TGIFF - Do Good Things

Welcome to Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday here on the east coast of Canada.  TGIFF is an opportunity to showcase your finish from this week and to see what others are creating (and to share some quilty love).

It has been an interesting week around the world.  Now is the time for us to do good things and to look out for our neighbours.

One of my goals this year is to sew my stash and to make little gifts for friends.  You may recall that I love the Open Wide Zippered Pouch tutorial by Noodlehead.  I've made another one using Toronto Raptors fabric.

I don't know when I'll be able to get the post office to send this off, along with all the lined drawstring bags I've recently made.

I've been working all week, with little time for sewing.  But I know there were many people at home sewing this week.  What did you finish this week?

Link up your blog or Instagram post showing your finish by using the linkup below.  Don't forget to visit a few blogs to spread some quilty love and encouragement.  Please include the TGIFF button or a link to the TGIFF blog in your blog post so your followers can also view all the great finishes.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Project Quilting 11.6 - Vibrant and Vivacious

And so comes the end of this season's Project Quilting hosted by Kim @ Persimon Dreams.  This week's theme is Vibrant and Vivacious.

It has been quite the week.  I work for an essential service, so a good part of my weekend was spent working.  Move aside stapler, these are now my new office supplies.

There is no hand sanitizer, Lysol wipes, masks, etc. to be found.  I decided to try making a mask using a tutorial by Button Counter.  I used different widths of elastic -- what I had on hand.

I don't recommend the wider elastic -- it doesn't stay snug around your ears.  But in the absence of another option, it's better than nothing.

Last night, I needed some sewing therapy, so at 11:00 p.m., I made a quick needle book.

It didn't take long to make, but it was enough to keep my mind occupied on happy things.

I don't know if I'll find more time to sew this week.  Stay safe and healthy friends.  #FlattenTheCurve

TGIFF - High Constrast Hand Quilted PIllow

I finished one of the projects I started at QuiltCon Austin.  Last night I needed some quiet, slow creativity, so I pulled out the pillow I started in the High Contrast Hand Quilting workshop.  It was a great workshop by Riane Menardi Morrison (Riane Elise), and I can't wait to make another project.

The straight lines were stitched in a cream Sashiko thread, and I did the Xs in a light grey.

This pillow is a bit full as I had to use a 16-inch pillow form  -- my LQS has been sold out of 14-inch ones for months.

I'm linking up with:

Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday @ Saroy

Can I Get a Whoop Whoop? @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Finished or Not Friday @ Alycia Quilts

Needle and Thread Thursday @ My Quilt Infatuation

Brag About Your Beauties @ From Bolt to Beauty
Friday Foto Fun @ Powered by Quilting

Quilter's Planner 2020 Block of the Month

Are you playing along with the Quilter's Planner 2020 Block of the Month Sampler Sew Along?

I'm using Kona colours for the Fresh colourway:  Breakers, Sea Glass, Creamsicle, Wasabi, Nectarine, and Aruba.  I've been sewing the blocks on my Singer Featherweight, and this is my January 14.5-inch block.

The blocks are easy to piece and don't take long to sew.  Here's the February block.

I've finished the March block only a few days into March.  😊

Linking up with:

WIP Wednesday @ The Needle and Thread Network

Midweek Makers @ Quilt Fabrication

Wednesday Wait Loss @ The Inquiring Quilter

Dust Off an Old Book Blog Hop

This week, Bea @ Beaquilter is hosting the Dust Off an Old Book blog hop.

For my turn on the blog hop, I choose a project that required free-motion quilting.  I thought it would be a great opportunity to practice.

I choose The Modern Quilt Workshop by Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr.

The authors indicated that the pattern Redwork was an "homage to the redwork of our quiltmaking ancestors." 

The white background is technically the "front" but is the back on my quilt.  I prefer the teal side over the front.  Probably because it hides most of my free-motion issues.  😉

I didn't keep the size of my stipple consistent, and I should have done it much smaller.

I used Kona Bleached White and Teal.  It makes for a great table topper.

Make sure to visit Bea's blog as she's hosting a giveaway.

March 2

Pieceful Thought of my Quilting Life

Quilting Gail

Highroad Quilter

March 3

Cynthia’s Ark

Lemontree Snippets

Anja Quilts

March 4

The Darling Dogwood

A Quilting Reader’s Garden

Becky’s Adventures

March 5

Quilting Jeanne

Karrin’s Crazy World

March 6

Quilting at the Farm

Kathy’s Kwilts and more

Quilting Patchwork Applique

Beaquilter

2020 Monthly Color Challenge - March

It's time for the March block for the 2020 Monthly Color Challenge hosted by Jen @ Patterns by Jen.  Head over to Jen's blog for details.

I decided to use my favourite colour -- orange -- for this month's block.  Trimming the HSTs was made easier by using my Bloc Loc ruler.

This was a fun block to make.  Make sure you head over to Jen's blog to download the pattern.

