Hobbs Batting

Progress ? Well yes … a bit …

/ quiltinggail / 18 Comments

I have almost finished my July Island Batik challenge and here is a close-up of the progress. I’m using Aurifil #2600 (Dove) quilted on Island Batik Coconut and using Silly Moon’s “Twinkle” ruler. There are 2 layers of Hobbs 80/20 to make those stars pop!

Design Wall

Piecing

#1 Town Table Topper: This panel will be a table runner … and yes, it is that curved! One of the main reasons that I highly dislike panels … they are NOT straight! And fudging is the main focus of putting them together! It is a UFO that is headed to the Finish line!

Quilting: 

#1 Island Batik July’s project: in progress

#2 Amish panels: put into one quilt top, sandwiched and ready to quilt. (I decided that this is it … no more borders …)

Stash Report

No shopping, no buying … nothing finished … well, I did finish this panel, but I didn’t buy the fabric and I didn’t use any of my stash … so it doesn’t count.

  • Fabric Used this week      0  yards
  • Fabric Used this year:       69 yards
  • Fabric Bought this week:   0  yards
  • Fabric Added this year:      24.75 yards  (my husbands amounts as well)
  • Net Fabric used                  44.25 yards 
  • Husband’s purchases:  0 yards (which are added into my total amount of Fabric added this year). For those of you who don’t know … my husband often buys more fabric than I do … so, I’m keeping track! Unfortunately, he doesn’t sew!

Stitchin’ Time

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

I have stitched for over 30 minutes each day

  • January – May–  150 / 150
  • June – 20 / 20
  • Percentage = 100 % 

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

TO DO 

Chris from ChrisKnits is hosting “To Do” every week. You can check out her blog HERE.

Last week:

  1. Summer Mystery Quilt: still waiting for the testing to be completed and double check fabric amounts
  2. Amish Panels: sandwich and prepare for quilting √   done
  3. Essem Panel: finish quilting and deliver it √   done
  4. July IB project: work on it √   done
  5. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS!   √   done
  6. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes    √   done    

This week’s list:

  1.  Finish July Island Batik project.
  2. Finish piecing Town Table Topper
  3. Start quilting Amish Panel
  4. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! 
  5. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes

I was Featured

Tish, the Madd Quilter from Tish’s Adventures in Wonderland featured this quilt … Thank you, Tish for the feature!

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting! 
Gail 

******************

Linking to:

A Fun Finish

/ quiltinggail / 26 Comments

This quilt was SEW much fun to quilt!!!

It is a panel from Paintbrush studio and Essem Textiles is selling it. (Hurry in, I hear the panels are going fast!) When I first got the panel home, I was very impressed with the feel of the fabric. SEW very nice. And it quilted like a dream!!!

It is backed with a “Fit for a Queen” flannel backing and Hobbs 80/20 is the batting. It is quilted with Glide, light grey thread. All of it quilted freehand on my domestic sewing machine (Janome M7). I did use a ruler for one block, can you guess which one?

Each block has a different free motion quilting filler … it’s always fun to play!

This quilt is now on display in the store (Essem Textiles).

I was Featured

Jennifer, from Inquiring Quilter, featured my 2 quilts from the Island Batik June challenge:

And Denise from For the Love of Geese also featured the same quilt(s).

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

*****************************

Linking to:

Moving Along with Projects

/ quiltinggail / 20 Comments

Design Wall

Piecing

#1 Amish panels: 

I think I have the top pieced … just deciding if I need to add another border … The centre square, the star block is what I bought extra fabric for. I’m sort of wishing I hadn’t bordered the rest of the small blocks and I could have done all of them like the star. But, since I’m not a fan of taking a lot of things apart … it’s not going to happen.

#2 July Island Batik project … it’s a secret for now!

Quilting: 

#1 Mystery Quilt … coming soon! I finished quilting it and am quite happy with the result!

#2 Essem Panel: Essem Textiles (the new store close to where I live) got a huge bunch of kids prints in. SEW cute!!! The owner is not a quilter (yet!!!) and I offered to quilt a panel for her. I’m having a LOT of fun … here’s a sneak peak! I hope she likes it when it’s completed.

Stash Report

The backing on the 2 maple leaf quilts used 9 yards of fabric. On the purchasing end of things, I bought some grunge fabric to use for the UFO, Amish Panels (see the star above!)

