Slow Stitching Recap - 365 Block Challenge by Kathryn Kerr

Some say 'out with the old' when the calendar rolls over.  For some things I totally agree, but for my slow stitching long term projects, it's time to see how far I got for 2021 and if there's hope of a finish on the horizon for 2022.

I have a couple in this category.  I guess officially they could be called UFOs because they are unfinished but I usually only relegate the started and then abandoned  projects as UFOs.

In this post, I'm going to show progress on my 365 this year.  

And without further ado...here's a little 'movie' of my blocks constructed this year.

365 - 2021 journey  as a movie!

Happy New Year and keep stitchin!

Mavis

It's a Wrap! 2021

 2021 is another one for the books!

It was another record year of long arm quilting customer quilts which is no surprise because the quilters get busy during times of stress as well as during good times. In 2021 they were busy!  I had six quilts from one customer which I worked my way through in between other quilts (at her request).  Six at one time might be a bit hard on the budget right?

I managed to get all but three  quilts in my 2021 queue done before I cut off for some time off on the 24th. I ran out of energy and time and the last three weren't for gifting over the holidays so the customers were gracious to wait.

It was a productive quilting year for me too.  Let's see what I managed to finish:

This is my last quilt pattern design for 2021.  It's not quite finished so might not make it into my Etsy shop this year, but stay tuned!  I have some more in the hopper to release in early 2022 but this one measures 67" x 67" and will be available first.  https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/dayspringquilter

Let's see some tops that I made in 2021 which are in the quilting queue:

This Trip Around the World was gifted as a quilt top to another quilter in December 2021 so I won't be quilting it.  I'm excitedly awaiting the end product pictures.  

It was a kit I purchased from Craftsy and finally pulled it out and put it together.  I wonder why I wait so long sometimes.  Things can seem like a huge mountain when in fact when you get closer it is a rolling hill.  I learned that about myself this year.  I always look at projects as long term challenges.  They aren't all that way and I'm trying to change my mindset about it so I don't add to the UFOs.

This half square log cabin was born out of my strip bins.  I love scrappy the most.  In early December I dug out all my batting pieces, catalogued them, and then decided what could be sewn together into bigger batting pieces to get some of my own quilt tops quilted.  I ended up cutting all the batting, backing and putting it all together with a tie for the quilting queue.  Now all that's stopping me is some personal quilting time.  Stay tuned.  It won't be long until this one is quilted.

This one is one of my all time favourite quilts, period!  It was created over the course of years.  The pattern is Tumalo Trail from one of Bonnie Hunter's books.  It's 100% scrappy, including the neutrals and the piano key border.  The inner border came from yardage.  I have some Warm and Natural 100% cotton for backing and I purchased a lovely wide back for it.  It's also just waiting for some personal quilting time.  I hope to have it on our bed for spring.  It is a king sized quilt.

So, as I was scrolling through my photos looking for the unfinished quilt tops of 2021, what I found is that I actually managed to quilt some of these this year as well, so ta da...they're actually finished!

Ha ha...in this one picture alone we have a table topper I quilted for my friend.  She gave me her mom's linen pieces and I decided to return one piece to her quilted.  Next to it is Postcards from Sweden, created as a sew along with my guild earlier in the year and promptly quilted and bound.  Look at me go!  And underneath as a backdrop to cute doggies is my Strictly Triangles quilt.  It's a larger quilt, folded and draped because I want to see it every day.  The quilted pillow has a story too.  I was encouraged to join a Round Robin, my first one.  I was the only one in the group who didn't do modern and I used the fabrics I had on hand.  The others were vastly different in style and genre.  After staring at it for awhile, I decided to return it to its original state as a block and make a pillow for my couch.  And another story about it...when I went on my quilting cruise to the Mediterranean in 2016, I met a new friend from Florida named Suzy who won a prize for creating the design on the pillow for the Rose Sharon contest put on my Accuquilt.  Suzy and I connected over this block and have remained friends.  She's a great designer and quilter.

Outside the Box is another pattern I created, made, quilted and released on my Etsy Shop.  It's available now for instant download.  https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/dayspringquilter

Postcards from Sweden

One Day Mystery Quilt (from Homespun Hearth)

Whole Cloth Linen quilt made as a sample for our new business Tahorah Designs

A Commission I did this year for someone in Quebec.  She provided the colour fabric and I added the white.  Quilted it with Puppy Paws.

