I had a layer cake……..

….And I needed to use it before I bought more layer cakes! I am trying very hard to use up what I have.   The layer cake I used for this quilt is called “Stay Gold” by Melody Miller of Ruby Star Society for Moda.  The pattern I used is called “Quilty Arrows” by Emily Dennis of Quilty Love.  I sewed my version differently from the original pattern. The pattern called for cutting the 10” layer cake squares down to 8 3/4” but I chose to keep them at 10”.  When sewing my columns together I didn’t flip every other row, I absentmindedly sewed them all going in the same direction. Oh well, a new look! It finished at 74”x88”.  I used the leftover blocks along with Kona Silver to piece a backing.  For the binding, I used a navy/white  stripe called “Zip” by Rashide Coleman Hale of Ruby Star Society.  

please excuse the shadowy pics.  

I freemotion quilted on my ever faithful Petunia, aka Pfaff Powerquilter 16.0.  I used Aurifil 40wt colour #2024 White top and bottom to stitch a large meandering wiggly overall texture.  One of my favourite things to do. I find it so therapeutic.  

Have a great day and I hope you get time to work on something you enjoy. 😊🪡🧵

My "Charade" Quilt

 I'm a big fan of Jittery Wings Quilt Co.  I have been wanting to try a few of Mitzi's patterns and was delighted and inspired when she announced that she would be offering a quiltalong to make her awesome pattern called "Charade".  I instantly bought the pattern, selected my fabrics and cut all my pieces beforehand for this one-block quilt and waited for the quiltalong to begin.  Well, I couldn't wait and sped ahead and completed my quilt quickly so I could move on to the next one. 

                                                                       60" x 72  

                                           

For the backing I used a print from Zen Chic Modern Background Color Box. 

 

I free motion quilted using Aurifil 40# colour 1148, light jade on the bottom and Aurifil 40# colour 2835 Med. Mint in the needle.  I had recently purchased an Aurifil Colour Builder called Blue-Throated Macaw with these colours included which were a perfect match.  Thanks to my thread dealer, SewKarenlyCreated  for always having a great selection and just what I need in Aurifil thread, my fave! 

For the quilting, I wanted something that would give texture and not compete with the design and I didn't want straight or organic lines.  I wanted something curvy, something different, so after a few days of thinking and trying out, I came up with using my Circle Cut curved ruler like a stencil and I pounced the design on with a chalk pouncer, like back in my handquilting days.  It worked wonderfully.  I love how it turned out.  I pounced and quilted each curvy design over two blocks, one at a time, so not to smudge or erase the chalk as I worked.  The chalk removes easily with brushing or ironing and also in the wash.  Took me 6 hours over 2 days to finish.   

Another one off my list!  I hope you had time to work on your project today.  😊

 

A February Finish

 I have had this pattern, called "Little Lies" by Laura McDowell Hopper and Mitch Hopper, for quite some time.  I finally got busy and sewed it up.  I am always attracted by lots of negative space in a pattern so I can have fun with the quilting.  I used Alison Glass scraps for the three blocks and the background is an Essex Yarn Dyed Linen/Cotton. Graphite I think. 

On the back is Kona Sangria with a strip of  Alison Glass Remix Ex Libris Art Theory in Charcoal. 

I freemotion quilted in a wacky intersecting squarish organic design in the background using an Aurifil 40# light grey.  I used a pretty dark pink Aurifil 40# thread for the back and the lines in the blocks and also for stitching the binding to the front.  

This little quilt measures 48"x56". 

 

          

                         

                 

I hope you have time today to work on a project! Feels so good to get one completed.   😊

Colour Dance

 A great name for this quilt pattern.  Colour Dance by Tilda is a free pattern.  Lots more free patterns on the website as well.  It was fun to use up lots of different Kona solids that I have kicking around but when it came to the quilting, the nightmare began. I decided to use a light wideback fabric on the back with a matching light thread and change out threads on top to match each different colour, most of which are darker.  I just could not get a balanced stitch on my Pfaff Powerquilter. I tried everything I know to troubleshoot but just couldn't get it perfectly balanced.  It severely needs servicing and I have been putting it off for quite a while but decided to push through and finish this quilt and then take it for service. .  My own fault that I ended up with a mess and had to remove tons of bad stitches. A lot of wasted time and a big Lesson learned.😞 

70" x 96"

Here's hoping you have a trouble-free quilting day! 😊

My First Finish of 2023!

