Quilting

A “Not Finished” Friday

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55557-go-glorified-nine-patch-package-tallNothing finished

No finishes this week!  I’ve been working A LOT on my March Island Batik challenge and I can’t show you yet!  I can tell you that I’m using the “Glorified 9 patch” Accuquilt die that I was given.  All the pieces for the block are on the die.  I have them all cut and most of them are on the design wall. Some blocks are sewn.

When I need a break from the excusiating SLOW curved piecing, I am quilting the “52 blocks in 52 weeks” quilt.  If you look closely, you can see that I’m doing graffiti quilting.  A little bit of this and a little bit of that! A swirl, pebbles, a heart, a teardrop, a flower and whatever comes to mind.  It’s fun and makes it so that I’m not bored.  I’m hoping that it will be finished soon!IMG_6222.jpeg

Island Batik Blog Hop

IMG_6171Did you see all the fabulous quilts??????  I’m in total awe of all of the Log Cabin Quilts that my fellow ambassadors made!  There were 12 different fabric collections … and no 2 quilts are alike!

To see a re-cap of this week’s quilts, visit Island Batik’s blog HERE.

For previous weeks, click HERE and HERE.  If you don’t go and look, you’ll be missing out on some fabulous, wonderful eye candy!

AND … for an opportunity to win some AWESOME Island Batik fabric, visit the following link!!!  Last week, one of my fellow Boundary Bay Quilt Guild members won … so you have a good chance to win as well!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I was featured TWICE !!

Jennifer, at Inquiring Quilter featured the embroidery that I wrote about HERE.

Muv of Lizzie Lenard Vintage Sewing, who co-hosts “Free Motion Mavericks” featured this quilt.  The last post with this quilt talked about “How to Cut Perfect Borders Without using a Tape Measure.”  You can see that post HERE.

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One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting! 
Gail 

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Linking to:

Progress

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First:  Week 3 Island Batik Blog HOP!!!

If you want to see a recap of Week 1, click HERE.  Week 2, click HERE.  If you haven’t seen the fabulous Log Cabin quilts, it will be well worth your time to visit the 2 Island Batik blog posts … beautiful eye candy!!! Here’s who’s in line for this week!  I can’t wait to see what they create! Continue reading →

Embroidery Month

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February is International Embroidery Month

SEW, what does this mean for me?

Well, I am trying to use my embroidery machine more!

Kreative Kiwi Zip PouchI told you that I worked with a friend and she made a cute little pouch.  Well, I had to make one … actually 2.

This is a free pattern from Kreative Kiwi.  It is all done in the hoop … zipper and all.  I made the one on the right first … and I realized that the embroidery didn’t really show up on the print … I like the 2nd one better.  I did make them 10% bigger and the pattern turned out just fine!

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Log Cabin Blog Hop

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I fell in love with this fabric the minute I saw it in my Island Batik box.  “Faded Blue Jeans” by Kathy Engle.  Those that know me, know that I practicly live in blue jeans.  I LOVE blue jeans.   And to know that I HAD to make a log cabin, well, the love fest began!!!  This beautiful fabric collection should be in fabric stores by the end of the month.
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How to cut perfect borders without a tape measure!

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That’s right, you can cut your borders to the perfect lengths without using a tape measure: Watch the video to see how!

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https://youtu.be/Io65pwM3vJ8

Edit: I have linked this blog post to Kathleen McMusing’s blog where she is compiling quilting tips and tutorials.  Go HERE to check out last month and this months tips & tutorials.

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Island Batik “Log Cabin Blog Hop”

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Island Batik Blog HOP!!!

Island Batik “Log Cabin Blog Hop” Starts Today!   Be sure to visit Island Batik Blog each week to enter to win a pre-cut of one of the fabric collections highlighted that week.   These fabric collections are from the Fall 2019 line-up and should be available in quilt stores shortly.

I have seen a few of the quilts finished and a few in progress … oh my!!!  Fantastic eye candy for sure!!! Be sure to visit each of the blogs!

Here is the schedule for this week: Continue reading →

What do you do when … ?

