Starting new quilt and finishing one...

I had a sewing day with my satellite group on Saturday,  My goal was to get a start on a baby quilt for a baby shower I'm hosting on November 27th.  I've been waiting for the inspiration.  The parameters are "no brown, traditional".  So I've chosen the pattern Four Patch on the Diagonal and spent the majority of the morning cutting my blue scraps.  I did manage to get 2 squares done and a bunch of the little four patches made.

Another thing that happened on Saturday...I purchased some companion fabric for my batik bolt (far right) which I'm going to use for the Celtic Soltice mystery quilt that is being hosted by Bonnie Hunter at Quiltville .  First clue is just after the US Thanksgiving so now I'm all ready!

And lastly, I felt inspired yesterday to finish a UFO.  I decided it was time to quilt this one.  It's been quilt top/UFO for over a year so its time has come.  So I played with free motion quilting and got it done.  So another baby quilt is done and another UFO is OFF the list!  That makes for a good day.  The feeling of finishing something is so rewarding that I wonder why I wait so long sometimes.

This pattern is by Deborah Cohen and is called "Giraffe at Kilimanjaro".  It is published by Ruth Arbee of Arbee Designs.  I modified the pattern slightly by evening out the black borders (they were offset and bugged me) and adding the batik piano key border.  The back is green batik.  This is for a baby boy named Koen and hopefully I will get to present it to him soon!

And now it's Monday.  Right brain on hold, left brain going to work.  Happy Monday everyone!

Mavis

Foray into the Modern World...

Modern Quilting World that is...

The Victoria Modern Quilt Guild had their inaugural meeting in September and will be meeting again on October 17, 2013 at Satin Moon Quilt Shop.  The link is here to the site/blog.

ANYWAY...since the inaugural meeting I've been working on a modern quilt and am pleased that I was able to put the finishing stitches into the binding on a recent trip to Vancouver during 'waiting room' time.

I purchased the Dahlia fabric and the grey solid  locally at Capital Iron.  I purchased them together unsure of what I would make; I just loved the fabric.  I added the lime green as the accent colour after a consult with my DH.  Tried orange but too overpowering.  Anyway this is the result...

I quilted it with just random (as in not measured distances between) straight lines which I was able to do on my domestic sewing machine.  I kinda called this my 'instant gratification project' because it went together so quickly with the big blocks.

And now back to my regularly scheduled UFO projects.  Today is Thanksgiving Day in Canada and while the turkey and other items are baking away I'm hoping to sneak away and work more on my Easy Street which has been hanging  drooping (see what I mean below) on my design wall for way too long.  How long?  Well, Bonnie Hunter is set to start another mystery which means it's been in progress for a year.  I think it will be the next quilt to be called finished.  Such a wonderful word 'finished' when used in the quilting realm.

I'm quite enjoying my foray into the modern quilting world.  I think my Easy Street colours are also kinda edgy, modern and definitely away from what my regular palette might include.

Here's a sneak peak and my first corner of "Easy Street".  I've started assembling the rows and am doing the pieced setting triangles as I go.  I was thinking that the final borders would be red (inner border) and grey (outer border) but am now thinking of picking up the blue, which I do have enough of.  We shall see!  Anyway, without further adieu, top left corner of Easy Street:

And now back to the kitchen to check on the list.  We have 10 for dinner tonight.  But I'm still determined to get some sewing time in today before back to work tomorrow.

Until next time,
Mavis

in my inbox...

I received this email yesterday from a friend in my satellite group:

"Thought you might me interested in the Downton Abbey fabric that is coming soon.

See you soon.Cher"

SHUT!  UP!  REALLY !!???  GASP!

I had heard in the news that there was going to be a line of Downton Abbey products.  I guess that's a natural outcome of such a popular program with an almost cult following.  I guess I figured there might be Downton Abbey fabric but I thought it would be more for house furnishings and drapes/decor than quilting.  But guess what??

I WAS WRONG!!!

Not only is there fabric, but Ebony Love of Love Bug Studios is hosting an online Downton Abbey Mystery Quilt Along.    You have to subscribe and I sure did!  (click the link above to register).  It starts on Sunday, November 10th just before the new Bonnie Hunter Quiltville mystery comes out, so sadly I've had to pick one or the other.  I am going to do something different this year and play with Ebony as it just so happens to coincide with my November quilting retreat that weekend.  I will be following Bonnie's mystery and saving the steps and will decide after the Quiltville quilt is revealed whether I will make it.  If you've never done one of Bonnie's mysteries, I encourage you to live on the wild side and jump in!  You can follow Bonnie on her blog here.

The Downton Abbey fabrics will hit the stores in November.  I'm just hoping that one of our local quilt shops will carry the line.  I've chosen my character - the Dowager - mostly because of the colourway.  But I really love her character on the show.  You can check out the colourways/characters here. but here's a peak:

Anyway, check out the badge underneath my UFO list on the right.  Wanna come play too?

Until next time, counting down the days to November 10th when the mystery starts!

Mavis