Getting ready for a Sew Day!

 What a productive weekend ahead!

It all started on Thursday when western Canada

went into a deep freeze.

For some reason instead of hibernating,

I went into work mode.

I tidied up my sewing room and just start moving!

Maybe I was inspired by the sew day

we had in January for my local guild.

We were having our second virtual sew day,

and we all had so much fun

at the first one,

we were very excited to do it again.

Since it's virtual, the time leading up

to it was spent organizing

and pulling out projects.

I wanted to start off the sew day

adding blocks to a stretched star

quilt I discovered in a project box on the Shelf.

I think I started a couple years ago because

I really like that look.

I couldn't remember why

I packed it away but soon

discovered why I had.

The original charm squares I used

were small and the blocks are finishing

out at four and a quarter inches.

I prepped for the sew day by cutting

more charms and making up some

2 1/2 inch squares to add to the star points.

I also got the binding

ready for the Mountains quilt.

I used it straight out of my binding library !  Yay!

I had cut a bunch of

extra strips when I finished the lattice.

This quilt will be going on a ski trip to BC

where it will be delivered to the couple

in celebration of their first baby and their wedding.

I'm a year-and-a-half and a baby behind

but at least finishing their quilts now.

The baby Mountains was already

shipped so they received that in the post.

I also want to finish up the small green

Log Cabin quilt for the other couple

expecting a baby in March.

I will square it up and put on a fuzzy  back.

It should turn out just

adorable with minimal quilting

but really cuddly for a baby.

With all those projects ready,

I have big plans for a great sew day.

I may even pin/layer the two flimsies that are

on my mental schedule to finish soon!

It's always fun to socialize and

see people we haven't seen in awhile.

Since we do it by zoom,

I get to meet people in both latitudes

of the province Way North and West.

It should be a wonderful day of

socializing and sewing.

Stay safe and sew on!

Bonus Baby!

One of my good buddies

told me to be more diligent 

dating all my project boxes with 

the year.  

So I went thru and dated them all with the 

current year using masking tape. 

( I don't think that is what she had in mind,

 but I had to start somewhere!)

That was years ago. 

Since then , I redate my projects

 each year when and if I review them.

The last four years , I got really

creative and decided to color code them .

That is how I spent my New Year's Day!

Reviewing all those boxes, I found another 

box full of leftover bits

 (the last I found turned into this!)

They were left over pieces of 

this big, sunny quilt.

This quilt now lives in Michigan!

 

All the pieces were about 5 inches long and 

well suited for a coin quilt.

 If I could put the pieces together,

 I could free up a project box!

Fits in with the RSC too!

 There were quite a few

 so I put together this little quilt.  

One more for the flimsy pile!

This one may end up off to warm 

a little person in 

the Great Lake State!

Stay safe and sew on !

Linking up to :

The Inquiring Quilter

Oh Scrap!

RSC 2021

Blue for Brothers

I absolutely love the way 

white makes scraps pop!

The scrap quilts with white

 always look so crisp!!

Here is one of my favorites .

 It is also a go to 

"crumb block". 

 I always just called these 

scrap blocks . Now I call them all

"Bonus Blocks". They are 

a "Bonus " since they are from

found fabric!

I have made this quilt twice,

 both of these quilts have ended up with 

the family "Brothers" , one in 

Berlin, Germany and 

one in Naples, Florida.

It always starts out for me when I am

at loose ends and just want to sew. 

I grab a bag of blue and start joining. 

Yes, I have a box of blue bands 

on my shelf for just such times. 

I don't count it as a UFO but it is full of partial

bands and bits of blue. 

I add to the box in those routine sewing times, 

and it is very rewarding. 

Putting it all together is such a joy !

I know it will be fun and beautiful when assembled. 

I use each row to practice a different type of 

design.  It is fun and the result is 

always interesting. I have found 

many favorites with the practice 

ground it gives me. 

The next one(s) may be in a completely 

different color . I think those would look great 

and be very fun also! Maybe RSC on a larger scale!!!

Stay safe and sew on!

Linking up to;

The Inquiring Quilter

Oh Scrap!

Design wall pile up!

 

I need more wall space!!

When I decided to pull out a layered top

 to figure out the quilting ,

 I just pinned it up over the little pink quilt. 

Then when I found the stretched stars flimsy, 

 I pinned it up 

to measure and have a look!

It is a pile up! 

 What a great problem to have!!

Like my long term project Big Red,

this batik quilt has been in use

 for 2 years as

the family movie quilt,

 pins, batting hanging out and all.

It was delayed since the minky

 back I had planed for it, 

got used for a senior's quilt.

I finally pulled out a flannel back, 

but then had to wash it and piece it. 

It is all pinned up and ready to quilt.

We will see if this cold snap gets 

productive. One lesson learned tho, 

I use safety pins and the best 

tool I found for closing them 

is a piece of adhesive tape 

on my index finger!

