This is a surprise pack … sorry I can’t show it to you, yet!
A 2 1/2 ” strip pack Of Pin Dot Floral by Kathy Engle, a signature collection for Megan Best. It is paired with a 2 yard piece of Azure (from Brilliant Blues) and a 2 yard piece of Icicle (from Tantalizing Teals).
6 Yards of Fondant! Awesome! I have purchased several yards of this fabric from Castles and have LOVED it … and used it!
A 10″ stack of Precious Pinks … luscious! MMMM … what will I make with this?
Cool! A 2 1/2 ” strip pack of Glorious Greens!
1/2 cuts of
Blenders
GradationBasics
Solids
Round Petal Floral – Can …
Cactus (Glorious Green)
Red
Large Netting – Pineneedle (blender)
Bronze (Breathtaking Browns)
Pink
Cherio – Bermuda (blender)
Acorn (Opulent Oranges)
Lime Green
Bubbles – Raspberry (blender)
Lagoon (Tantalizing Teals)
Orange
This is a yard bundle of “Copper Patina,” designed by Kathy Engle. Paired with 2 yards of “Egg White” and 2 yards of “Swirl Teal Jade” from the collection.
12 wt: 8079: Lana Wool Blend: soft blend of 50% Acrylic and 50% Wool: Linen Heather
Cotton Floss: 6 strand: #2225: Salmon
Monofilament
80 wt: 2000: Light Sand
50 wt: 6723: Fairy Floss
Fantastic Hobbs batting:
Thermore: great for wall hangings, placemats, table runners etc.
Heirloom Premium Wool Batting: Queen Size: nice and cozy. Also shows the quilting beautifully!
Heirloom Natural Cotton Batting: Queen Size
Tuscany Cotton Wool Blend: Throw size (60″ x 60″)
Everything I need to make by Annie’s Take a Stand: both the Small and Large size. Fabric is from Island Batik and ALL the other supplies are from byAnnie’s!
My thanks go to Carol from “Just Let Me Quilt” for organizing thePicnic Party Blog Hop!
This is the instructions we were given :
Show us your favorite picnic projects!
Something to use for a picnic (example – basket, tote, etc.) and/ora square quilt (example – 50″ x 50″ or any square measurement)
I didn’t want to make a quilt … but a tote for our picnics! Perfect! Most of our lunch totes are not tall enough for a thermos when it’s cool out and you want to pack a warm beverage! I searched high and low for a pattern I wanted to make … but alas, I just made it up as I went along!
It’s big enough for a thermos, containers of sandwiches and snacks! Just perfect for our picnics when we travel in the fall or early spring!
It’s made with Island Batik scraps of “Wild Blooms” and Island Batik solid black.
As you can see from the picture on the right, the camper isn’t on the truck, so we won’t be heading out any time soon!
This weekend, I received an email from the local coordinator of Quilts of Valour. The quilt I made was given to the longest serving combat doctor in Canadian History! How cool is that? And now I wonder if he’s aware that the quilt was designed and made by a former nurse educator?
I’ve given a few Quilts of Valour over the years, but never knew what happened to them. It’s truly an honour to know where this quilt went! Dr. W, I’m glad you were the recipient!
The quilt was made with Accuquilt “Maple Leaf” die and dies from the 8 ” Qube. I used Island Batik fabrics, Hobbs batting and Aurifil thread. You can read more about it HERE.
One Gift a Month
July’s gift is a Trivet. You can go to Days Filled With Joyfor information and the link to her tutorial (when you go to Raewyn’s blog, click on the Patterns & Techniques tab.) Or, you can visit Kaye Wood’s youtube video HERE. (That’s where Raewyn originally got the instructions).
I found my Insul-Brite!!! (remember last week I asked if anyone knew where I had put it?) It was in the space under my ironing board, tucked behind my bolts of fabric. Not exactly where I would expect it to be! But I found it when I was searching for something else! Hopefully next week I can show you my finished trivet!
So far for the One Gift a Month, I have made gifts for January, February, April and May.
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 – June: 178 / 181
July: 16 / 16
Total: 194 / 197
Percentage: 98%
Stash Report
Donna at Quilt Paint Create hosts a weekly link 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 had to buy backing … 3 yards to be exact … I’ll be using it soon … well, maybe soon, I still need to make the top, but I knew the company had gone out of business, so I had to buy it soon! YUP, that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it!
Yearly Tally:
Fabric Used the last week: 0 yards
Fabric Used in 2023: 131.5 yards from non-IB: 52
Fabric Bought this week: 3 yards
Fabric Added this year: 15.5 yards
Net Fabric used: 116 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 Dolist from last week:
Finish Mystery Quilt (making and writing) In Progress I figured out what I need to do.
Start August IB challenge.√ DONE. it’s started!!!
Sandwich, Quilt and Bind “Pin Dot Blossoms” #1 In Progress it’s sandwiched
Sandwich, Quilt and Bind “Pin Dot Blossoms” #2 to flimsy stage In Progress it’s sandwiched
Sandwich, Quilt and Bind Island Batik October challenge In Progress it’s sandwiched
Finish binding “Test” quilt In Progress no change from last week
Continue piecing “Splendor” Quilt. √ DONE. still more to be done, but it’s being worked on
Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! √ DONE
Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes.√ DONE
This week’s list:
Finish Mystery Quilt (making and writing)
Continue working on August IB challenge
Quilt and Bind “Pin Dot Blossoms” #1
Quilt and Bind “Pin Dot Blossoms” #2 to flimsy stage
Quilt and Bind Island Batik October challenge
Start working on September IB challenge
Finish binding “Test” quilt … come on, Gail! It’s almost done!
