New Pantograph designs added today

The boredom is real folks. Here’s a little story for you. Prior to starting my quilting business full time I was a legal assistant. I graduated from high school and got my first job at age 17 in a law firm . I actually finished Grade 12 early and had to go back to graduate.

I made $475 per month at that first job. And with that salary came regular rebukes from my boss that I had a head like a rock garden, yet I persisted . The valuable lesson learned was that I indeed am a bit of a scatterbrain and need to write stuff down or it’s likely to be forgotten.

I eventually moved on to a better job, better boss (by far!!) and much better salary . Those were the days of the IBM selectric typewriters with the little ball typeface. Remember those? Well, whenever I got bored I would change the typeface . My boss caught on and asked me one day why I did that? I told him boredom. Rather than making me conform, you know what he said? “I change my pen” . Ha ha!! See we aren’t all that different.

Anyway…..I’m ever so grateful that I don’t have to do all my quilts with just one quilting design . You wondered where this was going no doubt. There are so many designs out there for us to enjoy and incorporate into our quilts. I hope you like these . I’m about to load a customer quilt and utilize this one called “Triangle Meander”. It’s available at Urban Elementz.

These are the others added to my collection today . I’m slowly adding my whole collection. If you mouse over them on the pantograph page you can find the name of the design. If you see one you like when requesting quilting services, please refer to it by name .

“Let it Snow”

“Feathered Mola” set

Ok . Time to go quilt!

Until next time,

Mavis

There's joy ...

I’ve been challenging myself to find joy in the mundane. It’s easy to be joyful which things are going well and lining up to your expectations and desires . But what about when you are thrown a curve ball? I think it’s safe to say that the whole world has been thrown a curve ball this year.

I’ve seen the worst of humanity responding by looting while others are hoarding toilet paper and sanitizing wipes and upselling them . ( I have yet to find any Lysol wipes in any of our stores here.) But I’ve also seen the best of humanity. People are helping their neighbours, talented musicians and singers are sharing their melodies and lyrics with us online, churches are reconfiguring their services to reach their congregations and reaching into the communities with help . And of course there are the sewers who are using those stashes to make face masks, scrub bags and scrub hats for the front line workers. Every one of my quilting friends who is contributing to these projects has expressed the greatest joy at being able to help . That’s how I feel too!

I have been pulling out my fat quarters and enjoying making them into something helpful for someone else . There is lots of joy in my sewing room right now.

I’ve also heard of a resurgence of practical skills with everything from gardening/growing veggies to baking bread . Have you tried to find yeast or flour in your grocery store? I have always loved baking bread and earlier this year I scored a great breadmaker at a garage sale for $2.00 . Since then I’ve been baking bread almost every week. I mix it in the breadmaker then shape the loaf and bake it in the oven. I currently have a loaf in the oven right now and it’s starting to smell pretty good in my house .

New to me this year is the attempt to grow some veggies . I may be known for the calluses on my quilting fingers, but not so much for having a green thumb. But I’m devoting some energy and time to learning some tricks in the hopes that I can develop some skill in this department . I’m finding joy in this little sprout of celery that I am growing from the end of the last stalk we bought. Life! A little sprout! Yippee!

I’m also finding joy in bringing order to my house. I make no bones about my dislike for paper. It’s a necessary evil in our lives but there’s not an even an ounce of me that enjoys working with it. When I had this realization I gave up card making. I worked with paper all day long and I sure didn’t want to play with it at night. But I digress…

I’ve been working on one room at a time. The one I was dreading was the office because of … PAPER!! Anyway, yesterday I decided (with a gentle push from my daughter who had just done a clean sweep of her place) that it was time I attacked the office. And wouldn’t you know it…I found joy in scanning all these papers and then shredding them. I’m quite shocked actually. I absolutely love my ScanSnap scanner by Fujitsu. It’s worth every penny. My trusty shredder is a heavier duty one from Staples and it’s doing a fine job too.

I made some headway yesterday as evidenced by all the confetti I created and am hoping to wrap up this portion of the office work today/tonight. I’m going to reward myself with some nice red wine when this is done. There is joy in finally getting that job done that you’ve been dreading. I didn’t expect to find joy in the office, but there it was!

And of course when the office is tackled I will go pet some fabric, work on a UFO or on more caps, masks or scrub bags. The need continues and so we will keep sewing. And I know I will find joy there.

I hope you will also find some joy in the everyday things you find yourself doing while quarantined at home.

Until next time!

Mavis

NEW in the Pantograph Library

 

I am slowly adding images of my pantograph library for customer review. Here are two I added today. Hover over the Quilting tab on my homepage and then click on Pantographs . Now I’m off to quilt out the Flower Child one!

