Quilting

A Book Review

/ quiltinggail / 20 Comments

When I first saw this book, it intrigued me! I knew that the guild library was looking for new book suggestions, so I suggested it.

Wowza! Within a week our wonderful librarian (Margaret) notified me that she had it! I was able to pick it up at our next guild meeting.

This book has all the basic beginner quilting information (which, honestly, I skipped over). It also explains how to take simple cross-stitch patterns and change them into a quilt pattern. Then she has Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced quilt patterns. All of the patterns involve either rectangles or squares, with the occasional half-square triangle. There is even a complete alphabet, if one wanted to put a specific letter on a quilt!

Personally, I believe that a beginner quilter could easily complete the advanced designs. They have smaller pieces and more of them, but easily do-able.

Before I left for my retreat, I cut out 3 quilts from the book: The swan, the train and the butterfly. The swan I cut into smaller pieces than the book suggested. The train was cut into larger pieces than instructed and the butterfly was cut as directed. Here’s pictures of the kits.

The train was pieced at a quilt retreat. The background is Island Batik’s ‘Fondant’, the black is an Island Batik solid and the prints are left over from an older line called “Midnight Dazzle.”

And then it was sandwiched and quilted once I got home. And the monkey was from a quilt that was being quilted at the retreat and the block was cut wrong … he fit into the conductor’s window perfectly!

  • Quilt Stats:
  • Fabric: Island Batik: The background is ‘Fondant’, the black solid and the prints are left over from an older line called “Midnight Dazzle.”
  • Size: 38″ x 43″
  • Thead: Aurifil Thread: 50 weight
    • Piecing & Quilting: #2600 (Dove Grey)
  • Batting: Hobbs 80/20 Black
  • Silly Moon Rulers: Rocket and Beanie
  • Schmetz Needles: Universal 80/12
  • Oliso Iron

The swan was partially pieced at the retreat and I’ve finished piecing the top. These are all from Island Batik blue, teal and neutral scraps, along with solid red and black.

And the butterfly is waiting for it’s turn. It hasn’t progressed out of the bag. It’s time will come!

My opinion on this Picture Patchwork should be obvious since I’ve plunged into doing 3 quilts from the book. I think it’s a great book, with many easy patterns in it!

Don’t Forget:

I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Linking to:  

Drunkard’s Path Block

/ quiltinggail / 16 Comments

Here’s some of the guidelines we were given:

  • Project Type: Quilt
  • Size: Lap or larger
  • Technique: Curved Piecing (not appliqué!)

We were given lots of links for inspiration and of course, Pinterest has a plethora of whatever you might be wanting to look at! A Drunkard’s Path block is typically a quarter circle with an inner circle and the outer portion.

When I saw this “Wee Animal Quilt Tutorial” I just KNEW that this would be my inspiration for what to make!

Once I had my inspiration, I arranged to borrow the Boundary Bay Quilt Guild’s “Drunkard’s Path” Accuquilt dies. The large die cuts blocks that are 7″ finished and the small die cuts blocks that are 3 1/2” finished.

Using my Accuquilt and the guild’s dies, I got to work cutting some Drunkard’s Path with the Island Batik solids. I used the Solid White for the background and the following solids for the animals & birds.

BlackGreenPink
ColbaltGreyRed
Dark GreyLime Green Turquoise
Fushia0rangeYellow

Somewhere, either on our Island Batik Facebook group or when we were zooming, someone mentioned gluing the blocks. I tried gluing the centre notches and it worked like a charm. Gluing more than the centre did not work for me. And, as usual when sewing curves, I had to take my time. Lots of time!!! I certainly can’t sew at 100 miles an hour when sewing these blocks. LOL!!!

Here’s the blocks as I was preparing to assemble the various animals and birds.

I had to fill in a lot of the gaps with white blocks and strips.

It was a fun quilt to quilt. The background was loops within loops and the quilting of each one was different. There was a LOT of quilting. I used at least 7 bobbins!

And here’s a closeup of all the individual animals/birds:

Quilt Stats:

There’s a little bit more!

There was talk about how the little Accuquilt Drunkard’s Path blocks were way too hard to piece. Of course, knowing me, I took that as a challenge!! Here’s a picture of an unfinished 4″ and 7 1/2” block. They will finish at 3 1/2” and 7.”

Although, I did not want to make a lap sized quilt with small Drunkard’s Path blocks, I did make a small wall hanging.

I did not find that the smaller blocks were any harder to piece than the larger ones. As with any curved piecing, you just have to take your time. Again, I put a tiny dab of glue on the notches and sewed the blocks.

Of course the quilting was simpler with the smaller blocks and only used 2 bobbins.

You will notice that the smaller quilt is a bit different than the bigger quilt.

Quilt Stats:

Thank you!

Thank you to the generosity of Island Batik and Industry partners! They have supplied the products for free as my role as an Island Batik Ambassador! Island Batik, Aurifil Thread, Hobbs Batting, Schmetz Needles, Oliso Iron, and Accuquilt.

Island Batik Ambassadors

Visit the other Island Batik Ambassadors to see what they made this month:

Don’t Forget:

I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Sunday Summary: March 30

/ quiltinggail / 12 Comments

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!

A Finish!

Here are my Blue Blocks … all quilted and finished. It’s been raining so much, that I haven’t taken a picture outside, so all you get is a picture of it on my design wall. It’s made totally of 2 1/2” squares of Island Batik blue scraps … including aqua, light & dark blue and any scrap IB fabric with blue in it. Along with Island Batik solid white. Quilted on my domestic sewing machine (Janome M7) using a rounded swirl motif (that’s my name for the motif).

Quilt Stats:

Retreat!

I’m off to a retreat tomorrow at Over the Rainbow Lodge. It’s an excellent place to retreat and I’m really looking forward to spending time with my quilting friends!! Of course, I’m taking more projects than I can possibly finish in a week, but I’m OK with that! The last 2 black & white photos are my May and June Island Batik challenges. I hope to get the May one pieced and we’ll see about June’s!

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 – February: 58 / 59 days
  • March: 30 / 30 days
  • Total: 88 / 89 98 %

Design Wall Mondays

Judy, at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, hosts a linky party for “What’s on your Design Wall” every week.

Piecing projects:

  • Yellow – The sashing has been added and I’ve started to web the top!
  • Yellow – I’m making some Dresden flowers … no picture yet.
  • Canuck Quilter Colour Value Mystery. I’m loving the colours I’ve chosen. It’s all cut out! I’m doing the traditional one.

Quilting projects:

  • 2 Blue Charm Star quilts – the borders are from Stash Builder rolls! No yardage cut for either of these quilts … well, except for the solid white background fabric!

Sunday Stash

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!

Nope, I still haven’t bought any fabric yet this year!!! However, since I’m going to a retreat at Over the Rainbow, that might change in the next week!

I used about 6 yards of fabric in this quilt.

