Carrie's Chrismas Forest.

Carrie has a little Christmas forest growing.

I made this little tree to add to the cheer.

I love how the Santa sits among all the trees, some very modern and others are rather traditional. Most are applique but some are pieced.

Aren't they lovely!

Cheers,

Dionne

WOW! I got the deal of the Century

It was a rainy afternoon on Friday. I had groceries in the back of my car and a glance at the clock told me the kids would be getting off school in little more than an hour. Still, the sign for a garage sale in my neighborhood caught my eye and I stopped.

Good thing I did. There on a table was a large box marked "Fabric" -- Cool, I thought, just what I need. Well, probably not really. My stash seems to be pro-creating on it's own right now, but a deal is a deal so I dove right in. Beside, maybe I would find something vintage in there.

Well, nothing vintage to be found. In fact, it was actually a box of mostly acetate and polyester curtains. Go figure! But there in the bottom of the box all crunched up in a ball was a crazy quilt in pinks and greens.

Now, I don't really go for those colors myself, but I couldn't let this little gem go sitting in the bottom of that dark, dank box, could I? No, I knew you would agree. That little thing needed liberating. It hasn't been quilted and there is no batting so I believe it's meant to be a nice little table topper for a breakfast table, perhaps.

I asked the hostess how much she wanted for it and she seemed surprised to even see it. "That thing, not even sure what it's for, you can have it for free." she said.

Free? Did I hear that right? Yes, indeedy do. I pushed her for more information, but she had no idea about where it came from or who made it. Sadly there was no label.

Who do you think made it? Perhaps it was a gift that didn't receive a proper reception. I hope not.

Cheers,

Dionne

The Bridle Trails Quilters and the Accuquilt Cutting System

Did you know I have a quilt club? It's not the guild with a lot of women (all very lovely) and a lot of politics (not so lovely). And it's not the monthly Block of the Month club at my LQS (Local Quilt Store), which I also enjoy.

We're a small group of friends that meet monthly. We host private swaps that include many regular "Guests" every month - more or less. We drink tea (or wine, or margaritas when appropriate -- and sometimes when not appropriate).

We quilt and we laugh and we've been known to cry. Each of us brings our ideas to the group, we mull them over and choose projects.

We're all quilters, but we each have our lives, families, careers (or lack thereof)... in short, we all have our stories.

I'm going to share with you my project. Maybe I'll introduce you to each and every one of the girls as we go.

It's a good club. We call ourselves the Bridle Trails Quilters.

Sewing is a passion I've had all my life. It isn't my career but it's something I do, always. I teach sewing to kids. I teach quilting. And more often than not, I host the quilt club.

I also have an Accuquilt Studio cutting system. I love my cutting system. We use it a lot. I'm talking A LOT... at the classes we teach (those of us that teach), in our swaps, in our projects.

Because of poor customer service, I will never do business with Fons & Porter again. Granted, I expect excellent customer from a company that is willing to take my money. But that's a different story, all I want you to know is that Accuquilt surpassed my expectations! They have brilliant customer service.

However, I find their patterns lacking. If you are looking for a regular old pattern, you might find them adequate. What I'm looking for from Accuquilt is a pattern that's going to address the actual tool, the cutting system.

Accuquilt has a sampler BOM they started about 4 months ago. I haven't done it yet because I don't like their directions.

My quilt club and I decided we're going to do their Block of the Month but we're going to re-write the directions to address how to use the cutting system.

I'll rewrite the directions here for anyone who has a GO! or an Accuquilt Studio cutting system. Feel free to follow along if you have one of their systems as well.

We (almost) unanimously voted to make our quilt scrappy. Fellow quilt club member
Mai requested we do controlled scrappy so we're going to use the same colorway in the pattern, only scrappy!

Our colors are: white/cream, Blues, Greens, oranges, reds

Month one is called 'Double Cross Block'

Cheers,

Dionne

Greenpiece, Month 4

Month four uses four fabrics: cream for the background color, burgundy, green and light pink.

