Free Motion Quilting

Sunday Summation: Nov. 27 ’22

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The Mystery Quilt is well on it’s way!!!

This is a super simple mystery quilt! It is my own design. I designed it for the Boundary Bay Quilt Guild, but I’m going to be sharing it with YOU as well!

This quilt will finish at 43″ x 53″

There are 8 clues. They will all come out on Tuesdays, starting October 18.

  • Oct 18: Clue #1: Fabric Requirements and Cutting HERE
  • Oct 25: Clue #2: HERE
  • Nov 1: Clue #3 HERE
  • Nov 8: Clue #4 HERE
  • Nov 15: Clue #5 This Post
  • Nov 22: Clue #6 HERE
  • Nov 29: Clue #7
  • Dec 6: Clue #8
  • Dec 13: Mystery Quilt Parade

This week’s class

I will be teaching this table runner at Essem on Wednesday. I believe there is still room for one more. You can register for it HERE. This table runner will take you into the freeing world of slightly abstract and each table runner will be unique.

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!

Lots of stitching in the past week!

  • January – October: 258 / 303
  • Nov:  27 /27
  • Total:  285 / 331
  • Percentage = 86% 

Stash Report

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 backing for this quilt used 4 yards of fabric. You can see details of this quilt HERE.

Fabric: Island Batik Citified collection, FMQ with Aurifil thread, Hobbs 80/20 batting in the middle!

But I did go shopping. I stopped in at Castle’s Sewing Centre and just HAD to buy some of their Island Batik fabrics! I bought 1 meter of each! Aren’t they just beautiful???????

  • Fabric Used since the last report   4  yards
  • Fabric Used this year:       90 yards
  • Fabric Bought this week:  6 yards
  • Fabric Added this year:    29.5 yards 
  • Net Fabric used:                60.5 yards 

To Do

Linda from Texas Quilt Gal is hosting “To Do” every week.

The To Do list from last week ago:

  1. Work on and Finish a UFO (a wallet) not DONE
  2. Work on Melodic Mystery Quilt – and fix all the mistakes! not DONE
  3. Make December Spicy BOM √   DONE
  4. Web Spicy BOM √   DONE
  5. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder!  √   DONE
  6. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes √   DONE

This week’s list:

  1. Work on and Finish a UFO (a wallet)
  2. Work on Melodic Mystery Quilt – and fix all the mistakes!
  3. Finish Clue #1 Chilhowie
  4. Quilt Spicy BOM
  5. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! 
  6. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes

Design Wall

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

Piecing:

  1. Melodic Mystery Quilt: November clue is done … but I still haven’t fixed my previous mistakes. It’s not too late for you to start … the clues are at Meadow Mist Designs.
  2. Chilhowie – Clue #1 in progress
  3. Extra fabric from Citified

Quilting:

Spicy BOM is waiting!

Upcoming Blog Hop

Creatin’ in the Sticks: Sew It – Show It: Shades of Blue (January)

Island Batik‘s December’s Lone Star Blog Hop

Shades of Blue

Coming in 2023!

I’ve had a few emails … and yes, Some blogging friends and I will be hosting a Stay at Home Round Robin, starting mid January!

AND … to help you reduce your UFOs, there will be the PHD in 2023!

More info on both these events to come in December!

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting! 
Gail 

Linking to:

What to make with a 2 1/2″ strip pack?

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I received a 2.5″ strip pack from Island Batik awhile back … It’s such a beautiful collection … and I debated long and hard about what to make with it! It’s so pretty with the purples, oranges, golds, neutrals and blues!

I decided to go with a simple partial log cabin. The hardest part was deciding where each block should go!

Here are some close-ups of the graffiti quilting! I really enjoy quilting whatever I feel like! It’s so much fun! And, to be totally honest, it’s perfect when the quilt front is busy! And, it’s fast! I used Aurifil thread for the quilting and Hobbs 80/20 is in the middle!

This week’s class

This week, at Essem, I taught how to use an Easy Angle Ruler to make this quilt: (same block, different layouts.)

The ladies made a great start on their quilts! The quilts are going to be so different and each will be stunning!

A New Start #1

Have you ever made a Bonnie Hunter mystery quilt? I’ve made several in the past! But for the last few years, I haven’t made one. However, that is going to change this year! I’m going to make the Chilhowie mystery quilt! The first clue came out today and you can access it HERE.

I just might have enough Island Batik scraps to make this quilt! Are you going to join me in making this?

This quilt finishes at 78″ x 78″. If you don’t want to make one that big, just make half of the units that Bonnie suggests.

A New Start #2

Helen Godden, an excellent quilter and teacher is offering a FREE Christmas sew-a-long. If you want to improve your free motion quilting and only spend a few minutes each day – this is a project for YOU! You can access the pattern HERE. Then, starting Dec. 1, watch a daily youtube video on how to quilt it!

