WIP Wednesday - Bokeh QAL

I've discovered that if you make the smallest size for a QAL, it's easy to stay on track with the schedule.  😊  The 3-week pace for the Bokeh QAL hosted by Yvonne @ Quilting Jetgirl is enough time to sew, but with a buffer in case life gets in the way.

My colours are Kona Storm, Blueprint, Quicksilver, Chartreuse, and Natural.  The first step was flying geese.

Then we moved on to square-in-square blocks and HSTs.

And then there were four blocks.

I was able to use my Betty Crockerass templates to do the curved piecing.

It didn't take long to piece the four curves to create the the inset curved star.

Time to decide on a quilting plan and thread colour.

Linking up with:

Midweek Makers @ Quilt Fabrication

Wednesday Wait Loss @ The Inquiring Quilter

2021 Monthly Color Challenge - May Block

Time is moving along for the 2021 Monthly Color Challenge hosted by Jen @ Patterns by Jen.  If you are new to this block of the month or have finally decided to join in, you can get all the details here.  This year's colours are inspired by fruits and vegetables, and some of the bloggers are sharing their favourite recipes.

The May colour is brown, and I used Kona Chocolate and Earth.  Once again, out came my trusty Bloc Loc ruler to make the HSTs.

The square-in-square block was easy to piece.

Next up was some strip piecing.

And then there was a 12.5-inch block.

• January block
• February block
• March block
• April block

May Bloggers

Bea - Bea Quilter

Sheila - So this is Kentucky

Kathy - Kathy's Kwilts N More

Raylee - Sunflower Stitcheries and Quilting

Andi - True Blue Quilts

Crystal - DayBrook Designs

Ashli - Quilt 2 End Alz

Joanne - Everyone Deserves a Quilt

WIP Wednesday - Block Printing

I have participated in a few virtual block printing workshops with Marni @ Haberdashery Fun.  The workshops are fun and informative.  I may be addicted to yet another craft........

We learned to make our own printing templates using Speedball speedy carve.  But I wondered if I could use stamps I had used for card making.  I printed some daisies with blue centres and made a Lined Drawstring Bag.  I love this pattern, and it's worth purchasing the pattern to get the additional sizes.

I then pulled out my Girl Guide Trefoil stamp (sadly not the current logo) and made an Open Wide Zippered Pouch.  This is my favourite zippered pouch pattern.

So what to put in this pouch?  Girl Guide crests of course!  I am so far behind sewing crests on my camp blankets.  These are few crests from the top of the pile currently in my bedroom.  I decline to comment on how many crests that need to be sewn on, or how many various places I have them stashed.  😉  If you have a good eye, you'll see my personal woven patch when I was Area Commissioner.

Now that my time is not consumed with dealing with the basement flood I had four week ago, I have time to sew.  And it feels good!

Linking up with:

Midweek Makers @ Quilt Fabrication

Wednesday Wait Loss @ The Inquiring Quilter

2021 Monthly Color Challenge - April Block

April has been a busy month as I have been dealing with a basement flood. Sadly, sewing has taken a back seat to dealing with insurance and workmen.

But I finally got into my sewing room!  I continue to sew along for the 2021 Monthly Color Challenge hosted by Jen @ Patterns by Jen.  I am making 12.5-inch blocks, but there is an option for 6.5-inch blocks.

The April colour is red.  I used Kona Rich Red and Canada Red.  I sewed two strips together.

And then I joined all the strips together.  I always press seams open when making a strip set.  I find I get better accuracy when cutting into sections.

Now I have perfect sections to piece together.

Add in a few little squares for a fun centre.