  • Fabric used in the last week: 6 yards
  • Fabric Used in 2025:     53 yards. {10 yards of non Island Batik fabric}
  • Fabric Added in the last week: 0 yards
  • Fabric Added this year:    0 yards 
  • Net Fabric used:              53 yards

To Do

Carol from Quilt Schmilt is hosting “To Do” every week.

To Do from the last week:

  1. Finish Binding IB April Project. √   DONE. I’ll be posting about this after I return from the retreat.
  2. Sandwich & Quilt 2nd Blue charm star quilt. in progress
  3. Quilt Blue 2 1/2” squares. √   DONE
  4. Finish webbing Yellow rectangle squares. in progress
  5. Start to get projects ready to take to a retreat: (no pictures yet)
    • Swan – cut all the squares. √   DONE
    • Train – cut all the pieces. √   DONE
  6. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! √   DONE. 
  7. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes. √   DONE. 

To Do for next week:

  1. Pack for the retreat!
  2. Work on projects at the retreat
    • Butterfly
    • Swan
    • Train
    • misc. projects
    • Island Batik: May
    • Island Batik: June
  3. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! 
  4. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes.

Leaving Comments on my Blog

I appreciate each of you that leaves comments on my blog!! It’s fun to read about YOU!!

However, I know that many of you have difficulty leaving comments and I honestly do not know what to do about it. I moderate each of the comments (that’s why they don’t show up right away) so that you don’t have to read about the ugly stuff / junk that some try to slip in!

Anyhow, I notice that the vast majority of comments are “anonymous” and I have no idea who you are. If you could simply put your name after the comment, I’d appreciate it! Thank you! And Thank you to those that leave your name!

Don’t Forget

I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Linking to:  

Sunday Summary: March 23

/ quiltinggail / 14 Comments

Even though I’m sewing Every. Single. Day. This seems like the flow chart that’s appropriate for my life at the moment!

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 – February: 58 / 59 days
  • March: 23 / 23 days
  • Total: 81 / 82 98 %

Design Wall Mondays

Judy, at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, hosts a linky party for “What’s on your Design Wall” every week.

Piecing projects:

  • Yellow – The sashing has been added and I’ve started to web the top!
  • Yellow – I’m making some Dresden flowers … no picture yet.
  • Canuck Quilter Mystery Quilt. Oh, yes, I’m a sucker for mystery quilts and I’ve done at least one, if not more from Canuck Quilter. Her designs are always fun to make! This mystery started on March 13, so obviously, I’m a bit behind. I’ve settled on 3 of the 4 fabrics needed. Once I’ve made the final choice, I’ll begin cutting. You can access the free pattern HERE.

Quilting projects:

  • IB April Project: I’m having fun quilting this one!
  • 2 Blue Charm Star quilts – the borders are from Stash Builder rolls! No yardage cut for either of these quilts … well, except for the solid white background fabric!
  • Blue Blocks: sandwiched …

Sunday Stash

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!

Nope, I still haven’t bought any fabric yet this year!!! I’m not sure, but this might be a new record for me!

I finished this little zipper pouch using Island Batik fabric, Hobbs 80/20 batting, Aurifil thread and Schmetz needles. The project used just over 1/2 yard of fabric.

  • Fabric used in the last week: 0.5 yards
  • Fabric Used in 2025:     47 yards. {7.5 yards of non Island Batik fabric}
  • Fabric Added in the last week: 0 yards
  • Fabric Added this year:    0 yards 
  • Net Fabric used:              47 yards

To Do

Carol from Quilt Schmilt is hosting “To Do” every week.

To Do from the last week:

  1. Finish Quilting IB April Project in progress
  2. Sandwich & Quilt 2nd Blue charm star quilt. in progress
  3. Quilt Blue 2 1/2” squares XX NOT DONE XX
  4. Add sashing to Yellow rectangle squares. in progress
  5. Start to get projects ready to take to a retreat: (no pictures yet)
    • May IB project – cut it out in progress
    • June IB project – cut out the pieces in progress
    • Swan – cut all the squares XX NOT DONE XX
    • Train – cut all the pieces XX NOT DONE XX
  6. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! √   DONE. 
  7. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes. √   DONE. 

To Do for next week:

  1. Finish Binding IB April Project
  2. Sandwich & Quilt 2nd Blue charm star quilt.
  3. Quilt Blue 2 1/2” squares
  4. Finish webbing Yellow rectangle squares.
  5. Cut and start sewing Canuck Quilter Mystery Quilt.
  6. Start to get projects ready to take to a retreat: (no pictures yet)
    • Swan – cut all the squares
    • Train – cut all the pieces
  7. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! 
  8. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes.

SAHRR Parade!

Make sure you come back to the blog tomorrow for the final wrap-up and start of the Parade!

Leaving Comments on my Blog

I appreciate each of you that leaves comments on my blog!! It’s fun to read about YOU!!

However, I know that many of you have difficulty leaving comments and I honestly do not know what to do about it. I moderate each of the comments (that’s why they don’t show up right away) so that you don’t have to read about the ugly stuff / junk that some try to slip in!

Anyhow, I notice that the vast majority of comments are “anonymous” and I have no idea who you are. If you could simply put your name after the comment, I’d appreciate it! Thank you!

Don’t Forget

I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Linking to:  

Sunday Summary: March 16

/ quiltinggail / 16 Comments

Yesterday was Worldwide Quilting Day, and for the first time in many years, I did not participate. The weather was very uncooperative … raining very hard … and I didn’t want to get soaked, nor did I want my quilts to get soaked and heavy and risk breaking the line. I will participate next year – providing the weather is half-decent!

Recent Finish

Did you see my most recent finish?

My Island Batik March challenge was a LOT of fun to make and running out of fabric made for an excellent chance to alter my plan. You can read about it HERE.

Another Finish. The quilt top was made by various members of the Boundary Bay Quilt Guild. I brought the top home and found backing and batting (Hobbs Batting: 80/20), then quilted it on my domestic sewing machine using Aurifil Thread (#2600, Dove Grey). It is quilted all over with various flower motifs. And bound with a striped fabric from my stash!

The blue floral border print was perfect for the backing!

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 – February: 58 / 59 days
  • March: 16 / 16 days
  • Total: 74 / 75 98 %

Design Wall Mondays

Judy, at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, hosts a linky party for “What’s on your Design Wall” every week.

Piecing projects:

  • Yellow – Here’s a picture of my 4 1/2” 10 1/2” rectangles. I need to sash them and sew them into a top
  • Yellow – I’m making some Dresden flowers … no picture yet.

Quilting projects:

  • IB April Project: I’m having fun quilting this one!
  • 2 Blue Charm Star quilts – the borders are from Stash Builder rolls! No yardage cut for either of these quilts … well, except for the solid white background fabric!
  • Blue Blocks: sandwiched …

Sunday Stash

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!

