Susan's quilt

I belong to the Halton Hill Quilt Guild.  Last meeting we had a round robin.  At our guild, this is where there are four tables set up and each table has a speaker who will teach/demonstrate some sort of quilt technic.  We all sit at one of the tables and in 15 min. intervals we will rotate.

This year there were two tables showing different methods of appliqué, one was the overlay art quilts, and the third was two methods of piecing. 

I thought it went well and I learned a few new tricks and technics.  I completely forgot to take pictures until I got to Susan's table.  Her table was for freezer paper appliqué. 

She demonstrated the way she uses the freezer paper to make the appliqué shapes and showed us some of her pretty finished items.

I was drawn to this quilt in particular.  I really like the mix of appliqué with piecing.  I also like the grid that is created on this quilt with the alternating X block.  Just an FYI, these blocks were only 3" square. So cute!  Maybe I was also drawn to it because of the small sized blocks.  Lol.  Either way, I thought this quilt as a whole looked fabulous!

March's BOM from Whirls 'n Swirls are done

Here we are in April and I realized I haven't posted my finished blocks for March's BOM.  This is the 3rd of twelve blocks we are making to learn different techniques for longarm quilting.  There are three different methods/ways to quilt them.  

This first block will be for the modern method of quilting.

This second block will be for the freehand method.

And this last block will be for the traditional way of quilting.

I was going to do the quilting as a quilt-as-you-go method.  When they are all done I was going to put them together into a quilt.  Unfortunately, I've only been able to keep up with making the blocks and haven't had time to load them to my machine to practice stitching them.

I do want to practice them on junk fabric first though too, before I commit the designs to the actual blocks.  I don't fancy messing them up or ripping them out.  I'm a little fickle that way......lol

Aunt Bea's Parlor, Flower basket #4

Here is another basket block from the pattern Aunt Bea's Parlor.  This is the block number 4.  It looks pretty with the cheerful yellow and blue flowers.  Just the right colours to celebrate Easter.

I am off to Hobby Horse today, to see if I can find some border fabric for my March's American Patchwork & Quilting challenge quilt.  They just yesterday announced the number for April.......oh my.  I still want to try and finish March.  I definitely will not have it quilted, but maybe I can at least have the top done!  
 
Well.....I am going to leave this a short post today.  I'm just glad I took the time to write.  I really miss writing regularly.

Bento box block (QW)

Yes, I started yet another block!!!  The makings of yet another quilt.  This one is a stash buster, so I don't feel too guilty.  It's called a bento box block.  I saw this one a long time ago and it keeps coming up everywhere.  I plan to do this one scrappy, using up all the bits and pieces of strips I have.

The block finishes at 9" square.  I am using my 2" strips.  Each block will be made of two fabrics and each block will be different from the others.  If I use the same fabric twice, it will be paired with a different partner.  

Recently, like over the past year, I have accumulated numerous chunks of fabrics.  When I say chunks, I am referring to bits and pieces that are not a fat quarter but bigger than a couple of strips.  I haven't had time to deal with them all, so I have them all washed, ironed and stacked nicely in a basket until I can get to them.

I have the monkey wrench blocks, that I am using up the scraps for, plus the Carolina chain blocks.  Now I also have these bento box blocks.

I am hoping to make a dent in my scraps.  Though I enjoy having my scraps, I have to keep processing them to keep them manageable.  BUUUUUUTTTTT.......I enjoy that too! Lol

Happy Easter!!!

Storm at sea quilt variation (QW)

I saw this on Printrest a while back and kept it for inspiration.  I cannot find the paper I had with who the maker was and her comments to give her credit.  If anyone remembers, please let me know.

I can't even remember if she was making these two variations separately or as one.  It is very interesting, how one simple change to the block, can have a huge impact on the appearance of a quilt.

Storm at sea is one of the quilts on my bucket list.  I really like the newer version and how much movement it adds to the quilt.  It will be a long while before I can start this quilt, so I have a lot of time to decide.  Thought I would save this photo for reference, so I don't loose it too.

