WIP Wednesday on Tuesday - Canada Big Quilt Bee Blocks

The Canadian Quilter's Association is hosting the Canada Big Quilt Bee to celebrate Canada's 150th anniversary.  12.5-inch slab blocks will be pieced together into quilts to be donated to Ronald MacDonald House.

I thought it would be easy to piece a few blocks tonight.  But improv does not come easy to me -- a pattern is my best friend.  But I powered through and pieced three blocks.

I forgot how many different shades of red there are.  They don't all match perfectly, but I think they are okay together.  With the exception of the maple leaf fabric, everything came from my scrap bag.

These will go in the mail this week to join many other blocks being made all across Canada.

The following are hosting online bees:

• Sew Fresh Quilts
• Quilt Matters
• Upstairs Hobby Room

DrEAMi - Flora Supply Case

Squirrel...

Do you get sidetracked by unplanned projects?  You know you do.  😊
Then this linky party is for you, hosted by Sandra @ Musings of Menopausal Melon.

Earlier this month, I stumbled upon an Instragram QAL for Clover and Violet's Flora Supply Case.  It started out simple enough -- patchwork exterior and inside pockets.

Sewing the interior and exterior together was easy.  But then I had difficulty sewing on the zipper and the bias tape (was too lazy to make bias binding).

I did not do a great job, but I managed to get the binding on...now ready for hand stitching.

My hand stitching skills need improvement, but it's finished.

It's a nice enough case, but I find it too stiff, and it's difficult to zip up, especially around the corners.  Not sure that I would make it again.

Here's a view of the exterior.

I'm glad I tried something new, but disappointed that I wasted time on something that I'm not happy with, especially when I could have been working on other projects.

TGIFF - Bee Round Robin

I did it!!!  I finished my January OMG goal.

Winter is depressing because it's cold and dark...and because it's hard to get decent photos.

Quilting is a free motion stipple with black thread in the black background -- very hard on the eyes.  I also did some quilting in the star.

I was 6-inches too short with Kona Peacock for the binding, so had to add a little bit of Kumquat.  Not that I'm complaining about that.  😊

I used Kona Black for the background and Lipstick, Flame, Orange, and Kumquat for the centre star.

This is also one of my Q1 FAL goals.

Linking up with:

Thank Goodness It's Finish Friday @ Faith and Fabric
Finish It Up Friday @ Crazy Mom Quilts

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

Needle and Thread Thursday @ My Quilt Infatuation 

WIP Wednesday - Meadow Mystery QAL

We are getting close to the end of the Meadow Mystery QAL hosted by Cheryl @ Meadow Mist Designs.

Here are my January blocks.  Unfortunately, my Kona Chartreuse didn't come through correctly in the photos.

I resisted laying out all the blocks we've made to date.  I want to be surprised with the final layout.

I'm still wondering if Cheryl is going to throw in a surprise with February's instructions.  Or maybe it's just as simple as sewing all the blocks together.  Just one more week to find out.

Linking up with:

Let's Bee Social @ Sew Fresh Quilts
WIP Wednesday @ The Needle and Thread Network

Midweek Makers @ Quilt Fabrication

TGIFF - #100Blocks

It's finished!  Here is my version of Tula Pink's 100 Modern Quilt Blocks.  The blocks were made during the #100Days100Blocks QAL hosted by Angie @ Gnome Angel on Instagram.  You can check out all my individual blocks here on Instagram.

Stippling in a light grey thread for a quick finish.  Here are a few closeup photos -- in some blocks, it's hard to see the thread because it blends so well with the fabrics.

I really like the texture the quilting gives the quilt.

If you have a finish this week, consider linking up with:

Thank Goodness It's Finish Friday @ Busy Hand Quilts
Finish It Up Friday @ Crazy Mom Quilts

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

Needle and Thread Thursday @ My Quilt Infatuation 

WIP Wednesday - Quilt Alongs

I decided not to participate in online bees this year.  The increased cost of postage and the unknown of what you might receive in the mail were the two deciding factors.  But I am participating in a few online QAL.

Alyce @ Blossom Heart Quilts is hosting the Milky Way Sampler -- there will be 12 monthly paper pieced patterns.  No, I have not lost my mind.  Paper piecing is my least favourite technique, but I want to retain the skills I learned last year.  We'll see how it goes.  I had a few issues with the first block -- this was the first time I used a print for paper piecing.  I forgot that you have to be very careful of right side and wrong side of the fabric -- not a worry when you use solids.  LOL

Sirius

Molli Sparkles is hosting the Honey Pot Bee.  Each month, there will be two blocks, but the beauty is that you are making the blocks for yourself.  So you can pick and choose which blocks you want to make.  Here are the first three blocks.

Modern Christmas Tree

This was my favourite block to make.  I'm starting to like HST's.

Starflower

The strawberry block was my least favourite to make -- 2-inch squares.

Strawberry

There are so many QAL's out there, it's hard to decide which ones to play along with.