Nope, I still haven’t bought any fabric yet this year!!! I’m not sure, but this might be a new record for me!

2 finishes to add to my done list! The bear claw used 10 1/2 yards of fabric and the guild quilt used 3 1/2 yards for backing and 1/2 yard of binding from my stash.

  • Fabric used in the last week: 14.5 yards
  • Fabric Used in 2025:     46.5 yards. {7.5 yards of non Island Batik fabric}
  • Fabric Added in the last week: 0 yards
  • Fabric Added this year:    0 yards 
  • Net Fabric used:              46.5 yards

To Do

Carol from Quilt Schmilt is hosting “To Do” every week.

To Do from the last week:

  1. Sandwich & Quilt 2nd Blue charm star quilt. XX NOT DONE XX
  2. Quilt Blue 2 1/2” squares XX NOT DONE XX
  3. Finish Quilting & Bind Guild Hospice Quilt. √   DONE
  4. IB April Project: sandwich and quilt in progress it’s SLOW going … so far I’ve used 5 bobbins and I still have just over 1/4 of the quilt to quilt.
  5. Cut up Yellow scraps. √   DONE
  6. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! √   DONE. 
  7. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes. √   DONE. 

To Do for next week:

  1. Finish Quilting IB April Project
  2. Sandwich & Quilt 2nd Blue charm star quilt.
  3. Quilt Blue 2 1/2” squares
  4. Add sashing to Yellow rectangle squares.
  5. Start to get projects ready to take to a retreat: (no pictures yet)
    • May IB project – cut it out
    • June IB project – cut out the pieces
    • Swan – cut all the squares
    • Train – cut all the pieces
  6. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! 
  7. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes.

Leaving Comments on my Blog

I appreciate each of you that leaves comments on my blog!! It’s fun to read about YOU!!

However, I know that many of you have difficulty leaving comments and I honestly do not know what to do about it. I moderate each of the comments (that’s why they don’t show up right away) so that you don’t have to read about the ugly stuff / junk that some try to slip in!

Anyhow, I notice that the vast majority of comments are “anonymous” and I have no idea who you are. If you could simply put your name after the comment, I’d appreciate it! Thank you!

Don’t Forget

I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Linking to:  

It’s All Up To You: March’s Island Batik Challenge

/ quiltinggail / 22 Comments

Here’s what Island Batik had to say about our March project:

March brings a free month for you to determine your own project of any size, using any theme and any technique!! This is an opportunity for you to express your creativity without guidelines. Have fun!

Almost the minute I saw this 10″ stack, I knew EXACTLY what I wanted to make!

It’s called, “Earthly Stories” by Jean Wells of The Stitchin’ Post and was paired with 2 yards of Weave-Brownie (Blenders) and 2 yards of Cornsilk (Neutral) [Both are available year round]. Pre-cuts and yardage of Earthly Stories is available in stores now. Here’s a picture of all of the fabrics in Earthly Stories:

I wanted to make a “Bear Paw” block (with a difference) … I’d use the Cornsilk for the background and sashing. The Weave-Brownie would be used for some of the cornerstones and the binding. Unfortunately, I did not put my ideas in EQ and my plan turned out different than I thought. However, I do like the end result!!

First, I cut 6 1/2” squares from 24 of the darkest 10″ squares. From the remnants of the squares I cut, I used the Accuquilt, Qube 8″, die #5, to make 2 1/2” unfinished half-square triangles (HST), pairing them with the Cornsilk fabric. Then 3 HST were sewn together and added to one side of the 6 1/2” squares. 3 more HST were sewn, along with a cornerstone and added to the adjoining side. Throughout the process, I used my Oliso M3 ProLight Iron. (I LOVE ❤️ this little iron!!!)

Once I had the 24 blocks done, I arranged them on my design wall. If you look closely, you will be able to se that some of the blocks were not square and needed to be trimmed by about 1/4” on the 2 sides without the HSTs. I wanted to add some “Brownie” cornerstones, but only in select areas.

While I was working on the sashing, I had this niggling feeling that I might not have enough of the Cornsilk fabric for the cornerstones… groan …

And yes, the niggling feeling was correct! What to do? Make the quilt smaller? I didn’t like that idea … use the left-over 10″ squares as cornerstones? I neglected to take a picture, but it looked way too busy! I auditioned the Weave-Brownie and immediately thought, “YES!!!” So, that’s what I used!!

The quilting: I used Silly Moon‘s Rocket to outline the bear claws (stitch in the ditch) and Beanie 2/6 to make the flowers in the brown cornerstones and the main squares in the bear claw.

And yes, there is a flange binding:

Here’s a picture of the finished quilt:

Quilt Stats:

Thank you!

Thank you to the generosity of Island Batik and Industry partners! They have supplied the products for free as my role as an Island Batik Ambassador, making it possible to make this project! Island Batik, Aurifil Thread, Hobbs Batting, Schmetz Needles, Oliso Iron, and Accuquilt,

Don’t Forget:

I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Linking to:  

Sunday Summary: March 9

/ quiltinggail / 14 Comments

Yup … I probably have a few “WHIMM” and have forgotten what it was, it was so very hidden!

Leaving Comments on my Blog

I appreciate each of you that leaves comments on my blog!! It’s fun to read about YOU!!

However, I know that many of you have difficulty leaving comments and I honestly do not know what to do about it. I moderate each of the comments (that’s why they don’t show up right away) so that you don’t have to read about the ugly stuff / junk that some try to slip in!

Anyhow, I notice that the vast majority of comments are “anonymous” and I have no idea who you are. If you could simply put your name after the comment, I’d appreciate it! Thank you!

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 – February: 58 / 59 days
  • March: 9 / 9 days
  • Total: 67 / 68 98 %

Design Wall Mondays

Judy, at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, hosts a linky party for “What’s on your Design Wall” every week.

Piecing projects:

  • Blue Blocks: Making blocks with 2 1/2” squares … Picture below … still have several 16 patch blocks to make and then add sashing around the 4 patch blocks … this will make a decent sized comfort quilt. (All the squares are from my Island Batik stash!)
  • IB April Project: as leaders & enders … and no picture!
  • Yellow – I’ll be cutting up my scraps for something … I don’t know what, yet!

Quilting projects:

  • 2 Blue Charm Star quilts – the borders are from Stash Builder rolls! No yardage cut for either of these quilts … well, except for the solid white background fabric!
  • Blue Blocks: sandwiched …

Sunday Stash

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 was able to show you 2 finishes this week. I was very thrilled with each of them. They used signature collections from Island Batik. The first one is Meadow Hues, designed by Jerry Khiev for Claudia Porter of Create with Claudia and the 2nd one is Sunlit Garden, also designed by Jerry Khiev for Jennifer Thomas of Curlicue Creations. You can read about them HERE and HERE. The fabrics should be in stores now.

