Tula's Blocks 11-15

A little late with showing these blocks since I think they were completed over a month ago. But better late than never, right :)

Here are Tula's Blocks 11-15

Block 11

There are some itty-bitty squares in there. 1" squares! Can you believe it? I don't think I've ever cut and sewed something that small!

Block 12

I wish I had used a darker background fabric but it was what I had a lot of in my scraps bin.

Block 13

Love, Love, Love the text print!

Block 14

Love these colours!

Block 15

Love the little houses :) 

If you don't own Tula Pink's City Sampler 100 Modern Quilt Blocks you should ask Santa for a copy. It is absolutely incredible and so much fun! I am loving going through my scrap bins to make these blocks!

Hope you have those homemade Christmas gifts done....I am still working on some! Speaking of those, I better get back to it :)

Julia

PEI MQG Clue #4

PEI MQG released Clue #4 on Dec 1 while I was returning from vacation so I just finished my blocks for this clue a couple of days ago. If you'd like to go see Clue #4, you can click here. It's never too late to join in :) It has been a lot of fun so far!

Clue #4 blocks

I chose the Paper Piecing method since I do like Paper Piecing. It just provides the precision that I'm looking for when piecing. 

I have been able to do a few other projects but they are still a secret for now. Someday I'll get to share ;)

I wish you all a Happy Holiday season :)

Tula's Blocks 6-10

As promised here are the blocks 6-10 :)

Block 6

Block 7

Block 8

Block 9

Block 10

Have you ever looked at Tula Pink's City Sampler Book? You should really take a peek. It's full of gorgeous blocks and fabrics! A great book for inspiration :)

Tula's 100 Modern Quilt Blocks

I've decided not to start another quilt right now since I have a lot of tops that need to be finished. I have some piecing projects on the go such as BAQ through Quilting is My Therapy and PEIMQG Mystery Quilt Along. The only problem is that these are monthly. I had started making Tula's 100 Modern Quilt Blocks with my scraps over the summer. Tonight I pulled out my storage container with the blocks that I had made so far with my scraps. I figured I would continue from where I left off which was Block 15. This is the perfect project since my scrap bins are overflowing and I need to be able to piece something while quilting all those quilt tops! Plus these blocks are quick and they are all different. It's a winning combo all around.

Here are blocks 1-5:

Block 1

Block 2

Block 3

Block 4

Block 5

I won't bombard you with the other 10 blocks tonight. I'll post Blocks 6-10 another evening :)

I also want to take a moment to say Thank you to all the men and women who have served and the ones who continue to serve. I also want to say Thank you to those members' families. I will never forget the sacrifices that were made and are still made today that allow freedom in our beautiful country. 

 They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
We will remember them.

Thank You.

BAQ and Clue #3

I haven't been doing any finishes lately but I have been working away on some projects. I just set up my midarm this weekend. It was packed away due to some rooms being renovated. Plaster dust and gyproc dust are just not good for my machines. SO I'm hoping to get some quilt tops that have been hanging around my sewing room quilted. One was almost complete prior to renos. I only have a small amount left to be quilted but I am stuck on how to finish the quilting.....waiting for inspiration to hit me....or the deadline! Then I only have 4 more quilt tops to quilt....then bind....hopefully they will be done before the spring.

I received my first block from Quilting is My Therapy's Build A Quilt! Angela Walters is my ultimate favourite quilting celebrity. So when I heard that she was doing this, I had to jump on the bandwagon! The ultimate prize is to have your quilt top quilted by Angela! Can you just imagine winning that prize?! It would be like the lottery! I did a test block first with fabrics from my stash of Sphere fabric by Zen Chic. Then I did the block with the Green Goddess fabric that was sent to me.

I'm hoping to test each block and be able to make a second quilt with all those test blocks.

I also finished the work for PEI MQG Mystery Quilt Along. Here is the link for clue #3:
http://peimqg.blogspot.ca/2017/11/peimqg-mystery-quilt-along-clue-3.html

And here are my blocks for Clue #3

Loving this Quilt Along! I look forward to the beginning of each month for the next clue!