Continue piecing “Splendor” Quilt
Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder!
This was a Hugs and Kisses quilt that used various Island Batik pinks, purples, and greens. If you recall, I made a blue & green Hugs & Kisses quilt and cut out too many greens (you can read about it HERE). So not wanting to waste those blocks, I cut out the pinks and purples and joined them up to make the following quilt.
I used the Accuquilt Go! to cut the pieces: Die #10 from the 8″ Qube ‘Corners’ collection paired with Die #5 from the 8″ Qube set. It made piecing the Hugs and Kisses very simple. Each Hugs or Kisses block uses 4 mini blocks composed of 1 Die #10 and 2 Die #5. Then the blocks are arranged to form a Hug or a Kiss. I added sashing and borders and the quilt was a flimsy!
Hobbs 80/20 is in the middle and I used Odif 505 spray baste to hold the layers together.
It was quilted with both the 3″ and 4″ Cupid ruler from Silly Moon.
This quilt was donated to the “Comfort Quilts” committee at the guild and will be given to the B.C. Cancer Agency at Surrey Memorial Hospital. Here I am giving the quilt to Dawn, one of the volunteers of the “Comfort Quilts” committee.
Why did I choose “Comfort Quilts” as my charity? I don’t know anyone that hasn’t been touched by cancer. We all know family members and friends that have dealt with cancer. When I was working as a nurse in the hospital, we cared for cancer patients daily: it didn’t matter what department I was working in. It’s a heart-breaking disease and the treatments can often be grueling and harsh as one fights an uphill battle. If providing a quilt can give someone comfort, I’ll all for it!
July’s gift is a Trivet. You can go to Days Filled With Joyfor information and the link to her tutorial (when you go to Raewyn’s blog, click on the Patterns & Techniques tab.) Or, you can visit Kaye Wood’s youtube video HERE. (That’s where Raewyn originally got the instructions).
Now, I have started this … I went to Google and searched for Hexagon … I printed it out on a piece of paper and then added inches to each side until it was about 8″ big. I also added 1″ around the sides for the binding … I refuse to fuss with 7/8” measurements. My fabric is from Island Batik’s “Winter Sky” fabric collection.
This is all I’ve done so far … I need to dig out my Insul-Brite. Does anyone know the safe place that I put it??? If you know, please let me know and you’ll save me hours searching through containers! 🤪
So far for the One Gift a Month, I have made gifts for January, February, April and May.
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 – June: 178 / 181
July: 9 / 9
Total: 187 / 190
Percentage: 98%
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 didn’t buy any fabric this week and I didn’t finish anything this week! Well, actually I did finish something, but it’s for a future blog hop, so when I can’t show you, I don’t count it until I show you.
Yearly Tally:
Fabric Used the last week: 0 yards
Fabric Used in 2023: 131.5 yards from non-IB: 52
Fabric Bought this week: 0 yards
Fabric Added this year: 12.5 yards
Net Fabric used: 119 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 Dolist from last week:
Finish Mystery Quilt (making and writing) In Progress
Complete “Pin Dot Blossoms” #1 to flimsy stage√ DONE
Complete “Pin Dot Blossoms” #2 to flimsy stage√ DONE
Island Batik October challenge to flimsy stage√ DONE
Finish quilting “Test” quilt and bind it In Progress binding is half on …
Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! √ DONE
Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes.√ DONE
This week’s list:
Finish Trivet (one gift a month)
Finish Mystery Quilt (making and writing)
Start August Island Batik challenge
Sandwich, Quilt and Bind “Pin Dot Blossoms” #1
Sandwich, Quilt and Bind “Pin Dot Blossoms” #2 to flimsy stage
Sandwich, Quilt and Bind Island Batik October challenge
Finish binding “Test” quilt
Continue piecing “Splendor” Quilt
Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder!
Island Batik August challenge (I finally decided what I was going to do!)
Quilting:
“Pin Dot Blossoms“ #1
“Pin Dot Blossoms“ #2
Island Batik October challenge (A secret … obviously until October)
Finish Binding Secret Project (Test quilt)
New Mystery Quilt
Cheryl, from Meadow Mist Designs is offering another FREE mystery quilt. I have done a few of them in the last few years.
The clues come out once a month and are easy to do. This month is the fabric selection. You can access the clues HERE. And, if you loath mystery quilts, she has a link where you can take a sneak pre-view.
I challenge myself to shop from my stash … and this is what I have come up with … We’ll see if I stick to these fabrics when it’s time to cut them out! LOL!!!
Upcoming Blog Hops
Just Let Me Quilt: Sew It – Show It: Picnic Party. (My day is July 20)
Are you surprised that I don’t have a finish??? Don’t be … I’ve been busy and most of it is a secret … so I can’t show any pictures. Sorry! But at any rate, none of them are finished either!
However, I can show you a picture of a 3 yard quilt that I’m working on … and the link to the pattern: It’s called “Splendor” and is by Sew Can She, the link is HERE. She gives cutting directions for using Accuquilt 8″ Qube dies. I did find that the number for the small HST is different than on my die … but I was able to figure it out. Also, if you use the die to cut the larger HST, you need to sew them different than the directions to make the quarter square triangles … but other than that, the directions are clear and it’s easy going!