  • Fabric used in the last week: 20.5 yards
  • Fabric Used in 2025:     31 yards. {3 yards of non Island Batik fabric}
  • Fabric Added in the last week: 0 yards
  • Fabric Added this year:    0 yards 
  • Net Fabric used:              31 yards

To Do

Carol from Quilt Schmilt is hosting “To Do” every week.

To Do from the last week:

  1. Sandwich & Quilt Blue charm star quilts. in progress. Partially done. One is sandwiched
  2. Get Blue 2 1/2” squares to flimsy stage. √   DONE
  3. Quilt Guild Hospice Quilt. in progress.
  4. IB April Project: get to flimsy stage in progress.
  5. Cut up Yellow scraps and decide what to make … in progress. decision made … now to cut!
  6. Sandwich and Quilt Guild Hospice Quilt in progress. Quilt sandwiched
  7. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! √   DONE. 
  8. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes. √   DONE. 

To Do for next week:

  1. Sandwich & Quilt 2nd Blue charm star quilt.
  2. Sandwich & Quilt Blue 2 1/2” squares
  3. Finish Quilting & Bind Guild Hospice Quilt
  4. IB April Project: sandwich and quilt
  5. Cut up Yellow scraps
  6. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! 
  7. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes.

Don’t Forget

I am a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Linking to:  

Sunday Summary March 2

/ quiltinggail / 20 Comments

Someone asked me how many sewing machines I have! I have several … In my studio are:

  • Janome M7 for quilting
  • Janome 8900 for piecing
  • Janome Pro 4DX (serger)
  • Janome embroidery machine (500E)

In travelling totes:

  • a Janome 4120
  • a Singer featherweight

In the basement:

  • a hand-crank

SAHRR is almost done!

I will not be having a separate SAHRR post on March 3, but I thought I’d show you the results of participants that do not blog or have IG:

  • Carolyn said, ” I made a “checker” strip (1st initial of my name). Ready to quilt.”
  • Katie said, “I combined the last 2 prompts for my next border–quarter log cabins in the corners, and the kites in the center all finishing at 2″, so my top is now 20″ square.  I think I’ll bind it with the darker brown.”
  • Robin
  • Judy said, “Top is finished – ready to sandwich”
  • Jacomina said “I would never have sewn anything like this if it was not for the prompts.  But at least the remnant from the center block is repeated”

Come back on March 24th for the Final Parade!

A Favourite Finish for February

Yvonne @ Quilting Jetgirl hosts a monthly Favourite Finish. You can read about this Island Batik (Lumin) challenge featuring Studio 180 tool and the Radiant Burst collection HERE.

I did have several finishes in February, but I can’t show you until later in March or April or … Trust me, when I can show you, I will!

A Winner

A random winner was chosen for the fabric draw… C. will receive the fabric later this month! I’m 100% positive that she will enjoy using this beautiful “Radiant Burst” Island Batik fabric! (This is from this 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!

  • January – February: 58 / 59 days
  • March: 2 / 2 days
  • Total: 60 / 61 98 %

Design Wall Mondays

Judy, at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, hosts a linky party for “What’s on your Design Wall” every week.

Piecing projects:

  • Blue Blocks: Making blocks with 2 1/2” squares … Picture below … still have several 16 patch blocks to make and then add sashing around the 4 patch blocks … this will make a decent sized comfort quilt. (All the squares are from my Island Batik stash!)
  • IB April Project: as leaders & enders … and no picture!
  • Yellow – I’ll be cutting up my scraps for something … I don’t know what, yet!

Quilting projects:

  • 2 Blue Charm Star quilts – the borders are from Stash Builder rolls! No yardage cut for either of these quilts … well, except for the solid white background fabric! But, it’s all Island Batik fabric!
  • Quilt Guild Hospice Quilt – the blocks were made by guild members and I believe Regina pieced them together.

Sunday Stash

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 changes in numbers this week because I can’t show you my finishes yet! 😁

  • Fabric used in the last week: 0 yards
  • Fabric Used in 2025:     10.5 yards. {3 yards of non Island Batik fabric}
  • Fabric Added in the last week: 0 yards
  • Fabric Added this year:    0 yards 
  • Net Fabric used:              10.5 yards

To Do

Carol from Quilt Schmilt is hosting “To Do” every week.

To Do from the last week:

  1. Sandwich and Quilt Blue charm star quilts. XX NOT DONE XX
  2. Get Blue 2 1/2” squares to flimsy stage XX NOT DONE XX
  3. IB March Project: Finish: Quilt & Bind. √   DONE
  4. Sandwich and Quilt Guild Hospice Quilt in progress. Quilt sandwiched
  5. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! √   DONE. 
  6. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes. √   DONE. 

To Do for next week:

  1. Sandwich & Quilt Blue charm star quilts.
  2. Get Blue 2 1/2” squares to flimsy stage
  3. Quilt Guild Hospice Quilt
  4. IB April Project: get to flimsy stage
  5. Cut up Yellow scraps and decide what to make … or I should probably decide first, before I cut! 😉
  6. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! 
  7. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes.

2 Blog Hops this Week

I’m participating in TWO blog hops this week. That’s correct 2! I urge you all to follow along as with these gorgeous fabric collections, the hops promise to be full of beautiful eye candy!

Meadow Hues

The first one, Meadow Hues starts today!! I’ll be posting tomorrow with my quilt!

Here’s the Meadow Hues schedule:

Sunlit Garden

The 2nd one is: Sunlit Garden and starts on Monday. I’ll be posting my quilt on Thursday!

Don’t Forget

I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Linking to:  

Runner Up – Studio 180 Design Tool

/ quiltinggail / 46 Comments

I was sent the beautiful collection called “Radiant Burst” by Jerry Khiev. This fabric will be shipping to stores this month!

Here’s some of the instructions that we were given:

Project Type: Table Runner or Bed Runner
Size: Runner
Fabric: Must use Fall 2024 fabric bundle (see the season of your collection bundle on the sticker!)
Must use as many collection SKUs as possible
Pick any size unit that you want to work with
Must use at least 12 units total, made with the Studio 180 Design tool you received. (If you received a Rapid Fire® Lemoyne Star or Wedge Star tool you only need to make at least 3 full blocks for your project)

I received the Rapid Fire® Lemoyne Star tool to use with my Radiant Burst collection! Studio 180 has free Downloads on how to use the tools and links to instructional videos where Deb Tucker explains the process very clearly!! By following the instructions (either by video or paper) it makes the process of using the tools easy. Please note: I did say EASY, not fast and quick!

Since I am not a precision quilter, I’m always amazed at how great the units and blocks turn out when I use a Studio 180 tool!

Here are pictures of the components of the Lemoyne Blazing Star in progress (a technique sheet … you can find it HERE.) The first picture shows the Studio 180 Magic Wand being used to mark the 1/4” for accurate piecing. I used my wonderful Oliso M3Pro iron. I LOVE this iron!! The last picture shows the finished component prior to trimming and adding the background pieces.