  • Fabric Used this week      9   yards
  • Fabric Used this year:       69 yards
  • Fabric Bought this week:  0.75  yards
  • Fabric Added this year:      24.75 yards  (my husbands amounts as well)
  • Net Fabric used                  44.25 yards 
  • Husband’s purchases:  0 yards (which are added into my total amount of Fabric added this year). For those of you who don’t know … my husband often buys more fabric than I do … so, I’m keeping track! Unfortunately, he doesn’t sew!

Here’s the 2 maple leaf quilts I finished … you can read more about them HERE. Yes, the tops were were made with Island Batik fabric, using an Accuquilt cutter and dies. Hobbs batting, Aurifil thread and Schmetz needles were also used.

Stitchin’ Time

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

I have stitched for over 30 minutes each day

  • January – May–  150 / 150
  • June – 13 / 13
  • Percentage = 100 % 

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

TO DO 

Chris from ChrisKnits is hosting “To Do” every week. You can check out her blog HERE.

Last week:

  1. Summer Mystery Quilt: Quilt & Finish writing pattern √   done
  2. Amish Panels: Finish cutting out and maybe get it assembled √   done
  3. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS!   √   done
  4. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes   √   done    

This week’s list:

  1.  Summer Mystery Quilt: waiting for the testing to be completed and double check fabric amounts
  2. Amish Panels: sandwich and prepare for quilting
  3. Essem Panel: finish quilting and deliver it
  4. July IB project: work on it
  5. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! 
  6. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting! 
Gail 

******************

Linking to:

New Finishes?

/ quiltinggail / 26 Comments

No, not for me … well, at least not a new finish that you haven’t seen before. I posted these 2 quilts earlier this week for my June Island Batik Challenge “Spread Love & Joy with Accuquilt.”

UFO progress

I’ve been working on my UFO … these panels … attempting to put it into a quilt … lots of decisions … do I leave them like this? Separate them … what to do?

I decided that I wanted to highlight the small block with the horse and buggy … but, would you believe that I did NOT have any red fabric that was ‘right’ for this? All of my reds were too bright, too orange, too patterned, or too dark …

SEW … what’s a gal to do? Go shopping of course!! I went to Essem Textiles and bought the red and beige-brown grunge fabric. (The fabric in the corners of the star were from cutting the larger block panel.)

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Spread Love & Joy with AccuQuilt

/ quiltinggail / 34 Comments

This month’s Island Batik challenge said, “Our partners from AccuQuilt are asking you to create a throw quilt as a gift of comfort! This can include anything from baby to memory quilts, but should be inspired by spreading love through quilting. The challenge for you is to use the 8” or 12” finished BOB dies from your Ambassador box, the GO! Qube 8″ Mix & Match Block and create a whole new pattern by combining the two!”

I received the Maple Leaf die in my January box this year and the Go! Qube 8″ dies in the January 2019 box. Sew … what to do?

EQ to the rescue …

My original intent was to make a Canadian Quilt of Valour! So, obviously red maple leaves would be perfect.

The top left was too busy. The top right had too much black. The bottom left had the blocks too close. So, I decided on the bottom right. Maple leafs with double pinwheels (without the 2nd colour), separated by a sashing and cornerstones.

I used the Accuquilt dies to cut all of the pieces for the blocks. So very quick. And very accurate!!! Each block went together with ease.

I made all the blocks …

The maple leaves were all made with Island Batik’s “Wavy dots – Cherry BE” and white solid. The double pinwheels were made with all sorts of scraps with Custard as the background.

It looked OK on EQ, but in real life … Not so much. I really, really disliked the two together! The white with red maple leaves were crisp and fresh looking and the double pinwheel blocks, although pretty, were just not a good match.

SEW … I changed directions. I really liked the blocks together, but not the fabrics.

I made 17 more double pinwheels using only the solid white and fabrics from the “Mystery” collection. Oh yes!!! I was MUCH happier!!! Much much happier!!!

Of course, I forgot to take pictures of me cutting all of the pieces for the maple leaves and the double pinwheels, but I did take one of cutting the binding! The width of fabric fits perfect on the 2 1/2″ die. I placed 2 pieces of WOF on the die (total of 4 layers) and in less than 20 seconds, I had 6 perfectly cut binding strips. SEW easy, SEW quick, and perfect strips! (I pulled up the middle strips so that you could see them on the die.)