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Linking to:

A Trunk Show and Teaching

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This week I taught “Travel Posts” to 2 lovely talented quilters! Travel Posts is in the book Color Block Quilt Making by Elizabeth Chappell. It’s a great book and if you’re looking for quick and easy patterns – this book is for you! Essem may have this book in stock.

This is the quilt I made for the class sample. Simina helped pick out the fabrics: the coloured portions are grunge.

Anyhow, the class participants came very prepared and had their fabric all cut and labelled and were ready to roll! They finished the tops in class! Aren’t they great?

Here’s the 2nd one I did using Island Batik fabrics from the “Mystery Collection” and Island Batik solid grey.

Continue reading →

Creative Christmas Stockings

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The first thing I did for this stocking challenge was to find a stocking pattern. I printed it out and I didn’t like I. My husband adjusted it, making the toes larger and I liked it way better!

For my first stocking, I cut out 2 pieces of Hobbs Batting 80/20 and drew lines on it to guide me as I did the striped quilt as you go. I used 2″ strips of each fabric. Prairie Spirit Alpacas/Wool pressing mat made everything lie perfectly flat!

I needed to be careful to ensure that I covered the batting with the fabrics … Jack the ripper came out to play here …

The stockings needed to be trimmed. I used the 1/4” mark on my ruler and worked around my template. (Yes, I used the page from a large calendar for my pattern!)

The 2nd stocking was a crazy patch that I attempted to do as a quilt as you go – but I had drawn too many intersecting lines to make it work … so it became an improvised crazy patch stocking.

I used “Pinecone – Dark Teal” and the red is #121913380 from Season Splendor (Fall/Winter 2019 collection) for the stockings and “Coconut” for the snowflakes. The snowflakes were cut with Accuquilt dies that I borrowed from our guild’s die collection.

Appliqueing the snowflake and marking the stocking for the crazy quilting.

Aurifil Thread # 2021 (Natural White) was used for the applique process. #2692 (Black) was used for quilting, assembly and the hanging tabs.

I wanted a little flange on the cuff – so the red was cut at 1 1/4” and the green at 3.” This made it possible to fold it 3/4” of the green to the inside so that the lining didn’t show. I used Island Batik solid white fabric for the lining.

Here’s the first 2 stockings hanging on my design wall.

I think the stockings look a little more Christmasy pinned to the wood pile! The third stocking is for our grand-dog, Daphne! The larger stockings are 21″ long and Daphne’s is 17″ long.

Thank you!

Disclosure: The fabrics, batting, thread and needles were generously supplied by the following companies: Thank you, Island Batik,  Aurifil Thread,  Hobbs Batting,  Schmetz Needles, Prairie Spirit Alpacas & Accuquilt!!

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Linking to:

Monday Moments: October 24 ’22

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I finished a project that I started in January … playing with Inktense pencils. I did the quilting while at the retreat last week. Once I was home, I found the perfect dark green fabric for the binding. This project was a free-motion quilt-along by Helen Godden. The design is free and there are youtube tutorials to guide the quilting. You can access the free design HERE. (Christmas 2019)

My quilting is nowhere near perfect, but I find doing these little projects certainly helps my quilting and I learn lots as I do the projects.

I used Black Aurifil thread and red, green and yellow Glide thread. Hobbs 80/20 batting is in the center.

The Mystery has started!

This is a super simple mystery quilt! It is my own design. I designed it for the Boundary Bay Quilt Guild, but I’m going to be sharing it with YOU as well!

This quilt will finish at 43″ x 53″

There will be 8 clues. They will all come out on Tuesdays, starting October 18.

  • Oct 18: Clue #1: Fabric Requirements and Cutting HERE
  • Oct 25: Clue #2
  • Nov 1: Clue #3
  • Nov 8: Clue #4
  • Nov 15: Clue #5
  • Nov 22: Clue #6
  • Nov 29: Clue #7
  • Dec 6: Clue #8
  • Dec 13: Mystery Quilt Parade

New Classes

I will be teaching several classes at Essem in November. You can register for them HERE.

Stitching Time

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!

Lots of stitching in the past week!

  • January – September: 234 / 272
  • Oct :  24 / 24
  • Total:  252 / 297
  • Percentage = 84% 

Stash Report

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!

But, I was at a retreat last week … and The Steam Trunk Craftworks had a pop-up shop … I absolutely NEEDED fabric … so 2 yards just happened to come home with me! Along with some snowflake buttons and tassels. Well, I only needed the white with the blue dots … but the other fabric is so pretty, I couldn’t resist!

However, the project I finished this week (see the top picture) used 1 yard of fabric.

  • Fabric Used since the last report   1  yards
  • Fabric Used this year:       84 yards
  • Fabric Bought this week:   2 yards
  • Fabric Added this year:    22 yards 
  • Net Fabric used:                62 yards 

To Do

Linda from Texas Quilt Gal is hosting “To Do” every week.

