A Little Paint

A like to paint a little too.
 Looking at these makes me think I'm a quilter at heart.

I was Liebstered and Tagged

Nadine from Quilted Bliss awarded me with the Leibster Award and Deborah over at Quilt Routes Tagged my blog. You'll want to stop and check out both these talented women.

Here are the rules of the Liebster Award  and Tagging 

• Tell your readers who tagged or nominated you.
• Add a link to their blog.
• Pay it forward!!! Award 3-5 bloggers who you think deserve this award.
• Inform then and post directions to your blog
• Pick blogs with under 300 followers

Choosing my favorite blogs under 300 is not all that easy. I ask myself two questions:

• What draws me to a blog?
• What keeps me coming back?

The first thing I probably notice is a picture, of one their quilts...I'm attracted to innovative use of colour and design. A balance of photos and writing is important to me. Too much print and no photos and....I'm gone.

 There is something more.....I feel a connection with the following blogs because in them, I find humour, sharing of ideas, inspiration and encouragement.  The following bloggers take time to make contact with people that comment....their blogs are warm and welcoming. I hope all of you will take a moment to visit with them., I do almost every morning.

To the following blogs I give the Liebster Award. If you have time stop by and you won't be disappointed.

1. Smazoochie
2. Mary at Fiberliscious
3. Kat at Mummastimetocreate

 I am Tagging the following blogs.

1. Dan at Made by a Man just a note....this is very new blog but I have a feeling it might really take off.
2. Leila at Where the Orchids Grow
3. Lisa at Shinersview

I hope you find time to visit these wonderful quilters.

It Was Meant to Be

After spending a lovely day of sewing and visiting, fellow Blockhead and I headed for dinner. Can we help it, that our local quilt shop, is just a hop, skip and a jump away? Just a little browse, what harm could it do.....after all I was almost out of basting spray. Well, you know what happened....a whole shelf of those beautiful Kaffe Fassett stripes, I mean a whole shelf, aren't they just lovely with the project I'm working on. That very morning I was longing for some turquoise type stripes......I rest my case...it was meant to be. Oh, by the way, in all my excitement, I forgot to purchase the basting spray, that I came for, in the first place.  So guess where I was this morning???? Did I buy more fabric....well maybe just a little.  Just so you know, I did remember to buy the basting spray.

See those turquoise stripes....yep, some late night, or should I say early morning sewing with my new fabric. I just couldn't wait.

P.S. Fellow Blockhead bought fabric too!!

QAYG Strips on Circles 2011

I had a bunch of circles made and thought I would pull them out to play. Since I  left my Strips on Stripes project in Victoria, I was still wanting to work on this concept, with the addition of circles. I played around a little and this is the result.

 



I'll see where this takes me.

When All Else Fails...Alphabetize Your Quilting Books

Sometimes I just need to clear my mind.....to many ideas floating around in there. I find it helpful to clear my space.....and if all else fails you can always alphabetize your quilting books.

In all fairness it does help when looking for something.

Some lovely flowers from last night's dinner with friends.....just because.

My Favourite Quilting Thread

My absolute favourite quilting thread is by Valdani. It has beautiful colour ways and comes in more than one weight.

Blogging Ettiquette

If you are interested in blogging etiquette you' ll want to  read this . I'm a little late putting this up, but it is a very  worthwhile read. Kat has put together a series of posts, by different bloggers, addressing blogger etiquette. I'm finding it extremely informative. Way to go Kat...really well done.

Does Blogging Come with a Disclosure Clause??

 I think my WORKS IN PROGRESS are also increasing, at an alarming rate...and this is only in the knitting world. I thought I would just post a few more WIP knitting projects. In just a few short  minutes, this is what I came up with.....didn't have to look very hard....what if I actually start searching? Remember, I don't knit near as much as I quilt.......not quite ready to disclose the quilting WIP.... even to self.

Does Fabric Multiply???

Does fabric multiply, when you leave sit to long? I swear I didn't leave this much sitting around, before I left for Victoria. I usually clean stuff up before I go away, but didn't this time.....I'm sure it reproduced....all on it's own!

Ditto with my books. There are piles like this all over the place. Now a wise woman would clean this up and finish something already in progress...I don't know if wisdom is my strong suit.

Here's to Lily's Quilts

 Hexagon Park for Moda Bake Shop   

If you have always longed for hexagons, but have been stopped by fear, you need to check out this brilliant pattern by  Lynne .  Trust me, you will get much more than you bargained for.   She is a constant source of encouragement to the online quilting community.   She is talented and, oh my, she does make us laugh. 

She gave me the nudge I needed, to start my blog, and was the first one to push that follow button.....you know how scary it is to publish that first post.    It's people like Lynne, that help make this wonderful community of quilters come alive.

Congratulations Lynne.....and thanks for just being you.

Marianne            

Back to Winter

 

My tulips have wilted......and my time in beautifu British Columbia is over. Going back to Winter, I shouldn't complain to much, I was here a whole month.

Putting away the quilting stuff.

I was sort of busy here. What did I do anyway....besides spending countless hours in blogland?

I started Strips on Stripes here and am going to leave it behind....... to work on, when I'm back...not sure when that is.

I'm tempted to take it back with me, but it's nice to have something, on the go, for when I come back.  Hmm. the last time I did that (twice before) I just started something new, because that 's what I do best. 

Yep, three projects to finish, when I come back...I guess they'll wait for me.

I Sort of Knit Too

Did I mention I  knit, sort of.....I start many projects and finish few. Chawne's blanket reminded me of a few projects I have hidden away. You really need to check out Completely Cauchy....completely inspirational, thought provoking and funny. Her use of colour will leave you breathless.



I started this log cabin thing in 2006...after seeing Chawne's finished one, maybe I should give this another go. 

Just playing around

Fantastic Book...has a sort of patch work thing going on.

When I get back home, I might actually photograph some of those knitting works in progess. Who knows what I'll find.

QAYG Featuring Children's Art

This is a QAYG project I had almost forgotten about. In the year 2008, my daughter was working with the Edmonton Inner City Children's Project. She wanted something, that would incorporate the art work, of many children, into one finished project. This is what we came up with.

  

The Children were given:

• Back ground squares in various colours
• Multi-coloured, pieces of fabric, fused with Wonder Under
• Fabric Paint
• Fabric Markers

 Later fellow Blockhead, Lauren Cherdarchuk and I incorporated the individual squares into a wall hanging and a quilt.

This is a great way to feature some of your children's art.

Tutorial/QAYG # 5 / Joining Blocks with Narrow Strips

In this tutorial we will be joining the blocks, with  narrow joining strips. The steps are much the same as # 4 Joining the Blocks Tutorial, with some minor differences.

• Backing strip (black) 1 and 1/4 inches wide.
• Front strip (multi coloured) 2 inches wide.
• When joining the blocks you need short strips, to join the individual blocks, and longer ones to join the rows, just as you do when making sashing.
• Cut your short strips the same length, as the finished size of the block, which in this case is 20 inches.  This is important because just as in applying borders, it keeps you from stretching as you sew.

• Press the 2 inch front strip (multi-coloured) in half...wrong sides together.

• Make sure your block is right side up.
• When joining two blocks you want to put your strip on the right side, of the left block.
• The sequence of how you do things is important, because you want to avoid having the bulk of your quilt under your machine...again it becomes clear, as you go along...I had to learn the hard way.
• Line up the raw edges of multi-coloured strip up with the raw edge of the block.
• Next, take the backing strip (black) and line it up along the same edge but, on the back of the block.....right sides together.
• Use a walking foot...in my pictures I am sewing on a Pfaff with a built in walking foot.

• Join all the layers together....with a 1/4 inch seam allowance...and a regular stitch length.
• I usually just use one pin, at the top, to line things up.
• Back stitch at the beginning and the end to secure everything.



• Join the remaining edge of the backing strip (black stripe) to the back of the other block.
• Right sides together.
• I use a lot more pins here.

• Stitch using a 1/4 inch seam allowance.
• You might want to do a test run, on this, because you want the seam allowances to butt together perfectly.
•  If your seam allowance is too wide the seam allowances will overlap creating bulk.
• If your seam allowance is too narrow there will be a space or gully.

•  Turn over and give everything a tug and press.

•  Press from the front. My preference is to press, almost every step of the way. I might want a wonky design but I don't want wonky sewing.
• Pin and then stitch the edge (multi-coloured) down. In many of my quilts I use a blanket or applique stitch for this, but in this particular quilt I wanted my joining strips to look the same, as my strips that are creating the design.

• Here are the two joined blocks. The multi-coloured strip is the join.

Coming up:

Adding QAYG Borders