Free Motion Quilting

It’s All Up to You!

/ quiltinggail / 22 Comments

The final challenge of the year allowed the ambassadors to do whatever we wanted! Sometimes, this can be very difficult and at other times it’s super easy! This time, it was easy!

I knew that I wanted to do something scrappy.

This fall, I was very inspired by the fall colours of the trees and the leaves. They seemed more vibrant than other years. The following pictures were taken by my friend, Stella MacDonald. (And, she’s hoping that me posting them will make her famous!!). Aren’t the colours rich?

I used the Accuquilt die “Maple Leaf” to cut everything out. (See HERE). This die has the blocks finishing at 8″. I used the free Accuquilt Table Runner pattern as a guide, but I doubled the size and made it scrappier!

Here is the finished quilt:

The “Oh Canada” quilting ruler (from Silly Moon) was ideal for doing an “all-over” pattern on the quilt! Aurifil Thread #4650 was the perfect variegated thread to use on this quilt. It has lots of greens, red, and yellow! I actually laughed out loud when I read that the name of the thread was “Leaves!” Hobbs 80/20 batting is in the middle.

The Janome M7 has a maple leaf stitch and I used it on the binding!

Quilt Stats:

Thank you!

Thank you to the generosity of Island Batik (Lumin Fabrics) and Industry partners! They have supplied the products for free as my role as an Island Batik Ambassador! Island Batik, Aurifil Thread, Hobbs Batting, Schmetz Needles, Oliso Iron, Accuquilt

Island Batik Ambassadors

Visit the other Island Batik Ambassadors to see what they made this month:

Don’t Forget!

I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Linking to:  

TGIFF and a Matching Finish!

/ quiltinggail / 10 Comments

TGIFF is an acronym for Thank Goodness It’s FINISHED Friday. It is hosted by a variety of different bloggers that show their finished quilt or project for that week. You can visit THIS LINK to see who is hosting each week. This week, I am the host!

I made 2 of the Small Clam Up byAnnie bags. You can get the pattern HERE. When I made the Switchback bag in October (see THIS POST), there was some quilted fabric left over. I couldn’t just throw it out. These bags used the perfect amount of quilted fabric! I had used fabric from the “Frosted Folliage” collection by Tiffany Hayes of Needle in a Hay Stack and Whip Cream (an Island Batik foundational fabric).

I know that I’m biased, but I think they turned out so very cute! I will likely use one with my Switchback and will give the other as a gift in the future.

Here they are with my Switchback bag:

It’s YOUR Turn

Link up your finished project!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party! Click here to enter

Don’t Forget!

I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Sunday Summary: December 7

/ quiltinggail / 13 Comments

A Winner!

My last post was about the Arabesque Pattern from mmmquilts that I tested. The winner from commenting on my blog is Joyce Carter! Sandra will be sending her a free pattern.

Stitching Stuff

Kate, from Life in Pieces, is hosting “Stitching Stuff” and the goal is to sew for at least 15 minutes a day. I use Kate’s guideline, but my personal goal is to sew for 30 minutes a day. On those “blah” days, it does motivate me to sit at my machine and 30 minutes often turns into several hours. Thank you Kate for the motivation!

Almost back to normal!

  • January – November: 302 / 327
  • December: 6 / 7days
  • Total: 308 / 334 92%

Design Wall Mondays

Judy, at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, hosts a linky party for “What’s on your Design Wall” every week.

Piecing projects:

Songbird Designs

Quilting Projects:

Sunday Stash

Donna at Quilt Paint Create hosts a weekly linky party where you can display your stash numbers. This has really kept my stash from growing (somewhat!) Before I buy anything, I am always mindful of the fact that I need to report it on my blog … That sometimes stops me in my tracks!

Nothing finished this week.

  • Fabric used since my last report: 0 yards
  • Fabric Used in 2025:     214 yards. {72 yards of non Island Batik fabric}
  • Fabric Added in the last week: 0 yards
  • Fabric Added this year:    28.5 yards 
  • Net Fabric used:             185.5 yards

To Do

Carol from Quilt Schmilt is hosting “To Do” every week.

To Do from last week ago:

  1. Laundry Basket Mystery: 7, 8 & 9. maybe …. XX not done XX
  2. Finish Island Batik December Challenge √   DONE. post coming soon!
  3. Continue to work on a Test quilt for Songbird Designs in progress
  4. Work on a Test Quilt for mmmquilts in progress
  5. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! √   DONE.
  6. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes. √   DONE. 

To Do for this week:

I have my list, but I’m not going to stress about getting it done!

  1. Laundry Basket Mystery: Work on Week 7
  2. Continue to work on a Test quilt for Songbird Designs
  3. Quilt on a Arabesque Quilt for mmmquilts
  4. Finish Level 2 Tote
  5. Work on left-overs from Switchback bag
  6. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! 
  7. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes.

Don’t Forget

I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Linking to:  

Sunday Summary: November 30

/ quiltinggail / 24 Comments

So yes, I’m back. Breaking 2 ribs was quite the shock! I wallowed in self-pity for awhile, but one kind soul said, “It’s better than the alternative.” So very true! And …. I must thank each one of you for your kind wishes!

I have been able to go for walks and quilt. Both are very beneficial for my mental health! I still have pain and need to be careful with reaching and lifting. And laughing still hurts a LOT! However, I can cut fabric (in small doses) and can sew! I have another x-ray next week and hopefully, I will be able to do more!!

