TGIFF - Lone Star

Welcome to this week's edition of 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.

This is a another quilt that I was commissioned to make for The Secret Codes:  African Nova Scotian Quilts exhibition currently on display at the Dalhousie Art Gallery. 

I was asked to replicate a quilt from a photograph as the original quilter was deceased.  I followed the same colour scheme but choose brighter colours.  I used Kona Meringue (background), Lipstick, Water, Lemon, Chocolate, and Red.

The batting is my go-to Hobbs Heirloom Premium 80/20.  I quilted an all-over motif of stars and loops in a light yellow thread.

This quilt finishes 68-inches square and becomes part of the permanent collection of the Black Artists Network of Nova Scotia.

It's time for you to link up your finishes from this week.  We encourage you to visit a few of the link ups to get some inspiration and to share some quilty love. ♥

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Perfectly Pieced Quilt Backs Blog Hop

Have you seen the new book by Kelly @ My Quilt Infatuation?  Perfectly Pieced Quilt Backs showcases some great ways to piece backings.  I used to piece my backings but then discovered wide backing.  I need to get back to piecing backs because I have enough yardage and because it's a great way to use up leftover fabric from projects.

I made a pieced back for my Turning Wheels quilt, which I realize I have never shared.  Oops.  I tested this pattern for Jen @ Patterns by Jen.

The book shows 30 ways to piece a backing, using either leftover fabric or yardage.  I used leftover fabric from piecing the top (including Kona Tangerine and Clementine) and a piece of teal fabric.

If the book wasn't great enough, there is a bonus -- 18 free patterns.  Free patterns!

I needed some free-motion quilting practice on my Baby Lock Accomplish so tried a few different motifs.

You can get Kelly's book at the usual places:

• Amazon USA
• Amazon Canada
• Barnes and Noble
• Connecting Threads
• Missouri Star Quilt Company
• If you want a signed copy, you can order directly from Kelly.

The quilting is more visible from the back.  I made the Coin Strip pattern.  It's a great way to add some interest and to increase the width of your back if you don't have enough fabric.

Visit the following bloggers to see what pieced back they made:

• Sandra @ mmm quilts
• Rose @ Something Rosemade
• Diann @ Little Penguin Quilts
• Laura @ Slice of Pi Quilts
• Jayne @ Twiggy and Opal
• Nancy @ Grace and Peace Quilting
• Vasudha @ Storied Quilts
• Kris @ Sew Sunshine
• Leanne @ Devoted Quilter
• Rebecca @ Rebecca Grace Quilting
• Preeti @ Sew Preeti Quilts
• Susan @ Quilt Fabrication
• Kate @ Katie Mae Quilts
• Sarah @ Sarah Goer Quilts
• Linda @ Flourishing Palms
• Anne-Marie @ Stories From the Sewing Room
• Michelle @ From Bolt to Beauty
• Gail @ Quilting Gail
• Kat @ Scrapbox Quilts
• Julie @ Julie's Quilts and Costumes
• Jan @ The Colorful Fabriholic

2023 Monthly Colour Challenge - February, March, and April Blocks

I forgot to share my February, March, and April blocks for the Monthly Color Challenge hosted by Jen @ Patterns by Jen.

February - Kona Ice Frappe and Pool

Wonky flying geese blocks.

March - Kona Canada Red and Rich Red

I decided to make regular flying geese instead of wonky ones.

April - Kona Spring and Grass Green

If you want to sew along, make sure to sign up to receive the monthly blocks by e-mail.

TGIFF - Nova Scotia Sea

Welcome to this week's edition of 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.

My finish this week is a quilt top I finished in December 2021.  I made the Storm at Sea pattern using a signature fabric line by Sherry @ Powered by Quilting -- Calm Lagoon from Island Batik.

As this quilt will be hanging in a concurrent quilt show at Quilt Canada 2023 being held in my city next week, I have named it Nova Scotia Sea.  Naming quilts is hard, but this one was easy.

Quilts for the show had to be delivered to my friend Brenda so I took advantage of a photo shoot at her house as she has many canoes on her property.

I quilted wavy organic lines using a blue variegated thread by Connecting Threads.  The batting is Hobbs Heirloom Premium 80/20.

I'm hoping this will give me some motivation to finish up my ever-growing pile of quilt tops.

It's time for you to link up your finishes from this week.  We encourage you to visit a few of the link ups to get some inspiration and to share some quilty love. ♥

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Block of the Week Quilt Along - Part 1

Dena and I have created another Block of the Month quilt along for our quilt guild, but it's actually a Block of the Week.  There are 100 blocks over 11 months -- 8-inch blocks and 4 x 8 inch blocks. Dena is the creative side designing all the blocks, and I'm tech support, formatting the instructions and creating the blocks in EQ8.

Here are my first 10 blocks.  I'm using bright colours from my scrap pile.

We started the BOW on January 1.  I sewed several blocks, but then I fell behind because I was focused on getting the files ready for the weekly release.

Dena loves tiny piecing, especially HSTs.

And of course, she loves paper piecing, but the flying geese were easy to make.

