Month: October 2020

Another UFO is done!

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YEAH!!! I have a UFO finish for Friday!

This bag is from the pattern “Charming Bag” and you can get it at Fibre Expressions. I believe that the designer is either the owner of the store or her daughter. Anyhow … you can order either the pattern or a kit. I used a Charm Pack called “Sew & Sew.”

Before, Covid, Fibre Expressions was at most of the quilt shows that I attended in the lower mainland. I would often see a quilt covered car outside of the show, but didn’t know it was theirs! Check it out HERE.

Here’s a picture of the side of the bag with one of the ties. The ties are super handy when you don’t have the bag stuffed full! (grin)

This is a nice easy bag to make and will be great when I go to guild meetings or to quilt shows.

This leaves me with only ONE, yes, ONE UFO to complete for my PHD in 2020! WooHoo!!! (well, yes, I do have new starts to finish as well …)

Someone asked me if I’d be running the PHD in 2021! And the answer is YES! I will have 14 UFOs left and so hopefully, I will get those done next year. I think it will be a wonderful feeling to NOT have any UFOs.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

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Last Monday in October

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How can this be? Sometimes it seems like the days take their sweet time … and I turn around and it’s close to the end of another month!

SEW – What’s happening?

Design Wall

Piecing:

I’ve been slowly working on my Charming Bag. The last picture I showed was of it pieced together. (HERE). If you go back to the last picture, you’ll notice that the ties are not in the picture. That’s because I forgot them. Thankfully, I remembered before it was quilted … it was a simple matter of taking about 3/4″ stitching out and inserting the ties.

It is now quilted. Nice simple 1/4″ lines. I like the look … and it’s what the pattern suggests. Aurifil # 2625 (grey) was used for the quilting and the edges of the ties.

Quilting: 

Quilted the above bag …

Stash Report

No finishes … no shopping …

SS yellow
  • Fabric Used this week      0 yards
  • Fabric Used this year:       277 yards
  • Fabric Bought this week:   0  yards
  • Fabric Added this year:      50.5 yards (my husbands amounts as well)
  • Net Fabric used                    260 yards
  • Husband’s purchases: 11.5 yards

Stitchin’ Time

I’m aiming for at least 30 minutes a day.

  • January – Sept: 260 / 274
  • 30 min days/  Oct:   25 / 25
  • Total days in 2020: 286 / 299
  • Percentage = 95% 

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

TO DO 

I’m linking up to Roseanne & Sue’s “TO DO” Tuesday. Their blog is “Home Sewn by Us.”

Last week’s list:

  1. IB November: Sandwich not done
  2. Work on Secret projects √    done
  3. Work on Charming Bag √   done
  4. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes.  √   done

This week’s list:

  1. IB November: Sandwich
  2. Work on Secret projects
  3. Finish  Charming Bag
  4. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes.  

From the Heart Blog Hop

Did you see the post HERE? It’s a wonderful blog hop that’s happening now. Make sure you check it out. Plus … I want to know what YOU are going to make from all the inspiration!

Here’s what I made:

Are you interested?

If you’re interested in applying click HERE. You can read all about the program and what is involved. It’s a fun program to be in and one that has expanded my quilting abilities! I LOVE being an ambassador!

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

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From the Heart Blog Hop

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Carol from “Just Let Me Quilt” mentioned this blog hop WAY back in July … and of course, I jumped on the band-wagon.  What could be better than a blog hop a mere 2 months before Christmas featuring small gift ideas?  Carol comes up with the BEST blog hops!

Here’s my small gift(s)  …   they all nest inside this one!

Here they are poking out:

What they look like inside: (sorry it was hard to get a good picture with no shadows!)

And all 4 of them:

Details:

  • Island Batik fabric from the Deco Revival collection was used for the lining and outer side.
  • Soft & Stable was used between the 2 fabrics.
  • The pattern is “Clam Up” byAnnie
  • Aurifil #2610 was used for the quilting, sewing together and the trim
  • Free motion quilting was swirls or wavy lines
  • They were easy to make! And, I think they are very cute!

