Two quilt tops finished this week!

Major happy dance over here at Dayspring Farm!!  Why?  Because I finished TWO quilt tops this week!  Neither of them were UFOs but I was determined that they wouldn't end up that way.

Firstly, let me introduce you to a quilt I'm calling "The Blessing":

I apologize for the picture.  It was late at night and this was indoor lighting in our staircase but as soon as I finished the top I wanted to snap a picture because it's an exciting thing to finish a quilt top!!

Anyway, the story on this quilt is this:  My DH and I have a B&B and this has been a record year for us and we count that as a huge BLESSING.  In our King suite we have a king sized bed and unfortunately it's the only room that doesn't have one of my quilts.  Here is a current photo of the bed:

I really like the quilt I bought for this room but it's still a knock-off and not one of my handmade quilts.

The other day when my DH and I were changing the linens after guests had checked out, he remarked, "you really need to make a quilt for this room, because this just isn't you".  Nice eh??  I had a pattern in mind already as I wanted it to be simple enough that it wouldn't take me a decade to finish it, but still striking enough to satisfy my eye.  I bought some dark black and pink rose fabric with this King Suite in mind but didn't have a clear idea of coordinating fabrics.  So DH and I pulled some fabric from stash and he said "green".  The pink I was thinking about as a contrast would scream PINK and that's not what I wanted. Anyway, I found 2 nice coordinating fabrics to go with my dark rose, a pale sage green and some black & white polka dots.  I LOVE polka dots!  anyway, the result is the quilt I'm calling The Blessing!  I've named it that to remember the blessing of the Lord on our B&B this year and the blessing of my husband blessing the work of my hands.

The quilt will be going to Arlene MacKenzie of On Point Quilting Studio for long arm quilting because it's just too big for me to do, even on my quilting frame with my Janome 6500.  I've already got the binding ready to go with a goal to getting it on the bed soon!

So that was finish number 1.  Now onto number 2.

Fiesta quilt!

I was really on a roll this weekend.  I worked a lot on the weekend with 9 guests in the B&B so I took some time in the studio yesterday without guilt.  And I really wanted to get my Fiesta quilt done that I started at Quilters' Affair in Sisters in July.  And are you ready?  I got it done!  The columns were assembled into a quilt top yesterday and last evening I thought, "what the heck; I am so close to finishing, I'll get the borders done".  At that time I saw that Bonnie Hunter was on quilt cam so it was doubly cool as it felt like I was actually sewing along with her.   It was a fun evening sewing along with the finish line in sight.

And here's is Fiesta!

I'm having second thoughts about the border.  It seems to hem the quilt in a bit for my liking.  I was thinking that lighter fabrics would be better.  I may do a rework on it.  What do you think??

Anyway, that's the kind of weekend it's been.  9 guests checking out today means it's laundry and cleaning time, so until next time,

Mavis

Fireworks quilt blocks are finished!

I'm very happy with myself.  Not only did I get out of my comfort zone and buy some Kaffe Fassett fabrics, and do something entirely new and different as far as a ruler and pattern goes, I actually came home from a class and continued to work on the class project!  I know!!  I'm very pleased.  I have been working away on this Fireworks quilt out of "Not Your Grandmother's Log Cabin" by Sara Nephew.  Today, despite the 90 degree temperature in my sewing room, I managed to get all of the blocks up on the design wall and play with layout.  Here's where I'm at right now:

I found that I chose a lot of fabrics from the Kaffe Fassett line that seemed to 'read' all the same.  The result was that there was too much yellow and all the light blocks seemed to run together because they were too similar.  So, I began digging into my stash and pulling some other colours to create some light blocks without yellow, but adding purple and pink.  I also added some deep rich burgundies and purples and some light blue too!  This is the result.

I now have to finish the setting triangles and have just reviewed the instructions for that.  Maybe, just maybe I'll get all of that done and can then start thinking about what I want to do on the border.  I'd love to use up the remaining fabrics for the border so I may insert some small triangles much like the designer of this quilt, Scott Hansen, did.  I love using it all up.  Waste is bad and makes you feel bad doesn't it?  Well this will be a 'feel good' border because I won't be a wasteroo!!

Anyway, that's what I've been up this long weekend in between greeting  B&B guests and making breakfasts, and setting tables, and hanging sheets out on the clothesline.  It's been a pretty fantastic day!

Until the borders when I'll be back to post some more pictures!

Mavis

What I'm working on...

I'm working on a LOT of things.  But that makes it kinda fun and alleviates the possibility for boredom right?  At least that's my story.

I swore I wasn't going to start new projects, that I was going to focus in 2012 on completing UFOs.  I have 12 listed and I want to get through all 12 of them this year.  It feels good to finish projects.  But it also feels to start projects and I confess, I am weak.  My resolve dissolved.

So, as you may know from my previous posts I started a new project in Sisters at Quilter's Affair at a Friday class.  Pictures are here for the teacher's quilt and another new start that I confessed to beginning in the hotel room after spying a focus fabric that I simply couldn't resist.  The picture for was uploaded as a test from my blackberry here. 

