Book Review: Free-Motion Quilting 101

I'm back with another book review from the NEW books that have been added to the Mahone Bay Quilters Guild Library. This particular one, Free-Motion Quilting 101, Techniques & Patterns for Beginners by Ashley Nickels, is the ideal book for the beginner quilter and is a good resource for those who teach free-motion quilting.

To become comfortable with free-motion quilting, it needs to be practised frequently. In other words, set aside time to 'play' with your sewing machine, threads and fabric. This is where this book comes into 'PLAY"!! If you are new to free-motion stitching, this one can help guide you along in the quest to quilt your own project pieces.

Inside the book, you will find:

• workbook- style practise sheets which contains 15 foundational designs. For example: wonky hexagons, waves, whale tails. . .
  
• a project session containing 3 simple projects and 1 larger project that is a culmination of the techniques learned in the book
• and detailed information for finishing a quilt

I used this book as a reference when I taught a class of free-motion quilting techniques at my guild earlier this year.

Look inside the book HERE  

Please note: I have no affiliation with promoting or selling this book.  

There are lots of You Tube Videos HERE. 

Enjoy!

Snowmen

Back in 2016, I finished a wall hanging, Snow Happens, and gave it to my sister for Christmas. Since then, I hand embroidered another one and put it away (we were in the process of moving to another province). The other day, I found it in a bin with an assortment of sewing related stuff!

My blogging friend, Mary Ann, at Magpie's Mumblings, is decluttering her sewing space and has got me thinking about doing the same. That's how I discovered where I had poked the embroidery.

Yesterday, I stitched on the first two borders and got the other pieces ready for the pieced border.

No borders were stitched on when this was taken

Here's my fabric choices for the pieced border. I am using fabrics from my stash as I am not buying any new fabrics to finish this one. I opted not to use the top two fabrics. 

Check my previous posts HERE, HERE & HERE for snow related links that I posted.
Magpie's Mumblings has lots of awesome links!!

These embroideries were also with the one above.

Keep up to date with me on INSTAGRAM @jctextileart

Enjoy!!

First Finish for 2019

The 12 Days of Christmas wall hanging that I started in December is finished! This is a free pattern from All People Quilt. It caught my eye when I first saw it and I saved the link just in case. When I decided to take a quick trip back to St. John's, early in December, this was the right size project to take. All the fabrics and buttons were from my stash. The colourful batik, used for the back and binding, isn't a Christmas print but worked perfectly! The cream background is a linen type weave with gold threads.

The wall hanging is actually straight. My camera taking was a bit off!!

Enjoy!!

A Surprise!

It was my sister, Joan's birthday on the 18th. She certainly got a surprise gift from me, my hand embroidered / quilted 'Snow Happens'. It had caused me some frustration as I had difficulty with the blue blocks on the border and of course, I ranted about it last year to her. So when she opened her gift, she wrote right away: (we talked later that evening).

YOUR blue snowman embroidery!

I can't believe you gave that away - you did so much work on it - and actually I was thinking

about it a few days ago - how much I liked the blue embroidery and maybe after

Christmas I'd get a pattern and work on one!

Thank you soooo much - it's beautiful.

Isn't it nice to surprise someone!

Enjoy, Joan!!!

Autumn Splendor!

A few photos for inspiration - in quilting and stitching. I take lots of photos and sometimes one of them inspires a new piece of work.

  

Row by Row Kit

Today was so hot - too hot for walking! This was 11:00 am when I came from physio. It went up to 31C in the afternoon.

While at Fiber Lily on Saturday, I purchased their Row by Row Kit. It will look good in my new future studio! Those row house buttons really do look great on the wall hanging.

Spring Has Sprung - in my Garden!

The sun is shining!!! Yes, that's a wonder as St. John's has had its fair share of RDF (Rain, Drizzle, Fog) this spring. And it's been cold so it's a wonder that any spring flowers / shrubs have survived.

 This old fella has survived another winter too. No, I didn't bring him in out of the weather!

Maybe things will begin to look up this week (weather wise).

• Flower Quilts / Blocks on Pinterest HERE, HERE  
• Applique HERE, HERE,
• Fabric Flower Patterns HERE, 
• Hexagon Flower Mug Rug   
• More Mug Rugs HERE,  HERE, 

Enjoy!

Links!

My studio is up to your eyeballs! The downstairs storage for my supplies is partly packed up. Hopefully I'll find everything when it's all unpacked - sometime in the future. Trying to decide if I'll keep something or not is a difficult choice. I don't know about you but the minute I get rid of something is when I suddenly have a use for it - AND it's too late! It's gone!

