Month: June 2019

Baby Quilt Marathon – are you ready?

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The Marathon starts tomorrow!

Here is an Excel Sheet for you to track your hours: Hmm, I can’t seem to embed the excel sheet … If you want one that will add your hours up, email me & I’ll email the sheet to you

Here are the quilts I plan to finish: 2 strippy quilts (only 1 picture) and 3 star quilts.

  • Both strippy quilts need borders, sandwiching, quilting and binding
  • The first star quilt needs to be webbed, borders, sandwiching, quilting and binding
  • The 2nd star quilt needs the backing enlarged, sandwiching, quilting and binding
  • The 3rd quilt is webbed and needs to be sewn together, borders, sandwiching, quilting and binding

There is a link-up at the end of this post.

Design Wall:  

Piecing

I have started piecing my August Island Batik project … and of course, I can’t show you until the actual blog hop. Sorry … I know you hate secrets!

Quilting

A few weeks ago, I showed you the border of a commissioned quilt. I’m now quilting the said border. And then it needs a label and binding and then it will be finished.

Stash Report

Nothing finished this week and no fabric bought so there isn’t a lot of change in my stash …

  • Fabric Used this week      0 yards
  • Fabric Used this year:         101.6  yards
  • Fabric Bought this week:   0 yards
  • Fabric Added this year:      57.05
  • Net Fabric used                     44.65
  • –
  • Husband’s Purchases           9.5

Stitchin’ Time

  • January – May:  122 out of 140
  • June – 27  out of  30
  • Year-to-date: 149  out of 170 = 87%

For more Stitchin’ Time, you can check out Kate’s blog: Life in Pieces

Happy Quilting! 
Gail 

Link up if you want to show us your plans for the marathon. I will try to have a link-up at the half-way mark and at the finish line.

If you don’t have a blog, you can always link to an Instagram post or a Pinterest picture.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

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Something Different

/ quiltinggail / 18 Comments

About 9 months ago, I bought a Janome 500E embroidery machine. I’ve been making quilt labels on it and also a few other projects. I absolutely LOVE making “in the hoop” zipper bags. They are SEW fun.

This first one is an Anita Gooddesign. I altered it a bit because I was suppose to use “see through” fabric – which I don’t own. The fabrics were Island Batik.

This next one is a free pattern from Sweet Pea in Australia. It was a fun way to learn “in the hoop” applique and zipper insertion.

Who knows what I will make next?

My Daisy Chain Mystery was featured on Free Motion Mavericks. Check it out HERE.

There are LOTS of people going to join the Baby Quilt Marathon. Some are making baby quilts, others will be working on their own projects.

All that is required is a concentrated effort to work on a project for 26 hours during the time from July 1 to July 15. Are you going to join us?

Happy Quilting! 
Gail 

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Whirlwind Week

/ quiltinggail / 11 Comments

Yes, the last week has been a whirlwind. I had a 12 hour drive up north to help a friend, then came back a few days later. The bonus was that I got to see a neice and a few old friends for a little visit! Unfortunately, I missed seeing a ton of other people!

Then, just as I got home, we picked up my quilting cousin, Terry! (She blogs occasionally at TLC Quilts).

My Cousin Time

Terry helped me cut and sew some border strips … unfortunately I didn’t get a picture. Since the binding flange strips needed to be cut the same width as the 1st border, she cut those as well. Then, I had a glass of wine and decided it was totally unsafe for me to either cut or sew …

This is a secret commissioned project, but I figure that I can show you a bit of the 1st border without giving too much away.

Terry and I hit a couple of local quilt stores. She fell in love with “Dragonfly Quilting and Gifts” To quote Terry, “This is heaven.” She bought a few fabrics to go with her future projects and she bought a beautiful beautiful piece that is simply beautiful. To my credit … I resisted buying that beautiful fabric. However, Dragonfly is only about 3 km from my house … but I’m not going there!

