Squirrels Happen

Have you ever started a project without a plan in mind? It starts out innocently enough. In this case I made an eight pointed star. Simple enough, right? You can read more about my favourite quilt block which are stars here.

two of six drawers of FQ's

 I am trying to use some of the FQ's I have. I do have a healthy collection, and they look so nice in all there glorious colours. But they need to be used not just collected.

purple was the choice of the day

Now as tends to happen with a squirrel one gets so involved that the camera is totally forgotten as you make the magic begin to happen. A square here a triangle there and before you know it you are looking at, if the stars have aligned correctly a project you are happy with. Of course there may have been a little oops, nothing mr jack couldn't fix.

a little turning of the blocks and all is fixed

I would like to make it bigger as it is currently only 36'' x 36''. I may be forced to go buy some fabric. I know having to buy fabric, how rough can it get. The current thought is to add a solid purple border to it.

amazing what a few fat quarters can grow up to become

I'm working on writing the pattern for this.

Have you ever made a quilt without a pattern?

I am linking up to Dreami #32 over at mmm! quilts.

Once Upon a Story Little Teapot

Marian at Seams to be Sew is in her fifth year of running her annual Row Along. This is the first year I designed a row. The theme is Once Upon a story and we were to choose our favourite nursery rhyme, story, or poem. I choose I'm a little teapot. Just in case you weren't sure how it goes and also I don't want to be the only one with it stuck in my head. 

I'm a little teapot

Short and stout

Here is my handle

Here is my spout

When I get all steamed up

Hear me shout

"Tip me over

and pour me out!"

I'm a clever teapot,

Yes it's true

Here let me show you

What I can do

I can change my handle

And my spout

Just tip me over and pour me out!

You are most welcome :)

A big thank you to Northcott for supporting us with lovely fabric. 

Northcott's Basic Blenders

fused on an applique pressing sheet

I like applique. This time I used Steam-a-Seam 2 lite, you can of course use your favourite method. After tracing the images onto the paper on the fusible and applying them to the wrong side of the fabric cut the shapes out. A placement sheet is provided in the PDF pattern file, using an applique pressing sheet fuse pieces in place. Let cool and peel off your appliques are now ready to be positioned on your background piece. 

I used a pen to add the white shine in the black of the eyes instead of trying to cutout tiny white pieces.

positioned on background and pressed into to place, remember once you press them with a hot dry iron they are permanently fixed in position 

I stitched the applique with the buttonhole stitch using Superior MonoPoly thread, you could use matching thread. 

sugar cubes stitched with the Monopoly

Normally I quilt up my design so you can see it finished, but I am planning on making more of the other designers patterns to make a larger quilt because I loved the theme so much!  Make sure you follow along to collect the patterns and make your own "Once Upon a Story" quilt!  My pattern will be available through the end of October.

having a tea party in the garden

My row can be downloaded here.

Be sure to enter today's giveaway. Inspired Led

 An Inspired LED Lighting System Kit.  

Worldwide Shipping / Shipping Cost paid by winner. Value $30.00.  

Please visit Seams to be Sew for all details.

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The Schedule For The Row Along Is As Follows:

September 3, 2019
Just Let Me Quilt | Seams To Be Sew | Pamela Quilts

Thursday, 9/5/2019
Made By Marney | Pretty Piney Quilts | Renee’s Quilting Addiction

Tuesday, 9/10/2019
Linda B Creative | Patchwork Breeze | KISSed Quilts

Thursday, 9/12/2019
Bobbin In Quilts Blog | Clever Chameleon | Mountain Meadow Designs

Tuesday, 9/17/2019
Barbara Dieges | Miss P Designs USA | Seams To Be Sew

Thursday, 9/19/2019
Duck Creek Mountain Quilting | Cynthia’s Creating Ark | Elizabeth Coughlin Designs

Tuesday, 9/24/2019
Pumpkin Patch BC | Stitchin at Home 

Thursday, 9/26/2019
From My Carolina Home | Words & Stitches | Tuning My Heart Quilts

Tuesday, October 01, 2019
Quilt Schmilt | Charlie’s Daughter | Mountain Meadow Designs

Thursday, October 03, 2019
Clever Chameleon | Sew Incredibly Crazy | Miss Loreen’s Schoolhouse

Tuesday, October 08, 2019
Show and Tell Day

Guild BOM 2019

It's one of my favourite seasons 'guild season'. My guild had there first meeting of the year on Monday Sept 9th. I look forward to catching up with fellow members and seeing what they've made over the summer.
It is also the time I introduce the new BOM for the year, this is the fifth year I have designed the BOM. My guild is more traditional than modern and as such more members join in making the BOM if it is a more traditional setting.

