The Library Project - Is Spring here yet? Edition

I can hardly believe that it's time for another Library Project Link-up! It seems like I was just writing one a day or two ago! That said, March has been a bit of a bust in the sewing and meeting goals department around these parts. Just too many other things on my plate... but better to be honest with you, dear reader, than lead you to think it's all sunshine and roses all the time in the studio! ☺

On a positive note, the first of my chosen Library Project quilts (Oh Deer!) is done... only I've not been able to get out and give it a proper photo shoot... you'll just have to wait a little longer for that finish. I have a plan in mind and just can't bring myself to abandon it for another sad set of pics taken in my backyard.... which at the moment is taking on a lovely winter wonderland look. Ack! Is it not March 22nd?!

Whilst still in progress....

And that's where the wheels fall off the wagon a bit. I've decided to make a change to my Library Project selections. I still love all the books and quilts I chose. But there's a problem. I don't feel like any of them serve a purpose. They'd just add to the growing piles of "special quilts" hanging about the house. It's not what I feel the need to be working on. I'm not saying I've cast them aside, just that I need to put them on hold for the moment. That's within the rules, right?

So, my second Library Project quilt is a little different. It's a pattern I found a while back on a lovely blog called Obsessive Crafting Disorder. I was sure that J-boy would absolutely LOVE this one! I purchased the pattern a with a plan to make it for him for Christmas next year. Special, but with a purpose.... that's what I need right now!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/126258669/pattern-the-good-old-hockey-game-quilt?

This week, after realizing that there just wasn't enough of certain fabrics to make this from my stash, I headed over to my LQS. It was dangerous.... they've gotten a LOT of new fabric in since I last visited. But I kept my focus and only bought these lovelies (and thread ☺). The pattern calls for mainly solids, but I don't want to have to quilt this excessively, so I went more for tone on tone prints. Mmm... texture.

The red is Sketch from Timeless Treasures and the black is Dazzle from Robert Kaufman (available in a jillion and one colours... oh no.) The blues are a little trickier. All three are Robert Kaufman. The only trouble is that I bought such small pieces I didn't get any selvage with names! 

Last month, I also snagged these from Mad About Patchwork.

That's Pearl Bracelet in Anchor, Remix Ovals in Red, and Oval Elements in Sapphire. 

These, in addition to some other reds from my stash and a pile of Kona White, will give me a good start on J-boy's next quilt. He's only got one and really "needs" one for snuggling up on the couch. I'm still trying to decide whether to use the aqua border called for in the pattern or switch it up to reflect J-boy's favourite team's colours. I've already made one departure in that the pattern calls for a large amount of navy and I've gone with the black Dazzle instead.

I'm doing a double link-up here and hooking up with Adrienne over at Chezzetcook Modern Quilts for this month's Library Project Link-up as well as with Work in Progress Girl for Molli Sparkles' usual Sunday Stash (since I really did buy some fabric this week!)

Tomorrow, the cutting begins!

J

P.S. And I went to our Maritime Modern Quilt Guild Sew In this week-end! Leigh Anne made it all the way from PEI and treated us to some awesome door prizes from her Etsy shop Ella's Cottage. I snagged this 8 piece FQ pack of Modas.

When you open it up, it gets even better! There's two pieces of Simply Color Sprigs (Tangerine & Eggplant), two pieces of Simply Color Chevron (Tangerine & Lime), three pieces of Simply Color Ombre (Tangerine, Lime, & Blue), AND a piece of Happy Go Lucky Dandelions! Whheeeee!!!!

And then she said "And you can buy these ones for 2$" Sold.

More Moda fun! Happy Go Lucky Red Aqua Check Plaid, another Happy Go Lucky Dandelions (but it's a different colour pathway, of course, two pieces of Happy Go Lucky Scallops (Red &

And just to round it up to an even 10$, a FQ of Cameras in Parchment. I'll be 100% honest and say I haven't ordered from Leigh Anne before, but I see that changing in the future!

WIP - Confessions of a stripper...

Okay, so maybe that post title was a little more racy than I meant it to be, but honestly, I can't stop stripping. It started with my Kona stash, but now I'm branching out into other fabric. After spending much of the last couple weeks under a quilt feeling like crap, I was renewed in my 2014 resolution to make more quilts to donate to IWK Choices.  My quilt made me feel better and I want to pass that on to others. I also had a serious issue with my cool tone scrap bin - as in the lid would no longer come anywhere close to fitting. I should really have taken a before shot of that! So off I went, cutting 2½ inch strips.

