Quilting another quilt for a friend

Prior to the past weekend I have been working on quilting another quilt for a friend.  She is going through a stage of getting things done.  I am glad for her, as I get excited seeing someone light up with joy when another task is completed.  Not just in quilting either.

So far I have completed all the quilting in the ditch to secure the quilt.  I also have almost half of the cross hatch done.  This one is a simple quilt.  The centre is of blocks with two different borders.  One border at top and bottom is a bit larger than the other sides.  I am thinking of doing something a bit fancier in those areas.  Still working it out in my head at this point.  When I am done the centre, I figure I will know what to do with quilting the rest.  That seems to be how it is with me.  The ideas evolve as I work on it.

Will reveal the quilt once it is done.

Mom's blue and white quilt

This is my Mom's blue and white quilt.  My Mom made his one for her own bed.  The size is for a double bed.  This quilt uses a lot if scraps.  This quilt was one of the first ones that got my mom hooked onto quilting.  It turned out quite nice.  Mom had a large selection of blues both from her stash and mine.  It makes for a more interesting quilt the more variety there is.

This one was the quilt that I was binding on the weekend, that reminded me of Mom's blue and white quilt.  I've seen many different quilts similar to this one and they all look good.  Some people do the light all in scrappy stripes as well and others change the order of the light and dark.  It is definitely a good quilt for using up scraps of all sizes.

I like my Mom's version better.  I think it has to do with the size, as you get the effect more of the diamonds instead of the white parts seeming to over power the quilt.  I also prefer the blue instead of red and black, as it seems lighter, more fresh looking.

I also know that Bonnie Hunter has a version of this quilt under her free quilt patterns at www.quiltville.com.  She has many free patterns.  Go check it out.

Tonight, I am off to the quilting bee.  Enjoy your evening, I know I will.

One of Dylan's quilts

While I was binding one of the quilts on the weekend, I was remaindered of a similar quilt I made that my son Dylan just had to have.  When he was about five years old, I was making this quilt as a give away quilt, but when he came in the room and saw it laying there on the floor (the floor was my design wall at the time) he stopped, eyes bulging in ah and said, "I really like this one mommy.  Can I have this one for me".  It was the first time that he had such a reaction to any of the quilts that I made, that I figured he deserved to have it for one of the best compliments I have ever had.

The quilt is a simple design that can be adapted to any colour scheme and in any size you need by the amount of repeats you make. In this one the theme fabric, a lizard print was the starting point for the colour selection for the rest of the quilt.  I fussy cut the lizards for where I wanted them and sorted the colours to spread them across the quilt.  Lastly I had to select borders that were not plain and would hold their own with the centre of the quilt.

To this day (my son is now eleven), he still displays his quilt across his chair in his room.  It make me feel so good to see that he appreciates it that much.

Binding a couple of giveaway quilts

This past weekend I have been staying at my parent's home looking after my Dad while my sister took my Mom to a family wedding about five hours away.  While there I did a lot of hand work.  This was a binding weekend.

This first quilt is a random type blocks with a novelty print as the starting point.  These quilts are so easy to make and go together quickly.  I start with a main fabric and choose coordinating colours to go with it.  This quilt is a lap size quilt and will be given away. I will be bringing it to Project Linus with the other quilts.  I usually accumulate ten quilts before I make my way up past my parent's place to deliver them to the woman looking after distribution.

This next quilt I also finished the binding on.  This quilt uses up a lot if different sized stripes.  In this case I kept the colour scheme to mainly red and black with a small portion of green and beige.  This quilt is also a lap size quilt and also a give away quilt.

While I was binding the quilts I was reminded of other quilts that were made using these same patterns.  One was my Mom's blue and white quilt and the other currently belongs to my son.  I will write up a post for both of them within the next couple of days.  It's neat looking at quilts and all their various colour ways.  The combinations are endless.

Mom's scrap quilt

I thought I would share with you something my mom is working on.  A variation of it anyways.  She was out one day sometime in March and came across this magazine.  The magazine is called Quilt With Scraps, their spring/summer 2014 issue.  My mom fell in love with the quilt on the cover page.  She came to me to show me and ask me to help her figure out what she needed to do to the pattern to make it fit her double size bed and to make the small 1/2" finished blocks at least 1".  So, I took the original quilt and broke it down into smaller pieces to figure out what I needed to do to resize it.  It will be the same components just using different sizes and quantities.

