Dino-tastic TGIFF!

Happy Friday and welcome to TGIFF @ A Quarter Inch from the Edge! If you're new to the blog, I hope you'll take a few minutes to look around.

This week's finish has been hanging out in the Quilting Protection Program for some time under the name of Project #2. My fingers are crossed that I can get these delivered to a certain dino-lovin' gal before she sees this post. She's not a quilter so I'm likely safe!

When I saw Lizzie House's Natural History, I was smitten indeed. And I knew that the above mentioned gal would love, love, love these blue and purple dinosaurs.

I wanted to use the Dino Exhibit print on the back to get maximum dinosaur impact,  but I ran short and had to use some Twinkle Twinkle and some Kona Midnight.

They're made using the Jaybird Quilt Jaw Breaker pattern. I so enjoyed making the Christmas version last year that I just had to make them again. (And I've got a major WIP on the go using a similar method... but that's for another day!)

The Deets

Title:  Dino Jaw Breaker

Size: 18 by 18 inches 
Pattern: Jawbreaker by Jaybird Quilts

Fabrics Used: Natural History by Lizzie House - Dino Exhibit in Navy, Hall of Gems in Sapphire, Twinkle Twinkle in Midnight Blue
Konas Used: Astral, Deep Blue, Midnight, Niagara, Nightfall, Sky
Quilting: ¼ inch echo on each hexagon, navy Gutterman thread
Backing: Pieced from Dino Exhibit, Twinkle Twinkle, and Kona Midnight
Favourite Part(s): A fun housewarming gift for a dynamic and dino lovin' Girl Guide friend

Now it's your turn... link up your finish (finishes only please!) and link back to the TGIFF party so your readers can find us and link up too. Don't forget to spread the bloggy love and visit some other Finishes!

An InLinkz Link-up

J

Friday Finish - More manly presents!

Tuesday was DT's 11 month birthday, as well as my dad's... hmmm... not 11 month birthday. Last year, I made him a very manly yoga tote. He's been enjoying it all year long. This year, I went for some accessories for his other hobby - photography. I whipped up a camera strap cover as well as lens case for when you don't want to lug around an entire camera bag.

I hit my Lizzy House Natural History stash hard on this one, but he's worth it. I think the Twinkle Twinkle in Midnight Blue has the right blend of fun and subtlety. How's that for swanky fabric talk? To make the strap cover, I wanted to treat it like a miniature quilt, but not have to worry about binding it. So I layered it up and stitched around the outside, leaving one end open to turn it.

 I trimmed the excess batting to reduce bulk...

Once it was turned right side out and the edge topstitched, I whipped out my trusty hera marker and make some random straight line quilting marks. Once I had quilted them, I bounced back and forth across the strap adding more stitching.

I've made camera straps for myself, but they've been a sleeve style that necessitates me taking apart my strap to change/wash it. Such a pain. For Dad's strap, I decided to make a sleeve with a velcro closure. Since I was using what I had on hand, I meant cutting down a 1 inch piece of velcro so as not to add too much bulk.

Though the navy thread doesn't match the velcro, I wanted to make sure the stitching didn't show on the exterior and take away from my quilting.

For the padded lens cases, I used this tutorial from Polka Dot Chair. I'm not 100% sure what sort of lens she totes around, but the large case is huge. You could pack a small lunch in it! ☺ I wish I had started with the small case... instead of making three and having only one that's really usable. Oh well.

Instead of using the ¼ inch foam as directed in the tutorial, I opted to use two layers of cotton quilt batting. Why you ask? Because that's what I had on hand. Yup. That's how I roll y'all.

Today, I'm posting from Amherst, Nova Scotia where I'm shmoozing and talking up the lovely work of my Maritime Modern Quilt Guild pals at our Quilting Modern Show @ NS Fibre Fest. I'll tell you all about it in an upcoming post!

I'm linking up to day with Finish Up Friday @ Crazy Mom Quilts, as well as TGIFF, hosted this week by The Carpenter's Daughter Who Quilts. I hope you'll come back next Friday when I'm hosting TGIFF and link up a finish or two. Happy week-end everyone!

J

Sunday Stash - Happy Birthday to me!