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What do you do when …?

What do you do when you have a 23 year old young man visiting and his dad (my cousin) asks you to teach him to sew pants?

Well, he was only here for 3 days … SEW … teaching him how to sew pants wasn’t gonna happen!!! Besides, I don’t make pants … And we had to play tourist (in the WORST Vancouver weather) and he had an interview on another day …

But, knowing my cousin, I HAD to do something.

SEW, I set Kristopher up at my embroidery machine … and he did ALL the sewing!  Doesn’t he look like a pro????

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Yes, he sewed pants … grey pants … and said his dad often wears red shirts … we I chose to made his hair salt & pepper (LOL) … and this is the mug rug that Kristopher made:

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Keeping Records

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Every Sunday, or Monday, I post a bit about what I’m working on.  It’s my way of keeping records, keeping on track and getting a LOT of quilting done!

Here’s an explanation of all the blogs that I regularly link up to have a category for them every Sunday or Monday.

  • Judy’s “Design Wall Monday” to show you what I’m piecing and quilting.  I think it’s fun to show you progress …
  • Roseanne & Sue’s “To Do” Tuesday“, to publicly say what I hope to do in the coming week.  I find it’s OK to have a list and it’s perfectly OK to not get everything on the list done.  It’s all progress and that’s what counts!
  • Donna’s “Stash Report” has really helped me to cut down on my fabric buying binges.  Very seldom do I ever buy “just because,” or “it’s on sale,” or “it’s pretty”  or whatever reason I can dream up at the time!!!  I’m not saying that I never make these types of purchases, but knowing that I need to report what I buy, makes me think twice … and those that follow my blog, know very well that I make frivolous purchases sometimes.
  • Kate’s “Stitchin’ Time” helps pull me to the sewing machine on those days that I’ve been too busy to sew, or just don’t feel like it.  Sometimes, I even set an alarm for 15 minutes and actually get up to turn the alarm off and also turn off my machine.  Other times, I get up and turn off the alarm and sit back down to sew … I never know which will happen!

And of course, I alway have my own PHD in 2020 report!

Design Wall

Piecing:

Summer Solstice:    I’ve started piecing the lone star.  Row 1 – 4 are completed.  Now to sew each of the 8 star points.   I think it’s going to be a pretty quilt! Continue reading →

What do you do when you hate …??

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 I Hate sewing curves.

I Hate sewing circles.  

Last year, I got a Block on Board die from Accuquilt … Cleopatra’s Fan … it had curves.  I perservered, and made several blocks.  I was not happy.  I liked the block in the end, but I was not happy sewing it!

This year, I received another Block on Board die … it has CURVES.  (Can you hear the loud groan??? !!!)

The guild was offering a one day workshop on sewing circles.  SIGH!!!   I figured that I better take the workshop.  Here’s a sample of what happened at the workshop.  Lots of curved piecing.

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Another UFO??? Finished!

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Yup!  I finished another UFO … this one was not on my official list for PHD in 2020 (see HERE).  But, it was a UFO that I found last year as I went through ALL of my bins as I was moving into my studio.

These were left-overs from a Seminole quilt that I made eons ago.  The left-over strips were too nice to just discard, so I made them into pouches.  The photo above shows the 4 zipper pouches that were made.  Each side is different from the other.

I needed a gift for the “secret” gift exchange at the retreat last weekend … and I thought, “why not finish up a UFO?”  So, I did!  The one one the bottom right was the one that was gifted.

Island Batik Unboxing Videos

This month, all of the Island Batik Ambassadors are assigned a day to show their unboxing videos.  (My date is Jan. 29).  As this post goes live, the ambassadors that have already posted are above the arrows  ⇒⇒⇒ and I have provided direct links so that you don’t have to go searching their blogs.   Everyone gets different lines of fabrics … it’s worth going to see, so you can drool over the fabric!

I was Featured!!

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THIS quilt by Quilt Fabrication!

 

 

NEXT Friday,

I’ll be hosting TGIFF … so be sure to visit and link what YOU are working on!