I made 8 basic components for Blazing Lemoyne Stars There are basically 4 different layouts in the following 3 pictures. The middle one has 2 (blue & purple centres and the one on the right is a combination of the Left one and the centre one).

I paired the Lemoyne Stars with Platinum (a neutral I received in my January boxes).

Now, I know that the instructions said that if I was using a Rapid Fire® Lemoyne Star, I could just make 3 stars. But, if I made 3 blazing stars (that finish at 12″), that would only use 9 of the fabrics in the collection. When it’s a blog hop, I make it a personal challenge to use as many of the 20 fabrics as possible. So I made 8 – 6″ stars, using 2 fabrics each from the collection. They were fun to make! In total, I used 19 of the fabrics in the collection for the stars. The 20th fabric I used on the back and with self-binding, there are a total of 20 fabrics seen on the top! YAY!!!

The backing is the only fabric that I didn’t use in the stars: Camellia Flower-Pink. I did a self-binding and it also is on the front:

The runner fits perfectly on my deacon’s bench!!

My grand-dog is guarding the bench!

And a couple of close-ups of the quilting. I used Silly Moon‘s “Rocket” to outline the centre star and the curved edges for the small sides of each piece. Then a simple meander for the background pieces.

Preeti, from Sew Preeti Quilts also received Radiant Burst. Make sure to visit her blog to see what she created!

Quilt Stats:

Radiant Burst Give-away!

I am giving away 19 fabrics from the Radiant Burst collection … the smallest is 10″ x 13″ and the largest is 10″ x 16″. Leave a comment stating what you might do with these fabrics. The winner will randomly be chosen on February 26 and notified by email.

Unfortunately, this is ONLY available for those in Canada 🇨🇦 . Thank you for understanding!

Island Batik Ambassadors

Visit the other Island Batik Ambassadors to see the runners they made this month:

Thank you!

Thank you to the generosity of Island Batik and Industry partners! They have supplied the products for free as my role as an Island Batik Ambassador! Island Batik, Aurifil Thread, Hobbs Batting, Schmetz Needles, Oliso Iron, Studio 180 Designs,

Don’t Forget:

I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Linking to:  

Sunday Summary: February 9, 2025

/ quiltinggail / 11 Comments

This would be an awesome drawer to have at my sewing station!!! Although, I fear it would be empty more often than not!

SAHRR is in progress!

We’ve had the Centre Blocks and 2 rounds so far. Tomorrow, Round #3 will be hosted by ME. Here’s where you can find each of my rounds, along with links to the co-hosts!

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: 31 / 31 days
  • February: 9 / 9 days
  • Total: 40/ 40 100 %

Design Wall Mondays

Judy, at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, hosts a linky party for “What’s on your Design Wall” every week.

Piecing projects:

  • Blue Blocks: This month’s rainbow scrap colour is BLUE … LOTS of cutting of my Island Batik scraps: a Charm Star quilt is started, 2 1/2” and 2″ squares … not sure what will happen with them yet!
  • IB March Project: as leaders & enders … and no picture!

Quilting projects:

  • SAHRR ’25: needs binding
  • Meadow Hues: a lap sized quilt for a blog hop hosted by Claudia Porter of Create with Claudia. It is using her newest signature collection.

Sunday Stash

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 a finish last week!!! You can read more about it HERE.

  • Fabric used in the last week: 3.5 yards
  • Fabric Used in 2025:     8.5 yards. {3 yards of non Island Batik fabric}
  • Fabric Added in the last week: 0 yards
  • Fabric Added this year:    0 yards 
  • Net Fabric used:              8.5 yards

To Do

Carol from Quilt Schmilt is hosting “To Do” every week.

To Do from the last week:

I got a lot done last week, but much of it I can’t show you yet …

  1. Work on Blue Blocks in progress
  2. 2025 SAHRR – bind it. XX Not Done XX
  3. Sandwich and Quilt “Pink Blocks” √   DONE.
  4. Sandwich and Quilt IB February Project √   DONE.
  5. Work on IB March Project in progress
  6. Sandwich and Quilt Sunlit Garden √   DONE.
  7. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! √   DONE. 
  8. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes. √   DONE. 

To Do for next week:

  1. Finish Blue charm star quilt
  2. Decide what to do with cut Blue 2 1/2” and 2″ squares
  3. 2025 SAHRR – bind it
  4. Get IB March Project to flimsy stage
  5. Meadow Hues: Quilt & Bind
  6. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! 
  7. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes.

Island Batik’s Runner Up Blog Hop

Started last week. Visit Lumin Blog (Island Batik) to see a recap of last week’s Runners! PLUS, an opportunity for YOU to win a fat quarter bundle.

WEEK 2

February 10:

February 11:

February 12:

February 13:

February 14:

Blog Hop Round-Up Week 2 and Giveaway

WEEK 3

February 17:

February 18:

February 19:

February 20:

February 21:

Blog Hop Round-Up Week 3 and Final Giveaway

WEEK 4

February 24:

February 25:

February 26:

End of Blog Hop + Final Round Up

Don’t Forget

I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Linking to:

A Little Finish

/ quiltinggail / 29 Comments

In September, when I was at a retreat at Loon Lake, I was given a little mini charm pack. I immediately arranged them and sewed them together as leaders and enders. It didn’t take long and I soon had a rectangle of cute little squares.

They have been sitting on my sewing table since the retreat. I’ve moved them a few times, more than a few times! A few months ago, I got out the fabric that would be the lining for a future little bag. Another day, I choose the zipper that I would use. These 3 components got moved a LOT, but always to a different spot on my sewing table.

Finally, I got sick and tired of moving them around! I found some scraps of Hobbs 80/20 batting and spent about an hour making this little bag!! YAY – it’s finally done!!!!!

And the opposite side, with a peak of the lining:

And, it is no longer on my sewing table!!!

Favourite Finish of the Month

Fav Finish '25

Each month, Yvonne, @ Quilting Jetgirl, hosts a Linky party where people link a picture of their Favourite Finish of the Month. It’s well worth going to have a look!!! There is a ton of talent showcased and lots of eye candy.

This month, can you believe it? I only have one favourite finish!!! Usually I have several and can’t decide. You can read more about this quilt on THIS POST.

Don’t Forget:

I am a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Linking to:  

Aurifil Thread and a Finish!

/ quiltinggail / 14 Comments

As an Island Batik Ambassador, I receive a lot of thread from Aurifil Thread, plus, I have purchase lot of it from Carola when she vends at quilt shows. And recently, the small fabric store (Essem) that I occasionally teach and work at is also selling Aurifil thread. Yup, I do LOVE it!

