Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt - Part 1

It has been quite some time since I started a quilt for myself, and this years mystery quilt by Bonnie Hunter was one I just couldn't pass up!  I mean just from the title alone, 'Celtic Solstice' it was enough to get me excited, but once you see her inspiration photograph of the gorgeous coastline of Ireland and her color combinations, I was hooked!!! I dove into my stash and ordered in a bunch of quarter yards from Traditional Pastimes to round out my fabrics.

I set them out in rows to make sure they all had good contrast with each other and began to select and de-select fabrics until I was satisfied. How fun do they look draped over the rails of my longarm quilting machine while I waited a day or two for the first clue.

 

Clue #1 arrived on Friday, Nov 29th and had us using our Tri Recs Rulers! I am making the king sized version so I had to cut 140 Orange base triangles and 240 Neutral base triangles as well as 380 pairs of both left and right facing triangles from the Blue fabrics.

All cut and ready to assemble!

I've been working on the blocks a bit each day as I am unable to sit and sew for long periods of time right now, but I managed to get all of my orange units sewn, pressed and trimmed and I'm plugging away on my neutral ones. Hope to get those guys finished up this week and start on Clue #2 which was released this past Friday.

Little Black Kitty is keen on supervising and must test out my fabric choices as they lay waiting to be cut...what I think he's actually saying is hurry up and get this quilt done already!!

Island girl now...

After yet another long hiatus from my blog I have decided it's time to reconnect with you all and catch you up on all that's been going on...quiltie and otherwise.

Last December I moved from Airdrie, Alberta to a mountainside in East Sooke on Vancouver Island in British Columbia...Canada.  I am once again back in my birth province and I couldn't be happier about it.  I've been referred to as somewhat of a gypsy, always on the go, never really laying down roots.  Growing up as a child, we never lived for more than a couple of years in one place.  Not only moving houses but moving from city/town to town and even moving across provinces.  There is something exciting about moving, choosing a new home, setting it up, making new friends and starting over fresh with everything, but believe me there is no shortage of stress involved in adapting to a new place.  In my adult life I have moved 19 times in the last 19 years.  Wow...somehow that sounds worse than it's actually been.  Regardless, I'm approaching 40 at a rapid pace and it's about time I started setting down some roots, and for the first time in my life I have never felt more at home and that I am exactly where I am supposed to be.  I have called the prairies home for most of my life but I have lived on the East coast of Canada and now the West coast and I can honestly say that there is no other place like this gem of an island.  I am perched on the mountainside surrounded by towering trees, overlooking the ocean and the Olympic mountains of the United States, in this little part of Canada's rain forest that I didn't even know existed until now.  I am in awe every time I take in the view, or the smells and sounds of the ocean...I could just pinch myself I am so lucky.  The forest lined winding roads that I was somewhat fearful of at the start, are so picturesque and now seem almost meditative and are so soothing to my soul.  I am always up for a drive and any excuse to get out and explore this beautiful island.

Here is the little bridge at Roche Cove that is on my drive home.

It took a few months, but my quilting studio is up and running and I absolutely love the new space!  Located in what was the attached over sized two car garage, it boasts high ceilings, 2 huge windows, a hand crafted pine loft and my very own xbox media center!!  Can I get a 'hell yeah'?! lol.  I've been busy quilting for my clients from Alberta and I'm lucky enough to have already gained a few new clients on the island.  In July I was selected to participate as a guest in the Stinking Fish Studio Tour and was pleasantly surprised to see 240 people through my studio over the 10 day tour.  What a great experience that was to meet my neighbours, fellow artists, and hopefully what will become new quilting friendships.  Looking forward to next year's tour and all the quilts and things I have planned to make for it.

I still have the heritage theme that I love so much going on in my studio, but I'm not sure now that my olde name fits with my new island surroundings.  Hmmmm...what to change it to??


Cheers!

It's been a while...