• January block
• February block
• March block

April Bloggers

Ashli - Quilt2endalz

Sarah - A Quilted Diary

Crystal - Daybrook Designs

Andi - True Blue Quilts

Raylee - Sunflower Stitcheries and Quilting

Joanne - Everyone Deserves a Quilt 

Sheila - So This is Kentucky

Kris - Scrap Dash

Kathy - Penny for my Thoughts

Stay at Home Round Robin - Quilt Parade

It's time to showcase your finished quilt from the Stay at Home Round Robin (SAHRR) hosted by Gail @ Quilting Gail.  Even if you've only managed to piece a quilt top, make sure you visit Gail to link up.

I used the following Kona colours:  Orange, School Bus, Natural, Pacific, Ocean, Clover, Grass Green, Purple, Regal, Velvet, Morning Glory, Red, Black, Sunny, Canary, Citrus, Corn Yellow, Sassy Pink, Bright Pink, Honeysuckle, Valentine, Pomegranate, and Sangria.

I made a scrappy binding using Kona Orange, Pacific, Clover, Regal, Valentine, and Citrus.

My favourite parts of the quilt are the blue and orange sections.

I quilted an all-over stipple and used Hobbs Heirloom Premium 80/20 batting.

It's been a pleasure sewing along with the following bloggers.

Gail @ Quilting Gail

Chris @ Chrisknitssews 

Emily @ The Darling Dogwood

Roseanne and Sue @ Home Sewn by Us

Wendy @ Pieceful Thoughts of My Quilting Life

Susan @ Quilt Fabrication

This was my March One Monthly Goal.  If you haven't heard about OMG, you can read all about it from Patty @ Elm Street Quilts.

2021 Monthly Color Challenge - March Block

It's the end of the first quarter of 2021 Monthly Color Challenge hosted by Jen @ Patterns by Jen.  Did you know that you can make either 12.5-inch blocks or 6.5-inch blocks?

This month's colour is red orange.  I pulled out my Bloc Loc HST ruler to trim up the blocks.  I have used my Bloc Loc HST ruler for each of the three monthly blocks made so far.

I used Kona Cayenne and Tiger Lily.

The quilts I make through the Monthly Color Challenge end up being charity quilts.  It's an easy, no-think way to make one block each month, and then you end up with a finished quilt at the end of the year.

• January block
• February block

March Bloggers

Kathyrn - Dragonfly's Quilt and Design Studio

Claudia - Create with Claudia

Fawn - Quilty Creations by Fawn

Lisa - Love to Color My World

Joanne - Everyone Deserves a Quilt

Raylee - Sunflower Stitcheries and Quilting

Andi - True Blue Quilts

Crystal - DayBrook Designs

Ashley - Quilt2EndAlz

TGIFF - Quilter's Planner 2020 Sampler

I'm almost finished sharing all the quilt tops I finished over the Christmas break. 😉

This is the Quilter's Planner 2020 Block of the Month Sampler. 

I used Kona Breakers, Sea Glass, Creamsicle, Wasabi, Nectarine, and Aruba.

An all-over stipple gives the quilt lots of texture.

I used Hobbs Heirloom Premium 80/20 batting.  Someday, I'm going to buy a roll of Hobbs batting.

I skipped the cornerstones in the sashing rows.  If I make this pattern again, I would use a different background for the two blocks that blend into the sashing.

I'm linking up with:

Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday @ Storied Quilts

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 

UFO Busting @ Tish's Adventure in Wonderland

Project Quilting 12.5 - Ab Intra

And just like that...it's the end of Season 12 of Project Quilting, which is hosted by Kim @ Persimon Dreams and Tish @ Quilt Chicken.

When I read this week's challenge, I thought:  I'm Out.

This week for your project I’m asking you to look within.  Ab intra is a Latin phrase (therefore. also used in modern legal terms) that means “from within.” Its opposite, ab extra, is “from outside.” 

Show us what it’s like inside to live in your unique body. What boundaries do you stay within? Who are you inside your social bubble (family, career, society)?  How about a wearable art piece – any clothes you’d like to make where you’ll end up literally inside the finished project?  Or, show us the internal spark that fires your creativity! What’s in your sketchbook or rolling around in your head?