I like the star within a star look to it.

UNITS:

- Four large flying geese in Burgundy/Background, Four large flying geese in Green/Background

- Four small flying geese in Burgundy/Pink, Four small flying geese in Green/Pink

- 10 2 1/2" squares for the cornerstones and centers

- 8 1 1/2" squares for the cornerstones

Flying Geese:

1. Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of the four small 2 7/8" squares.

2. With right sides together place 2 small squares in oposit corners of the large 5 1/4" background square. Stitch 1/4" on either side of the drawn line.

3. Cut on the center line and press the small triangles away from the large triangle. You will end up with an angular heart.

4. Place another small square on the remaining corner of the large triangle (heart shape unit) and stitch 1/4" along either side of the center line. Cut and press.

End result:

Two large flying geese units that measure 2 1/2" by 4 1/2"

I think it was Eleanor Burns who first introduced this method. But I've been using it for years. The final blocks for the BOM are 8 1/2"

Cheers,

Dionne

August Greenpiece

So I had no time to actually complete this months BOM. With all the travel, for work and for pleasure, I didn't have a chance to finish. So this month I'm sharing with you the examples.

This Moda sampler uses more than 54 different fabrics. Thank goodness I don't have to purchase them all myself. Just one minimum purchase price at the beginning of the year and all the fabrics are provided. I like it, feels like I'm getting the blocks for free every month!

So we also have a chance to share our work. I didn't have anything to bring this time, but the following is a quilt is made from bandanas. The bandana centers are red and the border corners of the bandana make up the border triangles. She added the blue and white squares to set off the borders, then added the double border as an afterthought because it just didn't look finished without them.

Isn't this a pretty little garden. This quilter took flowers from her guild swap, attached them to several different yellow blocks. She cut the blocks from corner to corner twice then sewed the blocks back together in a random order creating quite a nice scrappy look. The leaves were appliqued on last.

Cheers,

Dionne

My Design Wall

I'm happily in Scotland now. It's a little family time. My husband is from Scotland, moved here when he was thirty. He visits home frequently, but this is the first time we've all been back together as a family.

Just about a week before we left, here was a picture of my design wall. The block on the right is an orphan left over from a finished quilt called "Blue Onion" I just finished it in the last month.

The trees are the beginning of a bottom border on my Around The World Quilting Bee quilt. My quilt is a village of cottage blocks. It's a lovely quilt, but I wanted to add a row of trees along the bottom border. I'm not very far am I.

The last item is now a completed project for a magazine article. Can't show you any more than that just yet. I was on such a deadline during the last few days before I left. Getting us packed and ready to go. I had a work deadline. . . .

Cheers,

Dionne

Silly Photo Shoot Pictures

So before I left on my trip my daughter took these silly photos of me. I thought you might enjoy them.

Cheers,

Dionne

Whoop de doo Has a Giveaway too!

Whoop de doo has a giveaway going on right now...

I had the brilliant luck being in a swap with Whoopdedoo on this quilt. (its the lovely green and pink quilt in the first two pictures!)

PS - I haven't heard from you yet Karen. I'm leaving very soon on my trip and I'll be away for nearly 4 weeks. (not away from my computer, but away from my home et. al.) So please, please email me with your contact info.

Cheers,

Dionne

Oops, Now for real the winner is....

First off, let me just say I'm sorry to everyone not getting back to you and all your lovely comments. I always think I have more time. I'm getting ready for our trip AND I'm on a work deadline! Ouch! And Subee, as always, you are wonderful! Thank you!

And the winner is...

Karen!

Karen wrote:

I love Tula Pink's fabrics and would love to win your giveaway. It would make a nice (day after) birthday present for myself. Thanks!

Well Karen Happy Birthday!

Cheers,

Dionne

There once was a quilter named Jane...

There once was a quilter named Jane.
Who hosted a quilting bee from the US to Spain,

and then back again.