Here’s a picture of the finished quilt. All ready to go to the guild’s Quilt of Valour coordinator.

And here’s a closeup of the quilting …

Quilt Stats:

  • 57″ x 72″
  • Island Batik fabrics: Solid white, solid grey, assorted fabrics from the mystery collection and for the cornerstones and binding, I used “Pinecone Dark Teal” from the Napa Valley collection.
  • Hobbs 80/20 batting
  • Aurifil Thread # 2000 (Light Stand) for piecing, # 2600 (Dove) for quilting
  • Schmetz Needles

But wait … there’s more …

What to do with all the double pinwheel blocks with the custard background? I made some super scrappy maple leaf blocks and made a 2nd quilt. This is going to a young couple that just got married.

This one is quilted in a similar manner, but different!

Quilt Stats

Disclosure:

The fabrics, thread, batting and needles were generously supplied by the following companies:

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting! 
Gail 

FINALLY: Story-less Improv gets a facing

/ quiltinggail / 25 Comments

Oh, I put off putting a facing on my improv piece. I haven’t faced a quilt before … so why not procrastinate and put it off? and wait a little longer? and put it off? and put it to the side so it’s not staring me in the face? Maybe it’ll just disappear and I’ll forget about it …

Oh … it’s on my PHD chart of “Starts in 2021” and so in order to get my PHD in 2021, it does need to be finished. And a lot of my followers have seen me say in my “To Do” list that it needs a facing … for several weeks. Sigh …

Last week in my PHD in 2021 May post, I talked about how one can easily be faced with procrastination. I wasn’t thinking about this project, but it fits!!!

SEW … with a renewed determination to get it done, I decided to Google “How to Add a Facing.” The first link that showed up was a Youtube video from American Patchwork and Quilting. I grabbed a drink of water and started to watch it. You can see it HERE. AND my immediate reaction was

HOW CAN IT BE THAT SIMPLE ????

I quickly cut the squares for the corners and the side strips. I LOVE the fact that there are hanging triangles on ALL 4 corners, so I can easily change how I want it hung! I cut the squares at 4.5″

Then I pinned the triangles and facings in place:

The facings were pinned in place and I sewed as directed …

Turned the facing and triangles to the backside.

Then, the directions said to HAND stitch the facings down. OH NO!!! I hate hand stitching. What to do? I took my trusty Elmer’s disappearing glue and glued the facings down. If it holds for a period of time, I’ll be happy! If it doesn’t, well then I’ll pull out the black thread and hand stitch it down. But I’m crossing my fingers and hope that it holds!

This little piece used Island Batik solids, Aurifil, dove for quilting and Hobbs batting.

Design Wall

Piecing

#1 Amish panel: I’ve cut some of the blocks apart … I’m just deciding if I want to cut them all apart … Then I need to add black sashing …

#2 July Island Batik project … it’s a secret for now!

Quilting: 

#1 Mystery Quilt … coming soon! This will be a mystery quilt that you can do over the summer. I’m still writing the pattern, but I think there will be around 10 clues. (This mystery was originally going to use fat quarters, but I’ve changed my mind and have gone in another direction … so it’s no longer called the “Bunny Fat Quarter Mystery.”

Stash Report

The backing of Story-less Improv used 1 yard as did the “Follow Your Own Path”

  • Fabric Used this week     2   yards
  • Fabric Used this year:       60 yards
  • Fabric Bought this week:  0  yards
  • Fabric Added this year:      24 yards  (my husbands amounts as well)
  • Net Fabric used                  36 yards 
  • Husband’s purchases:  0 yards (which are added into my total amount of Fabric added this year). For those of you who don’t know … my husband often buys more fabric than I do … so, I’m keeping track! Unfortunately, he doesn’t sew!

Stitchin’ Time

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

I have stitched for over 30 minutes each day

  • January – May–  150 / 150
  • June – 6 / 6
  • Percentage = 100 % 

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

TO DO 

Chris from ChrisKnits is hosting it “To Do” every week. You can check out her blog HERE.