The fabrics are all from my stash. I bought the purple and coloured fabrics when I was at a retreat in May and the background fabric was hiding in a neutral container. I’ve no idea when or where I bought it! LOL!!!
A Trunk Show
On a fine summer morning (afternoon for the Ontario guild), I did a trunk show via zoom. They had a whirlwind tour of 75 of my quilts … from the early days to present time!
The Waterloo County Quilters’ Guild is a pretty active guild!! Covid forced them to use zoom (as it did force many guilds) and they adapted and have continued! They actual meet 3 times a month … twice by Zoom and once in person. When I did the trunk show, they had attendees from Canada (BC to Ontario), the USA and the Netherlands!
On their mini-retreat days, they share a video, break out into chat rooms to talk/discuss the video, sew and have a guest speaker … They are active with charity quilts and so much more!
They welcome guests, so if you are interested … here’s a link to this great guild. HERE.
I was Featured
Andree from Free Motion Mavericks featured my table topper. You can read about it HERE.
July’s Classic Car colour is Purple …. Visit Patterns by Jen HERE for your free download of this month’s block …
Here’s my July block, followed by the rest of the monthly blocks. I’ve used scraps of Island Batik for all of my blocks.
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 – June: 178 / 181
July: 2 / 2
Total: 180 / 183
Percentage: 98%
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 didn’t buy any fabric this week and I didn’t finish anything this week! So, my yearly numbers will stay the same.
Yearly Tally:
Fabric Used the last week: 0 yards
Fabric Used in 2023: 131.5 yards from non-IB: 52
Fabric Bought this week: 0 yards
Fabric Added this year: 12.5 yards
Net Fabric used: 119 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 Dolist from last week:
Finish Mystery Quilt (making and writing) In Progress
Finish project for “Picnic Party” Blog Hop. √ DONE but I can’t show you until the blog hop!
“Pin Dot Blossoms” #1 In Progress
“Pin Dot Blossoms” #2 In Progress
Island Batik October challenge In Progress
Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! √ DONE
Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes.√ DONE
This week’s list:
Finish Mystery Quilt (making and writing)
Complete “Pin Dot Blossoms” #1 to flimsy stage
Complete “Pin Dot Blossoms” #2 to flimsy stage
Island Batik October challenge to flimsy stage
Finish quilting “Test” quilt and bind it
Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder!
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!!!
Is this you?
So … did you get a UFO worked on in June? Or did you spend the month eating cookies?
Me … well, I do like cookies … especially Oatmeal Chocolate Chip … and Snickerdoodles … and what our family calls “horse poop” cookies …
OK … so I didn’t get a UFO done this month. I posted about one on the “When Pigs Fly” blog hop, but that was finished in May (even though I counted it in June because of the blog hop).
I can’t be eating cookies all the time, so my goal for July is to get out a UFO and FINISH it!
As I was writing this … I decided to pull out the UFO I was thinking of … It’s this Amish panel that I cut apart and added sashing. I just need to add borders, sandwich it, quilt and bind it and I can call it done.
Now that I’ve shown my intention … it will motivate me to work on it and get ‘er DONE!!! (And the added bonus, I also discovered that I had the backing in the container – so that makes one less decision that is needed!).
My Tally Sheets
I finished lots this month. You can read about the Pieced Backs HERE and the Crazy Quilts HERE.
If you want to keep track of your own progress, please feel free to download the 2023 Template.
June’s gift is Little Gift Pouches. You can go to Days Filled With Joy for information and the link to her tutorial. She initially made the pouches for tea bags, but they can be used for many different gift ideas: lip balm, gift cards, … you get the idea! And the bonus is that they take less than 5 minutes to make. I know it’ll take me longer to pick out the fabric and ribbon! 😊
So far for the One Gift a Month, I have made gifts for January, February, April and May.
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 – May: 147 /150
June: 25/ 25
Total: 172 / 175
Percentage: 98%
Stash Report
Donna at Quilt Paint Create hosts a weekly linky party where you can display your stash numbers. This has really kept my stash from growing (somewhat!) Before I buy anything, I am always mindful of the fact that I need to report it on my blog … That sometimes stops me in my tracks!
The following quilts used 17 yards of fabric.
Yearly Tally:
Fabric Used the last week: 17 yards
Fabric Used in 2023: 131.5 yards from non-IB: 52
Fabric Bought this week: 0 yards
Fabric Added this year: 12.5 yards
Net Fabric used: 119 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 2 weeks ago:
Finish Mystery Quilt (making and writing) In Progress
Finish the Secret Project#1 for Kelly Young’s new book √ DONE and posted
Finish the Secret Project#2 for Kelly Young’s new book. √ DONE and posted
Lone Star Left-overs – make back √ DONE and posted
Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! √ DONE
Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes.√ DONE
This week’s list:
Finish Mystery Quilt (making and writing)
Finish project for “Picnic Party” Blog Hop
“Pin Dot Blossoms“
Island Batik October challenge
Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder!
Kelly Young has done it again!!! She has a fantastic new book out that you will absolutely LOVE!!!
This book has an amazing number of quilt backs in different sizes … some backings are scrappy and use left-overs and others use stash.
One bonus is that there are 18 FREE downloadable patterns that you can make for the front of the quilt to go with the backing – or vs versa.
