Thursday, June 30, 2016

A Slice to Make!

A while back, my friend Claire and I got on the subject of Watermelon Quilts...both of us wanted to make one...she had the pattern by Cheri Payne called 'Watermelon Slices' and I wanted to try to make 'improv' watermelon slices...so we each did our own thing....Here are the results!

Here's Claire's 'Watermelon Slices'...is this not the sweetest summer quilt EVER!!  I LOVE IT!!


Claire tweaked Cheri's pattern a bit by making a paper pieced pattern to make the slices.  She said it just made the slices faster and easier to make.  Now Claire needs to stitch down the wool crow and quilt the mat and she is done!  After seeing Claire's quilt, I hate to show you mine!  It's not nearly as cute!  You can't beat a Cheri Payne design!  Check out her patterns HERE!

But share I will...here's my 'Life's a Picnic'...I made the slices just like I made the Christmas Tree Quilt last Winter...you can see that quilt HERE and there is a tutorial link provided.  The only difference in making a watermelon slice vs. a tree is, instead of a tree trunk, I sewed on the green watermelon rind.  VERY easy and no two slices are the same.

I still need to stitch the wool applique pieces down and stitch the ant's legs and antennae. 

I also want to embroider "Life's a Picnic" above the wool watermelon.
You might be able to see my sketch of that better in this picture...

To make the Watermelon and ants I used templates provided in the book by Art to Heart called  "Easy Does It For Summer" (patterns to make the Summer towels).

I will show you both of our wall hanging/table toppers when we are finished!  We want them completed before Summer is over...sooner rather than later!

Claire's Watermelon project is sure calling my name...I will have to sweet talk her into loaning me the pattern.  Perhaps a trade is in order!  After all, you can never have too many watermelon quilt...right?! :o)  Besides, they are a slice to make!

Have a thrilling Thursday and Happy Quilting!~P

Wednesday, June 29, 2016

BOMS Away!

My daughter left yesterday...:o((  Seriously, 'kids' should not live more than a three hour drive away from their mama!  It's just not meant to be!  Unfortunately jobs dictate where they need to live...darn!!  We had a wonderful visit...busy but fun...and the sewing machine got a much needed rest!  (She will be oiled, dusted and taken for a spin today...:o))

SEW...I only have my evening hand-work to show you this morning...the blocks could use a pressing but that will have to wait!
 This is 'Linen Closet's' Mystery Basket BOM...all up to date!  There are only two more baskets to go before the Sew-A-Long is over!  I have to say I have loved stitching each and everyone of these wee baskets!
 Some close-ups...

 One of my favourites is this simple basket of pink tulips!  Don't you love the basket!

 Yup...I'm loving these sweet blocks and can't wait to see how it all comes together!
Thank you, Dawn Heese of 'Linen Closets' for so generously guiding us through this project!  I KNOW I'm not the only one enjoying these blocks!

It's another gorgeous day in paradise!  I am hoping to whiz through my 'chores' so that I can go running with my Pfaff...we do need to stay in shape!  :o)

Have a wicked Wednesday and Happy Stitching!~P

Monday, June 27, 2016

A Love Fest that's Timeless!

I'm baaaaack....! And just in time because this morning I want to share with you pictures of a quilt that will knock your socks off!!   We are talking HEIRLOOM quality quilt...a quilt that will remain TIMELESS and will be loved for years and years!  The kind of quilt that your kids will fight over! haha

                                              

The quilt is called "Wandering Ways" and if you haven't already guessed, it's a Norma Whaley, Timeless Traditions design! Exquisite comes to mind when I think of this quilt!  It has a vintage flair to it...and then there are THOSE sweet messages stitching into each block!  I LOVE that!  Such a wonderful personal touch!

 A couple of the blocks have a house stitched into the centre...so sweet!
                                        

And my favourite quote...yup, this one goes to the heart of every quilter!  It's what makes us unique...it's why we don't stop at making just one quilt!  haha "My Soul is fed with needle and thread."  A truer statement was never uttered...don't you agree?

I love the way Norma incorporates these lovely quotes into a lot of her wonderful quilts!  Her newest quilt 'Hidden Messages', (named for this very reason) is wonderful...It has all of these lovely hidden messages tucked here and there on the edges of the blocks!  Go HERE to see Norma putting this quilt together!  It is absolutely gorgeous!!

And while we are at it, let's GO HERE  to check out Norma's Quilt Market Booth for all of her latest creations...EYE CANDY galore!  Man, I am drooling!  