Karen Neary is a Canadian Aurifil seller. She is prompt and thorough with her products. It’s well worth visiting THIS POST to see some beautiful creations using Aurifil Thread. I was able to purchase some Monofiliment (invisible) thread from her! Karen recently posted this picture on Facebook to illustrate the various thread weights.

From Left to Right, the weights are. 12.   28.   40.  50.  80. I use 50 weight for piecing and either 50 or 40 weight for quilting.

She also sent me this … which explains what the bottom (print side) or label on the Aurifil Thread spool is all about:

A Finish!

January’s colour for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge is Pink (see So Scrappy). I started 2 projects using my Island Batik Scraps … and this one is finished.

This quilt was made with the Accuquilt die “Glorified 9 Patch.” Of course, using the die makes sewing curves so very easy!!!

I used Aurifil Thread for piecing and quilting.

Quilt Stats:

  • Size: 35″ x 35″
  • Fabric: Scraps of pink Island Batik and Island Batik Solid White
  • Hobbs Batting: Heirloom 100% Cotton
  • Aurifil Thread
    • Piecing: #2600 (Dove Grey)
    • Quilting: #2510 (Light Lilac)
    • Binding: #4660 (Variegated Pink Taffy)
  • Accuquilt Die: Glorified 9 patch
  • Quilting: Free Motion on my domestic Janome M7

I’m hoping to teach this quilt at Essem in March. Class participants will use the Accuquilt Die to cut PERFECT pieces and learn how to piece curves together easily. Contact Essem Textiles if you are interested in the class.

Don’t Forget:

I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Linking to:  

Sunday Summary: January 19

/ quiltinggail / 12 Comments

This sums it up nicely!!!

SAHRR has started!

The Centre Blocks were linked on THIS POST. Tomorrow, Round #1 will be hosted by Kathleen @ Kathleen McMusing!

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: 19 / 19 days
  • Total: 19 / 19 100 %

Design Wall Mondays

Judy, at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, hosts a linky party for “What’s on your Design Wall” every week.

Piecing projects:

  • Pink Blocks: just cause I’m trying to use Island Batik scraps. This might be combined with other colours in the near future. The pink blocks are cut 2 1/4” x 4 1/2” and the white strip is 1″ x 4 1/2“. This project was inspired by the Rainbow Scrap Challenge 2025. If I have enough pink blocks, it will become a baby quilt. If I don’t have enough, it will be joined by another colour.
  • Sunlit Garden: a small quilt for a blog hop hosted by Jennifer of Curlicue Creations … it will be her newest signature collection and it’s absolutely gorgeous!!! Unfortunately, until the blog hop, you’ll only see black and white!!
  • IB February Project: sorry, no picture, except for the Studio 180 tool and the fabric!
  • IB March Project: as leaders & enders … and no picture!

Quilting projects:

  • Test Quilt: SSB
  • Glorified 9 patch

Sunday Stash

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 did finish my Helen Godden’s Christmas Countdown . You can read about it HERE. This project used over 1/2 yard of fabric … not a lot, I know, but it still counts!

Fabric Used in the last week:  0.5 yards

  • Fabric Used in 2025:     0.5
  • Fabric Added in the last week: 0 yards
  • Fabric Added this year:    0 yards 
  • Net Fabric used:              0.5 yards

To Do

Carol from Quilt Schmilt is hosting “To Do” every week.

To Do from the last week:

  1. Finish: Helen Godden’s Christmas Countdown ’24. √   DONE. 
  2. 2025 SAHRR – bind it. XX Not Done XX
  3. Quilt Glorified 9 patch. √   DONE. 
  4. Work on “Pink Blocks“. in progress
  5. Work on Sunlit Garden. in progress
  6. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! √   DONE. 
  7. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes. √   DONE. 

To Do for next week:

  1. 2025 SAHRR – bind it
  2. Bind Glorified 9 patch
  3. Work on “Pink Blocks”
  4. Work on IB February Project
  5. Do IB March Project as leaders and enders … for now
  6. Get Sunlit Garden to flimsy stage
  7. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! 
  8. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes.

Teaching

I’m teaching at Essem today. It’s binding by machine and the class is full!!! If you’d like to take this class let Essem know.

OR … I might consider doing it on Zoom. If you’re interested, let me know!

Don’t Forget

I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Linking to:  

My first Finish of 2025!

/ quiltinggail / 13 Comments

Well, it’s not my first finish, but it’s one I can show you. (Don’t worry, you’ll see the other when the time is right!)

My sister & I spent a couple of days on Zoom, watching Helen Godden’s youtube videos <Helen Godden’s Christmas Countdown > and working on this project. We did the same thing last year with last year’s Countdown.

Here is the half-way mark:

And here is the Finished project:

And one from the back … where you can see the mess! I also took 2 squares from the binding, folded them in half and tucked them in the corner for hangers.

Quilt Stats:

  • Size: 12″ x 16″
  • Fabric: Island Batik solid white and “Grass” from Glorious Greens for the binding.
  • Aurifil Thread: Black for the main stitching and a green for the binding
  • Hobbs Batting: 80/20
  • The coloured portions of the tree and the border were done with Inktense Pencils and Aloe-vera gel

Island Batik Announcement

Here’s what is on the Island Batik (now Lumin) frequently asked questions page: see HERE.

Lumin Fabrics is the parent company of various fabric brands, all bringing innovative designs and creative sparks to quilters and sewers around the world.  With the desire to launch additional brands, the team at Island Batik launched Lumin Fabrics as our Parent Company, created White Owl Textiles to serve the print market and Ecco Cotton to provide the highest quality solid fabrics. Lumin Fabrics will continue to grow and offer fabrics for all your creative needs.

Of course, the first question that Island Batik Ambassador’s asked is “How does this affect the ambassadors?” The short answer is ‘nothing will change for this year.’ However, next year will likely include fabric from White Owl Textiles and Ecco Cotton, along with Island Batik. Exciting times!

Don’t Forget:

I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Linking to:  

2025 Island Batik Ambassador – Unboxing the Treasures!

/ quiltinggail / 20 Comments

Yay!! I’m an Island Batik Ambassador for 2025! It is truly a great privilege to be invited back for another year.

I’ve had a few boxes arrive and here’s my unboxing video:

Here’s a pictorial view of what came in the boxes:

Box #1

The first box had a die from the Accuquilt company! This is an Irish Chain, Block on Board. With this cutting die, you can cut all the pieces necessary for the block at one time. They will be cut accurately with percision!

Box #2

This was a HEAVY box and contained the following: Oliso ProLight Iron and a carrying case, (mine is Coral), Schmetz Needles [Piecing & Quilting, Vinyl, and Universal], Aurifil Thread [#2605 -Silver Grey, #2735 -Medium Blue, & #6722 -Sea Buscuit]

Precut Fabrics:

  • 10″ Stack of Tantalizing Teals from the Gradations collections
  • 2 1/2” Strip Pack of Brilliant Blues from the Gradations collections
  • 10″ Stack of Earthly Stories along with 2 yards of Cornsilk (Neutral) and 2 yards of Weave-Brownie (Blenders) … and I already have plans for this fabric!

