Friday’s

Fall Mystery Quilts

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Did you do the Fall Mystery quilt that was posted here on my blog? Several local people did the mystery and I got to see some of them in person at a guild meeting …

Here’s Patti’s, Patricia’s, & Stella’s

Below is Lynne who used the extra blocks to make another quilt! She donated both of these quilts.

At the Boundary Bay Quilt show, I spotted 10 hanging around the venue. If I missed yours, please accept my apology!

I had been under the impression that they would all be grouped together so people could see the variation that fabric choices make. (Obviously, I was mistaken) At any rate, here they are … no two are alike! I’m in AWE at how the different fabrics make such a different looking quilt!

The last 2 quilts are mine. The last one was made with Island Batik’s “Cheers” fabric collection. Hobbs batting is in the middle and Aurifil thread was used to piece and quilt it! All sewn on either my Feather weight or my domestic Janome (M7).

Please note: The clues to the Fall Mystery, using a Layer Cake, or a 10″ stack, will be removed at the end of May.

Something NEW!

Tomorrow, May 10, Jenny’s new tool box will be available for pre-order! The MSQC home page will be filled with all the information. Unfortunately, the kit is not coupon eligible for a 20% discount, but if you purchase it and use my Affiliate link: https://glnk.io/mzmmj/quiltinggail , I will still make a small commission.

Details of the Tool Box: This aqua metal toolbox is embossed with the Missouri Star logo and comes with Quilt Town floral fabric-lined inserts that easily lift out so you can store additional notions. The inside of the toolbox lid is magnetic to hold pins, needles, and other small notions. Elastic straps are also included to hold needle packs or a small template, and there’s extra room underneath the inserts for additional supplies. Jenny’s Signature Series Tools are made from German-grade surgical stainless steel and come beautifully etched with Missouri Star logos.  The actual kits will start shipping sometime in August.

Here is my Affiliate link: https://glnk.io/mzmmj/quiltinggail  If you order over $50 from Missouri Star, (aside from this Tool Box), you will get 20% off your order and I will receive a small commission. Thank you for your support!

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting! 
Gail 

Linking to:  

Hanging Sleeves

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If you were to ask me what my LEAST favourite part of quilting is, it would be Hanging Sleeves. They are not something I enjoy doing! But sometimes, it is necessary.

I belong to the Boundary Bay Quilt Guild and we have a quilt show coming up next weekend (May 4 & 5). Of course, I entered several quilts and each of them needs to have a hanging sleeve.

Here’s a partial picture of the quilt show’s raffle quilt. It’s a beauty!! You can buy tickets at the show.

About Hanging Sleeves

If you’ve been following me for very long, you’ll know that I highly dislike hand sewing. In fact, after about 10 minutes, my hands are so sore, it’s ridiculous! So my hanging sleeves are put on by machine, or pins.

I know that many of my friends already have their sleeves on and the quilts bagged and ready to go. Not me!! Why do it ahead of time when I can feel under pressure and get them done without delay?

An online friend of mine, Kathleen McMusing had a tutorial YEARS ago for using a blind hem for putting on hanging sleeves. On the 22nd of each month she has a blog post called “Tips and Tutorials.” This past week, she reposted about the hanging sleeve technique using a blind hem. See HERE. She has a plethora of tips and tutorials … so while you’re there, you might want to grab a cup of coffee or tea and spend some time on her site!

The following picture shows me using the Blind Hem stitch to add the hanging sleeve. For the 2nd or bottom row of stitching, I switched to the navy thread so it wouldn’t show on the front. My Oliso iron is awesome for pressing!!! (I received it as part of being an Island Batik Ambassador!)

I used the lint roller to get all the excess lint off the quilt. We are to put a label with our names and phone numbers on the quilt. I’ve just written it on the hanging sleeve. A small piece of paper will have the name of the quilt attached, just below the sleeve.

I tend to be thrifty with fabric, so I re-use the hanging sleeves! Sometimes, they are too long and I just fold them up on the ends. The quilt is going to be hanging and only the people hanging the quilts will see that it’s folded over. Well, I guess you now know as well!

Two done, 4 to go!

All but one of the quilts was made with Island Batik fabrics. They all have Hobbs batting and use Aurifil thread for piecing and most of the quilting.

I will be at the show each day, all day … you can find me vending at Essem Textile’s booth. Stop by to say “hi.”

A Finish!

I did have a finish this week. I showed it on my April Showers Blog Hop post. You can read about it HERE.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Linking to:  

Friday – no finishes

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Well, that is correct!! I have NO new finishes … but I’m plugging along at several projects … and attempting to get ready for a retreat!

My Lone-star Left-overs is now a flimsy (1st pic). It’s a sort-of finish. I do all my own quilting on my domestic machine, so I don’t consider flimsies as a finish. It’ll be done when I get a round-to-it! The 2nd picture is the Fall Mystery Quilt where I used Island Batik’s “Cheers” fabric collection. And, yes, I’m using Silly Moon‘s Kite ruler … as well as the smallest Drop ruler (not shown).

I Need A Round Tuit

The above poem and picture comes from this site: https://www.quantumenterprises.co.uk/roundtuit/traditional-round-tuits.htm

I’m sure that I had a wooden Round TUIT years ago … but I have no idea what happened to it! LOL!!!

Favourite Finish of the Month

Yvonne from Quilting Jetgirl hosts a Favourite Finish of the Month Link Party. Oh, why is it SOOOO hard for me to choose just ONE favourite finish? Especially this month because I have so many that I LOVE.