What does that mean?  And how am I going to create something?  I stopped thinking about the challenge and resigned myself that I would not finish this season.  But then on Thursday, a thought crossed my mind.  I remembered the Zen pattern I received from participating in Melissa Marginet's Zoom class on walking foot quilting.

I used a blue background to represent Girl Guides of Canada.  I was a youth member and am currently an adult member serving on the Nova Scotia Provincial Council.  I can't remember which Kona colour this is because I repurposed it from the 2019 Summer Sampler, and it seems I did not label the fabric.

I used Orange thread from Connecting Threads because...well, I love orange.  ♥  And there's a lot of thread in this 17-inch quilt.

This was a good practice of the techniques I learned in the class.  And I'm pleased to say that I was able to participate in all six challenges for Season 12 of Project Quilting:

• Project Quilting 12.1 - Illuminating and Ultimate Gray
• Project Quilting 12.2 - Fussy Cut
• Project Quilting 12.3 - Virtual Vacation
• Project Quilting 12.4 - Snail's Trail Block
• Project Quilting 12.5 - Crazy Quilting

TGIFF - Waltzing with Bears

Welcome to Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday.  TGIFF is the opportunity to share your finish from this week.  You can find out who is hosting each week by heading over to the TGIFF blog.

I'm sharing yet another one of my UFOs that I finished during the Christmas break.  I finished this quilt top back in October 2020.  Waltzing with Bear is a great pattern by Sandra @ Musings of a Menopausal Melon.  You can find all of Sandra's patterns on Etsy.

This quilt finishes 58 x 58 inches and was made using Island Batik fabrics.  I did an all-over stipple using Custard thread by Connecting Threads.

As usual, I used my go-to Hobbs Heirloom Premium 80/20 batting.

It's now time to share your finish from this week.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Here are some other links to share your finish:

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 

UFO Busting @ Tish's Adventure in Wonderland

WIP Wednesday - Harmony Hand Pieced QAL

I'm sewing along with Patty @ Elm Street Quilts and Kristin @ Simple Handmade Everyday for their annual hand pieced QAL.  This year's pattern is Harmony (wall hanging and throw sizes included) -- get your copy here.

I decided to think outside the box and use Kona Grapemist for the background, with coordinating colours Lemon, Bright Pink, and Chartreuse.

The first block was a square-in-square unit.  I'm making the wall hanging size, so I only needed to make one unit.  I found a spool of Wonderfil Invisafil 100 wt thread in my stash.  It is amazing for hand piecing.

Next up were four HST units.

And then there were four fancy HST units.

I then decided to sew ahead and made the eight partial square-in-square units.  I may have been sewing during a virtual Girl Guide Provincial Council meeting. 😉

One Monthly Goal - March Goal Setting

It's time to set a goal for the March One Monthly Goal (OMG) hosted by Patty @ Elm Street Quilts.

I finished my Stay at Home Round Robin last week.  My March goal is to quilt and bind this quilt top. 

Now to decide on thread colour and figure out a quilting plan.

Another UFO Finish - 2020 Summer Sampler

And yet another UFO finish from the Christmas break.  This was the Summer Sampler 2020 hosted by Swim Bike Quilt, Lee Heinrich, and Fresh Lemon Quilts. 

I was rebel and skipped the fancy sashing as noted in the pattern.

This finishes 60 x 60 inches.  There were a lot of Kona:  Orchid, Silver, Snow, Breakers, Aqua, Berry, Cactus, Acid Lime, Violet, Caribbean, Turquoise, Peapod, Bonsai, Summer Pear, Honey Dew, Sangria, Celestial, Crimson, Peony, and Ballerina.

I quilted an all-over stipple.

I enjoyed the various techniques, but I've discovered that I don't like weekly QALs.  It's too easy to fall behind.

I'm linking up with:

Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday @ Rebecca Grace Quilting

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 

UFO Busting @ Tish's Adventure in Wonderland