Even with the constant nattering from a few of my quilty peeps (not naming any names...Sandra and Shuna) and of course my mother, I've managed to completely ignore my blog for the past 6 months.  My apologies to those followers who got tired of waiting for a post.  A lot can happen in 6 months!!  I think by now, I've pretty much settled into the role of single mother yet again to my two boys...who are now 14 and almost 12.  Between hockey, bmx, guitar and all their other needs, I am finding the rest of my time is spent in my studio quilting away.  Well, and of course finding the time to inject a bit of fun into my life for which I have decided I CANNOT live without.  That, and the company of great friends!!  I have such an amazing group of friends who are so diverse and add a great deal to my life. 

As for work...my studio has been a buzz with oodles of quilts to quilt, summer classes being planned and hopefully I will find the time to work on a few projects of my own.  At the end of April, as a Representative for APQS, I teamed up with two other reps, Linda Lang and Matt Sparrow for Quilt Canada 2010.  This year it was held in Calgary and we were fortunate to have a double booth to show off three longarm quilting machines.

Matt, Linda and myself talked with hundreds of quilters that week and shared our passion for longarm quilting and APQS machines!  Matt and I have teamed up again for the Creative Stitches shows in both Calgary and Edmonton this fall.  If you've ever thought about owning a longarm, don't miss this opportunity to come out and test drive a Lenni!  You'll be amazed!  I'll post more details closer to the date. 

Thirties...

One of my clients pieced this lap quilt out of thirties fabrics for her grandmother.  Such a precious gift!  Her preference was to have no quilting in the stars and to fill up all the white space with a motif.  After a bit of trial and error on my part, a square shaped feathered wreath with a leafy addition was the final design of choice.

Photo Quilt...

Above is a pic of the custom photo quilt I'm just finishing up for a client.  I normally don't make quilts to order, unless it's a quilt shop sample but since it was my sister's neighbor who asked...why not.  She plans on giving it as a Christmas gift for her mother-in-law.  There are 24 photos in all and measures 56x76.  I just have to find time to quilt it now. 

I have been so busy in my studio lately I have lost touch with my blog.  I must find time to post again, I have sooo many pictures to share!!!

Strip Search...

I started this quilt in June for my sister's 40th birthday...and then summer got in the way and it got shelved.  Well, this past weekend I decided to dig it out and get it done.  I've got a pile of ufo's that are in dire need of some attention...perhaps finishing this one will motivate me to get busy with the others.  I used a Jelly Roll of Autumn Journey by Kansas Troubles that I had hanging around, some border fabric from my stash and the pattern Strip Search.

I finished piecing the top on Saturday....  Quilted it on Sunday, using a copper colored thread and the panto Falling Leaves II. 

I purchased this panto a number of months ago and have been avoiding it as I knew I would need a bit of practice time on this one before I would put it on a customer quilt.  The panto is beautiful with all the different leaves but the back tracking on all the veins is such a pain...looks like I'll need another practice quilt before I'll offer it to clients.

And then I bound it on Monday.  With the help of the pups of course.  They sure love quilts...as soon as they get sight of one they follow me around and just have to lay on it to test it out.  Yay!!!  Project complete!!  Happy B-day Sis!!

Copper...

What a sad little boy.  Copper had a sore spot on his belly that he wouldn't stop licking so after a quick trip to the vet, she sent him home with a cone.  Oh, he was so dissapointed and at first wouldn't move an inch with it on.  Poor little guy. 

Timberline quilted...

After being a flimsy for over 8 months, I finally quilted my Timberline.  I ditched around the star sections and quilted a longarm feather in the cream sections with another feather on the outside border.  I really wanted to quilt heirloom feathers as they are my favorite but with the cream sections being so small and without quilting anything in the dark logs it would have been way over quilted.  I needed an airy feather so this worked well. 

It will be awhile before I can get it hung in my home as it is now on display at Freckles Quilt Shop where I will be teaching this advanced class in October. 

Here is Jasper...he just had to pose for one shot!

And here is Copper...

Giftie...

During one of my camping trips this summer, I came across this pattern booklet for making the cutest wee blocks and using them as quilt art.  There are quite a few patterns to choose from, all making up mini 1.5 inch blocks.  They are traditionally pieced...NOT paperpieced!!!

For a little giftie for my quiltie friend, I found an old frame and selected a few of my favorite blocks, dug through my itty bitty scraps of reproduction fabric and whipped this up for her.  As you can tell by the pic, she just loved it!!!  Afterall, it was she who gave me the stack of reproduction scraps to make my previous 9 patch mini quilt.  Thanks Heather!!