The To Do list from last week:

  1. Winter Branches table runner – MUST do √   DONE and delivered to Essem
  2. Work on and Finish a UFO not DONE I worked on my wallet at the retreat, but I needed eyeglass screwdriver to attach the thing-a-ma-jig …
  3. Quilt the Fall Mystery Quilt not DONE
  4. Work on Melodic Mystery Quilt! √   DONE
  5. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder!  √   DONE
  6. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes √   DONE

This week’s list:

  1. Work on and Finish a UFO (a wallet)
  2. Quilt the Fall Mystery Quilt
  3. Work on Melodic Mystery Quilt – and fix all the mistakes!
  4. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! 
  5. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes

Design Wall

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

Piecing:

  1. Melodic Mystery Quilt: I was working on this at the retreat … I was very tired and made a ton of mistakes … I need to fix those and finish the September clue! It’s not too late for you to start … the clues are at Meadow Mist Designs.
  2. Spicy BOM: Nov & Dec blocks

Quilting:

Fall Mystery Quilt

Upcoming Blog Hop

Creatin’ in the Sticks: Music Blog hop

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting! 
Gail :

Linking to:

Monday Moments: October 17 ’22

/ quiltinggail / 17 Comments

Helping at a Class

On Saturday, the guild had Carola from Carola’s Quilt Shop come and teach a free motion class. Amy & I were asked to help. Carola didn’t need our help … but, we pretended to assist!

I had a good chuckle when I saw Nora’s “speed control” for her machine! Isn’t it a great idea?

It was a great class and everyone learned a LOT!

There was a small “pop-up” store … with fabric and notions. But, I was almost good, and only bought a “Silly Moon” ruler! Although, some of the beautiful wide back fabrics were to die for!

New Fabric Sewn!

The Fabric I showed you last week was sewn into buckets! The pattern is “Storage Solutions Bucket Bags” by Among Brenda’s Quilts.

Upcoming Mystery!

This is a super simple mystery quilt! It is my own design. I designed it for the Boundary Bay Quilt Guild, but I’m going to be sharing it with YOU as well!

This starts on Tuesday, October 18!

This quilt will finish at 43″ x 53″

There will be 8 clues. They will all come out on Tuesdays, starting October 18.

  • Oct 18: Clue #1: Fabric Requirements and Cutting
  • Oct 25: Clue #2
  • Nov 1: Clue #3
  • Nov 8: Clue #4
  • Nov 15: Clue #5
  • Nov 22: Clue #6
  • Nov 29: Clue #7
  • Dec 6: Clue #8
  • Dec 13: Mystery Quilt Parade

New Classes

I will be teaching several classes at Essem in November. You can register for them HERE.

Stitching Time

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!

With company here, very little stitching happened!

  • January – September: 234 / 272
  • Oct :  16 / 16
  • Total:  245 / 290
  • Percentage = 84% 

Stash Report

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 used the 2 yards I reported last week to make the buckets and there was 4 yards used for the backing of my Pinktober quilt (HERE).

  • Fabric Used since the last report   6  yards
  • Fabric Used this year:       83 yards
  • Fabric Bought this week:   0 yards
  • Fabric Added this year:    20 yards 
  • Net Fabric used:                63 yards 

To Do

Linda from Texas Quilt Gal is hosting “To Do” every week.

The To Do list from several weeks ago:

  1. Finish Secret Quilt (I have quilting and binding to do) √   DONE and mailed to Colorado!
  2. Winter Branches table runner – if I finish Secret Quilt, I’ll work on this! not DONE
  3. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder!  √   DONE
  4. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes √   DONE

This week’s list:

  1. Winter Branches table runner – MUST do
  2. Work on and Finish a UFO
  3. Quilt the Fall Mystery Quilt
  4. Work on Melodic Mystery Quilt!
  5. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! 
  6. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes

Design Wall

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

Piecing:

  1. Melodic Mystery Quilt
  2. Spicy BOM: Nov & Dec blocks

Quilting:

Winter Branches table runner

Current and Upcoming Blog Hops

Pinktober is hosted by Brianna of Sew Cute and Quirky and Island Batik … my day was October 13! You can see my quilt HERE.

Creatin’ in the Sticks: Music Blog hop

Here are the links to the various PINKtober blogs:

DateWhoCollectionWhere to find them
Monday, October 3Jennifer ThomasPositively Pinkhttps://curlicuecreations.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, October 4Lisa PickeringHope and Heartlisascompassion.wordpress.com
Thursday, October 6thMaryellen McAuliffePositively Pinkhttps://www.marymackmademine.com
Monday, October 10Emily LeachmanPositively Pinkhttp://thedarlingdogwood.blogspot.com
Tuesday, October 11Jane HauprichPositively Pinkwww.stitchbystitchcustomquilting.com
Wednesday, October 12Marlene OddiePositively Pinkwww.kissedquilts.com
Thursday, October 13Gail SheppardPositively Pinkhttps://quiltinggail.com

Friday , October 14
Jerry StubeHope and Hearthttps://www.facebook.com/TheQuiltersQuarter
Monday, October 17Brianna RobertsHope And Hearthttps://www.quirkyb.com/blog
Tuesday, October 18Terri Vanden-BoschHope And Hearthttps://lizardcreekquilting.com/
Wednesday, October 19Mania HatziioannidiHope And Heartwww.maniaforquilts.com
Thursday, October 20Laura PilandHope And Hearthttps://www.sliceofpiquilts.com/

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting! 
Gail 

Linking to:

It’s in the Bag Challenge: byAnnie

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 ByAnnie sent me EVERYTHING I need to make “A Place for Everything 2.0.” The Island Batik fabrics are Humming Bird Nectar, Dots-Multi Blue Green and Honeycomb – Purple, all from the “Bee Kind” fabric collection. (the Bee Kind fabric collection should be available in stores now. I’m loving the fabrics! (I should, I got to pick them out!)