While Terry was here, she was talking about needing scraps of fabric for a couple of future scrappy quilts. I just grinned and grinned. And I grinned some more!!! She tackled my bag of red, blue and brown scraps and took a fair amount – but why are the bags still full???? I didn’t measure the fabric – so I can’t use the amount in my stash count this week. But, at least she has scraps and doesn’t need to go buy fabric to make her quilts. If she sends me pictures, or blogs about the quilts, I’ll be sure to let you know!

Terry then sorted my green scraps … and made a comment that a certain tone of green was predominant in my green scrap bag and there was likely enough for a quilt there. She’s probably correct and I may use that green in Bonnie Hunter’s 2019/20 mystery quilt.

Feathers

Terry also showed me how she does her feathers. It uses a “bird” and “sun” for guidelines. I’ll have to get the link of the youtube. Sew … she had me practicing different feathers. FUN!

Quite a few people have expressed interest in joining us for the Baby Quilt Marathon. Not everyone will be making baby quilts – but I will. You can see more details HERE. One person is planning on making a string quilt, another is going to be sewing up a bunch a baby / Christmas panels, and another plans to make a baby quilt from start to finish!

Are you going to join us?

Design Wall:  

Piecing & Quilting

I showed you the little bit of border that I’m finishing piecing and will soon start quilting.

Stash Report

I finished the Quilt of Valour quilt. And, although the fabric from the top was from Island Batik, the backing was from my stash. It used 4 yards of fabric.

  • Fabric Used this week         4 yards
  • Fabric Used this year:         101.6  yards
  • Fabric Bought this week:   0 yards
  • Fabric Added this year:      57.05
  • Net Fabric used                     44.65
  • –
  • Husband’s Purchases           9.5

Stitchin’ Time

  • January – May:  122 out of 140
  • June – 21  out of  23
  • Year-to-date: 143  out of 163= 88%

For more Stitchin’ Time, you can check out Kate’s blog: Life in Pieces

Happy Quilting! 
Gail 

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Baby Quilt Marathon … starting … soon

/ quiltinggail / 7 Comments

A few blog posts ago, I mentioned that I have 3 UFO baby quilts and 2 new baby quilt starts.  A couple of readers suggested that I have a Baby Quilt Marathon  and get those little quilts done!

SEW … that germinated a few seeds and got me thinking … What would a Baby Quilt Marathon look like?

According Merriem-webster, one of the definitions of a marathon is an endurance contest.  It can include an event, an activity or requiring concentrated effort.

Typically runninmarathons can be around  26 miles or 42 kilometres.

Now, I know that I can not sit at the sewing machine for 26 hours, let alone 42 hours … SEW … I decided that I can concentrate on these baby quilts for 26 hours … over the space of 2 weeks.  That’s less than 2 hours a day.  I can do that!  And so can YOU!

SEW … are you going to join me?   All you need to do is keep track of your hours and make a concentrated effort to work on baby quilts and get them done!

OK OK …. so you don’t have 5 baby quilts that you need to finish? … that’s OK … you can work on whatever project you want.  But it has to be a concentrated effort to a goal of finishing the project.

What happens if you don’t sew for 26 hours in 15 days?  Absolutely nothing.  But you need to make an honest effort to do so.

When people run marathons all sorts of things happen.  I did a half marathon several years ago (before my back became nasty about it) and I was SLOW!!!   My son text me when I was about the 1/2 way mark and said he was finished!!!  That made me a bit mad, but also made me determined to finish.  Some people that were running didn’t finish … but at least they tried.  That’s all that I will ask of you … that you try!  🙂

I won’t show you all 5 of the baby quilts, but I will show you one of the new starts … I have started to add borders.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting! 
Gail 

PHD in 2019 – May Report

/ quiltinggail / 7 Comments

Oh – I almost forgot to write the PHD in 2019 report.

Here’s the January Report for Participants

Kate @  Life in Pieces  has started 2 projects that she plans to complete by year’s end!  One is a Storm at Sea (something I’ve never made) and the other is her Daisy Chain Mystery quilt – sew pretty!!!  I really like the pattern!

Tish  @ Tish’s Adventures in Wonderland doesn’t seem to have any UFOs finished, but she has a lovely heart quilt …. it’s worth going to take a look!