2019-20 BOM

This years quilt I made in my favourite colour...green. I picked up the greens from Caroline Quilts when she was a vendor at our quilt show in June. They are mostly Northcotts you can read about them here.

A few closeups of some of the blocks and the quilting.

 some feathers in this block

straight lines and curves

swirls and  a loop with echoing out

I tried not to overthink my quilting and just had fun

The following are the previous BOM's I have designed for my guild.

2015 the first design was a medallion style quilt my oldest son has this one

 2015 my first BOM design for my guild, read more about it here.

2016 in preparation of Canada's 150th birthday, applique

2016 was a wall hanging with applique, you can read more about it here.

2017 on point with Irish chain alternate blocks

 2017 saw a more traditional style set on point, you can read more here.

2018 saw more of a modern setting

2018 I designed more of a modern setting, you can read more about it here.

Do you like making BOM's?

My Favourite Quilt Block Hop

Thanks to Carla from Creatin' in the Sticks for running this fun hop.

 It was an easy decision as to what block I would be showing you today, Star blocks hands down. I like all stars the LeMoyne Star or Eight Pointed Star, the  Ohio Star, Sawtooth Star, Friendship Star to name just a few.

Star blocks are one of the most common patterns used in quilts. They are by far my favourite block.

Shall we look at a few.

Ohio Star

The Ohio Star is a nine-patch block made of quarter-square triangles around a central square, the Ohio Star block is a lovely quilt block. 

North Star or Sawtooth Star block

North Star one of the oldest block patterns. It’s been published by many pattern companies under many names, including Aunt Eliza’s Star or Variable Star, over the past 120 years or so. Today’s quilters often call it Sawtooth Star.

LeMoyne or the Eight pointed Star

The LeMoyne Star or Eight Pointed Star dates back from 1834 - 1859. The block can be made a couple different ways the traditional pieced using diamonds and y-seams. Or using HST's a much simpler version.

Some quick instructions for an Eight Pointed Star.

Cutting Instructions for 12''  Eight Pointed Star.

Background Fabric

Cut 4 – 3 1/2'' squares for the corner pieces

Cut 4 – 4 3/8'' squares for the half square triangles

Star Fabric #1

Cut 4 – 4 3/8'' squares for the half square triangles

Star Fabric #2

Cut 4 – 4 3/8'' squares for the half square triangles

Make 4 HST's using two background squares and two of star fabric #1.

Draw a line diagonally on the back of a the background fabric. Place on top of star fabric #1 with right sides together. Sew a 1/4'' on both sides of the drawn line. Cut diagonally on the drawn line. Press. Trim to 3 1/2'' by 3 1/2''. Make 4. 

Repeat using two fabric #2's and the background fabric.

Repeat using one each of the star fabrics. Make 4.

Arrange as per the photo of the Eight Pointed Star above. 

I call this one Star Points I'm sure it probably has other names as well. I designed this for my guilds BOM this year.

Star Points

How about we take a look at some of my patterns with stars?

Hearted Beauties

A large double star with heart shaped New York beauty blocks. You can read more about it here, the pattern is available in my Etsy shop.

Outside Stars

Stars Outside is a paper pieced pattern with stars. You can read about it here,  the pattern is available in my Etsy shop.

Another type of star quilt I've made is a Mariners Compass Star, you can read about it here.

I hope you have enjoyed a glimpse of my favourite quilt block and you have found a new appreciation for stars in quilts or blocks.

My Favourite Quilt Block Blog Hop Schedule. 