The “A Place for Everything” pattern comes with a coupon for an Add-on Video. These videos were invaluable. They don’t replace the pattern, but they certainly make certain steps a LOT easier!

By Annie patterns come with a label chart on the back. I find that it is extremely important to photocopy this sheet and use it to label EVERYTHING as you cut it. When you do this, there is no second guessing if a piece of fabric is the correct one – it says it on the label!

Here is a picture of most things cut, labelled and pinned on my design wall for easy access. The clear vinyl is not on the design wall as I didn’t want to poke holes in it.

I started with quilting the Humming Bird Nectar fabric and the Dots-Multi Blue Green with Soft & Stable between. 505 spray does not adhere to the Soft & Stable and since I really dislike pins, I used Elmer’s Disappearing Purple glue stick and the fabric stuck like a charm. The fabric was quilted with my walking foot, using a serpentine line, alternating with a straight line. I used Aurifil Thread: #4225 (Eggplant).

Then, I started to assemble the various parts of the bag … following the directions.

Here’s the parts, prior to the bag construction: Most of the zippers are in, the pages, with vinyl and mesh are constructed. The straps are made … all ready for the bag assembly!

I used clips (as suggested in the instructions and videos) and it sure makes sewing the bag together much easier! The clips come off easily and they don’t poke my fingers! {grin}

I was pretty excited when the bag was finally put together! And I’m in LOVE with my “A Place for Everything” bag! I plan to use this bag to store all my ruler quilting rulers!

Things to think about when making ByAnnie bags

  • Read the instructions.
  • Read the instructions AGAIN!
  • Follow the cutting diagrams in the pattern – this is especially important when cutting the mesh fabric!
  • Take your time.
  • Do each step in the order written in the pattern.
  • Watch the add-on videos before starting the bag making process.
  • Watch any other appropriate byAnnie videos.
  • Take your time.
  • Enjoy the process and you will thoroughly enjoy the finished bag!

Thank you!

Disclosure: The fabrics, batting, thread and needles were generously supplied by the following companies: Thank you, Island Batik  Aurifil Thread  ByAnnie & Schmetz Needles !!

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

October: Monthly Colour Challenge

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The Spicy Colour Challenge is from Patterns by Jen. Each month she has a unique block based on the Spice of the month. The pattern is free for the month … after the month is over, you can purchase the month’s block for a small fee … OR you can purchase the entire pattern from Jen!

October’s spice is SAGE.

Sage is a plant that I have grown in my garden for years! Here in the Pacific Wet Coast (south western British Columbia) it grows easily. I use it mostly for poultry dishes … especially stuffing for chicken and turkey. YUM!!! I don’t need to dry or freeze it, because even in the winter it’s ready for picking!

Here is my Sage block – made with Island Batik fabrics!

And a picture of all 11 blocks … waiting for the last 2 blocks to assemble into a beautiful quilt!

Visit the other quilters who are featuring a sage block!

Other Sage Bloggers

My Sage Quilts

Both of these are quilts made with Island Batik fabrics. The one on the left was made for a Storm at Sea challenge and you can read about it HERE. The one on the right was made recently for a Gadget Blog hop and you can read about it HERE. Both quilts use Hobbs batting and are pieced either on my Featherweight or my Janome M7 and are quilted on my domestic Janome M7.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Queen of Gadgets Blog Hop

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Oh me, oh my! What a blog hop this promises to be!!! Gadgets, gadgets, gadgets … I have a few! Do I need to pick just one??? Carol, from Just Let me Quilt, organized this blog hop and I signed up right away!!!

But before I started, I decided that I needed to actually define what a “gadget” is. According to Mirriam-Webster a gadget is “an often small mechanical or electronic device with a practical use but often thought of as a novelty.”

Hmmm, to me, I have always considered a gadget something that makes my quilting easier. Sometimes the “gadget” is electronical, sometimes mechanical, but always is practical and useful. Hence, I’m going with my own definition of “gadget.”

I will show you the gadgets that I used for this project. I doubt this will make me the Queen of Gadgets, but even I was surprised at how many I actually used!

Gadget #1

EQ8

I used EQ8 to design this quilt using Island Batik’s “Pumpkin Spice,” a signature collection for Sarah Fabian, designed by Kathy Engle. I had received a 10″ stack, along with a 2 yard cut of “Celery” (which I used for the background) and a 2 yard cut of “Bluegrass” which I used for the binding.