Emily @ The Darling Dogwood   has made a pretty awesome I spy quilt for a new baby!  She made a similar one for the baby’s sibling – so that should be fun!!!  Make sure you check out her cool I spy quilts!

Deana @ Dream Worthy Quilts has a goal tracker on the right side bar. According to the tracker (which may not be up to date), there hasn’t been any recent UFO finishes.  However, she has made a pretty neat bag. Check it out HERE.  I love how she didn’t purchase the hardware, but re-purposed it from other bags.  I’ll have to keep that in mind!

Elizabeth @ Applique and … has a lot going on in her life and sewing is happening in little bits.

Sharon @ Adventures in Fiber has not posted any quilty posts lately … but she has been busy with lambs!  Soooo cute!

A FUN Youtube video

I know that I often use quilting acronyms and I hopefully explain them.  This video explains a LOT of different ones!  SEW Fun.  It’s well worth the time to watch it.

Design Wall:  Quilting

IMG_3963

Fractured Paint Brush.

I made the label and I just have the borders to quilt … and the binding to do … then you’ll see it in all it’s glory!

 

 

Stash Report

I did finish my June Island Batik project and used 1/2 yard of my own fabric on the back … I need to take pictures and write that post – sew you’ll see the project pretty soon!

  • Fabric Used this week         0.5 yards
  • Fabric Used this year:         84.9  yards
  • Fabric Bought this week:   0 yards
  • Fabric Added this year:      57.05
  • Net Fabric used                     27.85
  • –
  • Husband’s Purchases           9.5

Stitchin’ Time

  • January – May:  122 out of 140
  • June – 8  out of  9
  • Year-to-date: 130  out of 149 = 87%

For more Stitchin’ Time, you can check out Kate’s blog: Life in Pieces

PHD in 2019: Quilting UFOs and Finishing New Projects

 

No UFO finishes in May, but I did finish my May Island Batik project …

I did start 2, yes 2 baby quilts at the guild’s baby quilt making day … they are added to my “Starts in 2019” list.  Hmmm … I still have 3 guild baby quilts from previous years that aren’t finished … one day …

Screen Shot 2019-06-08 at 11.11.53 PM

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting! 
Gail 

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A Whatchamacallit Week

/ quiltinggail / 14 Comments

This week has been totally different for me.  You can decide what to call it, but I’m calling it “Whatchamacallit.” And yes, Whatchamacallit is a ligit word, it’s in the dictionary!

SEW … this week started off by me travelling up to the southern Okanogan Valley to meet with my sister and a bunch of her friends from Edmonton.  The purpose was to go wine tasting.  I’m not a great consumer of wine and have been known to have the odd half glass and the occasional full glass.    On Monday, I made it to 3 wineries (the group was going to 5) and that was enough for me.  I did spot a quilt store in Pentiction, but didn’t venture over to it.  That probably saved me a little bit of money!  🙂

However, I did set up my featherweight in the corner of the living room and worked on a quilt!  There was a lot of interest … a few would like to learn to quilt, one fellow said the machine reminded him of a relative’s treadle and so on.   One lady took a picture of my set-up and was going to show her daughter, Sarah.  I don’t know if you remember, but Sarah, when she was 16 years old had made a quilt a few years ago and I showed it on my blog.  You can check out the post HERE.  One interesting thing I found out was that Sarah’s mom does not quilt!!!

Sarah's Quilt 1

And when I look at this quilt again, I am totally amazed that a 16 year old put it together. She definitely has talent!!!

Now … the rest of the week … I usually work Monday & Tuesday, but I will be working Wed, Thurs, Fri and Saturday!  How will I survive?

Daisy Chain Mystery Quilt

Alison, of Little Bunny Quilts is having a link-up for those of us that made the quilt to show it off.  There are quite a few different quilts.  I continue to be amazed at how colour choices can totally make the quilt look very different!   Go check them out at the  Daisy Chain Link-up

Daisy Chain Mystery Quilt.jpg

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting! 
Gail 

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