Anyway, here are some pictures of MY fireworks quilt  which I think I will be naming "Fiesta" and a repeat photo of my "Curly Birds of Bend" quilt which is currently on my frame being quilted.

Block A - Light on the Right; Medium on the Left of the starting triangle

Top:  Another Block A.  Bottom Block B with medium starting triangle and then medium, dark, medium on both sides

Building a Block B

Playing in hotel room building blocks.  Bed makes a great design wall/surface

Curly Birds of Bend named because the focus fabrics has swirls, birds and I bought the fabric in Bend.

Currently on my quilting frame becoming a quilt rather than a UFO!

So that's what I've been working on.  Last night I decided to work on the Fiesta quilt again before I lost the construction method.  You know how that goes right?  You 'get it' in class but then you leave it for awhile and before you know it, you're asking yourself:  "how's that go again?"  So, determined to get these both done and not on next year's UFO list.

Something else I've 'started' (but this one doesn't count as a new start and I'll explain why) is a quilt called "Bow-Dacious".  It's out of Bonnie Hunter's "Adventures with Leaders and Enders" book.  I was looking through all 4 of my BH books yesterday and was captured by the beauty of this quilt.  Here's a photo of one that Subee made. 

Before I started sewing again on my Fiesta blocks, I dug into my 1 1/2" strip bins and started cutting 1 1/2" squares and sorting them into colour families.  The theory behind "leaders and enders" is rather than wasting thread after pulling a sewn block from the machine, you put a scrap of fabric under the feed dogs, sew down to the end of it and snip off the completed block.  This prevents waste of thread but also as a leader, rather than an ender, you stop the machine from chewing the beginning of your new block.  You can find a better explanation in Bonnie's book, but suffice it to say that I thought this would be a BRILLIANT way to use up my  1 1/2" strip scraps and create blocks for a new quilt in the process.  2 quilts underway at the same time without even trying!  Gotta like that eh??  And THAT's why it doesn't count as a UFO.  :D

I think I've got about 2 4-patches done but I didn't actually get that much sewn last night.  We had a full house at the B&B so I just snuck in a few moments between meeting and greeting guests and showing them to their rooms and giving them the info for breakfast.

Hopefully I will be able to post some pictures soon of those building blocks and a completed top for my Fiesta quilt!  Pretty excited about that one.  It's a departure from my normal quilt style and fabric choices.  Pretty wild but I'm loving it!

I am going to hang out some sheets on the line and mosey on up to my studio and sneak in some more play time.

Until next time!

Mavis

Test of mobile blogging

Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network

Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show Slide Show

As promised, here is my Picasa web album link to my photos from the 2012 Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show.

Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show 2012

My friend Terry and I attended classes at Quilter's Affair at the Sisters High School on Friday, July 13th.  I took the Fireworks class with Scott Hansen of Blue Nickel Studios.  This is his quilt from the brochure:

I would happily show you my progress photos here as well but they are on my Blackberry and it is under my desk at work where I left it charging. Arggghhhh!

So that post will be tomorrow together with another picture of another quilt I started on the trip.  I fell in love with a focus fabric at Quiltworks in Bend. Then I spotted a pattern.  And the rest is history.  I wasn't intending on starting another quilt top but sometimes you just have to go with your inspiration.  It was a big block pattern called "Shenandoah" and here's a picture of the quilt that I saw at Sisters at the show (note - this is NOT mine).

and another one in the same pattern:

More photos of MY quilts tomorrow but for now, these 2 other teasers will hopefully interest you.

Until tomorrow!

Mavis

Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show

I sure wish I had taken my laptop with me on this trip to Sisters.  My email stopped working on my Blackberry midday Friday.  Also, I could have been editing my photos during the down times on the trip ~ ok, I know, what down times? ~ but there sure were a lot of photos and I finally got them all edited today.  They are currently uploading to my Picassa album site (all 259 of them!) which I will post later, but for now, here's a teaser:

Pre-Show quilt hanging

I had heard that the firemen actually hang the quilts and here's proof!  And it was great getting a sneak peek before the show officially opened and the heat was too intense.  Our first stop was the Antique Quilt Display where I knew Bonnie Hunter would be at 8:00 a.m. as I had pre-arranged that with her.  I had a hard time finding it but eventually did, thanks to my friend Terry whose navigational skills are WAY beyond mine.  Anyway, Terry also took my camera and snapped this picture of me with the one and only reigning Scrap Queen ~ Bonnie Hunter!!!

She is a warm and authentic person and it was an honour to meet her.  It's harder (impossible) for Canucks to get the privilege so I was so excited to actually meet her in the flesh.  I have followed her blog (www.quiltville.blogspot.com) for years and have done a few of her mysteries (with a few of them currently as UFOs).  Here we are!!

Stay tuned for the photo slideshow as soon as my computer has finished uploading them.

Until then,

Mavis

2 more sleeps!!!

then my friend Terry and I will be heading south to Sisters, Oregon for this:

Sisters outdoor quilt show!!

To say I'm excited is an understatement.  This is my second trip down and Terry's first.  I'll try and upload pictures as wifi is available, so stay tuned!

Friday we will be at Quilter's Affair classes, and then Saturday at the quilt show.

So excited!!!

Until next time,

Mavis