WooHoo!  I have a finish!  Since yesterday, Jan. 1, was a holiday, I stayed home and sewed all day.  I had already basted this quilt a few weeks ago so it didn't take long to get it finished up . The quilt is a result of the Ruby Star Society Summer SewAlong this past year.  I used mostly original Cotton and Steel prints with a background of Firefly in Whisper by Art Gallery.  I pieced the backing with  the darkest prints and Firefly.   I used the darkest navy Kona solid for the binding.  

I freemotion quilted with wavy lines horizontally and vertically thru the dark and medium fabrics and did a meander in the background squares.  I used a lovely Aurifil dark pink for the prints and Aurifil silver white (Love this colour thread, Karen, ) for the background.    

This quilt is for my daughter, who is an original Cotton and Steel/Ruby Star fabrics nut!  This makes 3 quilts I have made for her using these fabrics.  finished size 67" square.

On to the next project now.  Hope you had a chance to do some quilting today.  😊

Scrappy New Year!

 

I apologize to my followers for being a horrible blogger this past year! No excuses, just lazy I guess. I am not lazy when it comes to making quilts though. Here is my final finished quilt for 2022. An ArtEast Quilting Co. design called "Kidding Around - Goats in Pajamas".  This is the fifth quilt that I have made using John's patterns and I enjoy them so much. So well written and easy to follow and pieced by traditional methods.    

 I made this by special request from a soon to be 3 year old great niece of mine. I used Tula Pink's Tiny Beasts prints for the pajamas (her choice) and scraps of greys and white for the body and beards of the goats. The background is Kona "Seaglass". On the back is Tula Pink's Wideback called "Lady Luck". I also used a Tula Pink striped fabric for the binding.  I purchased the Tula Pink fabrics at 

The Wool Works Shop in Mahone Bay, N.S.  Heidi has the prettiest shop and the best collection of Tula Pink fabrics.   

I freemotion quilted this 50" x 60" little snuggle quilt on my Pfaff Powerquilter 16.0 using a 50wt Aurifil thread in a very light green.                                                              

All my best to you in the coming year! Keep on quiltin' !  

😊

                                                                                      

Productive January

 Staying home sure helps with knocking quilty projects off your list.  Add being retired to that and you can get stuff done!  My quilty goal for January was to get 5 small quilt tops, in various stages of completion, sewn up and basted.  Then I was planning on quilting and binding those 5 quilts in February.  Happy to say that I am way ahead of schedule.  Four of those tops are now completely finished (except for labels) and I am working on the last one today.    I can only show you three because two are surprise gifts.  

First up is my Christmas Strings....made from the leftover strips from my tree skirt and 12 blocks from my last post.  

44" x 54"  quilted in free motion.  

Also,  a small version of "Confetti Quilt" by Stitched in Color   

40" x 40"  paper pieced.  

.....and the back.....

back panel pieced and designed and given to me by Andrea @3rdStoryWorkshop.  I have lovely friends!  

And lastly......

41" x 49"  "Lupin Love" free motion quilted 

here's the back....

I will show you the remaining 2/5 after they are gifted.  

I don't know what is up for February yet.  My list is never ending as I am sure yours is too.  Take care 💖

My Christmas 2021 sewing

Around the end of October 2021, my niece asked me to make a Christmas table runner for her new dining table.  That just inspired me to make 5 quilted table runners.  2 everyday ones and 3 Christmas.  I also made a set of pillowcases, a cushion, 2 placemats and a potholder.  I was on a roll!  I also made myself a quilted Christmas tree skirt and a jelly roll rug for my daughter for a Christmas gift.  Oh, and also, I participated in the #Quiltmasspectaular block-along (12 blocks in 12 days) so now I have a head start on a Christmas quilt for 2022.  You can see the blocks here.  I used Alison Glass Christmas fabrics for those.  

made from leftover strips from a Christmas quilt I made a few years ago.  Flip and sew onto batting

I used a charm pack of Cotton and Steel Holiday Classics to make this runner.

