It Was a Very Good Day

 My wonderful son with his beautiful boy.

Indeed, it was a very good day....our hearts are full.

And of course, here are a few pics, of the quilt I made for him.

Speaking of Joining

I've started a Flickr Group.....
QAYG Unstitched

The QAYG topic is humongous (to borrow another one of  my little granddaughter's favourite phrases). As a result I've started a Flickr group to share our projects and field some of the many questions, that come my way. 

When I look at how often I use this method, even though I have a long arm...I realize just how much I love this way of quilting.

I really have no idea how to run a Flickr group, but will have fun trying. Who knows I might even figure out how to create a button, after all Lynne tells me how, right here. And If I follow along on her Touch draw tutorials, who knows what might happen.....now let's not get carried away!!

If this is something you're interested in, come join QAYG Unstitched.  With all that un-stitching we might just become unhinged....let's do it together, I'd love to see you over there. 

And the Joining Begins.....

As you can see, I've decided against using the stripes.

Making progress.

A little improv joining going on.

I would like the joiners to blend into the quilt, rather than be an obvious design element .

  

A close-up...can you see which strip is the joiner? 

Blocks 11 & 12.....And That's It!!

Here are blocks 11 and 12, of the Oakshott Project and to borrow one my little granddaughter's favourite sayings, for the moment....and that's it. She loves it use it when she wants another turn of anything. "One more time" she'll say "and that's it!"...knowing full well she'll probably get a few more. It's those dimples and big blue eyes that will do it every time. 

Seriously for this set of blocks....that's it!
Now to join them all together. 

Just in case you missed it, check out yesterdays give away here.

Silly Me...Lucky You or My first Give Away

I was so excited when the book Quilting Modern by  Jacquie Gering and Katie Pederson came out, I did what any good quilter would do......I pre-ordered, not just once, but twice. (I'm sure this never happens to any of you.) So guess who has an extra copy of this fabulous book?? You guessed right. So I'm going to do what any good blogger would do...I'm going to share it with you.

 

 If you want to try your hand at improvisational type quilting....this is the book for you. Some of the books I pre-order are a little disappointing when I receive them....NOT THIS ONE. The quilts are stunning and the workmanship is exemplary. And the quilting...ah the quilting is exquisite. A number of the quilts are quilted by the extremely talented Angela Walters.

But this is not just a book full of quilt eye-candy but numerous techniques with clear, well written instructions to go along.

If you would like to receive a copy of QUILTING MODERN, just leave me a comment on today's post, sharing what modern quilting means to you. I would love to hear your thoughts. I'll pick the winner on May 1st.
Note: If you are a no-reply or anonymous commenter please leave me your email address so I can contact you if you win.

 

  

 

 Meanwhile, I'm working on the last two blocks of the Oakshott Project.

Block Ten

 

 A little piecing....after all, I just  had to try out my new die, for the Go Cutter... the smaller size drunkards path.


 These are a little more finicky to piece than the larger size, but I thought the quilt could use a few smaller circles

A little more piecing... 

A little applique... 

 A little quilting...

A little more applique....

And there you have it...block ten of the Oakshott Project. 

 A little playing around.....
Hmm, should I or shouldn't I add a few stripes?? 

 

We'll see...

  

What Does One Do??

So what does one do, when deadlines are looming?? Rip up the sewing room, of course!! It goes without saying.

 

It's amazing how much havoc I can create, in a short period of time....and all to avoid what I should be doing. 

 

And now, I have the problem of putting all this back together, so I can work, on what  I was supposed to be doing in the first place.....what's with that??

Block Nine of the Oakshott Project

It's not just the piecing that is improvised. 

I like to improvise the quilting as well. 

 This is actually a very simple method of applique.
I'm using two inch strips that have been pressed in half.

 The strips are then stitched down, using a 1/4 inch seam allowance. Since this is a QAYG project, I'm stitching through all the layers of the quilt.

The strips are then pressed to one side and stitched down. 

Block Nine...completed. 

Block Back 

Nine blocks done...three more to go.

A little closer look.

Just Because My Machine is Resting....

Just because my machine is taking a rest, doesn't mean my fabric addiction is asleep.

 There is nothing better than finding a deal.

Fabric for $6 a meter....

and my favourite Valdani thread at half price.

 

 Good thing I wasn't sleeping.

Back on the West Coast

I'm enjoying a wonderful week, with family, including one of my darling little granddaughters.

It's always wonderful seeing the world, through the eyes of a child.

 So needless to say, the sewing machine is taking a rest.