However, I think that my SAHRR (Stay At Home Round Robin) is my absolute fav of the above quilts! You can read more about this quilt HERE. I used Island Batik fabrics, Hobbs Heirloom 80/20 batting.

I was Featured!

Both Andree and Jennifer featured my quilt from last week. This was from the Give It a Whirl blog hop. You can read more about it HERE.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting! 
Gail 

Linking to:  

Give it a Whirl Blog Hop

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Carol from Just Let Me Quilt is the organizer and host for this Whirly Blog Hop.

Here’s what she had to say:

Challenge: Life can send us spinning sometimes, so let’s put those spins and whirls to good use in a quilt. Make something with pinwheel blocks, circle quilting, or whirly gigs. Try not to whirl out of control!

I went to EQ8 to figure out how many 8″ pinwheels, using 4″ HST, I would need for a decent size baby quilt. Here’s what I came up with: 15 pinwheel blocks and (15) 8 1/2″ unfinished squares. 

Using Island Batik’s Sunny Meadow collection and solid white, I used the 8″ cube die to cut all of the triangles for the half square triangles. The cutting was done quickly, very quickly! I pieced it together and then had fun quilting! And yes, I just might have ‘whirled out of control‘ in the quilting. But I enjoyed every single minute of it!

Here are some close ups of the quilting:

Quilt Stats:

  • Size: 40″ x 48″
  • Hobbs 80/20 inside
  • Aurifil Thread:
    • Piecing: #2600 Dove Grey
    • Quilting: #2835 Medium Mint

At the moment, I’m debating whether to donate it or keep it for a special baby that I know nothing about … he or she may not even be conceived at this time. Time will tell.

The Blog Hoppers

Make sure you visit the following bloggers to see their “Give it a Whirl” quilts!

MARCH 18

MARCH 19

MARCH 20

MARCH 21

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Linking to:  

Island Batik, March: It’s All Up To You!

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I decided I would make a scrappy quilt for the March challenge. I had have a large bag of green Island Batik scraps. I started out making 4 x 4 blocks with 2 1/2” squares all from the scrap bag. But, I didn’t count very well and made way too many blocks.

I didn’t like the look of the 16 patch blocks with a plain block in between. I know I had seen a quilt with 16 patches, alternating with a plainer block using half-square triangles. Do you think I could find it? Nope. Not a hope. So, I went to EQ8 and designed the first 2 blocks. I quickly realized that I could cut the 3rd block with my Accuquilt Cube 8″ dies (#5 for HST & #10 from Corners) and eliminate making a ton of half square triangles.

And this quilt was born.

Once I had the blocks up on the design wall, I decided I didn’t like it. It almost seemed unfinished to me. So I added half blocks all the way around with a 4 patch in each corner. The alternating blocks use a soft green called ‘mint.’ It’s an Island Batik basic and was the perfect choice for this quilt!

By the time I finished the above quilt, I still had lots of 2 1/2” squares left, many in 16 patch blocks. So, I pulled out ‘Ghost’ to make the neutral blocks and this quilt was born. I added a 4 1/2” border around it using Vegi Garden – Green Gr from the Fruit and Veggies collection. I used this collection last year for my Puff Quilt (see HERE). There was the perfect amount of this fabric for the borders and to bind the 2 quilts with about 1/2 yard left.

Then, I started to tidy my sewing room and guess what I found? MORE 2 1/2” squares!!! a couple of 16 patch blocks!!!! and a few of the neutral blocks using ‘Mint.”!!! I guess that’s what I get for not being consistent in my cleaning!!! So, there was enough to make Quilt #3! And just the right amount of the green fabric for a border … This quilt was destined to have a scrappy border. I just did plain straight line quilting in this one. It’s OK … but it again showed me that I much prefer to do custom quilting as seen in the 2 quilts above.

When this quilt was complete, I did have a few stray neutral blocks and some green 4 patches, but not enough to do much with. I still have a fairly big bag full of green scraps, but they are all smaller than 2 1/2” square.

Here’s a picture of all 3 of them on the clothesline. A couple of them will definitely be donation quilts.

Quilt Stats:

  • Size:
    • #1 48″ x 62″
    • #2 40″ x 54″
    • #3 40″ x 40″
  • Hobbs Batting 80/20 inside
  • Aurifil Thread:
    • Piecing #2600 (Dove Grey)
    • Quilting #2835 (Medium Mint)
    • Binding #2890 (Very Dark Grass Green)
  • Schmetz Needles: Microtex 80/12
  • Quilting Rulers:
    • #1 Silly Moon Drop & Rocket
    • #2. Silly Moon Rocket & a long curve

My Oliso iron was used every step of the way! I’m still not used to leaving it flat, but it’s definitely a smooth iron and is plenty hot!

For now, I’ve put all my green scraps away … I think it might be a while before that bag is touched again … maybe …

Thank You!!

Disclosure: The fabrics, batting, thread, needles and the iron were generously supplied by the following companies: Thank you, Island Batik,  Aurifil Thread,  Hobbs Batting,  Schmetz Needles, Oliso  

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Pin Dot Floral and other things

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This Island Batik collection is absolutely gorgeous!

This collection is for Megan Best. She is an Island Batik Ambassador and we always had plans to meet. We only live about 17 miles apart … however, she lives in Washington State and I live in Canada 🇨🇦. I don’t need to tell you why it took over 3 years for us to meet in person.

Anyhow, last year, I needed to go down to Washington and I stopped by her place. She gave me a tour of her awesome studio! (Sorry, no pictures) and she showed me the beautiful quilts she has made with this collection. All of them are absolutely stunning! Then she asked if I’d like to make a quilt with this collection. Well, of course, I said “yes!!!”