Really saves the pain of pins sticks1

Definitely going to make it a top tip!

Stay safe and sew on !

Linking up to :

The Inquiring Quilter

Oh Scrap!

 

Where Did That come from? Stretched stars!

 At a loose end, and wondering what to work on 

when I spied  a box labeled. Stretched Stars. 

So what was in there?  A 60 " x 60" flimsy!

So much fun to find my own surprise!  

Can planning my own Easter egg hunt be next?!?

It is a duplicate of one I made years ago.

That quilt had a long and useful life.

When it was done , 

it finished out as a warmer for

 baby farm animals and barn cats!

This pattern is fun to make so I 

had planned to make another.

I have been making 

bed size quilts for a while now and  

as wall space is at  a premium, 

out came the charms and 2 1/2" squares to add

5 more rows and columns to this top.

 

The charms I started this quilt with

 were a bit undersized

The blocks were finishing at 4 3/4" cut. 

I see why it ended up hidden in a box!

Sometimes precuts are funny!

My charm squares are mostly 6" .

 A real blast from the past .

So I am trimming down or using some

10" layer cakes to make the blocks. 

It should finish around 80" square . 

Always an adventure in the sewing room. 

Linking up at

UFO Busting

Stay safe and sew on!!

 

Little ones finding homes.

 I have a large and sometimes unruly

 pile of flimsies of all sizes .

They have been sorted out a few times

 during our current stay home and sew time.

 I find I have a lot without designated homes!!

 So when my sister called and

 wondered if I had a few small quilts ,

 I knew the answer! 

 Get sewing! 

So , I sent her pictures of the options. 

A few of these small treasures 

appeared in scrap bags

that I have been gifted. 

 A few are fun projects

 that were made 

but never quilted. 

Some just seemed 

to end up in the pile . 

Inspired by the need, 

I dug into the store

 room and found some 

cozy backs that were purchased as 

throws at the local bargain store. 

The first one I chose to complete ,

 is a little snuggly, pink square.

 I thought this one would make a nice comfort

quilt for a little girl.

I backed it with a white ,

 warm and fuzzy back  with no batting.

Straight line quilting and it was ready to go. 

Since I had some white cuddly backing left, 

I tackled the purple mini next.

 

This, I recall, was a sample

demonstrating adding to 

a crazy patch square.

 It sewed up very nicely into 

a little baby cuddle blanket. 

I was really getting on a roll on

 a very cold and windy winter day!

The next day I was still so inspired by my 

accomplishment on the 2 minis that

I tackled the top that was hourglasses. 

Upon a closer look, 

there are friend ship stars

 at the top of the piece!

 Maybe the maker thought

they weren't bright enough,

 but they really compliment the quilt. 

I found a very nice red print , and 

used it for the border and the binding. 

The quilting was great fun on this one!

Zig zagging across the top

was a blast!

 And the stars really pop!

I found a beautiful 

blue flannel for the back .

The red border fabric

 held out and I had just 

enough left to piece 

the binding together to finish it!

Not much left for

 the scrap bag on this one!

That quilt took a few days, 

what with washing the backing, 

quilting to a great series,

 ( Yes I re-watched my geeky Mandalorian).

I chose a lattice block top for my next ,

" sister needs" item.

This block is one of my "go tos".

 I love the constant variety. 

It is such an interesting look every time!

It was designed by Ann Weber and showed

 up in an old MaCall's Quilting 2007.

I keep an ongoing " block box " 

of these parts on the shelf. 

Again I zig zagged thru 

the center lattice and 

it quilted up fast and fun.

 It got the remainder of a

soft , cream flannel for the back. 

 I had to piece in some

 flannel layer cake bits to get the size.

 

While digging in the bins for 

flannel, I found this lovely panel!

So , I use the major portion of the

cream flannel piece for this little charmer.

I really enjoyed the process 

of choosing what to accent with quilting. 

So much fun with 

a poufy 5 oz. poly batting!

Still pretty inspired and

 the weather still in the sub 20s 

( that is minus 20 degree Celsius here in Canada),

I got one more ready to go. 

This little top was hidden in a 

bag of scraps 

someone ( a Quilting Buddy) 

dropped off for me.

It got a cuddly flannel back

and quilted up like a dream. 

Then of course I had to ship all of these!

 I folded them to the size of my box. 

Then I hauled out a kitchen bag and

 the vacuum! 

                        

They shrunk down gloriously!

All 6 fit in an 10" x 12" x 8" box!

Big save on shipping!  

The weather channel says we are 

in for a cold stretch 

and I still have more tops needing homes.

Cant wait for my next productive

" sister needs quilts" 

sewing marathon!

( Not sure what to do with the purple and orange one!)

Stay safe and sew on!!!