I used the fabric from the Deco collection for my byAnnie’s “Bowl Me Over” purse and October “Thread Painting with Aurifil” project (the elephant).

Make sure you visit all of the participating blogs … there promises to be LOTS of eye candy and all sorts of projects to tempt you into making some gifts “from the heart!” Let me know which ones YOU plan to make!

From the Heart Blogs

October 26

 October 27

 October 28

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

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A Not Finished Friday

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OK … so I don’t have a finish … but I do have a part of my Charming Bag finished. The front and back are now pieced together. It’s exciting to see some progress on this UFO!

Did you notice that I didn’t use charm squares from the pack on the bottom? I used grey fabric because I thought it would keep it cleaner. We shall see.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

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Ruler dislike!

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I have the cutest ruler by Omnigrid. It’s 4″ x 8″ and I’ve had it for simply AGES. I went to trim some squares, using the 45o angle to centre the half square triangle. It just wasn’t working for me. Then I looked at the ruler … the 45o line ends up 1/4″ from the corner. Now, if I were to use this ruler, I would have to move it 4 times to get it correct. Not happening.

I pulled out my 6″ x 12″ Olfa ruler and look where the 45o angle is … right in the corner. I’m a much happier quilter!

I’ve looked at my other rulers, including a 2.5″ and 6.5″ Omnigrid square rulers, and the 45o ends in the corners! Is it me, or is this weird?

Continue reading →

A no-show finish

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That’s right, I’ve got a finish – but I can’t show you until the “From the Heart” blog hop! I’m glad I’m finished – I just need to write up the blog post and then I’ll be totally ready for my day on the hop (Oct. 26). It promises to be an awesome hop with lots of small gifts – just in time for you to make for Christmas!

Want some Eye Candy?

Wendy at Wendy’s Quilts and More showed pictures from Aotearoa Quilters Aqua Challenge. Amazing! This is an example of some of the entries, but you’ll have to visit Wendy’s page to see winners and the close-ups!

Quilting

I can show you a couple of more blocks from the guild’s mystery quilt. There are 16 “feature” blocks … and I quilted each of them differently using a different pattern on each block while playing with a 2″ circle and a petal ruler.

I’ve been Featured

For this quilt! You can read all about it HERE.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

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Nothing much to show

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Usually, I try to have something to show on Fridays … and I like it best when it’s a finish … but this Friday all I have to show is this:

This is some playing with rulers on the guild’s mystery quilt … it’s all I’m showing because I don’t want to give away what the quilt will be. Plus, I am still in the process of quilting it … so it’s not even finished!

Other happenings …

Ventura Sewing Machine Repair - Ventura Vacuum and Sewing Machine Repair

I have TWO machines in to be serviced and have a spa visit. I took my Janome 6500 in before we left on holidays … they told me a month … I know they’ll phone when it’s ready … but I’m getting impatient!

With the 6500 visiting the spa doctor, I pulled out my trusty Featherweight and … GROAN … I’m not sure what happened, but it decided it also needed to go to the spa!

However, this meme is NOT true in my house!

I’ve also been working on some “behind the scenes” work … I’ll show you eventually … but it’s taking it’s time …

Socks …

I got my alpaca socks from Prairie Spirit Alpacas. It is cool enough today to have them on! They are pretty awesome! My toes are warm and my feet are not itchy! (they get itchy with wool). Alpaca fleece is hypoallergenic – so perfect for me! (If you order from them, put “Gail” in the code and you’ll receive a discount). (I don’t make anything from your order, except a smile!)

I’ll be ordering more socks for Christmas presents … I just need to find out if they want “Lux” for hanging out in or “Slim” for wearing with shoes …

Island Batik

Did you see the Elephant quilt that I made for Island Batik’s October challenge “Thread Painting with Auriril?” You can read about it HERE.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

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What’s Happening in the Studio? Monday, Oct. 5

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Design Wall

Piecing:

Scrappy Repro is now webbed together. (See How to Web a Quilt) And next up is borders … I’m thinking a burgundy for the 1st border and a neutral for the 2nd … or who knows … I need to audition some fabric before I make that decision!