I was gifted a fat quarter bundle … and then it was time to play. EQ 8 to the rescue!! But nothing said, “make me!” … So, I went to my Accuquilt dies and saw the Kite die in the 8″ Qube Angles box and paired it with the Triangles in a Square die. And I started cutting.

It’s such pretty fabric, it’ll make pretty blocks, right?

Well, no! It was too busy … and I hated it. And I didn’t take any pictures of the not-so-nice blocks. So I cut more triangle blocks out of white fabric and came up with this quilt:

The white set off the beautiful fabrics from the collection. I was happy! I used Hobbs 80/20 batting and quilted it with Silly Moon “Rocket” to make the straight lines. It is bound with a scrappy binding with left-over pieces. It is 44″ x 52.”

Then, I had the dilemma of what to do with the side pieces I had cut. I didn’t want the quilts to look the same, so I cut out lots of black triangles, using the Triangle in a Square die.

I add all of the side triangles I had cut with Pin Dot Floral and this quilt was born:

Such a different look with the same fabrics! For this one, I used Hobbs black batting. It’s perfect for dark quilts and doesn’t dull the beautiful colours! And again, I used Silly Moon’s “Rocket” for the straight line quilting. I love how the markings on the ruler make it super easy to have a pattern without marking the quilt! This quilt is 44″ square.

And a close up of the quilting:

I still have some left-overs of this beautiful fabric and I have a plan in mind!

Commitment

Do you remember, way back in January, I told you that my word for 2024 was Commitment? You don’t? Well, don’t worry … I had sort of forgotten as well.

I didn’t have enough UFOs to run the PHD in 2024 and Ms P Designs took it over. See HERE. But, I knew that I needed to be accountable and at least finish what I had started in 2024 … thus “Commitment.”

So far this year, I have started 10 projects and have completed half of them! I’m totally fine with that because I KNOW that none of them are being placed in a bin and hidden until who knows when! They will get done! Unfortunately, none of the UFOs have been completed – YET … but they are in the works … and the SAHRR ’24 needs to be completed for the SAHRR parade in March. It will get done!

Temptation!

Scrappy quilts have definitely been on my radar recently! The project I’m working on for March’s Island Batik challenge is definitely scrappy! Then our guild recently had Cheryl Arkinson speak.  She’s all scraps and scrappy. And then I attended a Zoom presentation by Carola from Carola’s Quilt Shop and it was all about scrappy quilts. Carola’s blog has lots of ideas and easy to follow!

The problem: I now have TOO MANY ideas!!! I want to start at least 20 of them!!! How can I even resist starting half of them?????

Favourite Finish of the Month

Yvonne from Quilting Jetgirl has a Linky Party at the end of each month where we are to choose our favourite quilt of the month!!! Oh me, oh my. How do I choose just ONE Favourite quilt? As an Island Batik Ambassador, I get to work with many, many beautiful fabric collections!!! They are all quite different and beautiful. Each has a unique beauty! I must admit, I LOVE my Island Batik quilts … and these 3 are the favourites for this month!

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting! 
Gail 

Linking to:  

How to Make a Diagonal Quilt Back …

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This blog post contains:

  • How to make a quilt back when you don’t have quite enough fabric for the backing.
  • Winner of the Fabric Draw from THIS Post

Making the Back

When I made one of my Log Cabin quilts for the Island Batik challenge, (see HERE) I wanted to use the lovely dark purple fabric (Gears – Purple Hyacinth) to back one of my log cabin quilts. But, alas, there was not enough. I have sometimes been asked how to make my diagonal backs, so I thought I’d do a short tutorial on it.

My quilt top is on the design wall. I took the dark purple and pinned it close to the top, folded it diagonally (not at 45o), just diagonally, from corner to corner. You can see how it looks ‘off’ from the quilt. That’s OK. You just want to have it diagonal.

Then I took my roller and pressed that diagonal line. The next step was to use my fabric shears and cut the diagonal line. I placed the 2 halves over the quilt, going beyond the quilt by about 3″ on each side. (that’s the extra I like to have when I’m free motion quilting). If you are worried about cutting on the bias, you can always put a small strip of iron-on interfacing on the cutting line before cutting. In this case, you may want to mark the line instead of ‘pressing’ it. When working with Island Batik fabrics, I don’t worry about the bias stretching and I am gentle with it!

Then, I measured the distance between the two halves … it was about 12.” I added 1/2” for seam allowance and I cut pieces of fabric 12 1/2” wide. Those were pieced together to make one long strip. Each half of the diagonally cut piece was sewn onto the long strip. 

Yes, I could have used one piece of fabric for the long strip, but I chose to use some of my favourite fabrics from the line in the strip.

When I go to sandwich my quilts, I make sure that the 2 opposite diagonal corners of the quilt end up on the centre piece. This will avoid any nasty build up of seams in the corners.

I’d love to hear if you’ve ever done this or if you plan to!

I’ll be linking to Kathleen McMusing’s Tips and Tutorials. If you’ve never been to her blog … the Tips and Tutorials has a plethora of fantastic quilting information. It’s well worth the visit. HERE.

Winner of the Fabric Draw

When I posted my Island Batik Log Cabin Challenge, I offered readers / followers to have an opportunity to win some Heavy Metal fabric. The Rafflecopter only worked for some people, so I took the list from the Rafflecopter and the list from the comments and combined them. I used a Random Number Generator and the it’s #14 … Stella M. I have emailed her and the fabric will be in her hands soon!