This was supposed to be my mom's leader/ender quilt.  I say supposed to be, because she was so excited to be doing it she just kept doing it.  My mom is really just a one quilt at a time type of gal.  It is a better way to do it, but that is not me.  Mom has a lot of small fabric pieces from making clothes for people or dolls and more recently from starting to make quilts.  This is her use it up quilt.  The only fabric she purchased for it so far is the white that will be constant throughout the quilt.  All the small nine patches have been cut at 1 1/2" block size and the larger blocks at 3 1/2" for a finished size of 3" blocks.

One night a couple of weeks ago she called me to tell me that she thought she had cut enough squares to start sorting out the colours.  She invited me over to help her out.  I didn't leave her house until after 11:00 pm that night.  We sorted out and labeled each large block unit to make 12 units.  Last week she tells me she had completed her 7th unit. I took a picture of one unit seen above.  It's kind of cute watching her get all excited about this quilt.  She used a lot of her scraps, but really it doesn't even look like she made a dent in it.  She still has three very full containers of small stuff, maybe just a tad less crammed in.  It's looking good so far.  I will get a picture of the completed quilt when it's done to share with everyone. 

Greenwood Quiltery and lunch at With the Grain - July Shop Hop #9

Before my daughter and I went to this next shop we had to have some food.  On our way we didn't find anything to eat that wasn't fast food.  I said to my daughter that we may have to wait, but as we found one of the few parking spots available, we noted that it was for a small restaurant.  We looked at each other and said let's try it.  The restaurant is called With The Grain.

The above picture is of the front of the store and the following picture is just inside the door.  I couldn't get any more of the front of the place without walking across the street.  The restaurant is in an old store that has small rooms like you would have in a home. Similar to the front parlor, the den, dinning room, etc. but these rooms were set up with small tables throughout.  They even had a back patio for eating outside.  The food was great and was geared towards healthy eating.  You will not find any French fries or hamburgers at this place.  Even the baked goods were all freshly baked from the bakery across the street. We both would go out of our way to visit this place again.

Greenwood Quiltery, 275 Woolwich St., Guelph, Ontario (Canada).  Tel:  519-822-2790

After a full belly we walked across the road to the last quilt shop of the day.  This shop is in a home converted to a shop that houses the quilting store as well as a section in the back for knitting supplies.
I am assuming that the owners decided to plant all this greenery in front of the shop because of their shop name or it could be the shops name was due to all the greenery.  Either way the thought was good, aside from the fact that marketing wise you would not think this is a shop because you can't see the shop, the sign is almost hidden amongst the greenery and the sign itself is also green.

Once you get inside though the shop is open, airy and bright with many rooms similar to the restaurant. With different themes or types of fabric in each one.  They even have the original fireplace  where they displayed the red and white Shop Hop quilt the store made for the occasion.

This is the shops red and white block as well as their Row by Row.  At this shop I found a red polka dot fabric on white background and a ticking fabric to add to my red and white collection.

This shop concludes the July Shop Hop for me this year.  Of the thirteen shops there were only four I was not able to make it to.  I am keeping the names and addresses with me for when I am out and a bought.  Sometime later I may be able to check them out.  I will leave the names below, in no particular order, for anyone who may be interested.

Sew Creative, 22486 Adelaide Rd., Mount Brydges, Ontario (Canada). Tel: 519-264-2177

The Marsh Store, 10266 Ilderton rd., Coldstream, Ontario (Canada).  Tel:  519-666-3330

My Sewing Nook, 20 Argyle St., Caledonia, Ontario (Canada).  Tel:  289-284-0549

Undercover Quilts & More, 223 St. Andrew St. E., Fergus, Ontario (Canada).  Tel:  519-843-3930

Seven Sisters Quilting - July Shop Hop #8

Seven Sisters Quilting, 7 Main St. W.,  Norwich, Ontario (Canada).  Tel: 519-863-2077

The front of the store as seen in the picture above is quant little shop, but the inside of the store as seen in the photo below is big, bright and spacious. A contrast from the modern inside to the older style of the outside. They have everything you need for your quilting and past the door beneath the hanging quilt was the classroom.  Their selection of fabrics was a bit of this and a bit of that, to content any style or era of quilt you may want to make.

The shops red and white block was a bear paw block.  To add to my collection of red on white fabrics, I got these two small prints.