This book is available at Essem Textiles now! Phone or order your book right away!
I am going to show you 1 front and 4 backs that I made using this book, “Perfectly Pieced Backs!”
Back #1 – Plus Front
This is the quilt top “front” I decided to make: It’s called “Waverunner.” It is one of the 18 free patterns available with the book!
Cutting out this quilt was very very quick!
I was working on the ‘front’ while I was at a guild sewing day and the ladies were thrilled to get a sneak peak of a book that was not available to purchase – yet! 🥹
Now, the first thing you’ll notice is that mine is not done in teals / blues … I used purple and green fabrics from the Island Batik fabric collection called “Napa Valley.” And, my quilt is smaller although the blocks are the same size. I just didn’t make as many because I didn’t have enough of the fabric from the collection to make more.
As I was piecing the front, I quickly realized that it was the perfect opportunity to make half-squared triangles instead of discarding the excess fabric. I made a lot of HST.
Here is my completed top.
And all those HST I made? I decided to join them into groups and sort-of follow the backing for “Islands.” I didn’t have focus fabric for the “Islands,” so I thought that making my own ‘Islands’ would work. My ‘Islands’ used up all of the HSTs! Perfect – no left-overs!
Here’s my “Islands” placed into the back. I paired them with the background fabric “Wheat-Dusk,” also from the Napa Valley fabric collection. The quilt was quilted with “Wild” or “Graffiti” quilting – Anything goes!
Backing #2
I made a top called “Lone Star Left-overs” (right). Yes, I used left-overs from the lone star quilt I made earlier this year (picture on the left).
I took a lot of the pieces and made “Crosses.” I used the “Cross Purposes” backing as my inspiration. The “Crosses” were made from scraps. Again the quilt was quilted with “Wild” or “Graffiti” quilting! So easy and quick!
Backing #3
I can’t show you the front of this quilt – YET – because it was made as a test quilt and the pattern is not available until later this year. However, I can show you the back! And, you probably notice that it’s not even sandwiched, let alone quilted! This is based on the backing pattern, “Every Little Bit.” The fabric scraps are from Island Batik’s “Wild Blooms” fabric collection.
Backing #4
Earlier this month, I showed you my June Island Batik challenge with flying geese. You can read more about it HERE.
My inspiration for the back was “Coin Strip.” I made 2 strips and here is the back:
Book Review
As with all of Kelly’s books, this one is very well written!!! The directions are very easy to follow and the diagrams are great! There are multiple sizes for each of the backings! Of course, the 18 free lap sized patterns are also well written and easy to download.
One of my former concerns with backings that have straight lines is getting it straight. I inevitably have them crooked and off set and anything but straight. Kelly has that covered in this book with clear directions on how to get you backs straight! My backs turned out straight! Thank you, Kelly!
This book is available at several online stores: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Connecting Threads, and Missouri Star to name a few. However if you want a signed copy by the author, you can get it from her Etsy shop HERE.
Along with all the backing patterns, links to 18 additional patterns, this book also features full quilt finishing instructions.
This book will definitely be a fantastic addition to your quilting library!
Other Bloggers
Here is a list of the other bloggers that are posting today with their “Perfectly Pieced Backs.” I can’t wait to visit each blog and see what they made!
Joan, of Moose Stash Quilting dreamed up this blog hop!!! At first I wasn’t sure if I could do a quilt with a pig on it. Boy, was I not thinking or paying attention!!!! Of course, with the PHD in 2023 happening on my blog, this blog hop is right up my alley!
Of course I have PIGS
PIGS: (Projects In Grocery Sacks)… they might not be in grocery sacks, but I have them!!!
UFOs??? (UnFinished Objects) Of course, I have a list … and I keep finding more!!
WIPS (Works in Progress) … usually many many of those!
Here’s what Joan had to say in May: Our next month’s challenge is all about those pesky projects that we haven’t finished. If you haven’t joined already, you might want to look in the corners of your sewing area and see if there isn’t something you can finish and share with us, too!
It’s never too late to finish a PIG, UFO or WIP … but you can certainly go find one and work on it!
My “When Pigs Fly”
I’ve had my 2022 “Nutcracker” (by Helen Godden) on my To Do list as a UFO since Christmas. I decided it was time … time to ‘get-er-done’!
I have done several projects, guided by Helen Godden. You can visit her website HERE … she has some free patterns and there are Youtube videos to guide you in your quilting. The first picture is “Flower Power” and each block is around 8-9″ square (you can read about it HERE) and the 2nd picture is the Merry Christmas from 2020 or ’21.
I had outlined the Nutcracker with a sharpie. and had coloured it in with Inktense pencils. I used Aloe Vera to set the colour, sandwiched it with Hobbs Batting – Thermore (which is perfect for wall hangings) … and it has sat and sat and sat …
In May, I pulled it out … and started to work on it. The first thing I needed to do was all of the outlining with black thread. I used Aurifil Thread #2692. I started that and within about 30 minutes, I was bored. I did think about tossing it aside, but I resisted. I looked at the youtube video to see what the December 1 stitching was. It was the cap/crown. OK … so I continued to do the outlining until I reached the cap/crown. Figuring that I would do the rest of the outlining as I went along! December 1 was the cap/crown … easy peasy, December 2 was the red part of the crown … easy peasy … and on it went … checking out each day and stitching as directed.
