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

Charming Denim Quilt - tutorial

Have you ever made a denim quilt from castoff jeans from family members or thrift stores?  My hubby donated his jeans when he was done with them.  I inherited about 6 pair and promptly cut them down to bigger fabric pieces until I could decide what to do with them. Then about a year ago, I decided to do something with them.

I salvage everything usable and store the pockets in a bin for who knows what.  The rest is thrown away. 

I searched Pinterest for an idea. There were a lot of ideas and a lot of them don't address bulk.  I was concerned about bulky seams going through both my machine and my longarm. So I waited until this idea hit me.

I had a cute charm pack (5" precuts) and wondered what would happen if I raw edge appliqued them onto 8" denim squares?  Hmmmm.  I liked both the colours of the charms against the denim and the fact that it didn't add much bulk.

I used a low tech method of getting them centered.  I basically pressed the denim squares into quarters and then lined up the four corners of the charm squares on those fold lines and stitched them about a 1/4" from the edge.  I just did raw edge applique because I envisioned them fluffing up when washed.  You could satin stitch yours down if you prefer.

Once I finished all my blocks and laid them out in a 5 x 7 layout, I started to think about sashing.  Remember:  we are on a mission to reduce bulk!

I found some fabric in my stash which complimented the charm square colours and decided that a 2" sashing between the blocks would also add some colour and accomplish my goal of relieving the burden of bulk. I cut 27 strips 2" x 8" for the vertical sashing.  

I'm now to the point where the horizontal sashing is added between the rows but I don't have enough fabric for the outside edges of the quilt.  Not a big deal.  You can add the sashing on the outside of yours if you prefer that encased look. For the horizontal sashing, I measured the width of the row and cut one strip 2" by that measurement. And voila!

At this point I wondered if I should add borders.  I looked online for the same fabric line as the charm squares.  I managed to find a lovely lady named Grace on one of my Canadian Facebook quilt groups that sold me her 4 yards of coordinating fabric that she didn't need.  She had purchased a kit but ended up using something else for her backing.  I will use it for borders, backing and binding.  It's from Lily & Loom and called the Dreamfield line.  I purchased my charms online from Craftsy/Bluprint awhile back and it is no longer available due to the sale of Bluprint/Craftsy to a new owner and a reconfiguration of their website/business so I was very grateful to Grace for being willing to part with her stash so I could finish my project.  Quilters are the greatest people!  

The quilt top is done and ready for quilting!

I chose an edge to edge design called Classic Blossoms and finished the quilting just before midnight last night.  I used Wonderfil Master Quilter 40wt for the top and Magnaglide 60wt for the bobbin. I just need to add the binding, sew it down and decide what to do with my finished quilt.  Oh, and I will be washing it to see if my 'fluffy' expectation becomes a reality.  Some of the raw edges flipped up during quilting but that doesn't bother me because none of them will be flat after washing and that's part of the charm I wanted to create.

I had zero Janome problems with the denim because I worked hard to reduce bulk.   Likewise, my APQS Millennium quilted it flawlessly like it was her job!  I'm so excited to finish another UFO. Woohoo!  I'll be pulling out the next one in no time flat.

This quilt is more feminine than masculine due to the colours.  Maybe this will be a picnic quilt for us or maybe it will be for someone else or maybe it will be for sale in my Etsy shop.  We shall see!

I still have some remaining denim in my stash.  I'm not yet sure if I'll make another quilt or donate my denim scraps to another quilter to realize her ideas.  But for now, I'm feeling great having accomplished the completion of another UFO!

Let me know in your comments if you have done a denim quilt.  If you decide to make this quilt I'd love to see your pictures.  Use the hashtag #charmingdenimquilt so I can find them. 

PS - I'm on track with  #sewthescrapoutofmarch and the #NQMScrapChallenge.  This denim is from the scrap bin, even if it was started a year ago!  ;)

~Mavis

Whimsy Sampler journey

So here's a question....what do you do with orphan blocks?  You know...those blocks that just don't fit into a project but are perfectly useful and even pretty.  Do you make potholders? Do you give them to another quilter? Do you just keep them in a bin with no purpose?