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Linking to:  

TGIFF

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TGIFF stands for Thank Goodness it’s Finished Friday! There are a multitude of bloggers that take turns each week hosting TGIFF and this week it’s my turn. 

Sometime before Christmas, I taught a class on making a Retreat Bag. The pattern is free from Emmaline Bags . I used an older Island Batik fabric. When I taught the class, I had forgotten to quilt the fabric first. I had used a scrap of Hobbs 80/20 batting and no interfacing. The result is a bit of a limp bag, but it’s still beautiful and will hold a lot of stuff. This is the large size with the wires inserted. I also used the same outside fabric for my pockets because I want to be able to see them!  If you look closely at the first picture, you can see that 2 daffodils are budding. Spring is on it’s way!

Link Party

Join the Party and show us what you have FINISHED this week!

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:   

Saturday’s Summary

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This is TRUE!!!

Monthly Colour Challenge

January’s colour is Orange!!! Here is my February block. Visit Jen at Patterns by Jen to get your free pattern for February. It’s free for the mo

I’m using Island Batik fabrics for my blocks. Here’s January’s

And the January & February blocks:

SAHRR Round #2 is almost done … ready for Round #3!

The hosts have shown their centre blocks and other’s have joined in on the fun. See This Post for all the details! Here’s my centre block with the first round! Visit Anja @ Anja Quilts to see lots of other Round #2. Return to Quilting Gail on Monday to see Round #3!

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!

Of course, with being away and not taking my sewing machine with me, my numbers decreased a LOT! That’s OK … the percentage is bound to increase – as long as I don’t go on holidays again! 😁

  • Jan 1-31: 23 / 31 days
  • Feb 1-3: 3 /3 days
  • Year total: 26 / 34 days
  • 76%

Design Wall Mondays

Judy, at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, hosts a linky party for “What’s on your Design Wall” every week. Sorry, no pictures to share!

Piecing projects:

  • SAHRR ’24 (Round 4 & 5 … trying to work ahead!)
  • It Moose be Love: blog hop project

Quilting:

  • Island Batik February Log Cabin Quilt
  • 2023 Fall Mystery Quilt
  • Finish Quilting “Gardenia“

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 backing for my 2023 Fall Mystery Quilt. At least this didn’t put me in the red!!! I shouldn’t have to by backing for quite a while now! 

  • Fabric Used in 2023:    8 1/2 yards  from non-IB: 5
  • Fabric Used this week: 4 yards
  • Fabric Added this year:    8 yards 
  • Net Fabric used:              1/2 yard

To Do

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

To Do from the last report:

  1. Sandwich, Quilt and Bind “2023 Fall Mystery Quilt” not done
  2. Continue to work on SAHRR ’24 in progress
  3. Finish Quilting “Gardenia“ not done
  4. Work on IB February project 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 next week:

  1. Sandwich, Quilt and Bind “2023 Fall Mystery Quilt”
  2. Continue to work on SAHRR ’24 (rounds 4 & 5)
  3. Finish Quilting “Gardenia“
  4. Finish IB February project
  5. Work on “It Moose be Love” blog hop project
  6. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! 
  7. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes.

Upcoming Blog Hops

Island Batik’s Log Cabin Blog Hop

Island Batik’s first challenge of 2024 is to make a Log Cabin. I must admit, Log Cabins are one of my favourite quilts to make!! 

Although the Island Batik Log Cabin starts next Tuesday, the first week’s giveaway is live now! Follow the simple Rafflecopter prompts on the Island Batik blog for a chance to win one of the two fabulous Fat Quarter bundles – Breezy by Kate Colleran Designs or Fairy Floss by Tamarinis!

The Log Cabin Blog Hop starts on Monday. 

Here’s what Island Batik has to say about the Log Cabin Blog Hop: We are thrilled to kick off the eleventh season of the Island Batik Ambassador Program with the Log Cabin Blog Hop! It’s a delightful challenge inspired by an enduring favorite in the quilting world. The versatility of the Log Cabin block offers endless creative possibilities. Will our Ambassadors opt for the graceful curves, geometric precision of triangles, whimsical wonky designs, celestial star motifs, innovative twists, or stick with the timeless classic? With boundless imagination and skill, our Ambassadors are poised to showcase a diverse array of interpretations. The sky truly is the limit as we start on this captivating adventure!

Here is the schedule:

February 6:

February 7:

February 8:

February 9:

Blog Hop Round-Up Week 1 and Giveaway

February 12:

February 13:

February 14:

February 15:

February 16:

Blog Hop Round-Up Week 2 and Giveaway

February 19:

February 20:

February 21:

February 22:

February 23:

Blog Hop Round-Up Week 3 and Giveaway

February 26:

February 27:

End of Blog Hop and Final Round-Up

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting! 
Gail 

Linking to:  

Finishing Friday

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This week, I managed to finish this quilt in time for the White Rabbit Blog Hop. The weather has been raining and pouring and raining, not to mention the snow that we had, so I have not been able to take a picture of it outdoors. A picture on my design wall will have to do. 

I used Island Batik’s “Baby Bloomers” collection along with some Porcelain Fireside to add texture to the bunnies. Hobbs 80/20 is in the middle. The quilting was a simple walking foot straight line along with stippling in the dark purple areas. I must admit, I really enjoyed making this quilt! To find links to all of the White Rabbit bloggers, go to THIS POST.

I was featured

Wednesday Wait Loss

Jennifer from Wednesday Wait Loss @  Inquiring Quilter featured this little quilt:

Up coming Blog Hops

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Linking to:  

We Ran Away …

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That’s right, my husband and I ran away. It was a spur of the moment trip. It started with an idea, it fell into place and away we went.