I didn’t take a picture of each day’s directions, but I took a few as I went along. I completed the quilting in about 3 days … doing a little here and a little there. (So I obviously did not do one day at a time!)
In the following pictures, you should be able to see the progress … and yes, the definite imperfections!
When I went to outline the “Merry Christmas,” I realized that Helen had coloured hers in black. So, I pulled out my trusty “Stained” Sharpies and coloured mine in as well. This was easier and faster than pulling out my Inktense pencils and Aloe Vera gel.
Here is my finished Nutcracker from the back. I cut out 3″ squares of the binding fabric and folded it in half to give me the corner hangers.
And from the front where I used Aurifil Thread #2311 (Muslin) for the background quilting.
Other Piggy Participants
Here’s a list of everyone that’s participating in the blog hop! I’m exited to see what everyone’s been working on!
Here is my finish. It’s left-overs from a lone star quilt that I made earlier this year using Island Batik’s Naturescape fabric collection, solid grey and a blender. You can read about the Lone Star HERE. I will show you a close-up of the back next week when I showcase “Perfectly Pieced Backs” a new book by Kelly Young.
Quilt Stats:
48″ X 55″
Hobbs 80/20 is in the middle
Wild / Grafitti quilting
Island Batik Fabric: Naturescape, Solid Grey and Blender: BE24-E2
Did you see my Island Batik Fly Away challenge? I had a lot of fun making and quilting this!!! You can read more about it HERE.
This table runner used Island Batik’s “Maple Island,” Solid grey & Midnight Blue fabrics. The Wing Clipper Tool by Studio 180 was used to make the flying geese. It was pieced with Aurifil, on my Singer Featherweight, using Schmetz needles. The quilting was done on my domestic sewing machine, Janome M7.
Remember:I’m wondering if I’m Going Crazy?
Last week, when I was wondering if I was going crazy and I had said that I didn’t swear (the walking foot on my sewing machine would not work) see HERE for the full story.
Pat had commented in the comments, “Sometimes you just need to use your ‘sewing words’ eg “Oh, baste it!” Or mutter mutter- “edgestitch”. It’s the tone that matters and often, by the time you’ve said something like, a smile comes to your face. I encourage ‘sewing words’ and find others come up some I’ve never considered like “Rotary cutter” or something other.”
I LOVE this idea!!! 🩷 🩵 💜 So, in the future, if I’m sewing with you and I use my ‘sewing words’ in THAT tone of voice, you can smile and laugh with me!
One Gift a Month
May’s gift is Soup Bowl Cozies. You can go to Days Filled With Joy for information and links to several different on-line tutorials.
So far for the One Gift a Month, I have made January’s, February’s, and April’s gifts.
May’s gift was Soup Bowl Cozies … mine were made in June! I found 2 more squares of Pumpkin spice and made 2 bowl cozies. The pattern I followed was HERE. I did 2 things differently. (1) Before turning the cozy right side out, I clipped all the corners, ensuring that I did not clip through the stitching. (2) I did 2 rows of top stitching … the 1/4” as directed, then I added an 1/8” so I wouldn’t need to hand stitch.
June’s One Gift A Month hasn’t been posted yet … hopefully soon!
New Classes
I’m teaching 2 classes at Essem. The first one is the Hugs and Kisses quilt. You will come with your fabric and use my Accuquilt to cut out perfectly sized pieces! The quilt will go together easily!
The other class is a Quilt-as-you-go table runner, using decorative stitches on your machine. Come and have some fun with this technique.
Once you make the table runner, it’s easy sailing to make a quilt!
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 – May: 147 /150
June: 11/ 11
Total: 158 / 161
Percentage: 98%
Stash Report
Donna at Quilt Paint Create hosts a weekly linky party where you can display your stash numbers. This has really kept my stash from growing (somewhat!) Before I buy anything, I am always mindful of the fact that I need to report it on my blog … That sometimes stops me in my tracks!
The fabrics for the Quilt-as-you-go Quilt were from Essem, so they don’t count. However, most of the fabric from the Quilt-as-you-go table runner and the bowl cozies were from my stash, as was the Flying Geese table topper. 4.5 yards
No shopping. No fabric added!
Yearly Tally:
Fabric Used the last week: 4.5 yards
Fabric Used in 2023: 115.5 yards from non-IB: 51
Fabric Bought this week: 0 yards
Fabric Added this year: 12.5 yards
Net Fabric used: 103 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:
Finish Mystery Quilt (making and writing). In Progress … the quilt is quilted … I just need to sit down and finish writing the pattern.
Make the Crazy quilt with Decorative stitches for Essem … I’m teaching this class in a few weeks. √ DONE
Finish the Secret Project#1 for Kelly Young’s new book – I’ll be telling you all about it later this month! In Progress
Finish the Secret Project#2 for Kelly Young’s new book In Progress
Lone Star Left-overs – get it to a flimsy stage √ DONE (see photo under “design wall”)
Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! √ DONE
Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes.√ DONE
This week’s list:
Finish Mystery Quilt (making and writing)
Finish the Secret Project#1 for Kelly Young’s new book
Finish the Secret Project#2 for Kelly Young’s new book
Lone Star Left-overs – make back
Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder!
