Pssst.... just one week!

Until Throwback Thursday {Volume 10}!

On Thursday, May 5th, it's your chance to tell a tale from your dark, quilty past and show off a pre-blogging creation. It's amazing the inspiration you can take from these past quilts. I often imagine them in fresh, modern prints or re-done in crisp, bright Konas.

Along those lines, here's my Throwback for this week... From all the way back in 2005! I made SO many of these Thousand Pyramid quilts. In fact, the first ever Throwback Thursday post featured one!

I think I made this one for a co-worker's new grandbaby, hence the odd photo snapped in my office against my supply bookcase.

Some of these prints are still hanging around in my 2½ inch square scrap bin. And those butterflies... I bought an ungodly amount at (of all places) Walmart. Oh the folly of the beginner quilter!

Don't you just want to get out that fancy triangle ruler and start cutting into your scraps? Or even that yardage you've been hoarding? Come on. You know you want to!

Hope to see you next week for TBT {V.10}!

J

TYOTS! - Use it or lose it!

Crickets. Tumbleweeds. It's been pretty quiet here on the blog with regards to The Year of the Stash. But with the 5th month of the year looming, perhaps we need a little kick start!

I said I was going to do my best to keep you inspired during the journey that is The Year of The Stash. So here we go! My Top Five projects to get a stash busting buzz going! Quick and easy.... what more can one ask for?


5. Pillowcases
They're great for using those 1 metre/yard cuts that you're wondering why you bought in the first place. Novelty prints? Give them to a kiddo you love or donate them to a children's hospital. Leftover yardage from quilts you've made? Make a set and gift them to the person sleeping under that quilt! Pillowcases make great gifts. You can use Easy Peasy Pillowcase Tutorial or one of the seven million others floating around the blogosphere.

4. Zipper Pouches
You can never have too many! Use 'em for swaps, gifts, or keep 'em all for yourself! I love the Open Wide Zippered Pouch from Noodlehead (free tutorial). But there are so many out there! Google away!

3. Infinity Scarves
Got some lovely voile, some Liberty or Art Gallery prints in that stash? Treat yourself (or a friend to an infinity scarf! Here's a tutorial from Cottage Mama

2. Drawstring bags
I'm particularly smitten with the free tutorial for lined drawstring bags by Jeni Baker @ In Color Order. I liked it so much, I bought the multisized pattern. I've made 7 so far, including this one for my mom for Easter. Love me some Lizzy House Natural History!

And my top choice?

1. Charity Baby Quilts
If you pick a simple pattern like 5 inch squares or 2½ inch strips (like my Kona Strip Pop quilt), they come together very quickly.  I donate to my local women's and children's hospital.

Got a quick and easy stash buster? Please share it in the comments. And get to sewing, people. We've got stashes to use up!

J

Friday Finish (& A Giveaway) - Tula Tigers for T

Finishes seem to be few and far between at A Quarter Inch from the Edge lately, but thanks to last week-end's MMQG retreat, I've got one to share! It's Tula Tigers for T, one of my goals for Q2 of 2016 Finish A-Long.

Though it's far from their usual habitat, these Tula Tigers needed to get outside. We're still a little ways from green, but at least it lets the colours of this quilt shine! The quilt is made using a fat quarter bundle of Tula Pink's Eden in the from Fabric Please!

  The quilting mimics the triangles and flying geese blocks that formed as I laid out the random blocks.

I was really tempted to use the tiger print on the back, but I'm taking a risk with this quilt already, so I went for a safer print, Labyrinth in Glacier.  To use as much of my FQ bundle as possible, I pieced a section for the back. This is great cost saver too when you want to use a fancy print for backing. By piecing a section and adding a strip of Kona Silver, I only had to buy half the backing fabric.

  I wasn't sure about the random layout to begin with, but it's grown on me!

 There's something about a path like this that makes me want to keep on walking. Perhaps another day!

 Tigers lounging on a rock... happens all the time, right?

I know, I know. Pictures with shadows aren't cool. But the angles they made sort of worked with this quilt!

The binding features Kona Silver and scraps of the Tula prints from the top. I wanted to use as much of the FQ bundle as possible!

Don't you just love a quilt roll? When I'm gifting a quilt, I very often just roll it and a pretty ribbon around it.

