Another quilt finished.....

One of my favourite phrases is..."I finished another quilt!"   And I did!!

My husband and I visited a charming B&B in Charlottetown, PEI called Elmwood Heritage Inn (http://www.elmwoodinn.pe.ca) and the quilt in our room inspired me to create a quilt for our Queen Suite in our B&B.  It has been a goal of mine to have quilts on each bed in our B&B.   The colours in our Queen Suite are blue and brown with a neutral creamy beige wall.   I dug through my blue, brown and beige scraps and voila...my Buckeye Beauty (aka Jewel Box). 

Here's a 'before' picture of the Queen Suite:

Here's the 'after' picture of the Queen Suite:

The twin bed has my Double Delight (see earlier posts):

Two more UFOs off the list and a great feeling of accomplishment as I have put my quilts on beds for our guests.

2010 Quilting in the Trees (VQG) @ Pearson College

Twas a great retreat indeed and I have a few things to show for myself!  My first day was photo editing/printing on fabric/image transfer techniques with Susan Purney-Mark.  I came with memory stick loaded with an assortment of photos but it soon became clear that my Peony picture was a must for a photo quilt.  Here is the result: (Printed photo on EQ printables; printed a second photo on Extravorganza, cut 2 pictures into tiles and then steam a seam lite onto the photo as a 'suggestion' of a second photo superimposed overtop.)  I managed to get it framed and pinned but not yet quilted.

Here's another small project we all did in the class: (teacher supplied kit with photo and fabric):

I already knew some of the techniques we used in the class but it was great fun to learn new things and to actually have some dedicated time to focus on a small project/art quilt.

The second and third days were a mystery quilt designed by Kelly English and Arlene MacKenzie.  The quilt is called "Dash to the Finish".  The centre block is a big Churn Dash featuring a focal fabric.  These sunflowers just called my name at Bib N Tucker Quilting here in Victoria and became the focal point for my quilt.  I then had 2 choose 1 light, 1 medium and 1 dark to compliment the focal fabric.  I just loved these fabrics and had so much fun putting this quilt together.  Here is an array of photos as the quilt progressed during the 2 days.

 Center block done.  Next came auditioning borders with various strip sets.

I love my focus fabric and will be adding one more border of it on this quilt.  I think I will be sending it out to Arlene MacKenzie for quilting.  I've just finished quilting a queen-sized quilt on my Janome 6500 and have had it with puckers appearing on the back despite my best efforts to baste.

All in all, a fabulous, creative time away at Quilting in the Trees.  My goal now is to finish off all projects from this year before signing up for next year's inspiration!!

Retreats and Road Trips!!

I've been feverishly working at getting my "Buckeye Beauty" pieced together.  We are giving the Queen Suite in the B&B a makeover.  My Double Delight (mentioned in the previous post) is on the twin bed and I'm loving the country look of it in that room.  The Queen Bed is next.  The Buckeye Beauty finishes at 94 inches square and looks gorgeous in that room in its blue, tan and brown colour scheme.  My son said it reminded him of the beach, dark blue for the ocean, light blue for the sky, tan/brown  for the sand.  Now that you mention it, I think he's right!

My dear friend Shirley helped me sandwich and baste it yesterday.  Now it is folded and ready to be carted upstairs to my studio where I will lovingly add the stitches to make it a quilt.  After all, it isn't a quilt until it's quilted, right?

I really want to have it done by June 17th as we have guests checking into that suite on the 17th and it would make me so happy to have the makeover done by then.  Then of course a photo shoot will follow to update the website.

I don't have very many days to get the quilting done as I am joining the same friend Shirley at Pearson College in Metchosin for our annual Quilting in the Trees retreat.  Thursday until Sunday with creativity, classes and someone cooking for me.  If the weather cooperates and it's warm and dry it will be another perfect retreat. 

In July I am going a my first ever bus trip to Sisters, Oregon for the outdoor quilt show.  My dear friend Jan will be joining me on this adventure. 

I will be posting a picture of the finished Buckeye Beauty hopefully before I leave on the retreat.

Until then I'm praying for Godspeed in my studio as I finish this quilt.

