilt guild decided to participate in the Modern Quilt Guild Micheal Miller fabric challenge.  This is the quilt that I made for the challenge.  They provided us with fat eights of 6 fabrics which are the main features in the front of my quilt.  I loved the fabric with the colourful wedges and used that to inspire the start of my design with the stacked wedges.

The back of the quilt was made by piecing the scraps together into a strip and filled with Michael Miller Coral solids.

For the quilting I decided this would be a great time to try a spiral quilting.  I had two designs and after a bit of debating I decided to center the spirals on the fowers on the the front and back of the quilt.

The binding took a little longer than anticipated due to our new arrival, but she makes an adorable quilt model!

Linking up to Finish it up Friday

Busy Busy

There hasn’t been a lot of sewing going on in my house right now, as we have been busy adjusting to a new routine.  The occupant of this room finally decided to move in just over a week ago and she has been keeping us busy ever since!  She loves her quilt  so far, and it is fantastic for snuggling under during midnight feedings!  I am so happy I had it finished before she arrived!

Hopefully she lets me catch up on some sleep and sewing soon!

Beary Stars

One more baby quilt top done!  I feel like I am finally getting some things accomplished in the sewing room these days, which is good as the deadlines (and due dates) are quickly approaching.

I am making this quilt for a cooworker of my Mother’s.  The soon to be Mom grew up with the Berenstain Bears, so what better fabric to pick then Moda’s Welcome To Bear Country!  I happened to have a couple charm packs around still and found this great pattern on the Moda Bake Shop.  It came together quickly in a single afternoon!

I now have the quilt basted and am going to have start quilting it as soon as I can figure out what I am going to do.  I am thinking of trying out some stippling with loops or possibly some swirls.