We went to Hawaii’s Big Island. Compared to all of the other Hawaiian islands – it got it’s name for a reason!

The weather was OK … not good for snorkeling, but a lot warmer than here at home! We explored a lot of places, walked a lot of beaches, saw some sun, some rain and some wind. And, I visited 2 quilt stores. I’d say that was a fun thing to do when it’s raining out!

The first store we visited was Quilt Passions in Kona. It was FULL of fabulous eye candy and lots of Island Batik fabrics!

While in the the store, I met Steve. He showed me a few nifty notions. See the blue scissor holder on the end of his featherweight? That is “Annie’s Tool.” She’s 11 years old and makes them, using a 3D printer. 

Then we went to Kilauea Kreations in Hilo. A smaller store, but friendly and bursting at the seams will all sorts of goodness.

While in these 2 stores, I bought a few yards of fabric and some patterns. So much for my “I’m NOT buying any fabric” mantra!

  • Sea Cookies – Teal Cool
  • Floral – Multi Green
  • Blender: Lg Wheat Leaves (and the rest of the tag was cut off)

A Finish

Just before we left, I did manage to add the binding and finish this Christmas Countdown!  It is a free pattern from Helen Godden Quilts and there are Youtube videos to help you do the quilting. My sister and I Zoom quilted and did this together, after the holidays. I used Island Batik solid white for the base, outlined the bobbles and ribbon with Sharpie Stained markers. Hobbs 80/20 batting is in the middle. It’s quilted with Aurifil Black (Bobbles), Red (Ribbon), White (stippling), and a Green (binding). The bobbles and ribbon were coloured with Inktense pencils and I used Aloe Vera gel to set the colours. This is now destined to one of the Christmas boxes and will appear next December.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Linking to:  

Vanishing Hunter’s Star

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In July, my Island Batik box contained a surprise package of Celtic Fields by Kathy Engle. It came with Doughnut (the neutral, on the left) and Celtic Mini Knot Red-B (from the Celtic Fields collection, on the right). I used some of the fabrics from this collection to make the 2 Take a Stand bags (see HERE) (I was given extra for this) and I still had the 1/2 yard cut of the collection. It was the perfect collection for a Turkey Trot Blog Hop where I chose to feature fall fabrics.

I used the Hunter’s Star Accuquilt die to cut out all the pieces for this quilt. There wasn’t enough of the ‘Doughnut’ neutral for this, so I added several other Island Batik neutrals to the mix. Some were unlabelled small pieces, but larger pieces of Snow and Egg White were added in.

My intent WAS to make a scrappy Hunter’s Star quilt. Then, when I was dividing the blocks up by colour, it emerged into this:

I decided to border 2 sides of the quilt with “Large Netting Pineneedle” (dark green) and the other 2 sides with Celtic Mini Knot Red-B (from the collection).

My quilting friends decided that I should call it “Disappearing Hunter’s Star.” But, since the Hunter’s star block wasn’t actually cut (like most disappearing blocks), it has morphed into “Vanishing Hunter’s Star.” That’s it’s official name now. 

Quilt Stats:

  • Size: 65″ x 75″
  • Fabric collection: Island Batik Celtic Fields, Doughnut and various neutrals
  • Binding: Island Batik “Doughnut”
  • Pieced with Aurifil #2600 (Dove)
  • Quilted with Glide Shell using Silly Moon Rulers: Drop & Rocket for the blocks and 6″ Beanie on the border. 
  • Batting: Hobbs 80/20

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 –November:  316 / 333
  • December:  24 / 24
  • Total:  335 / 357
  • Percentage: 93%

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 Vanishing Hunter’s Star used 14 yards of fabric.

Yearly Total:

  • Fabric Used since the last report: 14 yards
  • Fabric Used in 2023:    254 yards  from non-IB: 105
  • Fabric Bought this week: 0 yards
  • Fabric Added this year:    37 yards 
  • Net Fabric used:             218 yards 

Just an FYI: I do not count any fabric that is given to me (Island Batik), but this year, I am going to count it as fabric used.

To Do Tuesday

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

To Do List from Last Week

  1. Finish Quilting and Binding “Not a Hunter’s Star“ ”Vanishing Hunter’s Star“. √   DONE
  2. Sandwich, Quilt and Bind “2023 Fall Mystery Quilt” not done
  3. Piece “SS 24 Catalogue Quilt” quilt partially done … piecing in progress
  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 To Do List:

  1. Sandwich, Quilt and Bind “2023 Fall Mystery Quilt”
  2. Finishing Piecing & adding borders “SS 24 Catalogue Quilt”
  3. Work on SAHRR ’24
  4. Finish Quilting “Gardenia“
  5. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! 
  6. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes.

Design Wall

Judy, at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, hosts a linky party for “What’s on your Design Wall” every week. Sorry, no pictures to share!

Piecing projects:

  1. Island Batik “SS 24 Catalogue Quilt”
  2. SAHRR ’24 (yes, I’ve started!)
  3. Plan White Rabbit Blog Hop Quilt

Quilting:

  • “2023 Fall Mystery Quilt”
  • Finish Quilting “Gardenia“

Here’s a picture of Gardenia prior to being a flimsy and partially quilted. This was started in February. It’s hard to say if it will be totally done before the end of the year.

Upcoming Blog Hops

Just Let Me Quilt: White Rabbit (January 23. 2024)

Moose Stash Quilting: It Moose be Love (February 20, 2024)

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

My Quick Trip to California

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My sister had a meeting to go to in San Diego … so I went along. We flew into Palm Springs and then headed to Del Mar on the coast. It was a winding road and so different from the roads in BC and Alberta!