The paper pieced pineapple almost put me over the edge.  I limited it to two colours so I wouldn't mess it up.

I've been sewing all weekend trying to catch up -- we're on block 42.  I'm working on two pieced blocks.  I also have two paper pieced blocks to make.  And I need to make an alternate 8-inch block and an alternate 4 x 8 inch block because I don't want to make two of the blocks, one of which is paper pieced with tiny, tiny piecing.  No thank you.

TGIFF - Sailboat Quilt

I upsized this sailboat block into a 24-inch quilt.  I used Kona Natural, Red, Chocolate, and Royal.  I quilted organic wavy lines in matching threads.

This quilt joins others that I was commissioned to make for The Secret Codes:  African Nova Scotian Quilts exhibition currently on display at the Dalhousie Art Gallery. 

I'm linking up with:

Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday @ Sew Cute and Quirky

Can I Get a Whoop Whoop? @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Finished or Not Friday @ Alycia Quilts

Brag About Your Beauties @ From Bolt to Beauty

Friday Foto Fun @ Powered by Quilting 

TGIFF - Abstract Landscape

My guild hosted a workshop with Andrea @ 3rd Story Workshop.  Andrea taught us bias tape applique using her Abstract Landscape pattern.

I used Kona Terracotta, Pimento, Cedar, and Blue.

We used a twin needle to stitch down the bias tape.

I tried some free motion quilting on my Babylock Accomplish.  This is 18.5 x 19.5 inches.

This was our guild's first in-person workshop since the pandemic, and we had a great time learning from Andrea and socializing with each other.  Andrea has some great patterns and workshops.

Pattern Testing - Leading Edge

I had the opportunity to test a pattern -- Leading Edge -- for Joanne @ Canuck Quilter Designs.  

I used fabrics from Makower UK, and now I regret not having purchased more fabric.  You know that I had to include some orange. 😉

You make strip sets, which become "arrows."

And then a finished quilt top.

I have not yet quilted this top.  If you have followed me for any length of time, you know that I always struggle with a quilting plan, so tops end up the laundry basket of unquilted tops.  I hope they don't feel that the basket is like the Island of Misfit Toys in the tv show Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.  LOL

I have made a list of unquilted tops (20 tops and counting.....).  I need to make an effort to get these quilted.  As always, suggestions for a quilting plan and thread colour are always welcome.

You can purchase Leading Edge here.

2023 Monthly Colour Challenge - May Block

Having you been sewing along with Jen @ Patterns by Jen for her annual Monthly Color Challenge? 

I used Kona Robin Egg and Deep Blue for the May block.

I use a Hera marker to mark lines and use a Bloc Loc ruler to trim HSTs.

Hourglass block.

You can use the HST Bloc Loc ruler to trim hourglass blocks.

All those units turn into a 12.5 inch block.

Don't forgot to sign up to receive the blocks by e-mail.

WIP Wednesday - Melodic Mystery QAL

Did you sew along with Cheryl @ Meadow Mist Designs for her Melodic Mystery QAL?  I love the slow monthly pace, and I've mostly kept up.  And now I have a finished quilt top to share.

I paired Kona Chartreuse and Storm with two prints.

It makes sense for the low volume to be the outer border as it is the sashing fabric, but I don't think I like it.

I have no idea how I will quilt this, and sadly it is now quilt top #19 in the pile waiting to be quilted.  I think I'll bind it with Kona Storm.

Cheryl's annual mystery QAL starts in July.  Make sure you're following her so you don't miss out.

TGIFF - Project Quilting 14.5

Welcome to this week's edition of 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.

We are on the penultimate challenge of Project Quilting Season 14, which is hosted by Kim @ Persimon Dreams and Trish @ Quilt Chicken.  This week's theme is Sew Not a Square -- use any shape but a square.

I found this tutorial for a hexagon quilt and decided to make one block as a mug rug.  The pattern uses strips and triangles.

Somehow I managed to sew my strips wrong and didn't get a swirling effect.  I was almost done when I realized my error, so decided to keep going.  I did some big stitch quilting with perle cotton.

It's about 7 inches wide and 6 inches high.

It's time to link up your finishes from this week. Please visit a few of the link ups to get some inspiration and to share some quilty love.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Stay at Home Round Robin - Round 6

We've made it to the final round for the Stay at Home Round Robin hosted by Gail @ Quilting Gail.  We hope that you have enjoyed sewing along with us.

This final theme was chosen by Gail @ Quilting Gail -- pinwheels.

As I only had enough fabric for four square-in-square blocks, they ended up in the four corners.  I used leftover fabrics from previous rounds for the pinwheels.  I used Kona Dove (from the spool round) for the background.  Now that it's pieced, I don't like Kona Dove for the background.  I also see now that I mixed up the blocks on the right-hand side -- I had planned for the pink pinwheel to be in the middle.

This finished 42 inches.  I will likely quilt this will an all-over stipple.

My progress:

• Centre block
• Round 1
• Round 2
• Round 3
• Round 4
• Round 5

There will be a quilt parade on March 13 to showcase your finished quilt top.