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!
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.
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 Dolist from a few weeks ago:
Get “Splendor” Quilt to flimsy stage: FIX those mistakes !!!!! Not done
Work on September’s IB challenge. Not done
Work on Pin Dot Floral Quilt.Not done
Cut out Malted Mystery Fabrics.Not done
Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! √ DONE
Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes.Not done
This week’s list: is the same as before.
Get “Splendor” Quilt to flimsy stage: FIX those mistakes !!!!!
Work on September’s IB challenge
Work on Pin Dot Floral Quilt
Cut out Malted Mystery Fabrics
Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder!
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:
“Splendor” Quilt: Fix mistakes and adding borders
Island Batik September challenge … lots of Paper Piecing blocks
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)
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.
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 HEREand 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!
I couldn’t resist taking a picture of the animals reading amongst mushrooms and beautiful flowers!
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 – July: 209 / 212
August: 13 / 13
Total: 222 / 225
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!
My Housecoat / Robe took about 6 yards of fabric. I used Hobbs silk batting, Accuquilt dies and Aurifil thread, along with a multitude of Island Batik fabrics. For more details, see this BLOG POST.
Yearly Tally:
Fabric Used the last week: 6 yards
Fabric Used in 2023: 146 yards from non-IB: 59.5
Fabric Bought this week: 0 yards
Fabric Added this year: 15.5 yards
Net Fabric used: 130.5 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.
So, this month, Island Batik has given us freedom to make whatever our heart desires. My heart has many desires, but unfortunately not enough time to make everything!
When I was at a retreat at Over the Rainbow at the beginning of April, one of the retreaters, Dana, was wearing her quilted housecoat / robe and it looked great. It is super scrappy and very beautiful!! I’ve been meaning to make my own for some time. I’m always cold these days, so a quilted house coat will be perfect for me. Pamela, from Pamela Quilts made a quilted jacket for the Island Batik Fly Away challenge and I fell in LOVE. You can see her jacket HERE.
Now blue and teal are my favourite colours, so that was an easy decision to make. I went through my old garment patterns and found a few housecoat patterns. I pulled them out and none of them would be good for what I wanted to do. BUT I had a silk robe (that was bought in China eons ago) that was perfect. Boxy sleeves, a rectangle front and back. So, with seam ripper in hand, deconstruction began. I made my pattern pieces from the deconstructed robe.
I started out with cutting Hobbs silk batting larger than my pattern pieces; wanting to leave extra room in case the quilting shrunk the pieces too much. I drew the 45o lines on the batting and then using, a Brilliant Blues gradations strip pack that I received in January, I did a quilt as you go and got the sleeve bases done.
My plan was to do the quilt as you go on the batting and then later line the housecoat/robe with rayon.
The housecoat/robe was basically designed as I went along …. After I had fun making the sleeves, I pulled out my AccuQuilt Tree of Life block and made it. It was quilted onto the back.
This picture is making sure the dark blue border around the Tree of Life is the correct width! I was turning the edge under 1/4” so that the other pieces could be added.
I was zoom sewing with my sister and she said that with having a Tree of Life, I needed something “earthy” below. These Prairie Dreams strips were left-over from a Bargello quilt that I made for our March “It’s All Up to You” Challenge. You can read about it HERE. I did it as a quilt as you go under the Tree of Life and slipped each piece under the dark blue border around the Tree of Life.
Then I made 10 Glorified 9 patches, made with the Accuquilt die. These squares use “Rice,” a lovely neutral, a variety of dark teals along with “Nautilus teal” from Claudia Pfeil’s Mystery collection that I received a few years ago. These are intended for the front of the housecoat.
And here are the pieces laid out on my design wall. Once I had them on the wall, I realized that the sleeves made with the Brilliant Blue strips was a “NO.” They are beautiful and I’ll use them in another project – they won’t be wasted.
I dug through my Island Batik stash and found the teal/gold print with turtles on it. It’s a piece I’ve been hoarding keeping for something special. So why not use it for my cozy housecoat? A much better fit, right?
The edge of the robe, the tie, and the back lining is made with an Island Batik rayon “Night Moves” that I received a few years ago in one of my boxes. The half stars above the tree of life were made with Studio 180 Wedge Tool using a blue fabric that was in a stash builder’s roll.
Housecoat / Robe Stats:
Fabrics: Variety of Island Batik cotton and rayon
Needles: Schmetz Microtex
Thread: Aurifil:
#2785: 50 (very dark navy) wide binding and hem
#4661: 40 wt (variegated mint julep) sleeve quilting
#4655: 50 wt (variegated storm at sea) Tree of Life quilting
So would I make this housecoat/robe again? The answer is “not this way!” If I were to make another one, I’d quilt the lining as I quilted the top and simply serge the inside seams. But that won’t be happening anytime soon! 🤪
August’s Classic Car colour is brown …. Visit Patterns by Jen HERE for your free download of this month’s block … it’s an easy one!!!
Here’s my August 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 – July: 209 / 212
August: 6 / 6
Total: 215 / 218
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!
Since the last report: The Amish panel quilt used 7.5 yards of fabric and the Call Me pouch used 1/2 yard.