Guild “Clue-Sew Fall 2020” Mystery Quilt: Sorry, no pictures … in the piecing stage …

Quilting: 

I finished October’s Island Batik Thread Painting Challenge and shared that HERE. I used the fabric collection “Deco Revival.”

Stash Report

SS yellow

No finishes. I needed backing fabric, so I bought 4 yards.

  • Fabric Used this week      0 yards
  • Fabric Used this year:        261 yards
  • Fabric Bought this week:   4  yards
  • Fabric Added this year:      50.5 yards (I added my husbands amounts in … )
  • Net Fabric used                    244  yards
  • Husband’s purchases: 11.5 yards

Stitchin’ Time

On Sept. 6, I stated that I had stitched 13 out of 13 days in September … that was SEW incorrect! Impossible to stitch for 13 days when only 6 days had passed … it should have read “6 / 6“!!!

I only sewed one day while we were away.

  • January – Sept: 260 / 274
  • 30 min days/  Oct:   4 / 4
  • Total days in 2020: 264 / 278
  • Percentage = 94% 

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

TO DO 

I’m linking up to Roseanne & Sue’s “TO DO” Tuesday. Their blog is “Home Sewn by Us.”

Last week’s list:

  1. Web Scrappy Repro √   done
  2. Work on the guild mystery quilt (I’m leading this challenge, so I can’t show you until the Mystery Sleuths have all the clues.) √   done
  3. Start November IB challenge √   done
  4. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes.   √   done

This week’s list:

  1. Scrappy Repro: Add Borders
  2. Work on the guild mystery quilt
  3. Start November IB challenge
  4. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes.  

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

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Thread Painting with Aurifil

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I am NOT an artist – as far as drawing and thread painting goes.  Nope, not me!  So, this was a very challenging and intimidating challenge for me to attempt!

I started with an idea … and started it and … it sat, because it wasn’t quite right …

I had this circle on the design wall for the longest time … I had cut 2 wedges out of each of the Deco Revival fabric package that I was sent in my July Island Batik box. Many of the pieces were directional and I needed to piece them to get the wedges to go in the direction I wanted.  

I hesitated in piecing the wedges together, because I just wasn’t sure … and so they sat some more, were rearranged a few times and sat … and sat …

I had NO problems at all with the fabrics … I love them, but my idea … parts of it were good … parts of it were not …

So, the wedges sat.

By the way …. this fabric should be in quilt stores now … make sure you ask for it!

Continue reading →

PHD in 2020: October 1 Report

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UFOs

I haven’t finished any UFOs this month … Scrappy Repro is close … but it’s still a UFO and it’s still NOT finished.

Here’s a recap of the UFOs I’ve completed this year! There’s a total of 15, but some of them turned into 2 or 3 quilts (Dog/cat and Florabunda) … but they counted as 1.

New Starts

  1. I’m hosting a mystery quilt for our guild … so of course, I can’t show you that until they have all the clues.
  2. A couple more Island Batik projects … which I will show you when the time is right!
  3. “From the Heart” blog hop is later this month, and that project is still a WHIMM (Work Hidden in My Mind)
  4. Meadow Mist Designs Morewood Mystery

Linky Party

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party! Show your PHD progress.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter
https://fresh.inlinkz.com/js/widget/load.js?id=9c9b10dbdecdfb9300b0

Favourite Finish of the Month

I was going to link up to Cheryl at Meadow Mist Designs for my Favourite Finish for September. At the time this is going live, I don’t see her link … I’m going to post it anyways and will link up when it’s available!

This purse, pattern byAnnie, is my favourite!!! I also think this is my favourite purse EVER!!! I’ve been using it a lot! It has tons of pockets and I’m able to keep everything organized! You can read about it HERE. This purse was made for the Island Batik blog hop “It’s in the Bag.”

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

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