Last week:

  1. Follow Your Own Path: bind √   done
  2. SPEED DATING: ADD FACING GAIL: QUIT PROCRASTINATING!!! √   done
  3. Bunny Fat Quarters: Summer Mystery Quilt: finish writing the pattern partially   done
  4. June IB project: finish √   done
  5. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS!   √   done
  6. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes   √   done    

This week’s list:

  1.  Summer Mystery Quilt: Quilt & Finish writing pattern
  2. Amish Panels: Finish cutting out and maybe get it assembled
  3. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! 
  4. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting! 
Gail 

******************

Linking to:

Getting the UFOs done!

/ quiltinggail / 25 Comments

I finished another UFO.

These are the hankies I bought in Thailand 7 years ago. You can see this in progress HERE and HERE.

I used Island Batik “Lavender” for the sashings and border.

And here is the finished wall hanging. Yes, I did quilt it to death in the background, but I wanted the main elements to pop. I must admit, I thoroughly enjoyed quilting it!!!

I used 3 different Aurifil threads to quilt this: #2315 (light Orchid), #1148 (Light Jade), and #2220 (Light Salmon).

Hobbs 80/20 batting was also used.

Continue reading →

Born to be Wild

/ quiltinggail / 49 Comments

This fun Blog Hop is the inspiration of Carol from “Just Let Me Quilt.” Have you been following it? Tons and Tons of Wild eye candy!

When Carol first announced this blog hop, I immediately KNEW exactly what I was going to do. A few of you may remember that I went to Africa in Sept., 2019. I bought some fabric there. You can read a little about my trip HERE.

And wonder, of wonders, I mostly followed through on my plan for this blog hop!

Here’s a picture of the fabric I bought when I was in Africa.

fullsizeoutput_ba0
Continue reading →

Quilt Modern! Blog Hop

/ quiltinggail / 33 Comments

In March, I took an Improv class, hoping that I would learn something that I could use to make the quilt for this month’s challenge! And I did. (You can see information about that class and what I learned HERE. I decided to use the freehand curved piecing technique (more pictures below).

The fabric I was given for this blog hop is Napa Valley, designed by Kathy Engle. I LOVE the colours! They are so rich! The motif’s on the fabric are so fun! There are grapes, wheat, pumpkins, corn, leaves and dots! Such a fun collection! And of course, the fabric is fantastic!

I started by pairing an 8″ square of Napa Valley with an 8″ square of Island Batik grey solid. Then I free-hand cut the quarter circles.

I sewed the print and the grey together without using pins. In the picture below, you can see the print of the inner circle with the grey on the outer circle. The reverse is just below it. The blocks were then trimmed to 6 ¾”.

The blocks were arranged on the design wall. And, I forgot to take a picture! The quilt was webbed together, sandwiched and then the quilting began. I used Hobbs Heirloom Natural Cotton batting.

I used Schmetz Quilting Needle 90/40 for both the piecing and the quilting.

All of the quilting happened on my domestic machine: Janome M7 Continental. Aurifil #2600 (Dove) was used. I love how is contrasts slightly with the grey solid fabric!

And, a close up of the quilting

And a picture with the last of the pink “snow” (cherry blossoms)

You have 2 chances to win fabric!

  1. Island Batik is giving away precuts of Glacier Bay: Click on the Raftercopter link
a Rafflecopter giveaway https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

2. From Me! If you want to win fabric from me you have to be from Canada (and sorry, not Quebec). In the comments, answer the following questions: (they won’t be published)

  • where in Canada do you live?
  • have you made a modern quilt?

For those of you that have difficulty leaving comments, you can email me with your answers (quiltinggail@yahoo.ca)

Each entry will be given a number and I’ll use a random number generator to pick the winner.

I’m giving away 19 pieces of Napa Valley that are 8″ x 9.5″

Next:

Be sure to visit Emily at the Darling Dogwood. She used the same collection of fabric and her quilt is stunning! And totally different than mine!

Disclosure: The fabrics, thread, batting and needles were generously supplied by the following companies:

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting! 
Gail 

Outstanding Blogger Post & Weekly Report

/ quiltinggail / 29 Comments

Emily, from the Darling Dogwood, nominated me! I must confess, someone nominated me a few weeks ago, and I couldn’t find the blog post … sigh … so I didn’t follow up. (Sorry, whoever you are! …) The purpose of the Outstanding Blogger Award is to applaud our fellow bloggers and learn more about them by answering questions that are asked.

