bom – Juanita Collins

May 12, 2013

Happy Mother’s Day Weekend!

My goodness…I opened up the website to write a mother’s day post and saw that this will be post number 201! Now how did that upcoming milestone get past me, I wonder? I think I better start planning ahead a bit better because surely a prize would have been appropriate. Well, never say never, and I will put some thought into that!

Meanwhile, Happy Mother’s Day to everyone, whether you are a mother or not! I have had a wonderful Mother’s Day. Look what I was served for breakfast!

I adore French toast. And didn’t he set a beautiful table, oh my! I must have raised him very well, if I don’t say so myself!

Chef Michael:

And on the sewing front, I picked up Heidi’s quilt for the first time in too long and did some hand quilting whilst we watched a movie on TV last night.

Yesterday I worked on my 3×6 bee blocks. I decided to make disappearing 9-patches this time around. Sometimes I feel badly that I make such simple blocks for this group, but everyone makes the best of their ability, and you are placed in a group by first-come, first-served. So there are very experienced quilters making some very advanced blocks in the group, and then there are the beginner “me’s” who make simple blocks. So anyway, I felt that the disappearing 9-patch was going to be a challenge – and it was, but in a different way than I had expected. The challenge wasn’t in the sewing, it was in the fabric selection. A couple of the blocks I made over because while the colours looked like they would be perfect, when the block was actually sewn, they just didn’t cut it.

So what is a disappearing 9-patch, all my non-quilting friends are wondering? Well, you start off by sewing a straight-ahead 9-patch block that looks like this:

Then you cut it into quarters, like this:

And then you twist and turn the quarters around until you like the pattern!

Pretty cool, eh?

What I learned is that strong colours work best, especially a contrasting colour in the center of the original 9-patch. All of these squares are the same pattern, and the colours I used are according to the chosen palette of each person in the bee. See what you think:

Happy Mother’s Day to you all, and especially to my own mother!

I hope you all had a great weekend, and if you’re hungry, I’ll share my French toast with you.

Bonn Appétite!

March 23, 2013

Two things for show and tell!

Last year I did the In Color Order 1/2-triangle-square block of the month, and last weekend I finally sewed all the squares together! I added three extras to make a long, skinny quilt for the back of the couch. Perfect to snuggle under with a bowl of popcorn and a good movie. I will be putting borders on eventually – I need to take it to the quilt shop and audition a few fabrics. I’m thinking of a yellow batik. What do you think?

And I got presents! Wonderful Mr. C (that’s “C” for charming, don’t ‘cha know!) brought home these!

The charm packs are Bella Solids for my orange peel quilt, and the jelly rolls are 2wentyThr33 by Eric and Julie Comstock and Boho by Urban Chick. Just because he loves me. I love him too (but not just because he buys me fabric, lol!)

How was your Saturday?

March 13, 2013March 13, 2013

Creative Update

I have been feeling quite guilty about not posting anything for pretty nearly an entire month! Lots has been going on, but since today is Wednesday, I want to do an update on what I’ve been up to in the sewing room and leave everything else for another day. Maybe even tomorrow!

I participate in a couple of on-line bees. Unfortunately, I can’t post the photos here because I put them into Flickr and then deleted them! I didn’t realize that you cannot copy and past from Flickr! Only one survived the deleting – a wonky log cabin I made for the 3×6 bee:

Remember the valentine quilt I made for Because you Matter? I delivered it to the social worker and it has been given a new home with a little girl who loves the colour pink. That makes me so happy!

I also finished my first pair of knee-high socks, I made them for Kelly’s cousin Amber to keep here feet warm at night. Since she had the stroke, she finds that the circulation in her feet is very poor and she is always cold at night.

January was my month in the We Bee Canadian group, and I picked a bow tie block done in gardening fabrics. Those, plus some extra’s from my friend Dee and also several I made myself resulted in this top – I love it!!!

And last but not least, here is another Because You Matter top, with squares donated by the wonderful and generous quilters over at Quilts for Kids.

Linking in with Freshly Pieced and the Needle & Thread Network.

February 1, 2013February 4, 2013

Everything but the Kitchen Sink

Wow, here it is February already! I know I’m not the only one feeling blown away by how quickly the last month flew past us!

This is a bit of a random post… I started a lot of projects in January and thought I would share them with you.

First, I have started knitting a pair of socks for Kelly’s cousin Amber (read about Amber here). She has trouble staying warm at night because the stroke has affected the circulation in her legs and feet. So I am knitting a pair of warm woolen knee-high socks for her to wear to bed. This is my first time EVER knitting with this fine sock yarn on these itty bitty needles, and I am loving it! Love love love!