Country Patchworks - July Shop Hop #7

Country Patchworks, 515533 11th Line, Woodstock, Ontario (Canada).  Tel: 519-537-8753

We passed by this place altogether along 11th Line.  The GPS took us to the next crossroad along this country road.  If it wasn't for my daughter mentioning that she saw something big and red on a house a little ways back we would not have found it.  

As you can see from the picture above, the something big and red was the July Shop Hop poster that is attached to the garage door.  However, it is really not a garage door.  In the space behind this door and the one beside it is the shop.  In the picture below you can see only some if the rows of fabric.  The shop is attached to a home and not only the garage has been converted to a shop but a small portion of the home has been as well. 

Like most stores they have beautiful samples on the walls, on tables and on the shelves as well.  Their Row by Row was of snowmen.  The white polka dot on red background is what I got from this store.

Ye Olde Fabric Shoppe - July Shop Hop #6

Ye Olde Fabric Shoppe, 327 Erie St., Stratford, Ontario (Canada).  Tel: 519-273-5773

This store is located behind and attached to a gas station.  When the GPS indicated "you have arrived at your destination". I thought, oh great wrong address, but when I turned into the gas station to turn around there it was.  A little odd I thought at first, but that was where the "odd" ended. 

The store is larger than it looks with a large selection of fabrics and inspiration.  The shop had many cubby sections with different lines of fabrics or coordinating fabric.  The samples were aplenty, from quilts to wall hangings, table cloths, bag and more.  Throughout the store there was something to catch your eye.  Just when you figure you've seen it all you turn around to leave and see more.

This was the shops red and white block and their Row by Row.  While I was there I caught sight of a sample quilt on the wall that had 3-D pinwheels.  I bought the pattern.  Thought it was so cute.  Something I think I will make up for my granddaughter.

Creative Sister's Quilt Studio -July Sop Hop #5

This past weekend, on Saturday, my daughter and I headed out to visit as many quilt stores as we could.  This was the first one, as they were the only one opened at 9:00 am on the Saturday morning.

Creative Sister's Quilt Studio, 321 Lancaster St. W., Kitchener, Ontario (Canada).  Tel: 519-584-2130

It doesn't look like much from the outside, but inside they had a wide open space with lots of room for fabrics and notions along the wall and cutting tables down the centre.  The store was very long.  Down in the back they had a section for books and stuff and further down they had another room where they had all their backings.  This was the larges selection of backings that I have ever seen with two and a half walls full.  Just behind this from is where they had the long arm.

This was the store's block and Row by Row pattern.  The red from the Row by Row fabric line caught my interest.  

Borders on my log cabin quilt

Borders are the last thing that go on a quilt before you sandwich and quilt it.  There are as many choices for borders as there are for the centre.  There are times for pieced borders and times for plain ones, depending on the mood you want the quilt to have and who you are making the quilt for.

I find that sometimes you look at a quilt and feel that there is something missing or off with the border.  That is when the match does not fit.  I have to admit that I tend it stick with plain borders instead of pieced ones up to this point.  I have done pieced borders in the past, but still gravitate to plain.  A plain border does not mean boring. Even with a plain border you still have to consider a few options, like what size, colour and how many borders.  A border makes the quilt, so when it does not fit you feel it.

I had my log cabin quilt done now for about a year and I believe it was in March sometime that I pinned the quilt and shortly after started quilting it in the ditch following the zig zag lines between the dark and light of the blocks.  I got the whole quilt done and there it sat since.  It wasn't until a couple of weekends ago when I realized why I was stuck on this quilt.  I couldn't bring myself to move forward with it.  I get this way from time to time, where I can't seam to move on.

The picture here is the border selection.  I hade it on the quilt and quilted in the ditch.  I have to say honestly that I really did not like the border from the start.  Some people may like it but it just is not me.  I find these colours so drab, they seem to drag the quilt down.  Even though they were partially quilted I had to take them off.  I would never be happy with them.  One weekend whirl at my parent's house for the after I started taking it apart.  My daughter decided she would help.  Before we left in the evening it was done.

The next day was when I decided to make a trip to The Hobby Horse.  We found just the right borders to liven up the quilt.  This new border enhances the centre and bring out some of the dominant colours.  The centre has a majority of strong colours that stand out and call for your attention and the border calls out to be recognized as well. 

I am much more satisfied with the border.  It is still a plain border, but it stands out better.  So, now I have the border sewn back on and quilted in the ditch.  I feel that now I can move on.  I am motivated to work on it and have already picked a few quilting patterns to start with.

