Slicing it Up

I started another project from  'Modern Patchwork' awhile back and then put it aside when the holiday season got busy.

I took my partially finished blocks to the local fabric shop to find some fabrics to frame and sash them. These 2 greys spoke to me in a big way.  I just love the circles in the dark and the woodgrain in the lighter one.

The blocks that I am working on are fun. You sew in a strip and then slice your block n a new direction and sew in another strip. Quite unnerving at first - to cut up your work- but definitely fun when you sew in the next colour strip and see how it has changed your block. In the end you end up with a weave affect. My last strip was the dark, which I added to tie in with the background, but now that I see it in picture, it's striking me as to dark. Hmmm, may have to re-think - possibly a strip of the light?

My block, framed by the new fabrics.

Definitely more fabric play needed here! Will have to think on this. Hope each of you has a wonderful week. Linking up with Plum and June - Let's get Acquainted Monday Link up.


~Lisa

And I Churn Dashed ALL Day...

I finished piecing my blocks into rows today...

My plan is to sew the rows together this weekend. My machine needs to go in for a service Tuesday - it will be gone for a whole week (horrible thought), so I plan to baste while my baby's gone and then start quilting when I get it back. Any ideas for the quilting??? I am humming and hawing over thread colour and design. Nothing has jumped out at me yet.

Favourite block

One different block just for fun

 I am going to use the bees below for the backing. Binding still eludes me, I have been auditioning everything in my stash to no avail. May have to hit the fabric store (oh darn!).

I also made a new friend this week and she's a keeper. I looove ironing my seams all flat and pretty (LOVE and IRONING in the same sentence, so weird right?!!) and this lovely invention makes that task so much easier with virtually no stretching - happiness!

Speaking of ironing, I ironed a lot of beads today...one quick trip to the craft store this morning, one 11,000 count bucket of Perler beads later, and I had a very happy child. My cutting counter is set up with 2 work spaces (one for me, one for small child) and he will quite happily work there for hours while I am sewing. Today Perler beads were the craft of choice...

Linking up with Finish it up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts. Happy weekend all!!!

~Lisa

Happy Churn Dash

First off, I just want to say a huge thank you for all of the kind and encouraging comments I received on my January Lucky Stars Block. You are all so SWEET! I am plotting and planning my next star, Elizabeth (Don't Call me Betsy) has shared a picture of February's block - we will receive the pattern on the first of the month.

Meanwhile, I have turned to a project that is close to my heart. Each spring for many years now, my mom and I have volunteered for the silent auction (one part of a big gala evening) for the Night of Hope in Richmond, BC. The Night of Hope raises money for Breast Cancer research. To date the Richmond chapter of NOH has raised over 1.8 million dollars in the 12 years they have been running. 

One of the jobs that my mom performs for the NOH is to help gather items for the auction and this year, I have decided to donate a quilt. In the late 90's, my mom lost her youngest sister (and my most beloved Aunt) to Breast Cancer. We like to keep her memory alive by being a part of this fabulous event.

Enter this pattern:

The Happy Churn Dash Quilt by BasicGrey for Moda

I had chosen and cut the fabric many months ago for this project and then set it aside, having been more under pressure for projects needing to be finished in the Fall and Winter. I picked it up again today and was able to do a whole load of chain piecing and also manage to finish a few blocks...

Hello Churn Dash Blocks! Looking forward to some Saturday sewing time to continue meeting these...

Hope you have a lovely stitchy kind of weekend. Linking up with Fabric Mutt for the Let's Get Acquainted Linky Party.

~Lisa

January Lucky Stars Block

I am still totally digging the paper piecing (good thing too cause we have 11 more to go in our BOM!!!). This star was my next paper piecing endeavour after the practice one that I made into a mini.

This colourful star above is the colour pallet that I will be going with for the rest of the stars, although it was just luck that the design of the first block allowed for me to use all my colours. For future stars, I plan to use any combination of the above, plus other 'text' fabric that I have coming from Lucky Kaeru Fabric and Supplies on Etsy. She has a great selection of text fabric in the black and white that I was going for.


Looking forward to February's pattern! Linking up with WIP Wednesday at The Needle and Thread Network and with Lee at Freshly Pieced.

~Lisa

Mini Magic

Oh soooo much fun! I have had a blast with this...

Isn't she just such a fun wee thing! This is my very first paper piecing project and I am thrilled with the process. I have heard so much from others how perfect the points are with paper piecing - well you all were so right - there is just such a preciseness that is amazing.

This little mini came about because I joined the Lucky Stars BOM put on by Elizabeth at Don't Call me Betsy. I decided to do a practice 6 inch star before I went ahead and cut into my fabric that I will be using to make my monthly blocks and ultimately my finished quilt. After I finished my practice it just begged to be sewn into a mini - so voila - here she is!

Looking forward to going ahead and cutting into my fabric this weekend, now that I have found out how much fun this is!!! Happy Weekend all. Linking up with Finish it up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts.

Some Stitching

Last week I pulled this fabric....

because I really wanted to make the Perfect Zip Bag (Pattern C) by Elizabeth Hartman. I sewed the fabrics into some funky panels and then those butterflies decided that they needed some stitching...

Enter THIS book...

And OH BOY have I been having some fun! Never having stitched any embroidery before I jumped right in and began to add some colour. Is in not so exciting picking out the floss colours??!!! - there are just soooo many to choose from.

So far, this is what has happened...

I have been using Aneela's book to learn simple stitches, but I can see how much potential it has for future projects - tons of adorable stitching patterns to choose from. 

Once the embroidery stops (no idea how long I will feel the need to keep adding colours), I will sew these two into a bag. Until then I will be happily hand stitching, I think I may be addicted.

~Lisa