#1 Secret Project for Kelly Young’s new book (mostly the purples and greens from the Island Batik Napa Valley collection) Top is done … back is being pieced
#2 Secret Project for Kelly Young’s new book. (Island Batik, “Wild Blooms”) Top is done … back is being pieced
Lone-Star Left-overs (Island Batik “Naturescape”) Top is completed, back is being pieced
Quilting:
I’m hoping to get the piecing projects to the quilting stage this week!
Here’s what Island Batik had to say about this challenge:
This month, your challenge is to use one of the four Strip or Stack precut bundles that you received in your December box and play with the versatile Flying Geese blocks to create a fun quilt or table runner! Your project must use Flying Geese blocks as the focus but you can combine other blocks to enhance the project.
What makes Flying Geese quilts so popular? First, blocks can be used in a variety of quilt designs, from traditional to modern, and arranged in rows, columns, diagonals, and more, making them a versatile choice for quilters. Second, flying geese blocks are relatively easy to make and require only basic sewing skills. Third, the flying geese design creates a sense of movement and visual interest in a quilt, making it eye-catching and dynamic. We can’t wait to see your Flying Geese quilt!
Well, a couple of years ago, I would have totally disagreed with Island Batik. I certainly didn’t find them easy to piece unless I was paper piecing … which isn’t a favourite of mine. However, I have discovered the perfect way to make flying geese … more about that later in this post.
I went to EQ8 to play with flying geese and fabrics. I decided to use the beautiful stack of 10″ squares from the Island Batik fabric collection “Maple Island” designed by Kathy Engle.
While I was playing and designing, I paired the fabric with Island Batik’s solid grey and this is what I came up with.
To make the flying geese, I used Studio 180’s Wing Clipper Tool. Using it guarantees PERFECT flying geese EVERY SINGLE TIME!
The 1st picture is of sewing flying geese in progress on my featherweight … a new package of Schmetz Needles at the ready. (There was already a Schmetz needle in the machine.) Then, using the Studio 180 Wing Clipper Tool to square up the flying geese and the 3rd picture is of the pretty pieces that were trimmed off.
The star points are flying geese blocks.
Once I had my star blocks and the flying geese sashing blocks made, I put them on my design wall. OH DEAR!!! It did not look as good as it did in EQ8!!! It looked washed out … I was not happy!!! So, I auditioned the blocks on the 2 coordinating fabrics that I was sent:
I was still not totally happy … although “Seaweed” was better than “Dot Sky,” I still wasn’t happy. I pulled out lots of different fabric from my Island Batik stash. The solid black was better, but not quite ‘just right.’ Then “Midnight Blue” was the perfect one! Midnight Blue almost looks black, but it has mottled bits of blue in it.
It was super hot (35oC or 95oF) when I was piecing this … so I set up my featherweight outside and was enjoying the warmth! And yes, that’s my grand-dog “Daphne” supervising! Plus, you can see that I use a cone of Aurifil Thread when I’m piecing.
I decided that I would do an all-over quilting pattern and feathers was the perfect choice to go with flying geese!
Aurifil Thread #6734 (Swallow), 40 wt was the perfect colour for this table topper. Hobbs Batting Thermore is inside and is just right for a light-weight topper! And, as per my usual, it was quilted on my domestic Janome M7 sewing machine.
Here is my flying geese table topper. There are 92 flying geese … 4 flying geese to make each star and there are 4 flying geese in each of the 17 blocks that surround the star blocks. This is 25″ x 36.”
This picture shows the feathers much better than the front picture!
Where can I find Maple Island?
Here’s a partial list of where you can find Maple Island. Check with your local quilt store and ask!
Last week, on Monday, I was teaching at Essem and we were looking at walking foot quilting. My machine wouldn’t work with the walking foot on it. Dang! I couldn’t figure out what was wrong. The class participants were stellar and so I didn’t need to demonstrate on my machine. When I came home, I pulled the machine out and it worked like a charm. I was relieved that it wouldn’t need to go to the machine doctor or have a spa appointment!
Fast forward to Friday. I went to a Quilt-as-you-Go workshop. When I got there, I set up my machine. I put the extension table in place, with the slip slide thing taped in place. Turned on my machine. The walking foot wouldn’t work! WHAT???? Knowing that I needed it, or at the very least, I wanted to use it, I sat and stared (maybe GLARED) at it. I did not swear – promise! 🤪
The feed dogs were not working. WHY? The feed dogs were not lowered. I checked that! What is wrong???
I stared glared some more … and then it hit me! DUH!!! DUH!!! DUH!!! The slip slide thingy is good for free motion, but it does cover up the feed dogs. As soon as I removed it, the walking foot worked like a charm!
Yup, sometimes I think I’m going crazy!
Classic Cars: Monthly Colour Challenge
May’s Classic Car colour is Grey …. Visit Patterns by Jen HERE for your free download of this month’s block …
Here’s my May block, followed by the January, February, March, April and May blocks … I know that I ‘stretched’ the grey colour a bit, but I’m trying to use up my bits and pieces of Island Batik scraps and this seemed to fit the bill!
One Gift a Month
May’s gift is Soup Bowl Cozies. You can go to Days Filled With Joy for information and links to several different on-line tutorials.
So far for the One Gift a Month, I have made January’s, February’s, and April’s gifts.