Now onto the many different quilts that need to be quilted....play some really loud tunes and quilt, quilt, quilt!

Clue #2 - Check!

Well I've been able to play a little bit in my sewing room. I'm just at the end of my vacation so I'm dedicating a bit of it to sewing.....who needs a clean house :) So PEI MQG has released Clue #2 in their 2017 Mystery Quilt Along! You can view Clue #2 by clicking here. You really should go check it out! It has been a lot of fun!

Here are my completed blocks for Clue #2.

In other news, I pieced together this quilt top over the last week.

It's a pretty small one for the ones that I'm use to piecing (it's only 48" x 48"). I wrote the pattern up about a month ago. I'm calling this one "X Marks the Spot". Ever since my husband had asked me to make a quilt with this same palette, I have been in love with it. I'm already thinking about variations of this particular pattern :)

Hope you had some wonderful sewing time this weekend!

J.

Back Into the Swing of Things

Well it's been a long time since I wrote anything on here. Some times priorities just change in life. The last 6 months have shown me that. I have spent some time sewing and quilting. In May, I had a wonderful vacation with a best friend of mine helping her get ready for her wedding. I made two quilts, one as her wedding gift. And the other for her daughter who is my Goddaughter. So without further ado, here are those quilts :)

The one for my Goddaughter.

And the one for my best friend and her groom.

I've worked on a few other projects here and there. Some I cannot share on here but someday I will be able to :)

I also decided to join another Mystery Quilt Along. This one is hosted by the PEI Modern Quilt Guild. 

You can read about it and Clue #1 here.  

Here are the fabrics I chose for my Mystery quilt:

And my HSTs for Clue #1 :)

I'm looking forward to doing this quilt along. There are different options as well. You can piece a traditional quilt or a modern one. Then there are different sizes as well. It's worth a browse over to their blog if you want to have a bit of mystery in your life ;)

I wanted to say Thank you to some bloggy friends who sent me a couple of emails to make sure I was doing okay. The sentiment was greatly appreciated! I'm hoping to blog a bit more consistently now.

Hope you all have a good week :)

Triangle Baby Quilt Finished

Well I finished sewing on the binding last night on this lovely triangle quilt. 

I am really loving the colours. I'm not a big fan of orange but this small pop of it focuses your eye to it and adds a special aspect to the quilt. 

I did some straight line quilting with my walking foot about a 1/4" from each seam. I'm quite happy with the result. 

I used some monkey flannel that I had in my stash for the backing. And added one of my quilt labels.

The best part of making this quilt was learning how to sew triangles together. I avoided them forever because I thought it was going to be difficult to sew them together. Boy, was I wrong! All the fabrics came from my stash including the batting and thread. 

Well I'm off to get this lovely packed up and mailed to a special baby boy :)

A Couple of Tops

Well I've been absent from the blogging world but have still been busy in my sewing room. I'm working on a few different quilt tops that I would like to have finished in the next couple of months....I think it's an achievable goal. One top is almost finished....

Those are all 10" squares that I cut from 30 different fabrics. The pattern is you & me by Zen Chic. I didn't take a picture in the best kind of lighting. Some outdoor ones will be taken after it's complete :) Here is a picture of the pattern.

I bought this pattern from the Fat Quarter Shop a while ago. I absolutely love it! So as you can see, I still have the letters to do.

The pattern recommends quilting first and then doing the appliquées after if using edge to edge quilting. So I'm waiting for the right quilting design to strike me.

Another quilt I wanted to do, is a baby quilt for a friend. I also wanted to try to do some 60 degree triangles since I have never sewed any triangles before. I was actually surprised at how easy they are. I can definitely see myself making another quilt with them.

I choose this colour palette. Orange is not a favourite colour of mine but I love the pop of orange in this quilt. I decided on the fabric choices all from this fabric.