The Deets  
Title: Tula Tigers for T (Crudité blocks from Quilts du jour)
Size: 48 by 64 inches
Fabric Used: Fat quarter bundle of Tula Pink's Eden provided by Fabric Please!
Konas Used: Silver for background and binding
Quilting: Straight line quilting with random pattern and spacing using Auriful 2600 (light grey)
Binding: Kona Silver with scraps of Tula Pink Eden, hand stitched with Gutterman 102 (grey) 

Backing: Pieced, predominately Tula Pink's Labyrinth in Glacier with a strip of Kona Silver and a scrappy section

Favourite Part(s): Making blocks from a library book and the hope that this quilt will make a loved one smile. Fingers crossed on those tigers!

Read more here! 

And here's the best part! Are you crushing on this Tula fabric? If so, you could win your very own bundle by leaving me a comment below and telling me what you'd make with it. If you're a follower of Fabric Please!, you get a bonus entry. Just leave a comment telling me how you follow.  The giveaway will be open to international participants until 11:59 pm Atlantic Daylight Savings Time on Thursday, April 28. If you're a no-reply blogger, please leave an e-mail in your comment.

I'm linking up today with TGIFF @ Fleur de Lis Quilts as well as Finish Up Friday @ Crazy Mom Quilts. Pop on over and check out some Friday Finishes!

J

P.S. This was one of my goals for Q2 of the 2016 Finish Along.

Mal aux cheveux...

Not an expression you're familiar with? It's Acadian for hung over... meaning literally that you're in such a bad way that your hair aches! I am most definitely hungover, but not in the way you might imagine. I'm recovering from a quilting bender in the form of our first ever Maritime Modern Quilt Guild Retreat. Two days, two nights... so much quilting!
Yup... an entire conference room filled with quilters! So much talent in one place.
And the swag! I pitched (and many of the other retreaters went for) the idea of a swag bag exchange. Everyone who opted in made/bought a little something for everyone else in the exchange.

The result? A goodie bag stuffed with fun! And a few of our retreat sponsors sent enough treats for the entire class. Thanks, Canadian National Fabric, Dinkydoo Modern Fabrics, and Fabric Spark!

Digging into that bag was like opening one's stocking on Christmas morning.I will freely admit that many of the edibles are missing from this pic. No need to dwell on it. The rest are stuffed in that lovely purple zipper pouch!

On Saturday, we had a power hour of sewing for our charity program. Prizes were awarded most sewn in an hour. Anja @ Anja Quilts managed 37! I did 22 in 45 minutes and promptly ran out of pre-cut pieces. Dang!

We also had a number of mystery projects... not so mysterious to me as I chose them! One was this pincushion that attaches to your machine. It's from a tutorial from I Can Find the Time. I modified it a bit and used elastic instead of a ribbon tie.

Another of our mystery projects was the Goody Goody Binding Kit from a tutorial by Lella Boutique.  I used some of precious Lizzy House Natural History. I love those butterflies!

I might have gone a little overboard quilting the exterior! And Lynn @ Buttons Quilts, do you recognize that pocket fabric?

I opted not to include the strawberry scissor pocket from the original and the inside looked a little... meh. Add an appliquéd butterfly. Much better!

Q-Squared was fully present this week-end. Dena @ No Frickin' Blog Yet was sewing away on these lovely black and white and red all over blocks.

And Anja @ Anja Quilts was using some of those charm squares I gave her in the Do Bees Christmas Gift Exchange!

Somehow Q-B @ had left when I snapped the above pics. But she was très productive as well!

Here are a few random pics from my table over the course of the week-end... sometimes it's the little things that I just need to capture.

  I finished my iPhone case just in time to show it off at retreat!

  I'd been craving these all week. Good food choices? Not so much this week-end.

My plastic tote of notions. I know there are fancier, more organized ways to cart one's stuff, but this works for me.

Peppermint tea, many rolls of tape (you just don't know what you're going to need), and my pop up name tag. And Miss Amanda's entire stash under her table!

Miss Val @ Purple Boots and Pigtails made me smile with her swag buttons. Can you guess which one is one of a kind and just for me!

I will have more to share in the days to come... some MAJOR progress was made on some big projects this week-end! Stay tuned. While you're waiting with bated breath, please pop on over to our guild's blog to see a big 'ole list of our retreat sponsors. There are some fabulous Canadian shops on that list. More great places to spend your fabric budget!

Today I'm missing my quilty pals and all our shenanigans. Not to even mention those endless hours at the machine. Maybe I just need a little hair of the dog... ☺

J

P.S. If you'd like to read some other perspectives on our retreat, head over to Chezzetcook Modern Quilts, Anja Quilts, Candy Coated Quilts, Scrapmaster, or The Cuddle Quilter. I'll add more blog links as my other retreat pals get their posts up!

TBT V.9 - Winner! Winner!

Hey everyone! Happy Monday!