Yearly Tally:
Fabric Used the last week: 8 yards
Fabric Used in 2023: 140 yards from non-IB: 59.5
Fabric Bought this week: 0 yards
Fabric Added this year: 15.5 yards
Net Fabric used: 124.5 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 Dolist from last week:
Finish August IB challenge. not finished … In Progress
Get “Splendor” Quilt to flimsy stage … not finished … need to fix an error and add borders … In Progress
Work on September’s IB challenge … I worked on it, it’s still 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 August IB challenge
Get “Splendor” Quilt to flimsy stage
Work on September’s IB challenge
Work on Pin Dot Floral Quilt
Cut out Malted Mystery Fabrics
Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder!
Just in case you’re not aware, a DrEAMI stands for “Drop Everything And Make It.” And I did. I put all the things I was working on aside and made this cute “Call Me” pouch. It’s a free pattern byAnnie and is super easy to make!
Our grand-dog is here and we go for daily walks. It’s too warm to wear a jacket and I HATE carrying my phone in my jeans … so I made this! I tried it out this morning and it’s perfect!!!
Island Batik fabrics were used: Nautilus Floral Baja, from the Mystery collection and Cherio – Bermuda from basics. Quilted and pieced with Aurifil Thread. The Annie’s Soft & Stable, mesh, vinyl and fold-over elastic were left-overs from a previous by Annie bag.
At the end of the month, Sandra, from MMM Quilts holds a link party for DrEAMIs. Since it’s the beginning of the month, I’ll have to wait until the end to link up!
A Mistake
When I finished my pouch, I went back to working on a few works in progress. There are 2 mistakes in this Splendor quilt … can you find them?? Time to get the seam ripper out! And then give this one a good press!
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!!!
Do you?
Yes, we have to Celebrate the little things …
like finally choosing which fabric to use
making the first cut into that fabric that you weren’t sure you ever wanted to cut
sewing the first seam on a quilt
choosing how to quilt the quilt
putting the binding on a quilt
and many many more …
Do you remember at June’s PHD report, I said, “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.”
Well, it took almost the WHOLE month to get that done!!!
Celebration #1: I did get the borders on last week
#2: I got it sandwiched the following day
#3: I spent 3 days quilting it, being encouraged by my sister as we zoom sewed
#4: I finally got the binding done on Sunday!!!
So yes, I’m celebrating that this UFO is done, done, DONE!!! And, my granddog is inspecting it!
Here’s a picture of me quilting it on my domestic machine (Janome M7) and a close up of the free motion quilting.
Now this quilt will go on one of the twin beds in one of the spare rooms. It’s relative has been on the other bed since it was finished 2 years ago!! Different panels, same sort-of theme.
As you work towards finishing your PHd in 2023, make sure you celebrate the little things! Each one of those little things is progress to completing those UFOs!
My Tally Sheets
I finished lots this month, but most of them I can’t show you until later! Sorry! The pictures below show the trivet and the picnic tote.
Here’s my tally sheet:
If you want to keep track of your own progress, please feel free to download the 2023 Template.
I finally got around to finishing my Trivet!!! It’s not a hard project at all, but when I put it on the back burner and leave it there – it takes FOREVER to get it done!!! I’m sure if I had put my mind to it, it could have been made in an afternoon!
My Trivet was made with fabric from the Island Batik collection “Winter Sky.” The inside has a layer of insul-brite and a layer of Hobbs 80/20. It was finished using a variegated blue Aurifil thread on the top and Aurifil #2000 on the bottom.
This trivet is for Joy’s One gift a Month! You can go to Days Filled With Joyfor information and the link to the tutorial.
This made me Smile
As I was out walking my daughter’s dog this morning, I saw this … and I had to stop and take a picture. I know I’ve seen it before, but sometimes I forget to take my phone with me. Today I had it!! Can’t you just imagine the fun thoughts that someone has about this fairy door and the variety of painted rocks next to it?
I was Featured
Andrée, from Free Motion Mavericks, Susan from Midweek Makers, and Jennifer from Inquiring Quilter all featured my picnic bag!
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).
So, I’ve made progress. I just need to sew the binding down … hopefully it will be done by next week. Why is it that sometime changing your thread is such a huge task??? sigh …
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: 23/ 23
Total: 201 / 204
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 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: 0 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). √ DONE And one of my pattern testers is working on it now!
Continue working on August IB challenge.√ DONEIn Progress
Quilt and Bind “Pin Dot Blossoms” #1 √ DONE
Quilt and Bind “Pin Dot Blossoms” #2 √ DONE
Quilt and Bind Island Batik October challenge √ DONE
Finish binding “Test” quilt … come on, Gail! It’s almost done! √ DONE
Continue piecing “Splendor” Quilt 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 August IB challenge
Get “Splendor” Quilt to flimsy stage
Work on September’s IB challenge
Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder!
This picture shows “Splendor” blocks and part of the August Island Batik challenge (using left-overs from the “Prairie Dreams” bargello quilt (you can see it HERE.). And no, it’s not another bargello quilt.
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!
Quilting Gail 