And yes, just in case you were wondering, I recently upgraded from EQ7 to 8. A tiny learning curve, but lots of features I really really like! Well worth upgrading! Wish I’d done it sooner!

Continue reading →

Using Left-overs!

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I made a quilt for the current Island Batik Blog Hop and I used Studio 180 rulers along with the “Flourish” fabric collection.. You can read about this quilt HERE.

It was a LOT of fun to use the Studio 180 Corner Pop ruler to make this quilt! However there were a LOT of little triangles that were cut off the corners. They were all exactly the same size!

I HAD to do something with them! With no concrete plan in place, I used them as leaders and enders while I finished a few blocks, webbed the quilt and put on the borders.

They became these little 3 3/4″ blocks, with 4 of them shown on my wonderful Prairie Spirit Alpacas Alpaca/Wool mat.

I set them on point with 3 3/4″ squares of Dots-Brown Brownie and used the same fabric for the setting triangles and the borders.

And they became 2 little table toppers that will be used on bedside tables.

Table Topper Stats:

  • Size: 12″ x 17″
  • Batting: Hobbs Batting Thermore
  • Needles: Schmetz Needles: Microtex Chrome: 70/10
  • Thread: Piecing & Quilting: Aurifil Thread #2000 (Light Stand), Binding Aurifil Thread #2372 (Dark Antique Gold)
  • Fabric: Island Batik, all from the Flourish collection. The light orange is Vertical Vine – Orange, the darker orange is Dots-Brown Brownie and the pinwheels are various fabrics from the collection. The binding is a combination of Vertical Vine-Multi Brown and Floral Leaves – Multi Brown.

Disclosure: The fabrics, batting, thread, pressing mat and needles were generously supplied by the following companies: Thank you, Island Batik  Aurifil Thread  Hobbs Batting  Prairie Spirit Alpacas & Schmetz Needles !!

It’s not to late!

Go to Island Batik’s blog to enter the Rafflecopter for your opportunity to win a fat quarter bundle of Honeycomb or Cheers! Click HERE. And, you can also see all of the quilts from this week’s hop!

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Linking to:

Island Batik Tool Talk with Studio 180 Design

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I received this fantastic fabric collection: Flourish by Kathy Engle, along with 2 yards of Dots-Brown Brownie and 2 yards of Vertical Vine-Orange

And the collection of 20 half-yard cuts of Flourish s to be paired with Studio 180’s Corner Pop tool.

I browsed through the Studio 180 Blockbuster blocks for a block that used the Corner Pop ruler, plus some of the other Studio 180 rulers that I have. I found Blockbuster #52, Sparkler and Blockbuster #17, Salem Star. I drew the blocks in EQ, changing them slightly and came up with this quilt:

One requirement is that I use 30 units using the Corner Pop ruler! No problem!!! This quilt has WAY more Corner Pop units! The Salem Star has 160 Corner Pop units and the Sparkler Star has 80 Corner Pop units – for a total of 240 units!

And, of course, true to how I work, the colours in each block would change. This quilt used 18 of the 20 fabrics in this collection on the front. But, knowing how I work, I knew at this point, I would divide the blocks into 2 fabrics and go from there.

Before I started cutting, I visited online instructional videos at Deb Tucker’s Studio 180 Design YouTube channel to learn more about the corner pop ruler. I did not need to review the Tucker Trimmer video or the V-block video as I have used them several times!

I was so excited to get started making the 10 Salem Star blocks that I forgot to take any pictures! {groan} Let me tell you, there was a LOT of trimming, but I must admit, the points came together perfectly! And, if you know me at all – perfection is not my claim to fame!

I used a lot of the Vertical Vine-Orange in each block, with Dots-Brown Brownie in the corners and the border.

Here’s the 10 Salem Star blocks completed:

Here I am, using the Corner Pop ruler to cut the large corner of the Sparkler block. The Vertical Vine-Orange looks very faded in these to pictures.

Here is the Prairie Spirit Alpaca / Wool mat making pressing the blocks perfect! Using the mat and trimming the blocks makes for perfect blocks! I’m amazed!

This picture shows a truer colour of the Vertical Vine-Orange. As well, it shows the completed corner using the V-block ruler. And pressing on the Prairie Spirit Alpaca/Wool mat = crisp seams!

The 2nd trim on this block … looks like I need to adjust the ruler just a smidge!

More trimming! The first picture is using the Tucker Trimmer ruler and the second picture is using the Corner Pop ruler.

Swirling those centers of the pinwheel block. I love the look of the tiny pinwheels and I really LOVE the ease with quilting over that area without dealing with lumpy seams!

Here is a close-up of some of the quilting. All quilting is done on my domestic Janome M7.

Here is the completed quilt with Floral Leaves-Brown for the binding.

