Another One Bites the Dust

And by 'bites the dust', I mean is finished! Yay me! Doesn't a finish just feel oh-so-good.

We quilters are such a passionate bunch, aren't we?!!! I swear I love every single finished quilt and want to snuggle and hug it for awhile before I give it away (if and when I can part with them haha, I am getting better with this!). I feel like it's because we spend such an amount of TIME with each quilty creation that they really do become a part of you - and that builds the love. Almost like an appreciation of where it was (piles o fabric and a vision) to what it became (a beautiful, useable quilt).

I had such fun quilting this one. I really experimented a lot with my lines - more vs. less space between and also, when the mood struck, veering off into different directions and creating new diagonals. It was very freeing - much different than my usual Type A straight lines 'all the same width apart' kind of deal.

Special message on the back for the recipient of this quilt...

...a reminder each time she snuggles into it that she rocks, ain't it great to have friends like that?!!!

Hope you all had a fabulous week - and some time to sew! Take care all. Linking up with 'Finish it up Friday' at Crazy Mom Quilts.

~Lisa

Back Into the Sew-ing of Things...

Hey all...happy summer days to you! I have had some sewing time this past week and it has been GRRRREAT (I just had this visual of Tony the Tiger...80's child anyone?!)!!! I am sewing a quilt for a dear friend who has moved away. I just love her to bits and want to show it, ya know? A quilt is just so good for that.

I decided on a Wonky Star quilt, as I find them to be a very satisfying sew. I haven't made one yet that I wasn't in love with, so the likelihood of being pleased with my finish is high. This was important to me right now because I finished a top in June that I am only so-so on and that is such a BUMMER.

I have had fun pulling and mixing some of my fave fabrics. I really let this quilt speak to me as I have added colours and fabrics and played with the low-vol background. Hopefully tomorrow will find me some more sewing time - I am itching to see this one complete!

Hope you are all having some fabulous summertime fun and enjoying every moment!

~Lisa

Star Keeper

I have been working on this quilt for a while now...pulling out it out now and again to piece, add my corner diamonds and do some straight line quilting. I finished up all the straight-line quilting last week and pulled out the fabric I had ordered for the binding. I had planned on the dark Chicopee Simple Plaid in lime on the bottom here...

And this is where the  dilemma began. I just wasn't really feeling the dark border anymore. I made the binding anyways and let it sit overnight before I began to sew. By morning I had decided that I really needed to try out the lighter Chicopee Voltage Dot in lime (which happens to be my all time favourite fabric, even mentioning it makes me want to head on over to Etsy and buy more...). So I made that one too. I held each up to the fabric and was all hmmmm, with no idea which one was the winner at all??!! This had never happened to me before. Usually I just hold up a few pieces of fabric and know which one I want. Now I had two fully made bindings and still no AHA!

So I took pictures, thinking I would post my dilemma here.

And you know what...the strangest thing happened. As soon as I was looking through the lens of my camera, I knew which one it had to be.

And I haven't looked back. This binding is perfect for this quirky, totally me - now my all-time-favourite quilt.

I began making this star quilt because I so enjoyed making this star quilt and felt like I just wanted more...I had no plan for gifting it or any idea what I might do with it when it was complete.

53' x 66' 

Then an opportunity came up for me to gift this quilt - and you know what, once it was finished - I just couldn't. I think because usually I make quilts especially for a certain person and I think of them while I make it. It seems to make it easier to give - as it was theirs from the start. I guess I secretly felt like this one was mine from the start. So a keeper it is!!!

I used the Ikea numbers fabric for the backing - you can see it peeking through in the sunlight.

We have been so lucky to have some beautiful sunny days this week and as you may know, I have a beautiful big old tree in my backyard, so with inspiration from this post of Martha's at Weekend Doings (isn't her photography just gorgeous! Not to mention that awesome quilt...) I had some fun photographing my quilt in the tree.

And I will leave you with this. The view from the top of the hill we live on. These mountains are called the 'Golden Ears' - very aptly named I think.

Hope you all had a wonderful week! Happy Friday. Linking up with 'Finish it up Friday' at Crazy Mom Quilts.


