If you haven’t done so,
before you read my blog
take a moment to be thankful …
The Retreat
Oh … what fun! Here’s a slideshow of some of the creations … Enjoy! Unfortunately, I didn’t get pictures of what everyone was working on … but here’s a few …
Monday’s Design Wall
Retreat? Oh yes!!!
I’m getting ready to head off to a retreat! Oh – how I love retreats! At this retreat – we don’t have to cook! Bonus! And I won’t have my lovely husband asking, “what’s for dinner tonight?” And, I won’t have to answer with, “I don’t know!” It’s amazing how often we have “I don’t know” for supper!
Anyhow … since I had my embroidery machine up and running, I did up a few labels (one for the scrappy blue quilt – below – that I’m hoping to get quilted at the retreat) Now, you don’t need to email me and tell me that a couple of the labels have 2019 on them! I did that on purpose. See the top label with 2019? Well, when I pulled out the bin with the UFO that the label will go on, I discovered a label that I made for this quilt that said, “2015!!!” I often joke that the quilt is not necessarily finished in the year that the label is made. However, I figured that 3 or 4 years beyond the date is a little too long. And, 2 of the quilts belonging to 2 of the labels are not in my plan to be finished by the end of the year. (That is, unless I change my mind – which could happen!)
Sew, as I was cutting the batting to length to sandwich the 4 quilts that the labels will go with, I noticed that 3 of the quilts were EXACTLY the same pattern. Yes, it’s a pattern that I wrote and I remember making each quilt, but I sort of find it ironic that they are all getting sandwiched on the same day! Two are scrappy and one is a 2 fabric quilt.
No sewing when I’m away …
I was away for a bit … travelling in some weird white stuff for part of it. But, since my sister didn’t drive into the ditch, I’ve come to the conclusion that she’s not too bad of a driver. Although, I’m not sure if my white knuckles have regained their colour yet! 
It’s good to be home … but it was good to go … Continue reading
Our Beautiful Fall Continues!
Oh – it is so lovely outside! Although I’m missing summer, I’m loving these wonderful west coast fall days. It’s hard to be inside when it’s so nice outside! However, they are forecasting rain for Tuesday, so this wonderful days will come to an end.
Fireburst has the first stitches of quilting done. There is nothing active happening with piecing. 
Continue reading
Beautiful Fall Days
It is beautiful right now on the West coast of Canada. Cool crisp nights, some morning fog, and sun in the afternoon. It’s hard, very hard to stay inside and quilt when it is so nice outside!
However, I have been working with digitizing software. It’s 
actually fun! A simple project that I have been working on is taking an element from the fabric in the quilt, making a simple outline and stitching it out.
It worked great on my sample, (first picture), but when I tried to put it on the quilt, it wouldn’t line up right: see the “line” between the ears?” I have a very small machine and I don’t think it was intended for quilting. I will finish the quilt on a bigger machine at work.
Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Design Wall
No piecing … but I’m having fun quilting the Wonky Logs quilt! Craftsy / Blueprint is free this week. My cousin Terry told me to watch “Wild Quilting.” Oh, it was an excellent class! I don’t have a tone of wide open spaces to apply her techniques but I did take notes! However, if YOU are interested in Free Motion Quilting – I would advise you to watch this class!
I know that I said I wouldn’t use straight lines in this quilt … but as you can see in the green square, I changed my mind! I’ve got about half of the blocks done! Six more to go!
PHD in 2018 – Sept. Report
Two finishes for September. Both of them are UFOs! I must be liking easy and square pieces!
Serged Top is done
Here are the questions I had before I started serging this quilt together and the answers to those questions:
- Which serger will I use? I used a serger at work (Pro-4DX) and my own serger at home. I actually prefer the Pro-4DX over my own serger
- Will I be able to finger press the seams, or should I use an iron? I did do some finger pressing, but as usual, the iron made a much nicer job of pressing the seam.
- Will I be able to chain piece using a serger? Yes, there was no problem at all with chaining
- Will it make the quilt “lumpy” at the seams? I don’t really see much different than when using a regular sewing machine
- Will I be able to web or lattice the final blocks? Absolutely! The first picture shows the first webbing, the second shows the top pieced together.
PHD in 2018 August Report
I have 3 August finishes. The quilt and the little zipper bag. I cannot show you the secret quilt because it has not been gifted. However, it is finished!!
An Update after a break …
Housekeeping
Here are before and after pictures … I know I prefer the “after” picture! Continue reading
Stash and Project Update
A few days ago, a couple of cousins on my mom’s side came to visit. It was a fantastic visit as I had not seen either of them for at least 50 years! Anyhow … one of them quilts, and when she saw my very messy creative sewing room, she asked how many projects I had going at one time. Just off the cuff, I said, “5.” Um … well, I didn’t really take a good look at what I had actively going in the room … and of course, it’s the reason for the MESS CREATIVITY. Continue reading
Stash Report & Design Wall
Design Wall
These are the 4 August blocks for the Fireburst Mystery that Tish’s Adventures in Wonderland is hosting. The pattern is currently free, but I suspect that it will be for sale when the mystery is done.
Tish posted 3 different layouts for these blocks … but I know better – it’s just a tease and the final design won’t be anything near what she’s posted. There’s still lots of bits and pieces and partial blocks to be used. I’ll be extremely surprised if the blocks end up anything like what she’s posted. Continue reading
PHD in 2018 – July Report
Moving right along with finishing!