My first rag quilt made with some homespuns from my stash.

Contraflow made with a layer cake purchased on a road trip to the USA.  Gifted to close friends.

Class done with Susan Teece during an online retreat with my guild.

Simply Triangles quilt 

Hand quilted Amish style block for block exchange.

A pattern I created for APQS for their blog.  The quilt was finished a gifted to someone in the USA battling health issues as a comfort quilt.

My humility block.  It was only when I quilted it and was binding it that I caught the mistake.  In my defense, I made a big quilt with these blocks and it's not surprising that my eyes glossed over.

The quilting shot of the above quilt.

A baby quilt.  My own design and published pattern "Eugenie".

Another pattern release this year called 'Barcelona' inspired by my 2016 trip to the Mediterranean.  My friend made the quilt top with the fabrics I provided.  I quilted it and published it.  Pattern available in my  Etsy Shop here .

My mandala quilt.  Another UFO.  Once I got going on it the inspiration returned and I finished it.  It hangs in my entry way.  I quilted it with edge to edge over all the raw edge applique.

and another of my Amish Block party patterns, done with an extra row to make it fit a bed better.  Quilted it with Ikat.  For sale!  FOR SALE HERE

Done and gifted to the Transition House, a local charity in my city.

This sampler, finally completed in 2021, was born as an idea about 8 years ago when we had acreage and a barn that I dreamed of turning into a cottage.  Dreams come and dreams go, but sometimes quilts dreamed during those times make it into real life.

This was a kit I purchased on a road trip from Sisters Quilt Shop in Chehalis, one of my favourite stops south of the border.

This was an idea I had for charm squares and denim.  It's all raw edge appliqued on the denim and quilted with an all over design (that escapes me).  It has been finished, although I don't seem to have any finished pictures.  Picnic quilt!

This quilt was skinned, resandwiched and quilted in 2021.  It was severely damaged.  Thread was popping from the original quilting job about a decade ago.  It was a huge job but I am so very glad I persevered.  It lives on our bed.

Scrap Jar Stars (from whence came my humility block).  

This is a future wedding quilt for one of my kids.

Well, that was a long post!  I hope it had enough pictures to keep you scrolling through.  I drained my cup writing it and I'm sure you drained yours reading it.

Happy New Year to my readers and quilty hugs all around,

Mavis

Latest pattern - Outside the Box

My life is crazy.  I took an early medical retirement in 2018 and started my long arm business ahead of schedule.  It was the retirement plan but I didn't anticipate leaving work as early as I did.  Besides long arm quilting, making my own patchwork, and family stuff  I manage to squeeze in a few quilt designs here and there.  This summer I've created a few, one which I pieced (this one) and one which I had a pattern tester piece for me (stay tuned!).  

Designing, piecing, quilting and binding is the easy part.  Writing up the directions is something I find more taxing and that part is still in process.  It involves math (the yucky part).  When it's published in my ETSY SHOP I will write another blog post.  But for now, let's show you this baby!

It was going to be called Man Cave but the end result with the bright purple and bubble fabric wasn't too masculine so then I posted a contest on my INSTAGRAM and Outside the Box was the winner.  All those who submitted suggestions will be receiving the free digital pattern when it's published.  Hang on peeps, I'm almost there!

I quilted it with a pantograph called "Oval" which resembles a cobblestone street (in my opinion anyway).

I now just need to bind it, photograph it, crunch the numbers, write the instructions and get this one published.  Target is for the end of October.  Stay tuned!  I'm going to offer an introductory price of $9.00 Canadian too.

Off to get this one bound!

Mavis

Lucey is on sale starting September 1, 2021

 

Don't miss out on our Lucey Sale!

Enjoy savings of $3,350 - Sales starts on September 1st.

Package includes:

Lucey Longarm Quilting System

FREE upgrade to a Deluxe Table (value $2,000)

FREE Automatic Quilt Advance System (value $1,350)

SALE PRICE: $13,400

Package Retail Price: $16,750

When you quilt with Lucey, you’ll quickly understand why APQS quilting machines are known for being easy to use and simple to operate. Everything is designed, engineered and crafted to be approachable, inviting and simple to use. Lucey offers the throat space of our top-of-the-line machines – making it an exceptional value.