Mini's...

My love for mini quilts goes way back, when I was introduced to paperpiecing and found it so easy to make the perfect little quilts with perfect little points.  Somewhere along the way, I got tired of paperpiecing and stopped making the little guys.  That is until this past winter when I joined the Jo's Little Women club at the local quilt shop.  With my new found LOVE for reproduction fabrics and precision piecing this club was perfect for me.  These quilts are made using traditional piecing methods....not paperpiecing.  Here are a couple of projects that I managed to get done.

The above quilt measures 21x29 inches and would make such a cute little doll quilt.  I'm not normally a cheddar fan and had to do some convincing in order to purchase it but just love how it pops out the 4 patches.  Sorry my pic is so slanty... 

This little guy is my ALL TIME favorite mini quilt.  It actually came from last years club but I couldn't resist it's charm and HAD to make it as soon as I saw it.  Thanks to my dear friend Heather who came rushing over with her scrap bins to help me find the perfect fabrics.  This 9 patch on point mini quilt measures 12x12 inches and each finished nine patch block measures 1.5 inches!!!!  Remember I said NOT paperpieced.  I found it hard at first to manage the itty bitty pieces but soon got the hang of it.  I still have to quilt these guys but couldn't resist showing them off now.  When this one is completed it is going to live on my lazy suzan on the middle of my dining room table!!  I'll show ya later...

It's time...

So you know it's time to update your blog, when your quilty friend says...UPDATE YOUR BLOG!! Ha ha!!! Sorry fellow bloggers, I kinda let my summer run away on me. Tons of camping and quilting! However, it is now....'the most wonderful time of the year'....and the boys have gone back to school and I can actually hear myself think...Woohoo!! I have been keeping busy at the longarm and of course have started a bunch of new projects that I can't wait to share with you!

Today I had my two nieces, aged 4 & 6 over for the day. I was supposed to be at the longarm all day as I am on a tight deadline but I played hookie instead and sewed with the gals. The wee one, Hayley and I made a mini doll quilt. We sorted through my big basket of flannel scraps and came up with a little postage stamp center surrounded by a bunch of borders. She was so cute, everytime we added a border strip she would say..."ooo, it's getting bigger"... with a huge sweet smile.


Shelby and I decided to make this adorable little bag, perfect for a little girl. I rooted through my zillions of charm squares and found that the latest one added to my collection from a dear friend was absolutely perfect for the job! (I have one more pkg left and I think I know the perfect little girl for that one..hehe). Anywho, Shelby was busy sorting through all the charms and picking out her favorites and laying them out into two patterns...one for the outer side of the bag and one for the lining. This bag took exactly 40 squares and is reversible.

Aunty loves you girls!!!

Blog it!

Miss Millie and I had the pleasure of having my dear friend Linda (sorry I don't remember how to link you) and her husband for the day. We thought we'd have scads of time to visit, but as luck would have it Miss Millie wasn't just off her rocker, she needed her brain examined too!!! I say luck...but luck for me was really having Linda and her handy dandy husband (who happens to know a great deal about APQS maintenance) take charge and whip her into shape. I can't wait to get a quilt loaded and take her for a real spin!

While in the studio Linda was drawn to my cutting table accessory rack and told me I had to blog it! I thought that was funny cause I've had that thing for YEARS and have moved it from house to house, and it is always the first thing hung up in my studio and has kept my gadgets up and off my cutting table for forever. I've always been one for organization, especially in my studio! This little dealy is from Ikea in the kitchen department. When I bought this one it was the only style to choose from but now they have a few different options for rods and hooks and even have little bins that can hang off of it too. I think I should pick up another one with bins to hang behind my cutting table for my millions of bobbins that don't seem to have a home....or maybe get the one that has the shelf attached for more display space....hmmm. Ikea is a dangerous place for those who like to organize!!! Even my sewing table and the cutting table in the picture is from Ikea. I love it because you can customize a table to suit your needs. I chose a glass top for the cutting table so that it can double as a light table for tracing!!! Ahhh yaaa!!! And the saw horse type legs with the built in shelf are awesome too...I am able to make the table whatever height I want for cutting and my scrap baskets fit perfectly on the shelves underneath for quick scrap organization!

