SATURDAY SNAPSHOTS

My blocks are coming together quickly for the Modern Maples quilt. I think it's going to end up being really big, but that's ok  : )

the greens:

yellows:

orange/red:

and the browns:

I think the Christmas print in the middle block made for a nice leaf

After laying out the blocks I have so far, I've decided to add a few smaller leaves as well. That way, I can have better luck in achieving the look I want.

This block is for Lisa for the Scrappy? Sew bee it group. She asked for any kind of log cabin block. Seeing all these scraps were already on my table, I used them and ended up with this. I like it!

This is the last block I need to make for our group. We've been trading blocks for 16 months I think. That leaves me with four different swaps I'm still part of. They should keep me busy this coming year : )

That's it for this week. Enjoy your Labour Day week-end.

THE WEDDING QUILT

Today is the day.  I started the Wedding Quilt. The bride to be just loves fall colours so the first thing that popped into my head was a Modern Maples quilt. This way, I can include all her favourites.

I looked a few places for a background fabric that would be suitable. Now I would have loved a light fabric with text print all over to make it modern, but this quilt isn't about me. So, I decided on this one because I think what it says is so fitting for the Newlyweds. It's called 'Home to Roost' for Red Rooster fabrics.

 This piece is my inspiration fabric and I have started dumping out bins and baskets looking for fall colours.

and so it begins.


linking up with W.I.P. wednesday

LOW VOLUME PICNIC--TAKE 2

I was quite happy with my first picnic quilt I made last week,  but then I washed it. I was trying to soften it up a bit before sending it off to it's new home. I think I gasped out loud when I took it out of the dryer.  It sort of looked like a kleenex that got left in a pocket.  It had shrunk 4" in both directions--4 !

Now I'm all for a crinkly quilt, but this was a bit much. How could I give THAT away?

So...........I made another one. It's not like I had put the fabrics away or anything   : )
I placed all the prints in pretty much the same place (except one I ran out of) so it looks the same. This one I quilted with straight lines in both directions.

The back got a nice grey stripe

When I took it out of the dryer, it still laid nice and flat and was only slightly crinkled.  I feel much better sending this one off.

Right now it's making it's way to a new home. Here's hoping that soon it has peanut butter and jam on it and all those other good things that go along with a picnic  : )

Happy Sunday

RANDOM THURSDAY

This little pile of pretty is the beginning of my Beach House quilt #2. I have enough of these for all my blocks and just need to add sashing.

I snagged this book (the last one) on a recent road trip and am thinking this stack of 'Wrens and Friends' will work quite nicely

My block for Patti as part of the Simply Solids Bee

I started another Low Volume quilt,

and this is what's happening in my backyard these days.

I bought this hardy variety a couple of years ago and this year it has taken off. YUM !
Now, I should really start that wedding quilt.....


linking up with Cindy for Random Thursday

LOW VOLUME PICNIC QUILT

Do you ever get an idea in your head that you just have to make? Such was the case on Saturday, so I set about digging through my stash and scraps for anything low volume.  I wanted to make a simple picnic quilt with fabrics that would depict what a person might see or do while on a picnic. A quilt where little wanderers could sit and eat their lunch after chasing bugs and gathering flowers.


There might be a little fishing,

perhaps some reading,

someone may bring cake...........

and where there is cake.............

How is it that darling daughter always rolls out of bed just in time to accompany me on a photo shoot?
She tested it.

While sewing this, I was thinking of a family this may go to but first I will e-mail and find out if they are interested     : )

quilt stats:
low volume stash fabrics
9" blocks with a few 4-patches thrown in
54 x 63
binding is 'textures' in light grey

FRIDAY PHOTOS

Another week over and this one was busy! I've been making blocks for a couple of the swaps I'm in.

Mary asked for Scrappy pink  x & +  blocks,

Nicke wants Maple Leaf blocks in true fall colours with text prints as backgrounds,

I nearly have enough of these blocks for another Fractured Nine Patch,

My youngest turned 19 this week so we had a bit of a family dinner for her. There were two brothers missing but there were still 14 of us around the table.
Her bouquet.

..and now for the really big news, our oldest son asked his sweet girl to marry him and she said YES.
The wedding is this October. If I thought I was busy before........

FRACTURED NINE PATCH -- A FINISH

This is my second finish for this quarter. You've seen this top before, but now it's done and can be on it's way to a Hospice House. The blocks came to me via the girls in the Heal @do.Good Stitches group.

original list is here

Large blocks and a bit of sashing resulted in a decent sized quilt - 50 x 67.  If you'd like to make one, the tutorial is here

I quilted it with straight lines randomly spaced from top to bottom.

Backing is Word Play for Benartex and the binding is a stripe I bought with just the right colours : )
After I had the top together I got a few more blocks in the mail. A couple of people here have offered to make blocks so I nearly have enough for another quilt. More on that one later.

Have a lovely week.

GREEN TEA AND SWEET BEANS---WITH FRIENDS

One by one my blocks from the Mid Century Modern girls came in the mail. I would put them up on the design wall and play around, then take them down again for another project. Last week, I laid them all out on my floor and got busy fitting them together. The blocks were 6", 9", and 12" so it was a bit like a puzzle. Soon I had a layout I liked and was sewing them together.

There are so many fun things to look at !

I had asked that the backgrounds be light or text prints. Because the blocks were different sizes, I knew I would have 'holes' to fill. Little did the ladies know that I would be using their 3" signature blocks on the front  : )
They worked like a charm, and technically they're text prints right??

I'm so happy with my quilt. Here I am feeling all warm and fuzzy inside. Squeal!

I know I can't call my quilt by the same name as my inspiration, but maybe by the time I have it quilted I will have come up with something brilliant. I will do a proper post when it's done and I plan on naming names! 

BABY BOWS

This past weekend offered lots of sewing time for me. I basically had the place to myself. Hubby was working, kids were away, and I didn't have to work.  This is the end result of the stack of bow tie blocks I showed you in the last post.

The three dimensional blocks went together fairly quickly.

The colours and prints in this are so soft and delicate. I have a box of this type of fabric and while sewing this I was considering digging it out of the closet  : )

I had this piece of border fabric which I thought was the finishing touch as it's one of the fabrics in the quilt. I will hand it back to the owner today, and she will take it from there.

Quilt Stats:
43 x 52
fabrics are a mix of 5" squares
you can 'google' 3D bow tie quilt and get the pattern

SOUVENIRS

Hubby took our youngest son down to the Vancouver airport a couple of days ago because he is off to Germany. He brought back a few little souvenirs. I may or may not have dropped a hint.........

Yesterday I went to Katja's to see if I could find backing for my Beach House quilt and look what I found-----WAVES !

This is a whole lot of 3-D bow tie blocks for a little commission quilt.  So pretty and girlie

Right now I have a full 12 hours ahead of me before I have to pick up hubby. I am going to make the most of it    : )

Have a great week end!