Blooming Nine Patch

I'm so happy to finally have this off my design wall and the quilt top completed. It really seems like forever since I started this project last fall at my guild's workshop called "Fall Frolic".

From there I took it to my retreat in Bowser for four days I November 2015  where I got all the individual blocks done.

The next step was more daunting since I knew it would be a brute taking up two design walls.  My hubby said, "you can't have the floor too!" That tells the story. The longest pieces spilled out from my common hallway design wall right into the floor.  Since we have two Jack Russell pups who are prone to chew anything in their reach I decided it would be best to pin the "streamers" up on the design wall when I wasn't working in the quilt.

And here it is assembled:

 

Now off to the long arm quilter to work their magic. I have lots of the outside row of fabric for the binding which will be my next task before cleaning up this project and dealing with the leftover fabric which isn't much.  I'm happy that there are some leftover 2" strips to feed my scrap strip bins for an upcoming scrappy project.  This has been quite a journey!  Thanks for following along.

Happy Sunday everyone!

Mavis

Finito Completo!!

Introducing Waltz Around the World. This is my latest pattern which is available for download here: http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/quilting/home-decor/waltz-around-the-world/202656?rceId=1464454258058~uostizw1

It's a rainy Saturday here and the hubster is away until tomorrow. This means that I'm taking a day to sew ALL DAY LONG!!  Now that I've finished the quilt which will be a store sample for the pattern, I'm forging ahead to finish this king sized quilt top (Blooming Nine Patch).

And if I have any steam left I want to get back to my EQ7 to redraft my Tuscan Hillside quilt for appliqué instead of embroidery. It will be my next pattern available. 

Here it is pictured before it came down from the entryway where it hangs in our home. 

It's gonna be a busy day so I best pour some coffee and get at it!!

From rainy Brentwood Bay,

Mavis

Colours of Tuscany

I almost have this king sized beast ready to go to the long arm quilter.

The pattern is "Blooming Nine Patch" done in Tuscan colours to match our bedroom in our new house. 

I used two Fons and Porter design walls and still it spilled out to the floor. I'm one step closer to being done. I just have to add the setting triangles and then sew the rows together. Woo hoo!!

Maybe tomorrow night I will get it done.   For tonight I'm done!

Mavis

Worthy the Lamb

I had a whole lotta fun making this baby quilt for a coworker who is due at the end of June.  We are having a baby shower for her tonight after work.

I didn't put this on the quilt label but I do believe it should be called "Worthy the Lamb".  Yes, that's his name.

Until next time,

Mavis

Quilt Show and a Close Call

The Victoria Quilters' Guild held their quilt show last Friday May 6, 2016 to Sunday May 8, 2016.

I entered these two quilts in the show:

ORCA BAY - Mystery Quilt Pattern from Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville

and

ONE BLOCK WONDER - from the book by Maxine Rosenthal & Joy Pelzmann:

The pictures from the show will be up on the guild website any day now.  www.victoriaquiltersguild.org.

I also had 7 items in the guild store but sadly none of them sold.  Someone said my prices were too high.  I have mixed feelings about that.  Here's the deal... and I get this now that I'm creating and selling my own patterns.  If I create a sample to put in a store to sell my patterns, I can write off my fabric and supplies for that sample as a business expense.  If I then go to sell that quilt sample, I can put a lower price on it because I've already recouped my expenses in the business.  Comprendo?  I also might be able to buy my fabric wholesale.  Here's my point...little old quilter for pleasure decides to sell her quilt in the guild store and is now competing price wise with quilter for business.  I find this entirely unfair.  But that's the way the cookie crumbles.   

I've decided that I'd rather give my quilts away (like to those that have lost everything in the Fort McMurray wildfire) than to sell them for less than I paid in supplies and long arm services.  And that's what I'll be doing with some of my quilts that I would have otherwise sold.

And speaking of Fort McMurray and losing possessions, we had a close call a week ago last night.  My hubby woke me up yelling FIRE!!!! at 3:30 a.m.  He heard a weird noise outside our bedroom window and got up to investigate.  It was our neighbours' house on fire.  And we are talking inferno!!  I don't want to post an image because frankly we were very traumatized and I'm trying not to go there visually anymore.  Feeling the heat of the fire from our deck and seeing it consume our neighbours' house is not something I want to re-live in pictures.  When we thought we'd have to evacuate and that our house was surely going to be next, I didn't think about grabbing my quilts.  They are valuable to me but they are just things.  Rather, I thought about putting the collars on my dogs and keeping them calm and ready to go at a moment's notice.  It was frightful.  My immediate reaction was to pray that the fire would be contained and it was, thank God!  

I can only imagine the horror of the people escaping the Fort McMurray blaze.  I'm thankful that no humans lost their lives to that blaze but am well aware of the critters in the forest that did.  I love my two little fur babies and am thankful that we are all safe and sound and that our house is still standing.

I am very joyful at the thought of sending some quilty hugs to those whose houses are lost. It can't bring back their possessions but hopefully it will let them know that people care.

In gratitude,

Mavis