~Lisa

A Quick Hello

I have been doing lots of this...

and spending time with my favourite machine making these together...

I moved each of those little suckers all over my design wall about a billion times...well, it felt like a billion...and then happily settled on this arrangement.


Though I did decide to add these in the corners...

These tiny triangles are very reminiscent of the original star quilt. I like the way the diamonds make each block stand out for themselves, rather than blend in as a background.

I am off to Hawaii tomorrow (woohoo!!!) and besides the sewing above, I have been busy busy busy packing and gardening (I didn't want to leave the blueberries for the birds to eat!!!).

Check back in with you all in a week! Hope you all have a good one.


~Lisa

Posy Share and Sew, Mama, Sew Giveaway!

Yay for my Posy finish - she is just such a carefree little quilt. I really enjoyed letting loose and playing with the low volume backgrounds and (ohhh ahhh) NOT matching every background square in each block.

Posy Quilt 40 x 52 in.

How about that Lotta Jansdotter for the backing?! It spoke to me from the bolt and I just had to bring it home - I love how it has both the bright and white of the quilt front.

Favourite block.

And now for my Sew,Mama,Sew Giveaway! This is my first time participating in this giveaway and I post this on the morning of the day I am flying across the continent to go on a great adventure. I am meeting 3 friends in New York City and I am super, bursting with excitement. Sooooo, I thought that a really fun thing to giveaway would be some fabric straight from the Big Apple.

Some time ago, Chrissie, of Made by Chrissie D, emailed me a fabulous list of fabric stores in NYC to visit (thanks, Chrissie!!!) and while I perused one of the store websites I found this undeniably amazing fabric....

Fabric photos from The City Quilter website

...and this amazing fabric is from the 'City Collection', made by The City Quilter in, you guessed it - New York City. I am going to bring home 3 fat quarters (depending on which ones they have in stock, of course) of this fabric to share with one of you, international entries welcome ! 

All you have to do is:

1. Comment on this post. I would love it if you left me a comment telling me about a great adventure that you have been on or would like to go on.

2. Followers get 2 entries. Leave me a second comment telling me you are a follower. New followers welcome!

Giveaway open until 5 p.m. pacific time, May 10, 2013. THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. THANK YOU TO ALL WHO PARTICIPATED. THE LUCKY WINNER WILL BE POSTED TOMORROW!!!!! I will choose the winner by random number selection. Good luck everyone!!! Thanks for visiting my stop on the Sew, Mama, Sew Giveaway and go on over and check out what everyone else is giving away!

Linking up with 'Let's Get Acquainted' at Plum and June.

~Lisa

Posy Progress

My weekend sewing involved this...

I went with the scrappy-ish background - it truly makes the stars the centre of the show. I also added some 'Daisy Bouquet' from the Posy line to the backgrounds...the flowers adds just enough girlie to balance out the Architextures. I do after all, want this to be a baby quilt!.

Isn't the 'Bouquet' fabric from Posy the best! It is definitely my favourite. See the wonderful chartreuse colour in those willowy looking flowers? Oh ya, I am so adding that colour into this quilt. That colour rocks. 

First it rained today and I sewed and then it got sunny. My son and I went for a walk in the sun and ran into a neighbour that is interested in Astronomy. He brought out his special 'sun telescope' (so not the technical term) and set it up in his driveway. I looked at the sun through a telescope - ever done that??!! I could actually see the FLAMES. Total highlight of my weekend. Amazing.


Linking up with the 'Let's Get Acquainted' Monday link up - hosted by Kristy at Quiet Play.


~Lisa

A Little Posy

Oh how I loved Posy (Designed by Aneela Hoey) when I saw it....I think it had to do with the chickens....darn those bunnies are pretty cute too! I ordered two charm packs with no real plan in mind, only to play.

Posy by Aneela Hoey

In the 'K Quilt' that I have been working on recently, I really enjoyed using the Architextures greys - which actually have white backgrounds - and decided that I needed to have the Posy and the Architextures play together! I figured some Wonky Stars would be a nice change and had this tutorial from the Silly BooDilly bookmarked and went for it.