Yes, I will be making Soup Bowl Cozies … soon, it obviously won’t be in May! Here is the fabric for my bowl cozy … These are 10″ squares from a stack of Island Batik “Pumpkin Spice” that I had. Now to get some cotton batting that doesn’t have scrim on it! …
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 – May: 147 /150
June: 4/ 4
Total: 151 / 154
Percentage: 98%
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 saw this meme on a friends blog (Brenda) and it just cracked me up! “I’m not a Hoarder … I’m the Curator of an Extensive Private Fabric collection.” And with the chicken holding all the extra fabric, it’s perfect. You can see this at Songbird Designs HERE.
This meme is very appropriate for me!
So, as I mentioned, I took a workshop making a Quilt-as-you-Go quilt. It was a LOT of fun!!! Thanks to Dawn and Nora for organizing and teaching. This quilt used 3 yards of fabric from my extensive stash collection, plus about 1/2 yard for binding and Hobbs 80/20 batting from left-over pieces. It will be donated to the guild’s baby quilt charity!
No shopping. No fabric added!
Yearly Tally:
Fabric Used the last week: 3.5 yards
Fabric Used in 2023: 111 yards from non-IB: 50
Fabric Bought this week: 0 yards
Fabric Added this year: 12.5 yards
Net Fabric used: 98.5 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:
Finish Mystery Quilt (making and writing). Partially done. I have the quilt quilted and just need to bind it. The border portion needs to be written.
X’s & O’s#1 & #2: bind √ DONE #2 is bound, but I need to do a photo shoot and then I can show it to you.
Finish “When Pigs Fly” project √ DONE … you’ll see this on June 19!
Finish the Secret Project for Kelly Young’s new book – I’ll be telling you all about it in June! Partially done. It’s still a work in progress
Lone Star Left-overs – get it to a flimsy stage. … Partially done. I’m still webbing the top
Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! √ DONE
Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes.√ DONE
This week’s list:
Finish Mystery Quilt (making and writing).
Make the Crazy quilt with Decorative stitches for Essem … I’m teaching this class in a few weeks.
Finish the Secret Project#1 for Kelly Young’s new book – I’ll be telling you all about it later this month!
Finish the Secret Project#2 for Kelly Young’s new book
Lone Star Left-overs – get it to a flimsy stage
Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder!
#1 Secret Project for Kelly Young’s new book (mostly the purples and greens from the Island Batik Napa Valley collection)
#2 Secret Project for Kelly Young’s new book. (Island Batik, “Wild Blooms”)
Crazy Quilt for Essem using Grunge and other fabric
Some blocks ready for webbing from Lone-Star Left-overs (Island Batik “Naturescape”)
Yup … it’s official, I am crazy … working on 4 projects at once!!! I know I often work on at least 2, along with a leader and ender … but 4??? Actually 6 … I don’t have a picture of the back for Secret Project #1 … it’s also in progress, as is the back for the Lone-Star Left-overs. YIKES!!!!
Quilting: These are all sandwiched and ready to quilt …
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!!!
Did you?
Last month, I talked about getting at least ONE UFO done before the end of May! How did you do??? Did you get started on one?? Did you even pull one out to start on it? Did you work on it for at least 15 minutes? Hmmm … so many “Did you” questions!
I did … but I can’t show you because I’m keeping it a secret until the “When Pigs Fly” blog hop! The project is done and the blog post is almost all written!! Woohoo!!
Shall we try for another UFO for June?
My Tally Sheets
I finished 3 New Starts this month. You can read about them here: Wedge Star, Retreat Bag, and Hugs & Kisses #1. The Wedge Star and Hugs & Kisses #1 were made with Island Batik fabrics, Hobbs 80/20 batting in the middle and pieced and quilted with Aurifil thread.
If you want to keep track of your own progress, please feel free to download the 2023 Template.
Cheryl, from Meadow Mist Designs hosts a monthly linky party where you post your favourite quilt of the month. This Wedge Star, using Studio 180 designs is my favourite for May!
This month’s gift is Soup Bowl Cozies. You can go to Days Filled With Joy for information and links to several different on-line tutorials.
So far for the One Gift a Month, I have made January’s, February’s, and April’s gifts.
I need to pick out my fabric for my Soup Bowl Cozies … and to find some 100% cotton batting. Cotton fabric and cotton thread (Aurifil) I have.
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 – April: 117 /120
May: 28/ 28
Total: 145 / 148
Percentage: 98%
Stash Report
Donna at Quilt Paint Create hosts a weekly linky party where you can display your stash numbers. This has really kept my stash from growing (somewhat!) Before I buy anything, I am always mindful of the fact that I need to report it on my blog … That sometimes stops me in my tracks!
The past week’s finishes is this blue & green Hugs and Kisses quilt. It used 6.5 yards. You can read more about this quilt HERE.
Yearly Tally:
Fabric Used the last week: 6.5 yards
Fabric Used in 2023: 107.5 yards from non-IB: 46.5
Fabric Bought this week: 0 yards
Fabric Added this year: 12.5 yards
Net Fabric used: 95 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.
My To Do list from last week:
Finish Mystery Quilt (making and writing). Partially done. I have someone who agreed to test it – so I need to get the pattern to her soon! And, I am starting to quilt it!
Finish June IB challenge√ DONE just need to finish writing the blog post and I’ll be posting in June, sometime.
X’s & O’s#1 & #2: bind Partially done. #1 was bound and I blogged about it on Friday see HERE. #2 still needs binding! The binding is cut and ready to go on …
Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! √ DONE
Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes.√ DONE I actually spent over an hour vacuuming and tidying … but I’m thinking that perhaps I need to spend more time each day!