Quilt Stats:

When I make Island Batik Blog Hop quilts, I attempt to use ALL 20 fabrics in the quilt. Well, there were a couple of orange fabrics that blended in too much with the background and corner triangles, so I used them on the back, with a few other fabrics from the collection!

Here’s a close-up of the quilting from the back:

A Give-away!

I’m giving away this little bundle of fabric that is left-over from making the quilt. If you live in Canada and would like to receive this bundle, leave a comment or email me. In your comment (or email) tell me what you might make with the fabric … At the end of the Blog Hop, I will put all of the names in a hat and my husband will draw the winning name.

Visit the other Blog Hoppers!

Week 1:

September 6

Gail Renna, Quilt Haven Threads

Michelle Roberts, Creative Blonde Gifts

September 7

Sandra Starley, Textile Time Travels

Jennifer Thomas, Curlicue Creations

September 8

Brenda Alburl, Songbird Designs

Jennifer Fulton, Inquiring Quilter

WEEK 2

September 12

Lisa Pickering, Lisa’s Quilting Passion

Suzy Webster, Websterquilt

September 13

Denise Looney, For the Love of Geese

Gail Sheppard, Quilting Gail

September 14

Preeti Harris, Sew Preeti Quilts

Connie Kauffman, Kauffman Designs

September 15

Megan Best, Bestquilter

Maryellen McAuliffe, Mary Mack Made Mine

September 16

Visit Island Batik’s Blog Hop Round-Up Week 2 and Giveaway

WEEK 3

September 19

Elizabeth DeCroos, Epida Studio

Jane Hauprich, Stitch by Stitch Custom Quilting

September 20

Emily Leachman, The Darling Dogwood

Andi Stanfield, True Blue Quilts

September 21

Leah Malasky, Quilted Delights

Claudia Porter, Create with Claudia

September 22

Mania Hatziioannidi, Mania for Quilts

Reed Johnson, Blue Bear Quilts

September 23

Visit Island Batik’s Blog Hop Week 3 Round Up + giveaway

WEEK 4

September 26

Pamela Boatright, Pamela Quilts

September 27

Anorina Morris, Samelia’s Mum

Brianna Roberts, Sew Cute and Quirky

September 28

Visit Island Batik’s Blog Hop + Final Round Up

Thank you!

Disclosure: The fabrics, batting, thread, pressing mat and needles were generously supplied by the following companies: Thank you, Island Batik  Aurifil Thread  Hobbs Batting  Prairie Spirit Alpacas & Schmetz Needles !!

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

PHD in 2022: August Report

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This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is screen-shot-2021-11-20-at-10.22.02-pm.png

Seen on Creations, Quilts, Art, Whatever by Nina Marie.

I saw this and immediately thought about PHD in 2022! For those of you that have joined me in this, I think we all know how many UFOs we have (or don’t know) and can feel overwhelmed. Well, as this meme says, Get Started! … and the rest will come!

August’s Accomplishments!

I finished one UFO this month. It was a UFO that was hiding in a closet where quilty things are not stored! Anyhow, it got quilted and it is a finish for August! Only 2 more UFOs to go … and a few starts in 2022 to finish and I’ll have my PHD in 2022!

The Tally Sheets

Here is an Excel File for you to use (if you want).

PHD Tally 2022- with formulas

And here is the link where you can find the colourful Task Sheet at Ms P Designs.

The Linky Party

Show us your PHD in 2022 Progress!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter
https://fresh.inlinkz.com/js/widget/load.js?id=c0efdbe6b4add43dd7ef

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting! 
Gail 

Linking to:

Monday Moments: Aug 29 ’22

/ quiltinggail / 10 Comments

Monthly Colour Challenge

This month, it’s Cinnamon! I LOVE Cinnamon … And these luscious fabrics from Island Batik just sing Cinnamon!!!

This pattern is free until the end of the month … so hurry … you can get it HERE: Patterns by Jen.

Here are all 8 of my blocks:

I don’t have a lot of “Cinnamon” quilts, but this one, using the Island Batik Evergreen & Pine collection is one that was made for the Island Batik catalogue. You can see it HERE. It’s the Fall/Winter 2021 catalogue & the quilt is called “In the Woods.” It is free motion quilted on my domestic sewing machine with Aurifil Thread and Hobbs Batting 80/20.

Stitching Time

‘

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 – July: 185 / 218
  • August:  28 / 28
  • Total:  199 / 232
  • Percentage = 85% 

Stash Report

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 finished these projects since the last update:

  • the 3 yard quilt … 3 yards for the front, 3 for the back & half a yard for binding …
  • the retreat bag (for the See ya Later Blog Hop) … used half a yard
  • The left-over Carolina Christmas blocks used 6 yards
  • Fabric Used since the last report    13  yards
  • Fabric Used this year:       75 yards
  • Fabric Bought this week:   0 yards
  • Fabric Added this year:    14 yards 
  • Net Fabric used                 61 yards 

To Do

Linda from Texas Quilt Gal is hosting “To Do” every week.