The little quilt in the 2nd picture was made with left-overs from the quilt on the right. The one on the right was finished in January. You can see a close-up of the quilting HERE.
The “Left-over” quilt has not been washed yet – so it’s not a wrinkly and cozy. It’s 45″ x 45″. The backing and black border were also left-overs from another quilt. I did not have enough fabric to bind it in one colour. SEW, I used both green and red fabric to bind it.
Playing with Embroidery
I have an embroidery machine. It’s OLD and the hoops are small. At work, I was told that I needed to learn to use the embroidery machine. A big one. It’s nice. But I don’t have it at home. I can work my way around it and have designed several things, using the designs that are build in.
But I wanted to try appliqué in the hoop, on my machine. There is a real cute pattern at Sweet Pea, an Australian company. It’s a free pattern. “Learn in the Hoop.”
Happy Father’s Day
This picture is perfect for my husband … he’s always working with tools of some sort and figuring things out! Continue reading
Retreat!
I’m leaving this morning for a retreat! Here is an early morning picture taken last year from one of the bedrooms at “Over the Rainbow Lodge” on Camano Island.
I’m going to be sewing with friends from British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and California. A true west-coast group of ladies.
Sew … I’m planning on working on lots of my UFO projects …
- Orca Bay – quilting
- Labyrinth #2 – quilting
- Smith Mountain Morning – piecing
- Fractured Paint Brush – piecing
I may take one new project to work on … Dr. Suess quilt, a bag, or something using some fat quarters or a layer cake or ??? (hmm that’s more than one) … but I wouldn’t want to run out of projects, would I? And, I am going for a week!
New Quilt Bloggers Blog Hop
Week 2 is in progress. If you hopped to all the blogs last week, I’m sure that you saw lots and lots of wonderful eye candy. I promise that you will see more again this week.
Here are the list of blogs to hop around this week:
- Velda @ Freckled Fox Quiltery
- Carrie @ Carrie Bee Creates
- Sharon @ Ms. P Designs
- Ann @ Laughing Gas Quilts
- Nicole @ Hand Wrought Quilts
- Becca @ Pretty Piney
- Sherry @ Powered by Quilting
- Stephanie @ Low Country Quilts and Embroidery
The Blog Hop CO-HOSTS
Yes, I know I mentioned at the beginning of this post that there are give-aways available. You will get an entry for each blog comment you leave. The hosts use a tool called a “Rafflecopter” for choosing the winners of the give-aways. So visit one of the following co-host’s blogs and enter to WIN!!! The sponsors are in the picture below the list of blogs.
- Beth @ Cooking Up Quilts
- Jennifer @ Dizzy Quilter
- Sandra @ mmm! Quilts
- Tish @ Tish in Wonderland
Tish is the wonder-gal that designed the logo below with all of the give-aways that are happening.
Linking to:
- Monday Making @ Love, Laugh, Quilt
- Design Wall Monday @ Small Quilts and Doll Quilts
- Moving it Forward Monday @ Em’s Scrapbag
Happy Quilting!
Gail
Sewing with Friends
Design Wall
Piecing
Remember, I said I was going to play with these left-over blocks from the Orca Bay Quilt?
I made 3 zipper bags with the left-over blocks from Orca Bay. It was a project I started this year and I finished it this year! They didn’t turn into UFOs!
Mar. 25 Stash Report & Design Wall
Design Wall
My design wall now has a secret project on it. I can show you the material for the back. And no, the picture does not give the true colour! I told you, it’s a secret project – so you won’t be able to see it until May. It is a UFO that is for a secret exchange … I can tell you that it will be a table runner and the theme is winter.
Orca Bay has all the borders on it!
PHD in 2018 Update
No, No, No // Yes, Yes, Yes
No, No, No
- No finishes
- No change in PHD & Stash numbers
- No quilting done on the Beginner Mystery
Yes, Yes, Yes
- Yes: Saturday was International Quilting Day. This weekend The Quilt Show has 23 free shows to watch and prizes to win (if you live in the USA). Click HERE for details and take advantage of the free shows.
- Yes: Spring is coming!
- Yes: Orca Bay – the centre is done. Just need to add borders.
PHD in 2018 Update
No finishes towards my PHD because there was nothing finished this week! So the numbers stay the same.
Stash Report
No shopping – nothing added. Yes, I was at Tradex at the Creative Festival and I only bought 2 sided fusible pellon. No fabric. To be honest – I didn’t take a good look at the fabric and so I didn’t buy any. I did see a quilt panel that was fractured at the Quilted Bear booth and the same panel that was not fractured at the Needle & I booth. They were both wonderful! Beautiful colours and great quilting. But I was only tempted to admire, not buy!
Fabric Used this Week: 0 yards
Fabric Used year to Date: 94.1 yards
Fabric Added this Week: 0 yards
Fabric Added Year to Date: 14 yards
Net Fabric used for 2017: 84.1 yards
Linking to:
- Sunday Stash @ quiltpaintcreate
- Oh Scrap @ Quilting is More Fun than Housework
- Peaceful Sunday @ Janda Bend Quilts or Linky Party
- Mali Sparkles @ Sunday Stash
- Monday Making @ Love, Laugh, Quilt
- Design Wall Monday @ Small Quilts and Doll Quilts
- Moving it Forward Monday @ Em’s Scrapbag
- Main Crush Monday @ Cooking up Quilts
Happy Quilting!
Gail
Quilting Gail 