Quilting | Quilting Helps you Quit Smoking!

I have finished the Wild Child quilt top.The others wait their turn in various locations around the quilt room where I hide out from sheer terror. I sandwich, I thread the machine, and go.

I am holding my breath, trying to breath through this underlying sense of panic because I quit smoking last Thursday.  The uncertainty of a new to me quilt pattern is edging up that panic.

I pieced a backing for this wild child quilt top that I designed during mmmquilts 30 quilt design challenge. I wanted an all over design and thought an all over wood grain pattern would match the feel of this quilt.

I used Angela Walters video below to get started then I was off, focusing on trying to keep the lines the same distance apart, not bunching up the backing, and making the motif smooth.





I put my head down and focused! the next time I looked up was an hour later! yes! I beat it that time, now I wait for the next wave of withdrawal to come.

My husband and I quit smoking two years ago and took the habit back up when we were selling, renovating, buying, moving, getting married and honeymooning this summer. We were super stressed and it was the only way we knew how to cope with that much stress.

I spent the entire weekend in my sewing room avoiding my dear husband as we were both on edge and felt like picking on each other. I survived by having the quilting challenges to work with.

The all over wood grain is starting to come together and I think it just might turn out great.


Until next time, stay resolute!

Sarah

Linking to  oh Scrap , Move it Forward Monday  , Monday Making  and Main Crush Monday 

Quilting | #30quiltdesignchallenge2018

Hi Everyone, I have been busy participating in the design challenge hosted on Instagram by Sandra at mmmquilts. 

This challenge is harder than I thought!  The challenge is to create 30 quilt designs in 90 days. It doesn't sound too bad right.

Here are my quilt designs 1-16 from the challenge.

I have learned so much about my style, pattern tools, color, not to mention the techniques that will be used to put together the quilt. I am a fairly new quilter 3 years? but I have been sewing since I was really little.

I am still trying to find my own style of quilting so, I tried using quilting apps for the pictures below that I call Double Irish Granny and Ohio Grannies, perhaps the name indicates how I felt about these patterns. lol. 

I have started making some of the designs. one of them I designed for a commission and the other I am making for a challenge. You could say that the need to create a particular quilt drives the quilt design. 

      

Because I wasn't enjoying the process of designing on the quilting apps I tried drawing a tile and using a collage maker to rotate and repeat the tiles to make the above and below patterns. I really enjoyed this process because It allowed me to use the Low Fi pen and paper coupled with the High Fi computer technology. 

      

I only have 15 more days for 14 more designs by April 30th. I know that by then I am going to wonder and perhaps hope that the deadline was an April Fools Day joke...

Wish me luck and let me know which one you like the best! and until next time friends, stay curious

Sarah 

If you want to follow my progress on Instagram here is the link

Linking with Off the Wall Friday 

Finish it up Friday @ Crazy Mom Quilts 

Finished or not Friday @ Busy Hands Quilts 

Quilting | The Cabin Blanket

Hi, I finished a quilt. The name changed, the design changed, the purpose changed.... sigh, ART. It is now simple pretty and useful. How wonderful is that!

The cabin blanket that was I making a lot of scrappy HST's for; It is finished! This thing was going to be a duvet cover!?!! what was I thinking?! hahaha you can read about in the link above.

I was not sure If I was going to make it with a symmetrical border or not. I decided not and I worked fantastically! This snuggly cutie has been claimed by my fiance. lol. The blanket and me I guess.

It is so soft and snuggly

It has simple quilting that shows on the back and I love this one more than I planned. Most of the fabrics are from my mom's friend and the annual church fabric sale. 

 It has truly grown on me. Its funny how quilts do that



Linked to em's scrapbag http://emsscrapbag.blogspot.ca/

Quilting | A Rohen's Finish

I Finished It. It only took four months.... To get back on track

Rohens Quilt is reversible, with the large pieced stars on the one side and the patchwork improv on the back. And he totally loved it, a big genuine smile and a real tight hug. I love that guy :)

 The quilting was one of my favorite parts! this is one of my first quilts that I have quilted designs all over instead of stitching in the ditch!

I have been watching Angela Walters on the midnight quilt show. it is such a treat to see a new episode!

Angela and the Midnight Quilt show has inspired my quilting this summer see...... Thanks, Angela!