This was my first full star sewn together. I plunked it up on the design wall, fell in love and proceeded to sew a few more points. I plunked the star pieces up on the design wall before they were sewn together as a block and began to think maybe, just maybe I might want a more scrappy background like this...

(which is truly entirely against my usual grain, so I am quite proud that I MIGHT want to do this!). I promptly decided not to sew any more blocks together until all the star points are made and I can play a little on my wall and see which way my eyes prefer. I did have to put an order in to Etsy for some further yardage of the background fabrics - so this may be a few weeks until I can get back to it.

Hope you are all having a fabulous week - we have a little rain around here, but it sure makes for guilt free sewing weather! Linking up with 'Work in Progress Wednesday' over with Lee at Freshly Pieced.


~Lisa

PS. These pics today are taken with my very first ever SLR camera that my hubby gave me for my Bday well over a month ago. I have been too chicken to take it out of the box until now! Finally today was the day and I am happy with the results - MUCH more to learn of course but thrilled to have it and be using it!

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.

Ovals Quilt Finish aka 'The Bossy Quilt'

Some of you may remember my Ovals Quilt that I began in late October. I started out with the 'Happy Hour' Pattern from the book Modern Patchwork by Elizabeth Hartman and a few piles of fabric. 

Well, I finished it up this weekend!!! Yay me!!!

Let me tell you a little about this quilt....it sure had a mind of its own! From fabric selection to quilting - this quilt knew what it wanted and spoke loud and clear. 

For example: the orange in that original pile of fabric - forget it. Every time I placed a piece of that gorgeous tangerine orange fabric on my design wall, this quilt yelled NOOOOOO!!! I would pull off the orange, hide it back in the pile and then stick it back on the design wall a little later...and again the quilt would yell - NOOOOO! It was hilarious. No matter what I did, there were certain  fabrics in my chosen piles, that this quilt was just not going to have. 

Again with the quilting, I thought it would be interesting to quilt in large V's towards the centre - densely quilting some areas and leaving some strips without quilting. I went ahead and started quilting like this and again the quilt  - NOOOOOO!!! It was to be densely quilted all over.

And you know, the quilt was always right! I have renamed it, 'The Bossy Quilt' and am super happy with this finish. It is a gift for a special friend for Christmas. So I am going to wish it farewell (I always find this hard to do!) and wrap it up all Christmas style tomorrow.

My first label - purchased here from Hobbytime on Etsy.

I added some wonky stars on the back for some fun detail.

Wishing each and every one of you a wonderful holiday season. Merry Christmas! Feliz Navidad! Happy Hanukkah!


Linking up with Plum and June for the Monday Link up party.


~Lisa

Blogger's Quilt Festival - My Star Baby Quilt

Each Spring and Fall over the past few years - I have enjoyed looking through all the wonderful quilt entries for the Blogger's Quilt Festival at Amy's Creative Side. I have been amazed and inspired by the unique, creative and simply beautiful entries that I have seen. This year, after having started my blog just over a month ago - I have decided to be a participant in this fabulous event and I am super excited!

I offer my Star Baby Quilt as my entry into the festival.

Finished Quilt Measurements: 31' x 41'

Best Category: Baby Quilt

Quilted by: Me

This quilt started from the simplicity of not having anyone to sew a quilt for at the time, but having the need to sew a quilt...I am sure you have been there before! I had been eyeing the Oz by Sanae for Moda charm packs that were sitting in my stash and had fallen in love with the 'Dots'. I wanted to make a quilt - that was colourful, but not overly bright - so I challenged myself to only use the squares in the small floral and the dots (I see a few cherries snuck into the border to finish up the lengths).

I really enjoyed practicing my wonky stars.

I always love a vintage sheet for the back - I was lucky enough to find the same sheet in 2 colour ways and used one for the binding as well (Oh! you should have seen the process for deciding which would go where...too funny!).

Thank you so much Amy for the wonderful opportunity of sharing my quilt and enjoying everyone else's beautiful work!

Hope you are all having as much fun as I am clicking through all the amazing entries! Starting a list of my faves...

~Lisa