Here are the questions that Emily asked:

  1. Do you still have your first quilt? No. I made my first quilt when I was 17. I designed it with scraps in my mother’s scrap drawer and used gingham in part of the blocks. It was backed with the ugliest fabric (translate into cheapest) that we could find. It was tied. I had no idea what I was doing. No one showed me what to do. I used the quilt throughout my years in nursing school. I remember it became the dogs blanket at one point and was either buried with her or destroyed.

2. What is something on your Quilty Bucket List? I’ve always wanted to make a Storm at Sea! And, I hope to make one later this year.

3. Is there a color or fabric style that you really dislike working with? I used to hate working with orange. But orange goes nicely with so many other colours … and when I’m using Island Batik fabrics … well, what can I say … it’s growing on me.

4. Do you have a favorite traditional quilt block? The quick answer to this question is no. I don’t have ONE favourite block. I have several … Log Cabin, Pinwheels, Friendship Star, 8 point star … and the list goes on.

5. What one non-quilting thing about you that your readers might not know? I was a swimming instructor and lifeguard prior to going into nursing school. I also scuba dived at that time. I played the oboe and bassoon when I was in middle and high school.

Who to nominate? I have a zillion blogs that I follow … and I honestly couldn’t say that I know who has or has not been nominated …

  • Anja @ Anja Quilts
  • Velda @ Freckled Fox Quiltery
  • Karen Neary @ Sew Karenly Created
  • Michelle Roberts @ Creative Blonde
  • Jennifer Eurbank @ Jennifersewing.wordpress.com

If you choose to accept the nomination, here are your questions:

  1. What inspired you to make your first quilt?
  2. What inspires you to make your quilts today?
  3. Do you use software to pencil to design your quilts? (or patterns)
  4. Which quilt is your favourite?
  5. Tell us something about where you live that is fantastic!

Scrappy Table Runner is Completed!

Light blue was the chosen colour for this month’s Table Runner. The pattern is from QUILTsocial and you can find it HERE. I also talked about this runner HERE.

After I had this quilt top done, I saw my Studio 180 “Split Recs” ruler. It’s still in the package. I’ll have to pull it out and try it. I suspect that I will prefer the Studio 180 method, but I do need to try it to be sure!

I used Scraps from my Island Batik box with Coconut as the neutral. The batting is Hobbs Poly Down and it is quilted with Aurifil #1148 (light jade). I didn’t have a light blue Aurifil, but the Light Jade was a perfect fit!

I will be linking to The Joyful Quilter.

Continue reading →

Salt and Sand Blog Hop and Green Table Topper

/ quiltinggail / 72 Comments

In January, Carol, from Just Let Me Quilt, announced that she’d be hosting this blog hop in March. Of course, I signed up immediately! And, even though I knew that I could change my mind (happens often), I actually had an idea of what I would make for this blog hop! And, surprise, surprise, I didn’t change my mind.

I made this cute little Zipper Bag … It is an Anita Goodesign called “Shadow Work Design.” I altered the design a bit, because I didn’t have any sheer fabric. All of the fabric is from Island Batik (are you surprised???) Most of the bag is made with Coconut – one of their wonderful basics – available all the time. The applique is a small piece from Nautilus Floral-Baja from the Mystery Collection. This is the same collection that I used in February for my “Create for a Cause” challenge. You can view that quilt HERE.

Since I wasn’t about to go to a wet, soggy beach, I took this picture in the front yard. If you use your imagination, the lava rock can represent beach rock and the side of the raised bed could be a log, right?

And, since we have a few flowers blooming, I had to take a picture of it with the flowers! And trust me, those hyacinths smell heavenly!

BLOG HOP

Here’s a list of today’s blog hoppers … Lots of eye candy for you!!!


Just Let Me Quilt
Websterquilt
Samelia’s Mum
Quilt Fabrication
Little Penguin Quilts
Just Sew Quilter
Inflorescence

Monthly Table Topper / Runner Challenge

I had a lot of fun making my March green table runner. I thought I’d try some of the improv blocks I learned from my “Speed Dating” class (see HERE). Using the techniques I learned, it was pretty quick, easy and fun to put together!!! And, no, the quilt I started in the Speed Dating class is not finished … YET!