For this runner, I used leftover blocks and strips from the tree skirt that I made for my niece a few years ago.  free motion quilted

I made my niece four placemats from this fabric a couple of years ago so I used up the leftovers to make this set.

I saw this design online and just loved it.

Made this from the leftovers of the table runner 

two burrito pillowcases.  

My Christmas tree skirt.  I used a 10 degree wedge ruler to cut the pieced strips of Alison Glass fabrics.  I quilted in free motion,  40" diameter.  

A jelly roll quilt using Ruby Star Speckled for my daughter

   

Hope you are getting lots accomplished lately.  It's a good feeling. Take care 💖

"Elements"

 And now for something different....I made a quilt with colours I don't care for.  I was attracted to the design mostly and decided to challenge myself to work with the Kona colours suggested by the pattern Elements by Ariga Mahmoudlou, a free pattern by Robert Kaufman.  I now kinda like it since adding the striped binding and so I will probably love it once it comes out of the dryer.  

I had a lot of tension issues while free motion quilting which resulted in some thread nests on the back (which I may or may not pick out)  because my machine needs servicing, but I kept plugging on to get it finished even though my stitching is not the best in areas.  My machine will be dropped off soon to get a check up.  

56" x 69"

I used fabrics from the front to make the improv backing

Hope you had a great day and got some quilting done.  On to the next project! 😊

A Wedding Quilt

So happy to say It's Finished!!   I can finally share photos of the wedding quilt I made for my nephew, Andrew and his beautiful bride, Ashley.

 The wedding date was set for July of 2020,  The fabric was purchased by Ashley, in Calgary, at Out of Hand quilt shop, on October 19, 2019.  It was brought to me in Halifax, by my sweet sister, Andrew's mother, and I got to sewing the top and had it all sewn up by late January of 2020.  The plan was for me to bring the completed top to Calgary for the wedding and have the wedding guests sign best wishes on fabric squares which I would bring back to Halifax with me and sew them into the quilt backing and finish it up...easy peasy ...then we all know what happened.  Uncertainty, cancellation (twice) and then finally on July 4, 2021 the wedding took place in Calgary (without me!) .  The signed blocks were mailed out to the wedding guests, returned, and then they were brought to me and the final result you can see below.  

THE PATTERN -  "Maypole" by Suzy Quilts (chosen by Ashley)

THE FABRICS -  Kona White, Indigo, Metal, Titanium and Pink

DIMENSION    -  100" x 106"

QUILTING        -  all in free motion by ME

BINDING          -  Kona Indigo 

THREADS         -  matching colour thread on top (Aurifil 50wt) and 

                               light grey (Aurifil 50wt) on bottom 

BATTING           -  Hobbs Heirloom 20/80 in white 

I marked my quilting lines with a hera marker and the quilting was easier than I thought it was going to be.  Because of the weight of this quilt, I took my time so as not to aggravate my shoulder issue.  It took me about a week to quilt it.  

                                                                     

For the backing, I made a 40" x 44" miniature of the front design.  I then surrounded that with the 6" squares signed by the wedding guests.  All that was surrounded by Kona Titanium to bring it to size.   

                                                                  

So, there it is. It was really hard to get a good photo of it.   It weighs a ton.  I don't think it will fit in my washer!  

I have made two other family wedding quilts that involved having the wedding guests write their best wishes to the bride and groom. An awesome wedding keepsake.   Thought you might like to see.  

Made for my niece and her husband married in 2014.  This quilt is the same pattern as my niece's childhood quilt that I made for her, which was in bad shape from overloving.  

For my nephew and his wife married in 2017. She chose the front design and he chose the back design for the guests to sign.