Until next time,
Mavis

Ta da!! Double Delight is done and ready for the quilt show

What a great feeling!  I finished hand quilting my Double Delight (see previous posts), and I still have some flesh on my finger tips, albeit sore flesh.  I never was a thimble girl.

Well, I finished the binding last night and here are some photos of my Double Delight:

Here are some photos of the hand quilting (my first time!)  Happy Little Dance....

This shows the leaf vine quilting I did on the border.  I used a paper printout of the quilting and then cut a piece of bridal tulle large enough to cover the drawing.  I put the bridal tulle over the image and used a sharpie marker (permanent) to trace the quilting lines onto the tulle.  Then I rinsed out the tulle and dried it (to make sure there was no left over black sharpie marker which would harm my quilt).  From this point, you've got an image which you can lay over your quilt and use a chalk marker to trace it.  Because the tulle has little holes, the chalk goes through the tulle and onto the quilt top.  I thought this idea was pure genius.  I can't claim that genius.  I learned this trick at the Victoria Sewing Show.

I'm not sure you can see the tulip quilted into the setting triangle.  Once again I used the bridal tulle over the image to create my transfer medium for the design.  Worked great!




Here's a closeup of one of the quilt blocks showing the hand quilting.  Very simple quilting inside each square and an 'x' through the centre nine-patch.

Here is another closeup of the border (top left and bottom right corner)  I repeated the 'x' through the nine-patches and tulips in the small squares.

Also, try the 'Where's Waldo'? to see if you can find the nine-patch boo boo.  I chose to take the Amish approach that "only God is perfect" and leave the boo boo in the quilt.

I wonder if the quilt police at the Quilt Show will find it.   I'm not the least bit worried if they do.  I know it was planned...or at least allowed for when I discovered it myself.

Off to do my label now!  Til next time,  Mavis

U.F.O. update

One baby quilt finished and presented - wahoo.  Updated my UFO list on the right hand side of the blog page and noticed that I've mentioned my Buckeye Beauty which is on my design wall.  Wanna sneak peak?

This is another scrappy adventure.  Are we having fun yet?  Oh yes we are!  I threw everything in here, even if I thought the pattern was too bold.  I like the effect and have thrown off all control and welcomed every block in.  The quilt police have been dispatched elsewhere.  They do not live at my house any more.  Don't you just love being liberated??  Oh yeah....

Baby Quilt Buzz

I absolutely love my ministry at my church.  I am privileged to make baby quilts for our newborns (or older if we're really behind...) and to welcome them to our world and to the family of God.  Today was another one of those days.

This is a picture of the quilt I presented this morning...

These nine-patch blocks came from a Canadian Quiltswappers Block Swap. All I did was frame them alternately with dark brown and beige and then added a teddy-bear border.  There are sheepies on the back.  I think this qualifies as a scrap quilt and for sure a stash buster quilt.  I didn't purchase anything new for this quilt and love the scrappiness of it.

I better get back to my sewing machine.  We have a bumper crop of babies due this spring and many, many more quilts to produce.  Til next time...

and the battles rages on...

in my soul, that is.  I tried a friend's quilting machine (which is comprised of a Little Gracie II and a Janome 6600).  She can do a baby quilt in 1-2 hours.  I visited yesterday and even got to test drive on a charity quilt she is working on. It was great fun!  I came home wanting that or a long arm...again. Sigh.  But I had to see it.  Isn't that what it's like?  You don't want a new car until you go for that test drive...and then you're sunk unless you have the willpower of ..well I don't know what or who, but you get my point. 


I've been working very hard at being content, I really have, but for the last 24 hours all I can think about it how to get my own long-arm.  I really thought I was settled about this.  We simply don't have the cash right now, so practically speaking, it's not going to happen.  But then why this sudden onslaught of lust after what I cannot have?  I repent...I will be content.  And if I really need to try it out, my friend has offered to let me take a quilt to her place and test it on her machine.  That's good enough for me!

One hopeful option for my quest (or non-quest depending on my state of mind at the time) - I am married to a mechanical/woodworking genius.  My dear husband is pondering building me the quilting frame.  With my Janome 6500 I would have the equivalent, basically, of my friend.  Wouldn't that be nice...but for now I will wait.

And there ends today's rantings.  Time to go play some more on my handquilting project.

Mavis