This week’s list:
Finish Mystery Quilt (making and writing).
Finish “When Pigs Fly” project
Finish the Secret Project for Kelly Young’s new book – I’ll be telling you all about it in June!
Lone Star Left-overs – get it to a flimsy stage.
Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder!
This was a Hugs and Kisses quilt that used various Island Batik blues and greens. I used the Accuquilt Go! to cut the pieces: Die #10 from the ‘Corners’ 8″ Qube collection paired with Die #5 from the 8″ Qube set. It made piecing the Hugs and Kisses very simple. Each Hugs or Kisses block uses 4 mini blocks composed of 1 Die #10 and 2 Die #5. Then the blocks are arranged to form a Hug or a Kiss. I added sashing and borders and the quilt was a flimsy!
Unfortunately, I didn’t count very well and I had too many green blocks … so I cut some pinks and purples and I’ll show you that quilt next week (if it’s finished!)
One person that saw this quilt called it my “Sea Hawks” quilt. I’m not a sports fan … but I know lots of people that are and I get that it’s the colours of the team!
Hobbs 80/20 is in the middle and I used Odif 505 spray baste to hold the layers together.
I was zoom quilting with my sister and cousins at the beginning of the month. I wasn’t sure how to quilt it, but I knew I wanted an all-over pattern. My cousin, Terry (machine quilter extraordinaire! ) suggested these curly c’s that go every which way and back-track on themselves. I gave it a try, I must admit, the back-tracking was not fun, but it was well worth it in the end and I LOVE the look! I’ll be using that random pattern again! Thanks, Terry for your fabulous suggestion!!!
I was Featured
Andree from Free Motion Quilters featured my Studio 180 Wedge Star Quilt with Island Batik Sandalwood fabric collection. You can read about it HERE.
This month’s gift is Soup Bowl Cozies. You can go to Days Filled With Joy for information and links to several different on-line tutorials.
So far for the One Gift a Month, I have made January’s, February’s, and April’s gifts.
Yes, I will be making Soup Bowl Cozies … soon. But I need to warn you, somewhere – a while ago, I read that one lady made a Soup Bowl Cozy and her biggest complaint was that it leaked! Yes, you read correctly! She was complaining that the bowl leaked! I guess she didn’t understand that the Cozy was intended for the bowl to be placed in the cozy, not for the soup to be placed in it! I know that none of my readers will make that mistake! Right?
Classic Cars: Monthly Colour Challenge
May’s Classic Car colour is Baby Blue …. ooohhhh … a favourite colour of mine! Visit Patterns by Jen HERE for your free download of this month’s block …
Here’s my May block and the January, February, March, April and May blocks … all made with Island Batik scraps …
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 – April: 117 /120
May: 21 / 21
Total: 138 / 141
Percentage: 97%
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!
When I was at the retreat a few weeks ago, a group of us went to Overseas Fabrics. As we left the retreat room, I insisted that I was NOT going to buy any fabric!!! Well, that lasted until I saw the following fabric. Really, how could I resist? I purchased 2 yards of each.
The past 2 week’s finishes include:
Studio 180 Island Batik challenge (May) 7 yards
Baby Stars 6 yards
Retreat Bag 1 yard
Yearly Tally:
Fabric Used the past 2 weeks: 14 yards
Fabric Used in 2023: 101 yards from non-IB: 43.5
Fabric Bought this week: 4 yards
Fabric Added this year: 12.5 yards
Net Fabric used: 88.5 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:I didn’t get a lot ticked off on my list … maybe this next week!
Pack for the retreat: Wallets, test quilt for Brenda, June IB challenge, Retreat bag. All was packed!!! Partially done: The only thing finished was the Retreat bag … Test Quilt is still in progress, as is the June IB challenge. Wallets were not touched.
X’s & O’s#1 & #2: quilt and bind Partially done: Both are quilted, neither are bound
Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! √ DONE
Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes.√ DONE
This week’s list:
Finish Mystery Quilt (making and writing).
Finish June IB challenge
X’s & O’s#1 & #2: bind
Quilt for Kelly Young’s new book
Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder!
A few years ago, Patti participated in a Stay at Home Round Robin … she diligently sent me photos of her progress … then decided she was DONE. She can’t remember if she put it on the “Free” table or put it somewhere else … but it was out of her hands … she was done with it!
Fast forward to the present day …
Patti is on the “Comfort Quilt Committee” for our guild (Boundary Bay Quilter’s Guild). She was given a quilt that was donated for the cancer centre. She absolutely HAD to show it to me … Can you see why????
And here you can really see Patti’s started SAHRR …
The lady that picked up the discarded SAHRR added lots of her own fabrics and made a super beautiful quilt …
Sew, You Never Know!
IB Blog Hop is Over
Island Batik has had a blog hop over the last 3 weeks. Did you see it? It featured Studio 180 Tools and new fabric lines.
I was given the “Sandalwood” collection, designed by Kathy Engle for Kari Nichols of Quilting Renditions and the Wedge Star Tool. You can read more about this quilt, the fabric and the tool HERE. It was a lot of fun to make! I was especially thrilled when I had PERFECTLY pieced star centres (well, on most of them!)
And here’s the back and a close up of the quilting.
If you would like to see a recap of all of the quilts from the hop, (without visiting each blog) visit Island Batik’s blog HERE.
Quilting Gail 