Don't forget to add a Bliss Track package for only $1,000.

Do you want to know more??  

Call me at 250-686-6002 or email me at info@dayspringquiltcompany.com.

Fear Factor

We all have it ... a fear factor that is.  Don't we?  Or maybe it's just me.

I define it as something I avoid because of either past failure, fear of failure, or perceived incapacity to deal with a problem.  You were probably envisioning a cave of spiders or other creepy crawlies.  While I really wouldn't want to explore a cave full of spiders, sometimes I find it hard to explore new things, even creative things that other people have no problem with, due to my  "fear factor".

C'mon...tell us what you're afraid of!!"  Ok.  Ok.

Believe it or not, using cotton thread on my longarm is my fear factor.  When I got my Millenium (Millie for short) the person who trained me told me how great Glide tri-lobal polyester was and the Magnaglide bobbins (prewound) were for long arm quilt.  No argument there.  They are wonderful.  There was no reason for me to try anything else at the time.   And the old wives' tale about polyester thread cutting cotton fibers was disproven so there were no 'purist' reasons not to use polyester.

However, being one who defaults to taking the path of least resistance and sticking with doing what works, I wasn't feeling very keen to try out cotton thread for quilting...until today.

My latest success has been using Aurifil 40wt COTTON thread in Millie!  🧵 Yes!!!  I've tried it before and could not get my tension to where it was decent so I gave up....  But TODAY!!!  I wound my own matching Aurifil cotton bobbin, set the tension and stitched this out.  Voila!  No unpicking required.  

I'm doing a victory lap here.  I just wanted to quilt a small wall hanging block on white cotton, using white Aurifil thread (top and bobbin) and a digitized design from Quiltpath. And I did!  I will add it to my sewing room as a small wall quilt to remind me....  Fear Factor?  What Fear Factor? 

 

Why am I writing this post?  Because I can't be the only one who struggles with pushing through to find solutions to difficulties encountered in trying new things.  Seriously, this cotton thread in my machine issue has been the last bastion keeping me in fear as a quilter.  I've been at this for a long time and have been a cotton purist for piecing since the beginning.  I can now confidently add it to my offerings for other quilters who want their quilts quilted with cotton thread.  And I'm thrilled!

Until next time, these are my quilty thoughts for this day.

Mavis

Eugenie Baby Quilt - NEW PATTERN RELEASE!

I've just finished this quilt, and the final draft of the pattern.  It has now been uploaded to my Etsy shop.  Check it out!

Eugenie baby quilt

Eugenie Baby Quilt - Etsy Shop

I've got a few more in the works that will be making an appearance soon.  Until then, I hope you enjoy this pattern.  If you make one please use the hashtag #eugeniequilt so I can see yours.

Until next time,

Mavis

New Pattern Release Day!!

Introducing "Barcelona", my newest pattern.  I have uploaded the digital pattern for sale today in my Etsy shop.  Here is the link:  

Dayspring Etsy Shop

This quilt design was inspired by the colours of the Mediterranean sea and the Basilica Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, hence the name.

It goes together with quickly.  I quilted it with a panto called "Bougainvillea"  (I know, how fitting right?) That's where the magenta colour in the quilt came from...those lovely Boungainvillea bushes so prevalent in the Mediterranean.   You can get the pantograph at Urban Elementz

I'm trying to ramp up my pattern business so I actually had my friend Mae Petersen piece this quilt for me so I could keep on designing the next ones in the hopper.  This is the first time I've done that.  Previously, I would design the quilt in EQ8, make the quilt, quilt the quilt, bind the quilt, photograph the quilt, do the technical writing for the pattern, send it out for proofreading, then create the PDF and then do the marketing.  Phew!  It's not a quick process as you can imagine.  So I was very grateful to have such a good quilter (and friend) willing to help me out.

I hope you like this pattern.  I've got it on sale for the remainder of the month of April.  The regular price is $15 but for this month it's $10.50.  It's already marked down in my shop so no adding a coupon at checkout.

Thank you for supporting small business.  I sure appreciate it!

Until next time,

Mavis