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Showing posts from February, 2014

End of the Month and trying to catch up....

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Another weekend here and although we talked about going away in Vancouver Canada we have another weekend of snow, yes SNOW!!!.   Bellingham got it worst then us last weekend but again they say we're looking at 2 - 4 inches of snow and in Vancouver where many people don't have snow tires, that's dangerous. It's been 2 weeks that both my husband and I have said, we need to get out and have a mini vacation. We were looking at a weekend in Bellevue, with some quilt material shopping and just relaxation in the hotel and bars, but not with snow on the way. Check out last weekend's little snow fest....  This is Vancouver Island who got it more then us in Surry BC, but the idea was the same, and this same light snow fall lasted for 2 days straight.  I'm not kidding. From CTV News I mean, I'm from Manitoba, in the middle of Canada, where there is plenty of snow, and -30 to -40 degrees most of the winter, so snow is not a novelty...  But in Vancouver i

Block Lottery for a draw of all that you may need for a quilt....

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I really like the idea of this lottery that's going on at Block Lotto.  Every month they give you a new pattern to make.  You make as many as you want and you send them in to get into a draw.  The amount of blocks you put in is the amount of draws you have to win all the blocks and make yourself a quilt.  So far there has been two this year and at the end of the year you have a huge quilt.  The quilt this year is modern.  The first month is the chevron, the second one is called bead on a string, which really looks great. beads on a strong. The site tells you what color to do the block in, what size and what style so they are similar enough to make a quilt with all the blocks entered in the draw.  On the same site I gave you, that is where the patterns come up but if you keep on looking through the site you will also see quilts made by the winner.  Just so you know people from all over the world send in their blocks, some from Germany, some from England.  So to send your b

Down the Rabbit Hole - finally I started it...

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As was my goal this year, I wanted to do some blocks of the month online, do some samplers, and Gable House and Co. has a fantastic one.  It's called "Down the Rabbit Hole" and Jennifer Overstreet does a fantastic job of explaining each and every step.  At this point it's very simple for a beginner quilter, and although I'm past that step, it's still fun to figure out other ways to do the blocks, making it more challenging. A friend of mine gave me 50 pieces of fabric for my 50th birthday, so I'm using all those scraps.  They have  patterns with green, blue, pink and red, some modern, some old.  It's quite the combo but it's going well so far.  I'm  using some green material as a filler or background to bring it all together.  I already purchased 2 meters of this greenso that's working out with no new purchases.  The object in "my head" is to use all that material she gave me, so it will be my birthday quilt at the end.  The t

Snow stopped us from a mini holiday but not relaxing....

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Got to work on Vice Versa but I'm not happy with it.  It's the way the colors went together.  Although the colors look good and match, the darks ended up on one side of the design and the lights on the other.  I think it would look better with alternating blocks of dark, light, then light (move the blue to the brown) and dark.  See what I mean below?  This one doesn't look bad... Vice Versa Feb. Block Vice Versa's Feb Blocks. but I don't like the one with all the colors, where the darks are fuller, you can't see the green smaller triangles because of the brown and the red, with the lights and darks alternating, the green will pop better.   What do you think?

Work is interfering with Play...

School's been very busy, setting up the classes and getting all students on a computer.   Like all fabricoholics I've been buying material to be ready for some of my BOMs.  They seem to grow and I am behind in 3...  Applique is filling in my time because I'm too tired to take out my sewing machine. But at least it is getting done.  I'm happy with how it's coming along.  It's the BOM Applique, that's longer then 12 months. I have been working on finishing/completing two of my quilts that I have the top done, but need to layer and such.  The valentine quilt is coming along so well, I'm surprised at the free style quilting I'm doing.   I need to add my machine quilting to this blog, but this weekend we're away, and next weekend I'm at two of my school classes, plus swimming two nights, so where will I fit in the time???? It will come...  tonight maybe.... Working on the ViceVersa #2 block, cutting it out as well as the free-sty
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Well I joined the FVQG like I said I would and it was the best decision I made!!!  The library is incredible, the people so friendly! and the guest speaker was the reason I went.   Kathy McNeil was not only elequant in her presentation, but the members in the morning serssion came again to see her in the afternoon.  That has to say something about her.  What says even more are her quilts.  You can see her quilts at  http://www.kathymcneilquilts.com/  but the pictures below are the quilts she brought to show to talk about.  Most have taken 1200 - 1500 hours of work.  Talk about patience.  I bought the fabric paint crayons to start painting backgrounds....  So cool!!!  I can't wait to start  appliqué again!! The picture itself is outstanding but..... This one shows the quilting so much more!!! This one makes you feel cold!!! I'm so sorry that this one blurred, no flash photography... The quilting on this quilt is outstanding, 1500 hours of work.
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Went to the Surrey Arts Centre yesterday to look at the Fraser Valley Quilting Guild's small show and met 5 wonderful women watching over the quilts.  They were fantastic.  I didn't include any pictures because they weren't mine to show but if you want to see them go to  http://www.fvqg.org/showtell.php  for a look see.  They were amazing and inspiring.  They have a speaker this week  - Kathy McNeil, and you must go heard of her for her quilts with such life like quilts of birds,  that is a block of the month, and one well worth doing.  Check it out at  http://www.kathymcneilquilts.com   .  She taught at the FVQG a block that was closely related to her quilt (see below for the original).   Outstanding, and you wouldn't believe the piece work!!  One of the girls at the Art Center took the course and was working on it.  Can't believe the work!  You can' see it here and goodness knows the piece work is extension.  The workshop started with the largest piece and

2nd Doodle done!!!

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I am so enjoying the Quilt Doodle BOM!  The 2nd quilt block came in last week and I was finished it on Saturday before Super Bowl Sunday.  It was true, it only took a 1/2 day, but it turned out so great! I am so happy with the material in the background.  It was suppose to be stars but it looks like snow at night.  I went through my stash and found all the different browns.  This QAL BOM is fantastic, using up fabric from my snip bag, and more.  And I am so happy with  Doodle Designs and the layout of the quilt in the end.  Below is the look of how the quilt will come together.   It's the start of the week and I now have to wait until the next month, that's kill me, patience is not my virtue, but I have many more BOMs to work on and two that I am behind, so....... Happy quilting!