Just popping in to let you know that lucky #6 was the winner of a custom scrap pack from my stash. And guess who #6 is? Miss Anja @ Anja Quilts! Gee, I wonder what colour she'll go for? ☺

Hope to see you for Throwback Thursday {Volume 10} on Thursday, May 5th.

J

Sunday Stash - How to add to your stash without shopping!

Swapping, my friends. Swapping. All the cool kids are doing it! At least I like to think so. You get the fun of playing with your fabric stash AND squishy envelopes arrive in your own mailbox. Win-win!

February was my month for the Birthday Bonus Club. This is what 29 packages containing 50+ mini charm squares of low volume looks like!

I even got some bonuses with my Birthday Bonuses! Q-D made me this incredible little zipper pouch. Minature paper piecing. Her first EPP hexie project. I am lucky indeed.

And then here's Lynn @ Buttons Quilts. She admired the navy dot fabric I selected to use for my Quilter's Planner. And I offered a swap. I love, love, love Lynn's fabric selections and so I asked her for scraps. And she sent me a package of amazing! She was pretty darned happy with what I sent her.

It was great to  get all those lovely low volume mini charms. But honestly, I'm really enjoying preparing the packages for the other BBC participants. Our March Birthday Queen asked for 50 different squares. That was fun!  Looking at this selection of squares, I kind of wish I'd made a doppleganger for myself!

 And the other February Birthday Queen wanted rainbow and white. Also in my wheelhouse!

While digging about in my stash during the great re-organization, I came across some Anna Maria Horner FQs that I just knew I'd never use it. And then Jayne @ Twiggy & Opal raved about her love of AMH. I knew those FQs belonged with her and offered them up. She offered a swap. Surprise me, I said. Squee! C+S Basics & Pencils, Mercury, Pearl Bracelets. Yup. She knows what I like!

And she sent me this sweet little pouch. And the entire package smelled divine from that wee little soap!

Never swapped? You just gotta get yourself out there. Make an offer. Whether it's scraps, a mini mini, a custom charm pack, it's fun! What's the worst they can say? No? Come on They're a quilter. They're not going to say no to fabric!

I'm linking up with Sunday Stash @ Molli Sparkles. He's finally back from the glitter coated madness that was weeks of vacay, Mardi Gras, and Lord knows what else.

J

Jumping on the bandwagon - 2016 Finish Along (Q2)

I'm not one to jump onto something once it's already underway, but a few of my bloggy pals have been linking up with the 2016 Finish-A-Long (hosted by a veritable pantheon of global quilters ☺).  Though I've been linking up with OMG @ Red Letter Quilts, I just haven't been finding it as motivating as last year's A Lovely Year of Finishes 2015. I don't have the foggiest idea why. So I'm switching it up and getting in on the second quarter (Q2) of 2016.

So... what am I going to (try to) get done between now and June? I've chosen 6... that's 2 per month. Not so cray-cray, right?

Goal 1 - Layer, quilt, and bind my Cotton + Steel Christmas quilt.

It's nowhere close to Christmas. But I want this one done! I even have the backing and backing purchased. But how to quilt it?!

Goal 2 - Layer, quilt, and bind Tula Tigers for T.

I'd REALLY like to get this one finished before my cousin's birthday. Seems doable. Batting is purchased and the pieced back is mostly done!

Goal 3 - Quilt DT's I Spy Polaroids!

It's all prepped and ready to go. Even the super incredible (if I do say so myself) pieced back that's almost as awesome as the front.

Goal 4 - Zissertwin pillow, inspired by Daylily Daze

This project is not as far along as Goals 1 through 3. Okay. I'll be honest here. All I have is a stack of Kona squares and a mental plan. But it needs doing.

Goal 5 -Piece and quilt all remaining blocks for Technicolor Galaxy.

Now that Lesson 8 (Moons), Lesson 9 (Background Corners), and Lesson 10 (Background Centers) have been released there's no reason for me not to be up to date. Yeah, right. But seriously, I will be so over the freakin' moon happy to have this finished. So it's time to put the pedal down and git 'er done.

Goal 6 - Thistle

I know, I know. She might look like Hazel to you, but she's Thistle to me. She's pieced, but that's about it. And I need her done before a very special adventure that Anja @ Anja Quilts, Julia @ Jada's Quilting Adventures, and Dena @ No frickin' blog yet are undertaking the first week-end of June. More on that another day!

I better stop. Anymore would be simply foolish. Phew. I feel a little light-headed just typing out this many goals. Fingers crossed, people. Fingers crossed. Off I go to link up!

J