This used Island Batik fabrics: light and dark grey solids, and the greens were: Marble Frog – BE, Celery, Bubbles: sprout, and 2 other greens that were in my IB scrap bag. The backing is a combination of Celery and Light grey solid. You can see the back HERE. Hobbs 80/20 Cotton batting was used and it was quilted with Aurifil #2600 (Dove).

I must admit that I had a super fun time making this!!! Improv is fun! I like the freedom – anything goes – within my own limits!

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

*****************************

Linking to:

Blustery Friday

/ quiltinggail / 34 Comments

The wind is blowing … a LOT!!! I’m glad that I took pictures of my finished quilt the other day!

This is the Echo Lake T-shirt quilt. There are lots of different T-shirts. Some are repeated, in different colours.

As I was working on this quilt, I was continually amazed at the work / service that each T-shirt represents. From the inception of the theme, creating the artistic logos … wow!!! Then there is the various speakers each summer that address the theme, the campers and leaders that listen, the music and songs, the people in charge of activities (archery, climbing wall, crafts, etc), the kitchen staff, the caretaker and grounds people. So many people!!! And there are people that attend the spring clean-up, those that generously donate time and/or money. And, not to forget those that don’t set a foot on the camp grounds, but pray for the campers and all the workers. And, I’ve probably left out many more people that are also involved!

Our 2 kids went to Echo Lake years ago. When they first started going, it was tents on wooden platforms. I remember the first year they build the cabins … there was open rafters … our son broke his arm swinging from them! Don’t ask … if you knew my son, you would totally understand this! Tons and tons of memories!!!

Anyhow, it was an honour to make this quilt / banner. It is HUGE … over 8′ wide and about 5.5 ‘ high. It is far from perfect! Nothing I make is ever close to perfect, but the T-shirt fabric added an extra challenge!

Continue reading →

A Friday UFO Finish!!!

/ quiltinggail / 28 Comments

I made the Moorewood Mystery, designed and hosted by Cheryl at Meadow Mist Designs. This pattern is extremely well written. The monthly instructions are easy to follow and very doable during the month! The pattern is available on the website. Thank you Cheryl for this unique and fun design!

This quilt counted as one of my UFOs because it could not be completed in 2020 … (my own rules as to what makes a UFO).

Quilt Stats

  • Size: 60.5″ x 72.5″
  • It is quilted with a beige thread – Aurifil 2000.
  • The quilting is simple swirls in the background and all of the coloured shapes are outlined. Nothing fancy … but I really like how it looks!
  • The batting is Hobbs 80/20.
  • The fabrics are Kansas Troubles that have been sitting in my stash for … um … well … ya … at least 10 years … I think!!!! And, for some reason, the container with the Kansas Troubles fabric is still pretty full!!!

And a closeup of the quilting:

I was Featured

Jennifer featured the quilt with all the ruler quilting on it. You can read more about it HERE.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

*****************************

Linking to:

Lets Talk about Ruler Quilting!

/ quiltinggail / 20 Comments

Did you see my Scrapbusting Challenge for Island Batik for March? You can see it HERE.

The following is about one of the quilts I made for the challenge. I was scheduled to take a Ruler Quilting course through the guild with Silly Moon Quilting Co. I grabbed some of the Island Batik neutral stash builder rolls so that I could make 5″ squares. I wanted something light so the quilting would show. Then, instead of making a placemat or table topper, I choose to make a small heart quilt.

Well, as soon as I had the heart done with the blue around it, I decided to make it bigger … and borders were added … then more borders. All of a sudden (after a few hours), I had a quilt instead of placemat.

By the way Silly Moon Quilting Co. is a Canadian company, family owned and is located in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. You can order rulers directly from them or from various locations across Canada. They offer ruler quilting classes on their rulers. Did I say that I’m in LOVE with their rulers?

Ruler Quilting

The owner of Silly Moon lead the class on Zoom. She was a great instructor! Very patient and clear with her instructions. I have taken a ruler class before, with Amy K. and she’s fantastic as well. Anyhow, the blocks inside the heart were quilted during the class and used “Charming” and “Edgie” rulers.

I wanted to quilt this whole quilt using Silly Moon rulers. It was fun!

The blue border below was quilted using “Charming,” the neutral border to the left used “Turkey” and “Charming.”

Below, you can see how “Charming” made the scallops on the outside border. Cupid 3″ made the hearts that are in the blue and white border. “Turkey” made that neat small square/large square in the next blue border. (And yes, if you look closely, I still need to practice more!)