There's nothing like a love fest to get the day going!  Thanks, Norma, for providing us with all of these wonderful inspirational quilts to stitch and create...or just to savour with our morning coffee!  If you want to head over to Norma's Webshop...for a wee peek at ALL OF HER GORGEOUS QUILTS, then go HERE!! Better have your credit card handy...just sayin'...:o)! 

Have a Magical Monday and Happy Stitching!~P  

Monday, June 20, 2016

'I Spy' some very cute Grandkids and some Blackbirds too!

Blogging friend, Celest, just finished her 'I SPY' quilt that she made for her three grand-kids!
I love the way she toned down the busyness of her 'I Spy' blocks by putting a different colour border around a group of 25 "I Spy" squares!  Colourful and fun...and a great way for her grands to learn their colours!  eg. In the green box, find a fruit, in the blue box find a vegetable.

Thanks for sharing, Celest!!  I love this quilt!!  Think I'm going to be 'Pinning' this one for future reference...just in case!  It's a winner!  And your grands are dang cute, as is your grand-dog!!

And here is blog follower, Marie's first block to Cheri Payne's FREE BOM called 'Blackbirds Gatherings'....
WOW!!  I am going to love this quilt!  Marie was worried that the house was too dark but I think that it's perfect!  Good choice of border fabric too!  Marie is off to a great start!

Thanks ladies!  Awesome projects!  I love it when you send in pictures for us all to see!

I will be posting sporadically (if at all...) this next week...my youngest daughter is arriving for a visit and we will be up to our regular hi-jinx...but alas...very little, if any, quilting!

Have a Magical Monday and Happy Stitching!~P

Friday, June 17, 2016

One Thumb Up...Waiting for Two!

For the last week I have been out of commission...I cut my thumb on the whirring blade of my Magic Bullet Blender..I know, not possible but somehow I did it!  I am blaming it on Mr. Trump!  He was on TV...and my mind was not on making a fruit smoothie!  I swear they should call his campaign "Shock and Disbelief"!  But I digress...

For the past week my left thumb has looked like hamburger and I have been out of sewing commission!  No hand stitching or sewing machine for me!  Who knew you needed a thumb to thread a needle, put in a bobbin, or line up fabric!!  I couldn't even hold the wool pieces together to stitch...the slightest pressure brought discomfort!

So what was a quilter to do?  Well...I could still iron, draw and cut...so I prepped blocks...LOTS of blocks!

This is what I have got ready for stitching...a wee strawberry bowl filler..and last night I was actually able to put a few stitches into the leaves before giving up...(yup, baby steps!)
 I reduced this Buttermilk Basin pattern to make it into a wee pillow...it's going to be very sweet and summery!
 I prepped the first two blocks to the new BOM...Bee-utiful by Pam Morgan (for Moda Bakeshop).  I changed the cat into a dog...:o))
And block two of BEE-utiful!



I also prepped Cheri Payne's newest BOM from her Facebook Page!  It's called 'Blackbird Gatherings' and it is going to be a winner...I just know it!  The house is a bit too dark and the windows don't pop but I kind of like it that way.  (code for~ I'm too lazy to change it!:o))

 And I prepped the next four baskets to Dawn Heese (Linen Closet) Mystery Basket BOM!  Love these wee baskets~



 And I also prepped this month's Buttermilk Basin's "Let It Snow' BOM...It was here that I discovered that hand work just wasn't possible...:o(

So that means that I am technically working on FOUR different BOM! YIKES! Now that's a first!  I usually do one BOM at a time!  I sure hope I can keep up!

My sewing room is spotless and everything is in it's place.  There are no dust bunnies visiting...I have organized my wool, my threads are all wound and put away neat and tidy...everything is WAITING..

My perle cotton and Valdani all in its place...(I need to find a bigger cabinet!)
 And my wool threads are about as organized as I can get them...

Yup...we are ready and waiting...
.

It's been just over a week and I can safely say that my thumb is finally on the mend...I may even leave the bandage off today!!  Moral of the story...NEVER use anything mechanical, electric or sharp when watching Donald Trump!  Bad things will happen...:o} haha

I might just mess up that sewing room today and give that thumb a run for it's money...but the TV will stay off...

Have a FUN Friday and Happy Stitching!~P

Thursday, June 16, 2016

Five Bags Full...

We had our June woolie meeting, where the Five Bags Full got together for some Woolie hi-jinx and as usual, the Bags didn't disappoint!  They have all been busy! 

I thought I would share our Show and Tell....Claire hand quilted her Cheri Payne 'Snowmen Quilt'!  This quilt just gets cuter and cuter!  Claire's hand quilting is the icing on this wee quilt!

Glynis finished her Cheryl Wall Basket quilt top...and now it's ready for quilting!  Love this quilt!

 Glynis said this one was a fast one to put together...the reason being, there is no matching when putting the rows together! Do you see how the rows are staggered?  I like that idea!  This would make a wonderful charity quilt or a fast gift for someone special!  Just imagine it Scappy...

Both Glynis and Sandy took part in Cheri Payne's Sampler Quilt BOM from Cheri's Facebook Page called 'Quilts by Cheri~ Friendship Group'.  It's a closed group but all you have to do is request to be a friend and you can join!  There are lots of  patterns under the FILE tab, FREE for members.....this is one of them!!  Both quilts were beautiful and looked totally different!  

 Sandy is also stitching the Dawn Heese BOM...the Mystery Basket BOM from Linen Closet Blog!  This has got to be the sweetest BOM EVER!
Here's another picture of our monthly bowl fillers...certainly worth another gander!
 See!  I told you that it was a busy month for the Bags!  I ALWAYS look forward to our get together!

Would you believe that hardly anyone does wool around here and none of the shops sell WOVEN felted wool!  I guess that answers the question as to why aren't more quilters turning to the woolie side of stitching! If you can't find wool and don't see wool project displayed in the quilt shops then you wouldn't think to do it!   So it's wonderful that the five of us can get together and share our love for all things wool!  They don't call us the BAGS for nothin'!!  Gawd, I love our name!:o)))  I am such a Bag!!

Have a thrilling Thursday and Happy Stitching!~P

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Tip Toe Through the Tulips With Meeeeeeee....

It's REALLY difficult to find a quilt or pillow pattern that SCREAMS "SPRING" and "SUMMER" but I think I have found just the one!!  And lucky for us the pattern for this quilt and pillow are part of Karen's (Laugh Yourself Into Stitches Blog) GIVE AWAY!

Check out the quilt...


See what I mean?  Does this quilt not scream "Spring-Summer"!  I love the fabrics Karen chose for this quilt...all of my colours!  But you could make it in any fabrics that you love...use up those scraps, make it in brights, or Reproduction fabrics...gawd forbid, you could even use batiks!  haha

Yup, I am SEW making this quilt!  What a wonderful way to get rid of those Winter blahs...just as those tulips are poking their little leaves through the soil, you pull out this quilt to hang on a wall or drape over the couch!  "SPRING" has SPRUNG!!

And check out the pillow that Karen is teaming up with the quilt pattern!  Be still my heart!  SWEET!

So head on over to Karen's Blog and enter to win!  The Give Away is on until the 20th of June!  And the good news is, if you win, you have plenty of time to sew 'er up!  And there is even MORE good news, if gawd forbid, you DON'T win, you can buy BOTH patterns for a mere $8.50!  A steal of a deal!  That works out to $4.25 each!!  Cheaper than a cup of fancy coffee!

Head on over to Karen's Blog and enter to win!  You just might be tip-toeing through the tulips by the end of this week!

Have a wicked Wednesday and Happy Quilting!~P





Tuesday, June 14, 2016

'I Spy Quilts'...


Remember this quilt...it's called an 'I Spy Quilt', made for a very special little boy celebrating his third birthday...Each patch of fabric in this quilt is a different novelty print and no two blocks are the same. Also notice that Mason's name is at the top of the Quilt! 


So...the birthday party is over, the balloons have been popped, the gifts put away but little Mason is still on top of his 'I Spy Quilt' looking at all the wee pictures making up his new quilt! 

                                  

  One of the most important quilts that you can make for your child/grandchild is an I Spy Quilt...

 You might wonder what so great about an I Spy Quilt...well for one thing it's more than just a quilt.  It can a valuable learning tool!

Once Mason has 'studied' all of the pictures on his quilt the real learning can begin!

 Here are some Games that can be played with an I Spy Quilt...

 *At the beginning and depending on the recipient's age, you always start with the simple...I Spy With My Little Eye, I see a Cat/Dog/Whale...and remember to TAKE TURNS.  Give your little guy a turn and have him ask you to find something!  Remember it's a social activity as well as helping develop important language and vocabulary skills.  Keep it fun!

*When your child gets familiar with the animals and things found on the quilt move onto colours!  I Spy With My Little Eye...I see something blue. ie. a blue car. Remember the child should point and make an attempt to say what it is...eg. Is it a blue kite?  It's a fun way to learn their colours and build the language around it!

*I Spy Shapes/Description of Objects...Square, Round, Soft, Hard, Shiny, Smooth, Cold, Hot, Furry, Small, Big, Humongous,  etc. I Spy with my little eye something that is smooth, hard and round.  (marbles)  Next time it could be 'I Spy with my little eye something small, striped and made of glass' (marbles).  Keep it different...you're building language and vocabulary skills.

*I Spy Rhymes ...I Spy with my little eye something that rhymes with bat...(cat), wall (ball), cat (hat).  Trust me, the Grade One teacher is going to love you...word families are important in learning how to read!

*I Spy Animal Sounds...Find the animal that says "Quack Quack", the thing that says "beep beep".  This will make the child more aware of the animals sounds around him and expand his knowledge of nature. Besides it fun to make these noises!   I know I used these animal sounds to help teach reading to my Grade Ones.  

*I Spy...whatever it does...eg. I Spy something that is used for writing on a blackboard, used for drawing on paper, We eat this in a pie at Thanksgiving time, we wear this on our head, we throw this, etc. It's all about the language!  Think of as many different ways to describe the objects.

*Use the quilt for beginning reading skills...I Spy With My Little Eyes, I see something that starts with 'A' and say the soft (short) sound of 'A"...like in Apple.  

* Match pictures on the quilt with the letter that it begins with (initial consonant sounds).  Have letter cards (make them ahead of time or make them with the child)...and the child covers the picture with the letter...eg the P goes on the Pumpkin, C goes on the Cat and so on.

*And when the child begins reading you can have him match the word cards with the pictures on the quilts.

*You can also bring math into their vocabulary...count the blocks...count the rows across, how many rows going down, how many cats are on the quilt, how many balls?  The child can even cover the blocks with numbers cards...remember to start small (1-2-3)...and add on gradually.  Even doing 'math', you are building vocabulary...up, down, across, rows.

So there are TEN ideas on how to use an I SPY QUILT!  AND because this quilt has Mason's name on it, he can match all kinds of letters, ie magnetic, rubber letters, cardboard, sponge letters, etc. to his name at the top of the quilt.  He will learn to spell his name at an early age...and it will be in a meaningful and fun way.  He can get a chalkboard, white board, paper, computer and practice forming and printing the letters...all as a fun, playtime activity!

And here you thought it was just another ordinary quilt!!  NOT!  And this is just skimming the surface...I am sure you can think of many, many more ways to use the quilt and have FUN doing it!  Let's hope that by the time Mason reaches the age of 5 or 6 the quilt will be in tatters...That will mean that the Quilt did it's job!  Think of all the social, language, vocabulary and cognitive development that will occur just by 'playing around' with this quilt!

SEW come on mama/grandma...get stitching!  I Spy an 'I Spy Quilt' in your future!

Have a terrific Tuesday and Happy Quilting!~P





Monday, June 13, 2016

Nanaimo Quilters' Quilt Show...Part 2!

If you missed yesterday's post then you need to get caught up on the Nanaimo Quilters' Quilt Show...tons of eye candy!  The Nanaimo quilters KNOW what they are doing, proving once again that a BIG show isn't necessarily 'better'!  There was a variety of quilts, techniques, styles and colours...something for everyone!  You may not see many 'modern' quilts in my posts but that doesn't mean that they weren't there.  These are the quilts that I gravitated to...there were many, many more...and as I said, something for everyone!

Here are more magnificent quilts from the Nanaimo Show!  Enjoy!














































                           





As you can see, the quilts were out of this world and the vendors were great too!  Lots of good deals to be had!  The best find for me at the vendor booths was the backing fabric for my 'Stopped Me In My Tracks" Quilt!!



It's from the same line of fabric as the yellow print...called "Home Again" from the new Thimbleberries line!  I also bought an extra metre of the yellow...just in case...LOVE both of these fabrics...and am hoping for left-overs!!  So pretty!
Now after a show like that, I am inspired to get 'back at 'er!"  I say bring her on!

How about you?  Are you fired up to get cracking on a project or two?!  Come on, you know you wanna....

Have a magical Monday and Happy Stitching!