I bought this fabric a while back because I thought it would be perfect for a backing on a baby boy quilt. I really love the colour palette for this fabric and those cute little elephants are so sweet! 

I'm thinking the quilting will be simple on this one since the fabrics are so vibrant. I also can't help but think of my friend Anja @ Anja Quilts because Orange is her favourite fabric choice. I think over the years, she has definitely turned me into an orange fabric fan! 

So what have you been working on lately?

Julia

First Finish of 2017!

This past weekend I was able to get the binding on the quilt that I am donating to a Relay for Life fundraiser in my hometown. I try to donate a quilt for this cause that is close to my heart every second year. Various family members are cancer survivors including my mom. So I always try to help out when I can. Without further ado, here is the 2017 Relay Quilt.

I really love this Nighttime Blossoms Pattern! And it is so quick to get together. Of course, my fabrics seem more like Sunrise Blossoms ;)

The allover Swirl pattern went perfectly with this quilt. I also had to finish it fast to get it down to my hometown for the fundraiser.

At first, I was a bit tense quilting my first section of swirls. As I moved along though, it became easier and I found the quilt flow was relaxing. Just had to get over my first fear of it turning out disastrous! 

I am really happy with the result and almost wish I could keep it! Since it is going to a cause close to my heart, I have an easier time giving it up. However I do feel like I would like to make this quilt for myself again sometime ;)

Blocks and more Blocks

So this month has pushed me in the direction of doing multiple blocks for multiple projects. I'm working on these blocks.

There are so many pieces so definitely have to label all the fabrics to keep them straight. And to add to my insanity, I decided to modify the pattern to only create those blocks.

I've completed 5 of these blocks.

So far I'm quite happy with how these are turning out. 

Next up, I had to make a block for a quilt that my Fundy guild is making. Here is the block that I was assigned to make.

Cute little chick block. I'm not too excited about the hand stitching. I would have much rather machine stitched those legs.

I also cut up strips for a fabric strip swap happening within my Fundy Guild. Every month you cut up strips for the members involved in the club. Each month is a different colour. Red is the colour for February so here are my 2-1/2" strips.

At the end of the year, each member will have close to 4 rainbow jelly rolls :)

I'm still continuing with my fabric fast! I've almost put a fabric order in more than a couple of times. I debated and had a great person talk me out of it ;)

It does feel good to be using fabrics from my stash! 

So how has the first month of 2017 been for you? Did you get much sewing time in?

Ah Fabric....

So this past week contained lots of packages! I haven't posted much stash purchases for a while. It's not because I haven't been buying anything. It's because I haven't been posting those purchases. Here are my final purchases for 2016!

I had been waiting until after Christmas to purchase Quilt with Tula & Angela. If you follow my blog, you already know that I absolutely love Angela Walters' books. I am a huge fan of her work and her personality is great. Tula Pink is another favourite designer and fun to follow. I knew a book with the two of them collaborating would be epic! And this book does not disappoint! I've only thumbed through a bit of it and I am so impressed! And of course since I need to make another purchase to obtain Free Shipping, In The Studio with Angela Walters happened to tumble in my cart. I'm just expanding my collection of her books :)

Dinkydoo Fabrics had a Boxing Day sale....I was trying to not purchase any more fabric. At the beginning of the sale, I went through it but decided that I didn't need more fabric. Then I got an email about it being the last chance at the sale about a week later. My sister happened to be visiting and I asked if she wanted anything so we could split the cost of shipping. We actually ordered enough that we received Free Shipping...so much for not buying any fabric!

Don't you just love those Fat Quarter bundles?! These are bundled up by Dinkydoo Fabrics. We also had a large enough order that we received a set of scissors. I kept these smaller ones and my sister will receive the larger ones. Dinkydoo Fabrics also has a Rewards Club and they are Canadian in case you were 

wondering ;)

Another Canadian quilt shop that I received fabric from is Fabric Please!

