Choices....

So I've been piecing and piecing and planning.... And realized that I could have flipped this and created the pattern with any colour in the middle (I know...duh, but to actually play with it while it was on the design board. I guess this is the sort of thing people use those EQ programs for! Anyway... I tried two options and took some photos, and now have to make a decision.

I do love the way Tula has laid it out in her pattern Field Study as well as the fact that it's a REALLY quick and easy quilt to make up, and has a small, medium and large size - plus, it would be GREAT for featuring a larger print, customizing it to each kidlets preferences? That being said, I think I'm drawn to the green center, keeping in mind that the end of the quilt will hang over the end of the bed...


What do you think?

- also, I'm so sorry that the photos are turned but the program I usually use to change my photos is randomly deleting them so I'm not so keen on playing! :) Jill!

Exciting News!

We just found out yesterday that the next cruise ship thursday (August 18th) is going to be full of QUILTERS!! Are you kidding me? And I only have one room to cram them all into? I'm in the process of renting out some storefront space on 3rd Avenue, across from the City Hall, and will have "fishskin fabric" open for business. It was our intention to open downtown for a week later in September, once we had time to do an advertising blitz. Now I'm thinking we should just make hay while the sun shines, and stay open for a week, especially since I have both front desk staff here right now.

Busy Summer Days....

Full of hotel management, organizing, re-organizing and sewing. I've been busy at my sewing table using a fantastic Tula Pink pattern. I was very excited to have it arrive in the mail, and when I opened up the pattern and saw the layout, done with solids, I think I might have squealed a little. About 2 minutes later I was down in the fabric store picking out a large armload of Kona solids (I used curry, mustard, snow, pear (organics), basil, spruce, caribbean and teal)


I love how it's coming together. Have you noticed it's massive?! 90 inches long! I was wanting to quilt it myselt, although that may be a bit too much of a challenge. I'm thinking the back will be peiced with the bits I cut off from HST. I like it a lot though... now to just get through a mountain of paperwork to get back to the sewing table!

I also have a couple of front & backs that need to be put together into quilts and quilted, as well as one laptop bag to get the finishing steps done on - I just want to make the strap adjustable and need to spend some time figuring out the way I want it done. I was also playing with some square in square blocks... each one I did got a little wonkier until they were something else entirely. Still madly in love with the first block and kind of meh about the other 3.


W.I.P. (Works in Progress):
5 - 1 bag, 2 baby quilts to be quilted, 1 zigzag quilt, 1 sq2 blocks

Finish:
none - but heck I'm having a good time!

Finally...

I've been meaning to blog for ages, and yet I never seem to get around to it. It's not that I'm BUSY, just that there always seems to be something else to do. But, for the moment, I don't have a quilt up on the design wall (it's so WHITE!!) and a quiet moment to myself at the hotel.

I've been doing lots of piecing while I've been in Prince Rupert, although not a lot of "sewing" or "quilting". I have a laptop bag that desperately needs to be finished, as it's future owner is waiting for it. I also have a few boxes of U.F.O's that I need to get to (although i don't think it's terrible... one children's quilt, one blue & grey quilt & a Summer Sampler - more in a future blog)



That being said, I have completed the front & back of my solids quilt!! Finally!! (Coralee, I'm sending it with James to you... no rush, we'll talk!) I'm not quite as happy with the back as I was hoping, but it was all a bit freehand and random and hopefully I'll LOVE it when I get it back from the fabulous Coralee. I haven't decided how to bind it yet... suggestions??

Weekend Quilting Retreat

Just came home from a fabulous weekend at the Rough Acres Camp in Houston, BC. The retreat was hosted by the Cut Loose Quilters & let me tell you... it was a heck of a lot of fun! I spent my weekend working on a top secret wedding present, but had the opportunity to learn a new method of piecing a block, which were all then pieced together to make a quilt for Japan. (I think we had enough blocks to make 2!!)

The food was fantastic, the games fun and silly and let me tell you that I giggled my bum off watching everyone Zoomba! (is that what it's called??)
I forgot to bring a fully charged battery in my camera so I don't have too many photos, but here are a couple!!

1. my view for the weekend :)

2. The quilt is by Amy D - from a round robin... can you even believe how beautiful it turned out?!!? she's still going to applique some leaves the branch!

3. my momma came out from PR for the weekend, so glad she was there, had a GREAT time! Thanks mom! (she made some BEAUTIFUL pillow covers, and I forgot to take a photo... hopefully she'll send me one and I'll show you!)
4. my mom said I looked like a deranged miner in that bunkbed photo :)

sneak peek!

Using Prayer Flag by Kate Spain (oh... how I heart you Prayer Flag!)




I've started the planning for my quilt top...



and gathered up all the necessary supplies... this photo is after round one of sewing & pressing!

Future in blogland...

So... I'm reading the blogs again, and saw a great idea, to help me focus some of my projects and get them finished...

Canoe Ridge Creations documents her WIP's (Works-in-progress) like this:
This week's stats:
Last week's total: 5
New Projects: 3
Finished Projects: 1
This week's total: 7

So, I thought I would look at my projects on the go, take some photos (or share some photos and figure out where I'm at!

Without further ado...
A busy week here,
I finally finished the turquoise border on E's wedding quilt



I also used up some of my Central Park scraps from my placemats (still unfinished) to make this cute "Mug Rug" - a very mini quilt, with enough room on it for your mug of tea or coffee and a sweet treat alongside! It's a quilting project that you're encouraged to get all crumbly, and best of all, no rules! It can be any size, any shape, any colour combo... whatever you like! I've seen some great ones with applique that I love... little teacups and embroidered sayings. Perhaps one day!

here's mine... (I used my quilting foot to finish the binding this morning!)



I tried out a new technique early in the week (or maybe last week) from Elizabeth Hartman - seriously, go check out her blog Oh Fransson! She's utterly amazing. It's a technique for quick piecing those itty bitty little squares, and makes the corners line up PERFECTLY. Check it out here.

Here's where I'm at so far...



I did a bit of playing yesterday, after our kitty cat let it be known that she needed a quilt too. So, out came the scraps bag, and I read a bit in Stitch magazine about piecing wonky blocks. I took that idea and instead of a pillow, made a quilted mat - my first real attempt at machine quilting, and I had a lot of fun doing it!



So what now? Well... I need to piece a back for e's wedding quilt. I also chose some charm packs & jelly rolls from a couple collections... one will be a summer quilt for our room (queen size) and one for my friend m's wedding quilt. Plus, there are a couple of different block styles I want to play with. Guess I had better get back to my sewing machine!

So, here's where we're at -
This week's stats:
Last week's total: 4
New Projects: 3
Finished Projects: 2
This week's total: 5


Previous to this week - Placemats, Sherbet Pips Quilt (twin), grocery bags out of recycled materials, e's wedding quilt
New Projects - Rug Mug, Cat Mat, Jellyroll competition quilt (planning)