Now, back to our regular blog chatter:

Laundry Basket Mystery Quilt Progress

There is a bit of progress on the quilt … Week 1 – 6 are done. I had been procrastinating Week 6. I didn’t like the thought of doing flying geese stars without doing the no-waste method. So, I thought I could do a friendship star instead. It worked perfectly. You can access the Mystery HERE.

Stitching Stuff

Kate, from Life in Pieces, is hosting “Stitching Stuff” and the goal is to sew for at least 15 minutes a day. I use Kate’s guideline, but my personal goal is to sew for 30 minutes a day. On those “blah” days, it does motivate me to sit at my machine and 30 minutes often turns into several hours. Thank you Kate for the motivation!

The amount of sewing I’ve done this month is way less than usual. But that’s OK. I’m on the mend!

  • January – October: 287 / 297days
  • November: 15 / 30 days
  • Total: 302 / 327 92%

Design Wall Mondays

Judy, at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, hosts a linky party for “What’s on your Design Wall” every week.

Piecing projects:

  • Laundry Basket Mystery: Weeks 7, 8 & 9
  • Finish a Test quilt for Songbird Designs
  • Work on a Test quilt for MMM Designs
  • Work on Island Batik’s December Project

Quilting projects: none at the moment.

Favourite Finish of the Month

Yvonne, from Quilting Jetgirl host a link party each month with favourite finishes. I’ve only had one finish this month, so unlike other months, it wasn’t a hard decision!

End of Timeless Treasures Blog Hop

Do you want an opportunity to win some awesome Island batik fabric from Lumin Fabrics? Go to THIS LINK and vote for YOUR favourite quilt!

See all of the quilts up close together in one post before voting HERE.

Last day to vote is December 1st! Winners of the contest will be announced on December 2nd on Lumin Fabrics Instagram and Facebook pages. Good luck!

WIPS-B-GONE

WIPS-B-Gone has ended and I obviously did not complete it!! Next year!

Sunday Stash

Donna at Quilt Paint Create hosts a weekly linky party where you can display your stash numbers. This has really kept my stash from growing (somewhat!) Before I buy anything, I am always mindful of the fact that I need to report it on my blog … That sometimes stops me in my tracks!

I did finish my November Island Batik project. You can read about it HERE. It used 12 yards of fabric.

  • Fabric used since my last report: 12 yards
  • Fabric Used in 2025:     214 yards. {72 yards of non Island Batik fabric}
  • Fabric Added in the last week: 0 yards
  • Fabric Added this year:    28.5 yards 
  • Net Fabric used:             185.5 yards

To Do

Carol from Quilt Schmilt is hosting “To Do” every week.

To Do from last week ago:

  1. Laundry Basket Mystery: Weeks 6 √   DONE 7, 8, 9 XX not done XX
  2. Make 5 grab bags for the guild √   DONE
  3. Island Batik November Challenge √   DONE
  4. Continue to work on a Test quilt for Songbird Designs in progress
  5. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! √   DONE.
  6. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes. √   DONE. 

To Do for this week:

  1. Laundry Basket Mystery: 7, 8 & 9. maybe ….
  2. Finish Island Batik December Challenge
  3. Continue to work on a Test quilt for Songbird Designs
  4. Work on a Test Quilt for mmmquilts
  5. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! 
  6. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes.

Don’t Forget

I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Linking to:  

Timeless Traditions Blog Hop

/ quiltinggail / 16 Comments

Here’s what Island Batik told us about this challenge:

  • Project Type: Quilt
  • Size: Lap or larger
  • Fabric: Must use Summer 2025 fabric bundle
  • Must use as many collection SKUs as possible
  • Technique: Traditionally pieced and any other technique you want to include – applique, foundation pieced if applicable. Must use a minimum of 5 different blocks in your quilt
    • Four Patch Quilt Block 
    • Nine Patch Quilt Block
    • Half Square Triangle Block
    • Quarter Square Triangle Block
    • Friendship Star Block
    • Flying Geese Quilt Block
    • Variable Star Quilt Block
    • Ohio Star Quilt Block
    • Nine Patch Chain Quilt Block
    • Pinwheel Mosaic Quilt Block

I received a “Surprise” package that contained my Summer ’25 bundle. I hadn’t looked it up, so it was a total surprise to me when I opened it!

Here’s what I found when I opened the Surprise bundle:

Isn’t it gorgeous?? This collection is Garden Gate (a Kate Colleran original) and the 2 yard accompanying fabrics are Sparkles-Multi Pink Yellow and Gravel-Purple Regal, both from the collection.

I planned the quilt in EQ8. The blocks I chose to make: All of them are 9″ square, except for the 9 patch that finishes at 3″ square.

  • Friendship Star
  • Pinwheel Mosaic (paper pieced)
  • Pinwheel (paper pieced)
  • Friendship Star Variation
  • Double Pinwheel Whirls (paper pieced)
  • Ohio Star
  • Ohio Star Variation (paper pieced)
  • 9 patch

along with a tiny 9 patch as corner stones:

And yes, there was an “Opps” block … I wasn’t following the colours on the paper piecing … this was suppose to be a pinwheel in the centre …

Here’s a picture of the layout on the design wall before I had all the blocks made:

When I paper pieced, I printed out one set templates for each block and re-used them. I paper piece without sewing on the papers.

Quilting in progress on my domestic machine (Janome M7).