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting! 
Gail 

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Linking to:

Monday, Monday …

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Yesterday, I showed what I got done at the retreat and I just knew you’d want to see more details!  

Ode to 30’s

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When I started this quilt … a long time ago … I wasn’t aware that there was a quilt genre called “30s.”  I just picked the pink fabric (1st border) and picked out complementary colours.

I did a diagonal backing on Ode to 30’s.  I love how some of the blocks really shine through with the sun shining!  When I made the back, I was tired of putting a stripe vertical or horizontal … I’d worry about it looking crooked.  SEW,  I made sure that the diagonal did not reach the corners … this way, if the diagonal was off a degree or 2 (or 10!), it wouldn’t matter.  I think it worked!

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Some custom quilting in Ode to 30’s … and some blocks just had an all-over motif in each block.

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My husband loved the birds in the tree!IMG_2219.jpg

Details:

  • 58″ x 66″
  • Hobbs 80/20 batting
  • Pieced with Aurifil thread
  • Quilted with Glide thread
  • Binding is 2 colour/flange binding (1¼” dark & 1½” light)

Design Wall

Piecing:

Summer Solstice:  I did not work on this at the retreat.  Pat, one of the other retreaters, helped me get my head around the lone star piecing, so I hope to make some progress on that this week!

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Frolic: Bonnie Hunter’s Mystery:   The reveal came out on Friday … I have some cutting to do before I can start putting the blocks together.  I think I will like it when it’s done!

52 Blocks in 52 weeks:  Need to make the last 4 blocks.

Quilting:

Hope to sandwich and start quilting Bento Box  “Rag Log Cabin.”

TO DO

I’m linking up to Roseanne & Sue’s “TO DO” Tuesday. Their blog is “Home Sewn by Us.”

A Gladys Taber quote  “Contentment is a list with half of it crossed off.”

This week my list is ALL crossed off!

Last week’s list:

  1. Finish Ode to 30’s    √  done  
  2. Work on Bento Box  Rag Log Cabin  UFO  √  done  
  3. Make Maple leaf block for Australia   √  done  

This week’s list:

  1. Sandwhich Rag Log Cabin
  2. Start Quilting Rag Log Cabin
  3. Make at least 2 “Frolic” blocks
  4. Make the last 4 “52 blocks in 52 weeks”
  5. Put “52 blocks in 52 weeks” on design wall and arrange
  6. Start the lone star portion of Summer Solstice.

Stash Report

The 2 finished quilts used 21 yards of fabric, plus ½ yard for the maple-leaf blocks for Australia.  I did go shopping at the retreat but only bought zippers and a thingy-ma-jig to hold stuff at my machine.  No fabric added.

  • Fabric Used this week        21.5 yards
  • Fabric Used this year:         21.5  yards
  • Fabric Bought this week:   0 yards
  • Fabric Added this year:      0
  • Net Fabric used                    21.5
  • –
  • Husband’s Purchases           0

Stitchin’ Time

  • January 1-19  : 12 out of 19   100% 

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

 

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I finished 2 UFOs.  And I’ve finished 2 of my 2020 starts.  There’s another 2020 start for Island Batik that I’ve put in the sheet, but I actually haven’t started it yet.

If you are working on your PHD in 2020, be sure to link up to the mid-January linky party and show us your progress! (HERE)

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One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting! 
Gail 

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Linking to:

The Retreat – January 2020

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The retreat I went to earlier this week was fantastic!  (I know, aren’t they always?)

It was a lot of fun!

Here is a slide show of the people and the projects … and I’m sure that I missed some of them!  You will see several “52 blocks in 52 weeks” quilts,  bags, games of Left-Right-Centre, Secret gift exchange, Maple leaf and tree blocks for Australia, and lots and lots of eye candy!

Here’s pictures of what I got done!

2 quilts quilted and bound:  The photo shoot happened at home during a break in the snow!

French General Layer Cake – a UFO from 2012

This was quilted with a large meander following the back fabric.  It was fun to do, but I doubt if I’ll do it again.  As I quilted, when I hit a seam, it would sort-of startle me.  I think when I quilt from the front, I know where the seams are and can prepare myself for the bumps that may be coming.

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Ode to 30’s – a UFO from 2009

IMG_2178.jpeg   58″ x 66″

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Maple Leaf Blocks

I made 3 maple-leaf blocks for the Australian wildfire relief.

Rag Log Cabin

Worked on what I was calling a rag bento box … but have since changed the name to a “Rag Log Cabin” quilt.  It’s definitely NOT a bento box!  Prior to the retreat, the centres were all fussy-cut at 6 ½” and the strips were cut at 3 ½”.  I had to cut more strips to finish the blocks.  Thankfully, I had taken the extra fabric with me.

It’s such a simple quilt design, but oh my … the ripping I had to do.  It was hard to wrap my head around “sew WRONG sides together.”  At least all the wrong sides together part is done!

Once I got home, I put the blocks up on the design wall and have webbed the top together.

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One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting! 
Gail 

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Linking to:

Lets Get Scrappy!

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I LOVE Scrappy Quilts!!!

It was fun to go through my box of Island Batik fabrics and make a scrappy quilt.  I wanted one that would cover my embroidery machine.  I ended up making 2.  The first one, I used my Accuquilt cutter and cut a zillion half-square triangles.  I love that the triangles were cut perfectly and were SEW easy to so and made for perfect HSTs.  However, I was not happy with the end result.  With the great variety of  scrappy pinwheels, it just ended up looking disjointed.  Not something to make me smile when I walk into my sewing room … so it became a bag to keep my Accuquilt Go cutter in.  You can read about it HERE.

The 2nd quilt is one that I’m VERY happy with and will enjoy seeing it covering my embroidery machine!  I used fall colours, many left-over from the “Soil and Seeds” collection that I used in a blog-hop quilt.  (See HERE)  And, I used other co-ordinating fabrics from Island Batik foundations, basics and stash buster bundles.  The background fabric is “Coconut,” an Island Batik foundations neutral.  I LOVE this neutral!

The 4 patch blocks are made with 2″ squares and end up being 3 ½” finished in the quilt. The batting is Hobbs 80/20.  The binding is 2″ scraps, left over from making the blocks.

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Jan. 15 PHD in 2020 Progress Report

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Hi Everyone,

Here is the link up for the mid January Progress on you PHD in 2020.   You don’t need to have a finished project, just show us progress.  Hopefully you have some!  If you don’t, show us what you plan to work on!

If you have a finished project, that’s fantastic!  Show us that!

Remember, it’s not only the UFOs you need to complete, but all of your NEW starts in 2020!

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1.  Analysisanalysis

On January 1, I discussed analysing your UFO to discover why it became a UFO in the first place.  Did that help?  You can see the post HERE.

2.  Track your Progress

Screen Shot 2020-01-11 at 11.20.40 AMTracking your progress is a great way to see encourage yourself and to know that you are getting a project done.  Which is our goal, right?  Enter the Link Party to help you track your progress!  Also, using the Excel sheet  PHD-Tally-with-formulas 2020  will also help.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

My progress?

UFO Status:

#1  Summer Solstice – one set of blocks are completed …

#2  Ode to 30s … quilting has begun …

2020 Starts:

I completed a small tote bag to hold my Accuquilt Go machine.   You can read about it HERE.

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One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting! 
Gail 

Monday … and I’m off to a retreat!

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YEAH, I LOVE retreats!!!  They are always lots of fun!  Lots of chatting and laughing and eating and sewing and laughing and eating and … oh ya, lots of fun!

I hope to work on a few UFOs … we’ll see how that goes!

Design Wall

Piecing:

Summer Solstice:  This section of 8 is done!  Spending 15 min / day worked!  Often it turned out to be closer to an hour … it takes a LOT of time when you need to take out the little tiny stitches that you can barely see!IMG_5960

Frolic: Bonnie Hunter’s Mystery:   All caught up .. and everything fits in this container. I suspect that the reveal may come soon … either this week or next … and I’ll be ready! Continue reading →