Here's a few links to consider:

• The Art of Louise Smith (hand embroidery) 
• 25 Quilt As You Go Tutorials 
• 10 Travel Sewing Projects 
• Zipper Pouches 

This Sashiko pattern was just added to my stash and will be an easy summertime project. My friend brought it back from Australia with her. I think the photo of the Christmas Tree does not do justice to the actual colour of the fabric and some colour adjustments were needed.    

Tuesday Links & More

It was another beautiful day here in St. John's. The thermometer out back reached 20C. I couldn't believe my eyes! I was out for a good portion of the day so not much got done in the studio.

So, I'm linking you up with some Tuesday Links and a few other things!

• Freemotion by the River  
• Totally Terrific Tuesday Link Party # 128
• Fabric Tuesday and Bountiful Blog Tour   
• Quilt Show Badge Holder   
• A Toast to Coasters  

     More flowers from Joan's garden in Tennessee!
  

Enjoy!

Red Work Done in Blue

I'm trying to do a little hand stitching everyday during 2017. So far, I've managed to do just that. My doodle cloth, which I started last year, is for experimenting with different threads and yarns using a variety of stitches. My one 'rule' on the doodle cloth - no taking out stitches. I will try to self correct as I continue stitching or do a 'restart' next to the fumbled work! Like my word? 

I have several other different pieces ready to stitch. These are my TV watching pieces as I really can't sit with idle hands. I don't know about you, but I need something fairly simple at times like that. Concentrating on a complicated pattern is for other times.
Here's my latest finish:

I don't know where I got this image - sorry! It was traced onto fabric a few years ago and put aside. This one will be quilted and probably made into a small wall hanging. I used a back stitch using Valdani Threads.

There are thousands of images out there to use for hand stitching. All those Adult Colouring books, for example, that are flooding the book stores, supermarkets etc, have excellent images to reproduce onto fabric. Maybe bits and pieces from several images can be combined to make a totally different piece. Experiment!

Here's a few links with images / patterns to use:

• Hand Embroidery Patterns on Pinterest HERE, HERE,  
• Red Work on Pinterest HERE,   
• Free patterns from Bird Brain Designs   
• Red Work Patterns 

Enjoy!  

Storm Watch and other Stuff!

There's a storm watch for this area over night and tomorrow. I'm glad I visited the fabric store today as I have a small project to sew up. I won't need it until January 1st but I will get started on it soon.

First, I have to gut out the studio in between been carpenter's helper. We will be very busy for the next week finishing the painting of back porch, powder room and hall as well as putting down new flooring. Any sewing will have to be done at night. I'm also hoping to get the tree up this week. This is the latest we've been putting it up.

Enough of that!!

From 2012

Check these out:

• Modern Christmas Tree Quilt or block. One of these trees could be a mug rug or small wall hanging. 
• Freebies for machine embroidery   
• This Table Runner caught my eye. It isn't difficult but takes a little time to do. It's on my to do list one of these days.
• Crochet Owl Basket   I like this one too.
• Christmas Embroidery  (inspiration & free patterns)

I hope you find something interesting!
Enjoy!!

Snow Happens

Finally, my UFO is pieced together, sandwiched and ready for quilting. Now I'm stumped! How will I quilt it? Any help would be much appreciated.

'Snow Happens' is a Bird & Brain Designs by Robin Kingsley.

four of the fabrics used in the border

A few snow related projects:

• Snowmen quilts on Pinterest    
• Snowmen Stitching Patterns on Pinterest, more HERE   
• Free-Motion Snowman  
• Making Snowmen Smiles 
• Free Snowman Quilt and Patterns   
• Snowman Quilt 
• Snowmen A to Zzzz    
•   
• Enjoy!!!            

Piknik Batik

My sister, Joan has spent the year quilting! She and her husband dropped by the campground for a couple of nights, on their way to Newfoundland from Tennessee. I received a late birthday gift - a fruit cake (family tradition) and a Piknik Batik quilt! Since I go to the beach with my granddaughter, she figured I needed a picnic quilt. She said on the label that she used up all her batiks. We have a running joke about batik fabrics.

The backing fabric is dark and comes to the front to bind the piece.
Thanks, Joan! It's perfect.

Check back for more of Quilting by Joan!

Freebies

There is nothing better than finding sources for free patterns and useful stitching information.