And without further rambling, here is the finished quilt:

And closeups of the custom quilting of each block:

Quilt Stats:

Thank you!

Thank you to the generosity of Island Batik and Industry partners! They have supplied the products for free as my role as an Island Batik Ambassador! Island Batik, Aurifil Thread, Hobbs Batting, Schmetz Needles, Oliso Iron

Island Batik Ambassadors

Visit the other Island Batik Ambassadors to see what they made this month:

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Sunday Summary: October 26

/ quiltinggail / 17 Comments

Left-overs

Left-overs made into 2 zipper pouches and a placemat. The placemat will go to Meals on Wheels for their Christmas delivery. You can read more about them on THIS POST.

One of my Patterns

In early September, Teresa emailed me asking if I had the pattern for “Ivan’s Diamonds.” In a very short period of time, Teresa had paid for the pattern and quickly made it. She sent me pictures of her quilt … Isn’t it gorgeous? And the quilting is perfect!! Thank you Teresa for allowing me to share your pictures!

Laundry Basket Mystery Quilt Progress

There is a bit of progress on the quilt … Week 1 – 5 are done. I’ve been procrastinating Week 6. The thought of making all those flying geese cutting small pieces does not interest me. I just might skip a row! I haven’t decided yet! You can access the Mystery HERE.

Stitching Stuff

Kate, from Life in Pieces, is hosting “Stitching Stuff” and the goal is to sew for at least 15 minutes a day. I use Kate’s guideline, but my personal goal is to sew for 30 minutes a day. On those “blah” days, it does motivate me to sit at my machine and 30 minutes often turns into several hours. Thank you Kate for the motivation!

  • January – September: 262 / 272 days
  • Oct: 25 / 25 days
  • Total: 288 / 298 96%

Design Wall Mondays

Judy, at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, hosts a linky party for “What’s on your Design Wall” every week.

Piecing projects:

  • Laundry Basket Mystery: Weeks 6?, 7, 8 & 9
  • Work on a Test quilt for Songbird Designs

Quilting projects:

  • Island Batik November Challenge

WIPS-B-GONE

So far, I’m doing good!! My picture shows an orange petal each day that I clean for 15 minutes and the rest of the time is spent sewing … (the petals do not represent the exact time … but when I clean, I set my timer for 15 minutes and I stop when it goes off! [Leanne of Devoted Quilter has a fun way to track your progress. This is for October and November. You can download a form to colour in each day as you work your way through. You can go to Instagram and click on her post HERE ]

This is my current list of WIPS. I’d love to have them all finished by the end of WIPS-B-GONE!!

  • scraps from Splish Splash – done
  • 5 grab bags for guild
  • 5 Dove bags for guild
  • scraps from byAnnie bag
  • November Island Batik project
  • December Island Batik project
  • Test quilt for Songbird Designs

Sunday Stash

Donna at Quilt Paint Create hosts a weekly linky party where you can display your stash numbers. This has really kept my stash from growing (somewhat!) Before I buy anything, I am always mindful of the fact that I need to report it on my blog … That sometimes stops me in my tracks!

The placemat and zipper bags used a yard.

  • Fabric used in the last week: 1 yard
  • Fabric Used in 2025:     202 yards. {68 yards of non Island Batik fabric}
  • Fabric Added in the last week: 0 yards
  • Fabric Added this year:    28.5 yards 
  • Net Fabric used:              168.5 yards

To Do

Carol from Quilt Schmilt is hosting “To Do” every week.

To Do from last week ago:

  1. Laundry Basket Mystery: Weeks 5,√   DONE 6 & 7. XX not done XX
  2. Piecing scraps of Splish Splash (see here) for something. √   DONE
  3. Continue working on Island Batik November Challenge √   DONE
  4. Continue to work on a Test quilt for Songbird Designs in progress
  5. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! √   DONE.
  6. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes. √   DONE. 

To Do for this week:

  1. Laundry Basket Mystery: 6??? & 7, 8 & 9
  2. Make 5 grab bags for the guild
  3. Quilt Island Batik November Challenge
  4. Continue to work on a Test quilt for Songbird Designs
  5. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! 
  6. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes.

Don’t Forget

I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Linking to:  

A Left-Over Friday

/ quiltinggail / 13 Comments

When I made the ‘Splish Splash’ quilt, I had a few partial blocks left- over. (See HERE to read more about this quilt).

I’m really trying to use up the left-overs in a somewhat timely manner. It doesn’t always work, but in this case, I made a placemat and 2 zipper pouches as leaders and enders as I worked on my November Island Batik (Lumin Fabrics) challenge.

The fabrics are from “Splish Splash”. The inside of the placemat and the larger zipper pouch is scraps of Hobbs Thermore and the smaller zipper pouch has scraps of Hobbs 80/20.

Don’t Forget!

I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Linking to:  

Sunday Summary: October 19

/ quiltinggail / 16 Comments

Christmas Train

The train is done! And Rudolph is the driver!

Laundry Basket Mystery Quilt Progress

There is a bit of progress on the quilt … Week 1 – 4 are done. Week 5 is in progress! For Week 6, I need to make 96 small flying geese. Below is the current progress showing some of Week 5. You can access the Mystery HERE. No further progress …

Stitching Stuff

Kate, from Life in Pieces, is hosting “Stitching Stuff” and the goal is to sew for at least 15 minutes a day. I use Kate’s guideline, but my personal goal is to sew for 30 minutes a day. On those “blah” days, it does motivate me to sit at my machine and 30 minutes often turns into several hours. Thank you Kate for the motivation!