We went to Quilt in a Day. It was a fun shop to visit. Absolutely NOTHING said “buy me.” But I certainly helped my sister buy fabric for baby quilts, gifts and a Christmas fat quarter bundle! We were driving the black-top white convertible Mustang that is under the red & white barn quilt!

We went to a few beaches … watched some surfers, walked on the sand, saw 5 whales …

I had a fun stop at the Island Batik warehouse. No pictures were taken, but if you want an idea of what the warehouse looks like, you can watch this Youtube video.

Rosie’s Calico Cupboard in San Diego was fun!! And dangerous (in a good way!) These photos are from their website as I was too busy drooling to take any pictures. I bought some Island Batik fabric, a Christmas fabric and something ‘just for fun!’ I’ll show you my fabric on Sunday!

And you see quilt inspiration everywhere … even on a high end car! Hexies on a Lamborghini!

And to show you a finished quilt … Here is the monthly Classic Car Colour Challenge hosted by Jen @ Patterns by Jen. HERE. And … shhhh … I have it on good authority that she will be hosting another Colour Challenge in 2024. Check out her blog in the near future for details! You can read more about my quilt HERE.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

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PHD in 2023: November Report

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Creativity

The Cambridge Dictionary defines Creativity as :

the ability to produce or use original and unusual ideas

This certainly applies to quilting. I see this a lot with some of my classes or original patterns. Different people will choose different fabrics or place them in alternative ways. It always fascinates me and I am in awe of what people do!

I remember years ago, I was teaching a class at the guild and one participant approached me and asked, “Is it OK if I make the quilt bigger?” of course, YES! Then, “Is it OK if I have it off centre?” of course, YES! I love that people can view my classes as a starting point for creating something new!

As I was looking up the official definition of creativity, this statement caught my eye, “Too many rules might deaden creativity.“ Well, “duh” I thought:” “That’s why the quilt police have no business being anywhere around anyone who is quilting!”

OK … so what does this have to do with working on my PHD or getting those UFOs done and gone … or simply gone?

I want you to think 2 things about your UFOs … are they UFO’s because you don’t think they measure up to the ‘rules?’ Are they UFOs because they lack the creativity they once sparked?

Quilting is a journey. One where you are always learning. ALWAYS. So, if there is a ‘rule’ that is impossible to conquer … ignore it, and carry on, doing your best. Just to be honest here, I’ve been quilting for YEARS … and I’m still working on getting my points to match, getting those seams to nest nicely … I’m a work in progress. Those who have taken classes from me will be laughing … I’m sure they can hear me saying similar things!

Now, about that UFO that lacks creativity that it once sparked … Why? what’s gone wrong? Is it really that bad? If it is – give it away. OR … are you just bored with it? Will a few hours of work on it help get it done? If so … do that!

We have ONE month left to complete our PHD in 2023!

BIG Announcement

When I started the PHD in 2018, I had more than 56 UFOs. I know there was many more, because my original post (HERE) about this mentioned 29 more: which means there was at least 85. And I know I found even more as I moved into my sewing studio and open every single box, carton and container!

When I first started, the idea was to finish HALF of your UFOs in the year. I must have been crazy!!! The only way to do that is to not start a single new project and to work 24 hours a day. Impossible!

Later, I decided that 1 UFO a month was reasonable, along with finishing EVERY. SINGLE. START. I know that stopped me (sometimes) from starting every new project that caught my eye!

And this brings me to the current state of my UFOs … after this month, I will have 3 UFOs to complete. That’s not enough to carry on with the PHD in 2024.

PHD in 6 years has worked for me to get my projects under control! I know that I finished most of them, but I also put a few on the ‘free’ table at the guild.

So … is there someone in blog land that would like to do the PHD in 2024? Let me know!!! (quiltinggail@yahoo.ca)

Did you try this?

This is what I wrote before: Leanne, of Devoted Quilter is hosting a WIPS-B-Gone ’23 challenge. This runs from October 1 to November 30th. WIPS is Works in Progress. And, for my PHD in 2023, I want them Gone.

This has worked well for me as far as tidying/cleaning my sewing space! The only days I didn’t do the cleaning was when I was away at a retreat. Sewing each day was easy. And several WIPS were completed!

Now, if I can only keep tidying/cleaning every day, my room should remain half decent! Thanks Leanne for the motivation!

My Tally Sheets

This month, I finished the “It’s in the Bag” challenge with byAnnie (Take a Stand) (HERE). A retreat gift (see this POST). The Layer Cake mystery quilt first used a Kansas Troubles Layer Cake which was a UFO You can read about it HERE. And the Necessary Clutch wallets were a UFO finish! (see This Post)

I have finished 2 UFOs this month … the wallets and the Colour Challenge ’23 … However, I won’t be showing you the Colour Challenge until December. So, this leaves me with 1 UFO to finish before Dec. 31. And the “Panel Birds” is ready to quilt.

As for the Starts in 2023 … well, that is another story … I have 3 that need quilting and binding: Gardenia, Fall Mystery with IB fabric and the Not Hunter’s Star. It’s touch and go as to whether I will finish all 3 or not!

Here’s my tally sheet:

If you want to keep track of your own progress, please feel free to download the 2023 Template.

template-2023Download

Here’s my Task Sheet of my UFOs. This helps me keep track of what I’ve accomplished with my UFOs and what I need to do. I made a little progress on the wallet this month.

You can download your own Task list from Ms P Designs HERE.

