Still Quilting Along

     This year I decided to do the Summer Sampler quilt along.  This is despite the fact that I have yet to finish the other two quilt alongs I joined this year.

     The appeal of the Summer Sampler is  the skill building aspect of this.  I didn't want to think about colour for this sampler so I purchased a kit from Mad About Patchwork. Even though last week was fairly busy, I am happy to say that I managed to finish the first block within the week. The block was designed by @lynncarlsonharris. A lot of people struggled with this block and I learned from their trials.The summer sampler folks also point you to lots of online resources to improve your skills.  I did a really good check on my quarter inch seams so the tiny piecing turned out the right size. 
      I used Best Press on all the fabrics that needed to be cut on the bias.  Despite all this, in true quilty confession I'm letting you know that the block is not quite square.  The first triangular border I pieced turned out a bit small in the width.  The other borders turned out ok as I became more comfortable with the technique. I haven't decided yet if I will redo that border before I put the quilt together or if I will try to iron it into submission.
     One of the things I did in my busy week was go to a workshop on disappearing nine patch variations with @billstearman.  He will be giving similar workshops at Quilt Canada in June.  Bill also gave a talk at our guild and he is a really interesting guy.  He's only been quilting for about 5 years and he has all sorts of quilts juried into shows including the Canadian Quilters Association and Quilt Con.  He makes a lot of incredibly interesting quilts with variations on the disappearing nine patch.  Here are two of my class samples.

     Both blocks are made with Bill's hand dyed fabrics.  The block below is made with Indigo.  Isn't it gorgeous.  Bill suggests that you make your samples into pillow covers and I will definitely make the Indigo block into a pillow cover.  I might just quilt up the one above and make it into a mini.

     There was a third sample as well but as I'm in full disclosure with the mishaps,  I managed to make an incorrect cut.  I still think my sample can be salvaged but I have put it aside for now.
     Well last week was pretty busy but this week will be busier yet.  Eli turns two on Wednesday so we are going there for dinner, and I believe our daughter will come back to spend a day or two at our place.  I'm out every evening but one this week, and back babysitting the boys on Friday.....so I think week two of the summer sampler is out of the picture for me...but no worries I'll muddle along as I always do.
     I know I promised you a finished quilt last week....but I decided to hand sew the binding slowing down the process on that.  With work, weeding and babysitting the finishes are slow and far between.

A Some What Late Update

     You can see by this photo taken early last Sunday that it was a pretty dull day for Mother's Day. I thought you might like to know that I finished putting the quilt top together for the Clamshell Quilt.  I first worked on this quilt back in 2015 when I took a class on curves with Susan Forbes at Greenwood Quiltery (my local quilt store that is with us no more).  Finishing this quilt top was my UFO challenge for my guild and also my one thing with Amy finish for that week.  It's been on and off FAL lists since taking the class and I have worked on it on and off since then as well.

     It actually came together very quickly in the end.  Don't you just love it when a task you have been avoiding turns out to be easier than you anticipated?  Somehow over the years I managed to finish all the block components so all that was left was to sew the four curved pieces into blocks (many blocks where already together) then sew the rows together and add the borders.

     This week has been pretty busy so I didn't manage to sit down and finish this post until today.  I'm working for a co worker later today so I had just enough time to  squeeze in this post.  I spent a good deal of time visiting my friend Wendy and our mid arm over the last two days and I managed to finish quilting my project so I will share that with you later in the week.  I still need to sew the binding on and then I'll have a Friday Finish.

     I'll be linking up my post at UFO busting  at  Tish's Adventures in Wonderland and at Let's Bee Social at Sew Fresh Quilts. 

A Goal For May

     Today the Sun is Shining. We haven't seen much of it lately as in the entire Winter and the now Spring.  Oh it's shown it's little head here and there, but not enough for me.  As soon as I finish this post I'm heading out to the garden!
    Last month I set two goals and I managed to finish them both, so I am feeling pleased about that.  I have a few goals I would like to accomplish this month as well, and I will list them all but I have decided to choose only one for the One Monthly Goal.  So my OMG will be making a runner for my co worker Brenda from these fabrics.  I owe her this gift since some time in January.  Remember when the machine stopped working and went into the shop.

     I'm going to make it in an improvisational style figuring it out as I go along.  This is my favourite process so there should be happy sewing for me this month.

     In addition to the runner I am hoping to finish a quilt top with these blocks by April 12th.  Finishing this top is the month's goal at my guild.  This project has been on and off the Finish Along Goals on this blog for a couple of years.  Obviously I am not as comfortable with curves as I would like to be.

     Lastly I would like to finish making the gazillion little plus signs for the Modern Plus Sign Quilt Along.  This quilt along is over, but not for me.  This is the most time consuming part of the quilt and once it's done I should be able to finish the rest quite quickly.

     The last month has brought us lots of extra time with our grandsons.  Oh how I love those boys.  Gabriel is learning to pedal a tricycle and will be joining a soccer league for little ones in a few weeks and Eli is starting to string three words together.  Life is good.  Now off to the garden to see how the weeds are coming along, but first I'm linking up with the OMG link up at Elm Street Quilts.

A Quilt for Eoin

     I have a quilt finish to share with you.  It's a quilt for Eoin (Owen) who is Rory's younger cousin.  If you forget who Rory is I made him the star quilt you can see here.  Eoin's quilt was a much quicker finish but it packs a colourful punch.

     It's the row additon pattern from Modern Plus Sign Quilts by Paige Alexander and Cheryl Brickey.  I pieced it in a few hours and quilted it in a few more.  I quilted wavy lines with my walking foot with a 50 weight lime green Aurifil thread. I followed the shape of the plus signs a half inch inside the edge of each one.

     This quilt was made entirely from fabrics in my stash, except for the backing fabric.  I had purchased a green fabric for the binding but it didn't work so I went with a blue on aqua polka dot I had on hand.  You have to love a polka dotted binding.

     Row addition is my first finish for the second Quarter FAL this year.  You can see my original list here.  Finishing this quilt was also 1/2 of my April One Monthly Goal.  I'm happy to let you know that I finished the other 1/2 of my goal as well which was to complete and send my sisterhood swap blocks before April 27th.  Here's a photo of all my blocks before I mailed them.

     I know at least one of these has made it to it's destination.
Linking with the OMG linkup at Elm Street Quilts and the Favourite Finishes linkup at Meadowmist Designs.

2019 FAL the Big List

     Today is the day the link ups open for the 2nd Quarter of the 2019 Finish Along.  Putting my list together was fairly easy as a lot of it is carried over from the first quarter.  I did finish two projects on that list and for now one of them has dropped off.  Here's where we stand at the moment.

1.  Grande Scrappy Tiles:  This is the project that I am currently working on, when it's my turn to work on the  sit down long arm we own.  I think I have about a quarter to a third of it quilted, so it should be done fairly soon.  It depends on how much life interrupts my quilting time. I have to admit that when the choice is between using the machine or babysitting the grand kids, the kids always win.

2.  Clam Shell.  I have yet to make any progress on this one this year....but it's still hanging in on the list and I think it's the quilt that corresponds to the number pulled for this months UFO completion at my guild so I might be finishing the flimsy.

3.  Batik Quilt:  I was  hoping this one got picked as the April UFO for the guild for, as there is not a lot that needs to be done to get the quilt top finished.

4.Row Addition:  I've actually got the quilt top finished for this one. It was the March UFO and a very easy one at that. I've already washed the backing fabric so I'm thinking it will be done soon.

5.  Might as well keep this bag on the list in case I feel inspired to finish it.

6.  And I still owe my co worker a gift made of these fabrics. No worries here that Row Addition quilt above is for one of her grandkids.

All of the above projects were on the first quarter list.  Here are a few others that might push those aside.

7.  I'm participating in the Sister Hood swap and I'll need to finish up the mini quilt for that when my blocks arrive.  I'm about 1/2 finished the blocks I'm sending out.

8.  My modern guild is making donation pillows so I'll be making a pillow.  Here's a possible starting point.

9. I'll add in the Modern Plus Signs Q.A.L. quilt because even though the quilt along is over, I did start the quilt and I'm still working on it.

  I was going to round this list off at an even 10 but when I went to look for the final project to take a photo I couldn't find it!  This probably says a lot about the state of my life and my sewing room.  So that project is off the list.  If I find it, it will be on the third quarter list.  So,there we go...working away on all these projects but still open to creative challenges when they pop up.  What's on your list?  Linking up with the Quarter 2 F.A.L. linkup at HandWrought Quilts.

Goals for April

      I did manage to finish my goal for March well in advance of the deadline but I didn't manage to link it up.  Oh well it's really all about moving projects forward isn't it?  It's time to come up with a goal for April and I have two projects that are well on their way and have deadlines for this month so in a spirit of optimism I'm going to list them both.

Goal one is to get all the sub blocks done for the #sisterhoodswap.   Here's a shot of potential dress fabrics for the sisters, along with the cover of the pattern.

     You may have seen the swap on instagram.  Berene of @happysewlucky came up with this great pattern as a  fundraiser to celebrate International Women's Day. She managed to raise $4,000 Canadian for the charity @beautifulworldcanada   and the funds will be used for the education of two girls in Africa.  One would like to be a teacher and the other would like to have her own sewing business.  You could just buy the pattern or participate in a swap with 7 others.  I decided to do the swap and I have to have it done by April 27th.  I'll meet the goal. As soon as I post this I'm heading to the sewing room.

     My second goal is to finish turning this pile of fabric into a baby quilt.  It's an easy pattern and I'm hoping to get it done by Tuesday.

     Actually I've traded out a couple of the fabrics. The top two are gone.  The top one because I decided against the purple and the second because when I opened it up to iron it I noticed that it had faded in the crease lines.  I was a bit surprised by that as I don't think it was stored in a lot of sunlight, but then I realized I had bought it on sale and that it is an organic cotton.  I'm thinking that the particular dye used for this colour may not be very stable.  Wendy suggested that I use it as a bag lining because it is a beautiful fabric and I can look at it in the bag.

     So those are my two goals and I'm confident I will get them both done this month.  I'm joining the OMG linkup with Patti of Elm Street Quilts.  Hopefully I manage to link up my finishes this month.

Squeezing in another First Quarter Finish Post

     One day, maybe one day I will have my life return to a pace where I can keep up with quilting and blogging in a more systematic way.  Until that happens I'll keep dipping in when I can.  Today I'm sharing a small finish that was completed on the last day of the 1st Quarter, but I've had no energy to write this little post, until now.

  I sewed along with @johannaweidner, in March for the Bloembasketalong.  Here's my finished basket.

     I generally prefer sewing flat things like quilts, but making this little basket was a lot of fun.  It's not perfect, especially the binding but that's ok it's the first one and I made it at sew alongs so not on my best machine.  I think the main fabric is an older design by Anna Marie Horner....and the solids are Konas.

     Here's another shot which shows the one handle for the basket.

     I think I will make a few more of these baskets in the next while.  They will make great gifts.  It would be nice to make a couple for my grand boys and they would also make great  gifts for co workers and quilting friends. This is my second finish for the 1st quarter of the 2019 FAL.  The original post is here.  I'll be linking this post with the FAL link up at She Can Quilt.  I'll also link up with the TGIFF link up which is hosted by Laura of Slice of Pi quilts this week, and with the Bragg About Your Beauties linkup with Michelle of from Bolt to Beauty.