Simplicity...

Back in the fall during my trip to Arizona, I picked up a bunch of Simplicity fabric to make a quilt for one of my oldest friends 6 year old daughter. I chose this line of fabric as her favorite color is pink! And as it turned out, before I showed her the fabric she shared with me the paint chips of the colors they had planned for her room makeover. EXACT same colors!!! I selected the courthouse step block and alternated the setting. I had just enough of the outer border fabric to make a 10 inch border, which I really think the quilt needed as the print is so pretty. The photo makes the blocks look very washed out but they aren't that light in person. I quilted it with a darker rose So Fine and used the Wandering Daisies panto which is such a sweet girly pattern with all the daisies and hearts. It covers her queen bed nicely and I'm told it is her favorite part of her room.

Civil War Love Letters...

What some might think as an absolute nightmare....quilting a civil war quilt....I was actually quite inspired by it. I was never one for tons of paper piecing, loved the results, but hated not being able to cut exact pieces for the blocks! I'm not a willy nilly kind of quilter and I hate wasting fabric so I've sort of stuck to my traditional ways of piecing and have found myself modifying new patterns to get the most out of my fabric. Anywho...when my new dear friend came into my life with this absolutely stunning masterpiece I didn't know what hit me! I had seen another version of the Love Letters quilt made up and honestly didn't give it much thought, except that it was lovely, huge and WAY too much work for me. It wasn't until I began quilting this one for my new client that I absolutely fell in love with this entire concept. Instead of fretting over the million itty bitty seams in every itty bitty block, I found myself admiring each and every block, the fabric, the history and the dedication my client gave to this jewel of a quilt....and the quilt just pulled me in. Every time I advanced the quilt, it was like unveiling a new treasure. I adore how she sashed the blocks in tiny strips of mismatched fabrics, I am convinced that it is this setting that makes me love it so much. Somehow, in the weeks that passed, I committed to making the latest Civil War quilt....Civil War Diaries!!! I will post on my progress soon....there is progress!

I couldn't resist snapping a picture with the quilt as it hung in the Heritage Park Festival of Quilts show this past weekend. My only regret is that my new friend isn't standing right there beside me. Congratulations 'D' on your work of art, it was an absolute honor to quilt it for you!

Festival of Quilts

I attended the Heritage Park Festival of Quilts today in Calgary and it was an absolutely beautiful show. The most perfect setting for a quilt show with such a historic backdrop for the many quilts on display. I truly enjoyed the company of a dear quilting friend as we wandered through all the old buildings enjoying their history, each one unique and properly placed along the streets. Hundreds of quilts were placed inside and outside the homes and businesses, on front porches, fences, in the yards and along the tree lines. We took the entire day to appreciate each and every quilt for the time and skill it took to create such beautiful works of art, and I must say 'thank you quilters' for putting your quilts on display, it is because of you that the quilt show is such a huge success!! See you next year!

Meet the boys...

The pups have adjusted marvelously and have such amazing little personalities!! It's hard not to cater to their every whim. Especially when they look at you with those loving little eyes! I'm trying so hard not to spoil them rotten!
Above is Jasper...look at that face!!! He has this most adorable chipmunk look to him, how can you not just melt! He weighs an ounce more than his brother and his fur is so bushy and has a slight curl to it.

Here is Copper! The littlest out of the litter and full of spunk that's for sure! He has such a spring in his step it is absolutely adorable.

Pups...

Is this not one of the cutest puppies you have ever seen???? DH has allergies and so my boys have been without pets...as my oldest would say...FOR 13 YEARS!! As it turns out, after a little research, we found out that he's not allergic to Yorkies! Pure luck would have him working in the same community of the breeder we found on the same week they are ready to go home! It didn't make sense for me to drive there as well, so he took the responsibility of going and picking out a puppy. "A" Puppy. He went and he saw and before long we were not only getting one puppy....we were getting two puppies!! This is the pic he sent me of one of the boys we are getting. YAY!! He is so adorable!!! I can't wait to see them both, they come home today!!