Happy Halloween!!

If you know me, you know that Halloween just isn't my thing! After spending 30 years as a primary / elementary teacher, all those Halloween parties over the years, was enough!  However, when you move to another province to be close to a granddaughter, things change.

Thursday, I got a call from my daughter inviting themselves to supper on Friday (grin) to do pumpkin carving and a kid sleepover. So, doing my grandma thing, I bought two large pumpkins (not realizing they were coming with four more), a carving set (not from the $ shop) and decorations to enhance the occasion.

Here's the end result:

I did say six pumpkins, well, one of them was a bit tipsy! It's the middle one below, leaning on its buddy!

 

 

Gale drew this one for me!

She carved out the mouth, as I was told it was more complicated than the eyes! Was she telling me something! HA!!

 

In any event, a grand time was had by all. These carved pumpkins just left here for another home!

 

 

• My sister's Halloween Wall Hanging 2014 
• My quilted Halloween panel, for granddaughter 2016 
• Halloween Shimmers 2014
• Halloween 2012 (before moving to Nova Scotia)
• Halloween 2015

Enjoy Halloween wherever you are and remember to stay safe!

Fantastic Fusion Workshop

For the past two Thursday evenings, I have participated in an online workshop, Fantastic Fusion, with Lisa Walton, Textile Artist, from Sydney, Australia. This was organized by the Mahone Bay Quilters' Guild for its members.

19 quilters were eager to learn something new. Many admitted that they were definitely out of their comfort zone. However, you couldn't tell that by the pieces that were created. Lisa was a wonderful teacher, quite prepared with samples, videos, photo gallery and live demos. It was six hours of fun! 

Using Zoom, we were able to see all 20 of us on one screen (thumbnails). We got to see what the other was doing, ask questions, make comments, chat . . . almost the same as been in a physical classroom. The other upside - no packing to go to a classroom, unpack etc. You know the drill. I was in my own space with all my 'stuff' at my fingertips. No, "Oh darn, I forgot to bring . . ." or "I have the perfect piece of fabric for this, but it's home". On that score, I prefer working here in my own studio!

These batik blocks are the result of week one. My colour scheme came from the colours in my back garden and the quilt my sister, Joan, made me for my July birthday, 2018. The blue represents the sky.

Week two

These are the same blocks from above. I chopped them up, cut extra strips and put them together to form this piece. I managed to fuse some of the pieces together but the rest are pinned to my board to do later. It measures approximately 18" x 26" and will be quilted and free-motion stitched.

My colour inspiration:

 

Thanks, Lisa. It was very nice meeting you.

• Lisa Walton on Pinterest HERE and HERE   
  
• Quilt Stories with Lisa Walton
• Abstract Textile Artists
• The Story of Abstract Design
  
• Abstract Textiles from Pinterest HERE, 
• Textile Abstract Art by Leah Gillette 

Enjoy! 

Squash Squad Blocks 1 - 4

Squad Squad stitch along with Sue Spargo, started on September 22 (HERE). Since then, four out of nine blocks, have been featured on her blog. 

The following squash blocks are in various stages of completion. 

Block One, Spaghetti Squash

There are suppose to be small buttons added to the turquoise circles. I'm still debating whether or not I'll do something with them. Not buttons! 3 bees are waiting to be added to the vine on the right.

Block Two, Long Island Cheese Pumpkin

Finished!!

Block Three, Queensland Blue

I have two more flowers to make on this one and some running stitches on the background.

 

 

Block Four, Baby Boo

This is day 1 / 4 of stitching 

Last evening the couching and chain stitching was completed. I'll probably get today's stitches embroidered tonight.

For those of you, who just found my blog, take a look at the 90 Circles Instastitch with Sue, that were hand embroidered during the lock down.

Enjoy!!

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving

 Happy Thanksgiving Weekend Canada! 

Wishing all my relatives and friends near and far, a very happy, safe Thanksgiving Weekend. 

In honour of this special holiday, I have the perfect autumn quilt, which was made by my sister, Joan, in Tennessee. She made it and hand delivered it in 2018, for my July birthday. 

This photo was taken today where the temperature reached 22C. I was lucky to get the full view of the quilt as it was a bit breezy. The wind reminded me of home in Newfoundland where it's windy most of the time!