1/2 yard cuts

Light Grey SolidUniverse (Marvellous Multis)Dandelion-Wisteria (Blenders)
Colbalt SolidHeavenly (Brilliant Blues)Marble Aqua (Blenders)
Turquoise SolidAzalea (Precious Pinks)Dot Sky (Blenders)
Pink SolidEggplant (Playful Purples)Cheerio-Navy (Blenders)

February Blog Hop: Here’s my 1/2 yard cuts of Radiant Burst, along with a 2 yard cut of Thistle (Playful Purples) and a 2 yard cut of Azure (Brilliant Blues). This fabric is for February’s Blog Hop using Studio 180 tools! This fabric collection will be shipping to shops in February!

Solids and Neutral: A package with 4 yards each of solid White, Black and Dark Grey. Along with a 6 yard piece of Platinum. I use a LOT of neutrals and these will be perfect in future projects!

Fabric for the May Blog Hop: It’s a Surprise!!!

A lovely story about this box: It was HEAVY. Very HEAVY. I have a lot of my parcels sent to a postal box in Blaine (just over the US /Canadian border). When I was struggling with the parcel as I opened it, a lovely young man offered to carry it out to my car, on the provision that I carried out his fly fishing supplies. I agreed and he carried my box to the car!! His kindness warmed my heart!

Box #3 & 4

A 2 1/2″ Strip set of Splish Splash with 2 yard cuts of Oatmeal and Blueberry. Doesn’t it look like fun fabric to play with?

A Studio 180 Designs tool: Rapid Fire Lemoyne Star

Lots of Hobbs Batting!

Thank you!

Thank you to the generosity of Island Batik and Industry partners! They have supplied the products for free as my role as an Island Batik Ambassador! Island Batik, Aurifil Thread, Hobbs Batting, Schmetz Needles, Oliso Iron, Studio 180 Designs, Accuquilt, and Funky Friends.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

A No-Finish Friday

/ quiltinggail / 10 Comments

That’s correct! I haven’t finished any projects so far this year! I’ve been busy sewing / quilting on 2 major projects, but not one is finished and I can’t show you either of them yet!

One of the projects is the SAHRR (Stay at Home Round Robin) that starts on Monday!! I’ll be using the beautiful Poetic Bouquet fabric collection. The other project is for a new fabric line called Sunlit Garden … no it’s not Black and White, but my picture is!!

Island Batik Ambassadors

Island Batik has announced the 2025 Ambassadors and I’m thrilled and excited to be included! There are 22 of us this year! Several have started posting their unboxing videos and everyone has received absolutely gorgeous fabric!!

We have another box arriving next week and I decided to wait until it arrives to post about my fabulous fabrics and awesome goodies from the industry partners! There are a LOT of fabulous projects planned for future months!

Here’s a list of the ambassadors:

From left to right:

Row 1:

Row 2:

Row 3:

Row 4:

Row 5:

Don’t Forget:

I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Linking to:  

Sunday Summary: January 5

/ quiltinggail / 14 Comments

Well, that may be true at certain times of the year, but so far, I haven’t gone near a quilt store! And

SAHRR is starting soon!

You can read all about it on THIS 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!

Last year I missed 40 days … for a total of 89%. Hopefully this year, I can do the same! And, I’m off to a roaring start, at 100%! LOL!!!

  • January: 5 / 5 days
  • Total: 5 / 5 100 %

Do you have a Lot of UFOs?

If you do, and you want some help in decreasing them, I suggest that you visit Ms P Designs and sign up for your PHD in 2025!!! It’s easy to do and it will also help you from increasing your UFO list. Check it out HERE.

Design Wall Mondays

Judy, at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, hosts a linky party for “What’s on your Design Wall” every week.

Piecing projects:

  • Glorified 9 patch: for class sample. In Pink … to go with The Rainbow Scrap challenge hosted by So Scrappy
  • Pink Blocks: just cause I’m trying to use Island Batik scraps. This might be combined with other colours in the near future
  • Sunlit Garden: a small quilt for a blog hop hosted by Jennifer of Curlicue Creations … it will be her newest signature collection and it’s absolutely gorgeous!!! Unfortunately, until the blog hop, you’ll only see black and white!!

Quilting projects:

  • Test Quilt: SSB
  • SAHRR ’25

Sunday Stash

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!

Last year I used a total of 221 yards with 89 yards being non Island Batik fabric! Nothing finished and no shopping gives me 0 across the board!

  • Fabric Used in the last week:  0 yards
  • Fabric Used in 2025:     0
  • Fabric Added in the last week: 0 yards
  • Fabric Added this year:    0 yards 
  • Net Fabric used:              0 yards

To Do

Carol from Quilt Schmilt is hosting “To Do” every week.

To Do from the last report:

  1. 2025 SAHRR Quilt it! in progress
  2. Quilt Test Quilt: SSB. XX Not Done XX
  3. Work on Glorified 9 patch for class sample in progress
  4. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! √   DONE. 
  5. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes. √   DONE. 

To Do for next week:

  1. 2025 SAHRR finish quilting it
  2. Quilt Test Quilt: SSB
  3. Finish Glorified 9 patch for class sample
  4. Work on “Pink Blocks“
  5. Work on Sunlit Garden
  6. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! 
  7. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes.

Don’t Forget

I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Linking to:  

Island Batik projects 2024!

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I have been an Island Batik ambassador since 2019 and have a bit of a stash of Island Batik fabrics (And I LOVE it!!!). Aside from the monthly projects and challenges, I often use Island Batik fabrics for other projects. I absolutely LOVE the richness of the colours and the quality of the fabric. Below is an example of what I made this year.

January

I worked on this Helen Godden topper while Zoom quilting with my sister (she did the same one at the same time!). The details of where you can get the pattern and instructions are on THIS POST. I used Island Batik’s solid white for the background, coloured it with Sharpie Stained markers and used a dark green for the binding.

White Rabbit Blog Hop. This was a super fun quilt to make!! You can read about it HERE.

February

Island Batik Blog Hop Log Cabin Challenge. You can read more about these 2 quilts on THIS POST.

And the directions for how to make the diagonal backing is HERE.

This was a retreat bag I made … see HERE for details.

This heart quilt was made for the “It Moose Be Love” blog hop. The informal instructions and details can be found HERE.

March

The Island Batik challenge for March was all up to us. I got carried away and made these 3 quilts using greens from my Island Batik Scraps. I did use yardage for the borders of the one on the right and left. You can read more about them HERE.

This purple / blue quilt was made for the Fast and Fun Blog Hop sponsored by Villa Rosa. It is their Gypsy Rose pattern. See THIS POST for more details.