 

By my calculations, I needed approximately 3200 inches of strip to make a 65 by 97 standard twin size. After the great scrap bust, I was still short by almost 2000 inches. And I thought there was a lot in there! On the up side, here's the current state of the bin. Lid on and plenty of room for future scraps!

So I turned to my significant pile of blue and green fabrics in my yardage stash. As an aside, do you think the term meterage will ever come into common usage in Canada? It's not like you can even buy a yard of fabric around these parts. But I digress. Since I wasn't worried about everything being all matchy-matchy (this is a scrap quilt afterall), it freed me to cut into some fabric that's been kicking around the stash for a while. Roughly 48 WOF strips later, I had enough to get sewing!

 Word of warning - Twin sized or larger strip quilts are not easy to sew in a small space.

Nor do they take only an hour, no matter what you read on the internet. I burned through quite a number of episodes of Downton Abbey on this project! One handy tip for you - when pressing seams, attach a binder clip to the end of your uber long strip. That way, when you have a tangled mess of strip on the floor and need to get sewing again, you can find the end easily!

And after much matching of ends and sewing together, ta dah! Watery spring sunshine had to do for this photoshoot.... come on, summer!

 

My calculations weren't perfect - it finishes up at 65 by 90, but it seems to be plenty big! Next up, a piecing backing to further cut into that over-sized stash. I love using stuff up! 

After a hiatus for a couple weeks, I'm linking up with WiP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced AND the (Canadian!) Needle and Thread Network!

 

Now back to my regularly scheduled sewing! Blog you later!

J

Celebrate Good Times!

Did you know that today is Worldwide Quilting Day? Don't worry... it's not too late to celebrate!

I marked the day by getting back into the studio after a non-voluntary hiatus. Honestly, I can't remember a time when I've gone this long without sewing! I was so disconnected that I even forgot I had a baby quilt all finished and ready to bind! Instead of hand-sewing that would see me plunked in front of the TV, I opted to get to work on my ModQImprov Canada block for this month.

This month's Queen Bee asked for a 15 inch log cabin (as wonky as you wanted) block in blues, aquas, and greens. No shortage of those in my stash! She also requested that we start with colour and alternate colour and white. Here's how I kicked it off - a little Amy Butler and a scrap of Kona White. Talk about fine beginnings...

And in no time, it grew to beyond 15 inches! I figure I'll let her trim it down as she likes. This one will soon be making it's way to Alaska.

Though I really wanted to start a new project today, I couldn't decide what. I did know that another block of my Skill Builder 2014 BOM had been released... seemed like a good way to spend an afternoon! Mind you, I don't know if I'm sold on this whole starching business. Seems like just one more step in getting ready to cut... I just like to cut!

And I like to chain piece! Not often that you get to do that with a BOM. These may be some of the smallest HSTs I've ever made... 1½ inch finished. Made me thankful for that starching... well, just a little.

Trimming blocks is always so tricky for me. Maybe that's why I love improv so much! At least the instructions reminded me to use the 45 degree angle on the ruler... I never remember. And I got to use the smallest ruler in my collection!

All those fiddly little HSTs turned into this Chevron Star. I probably should have followed the instructions for the actual block construction a little more carefully, but it's pretty good. Also on the up side, it came out at 6½ inches on the dot. Take that, scant quarter inch seam!

 I did pay more attention to the block instructions for the next part - Churn Dash. Much better!

And here they are all together in Block #4. I love getting these finished before the quilting instructions arrive. Just makes me feel good. I've managed to stay pretty much on time with these to date, though I do need to finish quilting my Spools block and start quilting my Machine Stitches block. Maybe tomorrow...

I know I've said it before, but this program is well worth the price of admission. I feel like I'm learning a lot... and we haven't even gotten to appliqué. It's coming though...

Hope you spend Worldwide Quilting Day in a fun way. If not, there's always tomorrow! ☺

Giveaway winners!

Hi all!
It's been a little while since a post... I won't go into all the details here 'cause they're really not very quilty, but I'm hoping to be back at the sewing machine soon and have something to blog about not long after! ☺
In the meantime, I realized I haven't let you know about my recent giveaway winners. The winner of the Sew Sisters giveaway is Barbara from Wont to be Quilter saying how much she loved their Kona solids!

And it way back in February for my birthday giveaway, Catherine from Knotted Cotton won the Origami Bag. She didn't say what she'd like to put in it, but here's hoping it's something fun!

Stick with me, dear readers! I haven't actually dropped off the face of the planet!

J