Linking up with:

Let's Bee Social @ Sew Fresh Quilts
WIP Wednesday @ The Needle and Thread Network

Midweek Makers @ Quilt Fabrication

TGIFF - Modern HST Sampler

Another 2016 WIP finished!  My Modern HST Sampler quilt top is finished and ready to be loved.  You can read more about my quilt top here.  Thanks again to Alyce @ Blossom Heart Quilts for hosting such a great QAL.

And as has become the norm lately, loop free-motion quilting for a quick finish.  I like the texture it gives the quilt.

The striped fabric I used for the binding is also on the back.

What have you finished this week?  Make sure you link up with one or more of the following:

Thank Goodness It's Finish Friday @ Devoted Quilter
Finish It Up Friday @ Crazy Mom Quilts

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

Needle and Thread Thursday @ My Quilt Infatuation 

WIP Wednesday - Wind Farm Pattern Testing

For the second time, I've had the opportunity to test a pattern for Leanne @ Devoted Quilter.  Wind Farm is made from three widths of fabric -- 1.5 inches, 2 inches, and 2.5 inches.  I raided my box of 2.5-inch strips and my scrap bag and ended up with a decent pile of blue strips.

Each block is made up of nine strips.  And then a gold strip is appliqued using your preferred method.

The quilt is made up of 30 blocks and finishes at 64 x 76 inches.  I decided to make a smaller baby quilt with just 9 blocks.

I can't wait for spring so I can get better indoor photos.

The blocks sew up quickly if you chain piece the strips together in sets of two.  I think I'm going to do some all over stippling in blue thread (avoiding the gold strips).

You can read about Leanne's version of Wind Farm here.

Click here to sign up to receive Leanne's monthly newsletter -- so you can receive the pattern when it's finalized.

Linking up with:

Let's Bee Social @ Sew Fresh Quilts
WIP Wednesday @ The Needle and Thread Network

Midweek Makers @ Quilt Fabrication

Scraptastic Tuesday - First Aid Kit

Last night was all about procrastination.  I was avoiding homework for a work course I attended today.  And also avoiding several quilt tops that need to be quilted.  But I felt like sewing a little something.  So I decided to dig through my scrap bag (aka pile on the floor) and make a little something for Scraptastic Tuesday hosted by She Can Quilt.

On Christmas Eve, my brother commented that he didn't have a band-aid when he cut his foot the week before.  He just recently moved out (yet again....have lost count how many times he's moved out and moved back in) from my parents' house.  So I thought I could make him a little first aid kit.  Found enough dark blue for the two exterior pieces and some red for the cross.  Noodlehead's Open Wide Zippered Pouch is my favourite pouch pattern.

But I was making it up as I went along (which is never a good thing) so the cross ended up being too big, and the bottom part is hidden when the pouch is full.  Oh well..even though the fabrics were from the scrap pile, I wasn't prepared to toss it and start again.

Ta da!

I was able to stock the pouch from my first aid box (yes, I have a box of first aid supplies...I am a Girl Guide after all).  I made the small size, but realize that the medium size would have been a better choice.

Linking up my little finish with:

Scraptastic Tuesday @ She Can Quilt

Sew Cute Tuesday @ Young Texan Mama

Finish Along 2017 - Q1 Goals

It's time to set goals for the first quarter of Finish Along 2017.  If you want to play along, click here to read all about it.

My goals for Q1 are:

Stash Bee HST Quilt
- make a decision on quilting and then quilt and bind (I'm going to be so predictable and put orange on the back 😊)

Bee Round Robin
- quilt and bind (this is also my OMG January goal)

Isla Top
- make the Isla top by Made by Rae

[photo from Made by Rae website]

Since clothing is not my forte, I'm going to be cautious and only set three goals for Q1.  I have purchased the knit fabric for this top.  It's a bit bold, but the print intrigued me.

Here's to FAL 2017 keeping me on track!

TGIFF - 50th Anniversary Quilt

This is project that I just realized that I've never blogged about.  My parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary at the end of August with a party.  Not able to think of a gift, I decided to do a signature quilt.  The squares were signed by the guests at the party.

The blocks sat in my sewing room for months because I didn't get my sister, brother, or nephew to sign a block until I had figured out a layout based on the number of blocks I had.  I wanted our blocks to be all the same colour to stand out in the middle.  It ended up around 74-inches square.

A guild mate embroidered my parents' name and wedding date on one of the blocks.  And then it's surrounded by our blocks (with our dates of birth indicated).  My nephew thought it was funny to do a second block:  "The prodigy grandson."  It should have read:  the spoiled grandson.  😊

Blue wide-backing.  How I love not having to piece (and then square up) the backing.

Loopy free motion quilting for a quick finish in time to gift it on Christmas Eve.

Linking up with:

Thank Goodness It's Finish Friday @ Quokka Quilts
Finish It Up Friday @ Crazy Mom Quilts

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

Needle and Thread Thursday @ My Quilt Infatuation