The To Do list from a few weeks ago:

  1. Sandwich Island Batik’s September project √   DONE
  2. Quilt:  3 Yard Quilt √   DONE
  3. Work on project for “See Ya Later” Blog Hop √   DONE
  4. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder!  √   DONE
  5. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes √   DONE

This week’s list:

  1. Quilt Island Batik’s September project
  2. Finish dealing with scraps from Island Batik’s September project (can’t let them go to waste!)
  3. Work on project for “Get on Board with Sewing” Blog Hop (I have a plan!)
  4. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! 
  5. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes

Design Wall

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

Piecing:

  1. Work with scraps from Island Batik’s September project (Sorry, no pictures!)
  2. Work on project for “Get on Board with Sewing” Blog Hop (Sorry, no pictures!)

Quilting:

  1. Island Batik’s September project (sorry no picture!)

Upcoming Blog Hops

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting! 
Gail 

Linking to:

Monday Moments: August 15

/ quiltinggail / 16 Comments

I finished the 3 yard quilt. (Remember I started it when my cousin, Connie, was here visiting!)

I quilted it with Silly Moon “Beanie” rulers. (I LOVE their rulers). My plan was to do a Baptist fan over the whole quilt. Well, uh, I changed my mind and just did the Baptist fans in the border. On the rest of the quilt, I used the 4″ Beanie and did circles which made orange peels. I liked the finished look! Would you believe that the backing is actually a dark dark brown? It certainly doesn’t look like it in the pictures! I used Glide thread “wheat” and Hobbs 80/10 batting.

This quilt is from a pattern called “Dream Weaver” from the book “Quick as a Wink 3-Yard Quilts.” It was a quick and fun quilt to piece … however, when I went to put on the binding, I realized that the instructions called for 1.25″ binding. I obviously wasn’t thinking straight when I cut the red fabric for the binding. I ended up with strips of 1.25″ and I wasn’t about to make binding with it. And this quilt was definitely NOT calling for a flange binding! I didn’t have enough of the red fabric left, so I went to my stash and found the darker beige fabric. The moral of this story is to THINK about what you’re cutting and don’t just follow the directions!

Stitching Time

‘

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 – July: 178 / 211
  • August:  14 / 14
  • Total:  192 / 225
  • Percentage = 85% 

Stash Report

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 finished the 3 yard quilt … 3 yards for the front, 3 for the back & half a yard for binding …

  • Fabric Used since the last report    6.5  yards
  • Fabric Used this year:       68.5 yards
  • Fabric Bought this week:   0 yards
  • Fabric Added this year:    14 yards 
  • Net Fabric used                 54.5 yards 

To Do

Linda from Texas Quilt Gal is hosting “To Do” every week.

The To Do list from last week:

  1. Sandwich Island Batik’s September project √   DONE
  2. Quilt:  3 Yard Quilt √   DONE
  3. Work on project for “See Ya Later” Blog Hop √   DONE
  4. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder!  √   DONE
  5. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes √   DONE

This week’s list:

  1. Quilt Island Batik’s September project
  2. Finish dealing with scraps from Island Batik’s September project (can’t let them go to waste!)
  3. Work on project for “Get on Board with Sewing” Blog Hop (I have a plan!)
  4. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! 
  5. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes

Design Wall

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

Piecing:

  1. Work with scraps from Island Batik’s September project
  2. Work on project for “Get on Board with Sewing” Blog Hop

Quilting:

  1. Island Batik’s September project (sorry no picture!)

Upcoming Blog Hops

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting! 
Gail 

Linking to:

Class: How to paper piece the EASY way

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I taught a class at Essem Textiles on how to paper piece WITHOUT sewing on the paper.

They all worked on a Storm at Sea block. This was the block they had for inspiration: (made with Island Batik fabric, Hobbs batting and Aurifil thread was used for the quilting.)

Continue reading →

Friday Finishes

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I don’t have anything new that is finished … but I have had a couple of finishes in the last week or so.

The first finish was my July Island Batik project that used the Accuquilt Tree of Life Block on Board. The 73 pieces of the block can be cut in one run through of the die. But of course, I had to do it differently and make it scrappy. You can read more about the quilt at this BLOG POST.

I must admit that I am very pleased with how this quilt turned out.

Yes, this quilt used Island Batik fabrics, Hobbs batting and Aurifil thread for the quilting.

Oh, and Cheryl at Meadow Mist Designs hosts a favourite quilt of the month linky party, and this happens to be mine!

My 2nd finish is my post for the UFO blog hop. This kit had been languishing in my “To Do” box and was on my UFO list both last year and this! You can read about it HERE. Here’s a picture:

Monthly Colour Challenge

Jen, of Patterns by Jen holds a monthly colour challenge. This month’s challenge is purple.

Here is my purple block, made with the rich colours of Island Batik fabrics!

And all of my 7 blocks so far for this year … I think it will be a very pretty quilt when it’s finished!

I don’t have a lot of purple quilts … but these are a few that I’ve done in the past couple of years.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Linking to:

UFO Blog Hop

/ quiltinggail / 37 Comments

This blog hop came from the creative mind of Joan at Moose Stash Quilting!

