A Christmas Tree Runner

A cute Christmas whimsical runner in spring colors.   I'm going to make another with green and blue to see if it will be a little more Christmasy.    I love these colors though..  

A Postcard for the CQA Challenge

Are you making a postcard for the Quilt Canada 2018 Challenge?   Here's mine!   I'll be taking it to April's Guild meeting in a few weeks.  This one as well as others made by other guild members will be sent to BC.  They will be used as a charity fundraiser.    Want details, click here.  

An Insert Pouch for the Sew Together Bag

The designer of the Sew Together Bag has made a fun little pouch that fits in perfect between the zippered sections of the bag.  It's called the Prismic Pouch.   She provides the pattern piece here, and the video instruction on youtube here.   It fits perfectly.   I've put  many of my threads and bobbins in it to test the fit.  I love the shape.   It took less than an hour to make.  She calls for woven interfacing, but I used Pellon 911F. Seems to work just fine.   I'll definitely make another for the other messy section.

A Quilty Gift for Fran

Fran is a quilter/sewer who attends the Tuesday afternoon Quilters Social here in the Community where we stay in the winter.   We are about 40 people who belong to the "club".  But at any given Tuesday afternoon social, there is usually only about 15 or 20 who attend...  Well, Fran is turning 90 next week, and the quilters are throwing a surprise birthday party/lunch for her.  There is a large number of people coming out for the party...

So, the question is, what to get a 90 year old accomplished quilter birthday?  I don't know her very well, but I knew that I would definitely make her a little something, but what?    After searching through my small projects, I decided that a fancy needle keep would be the right thing.   No doubt she has one or two already.  But we know that one can always use a few more, especially a fancy one like this. 

So here it is.... and I also made a small home made card for her with her name on it.   I did include three pins on the little internal pin cushion and in the note I made a comment that said, "from my pin cushion to yours".     The little card will look nice on the wrapped wallet with recycled tissue paper.  (thanks Lucy).

Finishing Small Projects!

I have had a few projects on the go and my sewing area is messy.   It was a cool day today, so it's a good day to sew.   Finishing off some projects was #1 goal today.   The results are great.  I have new room on my table to start new projects. 

   

Two wide open bags and a great thread catcher bag that goes under my fabulous pin cushion.    

The Button Makes It!

I'm trying out a new pattern.   Before I invest in some fun collection fabric to make this fun small project, I'll use my own small bag of scrappy stash to make a prototype.    I had everything except a shank style button to top off my new pin cushion.  It's only 4" square and I just love the mini Dresden plate that sits on top.    I had envisioned going to the fabric store to get a button. But while in our community craft room yesterday with some knitting friends, I was shown our crafty "Junk" drawer with all kinds of awesome crafty things..   It was a small gold mine.  It was kind of exciting.  There was buttons, Velcro, doll eyes, needles, elastics, sequins, beads and so much more. 

After finding 5 perfect shank buttons for the pin cushion, I sat and auditioned them on my pin cushion for my knitting friends.  With their help, an antique gold button was chosen.  There was 2 of this button so I took both.    So now, what to do with the other perfect buttons.    Well, it was suggested I make more pin cushions.    And you know, it's not a bad idea.   I just might do that.

  

Quilt Show at Lake Ashton - 2018

I took a few pictures of our 3-hour community quilt show.  What a fun show little show.  We had knitting, crochet, crewel, cross stitch, tote bags, quilts, beaded cross stitch, and stitched cards.  There were many quilts, and I did not get photos of them all.. but I'll show you some of my favorites...

An under the Sea Quilt by Fran (who is 90 years old)

A bookshelf quilt by Carol O. from Quebec 

A to Z by Ewe and Me - by Me :)

Strip Quilt by Fran.  Love this... It's now on my to-do list

The most stunning graduation of yellow to
brown/black by Marilyn B from Toronto. 

Lin from the UK, made the blue fish quilt with the wavy blocks.
Love the texture. 

Beautiful Cross Stitch, cruel and my back stitched Picasso.

This is the Show Stopper.   Beautiful turned applique by Marilyn B from TO.

Detail of hand applique.

Lots of needle works by the Thursday afternoon knitting group.  