It was trees that she desired, in colors quite wild.

Not one of her blocks could be called mild.

When her quilt left my door, the blocks counted four,

in hopes to gather more.

Cheers,

Dionne

PS - Today is the last day to leave a comment for my 'Plume' giveaway. Leave your comment on the post HERE.

Almost Lavender Jelly

So if you will indulge me, I would like to veer away from quilts for just a post in time.

I have been on a canning bender. Okay, well three times is a bender when you've never done any canning before.

I started out on a whim after taking the kids to the strawberry farm.

My good friend and I with the help of our six children learned the hard way what we were lacking in tools and skills.

So just a few days later, and a several dollars lighter in the pocketbook, I had all the canning tools we had lacked.

Fortunately I also had an abundance of cherrys and some fresh lavender I had no idea what to do with. So in one day I made several jars of cherry jam and three jars of lavender jelly... well, almost. The lavender jelly turned out to be a little more like a thick syrup.

Here is the recipe I used:

2 cups dry white wine (I used sherry)

1 tbsp lavender flowers (I used fresh)

2 cups granulated sugar (I used raw organic sugar)

1 3oz pouch liquid pectin (I didn't think to check if the pouch was 3oz or not)

1. In a large stainless steel saucpan, combine wine and herbs. Bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat, cover and let steep for 20 minutes.

2. Transfer to a dampened jelly bag and set over a deep bowl. Let drip, undisturbed, for 20 minutes. Measure 1 3/4 cups infused wine. If you don't have the required amount, squeeze the bag. (ok, let me just say that even when I squeezed the bag I was shy of the required amount so I poured a little extra sherry in at this point ~ I may not have meaured that extra pour so closely. You know how it goes, a little for the jelly, a little for me.)

3. Meanwhile prepare canner, jars and lids. (after my full day of strawberry preserves, I had this step DOWN!)

4. Transfer infused wine to a clean large, deep stainless steel saucepan. Stir in sugar. Over high heat, stirring constantly, bring mixture to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down. Stir in pectin. Boil hard, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and quickly skim off foam.

5. Quickly pour hot jelly into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Screw band until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip tight.

6. Place jars in canner, ensuring they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil and process for 10 minutes. Remove canner lid. Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars, cool and store.

Okay, that is my recipe. It never jelled completely, so its more like lavender syrup. I tastes really, really good. I was surprised about how lovely it tastes, but very sad it didn't turn out as jelly. I guess almost jelly is pretty good.

If you try this recipe let me know how it turns out. Or if you have a better lavender recipe, I'm all ears!

Cheers,

Dionne

PS - Just two more days to leave a comment for my 'Plume' giveaway. Leave your comment on the post HERE.

Sample My BOMmy Heart!

It's month two of my first Block Of the Month. Yes, I've been quilting a million years and I've never done a BOM before. Unless you count the Thangles BOM; which I don't. And besides my LQS discontinued that program anyhow.

Now there is so many more patterns to choose from. It's amazing to me how many BOMs are out there. Literally something for any taste, preference. You can do piecework or applique; from brightly colored monsters to a Halloween balitimore quilt. The possibilities are endless.

The problem, for me anyhow, was that all the BOMs back in the bad old days of quilting were always traditional Samplers. I never cared for the Sample quilt - or a cross stitch sampler for that matter. It was just something that didn't appeal to me. The design wasn't uniform, too much chaos.

Oh what a control freak I was! It makes me laugh now. How the times have changed. Samplers appeal to me, now. They are much like the way my life has turned out. A little of this, a little of that....

It seems I've created a life like a patchwork: friends, family, good times and bad, all these memories held together by the efforts of my stitching.

Of course my life is only one third over, so there is still plenty of room to change the story. Who knows, I might just have a masterpiece in me somewhere.

But not today. Today I'm just going to enjoy working on my Sampler and sample a few more patterns and blocks...

