Sunday, January 24, 2016

Pattern launch!

Good Sunday morning!

I'm thrilled to announce that the pattern I've been working on since 2013 is now finished and I've published it electronically on Craftsy.com here.  I'm also going to be selling patterns in print in local quilt shops and will let you know when they are in those shops.

Introducing..... 
AMISH BLOCK PARTY !!!


The one above is my original colourway.

In 2015 after having the pattern tested by someone, I decided to test it again myself using a different colourway.  I'm just finishing sewing the binding on this one:







Purple is my favourite colour so I decided to try this one with purple instead of the black.  I quite like it!  This will be the store sample quilt to hang with the patterns for sale.  I had it quilted with feathers by Teresa Ranson and am just about finished sewing the binding on.  I'm hoping to have the patterns printed and dropped off at one store this week.  I won't mention the name until it's all in place and ready for sale!

Almost done!  Yippee!





Oh...and before I sign off, check out my new logo!

Off to get this binding finished!
Mavis


Sunday, January 3, 2016

2016 Wish List

This is the third instalment in the 2016 New Years Inventory.

On January 1st I shared my hand quilting projects and the extensive list of UFOs (including pictures!).  On January 2nd my post centered around the projects that I completed in 2015 and projects that I have set aside (lovingly referred to as PIGS - Projects in Grocery Sacks)  :).

Today I want to share my someday wish list.  These basically fall into two categories:- Bonnie Hunter quilts from her books and my own designs.  Some of my designs were inspired by others' quilt designs and others were from pictures or scenery.

From Bonnie's extensive collection I want to make the following (some of these are free patterns from her website quiltville.blogspot.com while others are published in her pattern books, all of which I own!


If you are a fan/user of Pinterest, you can enter those names in to find the pictures. Google would also work if you don't have a Pinterest account. Click the links above to Bonnie's blog to see her links to the patterns.

All of the above patterns are scrappy which comes as no surprise to me.  I have bins and bins full of strips all cut down in preparation for our move last August.  Now I just need to turn them into quilts!  I love scrappy quilts!  And these designs of Bonnie's are just gorgeous.  Where to start!?

Here are a couple of ideas I've got for quilts.  The first one, Italian Tiles, is inspired by the blocks used by Bonnie Hunter in Celtic Solstice and Easy Street.  It basically combines some of the units Bonnie used in both quilts and I've added a trip around the world around the center medallion.


I also still have the following one on the list of someday quilts.  This one was inspired by a picture I saw on a James Bond movie called Quantum of Solace.  Hence the name of the quilt.


I may still try and get closer to the tile floor design but my attempt at EQ7 is  OK too I think.  We'll see.  No fabric has been chosen for his.  It's still just an idea.

And that's about all I can think of for this inventory process.  It has been an interesting exercise for me.  Now to get sewing!

Until next time,
Mavis

Saturday, January 2, 2016

2016 - Time to Take Stock second instalment

Yesterday I shared my ongoing hand quilting projects and my list of UFOs.  There are 17 in total and by some standards that's excessive and by others a mere drop in the bucket!

Well, I'm just happy to have committed the list to paper so I can be re-inspired by the colours and shapes in my bins.

Let's start by looking at quilting accomplishments of 2015 bearing in mind that there was an extreme move mid-year where quilting took the back burner:

2015 FINISHES

Flower Garden Quilt
Jungle Fever

Pinwheel baby quilt with prairie points

One Block Wonder

Scrappy Hexagon Quilt

Shattered Angles

Scrappy Hexagon Tablerunner

Weaver Fever

Orange Peel Die Tablerunner
When I look through these photos I'm actually quite amazed that I got that much done considering everything else that was happening with the family this year.

Next let's look at some things that have been set aside and are ready to go.

PIGS (PROJECTS IN GROCERY SACKS)

These are the future planned projects with fabric purchased and they are ready to go when an ounce of inspiration appears.

1.  Poppy panel with One Block Wonder frame - The OBW fabric is different but coordinates with the panel.




2.  Batik Magic Tile - fabric is pulled.  I've been wanting to start this one for awhile but need to wait until some of the UFOs have been completed.


3.  Bali Fever (Judy Niemeyer/Quiltworx) - I managed to get some jelly rolls on sale before Christmas so I guess this means I will be tackling this pattern.  I have lots of friends who have tacked them but these Judy Niemeyer patterns intimidate me.  Time to stretch my creative wings.


4.  Floral log cabin - I used the remaining florals from my Flower Garden Quilt (shown above in the completed list) to cut logs in anticipation of doing this quilt.  It's ready to go whenever I am.

And that's about all for now.

Mavis


Friday, January 1, 2016

2016 - Time to take stock!

I'm not one for making resolutions per se, but I do like to take stock of things in life and there's no better time to do it than New Year's Day.  Fresh year, fresh start.