Hmmm.... I can almost hear you. Wait a sec. Isn't her birthday in February? And her blogoversary is in July, isn't it? (I know you have those marked on your calendars - they're giftable holidays afterall).Okay, okay. It wasn't my birthday. But a lovely little LQS, Patch Halifax, had their birthday party yesterday and I couldn't resist celebrating a little. Namely, by taking advantage of a sweet discount!

I've been in love with Lizzy House's Natural History for Andover from the get go. I don't think I'm alone in that... a lot of the prints are sold out at Mad About Patchwork and the bolts at Patch are looking SLIM. I don't want them to disappear before I get some more in my stash. I snagged pieced of Star Chart in Night Metallic (I resisted the Turquoise... so much already in the stash) as and Twinkle Twinkle in Midnight Blue.

I've been eyeing the Butterfly Box in Bright and Blue. The Green pathway doesn't speak to me... not so many green butterflies out there in the world!

And because I'm a full on Cotton & Steel Basics junkie, I picked up some Sprinkles in Black Cat.

Do I have a purpose for these? Not so much. But the Star Chart and Butterfly Box prints are sure to appear in some Polaroid Blocks!

I'm linking up today with the now mostly unpacked Molli Sparkles for Sunday Stash. Mmm... more fabric.

J

Sunday Stash - I didn't fall off the wagon...

I jumped off! Have you ever noticed that when life gets stressful and you don't have as much time or energy to sew, you buy fabric? Well, maybe it's just me. But I truly jumped off the Fabricaholics Anonymous wagon over the past couple weeks.


First there was an absolutely necessary order to Mad About Patchwork to get the Konas I NEEDED for QPPP Project #1 - Cardinal and Butter.

But there are so many other lovely things at Mad About Patchwork. And we had a special discount for our MQG this month. It would be rude not to take advantage of the offer. Right?

I picked up some Alison Glass Mercury in Chartreuse, Pearl Bracelets in Chocolate, and Mini Pearl Bracelets in Lemon Curd. Is it wrong that I want all the Pearl Bracelets in all the colours? I think Lynn at Buttons Quilts already has them... you know, just to taunt me.

And we've got a new fabric shop in the HRM. It's called The Makinso and they had a soft opening a week or so ago. I had to check it out and report back to my MMQG peeps. And it would be rude to go and not support a new small business!

And these tiny gnomes were just so danged cute. They'll definitely make it into DT's Polaroid quilt!

Then we had our MMQG August meeting at Patch Halifax. And I was nervous about doing a EPP primer for my guildmates. So I shopped my feelings. 

Chris, Patch's owner, brought in Lizzie House's Natural History... almost all of it AND in the colour pathways that I've been ogling for months. Pictured above are (from the top) Dino Exhibit in Navy, Twinkle Twinkle in Navy, and Hall of Gems in Sapphire. I could each and every print in this collection... and I'm seriously considering it. I've wanted Dino Exhibit for a certain project for a dino lovin' friend. More on QPPP #2 at a later date!

And then a ginormous squishy envelope arrived from Pile O Fabrics. I am a weak, weak individual.

I succumbed to another print from Lizzie House's Natural History line - Giants of the Deep in Ocean. If you're keeping track, I now have 4 of 19 prints.  

Does this one remind you of anything?

Yup, it's old school bowling scoresheets! It's Score Card in Dark Plum from the Lucky Strikes (Cotton & Steel). Into the low volume/text collection this goes!

But here's the real reason for my order... 

It's the Naughty or Nice bundle from Pile O Fabrics. Love, love, love! Cotton & Steel and coordinating Konas and prints all together!  

From top to bottom: Snow Globes in Teal, Cheers in Teal, Christmas Forest in White, Washi in White, Ornament in Metallic Teal, Notes to Santa in Multi

 

From top to bottom: Stitch Square in Berry, Squared Elements in Pomegranate, Netorious in Gold Mixing Bowl, XOXO in Picnic Gold, Crosshatch in Fern, Crosshatch in Fern, Crossquare in Green, and Dumb Dot in Navy, and Winter Pomegranate in Navy

 

From top to bottom: Nautical, Grasshopper, Candy Green, Ice Frappe, Cardinal, Candy Pink

This bundle, even with our cruddy Canadian dollar at present, was a great deal! And there are still some left! I'm seriously thinking about making that long thought of Christmas quilt for our family!

But now I'm back on track. I'm going to sew instead of buy. Honest! I'm linking up with the other Fabricaholics over at Sunday Stash with Molli Sparkles. Yikes.

J