Linky Party

Show us your progress with your PHD in 2023!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

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

Favourite Finish of the Month

Cheryl, from Meadow Mist Designs hosts a monthly linky party where you post your favourite quilt of the month.

I’m loving the byAnnie “Take a Stand” bags!!! They are so pretty and so useful!!

I was Featured

Free Motion Mavericks featured many of my “Wild Blooms” quilts. (HERE)

For the Love of Geese featured my tree skirt (HERE)

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting! 
Gail 

Linking to:

Island Batik’s “Wild Blooms”

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Wild Blooms is an awesome fabric collection!

I made 2 quilts for the Island Batik ’22 Fall / Winter Catalog: “Stepping Out” with a black background and an light background (Sprinkles). I LOVE how the different backgrounds give the quilts a totally different look!

McCall’s Quilting: May / June issue

I was very excited to have another quilt in a magazine!!! The magazine put out a call for quilts that are “out of this world.” I immediately thought of this star quilt that’s been in the back of my mind! I submitted the draft (from EQ8) and it was accepted.

After, “talking” with Island Batik, the fabric collection, Wild Blooms, along with Ravine (a basic) was selected and they sent it on it’s way very quickly! It arrived and the top was completed before I went on holidays last year. I LOVE quarter square triangles and it was a fun quilt to put together!

After my holidays, there were a few very intense days of quilting (and shoulders complaining!) then Nova was on it’s way to the publisher!

The directions for making this quilt are in the magazine and digital copies are still available.

I also used Wild Blooms to make this crazy quilted composition book cover. You can read more about it HERE. (and find the links to the pattern).

And, I made this cute tote bag, using Wild Blooms …. using left-overs from the Nova (the star quilt above).

I made the following quilt as a Pattern Tester for Brenda at Songbird Designs. You can order the pattern from her HERE.

This Picnic Tote was made for a Sew It-Show It Blog Hop. See HERE.

And now, all I have left is a few scraps … but the joy I had in making all these projects is huge!

Can you tell I LOVE this fabric collection?

Where you can find Wild Blooms:

  • Hancocks of Paducah, KY
  • Threads That Bind, OR
  • Creekside Quilts, OR
  • Missouri Star, MO
  • plus many more … ask at your local quilt store.

I was Featured

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting! 
Gail 

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A Few Fun Things from the Retreat

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At the retreat that I was at last week, we had a ‘secret’ gift exchange. It’s a secret until the gift is open and then we found out who made it. Over the years, I have ALWAYS received awesome gifts … zipper bags, wall hangings … lots of different things. This year, I was pleasantly surprised to received a Sewing Gnome from Robin … Isn’t he cute? I love the details of the bobbins, thimbles and spools of thread. He has found his forever home on the ledge in my sewing studio.

For my gift, I made a boxy zipper pouch. It’s a pattern from Sew Can She. You can access the pattern HERE. The fabric was Island Batik’s “Jelly Bean” that I had left over from a backing. It wasn’t until I went to write this post that I realized that I hadn’t taken a picture of the front/back or inside.

It’s in the Bag Blog Hop

Are you following along with Island Batik’s November Blog Hop? This weeks hop was short, with 3 different bags shown. My bags were one of them. It’s a byAnnie pattern “Take a Stand.”

Next week’s giveaway is already live! Go to Island Batik’s blog (click HERE) and follow the Rafflecopter prompts. YOU could win a Fat Quarter Bundle of Limerick or Country Charm.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Linking to:

Sew It – Show It: Monster Mash Blog Hop

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Joan of Moose Stash Quilting is the wonderful host of the Monster Mash Blog Hop.

The Challenge … Sew and share something scary, not scary, or something in between. If it’s Halloween related you know we will love it!

Well, I don’t like scary … so mine is not scary! Just a simple pumpkin to hang on my front door. It was fun to make the strips a little improv, and then I squared it up. Believe it or not, this took me about 5 days to make, doing a little here and a little there! Although, I’m positive I could have made it in a few hours! 😁

Stats:

  • Size: 12.5″ x 16″
  • Fabric: Strips from Island Batik’s “Opulent Orange” 10″ stack paired with “Mocha.”
  • Hobbs 80/20 Batting is inside
  • Quilted with Aurifil #3817 (Variegated Marrakesh) on my domestic Janome M7.

Monster Mash Bloggers

Be sure to visit each blogger, there will be lots of Monster eye candy!

Monday October 23

Tuesday October 24

Wednesday October 25

Thursday October 26

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Linking to:

A Beautiful Friday Finish!

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That’s right, I have another finish!!! And, in my humble, or not so humble, opinion, I think it’s beautfiul!

I finally finished “Splendor.” This is a free pattern from Sew Can She. You can access the pattern HERE. The original pattern uses 3 yards of fabric, but I made mine larger and used 10.5 yards, including the back and binding. The main blocks were cut with my Accuquilt 8″ Qube dies.

Although I LOVE the fabrics and colours in this quilt, it is not made with Island Batik fabric. Again, I was reminded about how much I LOVE Island Batik quilting cottons. They are easy to work with, they have little if any stretch and don’t fray. But, I also need to use up my stash!

And, here’s a few more pictures: A close up of the quilting using Silly Moon’s “Drop,” “Rocket,” and “Kite” rulers. Drop was used in the squares, Rocket for all the straight stitching and Kite in the borders. I pieced the back since I didn’t have quite enough to make it with the purple polka dots.

Quilt Stats:

  • Size: 60″ x 73″
  • Fabric from Mr. Overseas in Abbotsford (bought when I was at a retreat in May)
  • Batting is Hobbs 80/20
  • Pieced with Aurifil thread
  • Quilted with Glide “Amethyst”

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Linking to:

Friday, Oct. 13th

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One of my sweet followers sent me this meme on Instagram. I obviously fell in love with it! Thanks ioleene!