Check out this awesome packaging. And a FREE Fat Quarter too! I may have also starting looking into a trip to Toronto for 2017 Quilt Canada....

Inside that delightful package are these gorgeous fabrics.

Ah. I just love pretty fabric! Take a closer look at my favourite out of this bunch!

There's just something about blueprints that I cannot resist!

I also got this lovely bundle of fabrics from my husband for Christmas...and a gift card to my LQS ;)

The fact that my husband supports my habit is all I need but him going to a fabric store to buy me fabric and thread makes me realize I am one lucky girl!

So all these purchases over one week has made me realize that I should cut back this year. USE a lot of that pretty fabric that I've been hoarding for years. I may not be able to give any quilts away but I will use my fabric!

 

So as of January 1st, I started a "fabric diet". I do have my week long sewing trip booked for May so I WILL be buying fabric then. Every diet needs an incentive! It's like exercising and dieting for that beach vacation. I do have a few gift cards that I can use if I want a "treat" but I can't spend over that amount. I also will purchase items like batting, thread, etc to finish off projects. But I will not purchase any fabric, unless it has to do with a specific project and absolutely have nothing in my stash to finish it! 

I am already "jonesing" for some fabric but I am trying to resist the temptation! Anyone else going on a "fabric diet" this year?

2017! New Year, New Resolutions

I haven't blogged much but I've still been busy in my sewing room over the month of December. One of the projects that I have been working on, is a quilt that I will donate for the Relay for Life fundraiser in my hometown. I pulled these fabrics for that quilt at the beginning of December.

I selected yellow fabrics because all cancer survivors wear yellow as a symbol of their survival against cancer.

I donated a quilt back in 2015 for this same fundraiser. I try to give as much as I can to different charities and other fundraisers.  I actually know the couple who won this quilt.

The man who won it is a cancer survivor and his wife was a substitute teacher to me when I was in school. I no longer live in my hometown but I try to help out there when I can. 

This 2017 Relay quilt went together very quickly for me. The pieces are large and with chain piecing, the blocks come together very quickly.

The pattern is called Nighttime Blossoms. Originally I had no plans to make this quilt but that's what I love about keeping my old magazines. I love going through them and discovering quilts that I had previously dismissed. I also dismiss some quilts that I previously tagged to make. It's amazing to see how my vision changes (sometimes drastically!) from one year to the next. I really don't like to make quilts twice but I may make an exception for this one!

Since this one was fairly quick, I didn't take many pictures during the process. Here's the layout.

I quilted this quilt using my midarm since I want more practice and want to justify making that purchase! Here's a small peek at one of the blocks and the quilting.

I did allover swirls on this quilt. I felt like it was the best option for quilting quickly and just fit with the pattern of the quilt. I just need to attach the binding on this one. Followed by a wash and dry. Then it can be taken to my hometown where they will sell tickets on it to fundraise donations for the Relay for Life event there.

My Fundy guild is also making a donation quilt and is asking for blocks from members. The idea is to construct a block using your initials. Mine are JAD so I came up with this.

Jasmine And a Dragonfly

I am not the greatest at figuring these cryptic blocks but I'm ok with the result. 

As for my 2017 resolutions, I would like to tackle my large WIPs pile. These are most of them...

Each one of those cases contains a WIP. Sometimes it's just a fabric pull and pattern. Other ones have blocks at various stages, some have cut fabric....lots of different stages of the quilting process. I would like to get through these containers this year....maybe it's wishful thinking but I'm going to try! These 14" square scrapbooking cases from Michaels work perfectly to contain projects. I've picked up quite a few over the years. You can usually get them for $4.99 regular price. I've gotten them for $2.99 at times ;) I absolutely think they are essential to my sewing room. 

So besides all these WIPs, I would also like to make use of my overloaded scrap bins. I'm hoping to make a block a month from those bins....once I figure out what block I want to make. More on this to come....

And of course I'm sure a few baby quilts will be tossed in the mix. Those are sort of unpredictable when they come up ;)

So what are your 2017 goals?