Rainbow Radiance: A Finished Quilt

When my scrap buckets were overflowing I decided to make several colour-block slabs and then make one gigantic scrappy quilt using those blocks. They were a blast to make and when I found myself lacking in some of the colours (beige and lavender in particular) my quilty friends jumped into action. If you check the lavender block there is some very precious Tula Pink Parisville from my friend C. That's friendship, people.

The plan because of the size and shape was to make the quilt an outdoor quilt, designed for the many picnics and play events my eldest daughter engages in all summer long. I chose a colourful and inexpensive thicker weight (and looser weave) fabric from Ikea as the backing and used (mostly) polyester thread to make the quilting stronger. I also did machine binding instead of hand binding (which I hate because it doesn't look as good as hand binding but it would make it much more secure for heavy play).

For the binding I used up bits of leftover binding from other quilts and it worked out perfectly!

Here is Rainbow Radiance:

I am tempted to take an individual picture of each block so you could revel in the gems in each and every colour block. It is a delight for me to remember each fabric and point out "There's Lotta! There's Lizzy House!"

This is the backing. I was worried about the brown that was in this print but I find this picture reassuring because you really don't notice the brown.

This shows you the binding a little bit more. It is colourful and perfect.

Doesn't it look perfect for a summer picnic?

Here is the thicker weave that is the backing fabric.

I opted to not use batting for the first time ever. The backing is thick and heavy already so I wanted it to not get too heavy and I thought it would dry more easily when it gets damp in the grass. I feel mixed about the end result. It is already VERY heavy as a quilt but the batting would have prevented the colour of the backing from being seen through the lighter colours. It also would have kept the stitches more even.

I also opted to quilt each block with a different pattern, some free motion and some with the walking foot. The size and weight of this quilt made that a giant pain many times but I powered through. I'm happier with some blocks than others in terms of quilting. It adds an interesting texture to the quilt for sure.

I am also glad that I have another WIP off my list!

Welcome to Canada: A Finished Quilt

Check out the hashtag #quiltsforrefugees on Instagram and you will see the efforts of some local quilters who pooled their resources and had a sew in, as well as collecting quilts from around the Toronto area, to give to newcomers. With the Syrian refugee crisis looming in the media I wanted to do something to contribute and when @happysewlucky posted a call for quilts I got to work putting together something beautiful and scrappy.

Here is Welcome to Canada, a twin-sized quilt heading off to a new Canadian in the near future!

I've had this "design" in my head for ages now. I've often looked at my pile of scraps and wanted to make something just like this. #quiltsforrefugees made it a reality!

There are a lot of gems in there: Lotta Jansdotter, Honeymoon from C+S, Heather Bailey True Colours, Carolyn Friedlander Architextures, Alison Glass Bike Paths, Tim and Beck and on and on. I also used up some of my "not sure what I would ever do with these" scraps because it a scrappy quilt like this they look like they belong. This was especially true for the white-on-white scraps I had remaining from my Candy Cane quilt.

The backing is a Kona red, not sure which one, generously donated by quilty friend A. You can see the grid quilting I did in white Aurafil. Red and white- very Canadian, eh? (Plus you can really see how badly it needs a lint roller before I gift it-thanks, cats). My friend A also donated the batting, a twin-sized pack that was a really good quality.

 Berne, the woman who organized this drive, also printed Spoonflower labels for each quilt, and they're beautiful.

I was hoping for more snow in my picture but it is warm here today and all the snow from yesterday melted!

The binding is a very scrappy rainbow collection of leftover bindings from other quilts. It worked perfectly for this colourful quilt, and makes the back a bit more interesting because the binding pops against the red.

I feel good that I could take something I love to do and use it to help someone who is new to Canada adjust to their new home. I hope there is lots of snuggling underneath it, knowing they are welcome here!

Linking up to Finish It Up Friday with Crazy Mom Quilts.