I am the latter mostly.

About 10 years ago, my hubby and I still owned our B&B on acreage with a huge house, beautiful gardens and an empty horse barn.  We had a vision of actually making it a cabin, studio, or similar which could be added to the B&B room inventory (only more rustic) or a place where musicians, writers, ministers could come for a quiet time away from the rat race to create, rest or contemplate.

The vision didn't come to pass.  It would have taken a capital investment to create a new septic field, the construction/reno, etc.  However!  As the vision was underway, I had already envisioned the rustic furniture that would be in this cabin, and of course, as a quilter I could already see a 'cabin-ish' quilt on the bed.

About that same time I joined an online block swap for 12" quilt blocks.  The idea was to pick your block from the Quilters' Cache website and cut fabric for your chosen block for the number of people in the group.  I chose a red and white fabric to represent the one Canadian in the group.  My American counterparts sent me fabric in red, white and blue.  I was going to add those blocks and create a sampler quilt. All these blocks lived in a project bag labelled "Dayspring sampler" after our B&B name. But ....

Long story short, the red, white and blue blocks ended up going into a Quilt of Valor for an American friend who is a veteran, and just had a heart transplant.  The red, white and blue seemed more fitting for him as patriotic colours than the more random idea I had.  I finished it and sent it off late last year.

The remaining red and white one that I didn't use in this quilt became part of the actual original sampler quilt idea.

I found a grid online that I thought would work and began filling in the spots with my orphan blocks. A lot of them weren't useable so I still have a pile left to use.  You have to use either even numbered finished blocks or odd numbered finished blocks.  Duh...I know.  It didn't occur to me when I first started this project.  Those odd numbered ones will be used in another quilt.

This little dog (and her brother) were with me underfoot for most of the journey.  Too cute to make her move.

I was determined to get this quilt top finished and quilted so I could enjoy it.  I'm working very hard at finishing my UFOs one at a time and not multiples at a time.  This is working for me and I'm getting closer to the end.  My reward will be starting a new project.  The top was finished last week and I have been waiting for batting to get it quilted.  That got done late yesterday so it's officially DONE except for the binding. 

I quilted it with a pantograph called "Alp".  I wanted the thread to appear sort of golden like my yellow fabrics in the quilt so I chose "Glide Biscotti" which I was very happy with. 

The quilt is no longer going to live on a bed in our B&B cabin as we moved and downsized in 2015 and have many fewer beds and no guests.  I don't know yet where this quilt will end up but I'm so glad that I persevered and got it done.

In my next blog post, you'll see the next project on the finishing list... my "Charming Denim Quilt".  This UFO isn't as old as others but after I finished my sampler I pulled it out and have been having a lot of fun getting it done too.  I'm waiting for some fabric I purchased from someone else's stash to do the borders and then it too will be quilted and declared done!

You have to know that there is JOY in finishing.  There's definitely FUN in starting something new, but it is surpassed by the JOY in finishing.

~Mavis

Carolina Christmas mystery quilt version 2.0

In my previous posts I talked about restoring one of my favourite mystery quilts (Bonnie Hunter's Carolina Christmas from 2009) which had quilting thread popping all over the quilt and a corner of the binding chewed by one of my dogs.

Read about that here: https://dayspringquilter.blogspot.com/2020/11/restoration-underway.html  and

here:  https://dayspringquilter.blogspot.com/2021/01/the-beast-is-skinned.html

It took a couple of months of seam ripping while watching TV but I got it done!  I then added some larger borders and just finished requilting it.

I quilted it with a pantograph called "Esmerelda" which added some nice movement to the quilt.  I have yet to add the binding but here it is on the bed with a much larger drop to keep both of us warm!

I'm so happy to have it finished.

Until next time,

Mavis