The Stay at Home Round Robin wrapped up in March. You can read about it and access the links to the various prompts HERE. (And yes, we’re doing it again in 2025!)

The Give it a Whirl blog hop had me making this fun quilt. Details and close-ups are available HERE.

April

Making a Funky Friend was April’s challenge. This is Taylor the Tiger. It was challenging to make, but fun! He had a few adventures and you can read about them on THIS POST.

May

The first weekend in May was the Boundary Bay Quilt Guild Show. The Baby Challenge was “Forest Friends”. This was my entry … You can read about it HERE.

This Fall Mystery Quilt was finished in time for the Boundary Bay Quilt Show. You can read about it HERE and see other Mystery Quilts that were at the show.

The May Island Batik challenge was to Paper Piece a quilt for a celebration. I chose Christmas and made a tree skirt. You can read about it HERE.

I made a rocket quilt for the “On the Road Again” blog hop. It was about transportation … you can read about it HERE.

June

Island Batik’s June challenge was to make a quilt for the Sleep in Heavenly Peace charity. You can read about it HERE.

A fellow Island Batik ambassador (Denise Looney) offered a free quilt-a-long making a St. Paddy’s quilt. You can read about it HERE.

A former Island Batik ambassador (Claudia Porter) had a signature collection and asked if I wanted to participate in a blog hop. This is the quilt I made, using “Prisms.” You can read about it at THIS POST.

July

Nothing like celebrating Canada Day with a red maple leaf! You can read about it HERE.

These next 2 quilts were a pattern by mmmquilts and you can read about them HERE. I love how the same pattern with different fabrics look so different!

This whale was made for the “Something Smells Fishy” blog hop and you can read about it HERE. And also find a link to the free pattern!

August

These were 2 mini quilts that I made. Read about it HERE.

This quilt used left-overs from a Lone Star quilt … the fabric is from the Pin Dot Floral collection. You can read about it HERE.

September

This was a very fun quilt to Applique! This POST has all the details.

I made a bunch of tissue holders. You can read about them on THIS POST.

October

Island Batik’s October challenge was a ByAnnie bag. I chose to make “Payday” in the small and large size. You can read about them on THIS POST.

I was invited to make a quilt using “Twilight,” a signature fabric collection for Claudia Porter. I ended up making 3 quilts. Read about them HERE.

This little mini was made for Hobbs Batting and hung in their booth at the Houston Quilt Market. See THIS POST for more details.

November

Island Batik’s Challenge for this month was Dresden Plates. I made this vase with flowers … you can read more about it on THIS POST.

The Jelly Roll mystery quilt reveal. See this post and the links to all the clues.

December

I made this Christmas card using Island Batik fabric and a MSQC Template. You can read about it HERE.

This table mat used various Island Batik fabrics, Hobbs batting and Aurifil thread. The bows and poinsettia were cut out using Templates from Missouri Star Quilt Company. You can see more details on THIS POST.

I made 2 large Clam-up ByAnnie bags for the Butterfly Haven blog hop. See HERE for more details.

This was the block of the month Colour Challenge, hosted by Patterns by Jen. It was a fun BOM to do! You can read about it on THIS POST.

It was up to us to make whatever we wanted for the December challenge. I made this quilt using Peppermint Sprinkles. You can read about it on THIS POST.

Floral Fusion was a free quilt-along by Denise Looney!! I LOVE her patterns, so I had to sew along. I really really like the final quilt! This POST has all the details.

My last project of the year was super simple … you can read about it on THIS POST.

Thank you!

Many Thanks to Island Batik and Industry partners that made all of the projects possible. They supplied the products for free as my role as an Island Batik Ambassador! Island Batik, Aurifil Thread, Hobbs Batting, Schmetz Needles, Oliso Iron, Studio 180 Designs, and Funky Friends.

 One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

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Happy New Year!

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I don’t make New Year’s Resolutions. To me, I usually break them within the first week … Yes, I’d like to loose more weight, be more fit, eat more nutritiously, and so on … but realistically … I hate dieting. I like to exercise now and then, but I know I’m not consistent with it. And I do like to eat junk food … so I don’t make resolutions!

However, on the quilting front, there are things I’d like to achieve:

  • buy as little fabric as possible
  • sew as much as possible
  • design more quilts
  • use up my stash

These aren’t resolutions because I KNOW that

  • I will buy some fabric! As large as my stash is, often the ‘right’ fabric is not in it!!
  • I will sew a LOT … but life happens and sometimes it’s not possible to sew as much as I’d like
  • I will design some quilts … but I’ve got to be in the mood and inspiration needs to be part of the design process
  • I will use some of my stash, but not ALL of it! I have 2 stashes: One contains all my Island Batik fabric and the other is all the rest of the fabric. I keep them separate and I keep track of them separately.

I will continue to blog at least weekly and often twice a week. That likely won’t change, but who knows. I will also continue to keep track of my sewing days (I aim for 30 minutes a day), what’s on my Design Wall, keep track of what fabric I’ve used, write out my “To Do” list and show my monthly favourite finish. The logos below may change, but the intent will not.

Do you make New Year’s Resolutions? Do you keep them??

I wish each and every one of you All the Best in 2025!!

Don’t Forget:

I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Sunday Summary: December 29

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My current state of life, only you can see more of the floor in this picture than in my room!

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 – November:  295 / 335 days
  • December: 29 / 29 days
  • 40 missed days since January 1
  • Total: 323 / 363 88 %

Design Wall Mondays

Judy, at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, hosts a linky party for “What’s on your Design Wall” every week.

Piecing projects:

  • Glorified 9 patch: for class sample

Quilting projects:

  • Test Quilt: SSB
  • SAHRR ’25

Sunday Stash

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!

In the past 2 weeks, I posted about my Floral Fusion (9 yards) and a small table topper (2 yards).

  • Fabric Used in the last 2 weeks:  11 yards
  • Fabric Used in 2024:     221 yards  from non-IB: 89
  • Fabric Added in the last week: 0 yards
  • Fabric Added this year:     32 yards 
  • Net Fabric used:              189 yards

To Do

Carol from Quilt Schmilt is hosting “To Do” every week.

To Do from the last report:

  1. 2025 SAHRR Finish Prompt 6. √   DONE
  2. Work on Test Quilt: SSB – block #1 & start block #2 √   DONE
  3. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! √   DONE. 
  4. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes. √   DONE. 

To Do for next week:

Still keeping the list small!

  1. 2025 SAHRR Quilt it!
  2. Quilt Test Quilt: SSB
  3. Work on Glorified 9 patch for class sample
  4. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! 
  5. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes.

Favourite Finish for December 2024

Yvonne from Quilting Jetgirl has a blog post with the Favourite finishes of the month. Well worth the visit to see all the eye candy!

As usual, I’m having trouble choosing just 1!!! It’s between these 2 quilts. I’m in LOVE with both of them!!!

Don’t Forget

I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

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