Here is the quilting of the star showing through onto the scrappy back

looking back it seems really amazing to see all of the pieces come together from smaller scraps. 

I am totally inspired to keep going! In fact, I have two more scrap quilts on the go. I am excited to show you next time.

Until then, stay scrappy my friends.

I am so happy to link with finished or not Friday!  It has been such a long time.

Quilting | FAL Q2 Proposed Finishes

Hi! I am participating in the 2017 Finish Along Hosted by She Can Quilt . It has really been helping me to stay organized with my projects and hold me a little bit accountable. The first quarter went pretty good, but the second quarter is going to be even better! Below is a list of my projects for this quarter. Have a look, hope you enjoy!

1. Kimono - I started this for Jen's birthday. It just needs the trim and maybe an adjustment around the arms; It fits funny

2. Rohen's Improv - I need some quality time with this one to try out some different arrangements to balance it out.

3. Rohen's a Big Star - I need to find a backing and batting and deliver to my lovely nephew.

3. Scona 2016 Championships or 2017 season - I have the lion motif cut out and the complementing fabrics, this one shouldn't take too long

7. Star Map: aka Matthews constellation quilt - I have printed out the pattern and will get it on the top for some hand quilting

8. Cabin HST - I think I have all of the triangles cut out and sewn together in squares. Now for the placement and piecing them together. I am sure I can finish this one in this quarter.

I am so excited about this quarters finishes now that I know how this all works! 

Have fun friends and enjoy the process

Sarah

I am linking to she can quilts #2017FALQ2

Quilting | Rohen's Improv Battle Cry!

I am working on this fantastic improv back piece for Rohen's star quilt. All of the fabric that went into the top is used up on the back, along with scraps and general treasures from my stash.



My son said that it could use some brighter pieces, so I pulled some scraps from my stash and sewed together in mostly stacks. This quilt was begun during the AHIQ Chinese coins challenge and the improv backing is my tribute to that tradition.


































Improv quilting is hard! You would think that it would be easy to just pull a color pallet and start putting all your squares and motif tricks together to build a quilt. Hmmm. Not so easy for this beginner.



I need to rearrange these blocks/pieces. It makes me a bit crazy looking at it. like I need to reach in a move things around!





I did contemplate just doing a simple backing for Rohen's quilt because I think it would be more comfortable to snuggle under.





It looks like this will become a top of its own! Back to the design wall! Back to the Backings! Quick find some Batting! Hear the battle cry of a quilters charge! (hahah, my mom would be proud she likes battle cries)



I am linking with Sew Slowly's AHIQ and Moving it Forward Monday.

Quilting | Phase Basting

I upcycle, I do. It fills me with a satisfaction knowing that I have taken something outdated and unwanted and turned it into something more enjoyable. Yesterday I basted Rohen's finished quilt top to an upcycled bedspread. My basting process is probably different than yours, but maybe not. maybe there is an underground movement of phase basters. yes, that is what I am calling it: Phase Basting.

Phase Basting is where the quilt top and the backing is secured to the batting separately. I baste like this because I am impatient, mostly and because I am very limited on space. I live in a Canadian post-war shotgun house with a teenager a 5-year-old a husband, a puppy and a medium-sized lab-mut.

I did come across a lady who was using an ironing board to baste her quilts as she was also short on space and I think that I started with that method then moved to the floor with quilting pins.

Phase Basting allows me to work on the back side of the quilt; being short on space I basically use the back as a design wall! lol

I may be taking a break from this one as I am getting a little sick of looking at it. I've joined Quilty 365! and I am very excited about that!

I am linking with Finished or not Friday

cheers for now,

Sarah

Quilting| Rohen's Chinese Coins

I am working on Rohen's Quilt. I have the big star blocks pieced together with supporting elements and am now working on herringbone Chinese coins.  The quilt is starting to look phenomenal! Nathan says that I should highly value the work that I am putting in on this one and that he does! he also hints that he can't wait to have his own blanket. I have made quite a few afghans and quilts but he has yet to receive his. Patience my love patience. :)

I purchased some scraps from Weave and Woven  on Etsy, a seller from Ontario Canada, and used them to perk up the original color scheme for the stars. I love the scraps and the packaging was so lovely!

I can't wait to show you the top.

Sarah


Linked to design wall Monday  and Oh Scrap