PERLE EDGE TO EDGE 

FLOWER CHILD

Hearts in the Window - Free Pattern

 

Hearts in the Window 

Finished Size:  Approx. 24" square

This quilt was created from my stash during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic.  There was a worldwide display of "hearts in the window" started by an unknown person as a way for quarantined citizens to show gratitude to front line workers (health workers and essential services).  I like fabric way more than paper so I created my heart as a quilted wall hanging.  In that same spirit, I'm offering this pattern for free.  Please do not share the pattern but instead send people back to my blog to download their own copy.  Thank you.  Mavis Reynolds

This pattern was designed using my Accuquilt GO cutter but this is not mandatory.  Alternate instructions are provided.

Yardage:

1/2 yard of floral

1/2 yard of background

1/2 yard of border fabric

Cutting:

Cut 37 background squares (2 1/2")

Cut 68 floral squares (2 1/2")

Cut 3 strips 2 1/2" wide x width of fabric from background fabric

Cut 4 strips 3 1/2" wide x width of fabric from border fabric

To make pieced squares:

Cut one 2 7/8" square of each of your background and floral fabrics.  With right sides together draw a diagonal line from corner to corner and sew a scan quarter inch on either side of the line.  Cut along the center line.  Open and press to the floral.  These two half square triangle squares for for the top left and top right corners of the quilt top.  Pay attention to the orientation so that the floral fabric faces towards the center of the heart.

Cut 4  2 1/2" x 2 1/2" squares from each of the floral and background fabric.  With right sides together, sew them in pairs one floral to one background piece.  Press towards towards the floral.

Trim 2 of these units to 2 1/2" like this so that the smaller piece (approximately 3/4") is the background and the rest is the floral).  These blocks create an illusion of a taper towards the bottom of the heart.

Trim the remaining 2 units so that they are equally background and equally floral and finish at 2 1/2".

Sewing:

Using the remaining 2 1/2" squares follow this layout and sew the quilt top together in chunks as follows and then join the chunks together.

Top Left chunk

Top Middle

Top Right Chunk

Bottom Left Chunk

Bottom Middle

Bottom Right Chunk

Joined chunks

Borders

Add the background fabric borders to the top and both sides of the quilt top.

Add the outher borders to all four sides of the quilt top.

Quilt, bind and enjoy!  Oh...and hang it for others to enjoy as well! 

© Mavis Reynolds & Dayspring Quilt Studio, 2020

All rights reserved.  This pattern may not be copied or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the designer.

International Quilting Day - March 21, 2020

Celebration Day is almost here! International Quilting Day is always the third Saturday in March and this year falls on March 21st. The usual celebration you might expect to find is groups of quilters gathering together to sew on their projects or charity projects. Some join online challenges and mystery quilts. Others go to quilt shops to support the small businesses in their locations and their vacation destinations. How many times have you seen requests on online groups that go something like this: "I'm going to be visiting Las Vegas next month. Where are the quilt shops?" A time or two right?



Last year I had an idea that on International Quilting Day in 2020 we should celebrate by hanging quilts outdoors. I guess the basis of the idea came after visiting Sisters, Oregon twice for their annual Outdoor Quilt Show. It has become a vacation destination for quilters, quilting groups and some good natured significant others. Quilters get on board with events that focus on their passion of stitching with love. Quilt Shops organize shop hops under the banner Worldwide Quilting Day on the same day to encourage people to support local quilt shops.

I thought, "what if we hang quilts outside, and ask our friends to do likewise, and they ask their friends, and so on and so on. Wouldn't it create some curiosity? Wouldn't it add some colour to our yards? Wouldn't it tell our neighbours that we love our craft? And that is how it all began.

I then created a Facebook event so that there would be one place online where people could find out information about the event. From there I shared with some online quilting groups. I had very enthusiastic responses and decided I might be on to something. Then it went viral.

The idea has grown and taken on a life of its own. Then arrived the Covid-19 pandemic with social isolation protocols announced and social distancing becoming the new buzzword. School is out for spring break but then on hold thereafter. Restaurants are closed except for takeout. Grocery store shelves are bare. Streets are empty. While sporting events and other gatherings are being cancelled, including our Victoria Quilters' Guild 2020 Quilt Show the first weekend in June, this project suddenly became something that quilters could do, hang their quilts outdoors at their residences, to add some colour to their neighbourhoods, despite our new restrictions. My last week has been spent on promotion in our local media, producing a driving map for my city, and answering social media enquiries. By the number of pings on my phone, it seems the world has realized that we can still get in our cars and maintain social distancing and yet do something fun this Saturday.

Let's go see some quilts and take pictures and post them! You will undoubtedly see bed quilts, traditional quilts, modern quilts, baby quilts, and art quilts. You will likely see them on railings, in trees, on benches, on the sides of buildings and hanging in windows.

Here is the link to an interview on Tuesday this week which aired on our local news channel: https://vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=1924052

Here are the locations in Greater Victoria, British Columbia where there will be quilts hanging on March 21st:

https://www.facebook.com/notes/victoria-quilters-guild/international-quilting-day-2020-quilt-tour/2563512483933516/

I would love to see the Internet filled with pictures of the quilt spottings! (Hashtags would be appreciated: #internationalquiltingday2020 #internationalquilthanging2020 #hangaquilt) Let's brighten someone's day. Let's help them remember their friends and family members who may have quilted and gifted them one. Let's help the cancer patients and NICU parents remember the love expressed by these caring strangers who donated to them in their time of need. Let's do what we do to show tangible love and comfort in these uncertain times. Let's wrap the world in quilty hugs.