Currently, I am still working on various things from the UFO challenge, BOM, Customer work, my own work, working f/t, renos, etc., etc........  Yesterday was the first day in a very long time that I had to myself.......until my daughter got home from work and tells me she needs to go to the walk in clinic.  Always something around here.  My daughter is fine, just her throat starting to get worst instead of better.  More on what I worked on yesterday in another post.

This morning, thanks to my son, I got to sleep in.  I mean really sleep in!!!  I can't even remember the last time I slept in until 9:15 am.  This is a wow for me and I am trying hard not to feel guilty about it (so many things to do).

I do have a lot of pictures to show you and hope that April will allow me more time to sit and write my posts, as well as sit to do my handwork.  Yesterday at the walk in clinic was the first time in March that I had time to work on the block for To Grandmother's House We Go.

Take care everyone and try to finds some time for you.

March's American Patchwork & Quilting UFO Challenge

March's American Patchwork & Quilting UFO Challenge number is #3.  For me that is my Brown Bear quilt.  They announced it on February 28th, so for the past two days, I have been working like mad on my string blocks.  My quilting room is starting to look like a hit and run.  With creativity always comes a mess.

This is the block, plus sashings.  I've always wanted to make a quilt using bear paw blocks, but I didn't see it in my future anytime soon.  One day while cleaning up my stash, I noticed I had a large amount of brown strings.  Not a colour that I use often.

With gifts from friends and family, who don't do scrappy, I've accumulated quite a selection of strings.  So for a few days I thought and thought of how I could use them up.  Eventually I put one and one together to come up with this bear paw variation.

I have been patiently waiting until I could really get into this quilt.  It was hard holding myself back.  But no more!!  This is my #3.  I can now go to town with it!!!

My pile of parts is really growing.  The completed units are in the container and a stack just needs to be trimmed (bottom left hand corner) on the side.  I have about 35 small units left to make.  I will sort them out and start adding the claws.  The claws are already made (top right hand side).

I am so excited to work on this quilt!

Threw in a Scrappy Carolina Chain block in as leader/enders

I threw in a Scrappy Carolina Chain block as leader/enders, between sewing other things.  This is the first block, made completely from scraps.  

When I am cleaning up from other projects, buying scrap bags, or getting donated scraps from others, I cut them up in usable sizes.  Usually 2" strips, 2" squares, 1 1/2" strips and 1 1/2" squares.  The pieces to make this block all come from 2" strips.  So while I am processing the scraps, I will usually have a couple of quilts I want to make in the near future and cut the units I need for them too, while the scraps are on the cutting table.  Cuts down on processing the strips a second time later.

I did another batch of samples and even pieced together the strips that make up a larger strip, to go through my daughter's quilt backing.  I only need to add the last black border to it to finish it off, and add it to the backing.  All of these strips also come from my drawer of 2" strips.  Having things cut up as you go makes it much faster to get things together and made up.

I would not have had to make this extra piece/spacer, if the manufacture had given us the 108" wide backing that the salvage says it is.  It was actually only 103" right off the bolt and once it was washed, shrunk down to only 96".  That is 12" short of what I thought I was getting.  

Good thing I noticed it before I loaded it onto the longarm.  Also, a good thing my daughter was willing to accept a pieces backing.

I've been so busy this month, that I haven't made as much progress on my February's American Patchwork & Quilting UFO Challenge, as I would have liked.  Some progress is better than none, but would have preferred more.

I think I will keep this one out, even after they announce the quilt number for March.  This is the only one out of the twelve months, that is handwork.  The rest are all pieced or paper piecing.  I can work on the piecing work and make quick work of it to complete it in the month.  When I need a break or want to relax with some handwork, I can try and finish these three panels.

Hope everyone is keeping busy.  You know what they say....busy hands keeps you out of trouble.