You can check out the blocks made by the other March bloggers:

Catherine of Ali & CC
Kathryn of Dragonfly's Quilting Design Studio
Pamela of Pamela Quilts
Carolyn of Sweet Boater Chick

Don't forget to watch for the March link up for finished blocks.

MQG Swap 2020

I participated in the Modern Quilt Guild mini swap.  My partner and I swapped at QuiltCon.

I combined two paper pieced patterns by Quiet Play.  Kona colours used were:  Rich Red, Mango, Buttercup, Kiwi, Everglade, Lake, Wisteria, Heliotrope, Sangria, and Pomegranate, with Kona Silver for background.

Star and loop free-motion quilting in grey thread for a quick finish.

I received an improv mini showcasing bright colours.

A fun bright backing.

I'm linking up with:

Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday @ Home Sewn By Us

Can I Get a Whoop Whoop? @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Finished or Not Friday @ Alycia Quilts

Needle and Thread Thursday @ My Quilt Infatuation

Brag About Your Beauties @ From Bolt to Beauty
Friday Foto Fun @ Powered by Quilting

QuiltCon Austin - The Workshops

I finally attended my first QuiltCon, and it did not disappoint!!  I hope to attend QuiltCon 2021 in Atlanta and QuiltCon 2022 in Phoenix.  Time to start saving money.  😉

Today's post is about the workshops I attended.

EQ8 for Beginners - Cheryl Brickey (Meadow Mist Designs)

I have had EQ8 for over a year, but really didn't have an idea how to use it correctly.  Cheryl was an awesome instructor, and I learned a lot.  If you want to learn EQ8, I highly recommend her workshop.

I've already designed a small quilt.  I wanted to try something simple to practice using the features I learned from Cheryl.  I've printed off both rotary cutting instructions and paper piecing templates.

1 Curve, 100s of Ideas - Jen Carlton Bailey (Betty Crocker Ass)

I purchased Jen's curve template set, and they are a great tool.  We learned both a single and double curve.

We also learned a double curve (but not following the path of the previous curve) and a half circle.

And then Jen showed us how to make a full circle.  Another workshop I highly recommend.

Block Printing on Fabric - Pantera Saint-Montaigne (Brooklyn Mojo)

The hardest part of this workshop was creating a design.  I love block printing!!

I sacrificed my pencil (sorry eraser) to add a centre to my flowers.  And yet another workshop that I recommend.

High Contrast Hand Quilting - Riane Menardi Morrison (Riane Elise)

I think I'm starting to like hand piecing/quilting.  Oh my...did I say that??  LOL  This was another great workshop.

I have finished all the lines I marked, but I'm going to add something extra between the lines.

With the exception of my laptop for the EQ8 workshop, I didn't need to bring a lot of supplies for my workshops.  When travelling a long distance with only one checked bag, it was a relief not to have to bring a lot of stuff.  I will definitely keep this in mind when selecting workshops in the future.

Thanks to the Modern Quilt Guild for hosting such a great event.  Also great thanks to the many volunteers who make this event happen.

Project Quilting 11.4 - Birds in the Air

Do you play along with Project Quilting hosted by Kim @ Persimon Dreams?  This is my third year participating.  The theme for Project Quilting 11.4 was announced at 12:00 noon on February 16 -- well after I had left home to attend QuiltCon.  I had already decided that I wouldn't play along because I didn't have a lot of sewing supplies with me.  But then while at QuiltCon I started scheming on how I might be able to participate. 😁

I sketched out a small mini Thursday night, making a list of the sizes of the two colours I needed.  I played around in EQ8 for a few design options.  Thanks to Cheryl @ Meadow Mist Designs for an awesome EQ8 class Thursday morning.

Following my class Friday night, I choose the two colours that I had sufficient fabric and cut out the pieces before leaving class.  I had hoped to sneak in several minutes of sewing before I had to leave the room.  Unfortunately, I was only able to machine sew the four HSTs needed.  Back in the hotel room, the top of the fridge became my cutting table.  😊

So I started hand sewing the pieces together.  Dena was also working on some hand work, and we ended up sewing until 2:00 a.m.  We didn't realize it had gotten so late.  I even pieced the binding strips by hand.

Dena had some white perle cotton so I started hand quilting Saturday night. And yet again, we ended up sewing late into the night.  I really enjoyed making this project.

It finishes 8.5 inches.

This project also qualifies to link up with Sarah @ Sarah Goer Quilts for her monthly Show Me Something linky party.  This month's theme is triangles.

Pattern Testing - Staggered Quilt by Night Quilter

I recently had the opportunity to test a pattern for Kitty @ Night Quilter.  It's an awesome pattern, and I will definitely make it again.  Head over to Kitty's blog for details on how to purchase the pattern.

I made the baby size, and it is quite generous in size.

I used Alison Glass prints and Kona Charcoal.

It's a quick, easy pattern.

The Staggered pattern is on sale for a limited time.

[Photo from Night Quilter blog]