The back fabric is all birch trees.

My back garden is displaying its gorgeous autumn colours, most of which, are in this quilt.

Links for your pleasure:

• Joan's creations on Instagram  
• My photos on Instragram   
• Free Quilted Projects  
• Free Leaf Quilt Blocks    
• Fall Quilt Projects   
• Autumn Leaves    
• Free Fall Patterns   
• Autumn Projects on Pinterest HERE    
• Pumpkins   
• Previous Thanksgiving posts HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE     
  

Enjoy!!

 

 

 

 

 

Trek to Avonport

Saturday, I visited Avonport Discount Fabrics in Avonport, NS. If you haven't visited this quilt shop, put it on your travel list. Have a look inside this shop HERE (post from a few years ago). Needless to say, I didn't come away empty handed!

These 1m cuts of batiks are just as brilliant as they appear here!

More Batiks - Fat Quarters this time.

Birch Trees - cotton

Forest - cotton

I also purchased some more Misty Fuse for a zoom workshop I'm doing with Lisa Walton from Sydney, Australia. The workshop is called Fabric Fusion, which has been organized for us by the program committee of Mahone Bay Quilters' Guild.

A few links from Britain:

• Gillian Travis, textile artist
• Very Kerry Berry  
• Fabric and Flowers, Sonia Spence
• Feather on a Wire    
• Tutorials from Messy Jesse  

Enjoy!!

Book Review: Walk 2.0

Jacquie Gering has another new book, Walk 2.0, More Machine Quilting with Your Walking Foot. It is a follow up to her previous book, Walk, which is already in the Mahone Bay Quilters' Guild library. If you want to quilt your own projects with your walking foot, both these books are good resources. 

Walk 2.0  "focuses on how to adapt designs and techniques to suit the machine and equipment that you have and where you quilt". There are lots of designs to choose. However, having designs is one thing, but knowing which design to use is important too. That's where this book can help. You are guided along the path, going from smaller practise samples to quilting larger pieces.

The table of contents includes:

• Walking Foot Refresh
• 60 degree Designs
• Sashiko-Inspired Designs
• Rotational Designs
• Quilt as Desired
  

So, it's time to get some sample squares ready so that you can follow along with Jacquie on using your walking foot.  

• Tutorials from Jacquie Gering   
• Using a Walking Foot    
• We All Sew (Bernina)
• Walking Foot Quilting on Pinterest HERE     
• Tips for Quilting Curves with your Walking Foot   
• Differences between a walking foot and quilting foot

Enjoy!!

Book Review: Mini Wonderful Curves

This next book is Mini Wonderful Curves, 16 Seasonal Quilt Projects Using the QCR Mini, by sisters, Jenny Pedigo and Helen Robinson. Patterns include tulips, sunflowers, pinwheels, hearts, fall foliage, bats, winter tree and more . . .  The book is full of beautiful coloured photos of the quilts and the patterns. There is no guesswork on fabric placement to create each quilted project. Again, as with their previous book, One Wonderful Curve, a pictorial tutorial for using the mini version of the Quick Curve ruler, is included.

The projects include wall hangings, table runners and quilts, in a fresh contemporary style with a curved flair. Again, another book to check out.

• Curved Piecing Quilts on Pinterest HERE and HERE  
  
• Sew Kind of Wonderful    
• Modern Quilt patterns    
• Tutorials  
• Machine Curved Piecing   

Enjoy!

Book Review: One Wonderful Curve

 

Today's book is One Wonderful Curve by Jenny Pedigo and Helen Robinson. The ruler to go along with the book, has been added to the Mahone Bay Quilters' Guild collection.

 

 

I find the 12 quilt designs in this book quite delightful! The designs are constructed using one simple curved block. Of course, by adding additional pieced elements to this block, you get totally different quilts. It is perfect for any level of quilter. The colours used are vibrant, which certainly draws my eye to them! 

 

This books teaches how to use the ruler through photos. Quite often this aspect is passed over quickly. Not in this case! The directions are easy to follow. 

Another great book to add to your collection!

• Curved Quilt Blocks on Pinterest HERE and HERE    
  
• Curved Piecing and a free block   
• Sewing Curves in a Quilt    
• Sew Kind of Wonderful    
• Quilt Social   

Enjoy!