• By chance, I found Eglantine Stitchery with its extensive list of sources for free stitching patterns. 
• Free Vintage Patterns at French Knots (all things stitchy for crochet, embroidery, applique and quilting)
• Some embroidery ideas at Hayfield Cottage  
• I like the Bedside Pockets Organizer at Sew Can She. This is a free tutorial. Using the non-slip shelf liner is a good idea for holding this organizer under the mattress
• Of course, you can't go wrong with Quilt As You Go Tutorials from Patchwork Posse. 

I hope you find something interesting to consider making!

Enjoy!!

One of my past sewing projects: Pisci Fantasticus (original design)

Snowmen

It was 10C here today - wonder of wonders! I even saw a runner on the street in shorts and T-shirt. We have no snow (thank goodness) as I'm not a winter person. However, I found a few sites all about snowmen!!! Ironic, I know!!

• Felt Snowmen 
• Snowmen Star Ornaments  
• Cross stitch Snowmen on Pinterest
• Stitching Snowmen on Pinterest; more HERE
• Christmas Snowmen  
• Noel & Snowmen Crossstitch
• Free Snowmen Pattern
• More free patterns  (scroll down)
• Quilting ... Christmas and Snowmen on Pinterest  & more HERE
• Snowmen Quilt Patterns
• Snowman Stocking   
• Snowmen Mug Rugs  

Enjoy!

Gobble, Gobble!!

Next weekend is the Canadian Thanksgiving! So today's post is dedicated to Thanksgiving related projects. Of course, our American neighbors have a bit of extra time to prepare for their celebrations.

Here goes:

• All Free Sewing  
• So Sew Easy
• Sewing. Org
• Sew News
• Fave Crafts
• Sewing Freebies
• Polkadot Chair
• Bella Online

Wall Hangings

• Hold The Gravy: Thanksgiving Turkey Wall Hanging 
• Turkey Applique
• Acorn Autumn Wall Hanging
• Holiday Quilt Patterns on Pinterest
• More Pinterest Boards HERE & HERE

Have fun & Enjoy!

Fiber Lilly - Fabrics

Fiber Lilly had their first year anniversary this summer. I dropped by a couple of days ago to check things out as I've been gone since mid June. Nine new shelves of quilting fabric have been added! Apparently lots more fabric is on the way.

I'm not affiliated in any way with this store. However, I do like to promote and shop locally. If you are in town, please check them out. They do have lots of other supplies including yarns, notions and sewing machines.

Enjoy!

Christmas and winter

Christmas

Reds!

Summer colours. Stunning!

Lots of fat quarters!

Christmas organza to the left!

So soft for a cuddle quilt.

The Advent Calendar is now finished. When I was there it wasn't quite done.
This is a very easy one to do and looks wonderful. I saw it on face book.

Patch Halifax

Patch Halifax is a modern fabric store and sewing workshop located in Halifax's North End. This store has fabrics for quilting, garment making and crafting. You will find such lines as Cotton + Steel, Art Gallery, Cloud 9 and Robert Kaufman as well as independent sewing patterns for quilts and clothes.

The owner is a delightful young lady who greets everyone with a friendly smile. You are left to browse around at your leisure but someone is there to help if necessary. I liked the well lit and uncluttered space. Notions, books and patterns were well displayed.

Classes are offered in their spacious and well lit workshop. Sewing machines are available for rental by the hour so you can work on a project at your own pace. Not only that, there is always someone there who can offer assistance if needed. I'm finding that this is becoming a common thing to do in some quilting stores. As well, some classes offered are smaller quilted projects. For example, one of the classes is a modern quilting pillow with the emphasis on free motion stitching. The student gets to piece a small block, sandwich it like a quilt, decide what way to stitch the top and then sew it up to make a pillow. For beginning quilters, this is a great way to get started.

Tomorrow I will post more photos of the store.
Enjoy!
























It's Sew Time

I hope everyone enjoyed Canada Day. I took a road trek, did some walking and had lunch at a lovely outdoor café. Then there was a BBQ at supper time.

Tuesday, I posted about It's Sew Time, located in Elemsdale, NS.

Today is my follow up with photos of the smaller quilted pieces hung around the shop. These are beautiful!

I noticed a Long-Arm machine with some quilts on it. I didn't ask about it but I'm assuming you can get your quilts quilted there too. The shop also has patterns, fat quarters, all kinds of interfacing, Steam-a-Seam lite, Aqua Magic, batting, notions, sewing and embroidery machines .  .  . As I said previously, it's got one stop shopping for the quilter. If you are in the area, drop in.