Here is the full quilt!

Hobbs 80/20 batting was used, Aurifil #2610 – Light Blue Grey, and Schmetz needles were used for piecing and quilting. (All of these were provided by Island Batik and Industry Partners).

Spare Time

I have been asked several times about what I do in my spare time! This picture says it all! (Sorry, I don’t know the original source, it’s from my cousin’s Facebook Page … if anyone knows the original source, please let me know and I’ll give credit to the original artist.)

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Linking to:

March Island Batik Challenge

/ quiltinggail / 41 Comments

It’s a Scrapbuster Challenge!

Challenge #1

I do have a ‘few’ Island Batik scraps! I save anything that is larger than 2″. I know that some of my fellow ambassadors save scraps that are smaller … I’ll let them do that, but it doesn’t mean that I have to. When it came to deciding what to do, I immediately thought of a scrappy Irish Chain. I have made a few and I love quilting the feather wreaths in the plain white block. I started sewing my 2″ squares into 4 patches … all the while thinking about how I could make it more unique. I thought of stars … and I was happy … here’s the chain blocks with a few of the first stars I made. Yes, I liked it.

Sew, I sewed and I sewed and I sewed. I tried to count how many different fabrics there were in this quilt. I got to 150 and then I started to second guess myself: Is this one in the quilt, or is it a similar one from the same collection? I quit counting. As I was sewing this together, there were lots of memories … oh, I made a log cabin with this fabric … this was from a table runner … this fabric was in a quilt I gave as a wedding gift … Such a lot of fun!!!

There are 782 coloured 2″ squares and 136 coloured Half-Square Triangles. I did not count how many white squares, half square triangles or rectangles are in this quilt. I know there are a LOT.

Then the quilt is . Hobbs 80/20 batting was used. I spray baste my quilts together, using Odif 505 spray. It was quilted on my Janome Continental M7 domestic sewing machine using the following threads: Aurifil #5004 – Grey Smoke and #2021 – Natural White. The binding was sewn on with #2692 – Black. Each square was stitched in the ditch with the Grey Smoke. The Natural White outlined the star and each of the blocks on the white.

There is a single crocus blooming in the garden, it’s in the middle pot, just in front of the rose stems … but I can barely see it in the picture, so you’ll just have to trust me!

Challenge #2

This quilt was unexpected. It just happened. It wasn’t planned. I was to take a ruler quilting course (by Zoom) with Silly Moon Quilting Co. and I needed to make a placemat or table runner, using 5″ squares. I pulled out a couple of neutral Island Batik Stashbuilder rolls and cut them into 5″ squares. (Stash builder rolls are perfect for this since they are 5″ wide by width of fabric.) But, I really didn’t want a placemat or table runner with them. So I made a heart quilt with squares and half-square triangles. Outlined the neutrals in soft dusty blues. I was liking it!!! I ended up adding a few more borders. Then I wanted it to be a rectangle, not a square, so the borders on the top and bottom became larger than the borders on the sides.

I was sewing with a friend (Zoom) and she saw the penguins and wanted to know if it was a fabric that is currently available. It’s an older line because it was in the stashbuilder bundle. But aren’t they cute?

Hobbs 80/20 batting was used, Aurifil #2610 – Light Blue Grey, and Schmetz needles were used for piecing and quilting.

Disclosure: The fabrics, thread, batting and needles were generously supplied by the following companies:

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting! 
Gail 

PHD in 2021: February Report

/ quiltinggail / 33 Comments
This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is phd-in-2021.png

How are you doing with your PHD in 2021. So far I have 4 UFOs completed, but I still feel like I’m cheating. Three were started in December and were easy finishes. All of these were made with wonderful Island Batik fabrics. The 4th was a panel, so that was also a quick finish.

I have started working on the Echo Lake T-shirt quilt. The T-shirts are cut and interfacing is on each piece. Now, to decide the layout and how to piece it together!

Linky Party

Link up and show us your PHD in 2021 Progress.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter
https://fresh.inlinkz.com/js/widget/load.js?id=a8b40ada7693d64e5923

Do You need Help?

A fellow candidate for PHD in 2021, Sheila from “So This is Kentucky” posted about using Trello. It’s free to start with and gives you a visual of what projects you have going. See Sheila’s post HERE. You may also find it helpful!