This month I have two identical blocks in different fabrics. Also, for every month, I have two filler blocks. Some participants are putting in applique on these blocks and others are doing embroidery. I toyed with the idea, but decided to keep my filler blocks plain and simple. I have more chance of getting it done on time that way.

The colors for this quilt are all in the fall colors, so by the time I'm finished with the blocks (next year this time) I'll have just enough time to finish the quilting for a new fall quilt, right?

Well, that's the plan anyway!

Cheers,

Dionne

PS - Just four more days to leave a comment for my 'Plume' giveaway. Leave your comment on the post HERE.

Just a Little giveaway!

I figure it's time for a little bitty giveaway.

I have a charm pack to send away to a new home. Tula Pink for Moda has a new line called Plume. I quite like this bright, cheery print.

Now, I'll be leaving for Scotland quite soon so we'll need to wrap this up soon, so I can get the prize off in the post before I fly away.

If you want to win this little charm pack, leave me a comment. You can get a second entry by becoming a follower. Leave me a comment letting me know you've either become a follower, or already are a follower.

Also, if you have a blog, you can blog about the giveaway and leave a link back to this post. Just leave me an additional comment letting me know (and your blog name) for another entry.

So leave your comment(s) below before thursday July 15th at noon. I will put the parcel in the post on friday before close of business.

But be warned, if I don't get a valid address in a timely manner the winner will have to wait until I get back from Scotland to receive their package. I fly out the morning of July 19th and will be busy packing on the 18th and 17th.

On another note, I will be in Scotland between the 19th of July and the 1st of August so if there are any scottish quilters out there that are interested in a meet-up, or have word of a good quilt shop send me word.

We'll be staying in Edinburgh, but visiting Glasgow and Falkirk frequently, also my in-laws live in Grangemouth so we'll be spending a fair amount of time there.

Cheers,

Dionne

Stars and Stripes in Red and White

Katy at I'm a Ginger Monkey has requested a red and white quilt in the Around the World Quilting Bee.

So here is her quilt so far. It's stars and stripes (and dots and more) in red and white.

(Note to self: press well before photographing and use the good camera for blog pictures)

Cheers,

Dionne

Teaching Little Ones to Sew...

Yes, once again I'm teaching some little ones to sew. Today it was three youngsters with a simple little bag project.

Each child chose a fat quarter of their choice and we used that and a silk cord (or yarn, whichever the child chose) as the drawstring.

The youngest child was/is six years old. He chose a vibrant print of dragons. He had a little trouble with the button hole stitch. But he did a great job.

They all did everything themselves with the exception of using the rotary cutter. Sorry, some things just should not be in the hands of a six year old, no matter how enthusiastic they are. In fact, the more enthusiastic, the more adamant I am about not letting them use the rotary cutter.

I think they did a fabulous job, don't you?

Cheers,

Dionne

We're growing a little fabric forest

We are growing a little forest for FlossyBlossy.

These sweet little blocks measure just 6 1/2" and aren't they lovely. Too bad my photo is so dark.

Three blocks are applique and three are pieced.

Cheers,

Dionne

Quilter's Block ... of the month, that is.

The whole idea of Block of the Month is great in theory. One or two blocks a month, a finished quilt by the end of the year. Brilliant! The commitment is small and the year is just beginning and optimism runs high!

I consider BOMs often; really often if I'm honest. It's almost an obsessive how much I read, and re-read the catalogs that come in the mail; the web-pages I surf.

But I've never taken the plunge. I know myself too well. Quilting is the first thing that gets put aside when time gets short. When I'm working on a deadline and the project is running long. When the children all have tournaments on the same weekend. When my husband is out of town and my father's radiation treatment are all scheduled for the same timeframe. Those are the times my sewing machine gets neglected.

I know this about myself. I know that when the year is just beginning and my optimism is running high, I will tempt myself with beautiful designs and fabric to die for. But I will then close the catalog or the browser with a sigh; denying myself the pleasure of taking part in the BOM.