Monday, September 9th

Just Let Me Quilt

Words & Stitches

VroomansQuilts

PamelaQuilts

Songbird Designs

Days Filled With Joy

Quilted Delights

Tuesday, September 10th

Quiltscapes

Melva Loves Scraps

Stitchin At Home

Homespun Hannah's Blog

Mary Mack Made Mine
Just Because Quilts

Den syende himmel
Selina Quilts

Wednesday, September 11th

MooseStashQuilting

Elizabeth Coughlin Designs

Kathleen McMusing

Karrin's Crazy World
April Grace Quilts
Hazel’s Daughter
Seams To Be Sew
Limeleaves

Thursday, September 12th

Websterquilt

Cynthia's Creating Ark

Nutz 4 Redwork
Quiltsbyjoanne
Ms P Designs USA
Pampered Pettit
Hill Valley Quilter

Friday, September 13th

For the love of geese
Life in the Scrapatch

Kathy's Kwilts and More

Alycia Quilts - quiltygirl
Domestic Felicity
The Joyful Quilter
QuiltFabrication
Creatin' in the Sticks

A Month Goes By

I know how long it's been since my last post and I am not to going to apologize for the lack thereof I had too much fun. Family comes first and I want to spend as much time enjoying my family as possible. Life is too short not to.

That's not to say I didn't touch my sewing machine just the opposite is true. 

a small amount of the fmqing

I have two, both lap size. Yes that's two quilts quilted all on my domestic machines. I will show the BOM for my guild next week, they get first view. The second is a magazine deadline so no pictures just yet. 

If you've ever quilted a quilt on your domestic machine you know firsthand how long it can take. But the results are worth it. No edge to edge for me I have tried but the quilt screams NO so what's a quilter to do but listen.

There was also a lot of laughs and fun in my sewing room so much so I forgot to snap pictures as we went.

One of my granddaughters wanted to sew. I was more than happy to oblige. We had to decide on a project she wanted a real project not just learning to sew seams, she choose a placemat. I thought that was a good idea. We got out my box of strips and she picked what colours she liked.

I taught her rotrary cutter safety and she trimmed the strips to 12 1/2'' by 2 1/2'' with a watchful eye from grandma. 

She made a quilt as you go carefully placing the strips one at a time.

one very proud little quilter

I am so proud of this girl! But the best was listening to her explain how she made it to her non-sewing mom. There may be hope for her mom yet... wait for it. She went out and bought a pink Splash, a cutting mat and a ruler. 

I hope you have had time to see the pleasure and joy in a young face seeing their first project take shape and proudly displaying it to everyone.

The Beauty Around Us

I had a great vacation at my oldest son's place in Killarney, Ontario. Tyson Lake which my son's place is on is 9 1/2 miles long.

beauty surrounded us out on Tyson lake one evening

A view of his place from the lake side.

you can see a couple of the cabins on his resort peeking out to the left of his house and gazebo

While there our son usually has a project or two that he needs his Dad's help for. This is one of them, we helped him put this out on the lake for his guests to enjoy.

water fun! A trampoline with a slide 

The weather was beautiful! I enjoyed the time we spent with this little cutie.

grandma may have given her a treat or two

Some of my roses were blooming when we got back home.

the white spots on the leaves are a milk and water mix for black spot and fungus

I have played in my sewing room or maybe I really should say I got hit with a squirrel. So instead of working on other projects that need to be done. I did this, I have been wanting to do a collage of one of my flowers that I took a photo of for a while now.  This is just the start, I see many hours in my future working on this.

a very long way to go before a finish happens

Take a little time to see what nature has given us. I hope you get to enjoy the beauty around you.

Stash Additions

I'm working on a couple projects that I can't show you. But that didn't stop me from adding to my stash, this after I was going to try and use more of my stash. Temptation. All I can say is I caved.

First up from Quilt Junction in Waterford. They were having a 40% off sale of batiks.

Northcott batiks, the back piece is 3 meters

Next up four one yard pieces at $9 a yard. I just couldn't resist. These are from Caroline Quilts, she was a vendor at my guild's quilt show last weekend. 

from left to right a Northcott 'Simply Neutral', 'Sandscapes' also from Northcott, 'Modern Love also a Northcott and last is 'Fusions Garden by Robert Kaufman
 

These last ones are also from Caroline Quilts. She calls these 'candy' They are end cuts in various sizes, they were $1 each.

love the owls

The owl piece sorry no info on the selvedge is 16'' x 21''. The green and purple piece is 12'' x 22'' and is Hamilton Grove by Sue Beevers. The multi colour drops is Songbird and is 11'' x 21''. The pink print is 8'' x 42'' and is Bloom Crazy. The two neutrals are both 11'' x 21''. 

After these additions I'm now back to my self imposed ( we all see how well that's going so far) NO new fabric purchases unless it's for secret sewing.