Rainbow Scrap Table Topper

February’s colour is Yellow. I made another coaster. Again, I used Island Batik fabrics. The yellow fabric is “butter” that is available year round. I’m not sure what the beige is (but it is Island Batik) and the green was in a stash buster bundle. The pattern is a free embroidery design from Kreative Kiwi – the Mother’s Day coaster. Obviously, I omitted the writing. On the rose, I used my yellow and oragne inktense pencils to add a little more colour.

A Book Review

The guild librarian, asked me to have a look at a new book they got in the library.

“The Big Book of Little Quilts” by Martindale.
This book is jam packed with a variety of small quilts.  They range from a fresh, modern look, to homespun and many can be scrappy or controlled scrappy. Some of the patterns are pieced, some are paper pieced, some have applique and some have hand embroidery.  There is something in this book that will appeal to you!  It is a book I will definitely take out from the library when I’m looking for something small and a little different. 

DrEAMI

This month I had a DrEAMI project. DRop Everything And Make It. I will be linking to Sandra @ MMMQuilts. These little baskets were quick and easy to make! You can read more about them HERE.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting! 
Gail 

******************

Linking to:

I can finally show you …

/ quiltinggail / 19 Comments

I organize the mystery quilts for the quilt guild (Boundary Bay Quilt Guild). Of course, I HAVE to make each mystery prior to presenting it to the guild. Our latest mystery was designed by Sue Pontifex (of Piece Arch Quilters) and I originally made it around 2013.

Here it is! It is an alternate layout to Sue’s original. And yes, I used Island Batik fabrics, Aurifil thread and Hobbs fusible 80/20 batting. The free motion quilting is a simple hook with flower petals around it.

Here’s the original one I made in 2013, following the directions!

Members of the guild that have made this quilt will be forwarding me their finished tops and I’ll put them all here on the blog. From what I’ve seen, there’s going to be some pretty fantastic quilts!

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

*****************************

Linking to:

SAHRR – Round #5

/ quiltinggail / 38 Comments

Just to remind you … SAHRR is Stay At Home Round Robin. If you missed the previous posts about this year’s SAHRR – you can see them

Today is the day that Wendy told us to add wonky stars. I’m a rebel … and I did friendship stars instead! I used the Accuquilt to cut the half-square triangles. Do I ever enjoy using it for those!

However, I didn’t do the math very well and I have extra stars left over. I wanted to leave the cornerstone as a plain white block, so … who knows what will happen with those extra stars?

Again, I continued to use a variety of fabrics from Island Batik’s Ohana collection.

Make sure to visit all of the other co-leaders and link up toWendy’s linky party to show us your blocks! HERE

Here’s their links:

Design Wall

Piecing:

I’m working on my March Island Batik project. Sorry, no pictures yet!

Quilting: 

I took a Silly Moon Ruler Quilting class on Saturday by Zoom. It was fun and I learned some things. Believe it or not – the fabric is dark blue and the thread is light grey . Obviously, my phone did not pick up the true colours!

Stash Report

I

No change from last week!

  • Fabric Used this week      0  yards
  • Fabric Used this year:        5 yards
  • Fabric Bought this week:  0  yards
  • Fabric Added this year:      9 yards  (my husbands amounts as well)
  • Net Fabric used                   – 4 yards
  • Husband’s purchases:  0 yards (which are added into my total amount of Fabric added this year). For those of you who don’t know … my husband often buys more fabric than I do … so, I’m keeping track! Unfortunately, he doesn’t sew!

Stitchin’ Time

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

I have stitched for over 30 minutes each day

  • January –  31 / 31
  • February – 14 / 14
  • Percentage = 100 % 

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

TO DO 

Roseanne & Sue’s “TO DO” Tuesday is no longer. However, Chris from ChrisKnits is going to be hosting it from now on. Her blog is HERE.

Last week:

Total success this week!

  1. Work on next round of SAHRR  √   done
  2. Sandwich Moorewood Mystery  √   done
  3. Work on March Island Batik challenge  √   done
  4. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS!  √   done
  5. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes      √   done

This week’s list:

  1. Work on final round of SAHRR  
  2. Start quilting Moorewood Mystery  
  3. Work on March Island Batik challenge  
  4. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! 
  5. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Linking to: