Sunday Synopsis

/ quiltinggail / 8 Comments

This weekend is Thanksgiving weekend in Canada! Happy Thanksgiving!

Mystery Quilt has begun!

WIP-B-Gone

Leanne, of Devoted Quilter is hosting a WIPS-B-Gone ’23 challenge. This fun challenge started October 1, 2023! It’s not too late if you want to join! It’s totally up to YOU as to how you want to use the challenge.

My sewing room is a total disaster. In spite of me cleaning for 30 minutes each week. I decided that the challenge will include DAILY cleaning/tidying and Sewing … The blue portion of the sewing machine is Tidy/Clean and the Orange is Sewing. I’m aiming for at least 15 minutes of cleaning each day and my usual 30 minutes (or more) of quilting each day. I’d rather quilt than clean … that’s why the picture on October 3rd doesn’t have half a sewing machine coloured for cleaning!

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 –September:  256 / 273
  • October:  8 / 8
  • Total: 264 / 281
  • 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!

I have 1 finish to show you this week. This was my Island Batik “Falling for Accuquilt” challenge. It used the North Carolina Star die. There are 53 pieces in each block and 4 blocks in this quilt. That’s a lot of pieces for a 27″ square table topper! You can read more about this HERE.

Yearly Tally:

  • Fabric Used since the last report: 2.5 yards
  • Fabric Used in 2023:    159 yards  from non-IB: 69
  • Fabric Bought this week:  0 yards
  • Fabric Added this year:    17.5 yards 
  • Net Fabric used:             148.5 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.

The To Do list from last week: 

  1. Make backing for “Splendor” and sandwich √   DONE
  2. Finish quilting Pin Dot Floral Quilt #3 and bind progress, but not finished
  3. Work on “Monster Mash” project Not done
  4. Cut out Malted Mystery Fabrics Not done
  5. Work on November IB challenge progress, but not finished
  6. Get “Dashing Through the Snow” sandwiched. √   DONE
  7. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! √   DONE
  8. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes. √   DONE

This week’s list: (purple highlight is priority #1 , 2 & 3)

  1. Quilt and bind “Splendor”
  2. Make flange binding and Bind “Pin Dot Floral” Quilt #3
  3. MAKE “Monster Mash” project
  4. Cut out Malted Mystery Fabrics
  5. Work on November IB challenge
  6. Quilt and bind “Dashing Through the Snow”
  7. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! 
  8. 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.

Piecing projects:

  1. Make flange binding for “Pin Dot Floral” Quilt #3
  2. Make “Monster Mash” project
  3. Work on “IB November” project

Quilting:

  • “Splendor”
  • “Dashing Through the Snow”

Upcoming Blog Hops

Moose Stash Quilting: Sew It – Show It: Monster Mash (My day is Oct 26)

Island Batik November Blog Hop: (November 1 is my day)

Moose Stash Quilting: Sew It – Show It: Turkey Trot (November 13 is my day)

Just Let Me Quilt: Virtual Christmas Cookie Exchange and Christmas Blog Hop (December 4)

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting! 
Gail 

Linking to:

Falling for Accuquilt

/ quiltinggail / 24 Comments

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 

Linking to:

Monday Moments Oct 2

/ quiltinggail / 14 Comments

A Winner!

When I posted about my “Pieced to Perfection” blog hop, I said that there would. be a give-away for those that left comments on the post. I put the 22 names in an excel sheet and used a random number generator and #8, Eva, is the winner. The fabric will be on it’s way to her later this week.

Mystery Quilt has begun!

Clue #1 is on THIS POST.

WIP-B-Gone

Leanne, of Devoted Quilter is hosting a WIPS-B-Gone ’23 challenge. This fun challenge started yesterday! It’s not too late if you want to join! It’s totally up to YOU as to how you want to use the challenge.

My sewing room is a total disaster. In spite of me cleaning for 30 minutes each week. I decided that the challenge will include DAILY cleaning/tidying and Sewing … The blue portion of the sewing machine is Tidy/Clean and the Orange is Sewing.

Yesterday, during family zoom quilting, my shoulders were getting sore from quilting and I tidied and cleaned up A LOT! Hopefully, I can keep doing the tidying … until there is nothing left to tidy 🤪!

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 – August:  255 / 272
  • October:  1 / 1
  • Total: 256 / 273
  • 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!

No finishes to report: no shopping …

Yearly Tally:

  • Fabric Used since the last report: 0 yards
  • Fabric Used in 2023:    157.5 yards  from non-IB: 68
  • Fabric Bought this week:  0 yards
  • Fabric Added this year:    17.5 yards 
  • Net Fabric used:             146 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.

The To Do list from last week: 

  1. Get “Splendor” Quilt to flimsy stage √   DONE
  2. Finish quilting Pin Dot Floral Quilt #3. progress, but not finished
  3. Work on “Monster Mash” project. progress, but not finished
  4. Cut out Malted Mystery Fabrics. Not done
  5. Get “Dashing Through the Snow” to flimsy stage. √   DONE
  6. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! √   DONE
  7. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes. √   DONE

This week’s list:

  1. Make backing for “Splendor” and sandwich
  2. Finish quilting Pin Dot Floral Quilt #3 and bind
  3. Work on “Monster Mash” project
  4. Cut out Malted Mystery Fabrics
  5. Work on November IB challenge
  6. Get “Dashing Through the Snow” sandwiched
  7. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! 
  8. 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.

Piecing projects:

  1. “Splendor” Quilt: Make backing
  2. Work on “Monster Mash” project
  3. Work on “IB November” project

Quilting:

  • Pin Dot floral #3

Upcoming Blog Hops

Moose Stash Quilting: Sew It – Show It: Monster Mash (My day is Oct 26)

Island Batik November Blog Hop: (November 1 is my day)

Moose Stash Quilting: Sew It – Show It: Turkey Trot (November 13 is my day)

Just Let Me Quilt: Virtual Christmas Cookie Exchange and Christmas Blog Hop (December 4)

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting! 
Gail 

Linking to:

PHD in 2023: September Report

/ quiltinggail / 5 Comments

Did you decide to join us with PHD in 2023???

Are you determined to finish a bunch of UFOs and to NOT increase the number of quilts or projects on your UFO list???

Congratulations on making that choice!!!

Something New to Try

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. Do you?

I thought I’d give this a try … Leanne has several different trackers to choose from and they each have 61 icons for you to colour for each day that you work on a Work in Progress. It’s free!! It sounds like fun and if it motivates me further to get projects done, done, done – I’m IN!!! We’ll see how it goes! And, I have already downloaded the sewing machine tracker. But there are other trackers for you to choose from … the choice is yours! Are you going to try it as well?

My Tally Sheets

This month, I finished the “Pieced to Perfection” quilts (see HERE), the Dog pouches (see HERE) and the Shweshwe pouch (see HERE).

And again, no UFOs finished this month! Maybe next month!

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! Or show us what YOU are celebrating in the quilting realm!

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.

These quilts were my favourite this month!

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting! 
Gail 

Monday Moments: Sept 25 ’23

/ quiltinggail / 16 Comments

Classic Cars: Monthly Colour Challenge

September”s Classic Car colour is Mustard. Visit Patterns by Jen HERE for your free download of this month’s block …

Here’s my September block, followed by the rest of the monthly blocks. I’ve used scraps of Island Batik for all of my blocks.

September: Mustard

Are you ready for a Mystery Quilt?

I will be hosting a Mystery Quilt here on my blog starting Wednesday, September 27. The clues will be posted every Wednesday for 8 or 9 weeks.

When I originally made this quilt, I used a Kansas Troubles layer cake. I will be making this quilt along with you using a 10″ stack of Island Batik fabric: “Cheers” and Dandelion – plum.

The quilt will finish at 59″ x 59″

Fabric Requirements:

  • A 10″ stack (or layer cake) that has at least 39 squares. (Yes, you can use fabric from your stash if you wish) The pattern tester used 20 squares from a layer cake and 20 squares from a coordinating fabric that she cut herself. Both quilts look great!
  • Background: Fabric 1 ¼  yard   or 1.1 m
  • Binding: ¾ yard or 0.8 m

I might have caught a bug!

A knitting bug! When I was in Newfoundland, my sister-in-law was knitting socks. It’s been a long time since I knit, but I knew it would occupy my hands during the airport waits and the flight home. So I went and bought the necessary supplies.

Now, I know that I struggle with hand sewing hurting my hands, but knitting doesn’t seem to be as bad! And it’s great to do while watching tv at night.

Yesterday, I went to Knit City in Vancouver. My friend, Carmen, that runs owns and runs Prairie Spirit Alpacas was there … A few items popped into my bag … including another alpaca/wool pressing mat! I LOVE my mat and figured that 2 on my ironing board would be just fine!

The variegated blue/teal will be a toque and a scarf and the green/beige/grey will be a Beanie with a polar bear on it.

Pieced to Perfection

Did you see all of the fantastic Island Batik quilts in the Pieced to Perfection Blog Hop? Visit Island Batik’s blog for a recap. Click HERE. Or … see them all on my Instagram: HERE.

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 – August:  249 / 266
  • September:  24 / 24
  • Total: 263 / 276
  • Percentage: 95%

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!

These zipper pouches used about 1.5 yards of fabric … You can read about them Here and Here.

Yearly Tally:

  • Fabric Used since the last report: 1.5 yards
  • Fabric Used in 2023:    157.5 yards  from non-IB: 68
  • Fabric Bought this week:  0 yards
  • Fabric Added this year:    17.5 yards 
  • Net Fabric used:             146 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.

The To Do list from a few weeks ago: 

  1. Get “Splendor” Quilt to flimsy stage: FIX those mistakes !!!!! Mistakes fixed … progress, but not finished
  2. Work on Pin Dot Floral Quilt. It is being quilted progress, but not finished
  3. Cut out Malted Mystery Fabrics. Not done
  4. Finish “It’s a Dog’s Life” project – completed and posted … √   DONE
  5. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! √   DONE
  6. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes. √   DONE

This week’s list:

  1. Get “Splendor” Quilt to flimsy stage
  2. Finish quilting Pin Dot Floral Quilt #3
  3. Work on “Monster Mash” project
  4. Cut out Malted Mystery Fabrics
  5. Get “Dashing Through the Snow” to flimsy stage
  6. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! 
  7. 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.

Piecing projects:

  1. Test quilt “Dashing through the Snow.” I’m using blues from my stash and it definitely is NOT Christmas or wintery.
  2. “Splendor” Quilt: Mistakes fixed now to add borders (Can you see the difference?)
  3. Work on “Monster Mash” project

This picture shows “Splendor” blocks unfixed and fixed!

Quilting:

  • Pin Dot floral #3

Upcoming Blog Hops

Moose Stash Quilting: Sew It – Show It: Monster Mash (My day is Oct 26)

Island Batik November Blog Hop: (November 1 is my day)

Moose Stash Quilting: Sew It – Show It: Turkey Trot (November 13 is my day)

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting! 
Gail 

Linking to:

Shweshwe Fabric and TGIFF

/ quiltinggail / 20 Comments

I’m hosting TGIFF this week … scroll down to see the link up.

But first, I’ll show you my finish for the week:

When I was in South Africa in 2019, I went to a fabric store in Cape Town, “Lowry’s Fabrics.”

In the picture below, the red, blue and green fabrics are Shweshwe fabrics with the 3 Cat label on the back. You can buy Shweshwe fabrics from a Canadian store: Meerkat Shweshwe and they ship worldwide.

Shweshwe fabric is a heavier fabric, not as heavy as canvas, but much heavier than quilting cotton. When I first bought it, it felt like a board! But after washing, it softened considerably!

I had made my daughter a small zipper pouch a few years ago. She recently asked if I could make one a little bigger, with possibly a pocket inside?

Of course, I said, “yes!” It’s not like I have no deadlines or other sewing to do!!! LOL!!! 😄

Once it was cut out, it didn’t take long to make. And yes, the inside pocket is also Shweshwe fabric. The lining is from fabric that was hanging around, waiting to be used!

Shweshwe fabric is perfect for bags!

TGIFF

TGIFF (Thank Goodness it’s Finished Friday) is a weekly link party for participants to show their finishes for the week!).

As well as the Shweshwe pouch above, I also finished a group of zipper pouches for the blog hop: It’s a Dog’s Life … you can read about them HERE.

Here is the Link for you to link up your FINISHED project:

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

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

Coming Soon!

I will be hosting a Mystery Quilt here on my blog starting Wednesday, September 27. The clues will be posted every Wednesday for 8 or 9 weeks.

When I originally made this quilt, I used a Kansas Troubles layer cake. I will be making this quilt along with you using a 10″ stack of Island Batik fabric.

The quilt will finish at 59″ x 59″

Fabric Requirements:

  • A 10″ stack (or layer cake) that has at least 39 squares. (Yes, you can use fabric from your stash if you wish) The pattern tester used 20 squares from a layer cake and 20 squares from a coordinating fabric that she cut herself. Both quilts look great!
  • Background: Fabric 1 ¼  yard   or 1.1 m
  • Binding: ¾ yard or 0.8 m

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting! 
Gail 

Linking to:

Sew It – Show it: It’s a Dog’s Life

/ quiltinggail / 33 Comments

Carol, from Just Let Me Quilt, is the organizer and host of this fun blog hop!

Here’s what she had to say:

Sew your project with dog themed fabric or applique/embroidery of dogs

She also gave an option of doing something vintage … but not for me … I’m going with the dogs! 🐶

I have made a few dog quilts over the years … and the 2 doxie pillows were made by my friend, Linda! So I just had to include them – they are so darn cute!

I had a LOT of scraps left from the last 2 quilts. They were all in one container! BONUS!!! and I’ve mixed them up and paired them up and cut them up … and made a bunch of “doggie bags!” Using some of my 7″ stash of zippers.

Here they are, 8 little zipper pouches:

Blog Hoppers

SEPTEMBER 18

SEPTEMBER 19

SEPTEMBER 20

SEPTEMBER 21

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

A Couple of Finishes to show you

/ quiltinggail / 11 Comments

Did you see my post earlier this week? The one with the Island Batik “Pieced to Perfection” quilts?

These were made with the fabric collection “Copper Patina.” These collections should be shipping to your local stores in October. To read more about these quilts and If you want an opportunity to win fabric from this collection make sure you comment on the original POST, HERE.

Coming Soon!

I will be hosting a Mystery Quilt here on my blog starting Wednesday, September 27. The clues will be posted every Wednesday for 8 or 9 weeks.

When I originally made this quilt, I used a Kansas Troubles layer cake. I will be making this quilt along with you using a 10″ stack of Island Batik fabric.

The quilt will finish at 59″ x 59″

Fabric Requirements:

  • A 10″ stack (or layer cake) that has at least 39 squares. (Yes, you can use fabric from your stash if you wish) The pattern tester used 20 squares from a layer cake and 20 squares from a coordinating fabric that she cut herself. Both quilts look great!
  • Background: Fabric 1 ¼  yard   or 1.1 m
  • Binding: ¾ yard or 0.8 m

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting! 
Gail 

Linking to:

Tuesday’s Talkin’

/ quiltinggail / 10 Comments

Week 2 Blog Hop

This is Week 2 of Island Batik’s “Pieced to Perfection” Blog Hop.

Lots and lots of beautiful quilts are being shown!

September 11 was my day to show my quilt using the “Copper Patina” fabric collection. I absolutely LOVED the teals in this grouping! Hobbs Batting, Aurifil thread and Silly Moon Rulers were used to create these quilts!

Here are pictures of my quilts and you can read more about them HERE.

If you want an opportunity to win fabric from this collection make sure you comment on the original POST, HERE.

Are you ready for a Mystery Quilt?

I will be hosting a Mystery Quilt here on my blog starting Wednesday, September 27. The clues will be posted every Wednesday for 8 or 9 weeks.

When I originally made this quilt, I used a Kansas Troubles layer cake. I will be making this quilt along with you using a 10″ stack of Island Batik fabric.

The quilt will finish at 59″ x 59″

Fabric Requirements:

  • A 10″ stack (or layer cake) that has at least 39 squares. (Yes, you can use fabric from your stash if you wish) The pattern tester used 20 squares from a layer cake and 20 squares from a coordinating fabric that she cut herself. Both quilts look great!
  • Background: Fabric 1 ¼  yard   or 1.1 m
  • Binding: ¾ yard or 0.8 m

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 – August:  225 / 242
  • September:  10 / 10
  • Total: 235 / 252
  • 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! But not when I’m on holidays!

The 2 quilts for the Island Batik challenge used a total of 16 yards of fabric.

Yearly Tally:

  • Fabric Used the last week: 16 yards
  • Fabric Used in 2023:    156 yards  from non-IB: 66.5
  • Fabric Bought this week:  0 yards
  • Fabric Added this year:    17.5 yards 
  • Net Fabric used:             144.5 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.

The To Do list from last week: 

  1. Get “Splendor” Quilt to flimsy stage: FIX those mistakes !!!!! Not done
  2. Work on September’s IB challenge. √   DONE , blog post written and posted
  3. Work on Pin Dot Floral Quilt. progress, but not finished
  4. Cut out Malted Mystery Fabrics. Not done
  5. Work on “It’s a Dog’s Life” project progress, but not finished
  6. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! √   DONE
  7. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes. √   DONE

This week’s list:

  1. Get “Splendor” Quilt to flimsy stage: FIX those mistakes !!!!!
  2. Work on Pin Dot Floral Quilt
  3. Cut out Malted Mystery Fabrics
  4. Finish “It’s a Dog’s Life” project
  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.

Piecing projects:

  1. “Splendor” Quilt: Fix mistakes and adding borders
  2. Work on Pin-Dot Floral #3 quilt
  3. Finish “It’s a Dog’s Life” project

This picture shows “Splendor” blocks and a part of the Pin Dot Floral quilt.

Quilting:

  • Nothing at the moment

Upcoming Blog Hops

Just Let Me Quilt: Sew It – Show It: It’s a Dog’s Life (September 18 is my day)

Moose Stash Quilting: Sew It – Show It: Monster Mash (My day is Oct 26)

Moose Stash Quilting: Sew It – Show It: Turkey Trot (November 13 is my day)

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting! 
Gail 

Linking to:

Pieced to Perfection

/ quiltinggail / 47 Comments

Here was our instructions:

Paper piecing, also known as foundation piecing, is a quilting technique that involves sewing fabric pieces to a paper foundation. Precision, relative ease of use and design flexibility of paper pieced patterns make them a very popular choice among quilters. Show off the fabric from your assigned Spring’ 23 0.5 yard bundle and make an eye-catching paper pieced showstopper!

My assigned bundle is Coper Patina shown here:

Years and years ago, Carol Doak had a yahoo group with lots of paper piecing blocks. She recently started a Facebook group with lots of new patterns. This inspired me to make a Block of the Month pattern from years ago for this month’s paper piecing challenge.

I printed out the patterns and started making the blocks.

Chain piecing and paper piecing without sewing on the paper! I’ve never tried the freezer paper technique, but using paper straight from the printer works for me.

I paired a lot of the fabrics together and made the blocks on the left, with the centre star. The centre star used “Egg White” (a basic that is always available) and “Swirl Teal Jade” from the collection.

But I wasn’t happy (picture on the left). It seemed like a mish-mash of the fabrics and did nothing for the centre star.

So I started making more blocks using one fabric from the collection and Egg White. The picture on the right shows these blocks in progress. Yes, I’m much happier.

Here is the finished quilt with lots of custom ruler quilting.

Quilt Stats:

  • Fabric: 9 select fabrics from Copper Patina, paired with Egg White
  • Size: 60″ x 60″
  • Pattern: BOM by Carol Doak
  • Batting: Heirloom Hobbs Batting 80/20
  • Thread: Pieced with Aurifil Thread 2600 (Dove Grey), Quilted with Aurifil 5007 (Light Blue Grey)
  • Quilting: Rulers and Free Motion
  • Rulers used for quilting: Silly Moon Rocket, Drop 1, 2 & 3, and Charming
  • Needles: Schmetz Needles Microtex
  • Binding: Scrappy with select fabrics from Copper Patina

And there is More!

There was the ‘left-over’ blocks from my first attempt. I added the solid Black sashing and border, with Swirl Teal Jade for the cornerstones. I must admit, I like this way better than my first attempt with the Swirl Teal Jade star. Perhaps if I had used solid black for the star, I might have been happier. However, it’s too late now and I’m not going to do it over again! I’m happy with this one!

However, before I went with the black, I attempted to use some of the gold fabric in the collection for the sashing:

No! No! No!

Sew, out came my trusty seam ripper, I auditioned other fabrics and settled on the black.

Much better!

Quilt Stats:

  • Fabric: 17 select fabrics from Copper Patina, with solid Black
  • Size: 46″ x 46″
  • Pattern: BOM by Carol Doak plus “Tennessee” from 50 Fabulous Paper Pieced Stars (it’s the middle star on the left)
  • Batting: Heirloom Hobbs Batting 80/20
  • Thread: Pieced with Aurifil Thread 2600 (Dove Grey), Quilted with Aurifil 5007 (Light Blue Grey)
  • Quilting: Rulers and Free Motion
  • Rulers used for quilting: Silly Moon Rocket, Drop 3, and Kite
  • Needles: Schmetz Needles Microtex
  • Binding: Scrappy with select fabrics from Copper Patina

I had wanted to take a picture of the 2 quilts together on the lawn, but with our drought conditions and brown scrubby grass, I went across to the neighbours rock garden and took the picture there.

*** Be sure to visit Britany at Bobbin with Brittany to see what she made with Copper Patina! ***

Thank You!

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

Week 2 Blog Hop

September 11

Brittany Fisher, Bobbin with Brittany

Gail Sheppard, Quilting Gail

September 12

Susan Deshensky, Lady Blue Quilts

Maryellen McAuliffe, Mary Mack Made Mine

September 13

Emily Leachman, The Darling Dogwood

Anorina Morris, Samelia’s Mum

Jennifer Thomas, Curlicue Creations

September 14

Claudia Porter, Create with Claudia

Victoria Johnson, Forever Quilting for You

2 Opportunities to Win Fabric!

#1

Visit Island Batik’s blog to win one of 2 Fat Quarter Bundles from Week 2. HERE Follow the Rafflecopter directions.

#2

Leave a comment at the end of this post and I will send you some pieces of Copper Patina! (You must be in Canada or the USA).

Island Batik Ambassadors

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

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

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

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting! 
Gail 

The last pictures of my trip

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Nova Scotia: We stopped at a museum,  Age of Sail Heritage Centre at Port Greville, and spent some time being awed by the plethora of things collected. Of course, my interest was mainly the fabrics / quilts and the old sewing machine! This is one place you could literally spend weeks at and still not see everything!

The majority of items were donated or on loan from locals in the area.

The first quilt was made around 1880 … almost 140 years ago! There is a picture of the whole quilt. I didn’t touch the quilt, but if you look closely, you can see some big stitch quilting.

I must admit, this lady in the rocking chair was a favourite of mine! She invited me to sit down and listen to her story … such fun! (Picture from Age of Sale Museum)

Although I don’t have any finishes to show you, I have finished a few projects. You will see them in future blog posts …

Sneak Peek

Here’s a peak into what I might be showing you on Monday for the Island Batik paper piecing challenge and blog hop!

  • Copper Patina is the collection
  • Paper piecing without sewing on the paper
  • A block and partial blocks …

I was Featured!

Both Jennifer (Wednesday Wait Loss) and Andree (Free Motion Mavericks) featured my covered composition book. You can read about it HERE.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting! 
Gail 


Linking to:

Monday Moments: September 4

/ quiltinggail / 16 Comments

More from my trip

We went to Fogo Island for a day. While touring around the scenic villages, we stopped in 2 different quilt shops.

Mona’s Quilt and Jam Shop and yes, I bought jam.

The Lookout: And look at that door! I bought a rug hook kit and thought I’d give it a try. I tried and gave up. I didn’t help that I’m allergic to burlap! My husband tried and gave up … but never fear, the kit will be passed on to my nephew’s partner’s niece.

Once back on the ‘mainland’ of NF, in Bay Roberts, we visited “Sew it Seams.” Literally, the smallest quilt shop I’ve been in, but one of the friendliest! And she sells lots of gifts and souvenirs as well!

A Special Stop

We stopped in Nova Scotia for a brief, but fantastic visit. We ended up going to a cottage on the beach at Two Islands. I was COLD on our trip, but I warmed up by the wood stove, with great company and a fantastic view. When we entered the cottage, I spied, with my little eye, a QUILT!!

The blue quilt was fun to see and I even recognized a fabric that I had, back in the day … Then Erin brought out a quilt that her grandfather (97 or 98 years old) had received as a Quilt of Valour! This was super special to me as I have donated a few quilts to QoV and it was great to see someone across the country in NS had received one as well!

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 – August:  225 / 242
  • September:  3 / 3
  • Total: 228 / 245
  • Percentage: 92%

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!

Nothing purchased, nothing finished …

Yearly Tally:

  • Fabric Used the last week: 0 yards
  • Fabric Used in 2023:    146 yards  from non-IB: 59.5
  • Fabric Bought this week:  0 yards
  • Fabric Added this year:    17.5 yards 
  • Net Fabric used:             128.5 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.

The To Do list from last week: 

  1. Get “Splendor” Quilt to flimsy stage: FIX those mistakes !!!!! Not done
  2. Work on September’s IB challenge. progress, but not finished
  3. Work on Pin Dot Floral Quilt. progress, but not finished
  4. Cut out Malted Mystery Fabrics. Not done
  5. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! √   DONE
  6. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes. Not done

This week’s list:

  1. Get “Splendor” Quilt to flimsy stage: FIX those mistakes !!!!!
  2. Finish September’s IB challenge
  3. Work on Pin Dot Floral Quilt
  4. Cut out Malted Mystery Fabrics
  5. Work on “It’s a Dog’s Life” project
  6. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! 
  7. 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. This hasn’t changed since the last report.

Piecing projects:

  1. “Splendor” Quilt: Fix mistakes and adding borders
  2. Work on another Pin-Dot Floral quilt
  3. Work on “It’s a Dog’s Life” project

This picture shows “Splendor” with it’s mistakes still glaring at me!

Quilting:

  • September’s IB challenge

Upcoming Blog Hops

Island Batik: Pieced to Perfection (My day is September 11)

Just Let Me Quilt: Sew It – Show It: It’s a Dog’s Life (September 18 is my day)

Moose Stash Quilting: Sew It – Show It: Monster Mash (My day is Oct 26)

Moose Stash Quilting: Sew It – Show It: Turkey Trot (November 13 is my day)

This blog hop starts tomorrow. I’m SEW excited to see everyone’s quilts!

But, first, you have an opportunity to win a Fat Quarter bundle of the complete Island Batik collections – Chromatic by Deb Tucker’s Studio 180 Design or Blushing Garden by Kathy Engle!

Visit Island Batik’s blog for an opportunity to win!

WEEK 1

September 5

Elita Sharpe, Busy Needle Quilting

Denise Looney, For the Love of Geese

September 6

Sandra Starley, Textile Time Travels

Sarah Pitcher, Pitcher’s Boutique

September 7

Connie Kauffman, Kauffman Designs

Brenda Alburl, Songbird Designs

Preeti Harris, Sew Preeti Quilts

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting! 
Gail 

Linking to:

Announcing: Pieced to Perfection Blog Hop

/ quiltinggail

First, you have an opportunity to win a Fat Quarter bundle of the complete Island Batik collections – Chromatic by Deb Tucker’s Studio 180 Design or Blushing Garden by Kathy Engle!

Visit Island Batik’s blog for an opportunity to win!

This Blog Hop starts on Tuesday. Have a look at the beautiful fabric collections that ambassadors will be using!

WEEK 1

September 5

Elita Sharpe, Busy Needle Quilting

Denise Looney, For the Love of Geese

September 6

Sandra Starley, Textile Time Travels

Sarah Pitcher, Pitcher’s Boutique

September 7

Connie Kauffman, Kauffman Designs

Brenda Alburl, Songbird Designs

Preeti Harris, Sew Preeti Quilts

September 8

To enter for your chance to win one of the two prizes above, follow the simple Rafflecopter prompts below:

WEEK 2

September 11

Brittany Fisher, Bobbin with Brittany

Gail Sheppard, Quilting Gail

September 12

Susan Deshensky, Lady Blue Quilts

Maryellen McAuliffe, Mary Mack Made Mine

September 13

Emily Leachman, The Darling Dogwood

Anorina Morris, Samelia’s Mum

Jennifer Thomas, Curlicue Creations

September 14

Claudia Porter, Create with Claudia

Victoria Johnson, Forever Quilting for You

September 15

Blog Hop Round-Up Week 2 and Giveaway

WEEK 3

September 18

Lana Russel, Lana Quilts

Lisa Pickering, Lisa’s Quilting Passion

September 19

Randi Jones, Randi’s Roost

Suzy Webster, Websterquilt

September 20

Mania Hatziioannidi, Mania for Quilts

Pamela Boatright, Pamela Quilts

Leah Malasky, Quilted Delights

September 21

Renee Atkinson, Pink Tulip Quilting

Reed Johnson, Blue Bear Quilts

September 22

End of Blog Hop + Final Round Up

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting! 
Gail 

PHD in 2023: August Report

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Did you decide to join us with PHD in 2023???

Are you determined to finish a bunch of UFOs and to NOT increase the number of quilts or projects on your UFO list???

Congratulations on making that choice!!!

Slow Progress

Last month I talked about Celebrating the little things … When we celebrate the little things, the bigger goal becomes a closer goal. It is progress … and progress is good!

I must admit, when I look back at the sewing I’ve done in August, I’m feeling a bit discouraged. I had hopes to finish at least one UFO … but alas, with all that was happening around here and going on holidays, that didn’t happen. However, I need to take my own advice and celebrate the little things: the small amount of progress that I did make.

  • My Island Batik September project is moving along
  • I did a small amount of work on my Upholstery wallet (UFO #11).
  • Part of the Colour Challenge (UFO #10) is being done as a leader and ender

SEW, I’m going to celebrate this little bit of progress! These projects will be finished eventually!

Keep on Celebrating and progressing!

My Tally Sheets

This month, I finished the “Call Me” pouch, my housecoat/robe for August’s Island Batik project and the Composition Cover. You can read more about them Call Me HERE, Housecoat/robe HERE and the Composition Cover HERE.

I didn’t finish any UFOs this month.

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 and what I need to do. This hasn’t changed since last month.

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

Linky Party

Show us your progress with your PHD in 2023! Or show us what YOU are celebrating in the quilting realm!

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 my housecoat / robe. It’ll be so nice and cozy in the cooler weather!

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting! 
Gail 

Linking to:

Monday Moments

/ quiltinggail / 20 Comments

Holidays!

We were in Newfoundland and Nova Scotia for the last while. We were tourists for parts of it and had family and friend visits as well. We travelled with carry-on luggage, so that certainly limited what I could buy! But I did find a few special treats for me!

My first “quilty” stop was the East Coast Quilt Co on Water Street in St. Johns. My intention was to buy a fabulous book, “Quilted Stash” by Ralph Jarvis and Corey Follett. I ended up buying some “Jelly Bean Row” fabric and the third picture is of my niece and her fiancé sitting on a fabulous couch in the store.

Jelly Bean Row is famous in St. Johns! The colourful row houses are definitely a must see! And of course, I couldn’t resist buying the fabric. Below is a sample of some Jelly Bean Row houses.

Another stop near St. John’s was Fibre Lily! Here’s a glance at some of the displays:

This store has some fabulous row-by-row kits. The last time I was there, I bought “The Narrows.” And finished it last summer. You can see some of the colourful houses (they’re buttons) perched on the sides of the hills.

This time, I bought the 2023 kit, “Caplan Row.” The kits are available on-line HERE.

I’ll share more about my quilty fun in Newfoundland in a later post.

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!

I was going to say that I didn’t sew a stitch while I was away. But, that would be a lie. I borrowed my sister-in-law’s machine to make a minor repair. It only took a few minutes, so I can’t even count it as sewing for 15 minutes! 😅

  • January – July:  209 / 212
  • August:  13 / 27
  • Total: 222 / 239
  • Percentage: 92%

Stash Report

Donna at Quilt Paint Create hosts a weekly linky party where you can display your stash numbers. This has really kept my stash from growing (somewhat!) Before I buy anything, I am always mindful of the fact that I need to report it on my blog … That sometimes stops me in my tracks! But not when I’m on holidays!

When we were in St. John’s, Newfoundland, I bought 2 pieces of “Jelly Bean Row House” fabric. And, since we were away, I didn’t get a thing finished!

Yearly Tally:

  • Fabric Used the last week: 0 yards
  • Fabric Used in 2023:    146 yards  from non-IB: 59.5
  • Fabric Bought this week:  2 yards
  • Fabric Added this year:    17.5 yards 
  • Net Fabric used:             128.5 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.

The To Do list from a few weeks ago: 

  1. Get “Splendor” Quilt to flimsy stage: FIX those mistakes !!!!! Not done
  2. Work on September’s IB challenge. Not done
  3. Work on Pin Dot Floral Quilt. Not done
  4. Cut out Malted Mystery Fabrics. Not done
  5. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! √   DONE
  6. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes. Not done

This week’s list: is the same as before.

  1. Get “Splendor” Quilt to flimsy stage: FIX those mistakes !!!!!
  2. Work on September’s IB challenge
  3. Work on Pin Dot Floral Quilt
  4. Cut out Malted Mystery Fabrics
  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. This hasn’t changed since the last report.

Piecing projects:

  1. “Splendor” Quilt: Fix mistakes and adding borders
  2. Island Batik September challenge … lots of Paper Piecing blocks
  3. Work on another Pin-Dot Floral quilt

This picture shows “Splendor” blocks and part of the August Island Batik challenge and part of September’s Island Batik challenge.

Quilting:

  • Nothing at the moment

Upcoming Blog Hops

Island Batik: Pieced to Perfection (My day is September 11)

Just Let Me Quilt: Sew It – Show It: It’s a Dog’s Life (September 18 is my day)

Moose Stash Quilting: Sew It – Show It: Monster Mash

Moose Stash Quilting: Sew It – Show It: Turkey Trot

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting! 
Gail 

Linking to:

How to Care for your Alpaca / Wool Pressing Mat

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Do you have an Alpaca/Wool Pressing Mat? Mine came from Prairie Spirit Alpacas in Alberta, Canada. You can order one HERE. It is totally made in Canada.

You will find that many commercial mats will say they have wool from a specific country, but read the small print: “Made in China.” But the Prairie Spirit mats are totally Canadian! 🇨🇦 The alpacas live in Alberta, their fleece is sent to Ontario for processing and then the mats return to Alberta.

Why use an alpaca/wool pressing mat? 

The mat will enable you to ensure perfectly crisp pressed seams with little or no shifting.  The surface of the mat ‘grabs’ your fabric, so it doesn’t shift.  The alpaca/wool pressing mat has little, if any “wet wool” or “wet dog” odour compared to wool mats.

I use my mat EVERY time I press my seams … if I press them open or to one side, I’m using my mat. I also use it to press my fabric prior to cutting. It gets out the wrinkles which aids in having perfect cuts!

I am allergic to wool. My Alpaca/Wool pressing mat has very little wool in it … I’m not sneezing my nose off when I use it! Nor am I itchy after touching it! BONUS!!

Here’s a few pictures of where I’ve used my Alpaca/Wool pressing mat:

How to Care for your Pressing Mat

Do not place the mat directly on furniture.   Even though your Alpaca/Wool mat is ½” thick, the intense heat you use when pressing may penetrate the mat and ruin the surface below.  Place a protective underlay or use it on your ironing board.

BE AWARE: many pressing mat instructions will say that you can place mats directly on furniture … please do not risk ruining your furniture!

Do not spray Best Press or any starch directly on the mat.  If you are going to use spray, it is wise to make a cotton covering for the mat.  This covering can be taken off and washed to remove excess spray.

You can spray water directly on the mat.  Then use a dry iron to achieve perfectly pressed seams.  Or you can use a steam iron.

If you HAVE to wash your mat, do it by gently placing it in cool water and rubbing your hand over the surface. Lay it flat to dry. Do not place mat in a washing machine or dryer.  

You may find that occasionally threads will stick to your mat. The solution is simple: use a lint roller to collect all those loose threads.

When using a pressing mat, you will find that all of your seams are perfect! Well, as long as your stitching is straight! LOL!!

If you want a pressing mat, I highly recommend Prairie Spirit Alpacas. HERE.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting! 
Gail 

Sew It – Show It: Call Me Crazy

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August 21-24 –   Call Me Crazy  (Joan – calicojoan@aol.com)

Joan of Moose Stash Quilting is the organizer of this blog hop. Here’s what she had to say about this Blog Hop:

We all know that crazy and scary feeling of wondering what we were thinking, when we started or were in the middle of sewing something out of our comfort zone.
Now’s the time to share them with us all!
It always make me feel better, knowing I’m not truly the only crazy person out there!
The rules are simple, make your project, write a post and have it scheduled to publish by midnight EST, the day your scheduled.

Well, I OBVIOUSLY did not read the instructions. I took it to mean that we had to do some Crazy Quilting. Probably since I’ve made a few projects in recent months … You can read about these projects HERE and HERE.

I used a pattern by Karen Overton, The Quilt Rambler. You can access the pattern HERE and the Youtube video HERE.

I was inspired by a fellow Island Batik ambassador who made a crazy quilted book cover for the “Crazy Quilt” challenge. You can see Emily’s (Darling Dogwood) book cover HERE.

I used an Island Batik fabric collection called Wild Blooms. There is Hobbs 80/20 batting in the middle and Aurifil thread was used for the piecing and quilting. The button came from my button box and I think it might have been one of my mom’s buttons! That translates to “It’s likely OLD!”

I’m always asked about my quilting. I quilt on a domestic sewing machine, a Janome M7. I LOVE my M7!!!!

Here is mine:

The following pictures show the Back insert, the button applied, the zipper and vinyl pocket and the bookmark in the composition notebook!

Here are the rest of the Crazy Blog Hoppers

Be sure to visit each of them! I promise you’ll be inspired!

Monday August 21

Tuesday August 22

Wednesday August 23

Thursday August 24

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

My 3rd Island Batik box of the summer!

/ quiltinggail / 12 Comments

Yes, we all received a 3rd box. Full of Island Batik goodness!

Here’s a summary picture of what I received:

  • 10″ Stack of Limerick
  • 2 yards of Celery & 2 yards of Teal (to coordinate with Limerick!)
  • 4 yards of
    • black solid
    • white solid
    • dark grey solid
  • 3 packages of Stash-builder rolls. There are 5 rolls in each package and each roll contains four 5″ width of fabric strips.

It’ll be fun to see what I make with all these beautiful fabrics!

Thank you!

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting! 
Gail