Pretty in Purple: A Finished Quilt

This will, I am 99% sure, be my last quilt finished in 2015. A group of my friends, together for the last fifteen years or so, all have children around the same ages. I've been working through the families, ensuring each child has a quilt. This one is for a little girl, L, who is one year younger than my older daughter. She is a spunky, vibrant little person who loves purple. I wanted to make her a quilt that would appeal to her now (at age 6) but not immediately be too childish by the time she is "too cool" at age 11 or 12.

I used a pattern I've used once before, for my daughter's grade one teacher's thank you quilt, and I went with a bunch of purples from my stash. I tried to do a bit of a gradient thing where half of the quilt is bluey-purple and half is pinky-purple. I also added a white border on the top and bottom to better fit her twin-sized bed.

Here it is, Pretty in Purple!

It is bound in lilac Pearl Bracelets from my stash, and features some OOP Lizzy House, Riley Blake Chevrons, Kate Spain, a very Far, Far Away unicorns, Coton+Steel, Tula Pink, Lotta Jansdotter and some Amy Butler. Quite a mix in here!

Purple is one of my least favourite colours to work with, and this quilt had to grow on me. It is still not even close to my favourite, but I think a certain little girl will like it!

The back is mostly this print I picked up super cheap from Sew Sisters awhile back (I think it is an Art Gallery print?), plus bits of other purples from the front. I don't love it, honestly, and if I ever have to do another purple quilt I will stick to EITHER bluey purple OR pinky purple. Lesson learned!

With this quilt finished (and ready for the little girl's birthday the weekend before Christmas) I now have two more children to make quilts for in this group (out of 11 kids, that's not too shabby!).

Looking forward to finishing up my daughter's I-Spy quilt, hopefully in time for her mid-January birthday. Wish me sewing time this Christmas season!!

Don't Take Someone on a Diet to a Buffet

I have been working really hard to do all my quilting from my stash. I felt like the excess was unhealthy and I felt rewarded every time I finished a quilt without having to have purchased a thing.

Then on Friday I pre-ordered a fat quarter bundle of Tiger Lily by Heather Ross because this line is so gorgeous and just to my taste (I was not so thrilled with all that strawberry and frog stuff from her last line). Somehow that broke the gates because when I went on a shop hop with my friend A this weekend I showed progressively less restraint as we went from store to store.

We started at a new shop, the Village Square Quilt Shop, which is about 20 minutes away from my house.

The store was actually a bit hard to find but in a very charming location.

The inside was quite small but charming and the prints were not to my taste much at all (I would classify them as more traditional fabrics) but they were all carefully chosen, well-organized and nice to look at it.

The Miss Kate caught my eye but I showed restraint. I like it but don't love it.

I like this Math print (by Sweetwater I think?) except that brown is just so yuck. So I didn't get any.

The store actually doesn't carry Kona on the bolt (can you IMAGINE?) but this beautiful pre-packaged bundle set my heart fluttering.

I liked these pillows that were on display, and there was a free pattern attached!

I bought some Aurafil from here- something actually on my shopping list- because it was a great price ($10.50 a spool!). Then we headed into Hamilton which was about another 25 minutes away. We decided to visit Needlework Hamilton because I had never been there and A had not seen it since they remodeled earlier this year.

It is located in this really hipster, charming neighbourhood.

The store is small but so gorgeous! The newly exposed brick wall is stunning, the space is open and beautiful...I could stay here and work for sure!

Check out this Cotton+Steel dress on display! Love!

And I loved this modern Flying Geese quilt.

This pattern spoke to me right away. It is Amy Butler and I knew my friend C would be proud. I was on a real emerald kick on this day- I was drawn to all the emerald I saw.

This store is a careful curation of modern fabrics, arranged by colour instead of designer or manufacturer. It was not really A's style but it was so definitely mine. I wanted to BUY ALL THE THINGS. I saw so many prints I wanted. Could I have a 1/2 meter of everything you own please?

One wall of quilting fabric.

The other wall of quilting fabric.

I bought two fat quarters and two 1/2 meters of fabric here and thought I was being very restrained. Then A and I went to have lunch at the most awesome tiny restaurant called The Burnt Tongue where they have this tiny menu of soups that changes daily. We both had sweet potato and bacon soup and it was DELICIOUS. I also had a grilled cheese and A had fries. The restaurant was busy and cold but it was worth it for the great food!

Then we wandered next door to check out this yarn studio, handknit. (A knits but I don't).

It was beautiful and we made sure to pet all the wool (turns out I have expensive Baby Alpaca and Cashmere taste. Who knew?)

And we couldn't head back to the car without going into this cool little paper store.

Again, so awesome. Very hipster and cool. I could have bought lots of things but held back.

We made one more stop before heading to the car at The Mulberry Cafe which was again so cool and young. A wanted a peppermint tea and we liked the vibe of this place.

We then headed to Greenwood Quiltery, a go-to standard for both of us because A wanted to find some greys and yellows for her sister's wedding quilt and we hadn't found all that much that would work at the other stores.

I headed to my favourite spot, the remnant wall, and checked out the options. I did find a remnant of light grey Pearl Bracelets that worked perfectly for the quilt A is making but I didn't find anything for myself here.

I love the deals you can find on this rainbow wall!

This display of Kona solids had me thinking about the colourful I-Spy quilt I wanted to make my youngest daughter this year.

I lost my mind at Greenwood and bought SO MUCH FABRIC (keep going to see my end haul). I couldn't stop scooping up fabric. It was like I had lost my mind, and the  more I looked the more I picked up. It started with finding Violet Craft Waterfront Park fat quarters in the $2 bin. Um, score! And then apparently I needed to buy everything my heart desired. Sigh. Bad for the bank account.

When we finished at Greenwood (fortunately A found all the grey and yellow she needed) we went to Len's Mill because I had never been and because A wanted some old lady lavender backing for a wall hanging.

I didn't know what to expect.

A described it as a Bi-Way with lots of fabric. It was pretty disorganized, huge and with lots of crap. Her description was perfect.

They had some horrendous fabric. This gem was in the 50% off pile. WHY IS THIS A FABRIC??

Incredibly disorganized but rows and rows and rows of fabric. I think he buys fabrics that are two or three (or more!) out of season, and doesn't differentiated between quality. It was loosely organized by manufacturer and theme, but it was overwhelming how much crap fabric was there.

But we came across this bin of laminated cotton- Amy Butler, Kaffe Fassett and Tula Pink! $10 a meter!

I thought this Robert Kaufman zombie print would appeal to my hubby. I showed him the picture afterwards and he agreed it was awesome.

They have tons of licensed prints. I know where I will get superhero fabric from now on!

And then, amongst all the garbage and ugly (with the occasional designer print that was nice, like some Parson Grey) I found a jackpot! Lizzy House Peeps- pretty much every print from that line! This line is from 2009, so old, and impossible pretty much to find online. I wanted to buy two yards from every bolt. I'm not kidding. But I had just bought soooooooooo much at Greenwood so I narrowed it down to three prints. I'm telling you, though, I might have to head back. Also, if I ever come across Lizzy House Outfoxed in the wild like this I may buy the whole bolt. I so wish I had bought tons of that when it was out.

Isn't it pretty? I posted this picture on Instagram and Lizzy House herself commented. It is very strange to see all this old line in such a complete form on a shelf!

The neighbour hood was sketchy. This was on the wall on the side of the building. It is a drug tag. Need to buy any magic mushrooms?

These were the three I settled on. That middle one I think for sure is going to go in the I-Spy quilt I want to make.

This was the result of my binging at Greenwood (all the stuff in the first two rows) and the stuff from Needlework Hamilton on the far right.

I picked up one yard of this Olaf print from Len's Mill to make my elder daughter a pillowcase. She was thrilled.

And here is the result. What was I thinking? What happened to shopping my stash, which I have been enjoying? I love these prints and I'm so glad I have them but I certainly didn't need them. Ah, well, I'll chalk it up to a little splurge and go back to trying to shop my stash...which is a little bit bigger now. :)

Yummy fabric stack.

And so you can see why I titled my blog today Don't Take Someone on a Diet to a Buffet. :)

Lynn

Blog Around the World

I started to sew by teaching myself after asking for a sewing machine for my thirtieth birthday from my husband. That was four years ago. After a year and a half of sewing I tried my first quilt, something I thought would take years before I could accomplish. I got totally and completely hooked. That included being hooked on quilting blogs, which led to me starting my own blog.

Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago when Jenn from A Quarter Inch from the Edge contacted me to ask if I would be interested in participating in Blog Around the World where she would direct her readers to my blog (and two other blogs). I encountered Jenn when I had a giveaway on my blog from Sew Sisters and she entered. I checked out her blog and a few entries in I had her on my Blogger dashboard so I wouldn't miss a post! She is sort of a Kona solids genius. Check out what she did with these strip colour quilts or how she made a silk purse out of a (Kona) sow's ear. Also check out her epic solid Starburst quilt with the coloured Aurafil quilting. AMAZING. I'm interested to see how the addition of twins (!) will impact her quilting time (she accomplishes a zillion projects a week, or so it seems). Jenn is also Canadian but she is in Halifax in Nova Scotia whereas I am close to Toronto in Ontario. Google maps tells me it would take 17 hours and 53 minutes to drive there. Ouch.

And so here I am to answer the following questions about myself, my blog and my creative process.

What am I working on?

I used to be a woman who finished projects. My quilty friends C and A would comment that I was great at actually following through and that I didn't have very many WIPs (works in progress). Somehow that has changed this summer in particular. Or, perhaps, it has changed while being on maternity leave because the addition of a new baby (on top of my almost six-year-old) has changed how I am able to work. Currently I have the following projects "on the go" (including those for which I have already selected fabrics):

1. Oldest WIP: Stitchery Dickory Dock's Sugar Block Club Block of the Month. I have the blocks made and the binding made (with the scraps from the blocks). I made this using a bundle curated by Red Pepper quilts and purchased from Pink Castle Fabrics. I already know the backing (IKEA Nummer fabric) but I have not been motivated to do the boring sashing bits.

2. Swoon. I participated in a #Swoonalong with several quilty friends this summer. I completed all nine blocks using Tula Pink's Fox Field line and a LOT of Kona Shadow. I decided to add sashing which really helped make the quilt look right. Now I just need to add the border (which are cut and ready to go) and then baste (yuck) and decide how to quilt this sucker.  I think this will end up being a 2015 finish.

3. Aviatrix Medallion. I don't even like medallion quilts all that much. Or at least I didn't until I saw Elizabeth Hartman's pattern in all Kona solids. I bullied a friend into doing it too and she is so much further ahead. This is a very very VERY complex quilt so I knew it would take ages. I have finished the centre medallion and I'm working on the grey HSTs for Border One. This one may be a very late 2015 finish or, dare I say it, 2016?

4. Grey quilt #1: A Plus quilt. This is for a friend's son, J. She commissioned me to make two double quilts for her two little boys, ages 1 and 3. They both are dark greys and lots of Kona White. I only agreed to make these quilts because I adore her and because she turned creative control over to me. I am at the hand binding stage with this quilt.

5. Grey quilt #2. This is for big brother, E. It is a Pow Wow quilt from Cluck Cluck Sew's pattern (which I LOVE). I love this quilt so much I don't really want to let it go. I have it basted it and I'm waiting for the FMQ fairy to inspire me.

6 and 7. Mint Julep and Monkey Business, simple patchwork quilts for twins due in November to a work friend. These should be quick finishes. You know, if I stayed focused.

8. Black and White shower quilt. A lifelong friend got married two years ago and I was her maid of honour. Her mom and aunt both quilt so I came up with the idea of having the guests at her bridal showers sign squares of fabric and make a "guest book" quilt. Her aunt had the squares for two years without touching it so I took over to get the project going. Now I just need time to fit it in!

9. A very modern quilt for a neighbour expecting a little girl in November.

10. A red and white quilt for my husband's stepmother's mother, Nana. I want it done for her for Christmas.

I also need to make a baby quilt for a friend from work who is due in January, a special car holder project for my nephew for Christmas and a bunch of crayon roll ups for my daughter's loot bags at her sixth birthday party. Oh, and have I mentioned I'm going back to work from maternity leave starting tomorrow?

How does my work differ from others who quilt?

I don't really know how to answer this question. I know that when I compare my quilts to that of my friend's mother and aunt, or my great aunt, I am definitely more modern in my pattern and fabric choices. I know that compared to my quilty friends I am more adventurous than one of them (she chooses more modern fabrics but more traditional patterns) and less adventurous than the other (who chooses patterns because they are hard). Maybe at only three years into quilting I don't have a solid identity yet.

Why do I quilt?

I have always been drawn to quilts. For my high school graduation I didn't want a class ring. I asked my parents to pay to have a quilt made (I guess at 18 my parents should have read the warning signs). My job is incredible and challenging and rewarding but I also need something to do that is not related to the consuming nature of my job. Quilting fits the bill because it is very challenging and I am constantly learning and my mind is busy but on something other than work. I find that refreshing. I also think I can express love through my quilts, and since I am a pretty tough cookie that is one of the few ways I do!

What is my creative process?

I read a lot of blogs and go on Instagram and Pinterest a lot. Sometimes fabric or patterns just speak to me. They jump out at me and then get stuck in my head and haunt me until I at least write them down in this little notebook I have that is just for quilting. I will sketch out or write out my thinking behind the quilt and then I will have it sitting in my brain begging to be made until I actually get to making it. The problem is getting things done because my mind has sometimes already moved on to the next project before I finish the grunt work (like basting) for the one I'm on. This hasn't been too bad until recently. The grey quilts are an example of this madness. My friend mentioned wanting quilts in dark grey for her boys and I couldn't stop thinking about it. Within two days I had sent her inspiration photos and explained my vision. She was sold without much consideration and then I jumped on making the quilts happening. Alas I am nearing the finish line but I'm already itching to make something colourful!

So that is all about me. Now check out THESE amazing women and their blogs. On September 8th they will have new posts similar in flavour to mine. Check them out!

The Edgy Perfectionist
Her title encapsulates her perfectly. Crissa works full time and yet creates the most incredible quilts and projects. She is meticulous and it shows in her work. She likes BOLD colours and fabrics like Tula Pink, Amy Butler and Kaffe Fassett. When her mojo is flowing, watch out! I think the quilt she made that blew me away the most is her Out in Space quilt. Epic. Another Canadian, but closer to home than Jenn as she is in a neighbouring city here in Ontario.

How My Time Flies
An experienced sewer and quilter, this woman can do it all. Anita makes quilts but also clothing (including her own bras!), pillows, drapes and, well, anything you can sew. And she knits, too! She works full time and she is a very detail-oriented quilter (read: perfect seam matching every time. She told me she would teach me how but I know I wouldn't have her patience!) so her finishes are fewer. Anita has been working on a Dear Jane quilt for two years and I can't wait to see it together. Also, check out her incredible landscape quilt. She made this after taking a class on Craftsy. This is her first landscape quilt. WOW. Hooray for another local Canadian!

Peas in a Pod Creations
Kymberly is American, from Iowa. She was one of my first followers on my blog. She blogs about quilting but also about her knitting (gorgeous stuff that I could never make!). I am particularly captivated by her foray into making a Farmer's Wife quilt (a zillion tiny blocks with a zillion pieces each, much like a Dear Jane) because she is doing it entirely in black, white and grey. I have never seen one with a colour scheme like that and she is so good about explaining her process with the blocks and when she makes mistakes that she can live with and when she scraps it and tries again! I can't wait to see how it looks when it is all together because I think it is going to be worthy of a quilting show.

Lynn