I am also participating in three on-line bees this semester. If you’ve been following along, you’ll know that I was totally stumped by the January We Bee Learning block. But I did manage in the end and TA DA! here it is:

I’m also participating in We Bee Canadian and January was my month! I chose a traditional bow tie block, but requested garden prints. You know, fruits, vegetables, flowers, grass, seeds … anything found in a garden. Even shovels & wheelbarrow prints would be acceptable! This will be a fun quilt. Here’s what I’ve gotten so far:

The last bee I’ve signed up for is brand new to me. It’s called the 3×6 bee. That means there are six people in the bee, and we each make six blocks of our own choice but in the colours requested by our bee-mates. You have 3 months to make and mail them. If I run through this bee two or three times I’ll have enough to make a quilt top. Here are the colours I’ve requested:

AND…I’m taking a creative writing course at the college on Wednesday nights. I love this class. It takes a fair bit of brain power, though, and has also created a bit of a temporal deficit.

I’ve also started a new quilt (inspired by Valentine’s Day), but you’ll just have to wait for a bit because I’m holding it aside in hopes that I will get it finished within the fortnight. Why? Because on February 15^th I’m participating in my very first EVER blog hop! Yup! It’s the Hugs & Kisses blog hop. Look for me and my valentine quilt on February 15^th– the day after valentine’s day!

Lastly (if you’re still with me at this point)…I’ve been thinking about attending a master class – a DANCE master class. Yes! I said Dance! All this stirring of creative juices – quilting, knitting, creative writing – has stirred up my love of dancing and I feel like maybe it’s time to shake some dust off my hipscarf and study with my mentor at Arabesque again. Wow! Didn’t see that coming, did ya? Lol!

I’m linking up over at Cat Patches because it’s New Fabric Object day today, AND I’m linking up to Fresh Sewing Day & the Small Blog meet over at Lily’s Quilts. Check them out!

Ciao!

January 27, 2013

On English Paper Piecing

I like to sew and quilt and do
I love to learn things that are new
I have joined a quilting bee
(Actually, I did join three.)

The We Be Learning on-line gals
Stitch and sew with on-line pals
And every month each one of six
Adds a new block to the mix.

January is Shilo’s block
And I’ve been sewing ‘round the clock
To make a Rocky Road to Kansas,
With the colours of agapanthus.

(Those are blues and aquamarine,
And including a bit of celery green
For those of you who don’t know flowers,
Or the colour wheel of bowers.)

There is a secret I’ve been keeping
I’ve never done foundation piecing.
Shilo’s block is E. P. P.,
Something entirely new to me.

I sewed one block and ripped it out
I sewed again and gave a shout!
I ripped it out and sewed again
It wasn’t good enough to send.

The block should be a certain size
Unfinished inches twelve point five,
But on my cutting mat its borders
Measure eleven and three quarters.

Back to the fabric store I go
With a heavy heart of woe
For I have used all my grey cache
No more background in my stash.

I measure twice, I cut and sew
Careful, cautious, hopeful, slow.
I see the end within my sight,
I am so sure this time I’m right…

I am a frightening beast to see,
Scowling, hating E. P. P.
To the cutting board I go,
Pulling hair and growling low

I have been reduced to drink,
To curse and swear and really think
About the angst of this first bee
And what possessed me to enter three.

Two full weekends I did spend
Ruining this block for my new friend.
I have tried with all my might
but don’t know how to make it right.

And now the month is at an end.
And I have yet a block to send.
In February I beseech you Lynn,
Choose not a block requiring gin!

January 19, 2013January 19, 2013

A colossal…

…screw up. Totally awesome in dimension. It would be really bad form to actually swear on the blog. I know. But…Aaaarrrrghhhhh! Okay. Why all the drama, Nita?

Well! The January We Be Learning Bee is paper pieced. Am I intimidated by paper piecing? You betcha! But it is called “We Be Learning” and let me emphasize the “learning” bit. So okay. I swallow my fears and dive into it. I read the directions. Many times. I asked questions (also many times). I thought I understood what I was going to do (ha!). I dig through my stash and find the right colours. I cut them into strips and sew them back together. So far so good, although I am a bit appalled at the amount of fabric wastage. But that’s okay, I think, because this is the only time I’m ever going to do paper piecing – I sure wouldn’t choose to do it if it weren’t this month’s block for the bee just because of so much waste (and I just can’t afford to buy as much fabric as I would like to, anyway, let alone waste so much!). But no matter…that is what scrap quilts are for, right? Using up all the waste from other projects?

I was feeling pretty good when I got to this part…hey, look at me! I’m paper piecing! It’s kinda cool!

I’m learning something new! I’m not a paper-piecing virgin any more! And so I sew merrily away and forget all about reading the instructions for the 300th time. When I finally remember, it is too late.

Aarrggghhhh! stomp stomp stomp! howls, beats breast, pulls out hair.

And since I have now used up and wasted every bit of both the background grey AND the blues & greens requested, I must drive to the quilt shop and buy more. Which means I am going to be in trouble with Mr. C, who is the keeper of the family budget, because today is sale day at the quilt shop. Which is sort of like putting an alcoholic in a room full of single malt scotch.

That’s my Saturday blues