  • January – September: 262 / 272 days
  • Oct: 19 / 19 days
  • Total: 281 / 291 96%

Design Wall Mondays

Judy, at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, hosts a linky party for “What’s on your Design Wall” every week.

Piecing projects:

  • Laundry Basket Mystery: Weeks 5, 6 & 7
  • Piecing scraps of Splish Splash (see here) for something.
  • Starting Island Batik November Challenge
  • Work on a Test quilt for Songbird Designs

Quilting projects: none

WIPS-B-GONE

So far, I’m doing good!! My picture shows an orange petal each day that I clean for 15 minutes and the rest of the time is spent sewing … (the petals do not represent the exact time … but when I clean, I set my timer for 15 minutes and I stop when it goes off! [Leanne of Devoted Quilter has a fun way to track your progress. This is for October and November. You can download a form to colour in each day as you work your way through. You can go to Instagram and click on her post HERE ]

Sunday Stash

Donna at Quilt Paint Create hosts a weekly linky party where you can display your stash numbers. This has really kept my stash from growing (somewhat!) Before I buy anything, I am always mindful of the fact that I need to report it on my blog … That sometimes stops me in my tracks!

The byAnnie bag used a total of 3 yards!

  • Fabric used in the last week: 2.5 yards
  • Fabric Used in 2025:     201 yards. {67 yards of non Island Batik fabric}
  • Fabric Added in the last week: 0 yards
  • Fabric Added this year:    28.5 yards 
  • Net Fabric used:              167.5 yards

To Do

Carol from Quilt Schmilt is hosting “To Do” every week.

To Do from the a few weeks ago:

  1. Laundry Basket Mystery: Weeks 5, 6 & 7. XX not done XX
  2. Christmas Train: need to finish borders and “driver”, sandwich and quilt. √   DONE
  3. Piecing scraps of Splish Splash (see here) for something. in progress
  4. Starting Island Batik November Challenge in progress
  5. Work on a Test quilt for Songbird Designs in progress
  6. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! √   DONE.
  7. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes. √   DONE. 

To Do for this week:

  1. Laundry Basket Mystery: Weeks 5, 6 & 7.
  2. Piecing scraps of Splish Splash (see here) for something.
  3. Continue working on Island Batik November Challenge
  4. Continue to work on a Test quilt for Songbird Designs
  5. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! 
  6. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes.

Don’t Forget

I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Linking to:  

Sunday Summary: October 12

/ quiltinggail / 18 Comments

Sew Stylish Challenge with byAnnie

My bag is finished and I’m in LOVE ♥️ . You can read about it HERE.

Christmas Train

The borders are going on the Christmas train that Simina from Essem convinced me that I needed to make. I’m figuring out the who or what the driver of the train will be …

Laundry Basket Mystery Quilt Progress

There is a bit of progress on the quilt … Week 1 – 4 are done. Week 5 is in progress! For Week 6, I need to make 96 small flying geese. Below is the current progress showing some of Week 5. You can access the Mystery HERE

Magnificent Mystery Progress

September and October Clues are done. You can access the mystery HERE.

Stitching Stuff

Kate, from Life in Pieces, is hosting “Stitching Stuff” and the goal is to sew for at least 15 minutes a day. I use Kate’s guideline, but my personal goal is to sew for 30 minutes a day. On those “blah” days, it does motivate me to sit at my machine and 30 minutes often turns into several hours. Thank you Kate for the motivation!

  • January – August: 269 / 279 days
  • Oct: 12 / 12 days
  • Total: 279 / 289 96 %

Design Wall Mondays

Judy, at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, hosts a linky party for “What’s on your Design Wall” every week.

Piecing projects:

  • Laundry Basket Mystery: Weeks 5, 6 & 7
  • Christmas Train: need to finish piecing the top
  • Piecing scraps of Splish Splash (see here) for something.
  • Starting Island Batik November Challenge
  • Work on a Test quilt for Songbird Designs

Quilting projects: none – unless I get the train quilt sandwiched.

Sunday Stash

Donna at Quilt Paint Create hosts a weekly linky party where you can display your stash numbers. This has really kept my stash from growing (somewhat!) Before I buy anything, I am always mindful of the fact that I need to report it on my blog … That sometimes stops me in my tracks!

The byAnnie bag used a total of 3 yards!

  • Fabric used in the last week: 3 yards
  • Fabric Used in 2025:     198.5 yards. {64.5 yards of non Island Batik fabric}
  • Fabric Added in the last week: 0 yards
  • Fabric Added this year:    28.5 yards 
  • Net Fabric used:              165 yards

To Do

Carol from Quilt Schmilt is hosting “To Do” every week.

To Do from the a few weeks ago:

  1. October Island Batik Challenge. … it’s in progress, but it’s SLOW going!!! VERY SLOW!!! This needs to be a priority for me!! √   DONE
  2. Magnificent Mystery: Finish trimming September clue, work on October’s clue √   DONE
  3. Work on Laundry Basket Quilt Mystery: Weeks 5, & 6 in progress
  4. Work on Christmas Train quilt √   DONE
  5. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! √   DONE.
  6. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes. √   DONE. 

To Do for this week:

  1. Laundry Basket Mystery: Weeks 5, 6 & 7
  2. Christmas Train: need to finish borders and “driver”, sandwich and quilt.
  3. Piecing scraps of Splish Splash (see here) for something.
  4. Starting Island Batik November Challenge
  5. Work on a Test quilt for Songbird Designs
  6. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! 
  7. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes.