See my bunnies.   They were on the Sew What knitting table

A Table Runner that serves many purposes. -

With leftover fabrics from the Late Bloomers quilt last month, I made 8 hourglass blocks. Sewing them together got me a good size runner.   It's 16" x 32".     I've free motion stitched for about 1 hour on this runner, 10 or 15 minutes at a time.   It's done now and its bound with scrap fabric.  It's more of an improv quilting practice.  In my head, I say its Perfectly Imperfect.   It's been my style for a while now.  It's very forgiving.  What started out to be straight lines are slightly wavy, circles might be a little flat on the sides... but that's all ok.   Without a big concern for color or a whole lot of planning, it actually turned out pretty nice.      This runner will serve several purposes.    

1.  A practice free motion piece for me, and now a sample piece to take to a 

free motion class that I'm leading tomorrow.   

2.  It will be a second runner that I said I would put into our little community 

show that is happening this Wednesday, Feb 21.

3. It uses up these large triangular scraps, and finally

4.  The last thing I need is a runner, so it will be given away as a 

fun gift to somebody.    

The practical side of me is smiling as I finish up this project.  

A Community Quilt Show coming up soon

It's going to be a busy day.   February 21.   Quilters from our community will be busy setting up a quilt show in the morning with doors opening at 1 pm until 4.    It's open to everyone.     There's all kinds of forms of stitching to be displayed and a number of hand stitching techniques will be shown.  Knitting, Swedish Weaving, beaded cross stitch, quilts and more.   If you happen to be in the area, why not drop by. 

For this show, I've brought my ABC quilt and I've made a couple of small items since we got here after Christmas.     One of the items I made this past Superbowl Sunday, was this leaves runner.   It was easy to whip up since I had made a couple of these last fall. 

I've made a pair of knitted bunnies to be displayed as well.   I still have a little work to do on one bunny, so I'll show you a picture of that next week.

On to the Next UFO - Star Light Quilt

This simple but sweet pattern is called Star Light from APQ Magazine from 2012.     I actually saw this quilt when my friend Jeannie-Kaye displayed it at our guild quilt show a few years ago.  I just loved the simplicity of it and you just have to love the red stars.   This quilt was started at our cottage several years ago.  While at the cottage, I only sewed on rainy days.  The last couple of summers at the cottage were beautiful so it's no surprise that this little project wasn't finished.    Well, it's about time that it gets done.  So it's here in Florida with me.  After spending some time finishing up a few blocks today, all the blocks and sashes are laid out on the spare bed.   Using my flip and stack method, it will be easy to sew it all together.  Then I will add the final border later in the week.   So, that will make two UFO's done.    

When packing up projects to take with me last month, I didn't realize that my little UFO strategy would work so well.  After this Star Light project, I only have two more to go.   Maybe I should have brought more!!   

   

New Little Labels

There are certain things I always need to order or re-order when snowbird season comes.   One of the things was small labels for my little projects.   

I usually order the gray color because it goes with lots of things...but this time I tried a couple of different colors, and fonts and sizes.   I just got them in the mail and I'm pretty pleased.    Just in time too.    See, the local quilt shop here has moved to a bigger and better building.   They are planning a grand re-opening and asked if I would bring in some samples from classes that I lead.   Because I now have a wealth of labels, everything gets a label.  Tomorrow I'll bring the labelled samples with me when I visit the new store for the first time.

Some of you will ask where I order the labels.    The name of the company is the Dutch Label Shop .  I order the basic woven labels.   Their website is so fun and easy to use.   Chose colors, fonts, size and quantity.    Have fun.

Edit**   Guess what guys, Abby from the Dutch Label Shop has given my friends an opportunity to get a discount if you order.    This code is good until the Feb. 10, 2018.   Just enter quiltknitrunsew15 in the promo box.  

Late Bloomers Progress

Late Bloomers was one of 4 quilt kits that I've brought with me for my winter sewing.  It was started last year and I had the hourglass blocks done before I gave up on it put it away.

Well in the last seven days, I've picked away at squaring up every hourglass block and put together most of the quilt.    I've probably worked at it for no more than 1 hour per day.    I'm now working on the two side borders and probably only a couple of hours away from having the top done.  It's a good size, it will be 60" x 60" when finished.  It happens to be the perfect width for my entryway and after it's quilted, it will replace my Winter Wonderland.

I love the whimsy and movement in the flowers.  I love that it's a star block and a nine patch.   I love even more that I used all fabrics from my scraps and stash.

My mind is now wondering on what kit to work on next.    Stay tuned.