There is one thing that I learned from all of this, and that is to go with you gut feelings.  Don't let anyone push you into a choice.  Everyone is different.  Again you have to remember that there are as many choice for the border as there are for the centre.  The options are endless, but when you find the right options for you, you will know.

Catching up regarding the July Shop Hop

Today is the middle of the month of July.  Next week is the last weekend of July, the last weekend to participate in the shop hop.  Unfortunately, I will not be able to go that weekend, so this weekend is the last available time.  Today was really the last day that I could do it, as tomorrow I am finally getting my plumbing in the kitchen hooked up.  My daughter and I started out at 8:30 am for the first store and returned back home at 3:15 pm to pick up my son for a Grand Niece's birthday party. 

By the time I got home a 6:00 pm from the party, I was tired but felt I wanted to clean up my quilting room.  Took pictures of all the store on this trip and what I got there, as well as their block for the shop hop and their Row by Row.  While I was doing the pictures of the blocks I realized that I forgot to share with you the blocks from the quilt stores that we visited last weekend.  

This first picture is from The Quilting Bee.  They provided an appliqué block for the shop hop.  You will notice that all the stores did the blocks in red and white fabrics.  The Row by Row for them was the Spring theme.  It is cute and has the bees to represent the name of the store..  The two fat quarters I bought at the store were in the washer so didn't make the picture.

This was from The Quilt Place.  Their theme for the Row by Row was Winter.  I liked it a lot, that I bought the kit for it.  Again the fat quarters were in the wash.

This next one was from Quilt Junction.  Their red and white block was a pineapple block.  Their theme for the Row by Row was Autumn.  Their paper piece pumpkins were so cute.  I really liked it and the fabrics they used that I purchased a kit to make it.

And the last one is the block from The Hobby Horse.  While I was at The Hobby Horse I picked out some borders for two of my daughter's quilts and one for myself, including the backing and batting for two of them. This is what I was ironing when I got home today.

My day has been very full of activity.  I am finishing me tea and this post, and heading to bed early today.  Have another busy day with the plumbing going on and after that taking the kids and one of their friends to the Shriner Circus.  May not get much quilting in tomorrow, but I have another five shops to share with you as part of the July Shop Hop and Row by Row experience. 

The Quilt Place - July Shop Hop #4

The Quilt Place, 3991 Perth Rd., Shakespeare, Ontario (Canada).  Tel: 519-635-8435

This quilt shop was the last shop we were able to visit this past Sunday before we had to head home.  The home has been converted to a shop with each room set up for a specific task.  The back room, that you cannot see from the photo was where you could look for books, stencils for quilting and their selection of flannel.  This front room was for all the different patterns and some notions.  Just beyond the archway is where you will find all the fabric and the rest of the quilting notions.

This trip I forgot to go upstairs.  Where I am standing to take this picture is the staircase.  Upstairs they have the few rooms set up as a display area with many quilts for display and some for sale.

Quilt Junction - July Shop Hop #3

Quilt Junction, 121 Alice St., Waterford, Ontario (Canada).  Tel: 519-443-7222

This quilt store is another place that I enjoy going to.  It is a converted 19th century train depot with three rooms and high ceilings for display.  The rooms are quaint with little displays located here and there.  While the view outside is picturesque.

Quilt Junction has been featured in Quilt Sampler, Spring/Summer issue 2014. My pictures here do not do the shop justice.  The magazine article is full of eye candy with the displays of small quilts and miniatures.  If you get a chance, read the article and make a trip down there.  In the town there are other neat things to see and do.

My son likes it here.  As my daughter and I are in the shop he enjoys walking across the grass to check out one of Waterford's ponds.

What am I up to...

After finishing the quilting for a friend on Sunday evening, I sat there and admired the quilt for a bit and tried to thing of what quilt I was going to work on next.  Do I continue quilting or start on piecing again.  I think I told you already that I am working on 23 quilts at this time.  All of them are in various forms of completion.  My goal is to bring this number down to 12 by the end of the year.

Someone asked me recently how and why do I have so many going at once.  The answer is not easy to explain, especially to a non quilter.  I have many things on the go because some quilts require hand work, others need quilting, some are leader/enders and others are reconstructed quilts.  Different jobs need different things.  

