2018 Review 

Finishes:

Great Little Grand

Sweet Dreams

Linen and Lattice

Block of the Month

Memories

Like Eagles

Leaders and Enders

Un-named Crib Quilt

Double Dutch / I Spy

Finished Tops:

It is all sewn together into a topper, just trying to decide on a border or not.

Again, border or not?

My first epp project.

Too many WIPs  to list, but can't resist one shot of my next epp project, sure to be a very long term effort :

Linking up with:   OH SCRAP

I Spy - Double Dutch

(finished)

This one took about a month to finish, much quicker than my usual snail's pace.

This will be a gift for my 2 granddaughters, one not born yet but due in Jan. I'll give it to the big sister as a gift when the baby is born, something she can share and teach to/with her little sister.

Two of each character, for a matching pairs version of an "I Spy" quilt.

Quilted with straight lines.

Backed with a soft grey checked flannel.

This is about the 3rd or 4th quilt I've spray basted and so far I'm loving the speed and ease of this method.  Not sure if I'd try that on a large quilt but for medium to small ones, it's the way to go for me!

52.5 x 60"

Linking up :
Can I Get a Whoop Whoop?
Crazy Mom Quilts

Double Dutch - I Spy 

Something to scratch off my Quilty-Bucket List, an economy block quilt.  

It's also an I Spy quilt with 2 of each print, so thinking of naming it Double Dutch as an homage to my heritage.

The blocks are trimmed at 8 inches now and will finish at 7.5 inches.

Another more honest view of my mess going on in the sewing room.

A few of my favourites:

Now to join the blocks into a top. Any suggestions on pressing these seams?  Hopefully it won't be too bulky where the points meet.

Linking up with:  Oh Scrap

"Like Eagles"

Finally, a finish !!!

For once I actually used a jelly roll rather than scraps and stash.  Several metres of  Moda Graphite had been lingering on the shelf for probably 2 years.  This particular jelly roll seemed the perfect match (Zen  Chic/ Fragile)

The pattern is "Sweet Petunia" from a Missouri Star Quilt Co. Idea Book.  I changed the size up and only put borders on 2 sides.

Did all the quilting by hand this time using perle cotton .... Love, LOVE working with the perle cotton!!

Finally washed and dried and all crinkly cozy just in time for fall.

Linking up with:  

Can I Get a Whoop Whoop?
My Quilt Infatuation

Timeline:  Jan-Oct 2018
Inspiration:  Missouri Star Quilt Co. "Sweet Petunia"
Size: 52.5" x 68"  after shrinkage
Quilting:  hand quilting with perle cotton

Works in Progress

I have no quilt finishes to show, but a few things on the go! I am slowly handquilting one quilt,

 trying to talk myself into layering a finished top,

 and working on some fun blocks from Lori Holts Spelling Bee Book.  These will be part of a special quilt, hopefully to be gifted next year.

Also waiting to be done:

Below are just 2 of many orphan blocks I'm trying to pull together into a quilt.  I was learning paper piecing here on the orange star.  Not my favourite technique, but it sure does give nice clean points.

Green and blue nine patches (4 1/2 ")

A future Irish Chain Quilt... no finish in sight here for a while!!  These nine patches are 3".

ok,  so now I see I need to spend less time surfing on all the lovely quilty blogs out there and just get some of these poor, lingering WIP'S done :)

Linking up with:

Crazy Mom Quilts - Finish it up Friday

Confessions of a Fabric Addict - Can I Get a Whoop Whoop?

Quilters Meet and Greet

First of all I'd like to welcome any new quilters to my blog who found me via Quilters Online Meet and Greet.   A huge thank you to Benita for arranging this.

Be sure to visit all the featured quilters ... there are prizes to be won !

Wife, mom, stepmom, sister, grandma (aka beppe), kitchen nerd, quilting addict... that about sums me up right now.

 In my 20's I dreamed of making quilts, but work, family and life in general kept me pretty busy until the end of 2011 when my quilting journey began.

 

I was still working full time, recently turned 50, widowed and remarried to a wonderful man. An empty nester with a husband who loves to do all the yard work...this girl nedded a new hobby!

In December of 2011 my sister-in-law, Betty, passed away.  Betty had a passion for quilting and while I was in BC for the funeral I think I read most of her more basic how-to quilting books and thought I really wanted to give it a go. 

This picture is from 2015, just before we closed up the cafe where I'd worked for over 30 years.   Yes, of course there were quilts on the walls :)

 My husband's late wife, Gloria, was also an avid quilter, the appliqued quilt in the background was made by Gloria. 

My husband still had all the supplies and a good stash to get me started, so off  surfing I went.  Books, magazines and the internet were my teachers.

Amanda Jean's Crazy Mom Quilts was such an inspiration for me as I began to learn this addictively relaxing art.  I love her use of scraps and her blog is always one that I still refer back to.  This is one of my favourite quilts, it's from Amanda Jean's book, Sunday Morning Quilts.

Bonnie Hunter's blog is another one I'm always checking out. I haven't made any of her patterns yet but I've learned many little tips from her...who would have thought you could flip seams?!!

Seven years later, still quilting, still learning.  Now semi-retired, with more grandbabies joining the family, life is great.  

My 2 sewing spaces are an unfinished basement room with 2 walls covered in flannel sheets for design boards and an unused living room where I usually finish off the quilts since the basement room is generally a creative mess!

My Janome Memory Craft 9000 is my only sewing machine.  I've finished all my own quilts, either hand quilting or on the Janome.  I started off just quilting straight lines, then tried freemotion, and hand quilting.  Free motion is usually my choice if in a hurry, but hand quilting is definitely my favourite look.

This year my goal is to join a local quilt guild. I'm really looking forward to it, but a bit anxious as well as I'm pretty  much self taught.

Thanks for stopping by!

"MEMORIES"

(Log Cabin and Churn Dash)

This quilt started with the 9" log cabin squares

.

Then while surfing online I came across these fun scrappy churn dash blocks at Crazy Mom Quilts





Amanda Jeans tutorial was for an 8 1/2" block, but I made mine 9" so I could use them with my scrappy log cabins. I was getting a bit bored with the log cabin blocks...I figured I'd end up with a finished quilt much quicker if I combined the 2.

But, how to arrange them?

or:

ending up with this layout:

Backed with a "repurposed" duvet cover 

and bound with a tea green gingham.

..just ignore those stray threads, they'll be gone eventually!
I did the label a bit different, and applique shape to fit in the quilting motif which was basically a large orange peel motif.

54" x 54"

freemotion quilting

timeline: March - August 2018

Linking up with:

Confessions of a Fabric Addict - Can I Get a Whoop Whoop?