2015 was an epic year in many ways.  What our family accomplished on the homefront with downsizing astounds me.  But here we are celebrating the arrival of a new year and with it new adventures, challenges and hopefully growth.

My quilting was interrupted significantly but not totally forgotten.  Today I'm pausing to take stock of my projects so I can move forward in 2016 with some quilting goals.  This blog is a great way of putting it thoughts on paper even if it is e-paper and also a good way of keeping myself accountable and I don't have to worry about 'where the heck did I put that list?'.  I'm sure you see my logic.

So let's check out that closet and see what we can find in those bins.  Today I will cover hand quilting projects and UFOs.  Tomorrow will be 2015 accomplishments and PIGS (projects in grocery sacks).  Later will be my someday wish list and my own designs I want to make a reality.  I could easily overload this post with the whole shebang but that would just be too much!

So here's the first instalment:

Ongoing hand quilting projects

 1.  Le Passion Hexagon quilt  - no deadline project



This is the goal:



2.  Grand Illusion - 2014 Quiltville winter mystery quilt which is being hand quilted.  There is no deadline for this project either.  This is just for the pleasure!





3.  2011 Superbowl Mystery Quilt - kind of on the back burner.  There is no deadline for this one. I'm hand quilting free form baptist fans on this.



UFOs

1.  Peacock quilt which will eventually be my daughter's wedding quilt.  I will also be working on one for my son.  There are no boyfriends or girlfriends currently but I heard a young woman tell me that her grandmother had made each of her grandchildren wedding quilts for that special day whether or not she was still around.  I am in the process of piecing the components to make these blocks.  I have one finished block and a bunch of 'units' ready to be pieced into blocks:


Scrap Jar Quilt Pattern by A Little Bit Biased

2.  Disappearing Fat Quarters - This was a mystery quilt class put on my guild a few years ago.  I have finished a winter version of this quilt and still have to finish the fall version.  I just have to add a pieced border and then the quilt top is done.  I plan on using string blocks as the final border as per my EQ7 drawing.

current status
winter version - completed

border treatment to finish my quilt
3.  Amish Block Party - this is an original pattern that I am almost ready to publish.  I've done it in two colour ways.  My second green and purple one was to test my pattern instructions after have them tested by a friend. As soon as I get the borders on and the back pieced it will be sent for long arm quilting.  This will be a store sample.  Very excited!

The original colourway
Second colourway; still on design wall awaiting purple borders
4.  Scrappy Log Cabin/Hearts - needs to pieced into a quilt top.  I put it away temporarily and need to confirm that I have enough blocks for a quilt top.  I will add a border and quilt it myself by machine.



5.  Lonestar Around the World - I saw a picture of an Amish quilt and have been searching for a pattern unsuccessfully so I decided to just make my own pattern.  I've been working at it in EQ7.  Diamonds done but that's all so far.  The medallion is will be surrounded by Trip Around the World blocks.


6.  One Block Wonder - almost finished; quilted and just needs binding.  This one will hang in the Victoria Quilters' Guild show in 2016.





7.  Dayspring Sampler - No picture but this is an older UFO that is a collection of blocks from Quilters' Cache website that were part of a block swap.

8.  Sweatshirt Jacket - I'm doing a batik New York Beauty block on the back and then strips to cover the base of the sweatshirt before sewing it back together.  There is no pattern.  I saw someone wearing one and am basically reverse engineering it.



9.  Bowdacious - This is a Quiltville pattern which I'm doing as a Leaders and Enders Project.

10.  Rosebud Lane BOM - A forgotten project that deserves to be finished...someday.

11.  Strips & Curves - a workshop quilt I started with my guild that deserves to be finished someday too.



12.  Irish Chain - This memorial quilt to my friend Janet Wicks needs some love.  I hand quilted the center feathers and then did some machine quilting on the rest but I'm currently picking out the borders that I did by machine in haste and don't like.  Still trying to figure out what to do to the border to make this quilt shine.  I purchased this UFO from Janet's estate sale.




13.  Pink & Grey baby quilt - I started this at my retreat in November and it is sandwiched and ready to quilt.  It will be donated to the Victoria Quilters' Guild for the charity program.




14.  Florabunda - Another Quiltville quilt that is languishing in the back on my closet.  Some day it will get some attention.  Maybe in 2016!


 15.  Denim quilt - Another someday project.  Still cutting up jeans.

16.  Kaffe Fassett fabric bag - Need to add some body to the bag part then add the handle.





17.  Blooming Nine Patch - This will be soon be back on the design wall for a finish.  All the blocks except the setting triangles have been pieced.  I have a nice big design wall up in my hallway now so as soon as my Amish Block Party quilt is off the design wall I will begin to get this one finished.  I am excited about this one.  It will be a king sized quilt for our bed.



Phew!  That's enough for one day.  I'm already feeling overwhelmed and I haven't got to the PIGS or wish list yet!  More tomorrow.

Until then,
Mavis