Northumberland Quilt Guild Quilt Show

 This post is very picture-heavy.(46)  I just took photos of what caught my eye and what I thought you might like to see. It was difficult to get full view shots  of some of the quilts because of the tight quarters.  Click on a picture and I think you will be able to scroll through all the photos.  I had an awesome time in Pictou visiting the quilt show.  Especially since I was able to spend that time with my quilty buddies, Sheila, Lesley and Karen.  Better known as the Nova Scotian Bloggers Quartet!  Also tagging along, was my husband Mike. He enjoys a quilt show. 

An Easy Street quilt . Very nice.

Awesome handquilting

Love the fabric hand that denotes handquilting

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Tiniest Sunbonnet Sues

Sheila and Lesley oohing and aahing.  This was Mike's fav. He loved the yo-yos

Sock Monkeys hanging around!

A Roll Roll Cotton Boll .  Very nice

My First Official Fabric Postcard Swap

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Sheila of Sheila's Quilt World , organized and hosted a fabric postcard swap recently.  I was lucky enough to be able to join in at the last moment.  This is my first official fabric postcard swap although I have made a few before, with great support and inspiration from Sheila.  I was partnered with Sunny of Quilting Dreams.  The theme was flowers.  Don't you just love the sunflower sun that Sunny created!  Her stitching is perfect.  What a great job.  I love the way that she changed thread colour along the edges to match.  This was Sunny's first postcard swap too.
Being involved in a swap is a great way to hone your skills, maybe learn something new and to also make new quilty friends.  Thanks Sunny, I just love the postcard you made for me. 

 

 

click on photo to enlarge

Oh yes, and here is the postcard I made for Sunny.  I can show you now since she has received it. 

click on photo to enlarge

Thanks to Sheila for organizing and hosting this fun swap.  Hope there will be more in the future. 

Darlene's Mystery Quilt....progress

 Step #6 - Complete.   I love how this mystery is turning out.  Here's the link to Darlene's blog if you are interested.
It now measures 78 1/2" x 88 1/2".  I am so anxious to see what the next step will be.
I just love the checkerboard border.  It went together very nicely.  For the plain  border, I used the medium blue from the feather border.   

Kaffe is coming to Nova Scotia!

Oh yes, and I am signed up to attend his talk and book signing.  I am so excited.  He will be giving a rug-hooking workshop at Deanne Fitzpatrick's Studio in  Amherst, Nova Scotia.  Not until this time next year, 2014,  but that's OK with me.  Something very special to look forward to.   Brandon Mably will be there as well, giving a knitting workshop.
Click on the link above to visit Deanne's website for more info.  Her hooked rugs are just amazing. 

I have two more blocks finished for my Dear Jane.  That makes 10 so far. 

The block in top left is paperpieced and the one in lower right is hand appliqued by needleturn method.

I have been working on Round #6 of Darlene's Mystery.   I have the two small 1 1/2" borders  added and then a  4 1/2" checkerboard border of four patches needs to be added.  I have all the four patches made and joined together and ready to attach.  After they are sewn on, a 3 1/2" plain  border will be added.   It should measure 78 1/2" x 88 1/2" at that point. 

the four patch border is ready to attach.

How Sweet!

Super Sweet!  I was so touched by the lovely gift I received in the mail today.  My blogging friend, Karen of KaHolly, whom I have been lucky enough to meet in person, made me four lovely notecards, complete with "My Bottled Rainbows" quilt on the front. How special is that!  Each is framed in a different colour so I thought it would look nice to take a photo of each card on the corresponding block in the same colour of the original quilt.  

Thanks so much Karen.  This definitely made my day! 

  I am including a link to a tutorial that I posted  on Madame Samm's blog "Sew We Quilt" just in case you are interested in how I made this quilt. 

 

Something new

My blogging friend, Jeanette of    Stamp* Stitch* Create invited me to her card making class which took place today.   I was very excited to attend because I have admired her card creations for a while and thought that I would enjoy making some myself...and I was right, it was a lot of fun.  She had four designs chosen to recreate.  I needed help getting started but soon caught on.  I really enjoyed the process and would do it again.  I don't think I can handle another hobby but if I didn't have quilting and knitting I think I could definitely be a stamper.  Thanks for a really enjoyable morning, Jeanette...you are a wonderful teacher and hostess.  I just love my cards!

Wonder which one K.B. will receive for her birthday?

                     

I also bought a new postcard stamp from Jeanette, to use on the back of my fabric postcards.  Just in time too, because I am participating in Sheila's postcard swap and I have my partner's postcard all ready to go in the mail, just need to get it addressed and off it goes....to Maryland in the US.  I will have to wait until my partner receives it to show online so more on that later.

A Finish

This is the last of three tablerunners that I have made in the past month or so. No more tablerunners for a while.  I made this one to try a new technique.  The pattern is from Darlene Zimmerman's book "Fresh from the Clothesline".  This technique uses the Double Wedding Ring tool which is a set of two  acrylic templates for cutting the wedges and melon shapes.  I love how this turned out but probably won't ever make a full sized DWR quilt with this method. I had a lot of trouble with the sewing.  Had to do a lot of fudging.

 

I quilted in freemotion using Konfetti 50# colour KT101 by Wonderfil and a size 90/14 titanium topstitch needle by Superior.  

A Great Day

Just got a horrible fright....my blog was hacked!  Took a while and a lot of anxiety but I am back up and running.  Darn old hackers!  Get a hobby!!  oh wait...that is their hobby. 

Had a wonderful time today.  The Annapolis Valley was absolutely stunning today.   My sisters and I hit Avonport Discount and left with three bags full.  Quilty Sis collects scissors and found the sweetest pair of Ginghers embroidery scissors to add to her collection.  Knitty Sis bought several sets of large wooden decorative buttons to use on her knitted creations.  And me, well, you will see below. 

Quilty Sister on the left and Knitty Sister on the right. 

two more Kaffe's for my collection (I think I already have these but they were 4.00/mtr

A few more from Kate Spain's Flurry to top off my collection of Christmas fabrics

I can't resist a swirly pattern. 

Made in Japan

a few more 30's

I can't resist a dotty fabric, especially in pink

Lucy's Crab Shack. a great buy, 9 fat quarters for 18.00

 

This is a 3 metre piece of 108"wide backing fabric that I found in the sale bin.

After the fabric shop in Avonport, we headed in to Wolfville and visited a yarn shop called Suzie Q's Boutique and Yarn Emporium.  A lovely small shop with a delightful owner. Both Sisters bought yarn for more scarves and a cowl.  I also bought three balls of yarn,  one for a cowl, the turquoise in the centre and the other  two for ruffly scarves.

It sure was fun to spend time with my sweet sisters.  My daughter tagged along too. She doesnt quilt but someday, maybe someday, she just might give it a try.  fingers crossed.