The hand work needs me to have patients to sit and concentrate on the pattern with different coloured threads and intricate work.  The leader and enders is something I do in between other quilts.  My main projects work continuously until something happens that I need to put it away for a bit.  The quilting of the layers needs me to have a certain attitude and the ideas on how to quilt it.  The list goes on and on.  Before you know it you have too many on the go.

After much deliberation I decided to get something done in the quilting column.  I now have eight quilts in this column.  All but two of them have the batting and backing ready to go.  This project below is what I am now working on.  This is a reversible quilt.  They are 6 1/2" squares.  This was a challenge I  set for myself to use up my scrap bits and pieces.  I can use up all my scrap batting from various projects and all the left overs and pieces too small for anything else.  The top is a solid block and the reverse is the crazy block that I sewed directly on to the batting and trimmed to size.

I even have pieces left over from various quilts that I have made or others have given up on.  Everything goes into this.  Now that this block is done, I will add the reversible sashing/binding to attach it to another block and so forth.  I call this Crazy Quilt Using Basket Scraps.  Not vary imaginative, but that is what it is.  I already have almost half of the blocks quilted.  We shall see how long it takes me to finish, so that I can cross something off my list.  That would be nice, as I haven't completed anything of my own all year.  This year was busy with renos, family health issues, work, overtime and quilting for others.  I think it is time to do one of my own.  Well one of my own quilt projects that is, as this quilt is not for me.  This will be a give away/donation quilt.

This evening I will get my hand work bag ready, as I am off to the Quilt Bee meeting.  I can't wait to see my friend's expression when she sees her quilt all done up.

The Quilting Bee - July Shop Hop #2

The Quilting Bee, 155 Highway 20 W, Fonthill, Ontario (Canada).  Tel: 905-892-7926

This store is definitely another one of my favourite stores.  They are about 1 1/2 hour away from me.  The store is very big and spacious.

They always have numerous quilts hanging off the railing, the walls and on display. What you don't see from the pictures is, behind the wall behind the area rug is a classroom with more inspirational quilts.  To the left of that a room with a long arm machine for those who want to learn and to the right  underneath the balcony are all the notions and quilt supplies you would need plus more.

When you enter the store you are greeted with this staircase that takes you up to the balcony where you will find the children's fabric, a Christmas section and at the back a clearance section.  Just to the right of the staircase are the machines for sale.  As I turned to face the staircase I put behind me all the rows upon shelves of fabrics from batiks to reproductions and everything in between which go all the way across the store and beneath another balcony on the other side.

Beautiful store.  The girls from my quilting bee and I will plan a trip to this store from time to time for some R&R time as a girls day out and a visit  to the restaurant attached to the same building.  Also a good place to visit. 

Quilting a friends quilt

Here is the overall quilting design I did for the quilt.  The quilt is not laying flat as I was still in the process of quilting it when I took this picture.  I was quilting it and looked up as one of my children walked in.  I thought the play of light at that moment highlighted the quilting very nicely.

This photo is one I show everyone already. It is a close up of one section only. Added it here as well to keep the pictures for this quilt together.

This next picture is a section of the large border.  With everything going on in the centre, I wanted to down play the border.  I did a grid using the material as my template.  The grid is 1" square.

Lastly you have the reveal.  What do you think?  Nice quilt, isn't it?  I think the quilting helps make the quilt stand out.  The colours also seem to stand out more with the quilting.  Hope my friend will like it.

A trip to The Hobby Horse - July Shop Hop #1

The Hobby Horse 12707 Ninth Line, Georgetown, Ontario (Canada). Tel: 905-877-9292

This store would have to be one of my favourites.  The store has been here for about 32 years.  The structure is a barn.  The front looks more like a house, but if you look closely you can see the roof of the barn behind it.

When you first walk in you get a sense of welcome into the store.  The ceiling shown below shows the tongue and groove wood with lights to shine on the numerous displays.  The store is filled with inspiration of all kinds.  Different styles of quilts to suit everyone.

The Hobby Horse also has the largest collection of hand stitch work patterns and samplers that I have seen in a quilt store.  These quilts, wall hangings or pillows add to make the place warm and inviting.

The store has a large selection on the main floor and a lot going on downstairs as well.  The picture below is only a small part of the Christmas section that they have downstairs.  You can find Christmas in July or anytime here.  Even out of season the selection is large.

Downstairs you will also find a large cubby for children's novelties, flannel, a section with quilting patterns and the classrooms too.  Definitely a place you would want to visit.