WIPS-B-GONE

So far, I’m doing good!! My picture shows an orange petal each day that I clean for 15 minutes and the rest of the time is spent sewing … (the petals do not represent the exact time … but when I clean, I set my timer for 15 minutes and I stop when it goes off! [Leanne of Devoted Quilter has a fun way to track your progress. This is for October and November. You can download a form to colour in each day as you work your way through. You can go to Instagram and click on her post HERE ]

Don’t Forget

I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Linking to:  

Sew Stylish Challenge with ByAnnie

/ quiltinggail / 19 Comments

ByAnnie generously provided me with my chosen pattern and all the necessary hardware to make Switchback. The only criteria for choosing a bag was to make sure it had an Add-On Video!

Here’s a picture of everything I received from ByAnnie!

Before I began, I pressed all the fabrics with my wonderful Oliso m3pro iron!!! I LOVE this iron for quilting and used it during the making of Switchback when I needed to press a seam.

ByAnnie patterns come with a label sheet so you can label all of your cut pieces. This makes gathering the specific components easy. It is VERY important to do this. It saves lots of re-measuring and prevents future headaches. The picture below is of all my cut & labelled pieces. I pin these onto my design wall for easy access.

For the quilting, I did a wavy stitch with my walking foot. I used the same thread in the bobbin as in the top, that’s why you can see the quilting on the lining. The 2nd picture shows most of the quilted and cut pieces. Yes, I used a Schmetz needle! The 4th picture is close to the end … lots of clips to hold pieces in place! Unfortunately, I neglected to take other pictures as I went along.

Here are some pictures of the inside of the bag: Lots of pockets and extra hardware for keys or a carabiner. The 3rd pictures shows the extra hardware being used for extra security for the bag.

The Switchback can be worn as a backpack, an over-the-shoulder bag or as a cross-body bag.

Here is a picture of the finished bag! I’m loving it!

Bag Stats:

Thank you!

Thank you to the generosity of Island Batik and Industry partners! They have supplied the products for free as my role as an Island Batik Ambassador! Island Batik, ByAnnie, Aurifil Thread, Schmetz Needles, and Oliso Iron.

Island Batik Ambassadors

Visit the other Island Batik Ambassadors to see what they made this month:

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Linking to:  

Sunday Summary: October 6

/ quiltinggail / 14 Comments

Oh dear!!! I sincerely hope this is not me!!! (but it could be …)

Teal Finish

I did finally finish this quilt. You can read about it HERE.

Christmas Train

I have started the Christmas train that Simina from Essem convinced me that I needed to make. It’s webbed together, but there’s still a ways to go!

Laundry Basket Mystery Quilt Progress

There is a bit of progress on the quilt … Week 1 – 4 are done. Weeks 5 & 6 are still not started. Soon! You can access the Mystery HERE

Stitching Stuff

Kate, from Life in Pieces, is hosting “Stitching Stuff” and the goal is to sew for at least 15 minutes a day. I use Kate’s guideline, but my personal goal is to sew for 30 minutes a day. On those “blah” days, it does motivate me to sit at my machine and 30 minutes often turns into several hours. Thank you Kate for the motivation!

  • January – August: 262 / 272 days
  • Oct: 5 / 5 days
  • Total: 267 / 277 96 %

Design Wall Mondays

Judy, at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, hosts a linky party for “What’s on your Design Wall” every week.

Piecing projects:

  • Laundry Basket Mystery: Weeks 5 & 6
  • Christmas Train: need to finish piecing the top
  • Meadow Mist’s Magnificent Mystery: Still need to finish trimming the September blocks. Need to work on October blocks. You can access the Mystery HERE.
  • Island Batik October project: byAnnie bag. The pictures below show the fabric and I’m making the Switchback bag.

Quilting projects: none!

Sunday Stash

Donna at Quilt Paint Create hosts a weekly linky party where you can display your stash numbers. This has really kept my stash from growing (somewhat!) Before I buy anything, I am always mindful of the fact that I need to report it on my blog … That sometimes stops me in my tracks!

The Teal quilt used 5 yards of fabric.

  • Fabric used in the last week: 5 yards
  • Fabric Used in 2025:     195.5 yards. {64.5 yards of non Island Batik fabric}
  • Fabric Added in the last week: 0 yards
  • Fabric Added this year:    28.5 yards 
  • Net Fabric used:              162 yards

To Do

Carol from Quilt Schmilt is hosting “To Do” every week.

To Do from the a few weeks ago:

  1. Finish Quilting Rainbow Scrap Challenge –  Teal blocks. √   DONE
  2. Make a decision regarding September’s Rainbow Scrap Challenge: Pastel blue & green. XX NOT DONE XX
  3. Start on October Island Batik Challenge. in progress
  4. Work on Magnificent Mystery: Finish September clue, work on October’s clue in progress
  5. Work on Laundry Basket Quilt Mystery: Week 3 & 4 √   DONE Week 5 XX NOT DONE XX
  6. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! √   DONE. 
  7. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes. √   DONE. 

To Do for this week:

  1. October Island Batik Challenge. … it’s in progress, but it’s SLOW going!!! VERY SLOW!!! This needs to be a priority for me!!
  2. Magnificent Mystery: Finish trimming September clue, work on October’s clue
  3. Work on Laundry Basket Quilt Mystery: Weeks 5, & 6
  4. Work on Christmas Train quilt
  5. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! 
  6. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes.

