My Second Quilt

     It is a very sunny Monday and I did think I would have a completed Meadow Mystery top to share but I ran into difficulties with it...I'll explain it when I get it finished.  I won't be able to finish it by the end of the month because I will be in Savannah at Quilt Con. (I still can't believe this!)  It's very close to completion but I have to fix a block.

     Instead I will share my 2nd quilt top.  Lee Ann at Devoted quilter is hosting a link up for your first quilt.  My first quilt was made for my nephew Eric.  He's Charlotte's father and you can see the quilt I just made for her here.  I didn't take any pictures of the first quilt, and as Eric was a student at the time, the quilt ended up on the couch with the cats, I think it has gone to the great beyond.  Eric's quilt was made in a beginner quilting class at Greenwood Quiltery, which sadly is no more.  I think I made it about 11 years ago.

   A couple of years after I made Eric's quilt and with a few table runners under my belt I arranged for some friends to chip in for a quilting class for my friend Pauline who was interested in learning.  She of course wanted me to do the class with her so, I took my second beginner class and made this quilt here to go in my living room.

     I didn't finish the quilt because of course, it was for me.  Instead I went on to make quilts for both my kids and for a friend who had a baby and on and on.  I only got the top totally together in the last couple of years.  So now I have this top hanging around the sewing room, but hopefully not for long.  The completion of this quilt is going to be my OMG for March. Wish me luck!  I'm going to need it as I have to work up my tutorial for Stash bee for April when I'm the Queen Bee!  I'm linking up with My First Quilt at Devoted Quilter.

A bit of a Catch Up

     Normally in the my region we get about 86 hours of sunlight during the month of January.  This year we got 12 hours.  I know it's February , but here's the thing.  We are all tired and sad up here and it's been a bit harder to keep up with quilting and blogging.  I'm pretty much mainlining the sunshine vitamin (that's Vitamin D in case you don't know).   But February has given us a few sunny moments and next week I go to Savannah so I'll stop complaining now.   

     Here I'll give you some love instead.  

     The scrappy heart is my block for my February Stash Bee Queen, Paula. She asked for the scrappy heart blocks to use in quilts she is making for seniors. It' didn't have to be red but I had a lot of red fabrics calling to me.  It was a fun little block to make.  The block with the sheep is a mini I'm hoping to finish tonight to give to my secret valentine at work.  Here's a closeup so you can take in the true cuteness of the sheep.

          This is what I received.  It will give you a little more insight into my character.   I need the protection from weirdos (the bad kind) and rude people because I work in retail.  Take note that not all weirdos are considered to be bad and I do have to note that 98% of our customers are awesome.

     This little gift made me really really happy!  

     Continuing with the theme of red.  I made these huge blocks to take to Quilt Con with Me.

     They are for a workshop on Friday night with Riane Menardi of Vessel Quilts.  It's called Quilt Remix and the object of the workshop is to take a traditional block and turn it into a modern quilt.  I am so excited!  I'm linking up with Let's Bee Social and I hope to find some time over the next couple of days to catch up with my blogging friends.

A House or a Home

     After the shooting at a Mosque in Quebec City the Montreal Modern Quilt Guild put out the call for  House blocks. They are making quilts to donate to the families of the victims in the shooting. You can read more about this project here.  The Toronto Modern Guild is putting together a quilt and I made the block below to add to that quilt.

     The shooting in Quebec City has really shaken many Canadians.  We are a pretty peaceful place for the most part.  Many of us are thinking about our roles going forward in making sure that our Country supports all Canadians no matter what our origins or religion.

     I am a first generation Canadian.  My parents immigrated here from England after World War Two.  I have never felt unwelcome here.  Canada has always felt like home.  I have been reading articles where people have been talking about their experiences here, which are quite different from mine.   Yesterday I read an article in the Toronto Star where a first generation Canadian whose parents immigrated from Pakistan  said Canada was perhaps not a home for her but just a house.  The intention of the Montreal Modern Quilt Guild in making the quilts is that Muslims in Quebec City will be able to feel like Canada is their home.  I hope that this is the case and that all of us  can move towards making all people feel more welcome.  

      Today at work we received a box from one of our suppliers.  Someone in the warehouse had used a red marker to draw several hearts on the box and had written the message "True love is not an emotion it is an action".  This is something worth remembering.
     

          House blocks are also a theme at my local guild.  Last year Martina posted a tutorial in Stash Bee for making stack and wack improv houses.  I had a lot of fun making them and got permission to share the tutorial with my guild for a block lotto.  The block lotto is a fun way to get more blocks for the community outreach committee of the guild.  We get some of the blocks and someone wins the rest.  I kept my blocks untrimmed so the lucky winner can trim them as they like.  It should be a fun quilt or quilts as these little blocks are pretty adorable.  

     I'm also working on my Stash Bee block for this month.

     Here's my progress so far.  Check back next week to see what this turns into.  I'm linking up with Lorna at Let's Bee Social.  Have you been doing any social sewing this week?

   

February OMG

     It's time to come up with a goal for February.  I've decided to keep things low key this month.  February is a short month and I'm going to Quilt Con (yay) which makes it even shorter.  I've also got some advance sewing to do for a workshop I'm taking. So instead of trying to complete a quilt, I've decided to focus on catching up with my quilt alongs.  
    I'll have a Stash Bee Block to make and at least a couple of blocks for the Honey Pot Bee, but the specific goal I've settled on for February is to get my Meadow Mystery Quilt top sewn together.  I still have to put January's blocks together before I can do that but I think it's doable.  Here are the strip setts for January's blocks.

      

     I finished my January goal but unfortunately I missed the link up for setting January's goal.  Guess what!  Patty at Elm Street Quilts now has a sign up to receive notice when the link up opens up.  I signed up for that as I obviously need it.

I'm heading over to the link up now.  Do you have a Goal for February?