Mavis (aka Dayspring Quilter)

A funny thing happened in the wee hours ...

Last night was sleepover time for my grandson who will be 3 in July.  Since we downsized in 2015, my sewing room is also the laundry room which was converted from a bedroom before we bought this house.  It has great storage with two closets and a counter on top of the washer and dryer which was why I claimed this room before the ink was dry on the contract!

It also still serves as a bedroom for the wee man when we have sleepovers or naps during the day if I'm babysitting.  We use his playpen and put it in the middle of the room.  Trouble is his arms are growing in length.  Imagine me finally enjoying some peace and quiet last night when I then heard "thump, thump, thump".  That was the distinct sound of the wool dryer balls tumbling in the now turned on but otherwise empty dryer.  He's a smart kid but Grandma isn't too dumb either.  So after a chat I moved the playpen further away from the dryer.  Problem solved!   Slumber was enjoyed by all until about 2 a.m.  He doesn't cry (usually) when he gets up in the night but he does chat, laugh and jump in his playpen. Party time!   So I decided to attend to the little monkey to avoid waking the rest of the house (too late).  This is what I saw when I opened the door:

Apparently those long arms can now reach my closet where my scraps are cut and organized into boxes according to size.  This was the nighttime shot.  I didn't turn the light on. I didn't want to wake him anymore than he was already awake.  Apparently he does this most nights at home and eventually goes back to sleep without intervention.  I do not remember my kids waking up in the night as toddlers, but apparently it's a thing.   Little monkey.  I couldn't see what was under this pile.  It was soft so it was probably fabric.  What wasn't soft was the thumping sounds going through the floor to the lower level where someone was sleeping. So I made the rookie mistake of taking him out of the playpen and into Grandma's bed with the promise that he would go back to sleep.  As if!!  

Long story short, he finally fell asleep in my arms on the couch after saying Goodnight Moon to the bright orb making a guest appearance through our livingroom window.  Eventually I made my way back to bed at 5:00 a.m. after he was back asleep.

This morning I had to survey the damage.  Whoa!  That's 2" squares and 2 1/2" squares plus shoebox sized tubs of colours sorted appropriately.  

Together the little boy and I sat on the floor to clean up the mess.  I handed him the "big" ones for the "big" box and the "small" ones for the "small" box.  I hope he learned that when we make a mess we need to tidy it up.

But a funny thing happened in the process.  Grandma got inspired to dig out these squares and use them!  I'm going to design my next pattern based on this fabric vomit on my floor and see what kind of trouble I can get into.  Wish me luck!

Oh...and he's now napping (not in my sewing room LOL) and I'm writing this post.  And then back to sorting my scraps again.

Happy Sunday everyone!  I hope you are also playing with fabric. 💝😃

Until next time,
Mavis

New pattern release

I confess I have fallen off the blogging bandwagon in a big way.  But today I have something to share that warrants a post.

Today I'm publishing a pattern on my website and in my Etsy shop, the proceeds of which will go to a valuable work with children in Uganda.  Here's the story behind the quilt:

The Story Behind Terry’s Arc
a project benefiting Children Arise, Uganda

Terry is a long time friend and quilting buddy that answered the call to missions along with her husband Andrew.  They sold their home in my city and moved to Uganda to work with children and orphans.  Since their departure in 2014, they have just received news that their adoption of  two Ugandan children has gone through.  They have raised them since toddlerhood.  They are also actively involved in caring for other children at risk as well as single mothers.  They basically have left all the comforts of home to follow the Lord in caring for the “least of these”.

Terry came home on a well deserved furlough last March for about a month while her husband cared for the children.  During her time here we always carve out some sewing days just to hang out and spend some creative time together.  In anticipation of this visit, this quilt was an idea hatched by Terry to make for one of their helpers.  She wanted to make a bed sized quilt, so while I was anxiously awaiting her arrival, I pulled out a jelly roll I had been wanting to use and started playing around with her idea.  This quilt was the result (in a smaller version).  I told Terry that I would eventually design the quilt on paper (actually in Electric Quilt design program) and that I would sell it on my website with a goal to being able to send the proceeds of any sales to them for their work in Uganda.

Matthew 25:40-45 New International Version (NIV)

⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

My quilt done in Orange and White won a second prize in our local Victoria Quilters' Guild quilt show.

Here are the links to purchase:  

• My website:  Terry's Arc quilt pattern  
• My Etsy Shop:  Dayspring Quilter on Etsy

And here is the facebook link to Andrew and Terry's work:  

• Arise Uganda

Thank you for buying this pattern.  By doing so you have also helped this valuable work. Please share the hashtag #terrysarc so that we can view your finished quilts. And please share this post.

Mavis