New Stuff

Here is a pic of the table runner  kit I won as a doorprize on Saturday at the Thistle Guild's quilt show.   I was very impressed with how all the fabric was cut and labelled .  Wonder Under was included for making the applique shapes as well as fusible tape to apply the already prepared bias tape for the flower stems.  Batting, backing and strips to make the binding was also included.  Just start sewing! 

And here is what it looks like now.  I still have to work on stitching around the applique shapes and then bind off.   The method used is quilt-as-you-go, which sews up quickly. A perfect fit for my kitchen table.

Here is a gift I received from my blogging buddy Sheila.  A sweet little mugrug with hand embroidery.  I just love it!  Used it this morning.   Thanks Sheila!  

Thistle Quilt Guild Quilt Show

Here are some hightlights of my visit to the Thistle Quilt Guild's annual show.in Westville, Nova Scotia.    It was a lovely show.  I won a door prize of a really nice table runner kit complete with backing, batting and binding. I filled up my new totebag with goodies. 

I also got together with three Nova Scotia Bloggers. 

 

 

 

 

L - R  Lesley The Cuddle Quilter, Karen of KaHolly, ME, and our hostess, Sheila of Sheila's Quilt World.. 

A challenge to recreate a paper gift bag into fabric. 

The Raffle Quilt

 Wonderful quilty day! 

A Finish! With help from a friend

60" x 74"

This quilt top dates back to 2001!  It was a block of the month from Atlantic Fabrics. This was a fun quilt top to make.  It has paper-piecing, hand applique, embroidery and dimensional embellishments.  The original pattern had a large panel in the centre and the blocks went around the sides and top of that and the border was a fencepost design but I changed it up to suit me  at the time.   It had been in the "I Need to be Quilted" pile all this time.

One day, in March I think, I was lamenting about all my UFOs to my co-worker Pam.  Now, she is a quilter, but not addicted like I am.  She loves to handquilt to relax.  To my surprise and delight, she offered to handquilt a UFO for me.  How awesome is that!! And even more awesome is that I now have a new quilting buddy. 

She did a wonderful job and I am pleased as punch to hang it in my front entry.  As a trade-off, I am going to piece a quilt top for her.  She has chosen a cute little sailboat design.  I find piecing very relaxing so Pam and I make a good quilting combo.
Thanks Pam! 

Another Must-Do project....Done!

I won the pattern for this totebag in a giveaway over a year ago, maybe even two years,  from
Whistlepig Creek Productions.  It is called "Little Sister".  As soon as I saw it I knew I had to make it so it went on my Must-Do List.  I get to cross it off that list today. 

I wanted to make my bag similar to the photo on the pattern.  I love the newsprint fabric that I found to use for the main part of the bag. I found it in the "Sale Room" at Suttles.   It has lots of comical quilting related stories on it. The lining fabric is also a text print with lots of quilty words.  There are roomy pockets on the inside as well.  I forgot to remove a straight pin while sewing the handles down and it is stuck forever between the handles and the inside pocket!
I had planned to sew in the zipper as per the instruction but I wimped out. I will just attach a snap for a closure.

This bag was a bit challenging and there was a ton of sewing.  almost 400" of bias binding!  I gave my new back-up sewing machine a real workout.  Fusible fleece is used for a batting and the main body and the side pieces of the bag are machine quilted.  Fusible interfacing is used to make the outer pockets have a nice shape.  Elastic is sewn into the top of the side pockets.   The directions were very clear and I just took my time and went step-by-step . 

I think this is the first time that I ever started and finished a project and didn't start another project in the middle of it! 

Maybe I will take my new totebag when I visit The Thistle Quilt Guild's Annual Quilt Show in Westville, N S, on Saturday.  Chances are they will have a vendor or two and I will need something to put my purchases in, just in case I buy some new fabric. lol

A new addition

For the past year or so I have been kicking around buying a back-up machine.  Trying to decide if I should go bigger and better than I already have...a Pfaff Quilters Edition 4.0... or to buy something similar.   I went without my machine for over three weeks last year and it was horrible!  I have two other machines...a Husquvarna and a Kenmore.  both sew ok but neither of them FreeMotionQuilt well or at all.  So,
I popped into It's Sew Time last week and there was a sale on Pfaff machines so I came home with the Ambition 1.0 (I am calling it the Baby 4.0 because of all the similarities)  It took me 3 minutes to decide that was the one.  It is perfect for me.  And guess what......later that day, as my quilting buddy was using my 4.0 and doing some freemotion quilting, it came to a complete stop and is now in the shop for repair and a cleaning.  So I guess it was fate that I bought my back-up machine that day.

My new Pfaff ambition 1.0 (complete with my newest pincushion)

 
I have been working very hard on a new project over the past few days.  Here's a sneak peek at the main fabric I am using. After I bought this fabric, I read the pattern more closely and it suggested not to use a directional fabric, but I am making it work.
 

Oh yes, and I gave notice to my boss that I am giving up work.  Soon as a replacement takes over I am officially retired.  15 years of merchandising greeting cards.  Done.

What's Happening?

It's been two weeks since my last blogpost.  I have had lots of quilty goodness going on.  I wasn't going to start any new projects but that went out the window very quickly.
My BQFF (Best Quilting Friend Forever) Miss Kathy B. from Saint John, New Brunswick arrived for a 10 day visit.  We do this every year.  The first few days of her visit we did our fabric shop hopping.  We went to Avonport Discount, Atlantic Fabrics in Dartmouth, It's Sew Time in Elmsdale and of course a day trip to Mahone Bay.

to Suttles and Seawinds. Of course, I bought a lot more new fabric. We always stop at Island View Restaurant in Gold River for fish and chips and an ice cream.  This year I had the fried clams which were totally awesome.  After a few days of running the roads, we sewed.

 First we used Darlene Zimmerman's Double Wedding Ring ruler to make  a table runner.  I love how mine turned out but didn't realize til I was all finished sewing that I had sewn the centre white piece in upside down.  Arrgh! 

This is my table runner 

Kathy used 30's for her table runner

Then we tried a Twister.  A fun project and I have plans to make a few more table runners for gifts.

This is Kathy's Twister - she had to wait until she returned home to add the borders.  She has the perfect fabric in her stash. 

My Twister - fun to make with batiks

Then we tried our hand at making potholders. We also made a pincushion and a postcard.  


It was a great visit Kathy!

I am linking up with The Needle and Thread Network.  Stop by and see what everyone is working on.  Lots of inspiration!