WIPS-B-GONE

I’m off to a flying start with this!! My picture shows an orange petal each day that I clean for 15 minutes and the rest of the time is spent sewing … (the petals do not represent the exact time … but when I clean, I set my timer for 15 minutes and I stop when it goes off! [Leanne of Devoted Quilter has a fun way to track your progress. This is for October and November. You can download a form to colour in each day as you work your way through. You can go to Instagram and click on her post HERE ]

Don’t Forget

I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Linking to:  

A Teal Finish

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Well, teal isn’t exactly a fall colour, but it is a finish!!

This started out as a Rainbow Scrap Challenge for August … although she called for Aqua. I asked Google what the difference was and Google said, “Aqua is a light, bright blue-green color, while teal is darker, more muted blue-green color with a greenish undertone.” Whatever … close enough in my book, plus mine is scrappy, so anything close goes!

I used 2 different teals for the half-square triangles and the squares were all scrappy teals and aqua (LOL!). The binding is scrappy and my teal container is almost empty!!! WOW!!! In some ways, that is sad because it’s a favourite colour of mine! But, in another way, it’s good: I’m using up stash!

Here’s a picture of the quilting … and yes, the quilting was all free-motion on my domestic sewing machine … that’s why you can see so many inconsistencies in the swirls. I used Silly Moon’s “Rocket” for the straight lines through the squares.

Quilt Stats:

WIPS-B-GONE

Do you have lots of WIPS (Works in Progress)? If so, Leanne of Devoted Quilter has a fun way to track your progress. This is for October and November. You can download a form to colour in each day as you work your way through. You can go to Instagram and click on her post HERE and she will send you the link to the downloads. She also sends out motivational emails each Monday to inspire you to keep working on your WIPS.

I’m joining her this year. Not only am I going to work on my quilting projects, but I’m going to work on tidying up my sewing room. It’s a MESS!!! I’ve chosen the 6 petal flower to track my progress and one petal each day is for 15 minutes of concentrated tidying. Here’s a few pictures of the current status of my sewing studio:

Favourite Finish for September!

I’m linking to Quilting Jetgirl’s Favourite Finish of the Month. As always, it’s HARD to choose a favourite!! I need to choose between these 2 quilts. The first is the Curved Crazy Quilt that I did for the Island Batik Blog hop (see HERE) and the 2nd is the Splish Splash quilt that I did for a wedding gift.

Don’t Forget!

I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Linking to:  

Splish Splash

/ quiltinggail / 22 Comments

I’m not in the water … but I’m using a fabulous 2 1/2″ strip pack from Island Batik called Splish Splash by the Whimsical Workshop. It’s full of sea horses, fish, starfish, seaweed, bubbles and stars … just wonderful!

I chose a pattern by the Fat Quarter Shop called Jelly Roll Twist (see HERE). It’s a super easy quilt to make and sews up quickly.

Here are the blocks on my design wall … but of course, I switched them around before sewing them together.

It was a very fun quilt to quilt on my domestic sewing machine. I used Silly Moon’s 4″ Beanie to create the orange peel flowers in the neutral squares. Each short and each long strip was quilted differently. I used rulers for some of them and free motioned many of them. There are swirls, loops, circles, feathers, flowers, hearts, squares, ribbons and many many more.

Here are some closeups of the quilting (one on the front, the rest on the back.) I used a product called “Fireside” which I recently learned is only available in Canada (although some shops may ship internationally). It’s wonderful for the backs of quilts. It’s nice and cozy, but doesn’t stretch or make as much of a fluffy mess as Minky. This took awhile to quilt, but I had fun quilting it!

And the best part: The wedding is on Saturday and the quilt is done!!!

Quilt Stats:

  • Size: 60″ square
  • Fabric: Island Batik: “Splish Splash” by Heidi Pridemore of the Whimsical Workshop and the neutral is Milk Shake (an Island Batik basic that is available year round). The binding is Small Pointed Floral-Tu -a blender.
  • Hobbs Batting: Heirloom 80/20
  • Aurifil Thread: 50 weight
    • Piecing & Quilting: #2600 (Dove Grey)
  • Silly Moon Rulers: Rocket, Cheesie, Charming, Jelly, Turkey, Twinkle, and Beanie (4″)
  • Schmetz Needles: Universal 80/12
  • Oliso Iron

Threaded Chaos Blog Hop

The blog hop is over and there have been a LOT of wonderful and creative crazy quilts featuring new collections and Aurifil thread.

Make sure to check Lumin Fabrics FB and IG post for a round-up of this week’s Threaded Chaos Quilts and enter to win some fabric!

Don’t Forget:

I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Linking to:  

Yes, I Quilt on my Domestic Machine

/ quiltinggail / 20 Comments

I LOVE free motion quilting!!

This is quilting from 2016 when I made quilts for all my cousins out of my grandma’s fabrics. It was free motion quilted with no rulers.

For the most part, I make all of my quilts from start to finish on a domestic sewing machine. I say, “for the most part” because there was a time when a group of us made quilts to exchange and one lovely lady long-armed each of the quilts for us. So, I can’t really say that I’ve done every quilt from start to finish. And there are the times where I have made a block or 2 for a group quilt … and obviously that’s not done totally by me. Also, when I first started quilting, we had quilting bees to hand quilt the quilts that we made.