But you know what, this time I didn't! I didn't sigh and walk away. Perhaps because it was at my LQS, and the completed quilt was right there in front of me. Perhaps because I was having a melancholy day and it was either sign up for the BOM or get a quart of Ben and Jerrys!

At any rate, I've done it. I've signed on for my first (real) BOM!

And now you get to see my first two blocks for June. The pattern itself is called GreenPiece and it's from Moda.

Cheers,

Dionne

A Classic Case of the Cobbler's Kids

I have spent my working life as a writer and a tester. Quality Assurance that is, process improvement and software testing. It's been a nice career. Whether my focus is on software or writing depends on my current contract, and even my software positions turn into a great deal of writing in the end.

My writing contracts have been primarily corporate. But lately I've been moving more towards freelance work. It's been a great deal of fun. It also gives me more flexibility when dealing with my father's health issues and traveling back and forth to see him.

Then I got the brilliant idea to do some writing work in the quilting industry. Something I've never done before. How exciting, I thought, now I can finally merge my income with one of my passions.

So, I approached it from the aspect I have always used and contacted a large company with a proposal. The project is one I've executed many times for many companies, but the subject-matter was new. After some interesting discussions, I was dropped from consideration. Do you know why? Was it because my writing samples and corporate contacts were badly executed?

NO! My resume is brilliant. My clips are solid and my corporate contacts are stellar! Do you know why I was dropped from consideration? It's because my quilting blog hasn't been professionally executed. OUCH!

The worst part is…. The worst part is that it's true. It's a classic case of the cobbler's children having no shoes. I have never considered this blog anything more than a hobby to exercise my quilt-y habits. It never occurred to me that I might lose a job over it.

All I can say is…. OUCH!

The funny thing is I was more disappointed about losing this job over losing a bid on any of my corporate contracts. I've dusted myself off and picked up two more jobs. One of them is even quilt related. Still, now I know how those cobbler's kids feel – neglected and under-appreciated.

 

Something modern and something blue.

That was her only request. Modern and blue.

The possibilities are endless and some would go hog-wild with the freedom of such minimal requirements.

But that is not me. My mind just doesn't think modern I guess. I don't know, my mind went completely blank!

Here is what I came up with.

I'm looking foreward to seeing all the other interpretations!

Cheers,

Dionne

Twenty-Four!

Who knew that twenty-four little blocks could be manipulated in so many ways. It took me twice as long to decide on a final layout for these little beauties than it took me to actually make them!

So, what do you think?

Cheers,

Dionne

ATWQS is coming to an end....

This is the last quilt to come through my door. It has been a year in the works; with ups and downs. But here it is, the very last.

I quite like all the motion in this quilt. All, or at least most, of the blocks have the feeling of motion to them. It's like a colorful garden of whirlygigs!

Next ATWQ top to arrive in my mailbox will be mine!

Cheers,

Dionne

ATWSQ - Scrappy Star

On this swap quilt block I made another scrappy star, but this time I framed it with a nice bright red.

Isn't that postage stamp block great? I love the churn dash block as well.

But the quilt top itself is a lot bigger than just these three blocks.

They all look GREAT. It was too big to get them all together on my design wall. But it's going to look great when it's done!!

Cheers,

Dionne

Cottages for Ginger Monkey

This little village is another swap quilt.

This one is for Ginger Monkey. I love the trees amongst all the cottages.

And that barn is FANTASTIC!! I wish I could say I made it but alas, the block I made is another little cottage.

Cheers,

Dionne

Lady Belle's Butterfly Garden

I made this butterfly quilt block for Lady Belle's swap quilt.

I actually got the idea and made up a pattern for it from another one of the blocks.

I am really enjoying this quilt. I love how everyone's blocks work so well together. What do you think?

Here is a picture of all the blocks together. The butterflies, the flowers, the bird -- all the colors.

It's really beautiful.

Cheers,

Dionne