Many of us have lots of UFOs ! These are known in the quilting world at UnFinished Objects. In the past I had over 100 UFOs. I thought I only had 80-something, but I kept finding more and more! On my blog, I run a PHD in (the year). PHD stands for Projects Half Done, but is a cute play on the academic PhD. The idea is to complete at least 12 UFOs and finish every project you start that year. This Blog Hop fits nicely into my PHD in 2022 and I managed to get another UFO finished!

One of my UFOs on the list was called “Kit – Narrows.” This was a Row by Row kit from Fiber Lilly in St. John’s, Newfoundland. I bought the kit 5 years ago when my husband and I were there. Fiber Lilly is a lovely quilt store, and one I would frequent if I lived nearby!

I know that I’ve been frequently known to call applique “CR-APplique.” I have hated applique. But, I am determined to do more and hopefully, one day, I might even like it!

I used Hobbs Thermore for the batting. It is a thin polyester batting that is low loft and does not beard. I find it is perfect for small projects!

Here is the quilt, after the pieces were fused on and before the quilting.

Then, it needed quilting and the button houses attached. The land, and boat were all outlined with an applique stitch. I did a large meander for the clouds in the sky and waves in the water. The iceberg is easy to see, but can you spot the whale’s tale?

I took my time with the quilting and used the following Aurifil Threads:

  • # 5004 – Grey Smoke (land, whale & motor)
  • # 2311 – Muslin (Iceberg, boat, fisherman)
  • # 4655 – Storm @ Sea – variegated (sky)
  • # 4669 – Stonewash Blues – variegated (water and binding)

In my latest Island Batik box, I received a lovely pressing mat from Prairie Spirit Alpacas. I’ll talk more about it in a future post, but I LOVED using it !

Visit the other UFO bloggers:

Monday July 25

Tuesday July 26

Wednesday July 27

Thursday July 28

Friday July 29

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Christmas in July with Accuquilt

/ quiltinggail / 23 Comments

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

AccuQuilt just launched its exciting GO! Tree of Life Block on Board Die! This die assists quilters in quickly cutting the seventy-three pieces needed to create a 3-color, 14” traditional tree of life (also known as the tree of paradise) quilt block after one pass through a fabric cutter. The GO! Tree of Life Die was specially designed with no y-seams – making it accessible to quilters of all skill levels. There is no need to cut all the pieces by hand or use multiple dies to create this popular quilt block.

When you finish, AccuQuilt would like you to give the project you have made to someone you know who needs a little joy or donate it to a charity of your choosing to gift it to someone. When gifting the completed project, be sure to take photos, so this moment of kindness and love can be shared on social media!

Here is a picture of some of the purples cut with the Accuquilt Tree of Life die:

All of the Island Batik Ambassadors received an Pressing Mat from Prairie Spirit Alpacas. I used it to press everything as I made this quilt. The Alpaca/Wool mat made the seams crisp and perfect!

And here’s a couple of pictures of the quilting in progress. I used Silly Moon rulers for a lot of the quilting. The left hand picture shows me using the 8″ Beanie ruler and the right hand picture is some border quilting using “Rocket”. The burgundy “thing” is called “Dude” and is perfect for measuring exactly where the ruler needs to sit. Aurifil Thread #2600 (Dove) was used for the quilting.

For a unique photo shoot, we went to Redwood Park here in Surrey. Here’s what the City of Surrey says about the park:

The unique forest found at Redwood Park is a legacy of Peter and David Brown, twin brothers born to one of Surrey’s earliest pioneering families. In 1893, their father gifted them this large plot of land, logged and ripe for farming.
However, the brothers instead filled the vast space with their favourite trees from all around the world. Fully committed to their forest sanctuary, the eccentric duo built a treehouse where they lived in solitude until their deaths in 1949 and 1958.
Today, a replica of their treehouse stands in the centre of the park.

A picture of the quilt at the treehouse.

And under the Treehouse:

And in the Fairy Forest:

My finished quilt is being mailed to a dear friend of mine. I would LOVE to be able to hug her in person, but that is not possible at this time.

Quilt Stats:

  • Size: 49.5″ x 49.5″
  • Fabric: Scraps of Island Batik from many collections along with Solid White. The purple tree and the binding used Roast.
  • Hobbs Batting 80/20 Natural
  • Aurifil Thread #2600 – 50 wt – (Dove) was used for the quilting and piecing // #2360 – 40 wt: (Chocolate) was used for the binding
  • Piecing, Quilting and Binding done on my Janome M7

Too many HST!

Yes, I made too many half-square triangles … I did not figure out how many I needed for the borders and I certainly did not count how many I made!

So, I made this little zipper bag …

Thank you!

Disclosure: The items needed to make this quilt were generously supplied by the following companies: Thank you, Island Batik  Aurifil Thread  Hobbs Batting, Accuquilt, Schmetz Needles and Prairie Spirit Alpacas !!

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail