FINDERS KEEPERS

Years ago, I was given a bag of hand-me-downs for my boys. At the bottom of the bag, was this little embroidered quilt. When I asked my friend where it came from. She said "Oh that was my husbands when he was a baby".     What?
She no longer wanted it hanging around, so I gladly accepted. It was too sweet to pass up.

Look at these little jiggers :

The problem is, the quilt is tied, and all the batting is in a lump in one corner.  I really want to restore this, but am not sure how. I'm thinking Heather of Vintage Grey would know just what to do.

When the line "sew stitchy" comes in, I am hoping it might work with this. My thought is new narrower sashing. It's currently about 3 " and that leaves a lot of open space between blocks.

Any ideas?

Have a great long week-end.
One of my boys is moving, so you know what I'll be doing  : )

SUNDAY STITCHES (on a tuesday)

Sunday was gorgeous.  I sat out on my deck and worked on my hexagons.  I got caught up in the Back to School blog hop, so am posting one of these a week late.

Week 34

Week 35

September is my month to receive blocks from my partners in the Scrappy?Sew bee it! group.
This is the block I am thinking of asking them for.  It's a  + and x block.  Scrappy, but with an emphasis on orange and teal.  I seem to still be loving that colour combination.  It will be another little quilt for the nursery. Can babies have too many quilts??

Thanks to everyone who took the time to comment on the giveaway.

 It's open until Sept. 3rd.

BACK TO SCHOOL BLOG HOP WITH GIVE-AWAYS

GIVE-AWAY NOW CLOSED

I'm celebrating!!! For the first time in 24 years, I won't be shopping for school supplies or packing lunches this fall. So, I am participating in the Back to School Blog Hop Party !

There are well over 100 blogs participating, each with a give-away for you to enter.
The Blog Hop Button to the right, will be updated on August 26th. You will find a list of participating blogs there.

This time around, I am giving away my Fruit Cocktail Placemats that I recently blogged about.
They need a good home.

Also, because this is about back to school, how about some fabrics with text on them !

There are 3 quarter meter cuts up for grabs. 

Simply leave a comment on this post and I will choose a winner after Sept. 3

I will ship internationally

Enjoy the blog hop : )

*REMEMBER  If after leaving a comment, you click on your name and it goes nowhere, I can't get ahold of you. Please leave an e-mail address in your comment.

SHABBY TREASURES

Do you ever stop at those little out of the way places?  This summer we went to Vancouver Island and stopped at Whippletree Junction. It's a collection of heritage buildings that make up a little shopping/coffee/bathroom stop right off the highway.  While there, I stumbled upon a little shop called Shabby Chic Treasures.  I found this little cradle, and after convincing hubby we had a bit of room in the back seat, brought it home.  This is what it started out as,

and this is what it looks like now.

Much better.  

 I know what you're thinking. It needs a quilt, right?

I gave you a peek at it already this week.

Well, I got it finished and I do LOVE it!  This little quilty was started eons ago, but sat forgotten until I saw this cradle.  Now I had a reason to finish it up.  It is appliqued down to a teal background in keeping with the nursery colour scheme.

While I was basting the fabrics over the paper, I made sure to leave lots of seam allowance so when it was quilted, it would puff up-----therefore upping the cuteness factor .

I wish you could feel it.

I hope my wee grand girls have many happy days playing with their dollies and this quilt.

quilt stats:

fabrics are 1930's by Mrs. March
582 hexagons
15 1/2" x 21 1/2"

FRUIT COCKTAIL

One of the fun things about quilting is coming up with new things.  Years ago, I designed this set of placemats for a summer table. I never did use them. This was my first attempt at any free motion quilting, so I kept it to a minimum.


first up is a slice of lemon

an orange

and my favourite---grapefruit  !

I think the reason I never used them is because my table is rectangle.  They should really be on a little round one.

I suddenly have an urge for fruit salad!

Linking up today with  Debbie @ tuesday at the table.

AUGUST BLOCKS

This past week was quite productive. For a whole day, I had the house to myself : )  Along with the usual chores, I had myself a "crafternoon"

These are the August "improv" blocks for Heal@do.good stitches

 my second attempt:

attempt 2 and the first one I did which I fixed a bit because I wasn't happy with a skinny piece I was left with.  These 2 blocks are off to Atlanta, Georgia

A little peek at an upcoming post:

Have a wonderful week.

BIRD ON A WIRE---FINISHED!

You're probably sick of this quilt by now, but it's finally done. The quilting took the longest. I had it one third stippled, but picked it all out. It seemed too overpowering for the  quilt. Anyway, I had considered wavy lines and when Linda suggested it, I decided to go for it.

For the back, I used a teal polka dot (which you can see from the light coming through )

I think the quilting compliments the quilt, without taking away from the "laundry".

Here it is above the crib. I hope the girlies like looking at everything on it. I'm quite happy with the outcome.

Thanks for stopping by today.

RUMPLED QUILT SKIN

This week I am finishing up my quilt for the September Moda club. I'm just going to give you a little peek at it all crumpled up.  I have to have SOME surprises at the first meeting  : )

Also, this is week 33 hexagon

Short and sweet today. 

Happy stitching.

BEE BLOCKS

This month for the Scrappy?Sew bee it group, Sana asked for Spiderweb blocks. She has longed for a quilt like this for years so we are each making a block or two.  She LOVES dragonflies and I just happened to have a bit leftover after covering a little lamp.

These are her blocks:

I am quite happy with them, and think they look good enough to eat! Sana is planning on adding dark blue to the sides, to make it a square block. I'm thinking these will really pop against that colour. Earlier this year, I did a big quilt like this, but in darker colours.  I talked about that here.  Now, I want to do another one, but in bright colours.  Never a boring moment I tell ya.

 They are being shipped to Germany as we speak : )

Also, the other on-line group I belong to called for improv blocks. I have never tried this so found it a bit of a challenge. No measuring, no directions, just do it.  After a bit, I had what looked like a house, so I whacked off the point and started in another direction. I hope it's what she wants.

Lastly, I got the borders on my beginner sample.  Someone had asked what colour brown I had used. Mushroom is close, but after taking this picture, I think I should call it "weathered fence".  I had to get this picture quickly before the automatic sprinklers came on  : /

Happy Saturday to you .

QUILTING 101

At the shoppe where I work, I teach a beginner class. My current sample was getting tired, so I needed to make a new one.

I started with this little stack,

and this is what I came up with.  It still needs its' borders.

While making this lap quilt, the ladies will learn accurate cutting, the 1/4" seam, and some strip piecing.  The three different blocks should enable them to go on and make more quilts with some confidence.

Now that it's nearly done, I'm glad I took the time to make it. As a matter of fact, there were two women who came in today wondering if we had beginner classes. Hurray for new quilters!

Also, this is week 32 of the hex-a-thon

Enjoy your day.

Linking up with W.I.P. Wednesday

A JELLYROLL FINISH

I really shouldn't look through old magazines late at night. While trying to decide which old issues to chuck and which to keep, I stumbled across a very simple pattern.  The light went on, so to speak, and the next morning, I started sewing. Last Christmas, Katja gave me this mini jellyroll and I knew it would be perfect.  Thanks Katja!

I chose 14 strips and the background I got while on holiday.  Next I cut each strip into random lengths, and sewed them back together in no particular order, until I had one looooooong strip.

Then I cut eight lengths off, about 39" each.  The rest of the long strip is used for binding.  How easy is that? Sashing was cut 2 1/2" .

Top and bottom border was cut 4"

Here it is all quilted up. I did a little loopy thing. The easiest free motion ever. If you are interested in knowing more, just send me an e-mail and I will give you more detailed instruction. It's from an old Quiltmaker magazine.

Oh, and I wanted to show you the wall art. Yesterday my daughter and I went out and got a stencil and a couple bottles of paint.  I told her what I had envisioned, and she did it. She painted, and I sewed.
I love what she did!  A little something for the babies to look at while Mommy takes care of business.

Each month, Megan of Crooked Seams hosts a jellyroll party. Today I am linking up  : )

.........AND THE WINNER IS

Thanks for all the comments on the give-away.  I had fun reading each and every one.  There were a few people who commented as Anonymous. That's fine, as long as I have a name and an e-mail. Some had just a first name and no contact information.

Anyway, the random number generator chose #7 and that was.........

Congratulations Deborah,  the black and white fabrics will be zinging their way to you this afternoon.

There should be an e-mail from me in your inbox  : )

I ALMOST FORGOT ! and a GIVE-AWAY

edited: give-away now closed

I'm not sure how I did it, but somehow I missed my 1 year blog anniversary.  I re-started this little blog on July 24 of last year, after my previous site had been hacked twice.  So far, I have had no trouble with blogger. Hooray!

Well, what's a birthday without presents !  I am offering up 5 quarter meter cuts of black and white prints.  These could work up into something fun, maybe with a pop of lime green or red?

Nothing to do but leave a comment on this post, and I will let the random number generator choose someone on Saturday.

also, this is # 31 of the hex-a-thon.  21 more to go.

I should really be sewing some of these together............

Thanks so much for making this lots of fun over the past year (and a week)

Good luck  : )