So, why do I do all my own quilting? First, because I want to! When I first started quilting I made only 1 or 2 quilts a year. Each of them was hand quilted.

THEN, life changed … in 2005, I started to quilt, or piece more tops. I had bought a decent machine (Janome 6500) and wanted to learn to quilt on a domestic machine.

I took a Free Motion Quilting class. In the class, we learned how to ‘meander’ and the golden rule that you must NEVER cross over a meander line. Of course, I broke that rule on my practice square. The instructor told me to take out the stitching on my practice piece so that I would remember to NEVER cross over the line. As a professional adult educator, I was amazed at this! I started to take it out and when she wasn’t looking, that piece got stashed away. The next blow was when she told me that I would NEVER be able to free motion quilt unless I bought a Bernina (that she & her husband sold) with a stitch regulator. Needless to say, I cried all the way home.

A few weeks later, I was at a quilt show and one of the venders had a quilt on display. I was examining the quilting. She had meandered the entire quilt AND in a few places, she had CROSSED over!!! OH MY!!! Then I found out she had a machine with a stitch regulator and hated it because it slowed her down.

SEW … I went home from that quilt show with a smile on my face!!! I remember thinking, “to H*** with what that mean instructor told me” and I then thought “I don’t give a d*** what she said.” [yes, sometimes swearing helps!] I pulled out one of the quilts I had pieced and meandered the whole thing!! I also made sure that I crossed over. (Call me a rebel!) I quilt my quilts for ME … they aren’t going to be entering any competition.

Since then, I’ve taken many FMQ classes from different instructors. All of them were very encouraging! And I’ve learned something new from each one of them.

I’ve been quilting my own quilts ever since! Currently, I quilt on my domestic Janome M7 machine.

One thing that stuck in my mind from the early days of quilting was something that Harriet Hargraves said in one of her books that to always quilt the same thing is like buying a mattress cover with the same over-all design. It’s always the same. So, I try to add variety to my quilts. Besides, I’d be totally bored if I always did the exact same thing!

When I was first learning to free motion quilt, I had a quilt that was really UGLY. I mean UGLY!!! The fabric was lovely, but how it was put together resulted in a truly UGLY quilt. However, it was the perfect quilt to practice on!!! If a motif or something didn’t work out – it didn’t matter!! I just moved on to another section and tried again! And yes, I had to practice!!

I no longer practice and just jump in to quilt whatever the quilt tells me to. Most of my quilts are custom quilted, but there is the odd one where I do an all-over design or diagonal lines.

Here’s a few close-ups of quilting, totally quilted on my domestic machine! There is some ruler quilting (straight lines, hearts and orange peels) but most of it is free motion.

SEW … I encourage you to practice your quilting! Yes, practice! You’ll be amazed at what you can do in a very short time!

Don’t Forget!

I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gai

A Beautiful Blooming Friday!

/ quiltinggail / 15 Comments

This beautiful quilt was designed by Denise of A Quiltery. It’s a sew along with free blocks every 2 weeks. Or, you can get the embroidery designs and make it in your embroidery machine. That is what I did! I used fabric from the “Radiant Burst” collection by Jerry Khiev, along with the Egg White neutral and solid white. The binding is scrappy fabrics from the collection.

It was free motion quilted on my domestic machine (Janome M7). I stippled around the flowers, used Silly Moon’s Rocket to do paradox lines in the hexies and half hexies. On the border, I free motioned flowers with different petals.

Quilt Stats:

Thank you very much, Denise for the wonderful pattern!!! I’m in LOVE ♥️ with it!

Don’t Forget!

I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Linking to:  

Two Finishes For Friday!

/ quiltinggail / 11 Comments

I finished 2 retreat bags … one small and one large. This is a free pattern from Emmaline Bags. You can find the pattern HERE. If you insert the hardware, the bags stay open. However, if you choose to make the bag without the hardware, you will still end up with a nice zipper bag. Or if you use Soft & Stable or Bosal foam for the interfacing (instead of fusible fleece), you actually do not need the hardware.

This is the Large one. I used left-over fabric from the backing of the “yellow” quilt, see HERE. For the interfacing, I used left-over pieces of Hobbs 80/20. I used Aurifil black thread to do the loop-d-loop quilting and top stitching.

This is the small one. I used a couple of fat quarters left from when I made the Glowing Hearts Quilt. I purposely saved the Hexi fabric for a bag!

Don’t Forget:

I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Linking to:  

An Orange Friday Finish!

/ quiltinggail / 22 Comments

Orange was the Rainbow Scrap Challenge colour for the month of June.

YOUR BLOG NAME

I showed you a few pictures of this quilt in progress. I used scraps of Island Batik orange and Island Batik solid grey (Lumin Fabrics).

Here is the finished quilt. It was obviously re-arranged from when it was on my design wall. That’s one of the beauties of a disappearing 9 patch!

And a close up of the quilting … I used Silly Moon’s Charming ruler for the big orange squares and the straight edge for the smaller squares and free motioned swirls in the solid grey sections. All quilting was done on my domestic sewing machine (Janome Continental M7).

Quilt Stats:

Don’t Forget:

I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Linking to:  

Christmas in July

/ quiltinggail / 26 Comments

Melva, from Melva Loves Scraps is hosting this blog hop …

My Project

Every year, just before Christmas, the Boundary Bay Quilt Guild collects placemats for Meals on Wheels. I try to participate … This year, I’ve used up some ‘left-overs’ from projects to make the placemats. These are from an Island Batik strip pack called Prairie Dreams that I received 2 years ago. First I made a bargello quilt using the strips (see HERE) and then I used some on the bottom of a robe (THIS POST).