Now unlimited sewing supplies! That’s up my alley. On Thanksgiving weekend, a local fabric store (if you can call 30 minutes away, local) had a 50% off notions sale. I went over and bought a few goodies. Nothing too exciting … pins to use on my design board, iron-on 1/4” tape for helping with zipper insertion, some magnets and a few zippers.

Pattern Testing

I tested the “Starry Path” pattern for my friend and fellow Island Batik Ambassador, Brenda. She has this and another pattern available on her blog, Songbird Designs (click HERE).

And yes, I did change the pattern a bit … but isn’t it gorgeous? I used the “Wild Blooms” fabric collection along with solid white. The Half Square Triangles were cut with an Accuquilt die. Brenda’s pattern provides instructions for using Accuquilt dies. Hobbs batting (80/20) is in the middle. “Ghost” is the fabric on the back. The The custom quilting used various rulers and quilted with my domestic Janome M7.

Here’s some more pictures of the quilt: It almost looks like stained glass from the back with the sun shining through. In June, I showed you the unquilted back when I posted about Kelly Young’s book, “Perfectly Pieced Quilt Backs.”

Island Batik Ambassador

Have you ever considered applying to become an Island Batik Ambassador? They are accepting applications NOW. Here is the LINK. The application explains what is expected from Ambassadors and the benefits being an Ambassador. It’s a challenging program, but I absolutely LOVE it!

If you apply, just make sure you take my email off and put your own in! In the past, I’ve had a few people ask me to ‘vote’ for them or ‘put in a good word’ for them. It doesn’t work that way … each Ambassador needs to apply each year – even we don’t know if we’ll be accepted or not. But fill in the application if you’re interested!

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

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Falling for Accuquilt

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I LOVE ❤️ using Accuquilt dies and this month is no exception. We received the “North Carolina Star” and were told to use it “to showcase our quilting skills and creativity.” It was suggested to use fall colours and to make any project that we wanted!

The North Carolina Star die is a “block on board.” This means that each of the pattern pieces are included on the die.

We were also told that we didn’t have to make the North Carolina Star, but could make anything using pieces from this die. I briefly thought that I could use the square (in the middle) and make a simple 9 patch quilt. But, that would also be called ‘cheating,’ in my opinion.

I have many different collections of fall fabric, thus it was easy to choose one. Autumn Wings looked promising!

I made a trial block:

The trial block will be made into a tote bag sometime in the near future.

I went to EQ8 and got a North Carolina Star block, but it wasn’t the same … it didn’t have the quarter square triangle sections and a few other details. In my attempt to draw the block, EQ8 and I had a disagreement, with EQ8 saying that it couldn’t convert my block to something or other. And, I admit, that my EQ8 skills are lacking. So I had to use the block in the library.

I came up with the middle quilt, but felt it was too busy … the quilt on the right was more to my liking.

I forgot to take pictures as I made the blocks! But I will tell you that I had the instructions right beside me. There are so many pieces and my seam ripper was occasionally friendly with me! 😁

Table Topper Stats:

  • Size: 27″ x 27″
  • Fabric: Island Batik “Autumn Wings” collection and Ghost (available anytime)
  • Piecing: Aurifil Thread 50 wt: 2600 (Dove Grey)
  • Quilting: Stitch in the Ditch with Aurifil Thread 50 wt: 2370 (Sandstone)
  • Batting: Hobbs Batting: Thermore (I like the lightness for table toppers!)
  • Needles: Schmetz Needles

It was a beautiful fall day when I took the pictures in my yard! I really like the pictures on the burning bush and ornamental maple!

There are many places you can find Autumn Wings, but the few that caught my eye are:

  • Quilt in a Day – California
  • Castles – Langley BC. 🇨🇦 This is about a 15 minute drive from my house!!!

I would like to thank Island Batik,  Aurifil Thread,  Hobbs Batting,  Schmetz Needles,  and Accuquilt for providing me with the fabric and supplies I used to complete this project!

Island Batik Ambassadors

Visit the other Island Batik Ambassadors as they show their beautiful creations using the North Carolina Star die.

Brenda Alburl ~ Songbird Designs
Renee Atkinson ~ Pink Tulip Quilting
Pamela Boatright ~ PamelaQuilts
Susan Deshensky ~ Lady Blue Quilts
Brittany Fisher ~ Bobbin with Brittany

Preeti Harris ~ Sew Preeti Quilts
Mania Hatziioannidi ~ Mania for quilts
Reed Johnson ~ Blue Bear Quilts
Victoria Johnson ~ Forever Quilting for You
Randi Jones ~ Randi’s Roost

Connie Kauffman ~ Kauffman Designs
Emily Leachman ~ The Darling Dogwood
Denise Looney ~ Quiltery – For The Love Of Geese
Leah Malasky ~ Quilted Delights
Maryellen McAuliffe ~ Mary Mack Made Mine

Anorina Morris ~ sameliasmum.com
Lisa Pickering ~ Lisa’s Quilting Passion
Sarah Pitcher ~ Pitcher’s Boutique
Claudia Porter ~ Create with Claudia 
Lana Russel ~ Lana Quilts

Elita Sharpe ~ Busy Needle
Gail Sheppard ~ Quilting Gail You’re HERE!!!
Sandra Starley ~ Textile Time Travels
Jennifer Thomas ~ Curlicue Creations
Suzy Webster ~ Websterquilt

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting! 
Gail 

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