Wednesday, July 9, 2014

What's Happening!

My Sweet QuiltySister left Nova Scotia this morning and is back in Calgary now.   She will visit with her 3 sons there for a few weeks and then back to Doha.  We had a wonderful visit and I will miss her.  We didn't get her two quilt tops quilted, so she took one home to work on and left one with me to finish up. We had the best intentions to get them quilted before she left, but there was lots going on and time got away from us.  I probably won't see her again until next summer so I have lots of time to get it quilted for her.  She took the Japanese Puzzle and I kept the Maple Leaves. 

My "Scrapbag Sailboats" quilt is all quilted up and the binding is sewn on to the front and I will handsew it to the back and sew in all the thread ends.   I think I will take it with me to work on at the July Sew-in of the  MMQG on Saturday. Here's a few shots of the quilting I did.  On the Kona Snow I used Aurifil #50/2 colour no. 2000  and a 80/12 Superior Titanium topstitch needle and on the prints I used a Sulky Blendable 30# colour no. 4014 and a 90/14 Superior Titanium topstitch needle.   I used the Sulky on the Kona Snow to freemotion the waves and little sailboats.  I love how this turned out.  For the first time I used Quilter's Dream Poly batting and it really was a dream to quilt.  I enjoyed working with it but I don't think I would use it in my bed quilts.  It just doesnt have the drape that I like, but for wallhangings and small projects, for sure.   I haven't washed my little quilt yet, so we shall see. 



 






 I missed the last Sew-In because I had to co-host a bridal shower for my niece, Katherine.  She is being married in August.  The wedding will take place in Killam Mills, New Brunswick on the farm that she and her husband-to-be own.  The shower was lots of fun and she received some wonderful gifts.  I made her an original Rockford Red-Heeled Sock Monkey.Ever since I made one for my son, she has wanted one.    I called him "Bumbee".  I appliqued a honey bee on his bum to signify the fact that the happy couple will be raising honey bees....and horses...and goats...and rabbits...and most likely a few kiddies in the future!

 
I am also making her a wedding quilt, of course!  The quilt I made for her, in 1998, when she was 10 years old, is on it's last leg.  It is very faded and worn.  She loved the darn thing to death!  I used the pattern, "Snowflake" by Trudie Hughes and so, I am going to re-create the same pattern  in modern fabrics. She loves this idea and has picked out a colour palette.     For the backing, I will be getting all the guests at the wedding to sign a square of fabric with a little message to the bride and groom and I will incorporate them into the design.  I won't be handquilting this new one though. All the white space will make for some special FMQing.
"Katherine's Snowflake"
The theme for the wedding is burlap and lace with hydrangea as the flower.  I am also making the  burlap and lace table runner for the head table as well as burlap table centres for the 15 guest tables.  

Hope you had time to get some quilting done today!

I am linking up with the Canadian Needle and Thread Network.  Stop by and check out what everyone is doing this week.