There was STILL some left over, so I made these place mats. They are backed with different Christmas Fabric. There are leftover pieces of Hobbs 80/20 batting in the middle and they are pieced and quilted with Aurifil thread. There was STILL some left over, so I made these place mats. They are backed with different Christmas Fabric. There are leftover pieces of Hobbs 80/20 batting in the middle and they are pieced and quilted with Aurifil thread. There was STILL some left over, so I made these place mats. They are backed with different Christmas Fabric. There are leftover pieces of Hobbs 80/20 batting in the middle and they are pieced and quilted with Aurifil thread.

These will double as an everyday placemat and a Christmas placemat.

Blog Hoppers

Visit all the other blog hoppers to see what their “Christmas in July” projects are!

July 24

July 25

Don’t Forget:

I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Linking to:  

Monday Moments: July 21

/ quiltinggail / 16 Comments

A Finish

I finished this quilt awhile ago … but I just shared it this week because it’s got purple in it and July’s colour for the rainbow scrap challenge is purple. You can read more about it HERE.

Stitching Stuff

Kate, from Life in Pieces, is hosting “Stitching Stuff” and the goal is to sew for at least 15 minutes a day. I use Kate’s guideline, but my personal goal is to sew for 30 minutes a day. On those “blah” days, it does motivate me to sit at my machine and 30 minutes often turns into several hours. Thank you Kate for the motivation!

  • January – June: 183 / 187 days
  • July: 20 / 20 days
  • Total: 196 / 200 98 %

Design Wall Mondays

Judy, at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, hosts a linky party for “What’s on your Design Wall” every week.

Piecing projects:

  • “Bloomers:” I decided to use fabric from the Radiant Burst collection! And the main blocks are started with Eggwhite and Solid White and the first and 2nd blocks are done. I did 2 of the 2nd block and reversed them. The Hexi and half Hexi blocks are started …
  • Island Batik’s September Challenge is the Threaded Chaos Blog Hop – a Crazy Quilt using Aurifil thread … It’s in progress, but I can’t show you YET … but I can show you a picture of the fabric I’m using … gorgeous, isn’t it?

Quilting projects:

  • Splish Splash is webbed together and needs a backing, sandwiching and quilting.
  • Disappearing 9 patch using “ORANGE” and Island Batik’s solid grey for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. I have the backing … it needs sandwiching.
  • Purple for Rainbow Scrap Challenge I have the backing … it needs sandwiching.

Sunday Stash

Donna at Quilt Paint Create hosts a weekly linky party where you can display your stash numbers. This has really kept my stash from growing (somewhat!) Before I buy anything, I am always mindful of the fact that I need to report it on my blog … That sometimes stops me in my tracks!

I bought 5.5 yards of fabric for the backing of Disappearing 9 patch using “ORANGE” and Purple for Rainbow Scrap Challenge

  • Fabric used in the last week: 3.5 yards
  • Fabric Used in 2025:     147.5 yards. {46 yards of non Island Batik fabric}
  • Fabric Added in the last week: 5.5 yards
  • Fabric Added this year:    24.5 yards 
  • Net Fabric used:              123 yards

To Do

Carol from Quilt Schmilt is hosting “To Do” every week.

To Do from the last week:

  1. Make backing, sandwich and quilt Disappearing 9 patch: “ORANGE“. XX NOT DONE XX
  2. Piece backing, sandwich and quilt Jelly Roll Twist / Splish Splash. XX NOT DONE XX. still need to piece the backing
  3. Finish piecing Purple for Rainbow Scrap Challenge √   DONE. 
  4. Continue to work on Bloomers – make Hexi and half-Hexi blocks and other embroidery blocks in progress
  5. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! √   DONE. 
  6. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes. √   DONE. 

To Do for this week:

  1. Make backing, sandwich and quilt Disappearing 9 patch: “ORANGE“.
  2. Piece backing, sandwich and quilt Jelly Roll Twist / Splish Splash.
  3. Piece backing, sandwich and quilt  Purple for Rainbow Scrap Challenge
  4. Continue to work on Bloomers – make Hexi and half-Hexi blocks and other embroidery blocks
  5. Continue to work on Island Batik September challenge.
  6. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! 
  7. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes.

Free Sew Along

Denise at Quiltery has done a fantastic job of designing this beautiful quilt! The 1st block for appliqué is now available HERE and if you want to purchase the embroidery designs, they are also available to purchase for some formats. (That’s what I’m doing!)

Here’s Block #1 with the first half-hexi and 2 of Block #2. I’m in love with these flower blocks!

Don’t Forget

I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Linking to:  

A Friday Finish in July!

/ quiltinggail / 21 Comments

I finished this quilt awhile ago, but I waited until the Rainbow Scrap Challenge featured purple for the month!!! I used the Accuquilt die, “Glorified 9 Patch.” This quilt was originally started as a demo on how to use the Accuquilt. The store offered the class and my intent was to use the pieces to demonstrate how easy it is to sew curved seams. However, apparently it was bad timing and the class was cancelled. I ended up sewing the quilt together. It definitely did not take long. The quilting was easy, I just followed the curves at approximately 1/2” intervals.

Quilt Stats:

Don’t Forget:

I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Linking to: